Kratos

**Kratos** (Greek: **Κράτος**), known by the Jötnar as **Fárbauti** (Nordic: **ᚠᚨᚱᛒᚨᚢᛏᛁ**), is the titular character and antagonist of the Reggiesworld Trilogy. Born and raised amongst all the violent Spartan, Kratos rose through the war ranks to become a fearsome general, winning different wars under his command. However, they have eventually encountered their mortal enemies, the Barbarians, and were nearly wiped off by their locational battle during the ensuing war.

A desperate Kratos begged Ares. He is the God of War and helped him win against their battle. Ares listened and bestowed him a power upon Kratos, leading the Spartans to gain victory. In exchange, however, Ares demanded Kratos' an unflinching loyalty. To all this end, Ares tricked Kratos into murdering his wife and daughter in the ensuing chaos. As a result, the ashes were permanently bonded towards Kratos' skin and so earning him the moniker "Ghost of Sparta."

Enraged, Kratos renounced all his servitude to Ares. He will sought a revenge and vengeance to him. Kratos later rebelled against his master and destroyed him using Pandora's Box. Upon defeating and eventually killing Ares, Kratos is ascended into to godhood as 'The New God of War'. However, Kratos' struggle did not finished there; he had to face his father, the rest of the Olympians, and the Titans on his next journey -remaining forever as a full god in the process.

In hopes of restoring peace to his mind, Kratos still swore servitude to other Olympians, and is hoping they can expose his past atrocities and rid him of his reputations. Thus Kratos traveled through Greece, battling vicious monsters and Greece’s enemies in the name of the gods. But to others, his white skin served as the mark of his sins and people viewed Kratos as a 'Cursed Mortal' with some preferring death as opposed to let him save them as driven by his revenge.

After successfully exacting his vengeance and defeating the Olympians by cleansing Greece through chaos, he fled to the Norse homeland. Kratos wandered into the world of Norse Gods by settling down in Midgard in Ancient Norway where he now married another woman named Faye and bore a son named Atreus. After his second wife's death, both Kratos and Atreus would embark on a journey to fulfil Faye's final wishes, by spreading all her remaining ashes.

After cremating the corpse of his second wife, Faye, Kratos is confronted by Baldur. He is 'An Stranger' with different godly powers. The two battle and Kratos seemingly defeats him, after which Kratos and Atreus begin their journey to honor Faye's last wish: to scatter her ashes at the highest peak in the Nine Realms. Along all the way, they encounter Freya, a kind 'Witch of the Woods' who recognizes Kratos as a god, as well as the two Huldra Brothers, Brok & Sindri.

They then fulfill her promise and spread Faye's ashes at the peak, overlooking a valley of Giant corpses. Afterwards, Kratos revealed to Atreus that his given name was that of his last Sparta comrade. Returning to Midgard, they retrieved Mímir, whom warned them that Baldur's death has caused the three-year-long Fimbulwinter. The winter could start earlier in further years than prophecized, meaning Ragnarök is soon to follow. With time, Fimbulwinter has started.

Fimbulwinter than Ragnarök starts years later, Atreus admitted that he, and, Sindri have been secretly reexamining different Giant shrines as scattered throughout Midgard's, searching for clues about Týr's whereabouts. Determining if Týr is alive and imprisoned from Svartalfheim, Kratos reluctantly agrees to help Atreus, if only to prevent Ragnarök, and they all travel to the Dwarven Realm where Kratos and Atreus sees the traumatized Týr (though it is not him later).

Kratos reluctantly now allow Atreus to infiltrate Asgard and finish reassembling 'The Masks'. In order to steal it from Odin, Atreus successfully escapes back to the refuge. He gives the mask to Týr, who unexpectedly reveals a secret way to Asgard. Though, he had been Odin all in his disguise the whole time. The group manages to drive Odin away and retrieve the mask, but Sindri blames Atreus for Brok's death. Certain groups mourn. Atreus, Kratos starts Ragnarök.

Later, under Kratos' leadership, all the united forces of the other realms gather throughout Týr's Temple in Midgard; Kratos now sounds the Gjallarhorn to begin the siege of Asgard. Initially, the battle does not go well; the other realms are quickly cut off, the Elves and Vanir struggle with Asgard's defenses. After a fight with Thor that ends in his death at the hands of Odin himself, Kratos, Atreus, Mimir and Freya have a final battle with Odin, and Atreus traps Odin's soul. Odin is then killed forever by a vengeful Sindri.

## Biography

### **Before God Of War**

#### Part I

Born in the Greek city-state of Sparta, Kratos is the demigod son of the King of the Gods, Zeus, and a mortal woman named Callisto, with unique superhuman godly powers and abilities, although he would remain unaware of who his father was for most of his life. Outraged at Zeus for fathering yet another bastard child, Hera ordered Kratos' execution on the day he was born, but the King of the Gods took pity on the child and refused, leaving him in Sparta to be raised by Callisto.

Like all Spartan youth, Kratos, with an incredible set of superhuman godly powers, (unknown that he is Zeus' son and the one whom he inherited the abilities), was monitored and trained for combat by the Spartan authorities; those who were deemed fit were to stay and be trained as Spartan warriors, while those who were deemed unfit would be sent to the mountains (probably Mount Taygetos) to fend for themselves.

Already feisty and aggressive at a young age, Kratos trained together with his younger brother, Deimos, who's also a demigod, as they dreamed of joining the Spartan army when they grew up. Around this time, Zeus began to hear prophecies foretelling his demise at the hands of one of his sons, a "marked warrior". Hoping to circumvent the cycle of patricide before it was too late, Zeus sent Ares and Athena to hunt down Kratos.

They want to dispose of the boy who would one day rise up against him. Ares, noticing Deimos' strange birthmarks, decided to invade Sparta with an army of centaurs and take him to Thanatos, the God of Death. Kratos tried to save his brother, but Ares punched him into a pile of wood, leaving him with a permanent scar over his right eye. Insulted by the mortal's defiance, Ares prepared to kill the young Spartan but was stopped by Athena.

The Goddess reminded Ares that they had what they were looking for, and apologized to Kratos before disappearing into the flames. The loss of his brother left an indelible mark on Kratos, as he vowed to never falter again. In honor of his brother, Kratos had himself tattooed in the exact image of Deimos' birthmark. Kratos would later forget that it was Ares and Athena who took his brother from him and wouldn't realize it until after Ares' death.

As Kratos came of age, he became a respected member of the Spartan army, eventually marrying Lysandra and siring a daughter, Calliope.

#### Part II

**Quest for the Ambrosia**

Shortly after her birth, Calliope contracted a plague, causing the Spartan authorities to deem her weak. Spartan law required that she be thrown into a chasm and left to die. Determined to save his daughter, Kratos set out on a journey for the Ambrosia after hearing from an elder of its exceptional healing capabilities.

But unbeknownst to Kratos, Ares had chosen him to be his champion in the wager of the Gods.

It is a contest with the ultimate goal being the capture of the Ambrosia; the victor would have statues erected in their honor all throughout Greece. A battalion of Spartans accompanied Kratos on his quest, including Captain Nikos. Along the way, he encountered a healer who gave him the Flames of Apollo.

#### Part III

**Rising through the Ranks of The Spartan Army**

Kratos eventually encountered Poseidon's champion, Herodius, and killed him as the Spartans conquered his army and stole their ship. Enraged at Kratos for costing him the wager, Poseidon unleashed a handful of hazards at sea in the hopes of killing him but failed. Later on, Kratos encountered Artemis' champion, Pothia, and killed her as well, with her army also falling victim to the Spartans, although Artemis did not retaliate.

In fear that Kratos would defeat his champion, Alrik, the Barbarian King, Hades sent a torrent of fire through the sky. Although he failed to kill Kratos, he succeeded in killing many of Kratos' men, including Captain Nikos. As he found the Ambrosia, Kratos encountered Cereyon, Helios' champion, and killed him as well.

