Characters of God of War

The characters of the God of War video game franchise belong to a fictional universe based on Greek mythology and Norse mythology. As such, the series features a range of traditional figures, including those from Greek mythology, such as the Olympian Gods, Titans, and Greek heroes, and those from Norse mythology, including the Æsir and Vanir gods and other beings. A number of original characters have also been created to supplement storylines.
The overall story arc focuses on the series' primary playable single-player character, the protagonist Kratos, a Spartan warrior haunted by visions of himself accidentally killing his wife and child. The character finally avenges his family by killing his former master and manipulator, Ares, the God of War. Although Kratos became the new God of War, he was still plagued by nightmares and eventually betrayed by Zeus, the King of the Olympian Gods—revealed by the goddess Athena to be Kratos' father. The constant machinations of the gods and Titans and their misuse of Kratos eventually drove him to destroy Mount Olympus. Many years following the destruction of Olympus, Kratos ended up in ancient Scandinavia in the realm of Midgard fathering a son named Atreus (known to prophecy as Loki) with the Jötunn warrior Faye. Their journey to keep a promise to the boy's late mother ended with Kratos and Atreus becoming enemies to the Norse gods, and ultimately set about the events of Ragnarök, a catastrophic event that the Allfather Odin was desperate to prevent, but ultimately ends with Odin's death and the destruction of Asgard. After facing the trials of Valhalla, Kratos finally comes to terms with his past and becomes the new Norse God of War, championing the ideals of hope.
God of War (2005), created by Sony's Santa Monica Studio, was the inaugural game in the series, the main part of which continued with God of War II (2007), God of War III (2010), and series prequel Ascension (2013); and side games Betrayal (2007), Chains of Olympus (2008), and Ghost of Sparta (2010). These seven games comprised the Greek era of the series. The Norse era began with the sequel to God of War III, which is also titled God of War (2018) and concluded with Ragnarök (2022), which received an epilogue in the form of an expansion pack titled Valhalla (2023). The God of War mythos expanded into literature, with a novelization of the original God of War published in 2010, and a six-issue comic series (2010–11) that introduced new characters and plot developments, telling a parallel story of Kratos's present and past, taking place immediately after the 2005 installment while also exploring a journey from when he was a Spartan soldier prior to his pledge to Ares. A novelization of God of War II was published in 2013. A prequel graphic novel titled Rise of the Warrior (2012–13) was released in the lead up to Ascension and is the backstory of the player's multiplayer character. To go along with the 2018 installment, a text-based game, A Call from the Wilds, a short prequel story about Atreus's first adventure into the wilderness, was released in February 2018, followed by a novelization in August, and then a two-volume comic series (2018–2019; 2021), with the first volume showing Kratos just before the 2018 installment, trying to settle down in the Norse world with his new wife Faye and their son Atreus, while the second volume follows Kratos's journey from ancient Greece to Norway after God of War III.
God of War has become a highly lucrative franchise on account of the commercial and critical success of the series. Products include action figures, artwork, clothing, Slurpee cups, sweepstakes, and special edition video game consoles. The character of Kratos received positive comments from reviewers, with his original Greek variation described as a "sympathetic antihero" by GameSpy. Game Guru claimed "Practically anyone, even if they hadn't played any of the God of War games, would know about Kratos". Several reviewers have praised the portrayal of other characters: PALGN claimed that the original God of War's voice acting was "up there with the best", while IGN complimented most of the games in the series, saying of God of War II that the characters were "timeless" and the voice acting was "great". The Norse era was also well received, with the interactions between Kratos and Atreus in 2018's God of War receiving praise and the humanization of Kratos, who was regarded as conveying more character than in the Greek games. The characterizations of the Norse gods in Ragnarök were also praised as being uniquely different than popular portrayals, such as seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
During the creation of the original God of War, the game's director David Jaffe attempted to create a version of Kratos that looked brutal but had a different appearance from what is considered to be the traditional Greek hero. The character's traditional armor was removed to show the character's individualism, and details such as hair and other "flowing things" were removed. Jaffe said of his final version of the character, that while "[Kratos] may not totally feel at home in Ancient Greece from a costume standpoint, I think he achieves the greater purpose which is to give players a character who they can play who really does just let them go nuts and unleash the nasty fantasies that they have in their head". Kratos' appearance was updated in 2018's God of War due to the new Nordic setting. The designers gave Kratos a Nordic look that includes a full beard and changed his main weapon to a magical battle ax to make the combat more grounded. Unlike previous games, players can change and upgrade Kratos's three armor pieces, one of the game's role playing video game (RPG) elements.
