# God of War III

God of War III is a 2010 video game released by SCE Santa Monica Studio for the Playstation 3 console. It follows immediately after God of War II; Kratos, seeking revenge on Zeus, leads the Titans up Mt. Olympus. He is betrayed by Gaia, the mother of the Titans, and falls into the Underworld. With the help of Athena's spirit, he seeks retribution on the Titans as well as the gods.

### Kratos

* The Hands of death could not defeat me, The sisters of fate could not hold me, AND YOU will not see the end of this day! I WILL have my revenge!
* My vengeance ends now.
* Zeus! Your son has returned. I bring the destruction of Olympus!
* A TRUE WARRIOR DOES NOT HIDE, POSEIDON! LEAVE THE SEA AND FACE ME!
* They will fall as well.
* Then prepare for your death, Poseidon.
* To catch a fly from the ass of Zeus is not worth my time, Hermes.
* This is not between us, Hercules.
* The air on Olympus affects your thinking, Brother. Zeus has no favorites.
* You aspire to be an Olympian, yet their reign is ending, Hercules.
* Hold your tongue.
* Pandora?! Pandora, what's happened?! Where are you?!
* Zeus! ZEUS!
* I have no time for games, Aphrodite.
* Put her down, Zeus!
* Release the girl, Zeus!
* I see only what I have come to destroy.
* This has nothing to do with her!
* PUT HER DOWN!!!
* All I remember is what I have lost.
* I have weapons.

### Zeus

* My brothers. We were forged in victory. A victory that ended the Great War and brought forth the reign of Mount Olympus. Born from the depths of the Underworld, rooted in the River of Souls, our mountain emerged out of the chaos. As it grew, so too did the might of the Olympians. We created a world of peace, a world of prosperity. A world that lives in the shadow and safety of my mountain, a mountain that has come to be the absolute measure of strength and power! Now, on this day, that power is to be tested! The mortal, Kratos, seeks to destroy all that I have wrought! Brothers. Put aside the petty grievances that have splintered us for so long. We will unite, we will stand together, and I... will wipe out this plague! Olympus... will prevail!
* Petulant child! I will tolerate your insolence NO MORE!!!
* Your pawn has failed you, Gaia. Perhaps you should have chosen the other one.
* Kratos. I'll put an end to this chaos!
* I created you and I will be your end!
* Surrender to me, and Pandora will live.
* That thing has used you!
* Why do you waste your time?!
* Why won't you DIE?! Die! Tremble in fear.
* I grow tired of you, my son.

### Gaia

* Something has me! I cannot move, Kratos. FREE ME!
* Kratos, the death of Zeus is within our reach! Climb to my hand!
* If I help you, we will both fall. Even now, Zeus gains.
* I saved you to serve the Titans.
* Listen carefully, Kratos. You're just a simple pawn, nothing more. Zeus is no longer your concern. This is our war, not yours.
* You live, Spartan? The blood of Cronos serves you well. Quickly! You must help me!
* Kratos, do I mean nothing to you?!
* The reign of Olympus ends now!
* My world... it bleeds because of you. I never sought your death, Spartan, but you left me no choice!
* ENOUGH! Father and son will die together!

### Athena

* Death cannot hold those with purpose, Kratos.
* I have missed you, Spartan.

### Hades

* I knew you would be back, Spartan. Did you miss me?
* I can understand why Zeus was so taken with you, Kratos. You are a capable warrior.
* Welcome, Spartan. Come in! Make yourself at home. This time, you won't be leaving.
* [as Kratos gazes upon the coffin of Persephone] Now, it falls to me to collect payment for the pain you have wrought.
* Kratos. So glad you could carve out some time for us. You know, we need it. I sense some bad blood between us, Kratos. Oh, all the memories... they're overwhelming, really. Let's see... How many sins have you committed against me? Oh, that's right, you murdered my niece, Athena. And what else? What else?! Ah, and you killed my brother, Poseidon. AND I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THAT IT WAS YOU WHO BUTCHERED MY BEAUTIFUL QUEEN! I will see you suffer as I have suffered! Your soul is MINE!
* Your pain is my pleasure.
* Torturing you is such fun.
* [after Kratos takes his hooks] MY KINGDOM!
* YOU CANNOT DESTROY HELL!

### Cronos

* The murderer of Gaia enters my tomb?!
* Kratos, your death will not be a gentle one.
* Time to die.
* Ahh! My eyes...!
* Aaaugh!!! Damn mortal! You will suffer when my sight returns!
* What have you done to me?!
* Where are you?
* There you are!
* Be still, Spartan!
* There is no escape!
* You little bastard!
* You are a pest and deserve to be crushed like one!
* You are clearly a skilled warrior, Kratos!
* My eyes! I cannot see!
* I know that you are here somewhere...
* There you are, Kratos! Your fate is now in my hands!
* I will make you into a bloody stain.
* Kratos!
* Where did you go?
* By hiding you show your true nature coward!
* Why do you flee, Kratos?
* Enough. It is time to end this. Trust me. Eating you will be more unpleasant for me!
* AAAH! You have what you came for...! Let me be...!
* Curse these chains!
* I should have expected this from a coward such as yourself! A coward who kills his own kin!
* KRATOS!!!
* NOOOOO!!!

