Zeus

Voiced by (English): Paul Eiding (God of War, as the Gravedigger in Ghost of Sparta), Corey Burton (God of War II, God of War III, Ascension, God of War (2018)), Fred Tatasciore (Ghost of Sparta)
Voiced by (Italian): Marco Pagani (God of War), Natale Ciravolo (God of War II, God of War III, Ghost of Sparta, Ascension)
Voiced by (Russian): Vasily Bochkarev (God of War II, God of War III, Ghost of Sparta, Ascension), Boris Bystrov (God of War (2018))

"I'll put an end to this chaos!"

^{Click here to see Zeus as the "Grave Digger"}

"Everything that you have ever known, Kratos, will now suffer because of your sacrilege. You will never be the ruler of Olympus. The cycle ends here."

The King of Olympus and father of several gods and mortals, Zeus is the single most powerful god among his pantheon, and initially acts as a benign ally to Kratos. Though he is singularly the most powerful being in the land, Zeus is beset by a paranoia and fear that constantly plagues him. Just as he usurped his father Cronos, the once-ruler of all mankind, and just as Cronos had usurped his father Ouranos, Zeus is well aware of the fact that his reign can easily be toppled by one of his own children. But his extreme fear is only matched by his unbridled hedonism; Zeus constantly cavorts with multiple women throughout Greece, despite himself being married to Hera, and as such he is the father of multiple divine children.

His fears come to fruition when his son Ares, the God of War, declares war upon the city of Athens and later expresses an intent to ravage Olympus itself. With Zeus at an impasse, as Olympians were forbidden to wage war upon each other, he and the other gods send out the mortal Kratos to do battle with Ares and put a stop to his madness, before all of Greece would fall under the God of War's thumb. Not only does Zeus provide Kratos with special abilities to aid him in his quest, but he also helps Kratos escape the underworld all while under the guise of a humble Grave Digger.

Once Kratos defeats Ares, however, he is granted the throne of the God of War; immediately, a great fear grabs hold of Zeus' heart. Kratos, angered at the gods for their refusal to undo the terrible memories of his dark past, proceeds to unleash a great campaign of war upon all of Greece, forcing Zeus to intervene and start a war that would decide the fate of Olympus itself.