When designing Ares, Charlie Wen was advised that the character should be 90% elemental and 5–10% human, then began sketching. He said that the rest of the team liked the designs, but were uncertain about execution. The transition towards Ares' human form was slow, and Wen said of the final design, "he's still a huge guy, but he's got all this armor on that allows him to do all these things". Like most of the Olympian gods in the original God of War, Zeus first appeared as a floating translucent head, and was modeled on the typical representation of the god in Greek mythology. God of War II's game director Cory Barlog said that for that game, they wanted to maintain Zeus' appearance from literature, but also to add their own interpretation to the character. Zeus' human appearance was originally designed by Charlie Wen for God of War II. This design was also used in God of War III, with updated graphics and the addition of an arm piece during the final fight. Andy Park was responsible for designing Zeus' spirit form for the final fight. Park produced several sketches, and imagined Zeus as a "massive tornado creature with lightning searing throughout the form". Park said that the ultimate goal was that "we are looking at Zeus, but it is him transformed into a big cloud of smoke".
Hades first appeared in 2005's God of War; the original design portrayed Hades as a fiery, demonic face with horns. Statues in the game adhered to this design. Hades' character design was changed in God of War II, with the character now appearing in a more human-like form with spikes protruding from his body and wielding a pair of chained claws, similar to Kratos' chained blades. The updated design featured a helmet that appeared to cover a fiery face, which in God of War III is revealed to be very grotesque but more human-like than the original design from the first game. Hermes was originally designed for God of War II by Andy Park and did appear in the final cut scene of the game. For God of War III, Park updated the design and painting of the character. Park said he "wanted to create a character that was sly, cunning, and a bit comical in both appearance and personality" and he imagined he would be "much like a dancer".
The Titan Oceanus was sketched by Erik San Juan and was originally intended to appear in God of War II in a completely watery form with no feet. This concept, however, was cut during development. Oceanus appeared in God of War III, with a similar appearance to the other Titans and with an emphasis on lightning instead of the original watery design. Oceanus's original watery design was the basis of the design for Poseidon's avatar sea construct for God of War III.
The character Daedalus was designed by Izzy Medrano, who said that he imagined Daedalus as a brilliant architect gone mad, and that Daedalus, similar to Kratos, was a pawn of the gods. The character was originally intended to have long white hair, but was eventually rendered bald, "as long hair is a difficult thing to manage". Icarus was conceived as an "old disgusting man" and portrayed as an evil, although slightly comedic, character. Medrano also designed Pandora, who he said is vital in reintroducing the player to the human side of Kratos. Medrano also said that they knew Pandora had to be young and reminiscent of Kratos' daughter, Calliope, and that "[Pandora] had to be pretty without being sexy and spunky without being saucy". Medrano said the character's final attire was a "Greek Punk" fashion style.
The first version of the Gorgon, Medusa, was to have five feet, but due to perceived animation difficulties, the final version had one tail. Other Gorgons in the game adhered to this design. The goddess Artemis was considered for inclusion in God of War: Ascension as a playable female character, offering alternative combat options. Game Director Todd Papy said she would have been depicted as half-human and half-feline, with the head and torso of a woman and the legs of a lioness. However, she was ultimately cut from the game and thus only appears in the original God of War as a translucent head.
Unlike the popular portrayal of Thor by Chris Hemsworth in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the Thor in God of War Ragnarök looks closer to his depiction in Norse mythological literature, having a hefty build with long red hair and beard. This type of design portrayal was similarly done for the other Norse gods, as in the literature, the Norse gods were not as extravagant as the Greek gods.
Kratos is the primary character of the God of War series. He was originally portrayed as a power-hungry Spartan who, to save his life, was eventually forced to serve the Olympian god Ares. During one murderous rampage, Kratos accidentally killed his wife and daughter. He then renounced Ares, became a tormented soul (including imprisonment by the Furies), and served the gods for ten years in hopes of becoming free of the nightmares. He eventually killed Ares and became the God of War, but was betrayed by his father, Zeus. A series of attempts to free himself from the influence of the gods and Titans followed, culminating in a final confrontation with Zeus, ending in the god's death and the reign of the Olympian Gods. In the aftermath, Athena appeared and Kratos sacrificed himself to prevent her from becoming the supreme goddess of the world. Many years later, surviving his fatal sacrifice, Kratos relocated to the world of the Norse gods in Midgard, fathering a son named Atreus. Following the death of his second wife Faye, he and Atreus journey to the highest peak of the nine realms to fulfill her promise and spread her ashes there. Along their journey, Kratos eventually reveals that he is a god to Atreus, and they defeat Baldur, in turn becoming an enemy of the Norse gods, and setting Ragnarök in motion. They then try to prevent Ragnarök, but after discovering that it is only destined to destroy Asgard, they in turn see it through, defeating Odin in the process. Following the destruction of Asgard and Odin's death, Kratos, along with Freya and Mímir, set out to rebuild and restore peace to the nine realms, while Atreus goes off on his own to find any surviving giants. After going through several trials in Valhalla and with Týr's counseling via sparring sessions, Kratos makes peace with his past and joins Freya's council as the new Norse God of War so that he can be a god of hope.