### Pandora

* [to Kratos] Hope is what makes us strong! It is why we are here! It is what we fight with when all else is lost!

### Others

    Narrator: Before the age of the twilight set upon the gods, a legend rose to claim his place among them. And even though Kratos sat on the throne as the new God of War, he was haunted by visions of his family - a family he himself murdered. But the Hands of Death could not defeat him. The Sisters of Fate could not control him. And on this day, the man, the legend, Kratos, will have his revenge.
    Hermes: I thought Spartans fought with honor! And yet you seek to kill me when I have no way to defend myself? Not fair!... But you have your own sense of honor, right, Kratos?! And what has that "honor" brought you? Nothing but nightmares of your failure! Today you may defeat me, but in the end, Kratos... in the end, you'll betray only yourself.
    Minos: By the gods of Olympus and order of Zeus, we are the Three Judges. Face your final judgment, mortal. King Aeacus has found you wanting. King Rhadamanthus has found you worthy. It falls to me, King Minos, to make the final decision. Your future is cloaked in shadow. The realm of the afterlife is not yet ready for you. Beyond that door waits your destiny.
    Hercules: Think about it, brother. While I was stuck cleaning the Augean stables, he chose you to destroy Ares. [Kratos raises an eyebrow] Not convinced? How about this? While you were being crowned the god of war, I was sent to find an apple. They called them "labours". Ha! Perhaps he did allow me to kill the Nemean lion, but he made your name known amongst the people. A fierce warrior, a killer made hero, a man made a god. But this time, brother... This time, I will destroy you. Call it my thirteenth and final labour. Soon I will become the god of war and claim the throne for myself.