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A-D

Abusive Parents: Zeus had one as Cronus devoured his siblings and tried to do the same to him to keep his power. Zeus would eventually overthrow Cronus and become an abusive monster to his own divine and moral children. Strong examples would be his treatment of Kratos, his abandonment of Athena, and when he viciously beat and crippled his loyal son Hephaestus just for lying to him to protect his surrogate daughter.
Actor Allusion: This isn't the first time Zeus was played by Corey Burton. He also voiced the character in the television show sequel to Hercules.
Adaptational Villainy: While his mythological counterpart was a total asshole, this version of Zeus is considerably more malicious and cruel. But it turns out this is because he was possessed by the evils of Pandora's Box.
The Ageless: Like the rest of the gods, Zeus can live indefinitely and he is immune to aging and natural diseases. That said, he is killable, though that would take a lot of effort to do so.
Alas, Poor Villain: As revealed at the end of III, he was possessed by the evils in Pandora's Box. Though he was a Jerkass God, one may still find a means to pity him.
Angel Unaware: He apparently moonlights as a gravedigger on Earth.
Animal Motifs: Eagles, of which Zeus represents the more vicious, predatory, and fearsome part of. He's a ruler who looks down on nearly everyone else, commands absolute authority from his subjects, is very prideful and powerful, and he has no pretensions about taking advantage of something if it means accomplishing his goals and eliminating his threats quickly. He can also morph into an eagle as one of his ways to travel around Greece freely without having to give out his true identity and whenever he has to discreetly manipulate a situation to his preference.
Animorphism: He can transform into an eagle. It's one of his ways to travel around Greece whilst concealing his true identity as well as manipulating events to his advantage.
Arch-Enemy: To Kratos, from the second game on. Zeus is driven by the fact that because his father tried to kill him out of fear of being usurped, Zeus similarly felt the same way about the idea of Kratos killing him and taking over the throne of Olympus, so he took action in God of War II when Kratos's defiance to the Greek Gods became too much to tolerate. This is because he was corrupted by the fear from Pandora's Box.
Archnemesis Dad: Turns out, he's Kratos' father, which was revealed to him by Athena after she had taken a fatal blow meant to save Zeus. Kratos was already disgruntled by the Gods for their arrogance and their knack for denying him any satisfactory bargain or conclusion, but getting killed by Zeus proved to be the last straw. Although Zeus is motivated by the fear of Kratos repeating a cycle that played out similarly to Zeus's relationship with Cronos, Kratos wants to kill Zeus primarily because he's had enough of his own grievances and the fact that the gods have messed around with his life and fate one too many times.
Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: He isn't exactly inoffensive to who is alive when he does that.
Asshole Victim: When conversing with Kratos about the Greek Gods in the 2018 soft reboot, Mimir notes that the pantheon "had it coming", implying that he and the Norse Gods didn't feel too bad about Zeus's demise. Considering the abusive authority they enforced on Greece and Zeus's own nature as a terrible leader and individual, he's not wrong.
Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: He can grow in size. In fact, he fights Kratos in a gargantuan form at the end of II.
Authority Equals Asskicking: If he wasn't the most powerful being in all of Greece, then he probably wouldn't stay too long on Olympus' throne.
Awesome Moment of Crowning: After defeating the Titans, Zeus became the ruler of Olympus and reigned supreme over all his godly brethren.
Bad Black Barf: Before being beaten to death, Zeus spews out what appears to be a wisp of black dust from his mouth. It's revealed that this dark cloud was the fear that had corrupted Zeus into becoming the deranged paranoic that he was in the final two Greek entries chronologically. This explains why he doesn't fight back when Kratos beats him bloody senselessly.
Bad Boss: To simply put, Zeus's leadership skills leave a lot to be desired. Sure he's good at making Rousing Speeches and commanding respect every now and then, but his demanding and manipulative nature means that he's very willing to see his followers as disposable pawns and sacrifices for his own ends.
Badass Boast: Delivers a few of these to Kratos.
"I will release you from your life, my son, but your torment is just beginning!"
"Petulant child! I will tolerate your insolence no more!"
"I created you, and I will be your end!"
"I grow tired of this insolence: I am the King of Olympus! And it is my way that is the way of the Gods!
Barrier Maiden: Zeus is one for Olympus as its God of Order and the rest of the Greek World which is why the Gods, despite their distaste of him, protect him with their lives. If Zeus dies, the Greek World collapses into chaos and destruction.
Beard of Evil: Sports the classic godly white beard, and shows himself time and again to be incredibly ruthless and petty.
Big Bad: Of the second and third games, and the Greek Mythology era as a whole.
Big Bad Ensemble: Killing him is Kratos' main objective in the third game, but he has to share the spotlight with the others in his pantheon, as well as Athena and Gaia.