The character was originally voiced by Terrence C. Carson; his final portrayal of the character was in 2013's Ascension. Christopher Judge replaced TC Carson in 2018's God of War. Antony Del Rio voiced the character as a child in Ghost of Sparta (2010).
Athena was the Goddess of Wisdom and Kratos' mentor and ally throughout the Greek era in the series, and is revealed to be his older half-sister. In Chains of Olympus, Athena initially tasked Kratos to find Helios as in the absence of light, the god Morpheus had caused many of the gods to fall into a deep slumber. In God of War (2005), she gave Kratos the mission of killing Ares, as Zeus had forbidden divine involvement, and was instrumental in allowing Kratos to become the new God of War. Although she begged Kratos to stop his second quest for the Ambrosia of Asclepius in the comic series (2010–11) and lied to him about his brother Deimos in Ghost of Sparta, Athena was still sympathetic towards Kratos even after he renounced the gods and was betrayed by Zeus in God of War II. Athena died trying to protect Zeus from Kratos, and was resurrected and elevated to a new level of understanding in God of War III. With ulterior motives, Athena became Kratos' ally once more and guided him to the Flame of Olympus surrounding Pandora's Box, which allowed Kratos to kill Zeus and end the reign of Mount Olympus. Afterwards, Athena appeared to him and told him he has the power of hope, imbued when he originally opened the Box in God of War (2005), and demanded that he should give her the power so she could rule humanity as its sole goddess, though Kratos foils this attempt by stabbing himself to release it instead to the whole world, leaving Athena enraged and disappointed at him, leaving the latter to seemingly die. Her spirit later returns to Kratos in God of War (2018) to haunt and taunt him about his past that he had kept secret from his son Atreus. As he was retrieving his old weapons, the Blades of Chaos, she said he was nothing more than a monster, to which Kratos replied that he was not her monster anymore.
The character was voiced by Carole Ruggier in 2005's God of War, 2007's God of War II, and 2018's God of War. Erin Torpey voiced the character in Chains of Olympus (2008), God of War III (2010), and Ghost of Sparta (2010).
Gaia was the mother of the Titans and embodiment of Earth. At the request of Zeus' mother Rhea, Gaia raised and protected the young Zeus to prevent Cronos from devouring him, as he had devoured his other children. When Zeus grew to manhood, he betrayed Gaia, freed his siblings, and Gaia was banished with her fellow Titans at the conclusion of the Great War. In God of War II, she saved Kratos from the Underworld after a disastrous encounter with Zeus, and directed the Spartan to find the Sisters of Fate in order to take revenge on Zeus. A successful Kratos plucked Gaia and the Titans from the moment in time before their defeat in the Great War to launch an abortive attack on Olympus. In God of War III, Gaia was wounded in the assault on Olympus and abandoned Kratos, stating he was a pawn of the Titans so that they could have their own revenge. Kratos eventually found and crippled Gaia, but she returned and interrupted the final battle between the Spartan and Zeus. The pair entered Gaia's neck wound, and with the Blade of Olympus, Kratos destroyed her heart, killing the Titan.
The character was voiced by Linda Hunt in God of War II, where Gaia was also the narrator during cut scenes. Susan Blakeslee took over the role of Gaia in God of War III but not as the narrator, as Hunt retained that role.