### Dialogue

    Zeus: My brothers. We were forged in victory. A victory that ended the Great War and brought forth the reign of Mount Olympus. Born from the depths of the Underworld, rooted in the River of Souls, our mountain emerged out of the chaos. As it grew, so too did the might of the Olympians. We created a world of peace, a world of prosperity. A world that lives in the shadow and safety of my mountain, a mountain that has come to be the absolute measure of strength and power! Now, on this day, that power is to be tested! The mortal, Kratos, seeks to destroy all that I have wrought! Brothers. Put aside the petty grievances that have splintered us for so long. We will unite, we will stand together, and I... will wipe out this plague! Olympus... will prevail!
    Kratos: Zeus! Your son has returned! I bring the destruction of Olympus!
    Helios: The titans will fail again!
    Gaia: Something has me! I cannot move, Kratos. Free me!
    Poseidon: You challenge me, mortal? A god of Olympus?!
    Kratos: A true warrior does not hide, Poseidon. Leave the sea, and face me!
    Poseidon: You have disrespected the gods for the last time, Kratos!
    Gaia: Jump to my hand!/Kratos, jump to my hand!
    [Gaia punches Poseidon's watery construct in the chest, as Kratos rips Poseidon out and they land a nearby ledge and throws him against a wall. He looks at the construct, which dissipates into the sea.]
    Poseidon: Zeus should have kept you where you belonged. No matter how many gods fall, there will always be another to stand against you.
    Kratos: They will fall as well.
    Poseidon: The death of Olympus means the death of us all!
    Kratos: Then prepare for your death, Poseidon. [He beats Poseidon until he lands near the cliff. Kratos jams his thumbs into Poseidon's eyes, and snaps his neck like a twig. The god of the sea's body slowly encases in water as he falls from Olympus and lands into the sea. The oceans suddenly rise, and flood all of Greece.]
    Gaia: Kratos, the death of Zeus is within our reach! Climb to my hand!
    Kratos: What will you do, Father? You can no longer hide behind the skirts of Athena.
    Zeus: Athena is dead because of the rage that consumes you, Kratos. What more will you destroy?
    Kratos: The Hands of Death could not defeat me, the Sisters of Fate could not hold me, and you... will not see the end of this day! I WILL have my revenge!
    Zeus: Petulant child! I will tolerate your insolence NO MORE!
    [Zeus summons a large lightning bolt and throws it at Kratos. He manages to absorb it with the Golden Fleece, but most of Gaia's hand is severed, and both Kratos and Gaia are sent tumbling down Mt. Olympus. Gaia manages to grab a ledge.]
    Kratos: [struggling to hold onto Gaia's back] Gaia!! I can hold on no longer!
    Gaia: [still struggling to hold on the ledge] If I help you, we will both fall. Even now, Zeus gains. [grabs hold of a higher ledge]
    Kratos: [stabs the Blade of Olympus into her back, but slides back] The destruction of Zeus is why you saved me from death!
    Gaia: I saved you to serve the Titans!
    Kratos: DO NOT DENY ME MY REVENGE!
    Gaia: Listen carefully, Kratos. You were a simple pawn, nothing more. Zeus is no longer your concern. This is our war, not yours.
    Kratos: [loses hold of the Blade and falls] GAIAAAAA!!! Whoooaaaa! [speaking in his mind] I have lived as a warrior. I have died as a god. Having suffered the ultimate sacrifice, I have been denied release. I... I will defeat Olympus. I will have my revenge. [lands in the River Styx]
    Kratos: [leaving the River Styx, weakened by the souls in the river] We are not finished, Zeus. The gates of Hades have never held me!
    Athena: [as a spirit, appears behind Kratos] Death cannot hold those with purpose, Kratos.
    Kratos: Athena...?
    Athena: I have missed you, Spartan.
    Kratos: I... I don't—
    Athena: My sacrifice to save Zeus has brought me to a higher existence.
    Kratos: You still appear to be an Olympian.
    Athena: Appearances can be deceiving, Kratos.
    Kratos: So can the children of Olympus.
    Athena: Perhaps. But remember: my death came by your blade.
    Kratos: My blade was meant for Zeus. Be quick with your words.
    Athena: As we speak, the war for Olympus rages on and mankind suffers.
    Kratos: Let them suffer. The death of Zeus is all that matters.
    Athena: Zeus will not fall as easily as Ares. To destroy the King of the Gods, you must seek the source of his strength: the Flame of Olympus.
    Kratos: You once sacrificed yourself to save Zeus, and now you seek to destroy him? What has brought about this change?
    Athena: I see truths where I did not before. [goes through Kratos and grabs the ruined Blades of Athena] Perhaps these will earn back your trust. [uses her powers to transform them into the Blades of Exile] These are the Blades of Exile. These will help guide you on your journey to the Flame. [sends them forward to Kratos' hands] Remember, as long as Zeus reigns, there is no hope for mankind. Destroy the Flame, Kratos, and the very foundations of Olympus will crumble. [fades away]
    Pandora: [appearing in a small flame] Father?
    Kratos: Calliope...?
    Pandora: Oh...
    Kratos: You are not my daughter.
    Pandora: No, but I know who you are.
    Kratos: You know of me?
    Pandora: They said you would come.
    Hades: [his voice echoing about] Playing with toys, Kratos?
    Kratos: Show yourself, Hades. Another one of your tricks?
    Hades: [laughs] As usual, Spartan, you are gravely mistaken.
    Kratos: Face me, coward!