BFS: The Blade Of Olympus is his signature weapon, and it is what he used to destroy the titans and take the world for his own. Later on, Kratos steals the Blade for himself, and it proves to be one of the few weapons in the series capable of dishing out serious damage to Zeus.
Bolt of Divine Retribution: Gave Kratos this power in the first game, and can use it himself with devastating effectiveness.
Brother–Sister Incest: His wife, Hera, is his older sister. Then again, incest is a recurring thing in Greek Mythology.
Brutal Bird of Prey: He can shapeshift into a glowing eagle if he wishes to. He likes to assume this form whenever he needs to be devious and manipulative about meeting his goals, which is best shown when he delivers the Blade of Olympus to Kratos, only to later swoop down and morph back into true form once Kratos exhausts his powers and divinity.
The Cameo: In God of War (PS4), he appears as an illusion created by Helheim to torment Kratos.
The Chains of Commanding: The most powerful being in all of Greece is also quite terrified of being stripped of his power and his title as King of Olympus.
Crazy-Prepared: Zeus figured one day a god would turn against him and he would have to either violate his decree forbidding the gods from battling one another or have a way for a mortal to kill a god. He left a path to Pandora's Box open when the maze was built a thousand years ago for this day. Unfortunately, he had no preparation for the possibility of the gods being infected by the evils in Pandora's Box.
Create Your Own Villain: After the death of his brother, Kratos' hatred of the gods understandably began to fester, but he never would have jumped off the slippery slope as eagerly as he did had it not been for Zeus stabbing him through the gullet with a giant sword and leaving him for dead.
Creepy Mortician: That gravedigger, who encounters Kratos in the first couple of games chronologically at random intervals, offering him some words of encouragement as well as some snarks. He's actually Zeus in disguise.
Curb-Stomp Battle: He delivers a horrendously brutal one to Kratos in the opening act of God of War II. He does it through devious means by granting Kratos the Blade of Olympus, which ends up sapping his own strength and divinity, so by the time Zeus arrives, Kratos is so horrifically crippled he could barely walk, let alone attack. Zeus wastes no time killing Kratos right then and there.
Deconstructed Character Archetype: This iteration of Zeus takes his character from the original myths (as well as his role as he Top God of his pantheon), cranks up all his negative aspects, and explores his character from there. Though initially presented as a benevolent if benign ally to Kratos, it becomes more apparent as the games progresses that Zeus is trapped by an intense fear of losing his throne, especially to his children—and this fear is completely justified. Given that Zeus himself overthrew his father Cronos, and Cronos overthrew his father Ouranos, it's natural for Zeus to assume that someday one of his children would do the same (which is exactly his reasoning for the death of the Titan Metis in Classical Mythology). His paranoia over losing his throne causes him to act out of fear, leading to Kratos declaring war upon Olympus, eventually leading to the destruction of all of Greece and the end of his reign. Even with the reveal that Zeus was infected by the evils of Pandora's Box, it's likely that the evils had merely exacerbated the fear and paranoia that was already there.
Dirty Coward: Strip away his grandiose boasts and badass credentials and Zeus is this at his core. All of his actions, possibly even before becoming infected with the evil of Fear, are motivated to protect himself and his power. He only attacks Kratos when he is too weak to fight back and he is more than willing to send others to do his dirty work for him, to the point of spending almost all of III hiding from Kratos while he killed the other gods one by one. When Athena died to save Zeus from Kratos, it's notable that Zeus barely reacts to her sacrifice and flees. Although in the climax of III, he finally nuts up and fights Kratos one-on-one without any pretenses of fleeing. It is implied that Zeus was specifically infected by the evil of Fear, which manifested as both cowardice and deranged paranoia.
Disproportionate Retribution: Decided to punish the entire Titan race for Cronos' actions, including Gaia, who cared for him and nurtured his desire for vengeance against Cronos. And he later punishes all of Sparta for Kratos' actions. He's big on this. Becomes a Deconstructed Trope, as BOTH actions directly contribute to the destruction and downfall of everything he's built.
The Dreaded: He is immensely feared by the Titans as well as those who don't pledge their loyalty towards him. He also strikes fear into those who got themselves involved with him, as Callisto could attest to, as she can't even so much as whisper Zeus's name unless she transforms into a monster.
Dying as Yourself: Implied. Just before Kratos kills him, some black smoke left his body indicating that the evil of Fear had abandoned him. Interestingly enough, Zeus does not put up any resistance as Kratos pummels him to death, indicating that he may have realized that by causing Kratos so much pain, he was responsible for his own demise. A deleted line in GOW3's files emphasizes this further - originally Zeus' last words were to apologise and ask for a Mercy Kill.
Zeus: Kratos... my son. I'm sorry. Release me.