Zeus was the King of the Olympian Gods and the overarching antagonist of the Greek era of the series. Zeus and Ares believed the destruction of Olympus would come at the hands of Kratos' brother Deimos, so they had Deimos imprisoned and tortured by Thanatos. Many years later, in God of War (2005), Zeus aided Kratos against Ares by bestowing him with the magic, "Zeus' Fury", and as the mysterious gravedigger. In Ghost of Sparta, Zeus realizes Kratos was the prophesied Marked Warrior, not Deimos. In God of War II, it is revealed that Zeus had become infected with fear. He tricked Kratos into draining his godly powers into the Blade of Olympus, stating it was required to deal with the new threat actually created by Zeus. Kratos, stripped of his power, was mortally wounded while human, and killed by Zeus. With the help of the Titan Gaia, Kratos used the power of the Sisters of Fate to return to the moment Zeus betrayed him and defeated Zeus after extensive combat. Zeus was saved by Athena, who sacrificed herself to preserve Olympus. Before dying, Athena revealed that Kratos was Zeus' son, and that Zeus feared a perpetuation of the son-killing-father cycle, as Zeus imprisoned his father Cronos. This was confirmed in God of War III when Kratos discovered that Zeus was infected with fear when Kratos first opened Pandora's Box and used its power to kill Ares. After a lengthy battle and an enlightening encounter with Pandora in his psyche, Kratos finally overcame and killed Zeus. Later in God of War (2018), Zeus appears as a haunting vision to Kratos while in Helheim.
The character was originally voiced by Paul Eiding in 2005's God of War. Corey Burton, who had previously voiced Zeus in the animated Disney show based on the film Hercules, took over the role in God of War II. He continued the role in God of War III, in the multiplayer mode of Ascension, where Zeus appears as one of the four gods that players can pledge their allegiance to, and in 2018's God of War. Fred Tatasciore provided Zeus's voice in Ghost of Sparta's after-game "Combat Arena" mode.
Zeus, as he appears in God of War III, is a playable character in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (2012); he was released as downloadable content (DLC) on March 19, 2013.
Atreus (/əˈtreɪ.əs/ ə-TRAY-əs) is the son of Kratos and the giant named Faye. From a young age, he was sheltered from both of his parents' pasts, not knowing he was half giant, one quarter god, and one quarter mortal, which resulted in him being sickly. In his early years, he spent the majority of his time with his mother, and had not bonded closely with Kratos until her death. Faye had foreseen her own death before Atreus' birth, and asked Kratos to spread her ashes at the highest peak in all the nine realms. Atreus favored his mother in nature, having the ability to telepathically connect with animals and other creatures, which made him a very compassionate individual, but he also uniquely always showed an unnatural ability to decipher runes and speak languages that were previously unheard and unseen by him. Before her death, Faye taught him archery, how to read, and how to perform magic while his father taught him how to hunt.
After his mother's death from an unknown cause at the start of God of War (2018), he and Kratos are visited by a mysterious stranger, who is later revealed to be the Norse god Baldur sent by Odin to kill Faye, unbeknownst that she was already dead. Kratos fights Baldur and seemingly kills him to protect his son and home. Afterward, Atreus and Kratos venture from their home to fulfill Faye's final wish of having her ashes spread. Their relationship is strained at the start, with Atreus struggling to adequately appease Kratos' high standards, while also struggling to bond with his demanding father. This is only exacerbated by the fact that Kratos coldly offers little comfort to the grieving boy as he too struggles to mourn the loss of Faye. During their journey, Atreus falls ill due to his godhood fighting to reveal itself, which forces Kratos to acknowledge that he had not supported the boy in the best way he could as a father. Desperate to save his son from the nature he had kept from him, Kratos travels to Helheim to retrieve an item to heal him. After Atreus is cured, Kratos finally reveals the truth to him that they are both gods. This new knowledge of godhood corrupts Atreus, which turns Atreus rebellious and murderous. This leads to him to murder the son of Thor, Modi, against Kratos' wishes. Kratos is eventually able to reel Atreus in and make him understand that discipline is vital to godhood, and the two unite as father and son to face Baldur, who had not actually died during his and Kratos' first fight. After Baldur's final defeat, Kratos reveals his full past as a once vengeful god, and tells Atreus that they must do better, and learn from the mistakes of their predecessors. The two then finish the journey to go to Jötunheim. There, they learn of Faye's truth of being the last giant in Midgard. It was also revealed that Faye had foreseen the entire journey him and Kratos took, and originally called him Loki to the rest of the giants, but Kratos had chosen the name Atreus, a name of an honorable Spartan comrade of his. The two then spread her ashes at Jötunheim's peak before going home. Atreus then has a vision that years later, at the end of Fimbulwinter, Thor will come for them.