    Hades: So eager, Kratos. Relax. Soon enough, we will have our time to play...
    Hephaestus: [sorrowful] Leave me be. I tell you... I have paid the price.
    Kratos: Calm yourself, smith-god.
    Hephaestus: Ghost of Sparta? It is you... Well, well, well... I thought Zeus would have killed you by now.
    Kratos: I thought you would have escaped this cavern by now.
    Hephaestus: Zeus may have imprisoned me here, but you are the reason I live in torment.
    Kratos: I did you no wrong, Hephaestus. I pursue only one Olympian.
    Hephaestus: Well, as long as it's only one Olympian. [laughs]
    Kratos: I seek the Flame of Olympus. Do you know of it?
    Hephaestus For what purpose, Spartan?
    Kratos: For the purpose I have chosen. Now tell me, do you know of the Flame?
    Hephaestus: All true children of Olympus know of it. We have all come to respect its power, but don't be fooled by its enticing glow. Neither god nor man can touch its lethal flame.
    Kratos: I only need to find it.
    Hephaestus: [chuckles] If you can find your way out of the Underworld, I am sure you can find your way to the Flame of Olympus.
    Kratos: [leaving, mockingly] You have been truly helpful, Hephaestus.
    [After killing Hades, Kratos again meets Hephaestus]
    Hephaestus: Kratos! Can it be? Does this mean Lord Hades rules no longer?
    Kratos: The god of the Underworld is dead.
    Hephaestus: Dead? Ha! Hades deserved to suffer, though I thought his death impossible.
    Kratos: Olympians overestimate themselves.
    Hephaestus: Interesting... I will keep that in mind, Spartan. [laughs]
    [Kratos looks towards a glowing gate high in the cave.]
    Hephaestus: You need the soul of a god to use the Hyperion Gate, Kratos. And that one has not been used for centuries. I'm sure it's broken; otherwise I would have seen my beautiful... [holds back a sob] You know, Kratos, I wasn't always like this: a monster. I was once the most prized craftsman in all of Olympus. Zeus rewarded me with my marriage to the beautiful Aphrodite. My mother Hera bragged of my talent. But the day you killed Ares was the day my world was torn from me. That day, Zeus became the fiend you now know. Worst of all, he took my beloved daughter, Pandora, my reason for living. I spend my time here trying to recreate her. [gestures towards lifeless replicas of Pandora hanging from the ceiling] I fail, again and again. She still lives, Spartan. I can feel it... You... You, Kratos! You can bring her back to me.
    Kratos: Your child is not my concern.
    Hephaestus: But surely you can understand? You were once a father too.
    Athena: Remember your purpose, Kratos. His death is our only hope.
    Kratos: Understand this, Athena. Zeus... will... die.
    Gaia: You live, Spartan? The blood of Cronos serves you well. Quickly! You must help me!
    Kratos: Help? You?
    Gaia: Yes, child. Quickly! I suffer greatly. I tried to return to battle but—
    Kratos: Without me?
    Gaia: You know I had no choice! You must help me!
    [Kratos starts severing Gaia's hand in order to give him a better path.]
    Gaia: Kratos, do I mean nothing to you?
    Kratos: You were a means to an end, Gaia. Nothing more.
    Gaia: But I must face Zeus. The Titans must take down Olympus.
    Kratos: NO! This is my war, not yours!
    Helios: Kratos. I have not forgotten the debt I owe you. Save me now, as you once saved me from Atlas, and I promise to repay you in full.
    Kratos: If you wish to repay me, tell me where I can find the Flame of Olympus!
    Helios: The Flame...? You will never defeat Zeus, Spartan. You will forfeit your life in trying.
    Kratos: Of all the lives you should worry about, Helios... mine is not one of them.
    Helios: Feel the power of the sun! [tries to blind Kratos using his powers, but Kratos blocks the light and stomps his head to the ground several times; grabs Kratos' foot.] Wait! Wait! I can tell you that to destroy Zeus, you must step into the Flame to receive its power.
    Kratos: [angrily] YOU LIE, HELIOS! Hephaestus told me the Flame kills all who touch it!
    Helios: And you believe him? That freak has fallen from the graces of Olympus.
    Kratos: That is exactly why I believe him!
    Helios: My death will not lead you to Zeus.
    Kratos: That, is where you are wrong. [grabs Helios by the neck and twists it, but Helios' resistance causes Kratos to hit him in the head. Leans back and rips Helios' head from his body. Helios' head lets loose a blood-curdling scream, causing the sun to be blocked by never-ending storm clouds.]
    Pandora: Kratos! It's getting close.
    Kratos: I told you; I cannot help you.
    Pandora: But you're the only one who can. I know it. I trust you.
    Kratos: [sternly] You shouldn't.
    Hermes: [meeting Kratos where the Chain of Balance connects the Labyrinth; laughs] Look who it is. Kratos, the Ghost of Sparta. The fallen god. The cursed mortal.
    Kratos: To catch a fly from the ass of Zeus is not worth my time, Hermes.
    Hermes: A coward's words, Kratos. You don't try to catch me because you know you can't. [runs and sits on the edge of one of the Labyrinth boxes; mockingly] Kratos, where are you off to today? [laughs] Kill any family members lately?! Oh, that's right! You're off to kill your father, Zeus. [laughs mockingly] Won't happen, can't happen. Kratos is on a fool's errand... again!
       ♪ Never, never learn. ♪
       ♪ Never, never change. ♪
       ♪ Kratos, the fool who killed his own blood; ♪
       ♪ Kratos, the fool amongst mortals and gods. ♪
       ♪ Forever ever cursed, ♪