Alrik and his Barbarian army battled the Spartans for the Ambrosia, as Alrik's Father was very ill and in need of the elixir. After a grueling battle between the two leaders, Kratos successfully captured the Ambrosia at the cost of his own men and summoned an army of Rocs to continuously torture Alrik. Kratos then returned to Sparta and healed Calliope, obtaining the rank of 'Captain' from the King of Sparta.

At some point after becoming captain, Kratos would command a young soldier named Atreus who remained hopeful even in the darkest times. When the day came for Atreus to lay down his life in battle, he did it without hesitation and saved many others, earning Kratos' respect. The captain carried Atreus home on the soldier's shield and personally buried him will full honors of Spartan custom, acknowledging him as the only Spartan who ever had a smile on his face even in battle.

#### Part IV

**Birth of the Ghost of Sparta**

Sometime later Kratos became a Spartan General and as a general and a demigod (unknowingly), Kratos won battles against other armies with brutal, but effective tactics. However, his pride and hunger for power grew greater with every victory. Despite Lysandra's pleas, Kratos vowed to continue his bloody conquests "until the glory of Sparta is known throughout the world", spending time with his family only when he was able to return to Sparta.

Kratos and his army finally met their match when they encountered the merciless Barbarian tribes from the East, led by Kratos' old enemy, Alrik. Outnumbered and overpowered, the Spartans quickly found themselves on the losing end of the battle, with Kratos himself left at the mercy of Alrik the Barbarian King, who sought revenge against Kratos for inadvertently causing the death of his father.

In desperation to save his life and refusing to admit his defeat. Kratos called out to Ares, the God of War, pledging all of his own allegiance in exchange for victory. Ares accepted the offer, proceeding to kill all of the Barbarians, giving Kratos the Blades of Chaos as a sign of his servitude and immediately after receiving them he used the Blades of Chaos against Alrik and decapitated him, ending the battle in Spartan's victory.

#### Part V

**Servitude to Ares**

For a time, Kratos served Ares loyally, raiding villages, slaughtering innocents, and spreading chaos in his name. Under the God of War's influence, Kratos became utterly ruthless and gradually lost any semblance of the humanity he once had. One day, during a raid on a village of Athena's followers, Ares secretly transported Lysandra and Calliope to a nearby temple. Ignoring the village oracle's warnings, Kratos have entered the big temple.

He slaughtered everybody inside in a fit of blind rage, including his wife and child (whom he believed were still in Sparta). Ares justified this as a means of severing Kratos' remaining attachments to the world of mortals, thereby molding him into the perfect warrior. Stricken with horror and grief at what he had done, Kratos left the bodies of his family to be burned within the temple, ultimately renouncing his allegiance to the God of War.

The oracle cursed Kratos, forcing him to forever wear the ashes of his dead family on his skin. From that day forward, Kratos became known as the *Ghost of Sparta*; his skin now 'pale as the moon' from the ashes that coated him. To other mortals, he was now marked by his ghostly white skin - the knowledge of his past actions often repulsed them to the point where they would rather die than allow him to save their lives.

He became known as the personification of cruelty and selfishness. Word of this metamorphosis would spread even outside of Greece as Norse god and advisor to Odin, Mimir who would become a future ally to Kratos himself would later on instantly recognize who Kratos was

#### Part VI

For breaking his oath, Ares ordered The Furies to hunt down the Ghost of Sparta and force him to once again serve the God of War. Meanwhile, Kratos finds himself in the abandoned village of Kirra, where he is trapped in an illusion of his home in Sparta, with his blood oath inhibiting memories of him killing his wife and daughter. The Furies' oath-keeper, Orkos, appeared before him and encouraged him to see past the illusion, using Lysandra's necklace and ring to break it. Although Kratos distrusted him, he followed Orkos' instruction to seek out Aletheia, the Oracle at Delphi. She had earlier been captured by Pollux and Castor, but Kratos killed them both and took the Amulet of Uroborus. He spoke with the dying oracle, who revealed Ares' plan to mold Kratos into a warrior capable of overthrowing Zeus, thereby allowing Ares to become the new King of Olympus. Kratos then traveled back to Kirra, where he encountered Orkos once again. The oath-keeper revealed that he is the son of Ares and Alecto, one of the three Furies.

Orkos explained Ares' intentions to Kratos. As Zeus had forbidden the Gods from waging war on one another, Ares sought to breed a warrior capable of destroying Zeus in his stead, so that Ares may usurp him and rule Olympus for himself. Disappointed in Orkos' complete lack of fighting skills, Ares disowned his son. Instead, Orkos became oath-keeper of the Furies in an attempt to please his mother, Alecto. Ares saw in Kratos the makings of the warrior he needed to overthrow Zeus, and for that reason, he helped him against the Barbarians that day. The murder of his family was meant to be one of three "tests" that would bind Kratos to Ares' will: the slaughter of one's enemies, the slaughter of innocents, and the slaughter of one's own family. Orkos did his mother's bidding as oath-keeper and did not question her until Ares tricked Kratos into killing his family. Armed with this knowledge, Kratos took a ship to Delos.

#### Part VII

Once there, Kratos traversed a giant, ruined statue of Apollo, where he was attacked by all three Furies. In the ensuing confrontation, Kratos managed to cut off Megaera's arm, but Alecto used her power to capture him. Orkos appeared and freed Kratos, escorting him to another location, with Alecto vowing that he would never succeed. After a perilous journey, Kratos used the Amulet of Uroborus to fully restore the statue and retrieve the Eyes from the Lantern. But after completing the Trials of Archimedes, he was once again ambushed by the Furies, who take him prisoner and steal both the Eyes and the Amulet.

For two weeks, the Furies tortured Kratos in the Prison of the Damned. The Spartan eventually managed to free himself and pursued Megaera through the prison. She and Tisiphone attempted to misdirect him with an illusion of a brothel. When he went to sleep with a woman inside, he spotted a ring on her finger and realized that it was a trick. He responded by tackling Tisiphone, but Megaera intervened and insisted that Kratos belongs to her. Megaera released insects into Aegaeon's hands and mouth, mutating them into insect-titan hybrids. Kratos retrieved the Amulet of Uroboros by killing Megaera and the Hecatonchires, only for Tisiphone to create an illusion of him being honored by the King of Sparta. Kratos saw through it and, progressing further into the prison, found the Scribe of Hecatonchires, the first mortal to ever be imprisoned by the Furies. The Scribe revealed that the Furies were originally fair in their punishment, and became ruthless only under Ares' influence.

#### Part VIII

Making his way to Alecto's chamber, Kratos retrieved the Oath Stone from Tisiphone's pet bird, Daimon. Upon entering the chamber, the Furies project another illusion, this time of Kratos' home in Sparta. He is nearly taken in by this, for he saw his wife and daughter again. He came close to sleeping with the image of Lysandra, but soon notices the ring on her finger, revealing her to be Alecto. She then tries to convince Kratos that he could live in this illusion forever if he rejoined Ares; however, noticing the Eyes of Truth hanging on her hip, he refused, preferring the truth to living a lie. Enraged, Alecto drops the illusion and threatens to execute him if he would not serve Ares. Kratos breaks free of her sludge trap and snatches the Eyes from Alecto, who retreated back into her sanctum before she realized they were gone. Tisiphone joined Alecto as Kratos advanced on the remaining Furies. They created an illusion of a massive whirlpool, with Alecto transforming into a horrific sea monster.

#### Part IX

Using the Eyes, Kratos broke through the Furies' illusions and forced Alecto back into her human form. As he advanced on the Fury Queen, Tisiphone dispatched Daimon once more, but Kratos simply used the Eyes to destroy the bird. He proceeded to strike Tisiphone, shapeshifting between the forms of the King and Kratos himself, as she belittled him. As he wrapped his hands around her throat, Tisiphone transformed into the form of Lysandra, causing Kratos to briefly hesitate. Tisiphone then changed into the Village Oracle, telling Kratos that his family was not there by mere chance the night he killed them before Kratos snaps her neck. With only Alecto left, Kratos drew his blades. The Fury Queen coldly tells him that the truth would only bring him pain before he plunges his blades into her chest. With her last breath, Alecto spitefully promises that her death would change nothing.