Due to Baldur's death, Fimbulwinter began much sooner than prophesized, setting Ragnarök in motion. During the three-year Fimbulwinter, Atreus learns magical abilities, but still cannot fully control them. He was rigorously trained by Kratos during this time much to his frustration, though he remained unaware of why Kratos did it as the latter had foreseen his possible demise in the mural during their visit to Jotunheim, which Kratos only revealed to him later on. He also secretly meets with Sindri to find the god Týr and prevent Ragnarök. This causes a falling out between him and Kratos. Atreus is eventually magically transported to Jötunheim by a giant named Angrboda where he learns more about the giants and his destiny as Loki (by which name he introduces himself to all in those realms). After making amends with his father and they learn the truth about Ragnarök, they see it through, defeating Odin as Asgard is destroyed. Atreus then decides to go off on his own and find any surviving giants, parting ways with his father.
He was voiced by Sunny Suljic.
Mímir is a former adviser to Odin and claims to be the smartest man alive. Formerly known as the fairy Puck, Mímir migrated from the Celtic world to the Norse world to serve Odin. He became Odin's advisor, enabling his ambitions, until Mímir's peaceful intentions misaligned with Odin's desire for control, resulting in the former's imprisonment for over a hundred years. When Kratos and Atreus encounter him, believing they had reached their goal, Mímir reveals that their goal is actually in Jötunheim and that he can help them get there. He asks Kratos to behead him and have his head reanimated by the Witch of the Woods, revealed by Mímir to be the goddess Freya. After that is done, Mímir then joins Kratos and Atreus on their journey while clipped to Kratos' belt and provides information about the world and the gods through his tales. He returns in Ragnarök, continuing to serve as their counsel, but now regarded as an honorary family member. In Ragnarök's DLC Valhalla, Mímir opens up about his romantic feelings and his relationship with the Valkyrie Sigrun, but also his insecurities of not having a body.
The character was voiced by Alastair Duncan.
Freya is the Vanir Goddess of Love and former Queen of the Valkyries, and later becomes the Queen of the Realms. She was previously in an abusive marriage to Odin, who mockingly gave her the nickname Frigg, and is the mother of Baldur and the twin sister of Freyr. Odin banished her to Midgard for her betrayal as she tried to leave him for his abuse and his countless acts of cruelty against the giants. He also stripped her of her Valkyrie wings and cast a spell on her that prevented her from causing harm to any being and prevented her from leaving Midgard. She first encounters Kratos and Atreus in 2018's God of War as a supporting ally after Atreus had shot her friend, the boar Hildisvíni, for "target practice". The two then aid Freya in healing Hildisvíni. She then aided Kratos and Atreus on their journey under the alias, the Witch of the Woods. After her identity was revealed by Mímir, Kratos distrusted her because of his distrust of gods in general. While in Helheim, they learn that she is the mother of Baldur and of the spell she cast on him. She was willing to die for Baldur, even if it meant that Baldur was the one who killed her. After the spell was broken by Atreus, Freya joined the battle between Kratos, Atreus, and Mímir against Baldur by resurrecting the giant Thamur, however, Freya is downed by Jörmungandr and Baldur is defeated. Kratos gave him a chance to retreat, but Baldur instead tried to kill Freya, so Kratos killed Baldur to end the patricide cycle. A grieving Freya then vowed revenge on Kratos for killing her son and taunted him for not revealing his past to Atreus.
She returns in Ragnarök, at first as an antagonist, seeking vengeance against Kratos for Baldur's death and attacking him and Atreus throughout Fimbulwinter. After retrieving her Valkyrie wings again and coming to blows with the two, she decides to spare Kratos so she can use him to remove the spell binding her to Midgard. Kratos manages to make her empathize with him in their pain of losing children and offers forgiveness, and Freya decides to ally with Kratos again after agreeing Odin is their real enemy. After being freed of the spell and reuniting with Freyr, she ultimately joins the group in attacking Asgard in Ragnarök, finally killing Odin and freeing the realms from his control. She later joins Kratos and Mímir in bringing peace to the realms and reclaims her role as Valkyrie Queen after defeating Gná. In Ragnarök's DLC Valhalla, it is revealed that Freya had become the Queen of the Realms and invited Kratos to join her council as an advisor and the new Norse God of War, but Kratos was reluctant due to his abuse of power as the Greek God of War; however, Kratos eventually agrees to join after overcoming Valhalla's trials and making peace with his past.
The character was voiced by Danielle Bisutti.
Odin was the ruler of Asgard, the All-Father of the Nine Realms, and the father of Thor and Baldur. An unseen character but perpetrator of the events in 2018's God of War, he is referenced several times and is portrayed to be a cruel, tyrannical, deceitful, and manipulative god who is obsessed with preventing his death at Ragnarök. It was told that he had the god Týr killed as he thought he was going to aid the giants and overthrow him. His ravens, called the Eyes of Odin, are scattered across the realms. Odin was mentioned to have imprisoned Mímir in a tree and tortured him daily, banished his wife Freya from Asgard for 'betraying' him, and instructed Baldur to target Kratos in order to get to Faye.