       ♪ Forever ever doomed. ♪
       ♪ Consumed by vengeance to his last breath, ♪
       ♪ The Spartan lights the way to dusty death. ♪
    [Hermes runs up the chain of Olympus, laughing mockingly.]
    Kratos: Pandora's Box...? [Athena interrupts Kratos from touching the box.] What is the meaning of this?
    Athena: Your eyes do not deceive you, Kratos. It is the same box you opened years ago. The power to kill a God still rests inside.
    Kratos: I released those powers when I killed Ares.
    Athena: No. Trapped inside that box there is a stronger power. It has been missing from the world. It all began when Zeus triumphed over the Titans in the Great War. Zeus understood that the evils born from that battle, if left free, would destroy the world of man and gods. To contain these evils, Zeus commissioned Hephaestus to build a vessel strong enough to hold them. Fear. Greed. Hate. He locked them all away in the box in hopes that they would never again infect his reign. When you opened the box to kill Ares, you drew from the forbidden powers. After witnessing your victory, Fear gripped Zeus.
    Kratos: But the flame is deadly. How can I recover the box?
    Athena: With its namesake, Kratos.
    Kratos: Pandora?
    Athena: She is the key to destroying the flame, the key to our revenge. This will be difficult, Spartan.
    Kratos: A simple child will not trouble me, Athena.
    Athena: I hope you are right, Ghost of Sparta.
    Hermes: I thought Spartans fought with honor! And yet you seek to kill me when I have no way to defend myself? Not fair!... But you have your own sense of honor, right, Kratos?! And what has that "honor" brought you? Nothing but nightmares of your failure! Today you may defeat me, but in the end, Kratos... in the end, you'll betray only yourself. [Kratos grabs and throws Hermes into the wall and slices one of Hermes's legs. Hermes screams in pain and fear.] Leave me alone! Go away! [Kratos grabs Hermes and slices the last of Hermes's legs, causing his death to be consumed by never-ending plagues. Kratos acquired the Boots of Hermes and subsequently swatted a fly from his chest.]
    Hera: [upon Kratos entering the forum, drunken] Bravo. Bravo. Our hero has arrived. Applause for another bastard child of Zeus. Just in time for the final act.
    Kratos: Hera.
    Hera: You look terrible, dear. Still wanting to kill my husband, I suppose?
    Kratos: You know I seek revenge on Zeus.
    Hera: Can't say that I blame you. Since you killed my son, Ares, fear of you consumes him.
    Kratos: His fears will not matter when he is dead.
    Hera: I'll drink to that.
    Kratos: Hera. I seek the child Pandora.
    Hera: Pandora...? That wretched little thing my son Hephaestus created? Well... we can't have you do that, my dear. [to an unseen person] Destroy him.
    [a thumping sound is heard, Kratos looks unintimidatedly at the tall, muscular man in front of him.]
    Hercules: Hello, brother.
    Kratos: This is not between us, Hercules.
    Hercules: Isn't it? You were always Zeus' favorite.
    Kratos: The air on Olympus affects your thinking, brother. Zeus has no favorites.
    Hercules: Think about it, brother. While I was stuck cleaning the Augean stables, he chose you to destroy Ares. [Kratos raises an eyebrow] Not convinced? How about this? While you were being crowned the god of war, I was sent to find an apple. [Hera laughs drunkenly] They called them "labours". Ha! Perhaps he did allow me to kill the Nemean lion, but he made your name known amongst the people. A fierce warrior, a killer made hero, a man made a god. But this time, brother... This time, I will destroy you. Call it my thirteenth and final labour. Soon I will become the god of war and claim the throne for myself.
    Kratos: You aspire to be an Olympian, yet their reign is ending, Hercules.
    Hercules: We'll see about that.
    Kratos: Pandora?
    Pandora: Kratos. I knew you'd come back.
    Kratos: Tell me where you are.
    Pandora: I hear something. He's close.
    Kratos: Just tell me how to find you.
    Pandora: The Labyrinth! Find the Labyri—! [Pandora screams.] Help! Help, Kratos!
    Kratos: Pandora! Pandora, what's happened?! Where are you?!
    Zeus: My son. You trifle with matters you cannot possibly understand. Stay away from this... this... thing!
    Kratos: Zeus! ZEUS!
    Aphrodite: [Upon seeing Kratos, sends her handmaidens away.] Be gone. Kratos, it's been so long. Even though you are no longer the god of war, you can still share my bed.
    Kratos: I have no time for games, Aphrodite.
    Aphrodite: Do you know how long it's been since a real man has come into my chambers? Those bridges outside are nearly destroyed. Zeus refuses to have that stupid mortal, Daedalus, stop working on his precious Labyrinth to fix them. [Kratos looks in the direction of the bridges.] Ahhhh, is that what has you all worked up? You are trying to figure out that bridge contraption out there. You men and your toys! The only one who could fix those bridges is my husband and we both know he's worthless. Now I ask again, Kratos. Will you stay?
    [After having sex with Aphrodite, Kratos walks away from her bed.]
    Aphrodite: You men and your need for war and vengeance. Talk to my husband if you must! You can get to him through there.
    Hephaestus: Aphrodite? I knew you would return to me— Kratos? Tell me. Has Aphrodite conquered another god of war?
    Kratos: That is a question you should ask your wife. I seek the Labyrinth.