#### Part X

With all three of the Furies dead, Kratos returned to his home in Sparta, where Orkos congratulated him on his victory. At the same time, he also revealed that he was made the new oath-keeper, thereby maintaining Kratos' bond with Ares. He begged Kratos to give him an honorable death, as it would free them both from the God, to which Kratos initially refused, proclaiming that no more innocent blood should be spilled. Orkos' continuing pleas ultimately forced Kratos' hand. With this act, Kratos experienced the first of many nightmares, previously masked by his bond to Ares: this was the price he had to pay for breaking his oath. He also discovered his path to redemption through continual service to Olympus. Kratos proceeded to burn down his house, with the corpse of Orkos inside it.

#### Part XI

For the next decade, Kratos faithfully served the Gods of Olympus in whatever tasks they required of him. During the fifth year of his atonement, he joined the army of Attica in their struggle against the invading Persian Army and the great beast they brought forth. After a lengthy battle, Kratos killed both the Persian King and the Basilisk, before asking the gods if they wished him to do more in his servitude. At that moment, the Ghost of Sparta saw the Sun fall from the sky and vanish, leaving the world in darkness.

#### Part XII

Sensing a plot at work, Kratos followed the last remnants of light on the horizon, eventually reaching the Temple of Helios and the city of Marathon. Upon consulting with Athena, Kratos realized that Helios, the God of the Sun, had been kidnapped by an unknown force, allowing Morpheus, the God of Dreams, to put the other Olympians in a deep slumber. With the Gods of Olympus incapacitated, Kratos was tasked with finding and rescuing Helios before Morpheus could seize control of the land by covering Greece under his Black Fog. Fighting through Morpheus' minions, Kratos entered the temple of the Sun God and, after learning of the events that transpired, was tasked by Eos, the sister of Helios, to awaken her brother's Fire Steeds, which would take Kratos to where Helios was being held prisoner.

#### Part XIII

Having awakened Helios' Steeds, Kratos was taken to the Underworld where he saw Helios' glowing light in the distance, right before the Pillar of the World. Kratos fought his way through Hades' domain, acquired the mighty Gauntlet of Zeus, entered Tartarus and killed Charon, the ferryman of the dead. Kratos then discovered that the Titan Atlas had somehow escaped Tartarus and captured Helios

#### Part XIV

Throughout his journey, Kratos was plagued by illusions of his daughter, Calliope, and the song she played on the flute that he once gave to her. When Kratos reached the Pillar of the World and the Temple of Persephone that lay nearby, he had already forgotten his task, thinking only of reuniting with his daughter. He encountered Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld who had been kidnapped by Hades and forced to wed him. She revealed that Kratos could be with his daughter again if he relinquished all of his powers to the Forsaken Tree. Desperate to see his daughter again, Kratos did as she asked, and she allowed him to enter the Elysium fields where he met with his daughter and was seen happy for the first time since he became the Ghost of Sparta.

#### Part XV

Kratos willingly abandoned the Gods to their fate but Persephone appeared before him, revealing that it was she who freed Atlas and asked him to capture Helios. With his help, she devised a scheme to destroy the Pillar of the World, thus killing the Gods of Olympus and all of mankind as well. She taunted Kratos with the knowledge that he may live with his daughter for a short period, but would ultimately see her die again upon the completion of her plan. Kratos then forced himself to become the *Ghost of Sparta* again by killing the innocent souls of Elysium and regaining his powers. Whilst giving pursuit to Persephone, he realized that he would never have the chance to be with his daughter again. As he heard her crying behind him, his hatred for the Gods of Olympus deepened.

An enraged Kratos succeeded in killing Persephone and chaining Atlas to the ground above the Pillar of the World, thus completing his task. Before he left the Underworld, Atlas asked Kratos if he truly believed that the Gods would keep their promise. Kratos replied that it was the only thing he could hope for now since he could not go back to Elysium. With the use of the Fire Steeds, Kratos then escaped the Underworld, but found himself too exhausted from the journey and fell from the Chariot to the ground below. He was saved by Athena and Helios, who then leaves him unconscious upon the cliffs overlooking the Aegean Sea.

#### Part XVI

Ten years after beginning his service to the Olympian gods, Kratos was commissioned with killing the Hydra and bringing peace to the Aegean Sea. Along the way, Poseidon granted him the power of lightning and implored him to use it against the Hydra and Kratos engages Hydra in a bloody battle, Hydra almost devours Kratos, but Kratos, thanks to his blood of divinity, used his superhuman strength to open the Hydra's mouth.

In order to emerge himself out before overwhelming Hydra, and after a long and vicious battle, Kratos emerged victorious by impaling the Hydra's front head on the ship's mast. Entering the decaying Hydra's throat, Kratos retrieved a boat key from the ship's Captain. For unexplained reasons, he refused to save his life and instead allowed him to plummet to his death. The Ghost of Sparta celebrated his victory that night with wine and women but continued to suffer from nightmares of his past deeds.

Distraught, he approached one of Athena's statues and asked her when he would be free from his past. She told Kratos that his final task would be to find Pandora's Box and use the power inside it to destroy Ares. Kratos, having finally been granted an opportunity for revenge against the God of War, asked Athena if the gods would take his nightmares away upon completing this task. The goddess, however, refused to provide a clear answer, and instead offered him an intentionally vague promise of forgiving his past sins.

#### Part XVII

Nonetheless, Kratos interpreted this answer as a 'yes' and set sail for Athens anyway. Arriving at the docks of Athens, Kratos made his way through the besieged city, killing countless minions of Ares in the process. Encountering Aphrodite in a nearby temple, Kratos decapitated the infamous Medusa, Queen of the Gorgons, at her behest. In return, Kratos was granted the power to freeze his enemies where they stand. He later acquired lightning bolts from Zeus as well, using them to strike down a terrified Athenian guard.

After he refused to lower the bridge, thereby allowing Kratos to cross. Progressing further into the city, he briefly encountered the Athenian Oracle, who was then kidnapped by a pair of Harpies before she could speak to him. Giving chase, he soon found himself outside the Oracle's temple, where he observed a gravedigger (later revealed to be Zeus) digging a grave. Kratos inquired as to who would occupy it, to which the gravedigger answered that Kratos will. The Ghost of Sparta is alarmed by this answer, but the gravedigger reassures him that "all will be revealed in good time, and when all appears to be lost, I will be there to help".

#### Part XVIII

Progressing further into the temple, Kratos finds the Oracle dangling from a nearby cliff and rescues her. She immediately suspects that Kratos is motivated by something other than a desire to do good, and looks through his memories. The Oracle is horrified by Kratos' past deeds and asks why Athena would ever call on someone like him. Kratos angrily grabs the Oracle by the throat and throws her aside, telling her to stay out of his head.

The Oracle informed Kratos that Pandora's box could be found in Pandora's Temple, located just beyond the Desert of Lost Souls on the back of the Titan Cronos. She warned the Ghost of Sparta that none have ever survived Pandora's temple, but Kratos is unfazed. A statue of Athena appeared before Kratos at the desert entrance, telling him that he must follow the song of the sirens and destroy all three before he can progress further. After doing so, he finds the Titan Horn and uses it to summon Cronos. Kratos begins to climb the Titan, arriving at Pandora's temple three days later. Just outside the temple's entrance, he notices a gatekeeper (who is revealed to be the undead spirit of the first mortal to ever attempt Pandora's temple) tending to a pyre of dead bodies. As punishment for his failure, the gods forced him to watch over the entrance for all eternity, and burn the bodies of any soul foolish enough to try and conquer Pandora's temple. Believing Kratos would fail just like all the others, he disinterestedly wishes the Ghost of Sparta good luck before opening the gates. As the Spartan made his way through the temple, he encountered both Artemis and Hades, from whom he gained the Blade of Artemis and Souls of Hades, respectively. Along the way, he defeats countless monsters (including a giant armored Minotaur), survives impossible traps, and sacrifices a caged Athenian soldier before finally reaching Pandora's box, being the first demigod ever to do so. However, this did not escape the notice of Ares, who responded by hurling a large broken pillar towards Pandora's Temple, impaling Kratos. The Harpies collected Pandora's Box and took it back to Ares, while Kratos died and fell into the Underworld. But Kratos, due to his immortality, manage to wake himself up and fight his way out of the Underworld as he plummeted to the River Styx, Kratos grabbed hold of the Captain's leg and used it to climb to safety before kicking him down below into the River Styx.