Odin appears in Ragnarök as the game's main antagonist. After failing to broker peace with Kratos, he then proposes to Atreus for an apprenticeship under his wing before departing. Odin attempted to spy on Kratos, Atreus, and Mímir's activities by posing as Týr, with his guise being a trapped man in Svartalfheim who had become a traumatized and delusional coward. After a fight with his father, Atreus accepts Odin's offer in Asgard, hoping to help Odin find a way to prevent Ragnarök. Odin shows him around Asgard and introduces him to his family before sharing that he needs his help to make a magical mask to see a rift between realms that would grant infinite knowledge to prevent Ragnarök. Atreus' interactions with Odin's family reveals the effects of the All-father's neglect towards his own kin in pursuit of his own selfish agenda. Eventually, Brok blows his cover as Týr and he kills the dwarf before fleeing, which ironically pushes Kratos' group to initiate Ragnarök instead of preventing it, as it was discovered that Ragnarök was prophesied to only destroy Asgard and not all of the realms. Odin's true nature is revealed to his followers and family during Ragnarök by his use of Midgardian refugees as human shields, which leads to Sif and Thrúd defecting and Odin killing Thor after his son had a change of heart. After a lengthy battle against Kratos, Atreus, Mímir, and Freya, during which Atreus destroys the mask, Odin is defeated and his soul was absorbed in a stone by Atreus. The stone is then destroyed by Sindri as revenge for his brother's death, freeing the Realms from Odin's grasp.
The character was voiced by Richard Schiff.
God of War is a video game series taking place in ancient Greek, drawing on Greek mythologies while using the Olympian gods as central characters in its story. While most of these videogame characters are rooted in ancient mythology, the game makes several changes to their personalities for dramatic effect. These changes range from demonizing characters to simplified as a loyal ally. This essay will compare the portrayal of Greek gods in the God of War video games with ancient Greek mythology such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, as well as Hesiod’s Theogony. By individually analyzing several Gods who appear in the video games, this essay will demonstrate how the God of War video game series simplifies or distorts ancient characters to fit modern expectations. While some characters do maintain many of their key traits, their complexity, moral ambiguity, and symbolic roles are often lost in the video games.
Ares is depicted as cunning and fearsome in God of War, but this portrayal is far from the original by Homer. In the Iliad, Ares is often impulsive, easily wounded, and criticised by his father Zeus. One example of this is when Zeus criticises him after sustaining wounds against Diomedes saying “Of all the gods who tread the spangled skies, / Thou most unjust, most odious in our eyes! / Inhuman Discord is thy dire delight, / The waste of slaughter, and the rage of fight. / No bounds, no law, thy fiery temper quells; / And all thy mother in thy soul rebels.” Even in Hesoid’s Theogony, Ares appears only in the genealogical list as the son of Zeus and Hera, not having any other significance. God of War greatly reinvents Ares from an impulsive god to a theatrical villain.
Athena is Kratos’s mentor and divine ally in God of War, often depicted as calm, wise, and supportive. While this portrayal is mostly accurate, it omits the darker and more cunning parts of Athena’s personality. In Hesoid’s Theogony, Athena is powerful and terrifying, described as “the bright-eyed Tritonian goddess, the terrible queen who loves the clash of wars and battles, who stirs up the fury and leads the armies, never retreating.” This description moves away from the calm, wise, and supportive goddess and depicts her terrifying presence in battles. The Odyssey has the most similar portrayal to God of War’s Athena, where she often appears in front of Odysseus, praising his cunning. God of War often neglects to present Athena’s violence and manipulation, often portraying her as a benevolent figure.
Zeus is a distant but powerful father figure in God of War, but in the traditional mythology, he is politically strategic, morally ambivalent, and cosmically dominant. In Theogony, Zeus’s overthrowing of the Titans occurs not only through power, but alliances and deception. Hesiod believes Zeus’s true strength remains in his “metis,” which means “cunning” or “wisdom.” Zeus’s overwhelming power is often highlighted as his cosmic fury is able to alter the structure of reality itself. One key similarity between God of War and mythology is Zeus’s concern about prophecies. In Theogony, Zeus is revealed to a prophecy where he will be overthrown by Metis’s son and swallows Metis to prevent the prophecy from occurring. While God of War does portray Zeus as powerful and concerned about prophecies, that is where the similarities end as the video games do not display his strategy, violence, and ambiguous moral stances.