    Hephaestus: I thought you sought only the Flame. What could you possibly want in—? No! Stay away from her! Stay away from Pandora, Kratos! You are the reason she is in the Labyrinth! The reason I live here in hell!
    Kratos: I have done you no wrong, Hephaestus!
    Hephaestus: Oh, but you have, Spartan. You opened the box.
    Kratos: I did what had to be done.
    Hephaestus: Clearly you don't understand. The evils of the Great War could not easily be contained. I forged the box in a power greater than the gods themselves, the Flame of Olympus. As the raw metal took shape, I realized the Flame was the safest place to protect it. The lock was set. All that was needed was a key, a way to retrieve the box. Created from the very heart of the Flame, the key took on a life of its own. Pandora. A child. Neither living nor dead. I grew to love her, Spartan. And she grew to love me as her father. When Zeus came to take the box, I hid Pandora away. I told him that storing the box on the back of Cronos would be the safest place. After all, who could best the titan? I lied. I did it to save my child. Surely you can understand that. It was your triumph using the box that revealed my deceit. Zeus tortured me until I confessed the truth of my beloved Pandora. He took her away, leaving me alone in my torment. Don't you understand? If you take her to the flame...
    Kratos: Understand this, smith god. I will stop at nothing to destroy Zeus.
    Hephaestus: But if you— You're right, Spartan. If it means the death of Zeus, I'd be happy to help you. Perhaps... Yes, yes, of course. We'll need the Omphalos Stone. With it, I'll make you a weapon.
    Kratos: I have weapons.
    Hephaestus: Ah, but not like this. This weapon will give you the retribution you so rightly deserve. The stone rests in the Pit of Tartarus. Bring it to me and I will help you.
    [In Tartarus, Kratos finds himself on Gaia's hand, which is then lifted by Cronos.]
    Cronos: The murderer of Gaia enters my tomb?!
    Kratos: Cronos!
    Cronos: I know it was you who killed her, Spartan! Who else could?! I live in torment because of you. After you took the Box from Pandora's Temple, Zeus was consumed with fear. He banished me to the pits of Tartarus.
    Kratos: I was tasked by the gods to kill Ares.
    Cronos: You killed Ares out of your need for vengeance! But this time, retribution finally comes to me, Spartan!
    [Kratos returns to Hephaestus after killing Cronos and obtaining the Omphalos Stone]
    Hephaestus: Kratos?
    Kratos: You sent me to my DEATH?!
    Hephaestus: No, no, no. Calm yourself, Kratos. I knew you were up to the challenge. I truly needed the Omphalos Stone. You'll see.
    Kratos: Make it quick, old man! [tosses the Omphalos Stone to Hephaestus]
    Hephaestus: A weapon such as this can't be rushed. This will be worth the wait. A fine weapon like no other. [Hephaestus is forging the Nemesis Whip] As I promised. [Hephaestus gives Kratos the Nemesis Whip and, taking advantage of the moment, attacks him.] Here is your retribution! [Hephaestus hits Kratos with his Ring in an attempt to electrocuting him to death, but when Kratos shrugs it off, he attempts to pummel the Spartan with his hammer. Kratos manages to throw the hammer away, after which he uses the Nemesis Whip to electrocute the Smith God, his ring falling to the side. Kratos then hits a lever, causing an anvil spike to impale Hephaestus in the stomach.] My beautiful Pandora...! Please... spare her... Pandora... forgive me... [Hephaestus dies.]
    Daedalus: Who's there? My son! My beautiful Icarus? Ah... Good, good. You have the ice storm, the scorpion must be defeated. The ice storm, that is the secret of the Labyrinth. To escape it, we must assemble it! Good, you've already started. I've seen the cubes moving into place, now, once inside, you must use the Gift of Boreas. It is the catalyst that drives the Labyrinth. Wait, you're not...? But... you're... But you...? What have...?! What have you done with my child?! My boy! Where is my boy?!
    Kratos: Your son is dead, Daedalus.
    Daedalus: [sorrowfully] My boy... my, my child... No, no, NO! I took the gift of Hades, the liquid fire. And the ice storm to create the power of the Labyrinth. CREATE THE POWER! [voice echoes] The power to create... the power to destroy... The king of the Gods has forsaken me. He said that if I built the labyrinth, I would see the return of my son! He said... He, he said that if I took the liquid fire... Oh, my boy... Oh, my child... What are you doing?! Please! Don't do it, Spartan!
    Kratos: Pandora?! What has he done...?
    Pandora: He, he told me never talk to you again! He told me if I did, he would hurt you the way he hurt my father.
    Kratos: He won't.
    Pandora: He told me he would kill you.
    Kratos: He can't. We must leave this place.
    Pandora: Come. I can show you the way.
    Pandora: Thank you, Kratos.
    Kratos: Our journey is far from over, Pandora. By its end, you will not be thanking me.
    Pandora: I know I look it, but I'm not a child, Kratos. I have seen many terrible things. I'm not afraid. I understand what lies ahead. I saw Zeus torture my father. I saw him beaten because of me. I should've helped him but I was afraid.
    Kratos: Hephaestus did what every father should do. Protect his child.
    Pandora: No. It's all my fault. I failed him because of fear. Fear is its own kind of darkness. In that darkness I heard what the Gods said about me. They called me a monster.
    Kratos: Words mean nothing.
    Pandora: Perhaps. But in their words, I heard fear. The fear of an ash-covered warrior. The fear of you. As the fear in the Gods rose, mine was replaced by hope.