#### Part XIX

Reaching the top again, Kratos managed to escape the clutches of Hades via the same hole that the Gravedigger had been digging earlier. He tells Kratos that Athena is not the only god watching over him and that he still has one final task to complete before his sins are forgiven. Journeying through the now destroyed city of Athens, he reacquires Pandora's Box from Ares and uses it to grow tremendously in size and gain a substantial amount of power in order to battle Ares on more even footing, Kratos engages Ares in a long brutal battle with Kratos gaining the upper hand as he proves to Ares that he's not a mortal. After a vicious fight, Ares traps Kratos in a psychological void where demonic incarnations of himself attempt to kill phantom versions of his family. Kratos successfully fights them off but watches helplessly as Ares strips him of his Blades of Chaos and used them to kill his family again. Kratos, now distraught and vulnerable, nearly met his end at the hands of Ares, but soon took notice of the Blade of the Gods and finally kills Ares with it.

#### Part XX

Though his past had been forgiven, the Gods refused to relieve him of his nightmares. His last bit of hope taken from him, Kratos attempted to commit suicide by jumping from a cliff. However, Athena had a different plan for the Spartan; she saved his life and offered him the now empty throne of the God of War on Olympus. Kratos accepted the offer, sat upon the fallen god's throne, and became the new God|God of War for the first time.

#### Part XXI

Soon afterwards, Kratos had a vision of his mother, imprisoned in the Temple of Poseidon in Atlantis. He headed for the city and argued with Athena when she tried to dissuade him from pursuing his visions.

#### Part XXII

Kratos was suddenly attacked by Scylla, but was able to defeat the monster and had a vision of his training with Deimos when they were children. He managed to enter the temple and found Callisto, whom he had believed to be dead. She told Kratos his father had brought her there and that Deimos was alive, having been imprisoned in the Domain of Death. Shocked and enraged at being lied to for all those years, Kratos demanded to know why she lied and the identity of his father. Callisto tried to tell him the truth, but changed into a terrible monster and attacked her son, forcing the God of War to kill her. Kratos became angered that the gods had taken another family member from him and set out to save Deimos.

#### Part XXIII

He eventually came across the volcano prison of Thera, a Titan, who asked him to free her. Kratos did so, gaining the power of Thera’s Bane, letting him empower his blades with flame. As he descended deeper into Atlantis, he battled Scylla again and managed to kill her by impaling her with the Archimedian Screw. Kratos headed back to Sparta and along with way, was confronted by Erinys, daughter of Thanatos, who told him Deimos belonged to her father, as did the Ghost of Sparta’s blood. Kratos replied that nothing, including Erinys could stop him and battled the daughter of Thanatos, eventually slaying her. He found the way to the Temple of Ares in Sparta, where he found the key to saving Deimos. Kratos returned to Atlantis as it was sinking where he managed to enter the Domain of Death. He finally found Deimos, deep in Thanatos’ temple and freed him, only to be attacked by his brother, who blamed him for his imprisonment since Kratos didn’t save him.

#### Part XXIV

The Ghost of Sparta was eventually beaten down by Deimos (this was only because Kratos is holding back, refusing to fight his own brother), when Thanatos intervened, carrying Deimos away. Though badly weakened from the fight, Kratos pursued them to the Suicide Bluffs, where he’d tried to end his life after killing Ares. He saved Deimos from falling to his death and reconciled with him, joining forces to battle Thanatos. Together they were able to fight the death god, but Deimos lost his life in the battle and an enraged Kratos finally killed Thanatos. He carried his brother’s body to a grave being dug by the mysterious Grave Digger, laying him down to rest there and said Deimos was now free.

#### Part XXV

Kratos was on the verge of throwing himself off the cliffs again, but stopped himself and asked what he had become. The Grave Digger said that the God of War had become “Death, the Destroyer of Worlds” and vanished. Athena appeared, begging Kratos to forgive her for not telling him the truth and saying he’d become able to be a full god. However the Ghost of Sparta just replied that the gods would pay for what they had done, before he returned to Olympus, now more hateful of the Olympians than ever.

#### Part XXVI

Kratos is leading his Spartan army against Greece. He is leading his soldiers, intent on conquering all of Greece, when he suddenly notice a creature known as Argos. While fighting alongside his warriors, he is attacked by a number of beasts led by the giant, Argos, who is sent by Hera to stop the war.

#### Part XXVII

As Kratos still helped the Spartans besiege the mortal city, he was now attacked by Argos, servant of Hera. However, before Kratos is able to kill the beast, it is killed by an unknown assassin as a clear effort to destroy the anti-hero's reputation with the Gods of Olympus. This is to frame Kratos in an attempt to turn all the gods against him.

#### Part XXVIII

Kratos pursues him through Greece in order to discover the identity of the assassin's master, who is attempting to turn the gods against him. The Spartan continued pursuing his foe across Greece to discover the identity of the assassin, but is surrounded by constant attacks from the minions of Hades, the God of the Underworld.

#### Part XXVIIII

However, he is now being slowed down by an attack of Hades' minions. Soon, the son of Hermes, Ceryx, is sent to deliver a message to Kratos from Zeus, who's to stop the relentless pursuit and take heed of the destruction already caused as he is more becoming increasingly concerned with the amount of destruction left in Kratos' path.

#### Part XXIX

Ceryx confronts Kratos, but the God of War refuses to cease and engages the messenger in battle. Kratos, however, battles and kills Ceryx, which inadvertently allows the assassin to escape. Taking advantage of the situation, the game concludes as Kratos defeated Ceryx and the Spartan soldiers celebrate, but observing the dead god's body, he realizes that Zeus would eventually take action for this act of defiance.

#### Part XXX

Kratos entered Tartarus once again in search of the Ambrosia in order to destroy it, for the Disciples of Ares desired to use it to resurrect their now dead God. Throughout his journey, Kratos received flashbacks of his first quest for the Ambrosia. Making his way through Tartarus, Kratos encountered and defeated a giant arachnid monster. After pulling his blades out from the beast, Athena spoke to him in an attempt to warn him about new dangers on the path he took once before. Kratos shrugged off her warnings, confident that nothing would stop him.

Later, he encountered Athena again and was told by the goddess that it is now the dead he must fear. Again, Kratos ignored her warnings, proceeding to find the dead bodies of Spartan soldiers who had accompanied him on his earlier quest for the Ambrosia. Rising from the dead, they attempted to kill Kratos in retaliation for abandoning them, although he defeated them all. The island then revealed itself to be a monstrous beast named Gyges, who sought revenge against Kratos after one hundred of his arms were burned off in his battle with Helios' Champion. Kratos, however, incinerated Gyges with the Flames of Apollo, destroying the Tree of Life and all of its Ambrosia. He then left the island, knowing that the disciples of Ares would hunt him down for destroying the last hope they had at reviving their fallen God.