Poseidon only appears as a secondary god in God of War, dying to Kratos’s hands after the destruction of Atlantis, resulting in the flooding of the world. Poseidon’s vengeance is an attribute seen in both God of War and mythology. In the Odyssey, Poseidon feels vengeance as Odysseus blinds his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus, his anger was so great that it “never ended until Odysseus was back at home.” Within the Iliad, Poseidon is often depicted to have a great rivalry with Zeus, evident when he chooses to intervene and help the Greeks against Zeus’s wish and when he challenges Zeus when confronted. In God of War, Poseidon’s vengeance and destructive power is preserved but other key parts of his personality such as his stubbornness and rivalry with Zeus are neglected.
Aphrodite only appears briefly in God of War when she gives Kratos the head of Medusa as a magical weapon. In the game, she maintains a passive role focused on her sexual allure. In Greek mythological tradition, Aphrodite is a multifaceted Olympian, deeply entwined in godly politics and human conflict. She also maintains an affair with Ares throughout the Odyssey which is not only romantic, but has political impacts on the Greek world. In God of War, Aphrodite is reduced to a symbolic weapon, all of her agency, irony, and strength are absent. Not only are her key personality traits missing, but her affair with Ares is noticeably missing. Rather than support Kratos, she most likely would have worked against him not only in favor of her divine power, but due to her love for Ares.
Hades in God of War, is portrayed as a monstrous and wrathful god who has been consumed by grief and fear after the deaths of Persephone, Poseidon, and Athena. His grotesque and vengeful nature in God of War deviates significantly from classic Greek mythology where he is seen as neither monstrous nor malicious. In Theogony, there is a lack of commentary about Hades, he is only described as a god who rules over his realm without moral judgement “There, in front, stand the echoing halls of the god of the underworld, strong Hades with august Persephone.” In the Odyssey, the frightfulness of the underworld is highlighted but this sense of fear is targeted towards death itself, not at Hades as a god, evident when Heracles's ghost lives in Hades’s house “He went back to Hades’ house…masses of the dead came thronging round with eerie cries.” God of War’s depiction of Hades strays greatly from his mythical origins, he is dehumanized and demonized in the videogame but classical mythology depict him as necessary and respected, not feared for his cruelty but the concept he embodies.
Hera is a bitter, jealous, and drunken goddess in God of War. This depiction of Hera is flat and distant from the mythology where she holds a crucial place in the Greek pantheon as Zeus’s final consort and father of many Olympians. Hesiod writes “Lastly Zeus took Hera as his wife to bear him children. After she had lain with the monarch of gods and men she gave birth to Hebe and Ares and Eileithyia.” While the portrayal of Hera in God of War is quite one dimensional, it does have some mythological accuracy as Jealousy is a key defining trait of hers “Hera in turn, in resentment and jealousy, without union with her husband, produced famous Hephaestus.”
When analyzing all the Olympian gods in God of War, a clear trend is visible: the personalities of the gods are greatly simplified from complex characters to clear roles to fit the story such as allies, enemies, or obstacles. Characters such as Ares and Hades are vilified into monstrosities, Athena is depicted as a loyal ally, and Hera into a simple drunk. While these simplifications work well to progress the story and keep the player interested, the missing complexities of the characters portrays a great inaccuracy of the gods in mythology. The portrayal of these gods as simply evil or good is far from the truth, in mythology, they generally represent forces of nature, politics, and fate. This shift from complexity to simplicity represents how myth is reshaped to serve modern storytelling at the cost of original meaning and depth.
This comparison between the gods in God of War and Greek mythology demonstrates how adaptation affects both storylines and characters. By simplifying characters, the game trades complexity and ambiguity to evoke emotional responses and for clearer narrative storytelling. While the game does draw inspiration from Greek mythological texts, the reinterpretation represents how the Greek gods are remodeled to suit modern audiences. Looking at the changes made to the myths not only deepens the understanding of ancient Greece, but contemporary media as well.
The Jötunn, referred to as giants, are a race of Norse giants. Among the known giants are:
The Valkyries are female warriors who are responsible for taking warriors to Valhalla upon their death in the mortal realm. Due to Freya's betrayal, Odin cursed the nine Valkyries to remain in a physical form, an unnatural state for a Valkyrie, which drove them to insanity due to a prolonged period in that form. In 2018's God of War, Kratos and Atreus discover the Valkyries across the realms in Odin's hidden chambers. Upon killing their physical form, their spirits were freed from Odin's curse and returned to Valhalla. Some of these Valkyries were resurrected as shield maidens and returned in Ragnarök as allies, while new Valkyries appeared as foes.
