History TearJerker / GodOfWarRagnarok

* One of the collectibles in the DLC is Calliope's flute. When Kratos mentions how he carved the flute for her and how it reminds him of the past, Mimir immediately assumes he's talking about how Kratos was tricked into killing his wife and daughter. Kratos corrects him; the flute reminds him of the time when he saw his daughter in the Fields of Elysium and how it was a cruel trick of the gods, not because it wasn't her but because it ''was'' her, and said trick was a SadisticChoice by Persephone; either he stayed in Elysium with Calliope while she destroyed all of creation or Kratos leaves Calliope behind, possibly forever. In repeated runs when he finds her flute, Kratos also mentions how [[WhoWantsToLiveForever he would have given ''hours'' to stay with his daughter in Elysium in exchange for the decades he spent wandering.]] It wasn't until meeting Faye that he stopped wondering what he could have done differently and hopes his daughter is at peace in Elysium.

** Throughout his encounters with her, its clear that Kratos is fully aware that Freya has every right to hate him over Baldur's death and not once tries to defend his actions.
** Even Atreus seems resigned to the fact she is their enemy, mournfully begging Freya not to make him shoot her point-blank in the face during the intro's sled escape sequence. While Kratos admitted he was glad Atreus didn't take the shot, the boy was more concerned with the fact that he couldn't do so. As shown later when he tries to attack Freya in bear form, Atreus may care about her, but he will kill ''anyone'' that tries to harm his father, no exceptions.

* All of the new lore entries are written by Kratos instead of Atreus...and many of them make it clear that as much as he supports his son's decision to strike out on his own and explore the world, Kratos ''deeply'' misses Atreus, and it's hard not to feel the same while fighting alone through so many grueling battles.

* One of the collectibles in the DLC is Calliope's flute. When Kratos mentions how he carved the flute for her and how it reminds him of the past, Mimir immediately assumes he's talking about how Kratos was tricked into killing his wife and daughter. Kratos corrects him; the flute reminds him of the time when he saw his daughter in the Fields of Elysium and how it was a cruel trick of the gods, not because it wasn't her but because it ''was'' her, and said trick was a SadisticChoice by Persephone; either he stayed in Elysium with Calliope while she destroyed all of creation or Kratos leaves Calliope behind, possibly forever. In repeated runs when he finds her flute, Kratos also mentions how he would have given ''hours'' to stay with his daughter in Elysium in exchange for the decades he spent wandering. It wasn't until meeting Faye that he stopped wondering what he could have done differently and hopes his daughter is at peace in Elysium.

* Thor realizing that Odin has never, and likely never will, love him like he desperately craves. After Odin belittles him for not killing Kratos like he was ordered to, Thor simply stares blankly at his father and finally realizes how awful Odin truly is. In fact, when speaking to him, you can hear Thor's voice crack as he stands up to Odin for the first time.

** It's even worse when you really consider the implications of Odin's "are you broken?" remark. It cements that, ultimately (and depending on your personal interpretation), Odin never saw Thor as anything more than either a tool he could use to achieve his ends, or a ''toy'' that he could abuse at his leisure (or both; again, interpretation matters here). And as soon as Thor proves, undeniably, that he's no longer going to listen to Odin, Odin kills him with ''zero'' hesitation, effectively ''discarding'' him, just like [[YouHaveFailedMe someone throwing away a broken or faulty tool that no longer works]], or [[PsychopathicManchild a little kid throwing away a broken toy.]]

* Kratos is '''''[[OOCIsSeriousBusiness horrified]]''''' when the bear he defeats as the first miniboss in the game turns into ''Atreus''. Fortunately, Atreus has the power to heal the wounds Kratos inflicted on him. Still, the brief moment when Kratos thinks he has killed his child '''again''' hits hard. Having witnessed the cycle of death cursing parental bonds between gods in the last game, Atreus' own reaction upon realizing he attacked his father isn't much better, as he desperately tries to wipe away Kratos' blood which is still on his hands.

* The manifestation of Helios spends the entire DLC tormenting Kratos with memories of all his wrongdoings, taking time to point out pretty much each and every sin on his hands and the horrible consequences of his actions in Greece. While Kratos tries to act unmoved by the taunting, it's clear that each word is like another knife in the back. At one point, he works up the nerve to try and apologize for killing Helios, admitting that it was wrong, only to get even more venom in response.

** The Cyclops where once simple island shepherds that were enslaved during the first Titan War for their strength, a role they were continually exploited for long after it ended.

* The new codex entires also expand on the lore on the monsters Kratos fought back in Greece which had previously gone unremarked upon, which paints them in a [[TragicMonster new light]].

* The new codex entires also expand on the lore on the monsters Kratos fought back in Greece which had previously gone unremarked upon, which paints them in a [[TragicMonster new light]]. **The Cyclops where once simple island shepherds that were enslaved during the first Titan War for their strength, a role they were continually exploited for long after it ended.

** Not all Centaur's were violent beasts, some were originally peaceful winemakers and poets who [[TrainingThePeacefulVillage reluctantly took up arms]] to protect their lands from invasion, and were from then on sought out for the talent they displayed in doing so.

* Another collectible is a necklace belonging to Lysandra, Kratos' first wife. He admits to Mimir that his feelings for her are complicated, which confuses Mimir initially. Kratos later explains that it's because whenever he sees Lysandra, he's reminded of his failures. Kratos says he loved her dearly, more than she even realized, and that she deserved a better husband than him.

-->'''Kratos:''' It would have cost me ''nothing'' to show him mercy. His life was in my hands. To be so ''casually cruel'', I... This man did ''nothing'' to me. And I treated his life ''as'' nothing. He was not a god who'd manipulated me, nor bound me in service. I...can not hide behind my thirst for revenge. He was just a man afraid for his life; attacked and swallowed by a monster by a monster he had ''no hope'' of defeating. But the hydra was just an animal. ''I showed him what a'' '''''true monster''''' ''looked like.''

* Another collectible is the key that Kratos got off the Boat Captain all the way back in the first game. Kratos once again reflects on that man, admitting to Mimir that he considers that moment his ''real'' StartOfDarkness. The Captain was just some random, innocent man who had never done anything to Kratos and saving him would've cost Kratos literally nothing, but Kratos callously dropped him to his death anyways out of nothing but petty sadism. The thought that he was ever that casually cruel visibly sickens Kratos to this day.
-->"But the hydra was just an animal. I showed him what a true monster looked like."

* Another collectible was a necklace belonging to Lysandra, Kratos' first wife. He admits to Mimir that his feelings for her are complicated, which confuses him initially. Kratos later explains that it's because whenever he sees her, he's reminded of his failures. Kratos says he loved her dearly, more than she even realized, and deserved a better husband than him.