Sometime later, Kratos experienced visions of his mother being held at the Temple of Poseidon in Atlantis. En route to Poseidon's city, Athena attempted to dissuade Kratos from his mission, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. His ship was then attacked by the Scylla. Chasing the monster off, he received another vision, this time of his childhood training with his brother Deimos. He entered the temple and encountered his long presumed dead mother Callisto, who assured Kratos that it is really her, to his shock. She then tells him that his father had taken her there and that Deimos is still alive; trapped and tortured in the Domain of Death. Both shocked and angered, Kratos asked who his father was and why she lied to him all those years ago. Before Callisto could tell him, she is transformed into a hideous beast, forcing Kratos to fight and critically wound her. Callisto used her dying moments to thank Kratos for setting her free and encouraged him to pursue Deimos in Sparta.

Enraged over the gods having taken yet another member of his family, Kratos embarked on a journey to save his brother, defiantly ignoring Athena's orders that he turn back. At one point, Kratos encountered the Titan Thera, imprisoned inside a volcano, who told him he would be incapable of leaving if he did not free her. After forcefully imbuing the Blades of Athena in the Titan's chest, Kratos obtained Thera's Bane and left the volcano. In releasing Thera, Atlantis' fate was sealed.

Upon his descent, he impaled the Scylla, who had been pursuing him relentlessly ever since his arrival, finally defeating the monster. Before returning home, Kratos found himself under attack by Erinys, Thanatos' daughter. Following Erinys' defeat, Kratos returned to Sparta, killing the Piraeus Lion and a Dissenter before entering the Temple of Ares (then in the process of being converted into the Temple of Kratos), where he would find the key to saving his brother. The Spartan then made his way back to the sinking city of Atlantis, although his route was fraught with danger as Poseidon had unleashed an enormous whirlpool at sea and attempted to blast Kratos from the sky in retaliation for the destruction of his city. Kratos survived Poseidon's assault, only to be contacted telepathically by the Sea God via one of his broken statues, warning him that he would pay for what he had done to Atlantis. Sometime later, Athena inadvertently revealed to the Spartan that it was she, along with Ares, who had taken Deimos from him that day, justifying their actions on the grounds that he was a threat to Olympus. This revelation deepened Kratos' hatred for the Gods even further. Proceeding onward, Kratos entered the Domain of Death and the Temple of Thanatos where he finally found his brother Deimos. Kratos set Deimos free, only to be attacked by him, as Deimos blamed Kratos for not helping him when in dire need. Witnessing the battle from close by, Thanatos intervened and snatched Deimos. Barely able to stand from his fight with Deimos, Kratos followed Thanatos to the Suicide Bluffs and quickly rescued Deimos from falling to his death.

#### Part XXXI

After being reunited and reconciling their differences, the Spartan brothers took arms and joined forces against Thanatos. The God of Death taunted the brothers, recalling the oracle's prophecy that a "marked warrior" was destined to destroy Olympus. He comments that Zeus, Ares, and Athena chose the wrong "marked warrior" that day: it was Kratos who should have been taken away, not Deimos. Thanatos then said that it didn't matter anymore and that nothing Kratos does is of his own choosing. Kratos shouted that no one, not even the gods decide his fate, to which Thanatos laughed and said the gods decide, and the Sisters of Fate make it so, further commenting that Kratos was nothing but a pawn in a game that he didn't know was being played. In a climactic battle, Thanatos took Deimos' life, only to have an enraged Kratos take his in return. Kratos then took the lifeless body of his brother to his grave.

After putting Deimos in a grave dug by the enigmatic Grave Digger, Kratos stated that his brother was now free. He once again attempted to kill himself at the bluffs, but ultimately relented, asking himself what he had become. The Grave Digger, who had been close by, prophetically answered *"Death, the Destroyer of Worlds"* before vanishing. Athena then pleaded with Kratos to forgive her, and offered to empower him to full Godhood, but saw her pleas ignored, as Kratos promised her that the Gods would pay for their actions.

Kratos began to isolate himself from the other Gods and spent most of his time assisting Sparta in its conquest of Greece. During a siege on an unknown city, he was attacked by Argos, Hera's pet. Before he could defeat the beast, however, an unknown Assassin killed it in his stead, apparently trying to destroy his reputation on Olympus. Kratos pursued the Assassin but saw his progress halted by the minions of Hades, causing him to believe that the Assassin was Hades in disguise (this notion is further supported by the fact that Hades already resented Kratos for the death of his wife Persephone). The God of War continued his pursuit, only to be stopped by Ceryx, a messenger of the Gods, who allowed the Assassin to escape. On Zeus' orders, Ceryx told Kratos to cease his pursuit. Providing no valid reason, Ceryx only managed to infuriate the God of War. Kratos killed the messenger on the spot, instantly realizing that Zeus would not stand for this action.

When Kratos sent his Spartan soldiers to conquer Rhodes, Athena implored him to stop, as the other Gods grew weary of his destructive behavior. Kratos, as usual, ignored her warning and instead plunged down to the Earth, aiding his army in further destroying the city. An eagle soon appeared and robbed Kratos of his immense size and a significant chunk of his godhood powers, reducing him to the size of an ordinary human. Despite this, he retained some of his god powers, enabling him to easily defeat the warriors of Rhodes. The eagle imbued Kratos' god powers into the Colossus of Rhodes, which was then brought to life.

Kratos fought a long and arduous battle with the giant until Zeus offered help in the form of the Blade of Olympus, which he himself used to end the Titan War. Infusing the remainder of his god powers and immortality into the blade, Kratos defeated the Colossus. As he shouted to the heavens, the statue's falling hand crushed him, knocking the Blade of Olympus out of his grasp. Severely wounded, and stripped of all of his powers, Kratos knew his only hope of survival lay with the Blade. Limping towards it, the eagle soon reappeared and revealed itself to be Zeus in disguise (Kratos originally believed Athena was responsible). Zeus informed Kratos that he didn't want to suffer the same fate as Ares, and demanded that Kratos surrender and serve him forever. However, when Kratos refused, Zeus attacked and killed him by driving the Blade into his abdomen. Zeus would then proceed to use the Blade's power to kill everyone else present during the battle of Rhodes, most notably most of the Spartan warriors, much to Kratos' horror. In his dying breath, Kratos swore that Zeus would pay for his treachery.

#### Part XXXII

Kratos was dragged down by the arms of the Underworld. The Titan Gaia, who had been watching him his entire life, saved Kratos, sealed his wound, and gave him the strength to escape death once again. Kratos, who still has some god powers, manage to fight his way out from the Underworld, resurrecting back to life, he instructed the last surviving soldier to return to Sparta and prepare for battle.

Kratos then took Pegasus, a gift from Gaia, and attempted to fly back to Olympus so he could exact his revenge, but discovered that he could no longer enter Olympus, as he was no longer a God. Instead, Gaia instructed Pegasus and Kratos to seek out the Sisters of Fate. She informed him that the Sisters had the power to travel back in time, which he could use to reclaim back his god powers, his status as god, the Blade of Olympus and take his revenge on Zeus. Kratos first traveled to Typhon's lair, where he met with Prometheus, who begged him to release him from his torment in the Fires of Olympus. Kratos, after stealing Typhon's Bane from the Titan, used it to break Prometheus' last chain, sending him down into the flames, burning him alive and finally releasing him. His ashes granted him the power of the Titans.

Kratos then made his way to the Island of Creation, where the Pegasus was attacked by a pack of Griffins. After defeating the undead soldier who led the pack of griffins, Kratos made a death defying leap off of Pegasus and onto the Island. As he continued his journey, he questioned Gaia over her reason for aiding him. Gaia then tells him the story of the Titanomachy and how the Olympians betrayed her and overthrew the Titans. Armed with this knowledge, Kratos continued his quest and soon encountered Theseus, who guarded the Steeds of Time. Theseus laughed and mocked Kratos' quest to destroy Zeus and challenged him to a fight, wanting to see who was the greatest warrior in all of Greece. Theseus was defeated after Kratos skewered him with his own spear and repeatedly slammed the door shut on his head. Kratos then used the Horse Keeper's Key to gain control of the steeds, moving the temple of the Sisters of Fate closer and connecting the two together.