    Kratos: Hope is for the weak, Pandora.
    Pandora: Hope is what makes us strong! It is why we are here! It is what we fight with when all else is lost!
    Kratos: This is what hope delivers, child. You should learn that now.
    Pandora: The chain, Kratos. My father once told me it maintains the balance of power within Olympus. Break the chain to raise the labyrinth.
    Kratos: Wait here.
    Pandora: He knows, Kratos! Zeus knows I've escaped! Hurry! I can hear him! He's near! Please help me, Kratos! Hurry!
    Kratos: Pandora! [runs to her] Pandora! [sees Athena's ghost standing near her] Athena?
    Pandora: It's alright, Kratos.
    Athena: Remember your purpose, Spartan. Remember why you have come so far. Prepare yourself, Spartan. You know what you must do.
    Kratos: I will raise the labyrinth. I will take her where she belongs.
    [On Mount Olympus, approaching the Flame of Olympus.]
    Pandora: There it is; I can see it Kratos. In the darkness, the fires of Hope will set us free. [she tries to run for the Flame, but Kratos grabs her wrist.]
    Kratos: Pandora, no!
    Pandora: You know why I'm here. You brought me here to do this!
    Kratos: I will find another way—!
    Pandora: No, Kratos! There is no other way. Let me go! [she tries to struggle free]
    Kratos: NO, CHILD!
    Pandora: I am not a child! You're hurting me! [she pulls free of Kratos and heads for the Flame, only to run headlong into Zeus. Pandora screams as Zeus seizes her by the throat] Kratos! Help!!!
    Kratos: Put her down, Zeus!
    Zeus: Your obsession with this... this... thing... has become somewhat of a nuisance, my son.
    Kratos: Release the girl, Zeus!!
    Zeus: Don't confuse this... object... this construction of Hephaestus with your own flesh and blood! [mockingly, as he sees the glare on Kratos' face] But perhaps you already have, Spartan. Your quest for Pandora - your pathetic attempt for atonement from the family you slaughtered - has caused nothing but havoc on Olympus! [gestures to the destruction around them] Look around at what you have done!
    Kratos: [coldly] I see only what I have come to destroy.
    Zeus: Taking pity on you has been my greatest mistake, Kratos. Just as taking pity on this thing will prove to be your greatest mistake!
    Kratos: This has nothing to do with her!
    Zeus: [holding Pandora above his head] It has everything to do with her!
    Kratos: [draws his blades] PUT HER DOWN!!!
    Zeus: As you wish! [Zeus hurls Pandora aside, and he and Kratos hurl themselves into each other.]
    [Trying to stop Pandora from going to the Flames of Olympus.]
    Kratos: Pandora!! Pandora, no!
    Zeus: Stop her, Kratos! Do not let her go into the flame!
    Pandora: This is what I am meant to do! You know that! Please!
    Zeus: HUSH!
    Pandora: Kratos, you know this is the only way.
    Zeus: Don't listen to her, Kratos. For once in your pathetic life, don't fail. Don't fail her like you failed your family.
    [Kratos angrily screams, lets go of Pandora, and charges at Zeus before the light flashes.]
    Kratos: Pandora...! [he approaches the box] The power to kill a god. [He opens the box, but to his shock, the box is...]
    Zeus: [laughs] Empty?! After all you have sought, after all you have sacrificed, it ends in another stunning failure! [Kratos, enraged at Pandora's needless death, and Zeus' mockery of his failure, growls in anger. He turns to face Zeus but he vanishes.]
    Zeus: [overlooking Greece] Such chaos... I will have much to do after I kill you.
    Kratos: Face me, father. It is time to end this.
    Zeus: Yes, my son. It is time.
    [they battle, as a large, earthy hand lifts their platform up from the mountain. To Kratos' shock, it's...]
    Gaia: The reign of Olympus ends now!
    Kratos: Gaia! You live?!
    Gaia: My world. It bleeds because of you. I never sought your death, Spartan, but you have left me no choice.
    Zeus: Your pawn has failed you, Gaia. Perhaps you should have chosen the other one.
    Gaia: Enough! Father and son will die together!
    Zeus: I grow weary of you, my son. [Zeus grabs Kratos and drains all of his powers.] I created you and I will be your end! Let the fear inside, Kratos!
    [Inside Kratos's subconscious...]
    Zeus: Nothing but darkness lies ahead, Kratos!
    Calliope: Father, please! Do not leave us again! Mother? What's happening outside? The people! The fires!
    Lysandra: Shh. Stay close, Calliope.
    Calliope: Mother, I'm scared... Are they coming to get us?
    Lysandra: Your father will protect us.
    Kratos: Burn this village! Burn it to the ground!
    Calliope: Daddy?
    Lysandra: Kratos?
    Calliope: Father? NO! No, father, no!
    Kratos: My wife... my child... How? They were left in Sparta. ARES!
    Pandora: Kratos! Come. I can show you the way. Hurry! I can help, Kratos. Kratos, in the darkness, the fires of hope will set us free.
    Lysandra: You can see the light. It is changing you. It is time to lay your fears to rest. The light reveals the truth. The power of forgiveness comes from within. To be forgiven, you must find the power to forgive yourself.
    Pandora: This way.
    Athena: No, Kratos! Stop!
    Kratos: Athena! No!
    Athena: Kratos, fear drove Zeus to kill his father, Cronos. The same fear that brought the Great War. A fear that drove Zeus to kill you, his own son. Zeus uses fear to keep you in the dark. Confront your demons and lay them to rest.
    Pandora: Over here, Kratos.
    Kratos: The Gods of Olympus have abandoned me. Now there is...