E-N

Embodiment of Vice: In his case, it's Fear, which affected Zeus once Kratos opened Pandora's Box for the first time, turning the king of the gods into an insane paranoiac who took extreme and underhanded measures in trying to kill Kratos as well as staying behind the spotlight in God of War III while the other gods tried to do the heavy lifting for him and died for it. Before dying at Kratos's hand, this vice is seen being exhumed out of Zeus's mouth shortly before Kratos beats Zeus into a bloody mess.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He seemingly did love Kratos, originally anyway. According to Hera, the only reason Kratos wasn't killed at birth was that Zeus cared and felt pity for him, and during a brief moment in II when Zeus is preparing to smite Kratos, he turns away with a look of extreme sadness and hesitation, before reluctantly going through with the deed.
Evil Is Hammy: Befitting his character and authority, Zeus loves to be theatrical and makes no pretensions about just how powerful he is as well as revelling his place as Olympus's top ruler.
Evil Is Petty: Before killing Kratos in II, he went out of his way to destroy his entire army except for one man who barely survived. After killing Kratos, he went on to destroy Sparta himself down to the last woman and child except for the same aforementioned man who escaped. He did all this just because he knew it would piss Kratos off.
Evil Laugh: Indulges in these a few times, most notably when he's cruelly mocking Kratos after Pandora's death.
Zeus: "HAHAHAHA! EMPTY? HAHAHAHAHA! After all you have sought, after all you have sacrificed, it ends in ANOTHER STUNNING FAILURE! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Evil Sounds Deep: His villainous moments are all accompanied by his deep voice.
Evil Versus Evil: Kratos is a Psychopathic Manchild Villain Protagonist who's willing to destroy all of reality if that means getting his vengeance. Zeus is an extremely powerful Paranoiac whose desire to maintain his rule outweighs any sense of reason or morality when the chips are down.
Fatal Flaw: His extreme paranoia and fear of being overthrown led Zeus to make the worst decision of his life; killing Kratos out of fear that he'd eventually usurp his rule over Olympus only ended up giving Kratos all the reason in the world to want to topple his reign.
Fate Worse than Death: When Kratos feigns surrender during his and Zeus' battle at the end of II, he begs Zeus to "release [him] from the torment of [his] life." And what does Zeus say in response?
Zeus: I will release you from your life, my son. But your torment is just beginning.
Final Boss: Of II and III, so essentially, he's the final enemy Kratos faces off against in the Greek Era. After all, what better god to end the original Greek series on other than the King of Olympus himself?
Fisher King: His existence and presence is tied to the well-being of Greece and its pantheon. This is a major reason why a good number of the gods have sworn loyalty to him; if they die, an environmental cataclysm would occur that would irreversibly damage Greece's ecology. Zeus's death is the logical conclusion to this outcome; Greece would become a barren wasteland with nothing to rule or occupy in, which is what Kratos accomplishes after he kills Zeus.
Flash Step: He makes liberal use of this while fighting Kratos, moving with blinding speed.
Flying Brick: He rarely makes use of it, but Zeus is capable of flight.
Foreshadowing: He refers to Kratos as "my son" on a number of occasions. As it turns out, he's not using the term figuratively.
Freudian Excuse: His siblings were devoured by Cronos and he was forced to live inside of Gaia, leading a sheltered childhood until he was old enough to properly confront and fight his father for what he did. After the events of the first game, he becomes infected by fear, which is the catalyst for Zeus's paranoiac nature in the next two games. This doesn't justify his heinous actions, but they do offer some reasoning for why Zeus became deadset on killing Kratos.
Genius Bruiser: He effortlessly manipulates Kratos into giving up his godly powers, at the very beginning of II.
Glowing Eyes of Doom: All the time, to an genuinely unnerving fashion.
God Is Evil: Though he aids Kratos throughout his journey to defeat Ares, as the original series progresses it becomes increasingly clear that Zeus is dangerously paranoid over the notion that one of his children may end up usurping his throne. Especially since the god-killer Kratos is his son, and he has a huge chip on his shoulder against the gods. That being said, it is revealed in III that it was most likely Kratos' fault that he became as paranoid as he did, the evils of Pandora's Box having infected him.
Gold and White Are Divine: As per usual depictions of the character, Zeus in the God of War series'' is normally draped in white clothing and the occasional golden garments like the fleece on his left shoulder, and his lighting bolts emit a bright yellow shade.