Kratos made his way through the Bog of the Forgotten where he encountered an undead foe from his past, Alrik the Barbarian King. Having escaped Hades' torment, he traveled to the Island of Creation for two reasons: to change his fate and exact revenge on Kratos. They engaged in a fierce duel, with Alrik summoning the souls of the dead (including the Captain) with his mighty hammer. Eventually, these souls were either destroyed (again, including the Captain) or absorbed by Alrik, using them to increase his size. Ultimately, Kratos shrunk the king back down, seized Alrik's hammer and used it to crush his skull, killing him once more. Looking upon Alrik's corpse, memories of Kratos' past came back to haunt him, but he pressed on anyway.

Entering Euryale's temple, he obtained the Golden Fleece from a wounded soldier (whom he then sacrificed by throwing his body under a cog, jamming it), which could deflect enemy attacks. Kratos used this weapon to defeat a nearby Cerberus and, eventually, Euryale herself. Enraged at Kratos for decapitating her sister Medusa, Euryale fought with great ferocity but was defeated when Kratos pulled her own head off as well. With the Gorgon sister's death, Kratos used Head of Euryale to turn his enemies into stone. Progressing further, he soon came across another statue of Athena, who implored him not to trust Gaia and to cease his quest for vengeance. As usual, Kratos ignored her warnings and pressed on.

#### Part XXXIII

Soon afterward, Kratos encountered his half-brother demigod, Perseus, who was on a quest to save his beloved Andromeda from Hades. Perseus challenged the Ghost of Sparta to a fight, believing it would prove his worth to the Sisters of Fate and allow him to rescue Andromeda; or, if not that, would at least allow him to "bathe in the glory of being the one to bring down the mighty Kratos". However, Perseus was no match for Kratos, who made short work of the legendary Greek hero by breaking all of his equipment and impaling him on a large hook. Kratos then took his shield and used it to enter the Courtyard of Atropos. Reaching the Great Chasm, he was confronted by an elderly Icarus, who had by this point lost his sanity.

Icarus tries to get Kratos to stop his quest, rambling on about how it is "MY TEST!!!" while telling him that he would never make it across the chasm. Annoyed, Kratos tries to push him aside, but this does not deter Icarus. He continues to get in Kratos' way and yell about the futility of his quest, telling the Ghost of Sparta that "THIS IS MY TEST" and that only he can fly across the chasm and receive an audience with the Sisters of Fate. Kratos takes hold of his throat and declares "I will make it to the Sisters of Fate and I will use your wings to do so." Icarus tackles Kratos, causing them both to fall off the ledge and plummet to Underworld. Their fight continued as they fell, but ended when Kratos ripped off Icarus' Wings and drop-kicked him down in the Underworld, sealing his fate. However, Kratos managed to fly to safety by landing on Atlas.

Gaia then told him that he needed to return to the surface, prompting Kratos to travel across Atlas' body and destroy part of his chains. This relieved some of the Titan's burden but called attention to Kratos' presence. He scolded Kratos for having the nerve to show his face to him again, after what he had done. Intent on crushing the former God for his imprisonment, Atlas ultimately ceased his attempt to kill Kratos when he revealed that he was now an enemy of Zeus, and sought to change his fate in order to destroy the King of the Gods. Atlas told Kratos more about the Great War and how it ended when Zeus created the Blade of Olympus. Atlas gave Kratos some of his power and lifted him back to the surface, where he continued his journey into the Palace of Fates.

There, he took two scholars hostage and forced them to read an incantation that Kratos himself could not read before ultimately sacrificing them both. Soon afterwards, he encountered the last remaining Spartan warrior, only this time shrouded in darkness. With neither of them aware of who they were facing, both warriors engaged in battle, intending to reaching the Sisters themselves.

Eventually, the Last Spartan fell prey to Kratos' Blades as they tumbled out of the stained glass window into the light, revealing their identities to each other. The Spartan warrior informed Kratos of the fact that Zeus had destroyed Sparta before succumbing to his wounds, causing Kratos to be overtaken with anger and shout to the Heavens. Blinded by rage, he was then attacked by the Kraken, providing little resistance as it proceeded to strangle him. Held firm in its grasp, Kratos then saw an astral projection of his wife, which was actually Gaia in disguise, encouraging him to go on and tell him that Hades will torment him for all eternity if he dies. She told Kratos that the Titans wanted him to lead them into battle before empowering him with the Rage of the Titans. Kratos, ultimately regaining his will to live, engaged the Kraken in battle and killed it. Then, using the Phoenix, he made his way to the Sisters' main stronghold.

#### Part XXXIV

Kratos entered the Sisters' throne room and met with Lahkesis, who told him that the Fates decided upon the destinies of all, and how it was she who allowed him to come as far as he did. She then proclaimed that it was not his destiny to kill Zeus. By this point, Kratos had no interest in negotiation, telling her that they no longer had any control over his destiny, ultimately threatening to kill her if she did not let him pass. This enraged Lakhesis, who then engaged the Ghost of Sparta in battle. Kratos almost immediately gained the upper hand and inflicted heavy damage on Lakhesis, infuriating her even further. She summoned her sister Atropos, who took Kratos back in time to his battle with Ares, attempting to destroy the Blade of the Godsso that his past and present self would cease to exist. Kratos subdued her before teleporting himself back to the present. Lakhesis grew ever more frustrated and engaged once more, only now with Atropos in tow. After a long and hard battle, he trapped them both in a time mirror and shattered it, imprisoning them for good. Kratos then proceeded on to Clotho, who implored him not to go forward with his manipulation of fate. Kratos, having pinned all of Clotho's lower body parts to the ground, ascended to the top platform and impaled her with one of her own instruments, instantly killing her. Kratos then took control of his own life thread in the Loom Chamber, proceeding back in time to the point where Zeus betrayed him.

Once there, Kratos, now having claimed his full godly powers and abilities back, becoming a full god once again, immediately charged at Zeus and tackled him. Shocked by Kratos' sudden reappearance, Zeus assumed that the Sisters of Fate had helped him somehow But as Kratos pulled the Blade of Olympus out of his past self, he claimed that all three Sisters are dead. Zeus then commented that he had underestimated Kratos, but that he would not do so again. Both gods charged at each other, engaging in a vicious battle through the skies before landing on the Summit of Sacrifice, where Zeus soon reappeared in his full God form. Zeus summoned an army of sirens to aid him while hurling lightning bolts at Kratos, only for the God of War to use the sirens to paralyze Zeus and plunge the Blade of Olympus into his oversized hand. Infuriated, Zeus elected to shrink back down to mortal size and engage Kratos directly. The God eventually manages to take the Blade away from Kratos, only to lose it once more as Kratos drives the blade into Zeus' abdomen and throws him against a nearby set of standing rocks. Zeus soon manages to swipe the Blade of Olympus out of Kratos' hands a second time but loses it again when Kratos impales Zeus with the blade and throws him against another set of standing rocks. The Ghost of Sparta then ascends the structure and drops the top slab onto Zeus, greatly infuriating the God. Zeus, having had enough, reverts to his full Olympian size and unleashes a powerful lightning storm on Kratos. Yielding defeat, Kratos put down the Blade of Olympus and asked the King of Gods to release him from his torment, to which Zeus responded: "I will release you from your life, my son, but your torment is just beginning" before moving in to kill the Spartan.

However, this is revealed to have been a trick by Kratos, who then deflected the blow, slammed Zeus' head against a nearby rock before pinning Zeus down with his Blades. Taking the Blade of Olympus back, Kratos furiously drove it into Zeus' abdomen, intending to kill Zeus in the same way he had killed Kratos in Rhodes. Athena appeared moments later and charged at Kratos, begging him to stop. Zeus then took advantage of the situation and tried to flee, but this did not escape Kratos' notice. The enraged Spartan made one final attempt on his life, only for Athena to jump in the way and take the blow herself. A distraught Kratos asked Athena why she sacrificed herself, to which she replied: "to save Olympus". She further revealed to Kratos that Zeus is his father which reveals that Kratos is born a demigod right before he became a full god after killing Ares, and that his father's actions were driven by fear. Zeus' intention was to finally break the cycle of patricide by killing Kratos, whom he now recognized as the "Marked Warrior" destined to bring about the final destruction of Olympus.