The original God of War received praise for its voice acting. Chris Sell of PALGN stated that the voice acting was "up there with the best" in comparison to other games, and that the cut scenes were "superbly voiced, but it's the narrator of the story that is the most professionally convincing throughout". Kristan Reed of Eurogamer wrote, "Even the straight-laced voice work is handled with an expertise so sadly lacking in most other videogames". Raymond M. Padilla of GameSpy wrote that some of the voice acting and music tracks were overstated; one of his few dislikes in the game. Matt Leone of 1UP wrote that "There's a mixture of in-game characters that speak to you and extremely nice CG sequences that show moments such as flashbacks, and it all blends together surprisingly well".
God of War II received similar praise for its voice acting. Chris Roper of IGN said the characters were timeless and the voice acting was great. Kristan Reed said that the voice acting was "top notch." Alex Navarro of GameSpot wrote that "The voice acting is ... all-around excellent, though it's not quite as enjoyable as it was in the last game", and that "Kratos is as gruff and over the top as ever". He praised the supporting voice performances, such as Linda Hunt as Gaia and the narrator, Corey Burton as Zeus, and Harry Hamlin as Perseus, as "top-notch work". However, Navarro said that a few of the performances felt "a bit labored or overwrought. In particular, Michael Clarke Duncan as Atlas feels more wooden than imposing. The voice is right, but his performance is oddly subdued". With these exceptions, Navarro said that "this is another enjoyable voice cast". GameSpy described Kratos as a "sympathetic antihero" and Game Guru claimed "Practically anyone, even if they hadn't played any of the God of War games, would know about Kratos".
God of War III received mixed reviews; Chris Roper of IGN stated that the voice acting "could be better", and that some of the characters were the "biggest culprits" to "creating an uneven feeling in the visual presentation" and that they "don't feature the same level of lighting quality or perhaps texture work as others". Roper also said that a few look "fantastic ... but many are clearly not on the same level as Kratos, and some are even only passable as 'good'".
Chris Roper of IGN said that the voice acting on Chains of Olympus was nice. For Ghost of Sparta, Nicole Tanner of IGN wrote that it "[c]ontinues the tradition of great voice acting" that "we've come to expect from a God of War installment". Joe Juba of Game Informer said that the voice work was solid.
The Norse era games would also receive praise. Nick Plessas of Electronic Gaming Monthly said that the 2018 God of War's most memorable moments were the interactions between Kratos and Atreus. He noted, "there is often some comic relief to be found when Kratos's curtness and Atreus's charming naivety collide". He felt the presence of Atreus showed a side to Kratos not seen before, and that Kratos had evolved emotionally. He also said Atreus's character was similarly complex, and commented that it is easy for child characters "to succumb to a number of annoying child archetypes", but Atreus was more like a young man who was doing his best in an adult world. Game Informer's Joe Juba similarly praised the relationship between Kratos and Atreus, noting that Kratos conveyed more character than in any previous game. Jason Faulkner of Game Revolution wrote that, "Watching [Kratos and Atrues] grow throughout their journey is incredibly rewarding", equating it to that of Ellie and Joel from The Last of Us or Lee and Clementine from Telltale Games's The Walking Dead. Peter Brown of GameSpot felt that although Kratos and Atreus were enjoyable, it was Mímir who stole the show. He also said that regardless of which character the player met, the cast was "strong, convincing, and oddly enchanting". Writing for IGN, Simon Cardy said that Ragnarök provided fresh interpretations of well-known Norse mythological characters, and the actors gave them a unique take that was different from their popular MCU counterparts.
Two series of action figures based on God of War II have been produced by the National Entertainment Collectibles Association (NECA). The first set included two versions of Kratos; one wielding the Blades of Athena and the second wearing the Golden Fleece and holding a gorgon's head. The second set included a twelve-inch figure that played six game quotes. A second two-figure set was also released, with Kratos wearing the God of War armor. DC Unlimited produced a line of action figures based on God of War III, which included the characters Kratos, Zeus, Hades and Hercules. Between February 1, 2010, and March 31, 2010, 7-Eleven sold a limited edition Slurpee drink called "Kratos Fury", available in four exclusive God of War III cups, which featured codes that could be used to access God of War III and Slurpee-themed downloadable content on the Slurpee website. Kratos' visage also appeared on the PlayStation Portable Chains of Olympus exclusive bundle pack, and on the PlayStation 3 God of War III sweepstakes prize video game consoles. Other products have included artwork, clothing, and sweepstakes. Action figures from the Norse era games were also produced.