    Alrik: Do you remember that day, Spartan?
    Hephaestus: I won't allow you to hurt her!
    Hera: Good luck with that little whore you call Pandora.
    Sister of Fate: You cannot change your destiny, mortal!
    Unknown Woman: I gave you everything!
    Daedalus: Please! Don't do it, Spartan!
    Cronos: You have what you came for...! Let me be...!
    Unknown Woman: Die, Spartan!
    Hermes: Today, you may defeat me. But in the end, Kratos, in the end, you'll betray only yourself.
    Atlas: You will pay for that, Kratos!
    Hephaestus: You will never find her!
    Pandora: Come. I can show you the way.
    Zeus: Die, Kratos! I created you and I will be your end!
    Pandora: Hurry!
    Zeus: WHY WON'T YOU DIE?! Die! Tremble in fear!
    Pandora: Kratos! Over here, Kratos.
    Zeus: HUSH!
    Pandora: Hurry, Kratos! Kratos, please. I need you to free me.
    Zeus: Don't listen to her, Kratos. For once in your pathetic life, don't fail. Don't fail her like you failed your family.
    Pandora: It's alright, Kratos. Kratos, you know this is the only way! As the fear in the Gods rose, mine was replaced by hope.
    Kratos: "The power to kill a god."
    Pandora: Hope is what makes us strong! It is why we are here! It is what we fight with when all else is lost!
    [After finally killing Zeus, Kratos stares out over the destruction and chaos caused by the gods' deaths.]
    Athena: You have done well, Kratos. Freed from the bondage of Olympus and cleansed in chaos, mankind is now ready to hear my message.
    Kratos: Look around you, Athena! The world stands in ruin! What good is your message?
    Athena: Go if you must. But first, I insist you give me the power from inside the Box.
    Kratos: The Box... was empty.
    Athena: That can't be true. I can see it in your eyes. You used my power to kill Zeus. You still have it as we speak! Don't you understand? When Zeus gathered all the evils and placed them in the Box, I dreaded what would happen if it was opened again. And so, I summoned the most powerful weapon in the world, and I placed it in the Box.
    Kratos: I told you! It was empty. [sorrowfully] Pandora was sacrificed in vain. She died, because of my need for vengeance.
    Athena: You must be mistaken. You used my power to kill Zeus. I saw you do it... unless... Of course! When you opened the Box, you released the evils to the gods. Infected them. Changed them. Zeus himself fell prey to the dark evils. This is why he became so enraged and obsessed with your death. He was consumed by the evil Fear. I thought the power I placed in the Box was never released. All these years, I assumed you drew from the evils inside to destroy Ares. But I was wrong. The power you took from the Box is mine. From it, you gained the strength that Zeus could never destroy. A strength great enough to overcome Fear. Locked deep inside of you, Kratos... is Hope.
    [Kratos observes his hand glowing with energy, like it did when he killed Zeus.]
    Athena: It has remained buried, trapped by your guilt and the failures of your past. When you killed Zeus, you must have allowed something to awaken it. What was it, Kratos?
    Pandora: [in Kratos' memories] Hope is what makes us strong! It is why we are here! It is what we fight with when all else is lost!
    Athena: [as Kratos stands silently] What was it, Kratos?
    Kratos: All I remember is what I have lost.
    Athena: That is why you should give me the power. I understand its true meaning and where it belongs. I trust you to do the right thing, Kratos.
    Kratos: You shouldn't. [kneels down by the Blade of Olympus]
    Athena: [angrily] You owe me this, Kratos.
    Kratos: [grabbing the Blade and turning on her] I owe you nothing!
    Athena: I made you a god! I sheltered you from the wrath of Olympus! I delivered your revenge on Zeus—!
    Kratos: It is over, Athena.
    Athena: You would dare strike me down? Again?!
    Kratos: [with grim finality] My vengeance... ends now. [raises the Blade]
    Athena: No!! / Kratos, no! / You can't! / How could you?
    [Kratos swings the Blade, but instead of striking Athena, he turns it towards himself and plunges it through his own body.]
    Athena: [horrified] You fool! What have you done?! NOOO!!
    [The power of Hope bursts free from Kratos and into the world.]
    Athena: That was meant for me! They will not know what to do with it! [approaches Kratos and pulls his head up] You... disappoint me, Spartan.
    [Kratos gives one last defiant grunt; Athena pulls the Blade out of him and leaves him and the Blade lying in a pool of blood, with him weakly laughing whilst taking his last breaths before dying.]
    [After the credits, the Blade of Olympus still lies there, but Kratos has vanished, a trail of blood leading away from Olympus and into the chaos.]

## Cast

* TC Carson - Kratos
* Corey Burton - Zeus
* Susan Blakeslee - Gaia
* Erin Torpey - Athena
* Natalie Lander - Pandora
* Rip Torn - Hephaestus
* April Stewart - Aphrodite
* George Ball - Cronos
* Malcolm McDowell - Daedalus
* Clancy Brown - Hades
* Crispin Freeman - Helios
* Adrienne Barbeau - Hera
* Kevin Sorbo - Hercules
* Greg Ellis - Hermes
* Gideon Emery - Poseidon
* Debi Derryberry - Calliope
* Gwendoline Yeo - Lysandra
* Simon Templeman - Peirithous
* Mark Moseley - King Minos
* Linda Hunt - the Narrator
* Elijah Wood - Deimos, Kratos' brother [heard in his psyche]

## See also

* God of War
* God of War II
* God of War: Chains of Olympus
* God of War: Ghost of Sparta
* God of War: Ascension
* God of War (2018)
* God of War Ragnarök