Athena begged Kratos to forfeit his quest for revenge, warning him that all of Olympus would unite against him and that should he succeed in killing Zeus, the world would be destroyed. By this point, this does not convince Kratos to let go of his revenge as his sanity and compassion for others had been completely drained, and he vowed to destroy all of the Gods along with anyone else who stood in his way. Traveling back in time to the Titanomachy, he brought the Titans with him to the present and led them forth to Mount Olympus to confront the Gods one last time. Meanwhile, a badly weakened Zeus calls forth a meeting of the Gods (although only Poseidon, Hades, Hermes, and Helios are present), urging them to put aside their differences and unite against their common enemy, Kratos. Moments later, Mount Olympus begins to tremble as the Gods look down in horror at the ascending Titans, who are now accompanied by Kratos. The God of War yells out to his father, declaring that the reign of the Olympians is now over.

#### Part XXXV

Zeus immediately ordered his fellow Olympians, along with his demigod son Hercules, to attack Kratos and his Titan allies, although Zeus himself opted to stay out of the fray for the time being as he was still recovering from his last battle with Kratos. The Olympians initially had the upper hand, however, as Hades successfully dislodged several Titans with his claws, while Poseidon shot down from Olympus like a torpedo and struck a death blow through Epimetheus' chest, sending the Titan to his grave. Moments later, Poseidon resurfaced within a colossal watery construct in his image, spawning several Hippocampi to aid him in battle. With Poseidon as their greatest threat, having already decimated numerous Titans and now going after Gaia herself, Kratos engaged the God of the Sea in a vicious battle. Kratos freed Gaia from Poseidon's Hippocampi, allowing her to grab the Sea God and slam him into the mountain. With Poseidon pinned down, Kratos moved in to attack. The enraged Spartan pounded Poseidon with his blades, while the God tried to defend himself with his trident. Eventually, Kratos shattered the massive rock formation on Poseidon's chest, exposing his weak spot.

Poseidon broke free of Gaia's grasp by attacking her with more Hippocampi. However, the Spartan quickly broke Poseidon's hold over Gaia, allowing her to throw a devastating punch which sent Kratos on a collision course with the god of the sea, knocking him out of his watery construct and onto a nearby cliff. Kratos grabbed Poseidon and threw him against the rocks, watching as his water construct disintegrated and collapsed into the sea. As the Ghost of Sparta moved in to finish him off, Poseidon told Kratos that no matter how many gods fall, there would always be another to stand against him. Unfazed, Kratos retorted that any god who gets in his way will meet the same fate. Poseidon, realizing just how insane and vengeful Kratos has become, warned him to relent, stating that the death of Olympus would mean the end of the (Greek) world. Kratos, again, is unfazed, and coldly responds: "Then prepare for YOUR death, Poseidon". Kratos then grabbed Poseidon by his neck and battered him uncontrollably, slamming his uncle's head against the rocks before throwing him against a large boulder. In desperation, a visibly terrified Poseidon attempted to crawl away and escape back into the sea, but Kratos easily caught up with him, gouged his eyes out, and snapped his neck before tossing his corpse off the mountain. With Poseidon's death, the seas unleashed a cataclysmic flood that engulfed all of Greece, drowning almost all of the Greeks, save for those on Olympia and other mountaintop locations.

The Spartan climbed back onto Gaia's hand and they both continued onward to Zeus' pavilion, where the King of the Gods angrily anticipated Kratos' arrival. Gaia wrapped her palm around Zeus' platform, trapping him there as an eager Kratos jumped down from Gaia's hand to confront Zeus. The enraged Spartan taunted the King of the Gods, reminding him that with Athena's death, there was no one left to protect him. In response, Zeus told Kratos that Athena died because of his blind rage, asking him how far he was willing to go to sate his need for vengeance. Kratos then boasted that neither the Sisters of Fate nor the gates of Hades could stop him, ultimately declaring that Zeus would not live to see the next sunrise. As Kratos and Gaia prepared to attack, Zeus summoned a massive bolt of lightning which he used to knock both Kratos and Gaia off of the mountain, in the hopes they would fall into the River Styx below. The resulting blast tore off a portion of Gaia's arm, causing her to struggle to maintain her grip. Kratos urged Gaia to help him as he too was losing his grip, but the Titan refused, claiming that doing so would cause both of them to fall off the mountain. Kratos reminded her of why she saved him from death, to which Gaia replied that he was nothing more than a pawn whom they no longer needed, as the Titans had finally reached Zeus.

Betrayed yet again, Kratos plummeted from the mountain and found himself stranded in the Underworld once more. Contemplating his life as he lurched through the River Styx and its caverns, he resolved to escape Hades and destroy Zeus once and for all. After being drained of nearly all of his power by the dead souls of the River Styx, he met the ghost of Athena, who claimed to have reached a "higher existence" and offered to help Kratos exact his revenge on Zeus. Suspicious of this turn of events, Kratos demanded to know why she had such a sudden change of heart as she died protecting Zeus. Athena then explained to Kratos how she saw truths where she did not before, and to regain his trust, she transformed Kratos' ruined blades into the Blades of Exile, which would help him survive the Underworld and the foes that awaited him. She then instructs him to find and extinguish the Flame of Olympus, claiming that it is the source of Zeus' power.

Kratos made his way through the Underworld, meeting lost souls, stealing Apollo's bow from Peirithous by burning him alive, and encountering The Judges, who decided that Kratos was not yet ready for the afterlife before urging him to proceed forward. Along the way, he would encounter a statue of Pandora, which called out to Kratos. Initially mistaking its voice for Calliope's, he soon realized that it was someone else and tried to walk away. Before he could, the voice claimed to know all about Kratos, telling him that everybody on Olympus was terrified of him, to which Kratos replied: "there are reasons for that". Pandora tried to tell him more, but she was interrupted by the voice of Hades, who mocked Kratos. The Spartan ordered Hades to reveal himself, only for the God of the Underworld to reply that Kratos was too impatient and that soon enough, they would have their time to play. Descending deeper into the depths of the Underworld, he encountered a despairing Hephaestus, the Craftsman of Olympus as well as the God of Volcanoes and Fire, who blamed Kratos for his exile to the Underworld as well as the disappearance of his daughter Pandora. Despite his grievances, however, Hephaestus was passive and did not attack Kratos, even offering him helpful information about the secrets of Olympus, his adopted daughter Pandora, and Zeus.

#### Part XXXVI

Progressing further into Hades' kingdom, Kratos occasionally found mysterious notes that he silently acknowledged as being from various people in his past. He eventually found and entered Hades' Palace, using the coffin-wed body of Persephone that Hades had restored to open a pathway into a dark room where he would encounter the Lord of the Underworld himself. Once there, Hades recounted his grievances against the Ghost of Sparta, blaming him for the deaths of Athena, Poseidon, and especially his beloved queen Persephone (seemingly unaware of or indifferent to her hatred for him, and her plot to destroy the world) before telling the Spartan that he would make him suffer for all of the pain he has caused him. Emerging from the darkness, Hades tried to rip Kratos' soul out of his body and absorb it, but was unsuccessful. As the room lit up, Kratos immediately engaged the God of the Underworld, viciously tearing off and destroying chunks of his flesh before he could reacquire them and heal himself. As the battle wore on, Kratos used his blades to carve up Hades' neck in an attempt to remove his helmet, which only enraged the Underworld God further. Hades responded by tearing open a crevice in the ground, hoping to pull Kratos into the River Styx. However, Kratos intercepted Hades' claw with one of his blades, ensnaring the two weapons together and initiating a tug of war. With his other blade still free, Kratos continued to fend off Hades' attacks and damage him even more as the enraged god promised Kratos that his death would only be the beginning of his suffering. The Ghost of Sparta continued to have the upper hand, damaging Hades to the point where he could easily fire his other blade and use it to form a noose around Hades' neck. Kratos proceeded to slam his uncle's head into the roof until his helmet was finally dislodged, robbing him of his Claws and causing him to plummet into the River Styx in the process.

The Underworld God was not finished, however, drastically increasing his size and emerging from the River Styx in a last ditch effort to destroy his enemy once and for all. Using Hades' own claws against him, Kratos further weakened the God of the Underworld and attached the claws to his now exposed, damaged skull, ripping the soul right out of his body, killing him. Hades' death caused all of the souls in the Underworld to run rampant, tearing a giant hole in his abdomen which Kratos used to escape the area. Now in possession of Hades' soul, Kratos gained the ability to swim through the River Styx unharmed and use the Hyperion Gate at will.

Kratos once again emerged in Hephaestus' lair. The Smith God then asked Kratos if Hades was truly dead, to which Kratos responded in the affirmative. Hephaestus laughed in approval, claiming that Hades deserved to suffer but thought his death was impossible. Imparting more information to the Ghost of Sparta, Kratos bade farewell to Hephaestus and used a Hyperion Gate to escape from the Underworld.

Back on Mount Olympus, on the outskirts of the city of Olympia, Helios rode by on his chariot and threw some fireballs at Kratos, prompting him to give chase. In the process, he encountered a struggling Gaia, who was amazed by his survival and asked Kratos to help her. Remembering Gaia's earlier betrayal, he adamantly refused to help her, instead severing her arm as she desperately asked Kratos if she meant nothing to him. The Ghost of Sparta retorted in a show of cruel irony it was, in fact, Gaia who was the pawn, *his* pawn while telling a pleading Gaia that the war against Zeus was "his war" and not hers. Kratos then destroyed the root of Gaia's hand with the Blade of Olympus, sending a screaming Gaia plummeting to her presumed death. Later, he finds Helios engaged in a battle with the Titan Perses. Using a nearby catapult, he knocked the Sun God into Perses' grasp. The Titan then crushed him in his hand and threw him across the city. The Spartan proceeded to hunt Helios down and finish him off.

He eventually found Helios, but the badly injured Sun God summoned a phalanx of shield-carrying soldiers to shelter him from Kratos' onslaught. The Spartan took control of a nearby Cyclops and used it to eliminate the phalanx completely. With no other options left, Helios tried to trick Kratos into sparing his life with a promise that he would repay him in full. Although suspicious, Kratos considered the offer and asked Helios where he could find the Flame of Olympus. Helios refused to provide a straight answer, instead warning him of the futility of his quest, to which Kratos responds "of all the lives you should worry about Helios, mine is not one of them". With his guard lowered, Helios attempted to blind Kratos with a beam of sunlight. Although this momentarily stunned him, Kratos blocked out the sunlight long enough to make his way back to Helios and begin stomping his head. The Sun God soon relented and told Kratos that in order to receive the Flame's power, he must step into the Flame itself. However, Kratos immediately knew that this was a lie, as Hephaestus had already told him that the Flame is lethal to both mortals and Gods alike. Helios tries in vain to dissuade Kratos from believing the Smith God, calling him a "freak that has fallen from the graces of Olympus", but Kratos responds that this is exactly why he believed the Smith God in the first place. Having run out of options, Helios resigned himself to his fate, although he remained defiant to the end, telling the Spartan that his death would not lead him to Zeus, to which Kratos disagrees.

#### Part XXXVII

The Spartan then grabbed the Sun God and pulled his head off with his bare hands, using his superhuman strength, causing the sun to be permanently veiled by dark clouds and rain storms. Although Helios was now dead, his head could still emit intense sunlight, and Kratos used it as a lantern to light his way through the dark caverns of Mount Olympus. Perses attacked the Spartan on his way up the mountain (presumably to avenge Gaia), forcing Kratos to kill him.

As Kratos reached the Labyrinth, he was confronted by Hermes, who joyously teased and mocked the Spartan warrior both for his past failures and the foolishness of his current vendetta against Zeus. Kratos attempted to ignore Hermes at first, believing him to be nothing more than a "fly from the ass of Zeus", but Hermes continued to provoke him, stating that the only reason he doesn't provide chase is because he knows he will never catch him, before speeding his way up the Chain of Balance away from Kratos. The Ghost of Sparta slowly ascended the Chain of Balance until he reached a chamber containing Pandora's Box. Surprised to see the box, Athena soon appeared and told him that there is a dormant, unused power inside that he will need to defeat Zeus, although the box was inaccessible due to it being sealed off and engulfed by the Flame of Olympus. Athena further explained that in order to quell the Flame, he would need the box's namesake, Pandora herself.

Hermes reappeared the moment Athena departed and provoked Kratos into chasing him. Along the way, Hermes childishly mocked and belittled Kratos for his lack of speed and his perceived stupidity. Although he was reasonably successful in providing chase, Hermes soon found a narrow chain leading to the head of a large statue which Kratos could reach. Hermes sped across the large chasm and made his way to the top of the statue, telling Kratos to "keep up". Greatly underestimating the God of War, Hermes was soon knocked from his perch and severely weakened after Kratos used a nearby catapult to destroy the statue. He also used his blades to attach himself to the catapult fodder, using it to close in on Hermes.

After the statue collapsed, Kratos noticed a leftover blood trail and used it to corner a now defenseless Hermes. The Spartan made a quick move due to his superhuman speed (not as significant as Hermes) and short work of the Speed God by attacking him using Blades, who then bitterly insulted him for his lack of honor and the terrible things he has done. Kratos then grabbed Hermes and sliced off one of his legs, watching as the humiliated God attempted to squirm away before slowly approaching him and brutally cutting off his half-brother's other leg. The loss of both of Hermes' legs resulted in his death and caused a deadly plague to spread across the land, affecting all human, animal, and plant life. Kratos took Hermes' boots, using them to traverse wide chasms and proceed further into the halls of Olympus.

Eventually arriving in an empty forum, Kratos encountered a drunken Hera, who ordered his half-brother Hercules to destroy him as she watched from above. Hercules expressed resentment towards Kratos, claiming that Zeus had always favored him before stating his desire to kill Kratos (calling it his 13th and final labor) and claim the God of War throne for himself. Kratos told Hercules that his aspirations are a waste of time since the reign of Olympus is coming to an end. Hercules replied "we will see about that" before ordering his legions to attack Kratos. Easily besting his undead warriors, Hercules himself joined the fray, using the Cestus he acquired from his conquest of the Nemean Lion to fight Kratos while ordering his legions to swarm him, allowing Hercules a clean hit. After a long and brutal fight, despite Hercules' superhuman strength Kratos matches him by also using his superhuman strength and grabs and carries him to the beds of spikes lining the forum walls, throwing him into them and tearing off all of his armor. This only served to provoke Hercules, who then killed all of his legions with an earthquake punch and engaged Kratos one on one. As the fight went on, Hercules grew increasingly impatient and clanged both of his Cestus together, temporarily stunning Kratos. Hercules took this opportunity to brag to Hera about his impending victory, only for Kratos to attack him from behind and take Cestus away from him. Now with no weapons, Hercules tried to best his half-brother using his bare hands and legendary strength, hurling portions of the forum wall at Kratos and eventually lifting the floor out from underneath him in the hopes of causing the Ghost of Sparta to fall to his death. But Kratos used the Cestus to climb back up onto the platform before punching it back down on top of Hercules, trapping him underneath. Kratos proceeded to beat his half-brother to death with the Cestus with the use of his god-strength, mutilating and completely destroying his face until the floor beneath them broke, causing them both to plummet to the sewers underground.