Grandpa God: After all, he is Zeus, the god patron of this trope.
Hero Antagonist: His paranoia in II isn't entirely unjustified, or his fault, and his rule beats Chaos, marginally. And in III, he's trying to kill Kratos while Kratos is causing untold destruction and death among mortals by killing the gods.
Heroic Build: He's not a hero, but Zeus's physique is fit and muscular, which compliments his status as the Top God, having divine lightning powers, and wielding a giant divine sword.
Hidden Depths: Throughout Kratos' journey throughout Greece to slay Ares, Zeus initially appears to be a benevolent if benign deity, willing to aid Kratos directly and even going so far as to provide Kratos an escape from the underworld while moonlighting as a Grave Digger. However, as the series goes on it becomes clear that Zeus has a much darker side to him, one that manifests in his extreme paranoia of the very idea of anybody overthrowing him. Though the events of II and III were kickstarted because Zeus was infected by the evil Fear, from Pandora's Box, it's likely that the Fear of losing his throne has always been present (given certain tales from Greek myth itself) and that being infected by it merely drew all of it out.
History Repeats: After being affected by the Evils of Fear, he comes to believe in this in a very desperate and paranoiac action, namely that because he banished Cronos for trying to kill him, and that Cronos killed his father before, he would share a similar fate. This is why he kills Kratos in a preemptive attempt to prevent this to stop him from usurping Zeus for control over Olympus, despite Kratos having no desire for wanting to be the Top God. Unfortunately for Zeus, this trope ends up happening anyway, except that Kratos's motivation differs vastly, namely that he's just done being disrespected and shat on by the gods.
Hopeless Boss Fight: The first battle with him in God of War II cannot be won as Kratos is so weakened and bruised he can barely walk, let alone swing his blades.
Hoist by His Own Petard: Zeus' most powerful weapon, the Blade of Olympus, is eventually stolen by Kratos, who uses it against him throughout all of their subsequent battles to great effect. It is implied, at the end of II, when Kratos stabs Zeus in the gut with the Blade, that Kratos would have managed to kill him, had it not been for Athena's timely intervention.
Hypocrite: Zeus seeks to destroy both Ares and Kratos for their excessive violence and interference in the mortal world, but personally destroys the armies of Sparta and Rhodes (note that Rhodes hadn't done anything to offend Zeus, they were just in the way) and then all of Sparta out of revenge against Kratos.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: This is how he kills Kratos; he thrusts the Blade of Olympus into his abdomen, with Kratos barely able to hold off the blade for long before he is impaled and left for dead. Later on, Kratos returns the deed by stabbing Zeus with the same blade. This doesn't kill him. Then much later on, Kratos does it again with the Blade of Olympus onto Zeus, pinning him into Gaia's heart. The impalement kills Gaia, but Zeus? He still carries on, trying to kill Zeus in a ghostly state.
Informed Attribute: According to Hercules, Zeus had always considered Kratos his favorite child, which...certainly doesn't come across very well. Although according to Hera he refrained from killing Kratos as a child due to feelings of pity towards him.
"It" Is Dehumanizing: On the subject of Pandora, Zeus never once refers to her individually, not even calling her a "she". Instead, he describes the poor girl as a "thing", which likely stems from his contempt towards Hephaestus, who ended up being one of Zeus's least favored sons. He doesn't even bother to mention Pandora's death, solely mocking Kratos's fruitless attempt on reopening Pandora's Box.
It's All About Me: In his Rousing Speech directed towards the other Olympians, one of Zeus' final remarks is a blatant "I will wipe out this plague!" It's clear from this and his other actions that above all else, what matters most to Zeus is the preservation of his rule over Olympus and Greece, and any opposition must be taken out at all costs.
Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: At the beginning of II, Kratos has begun abusing his power as the God of War by allowing Sparta to ransack all of Greece, mainly out of spite towards the Olympians. Naturally, Zeus steps in by draining Kratos' godly powers. Though this is an inherently noble act, Zeus' wording when demanding a reason for his betrayal indicates a desire for self-preservation over the protection of Greece. This isn't helped by how Zeus callously destroys both Kratos' and Rhodes' armies after Kratos' defeat, and how Zeus later trashes Sparta out of petty vengeance towards Kratos (despite having already killed the guy a few days ago). When Athena reveals that Kratos is Zeus' son, it's clear then that while Zeus has perfectly legitimate reasons for wanting to stop Kratos' wanton rampage, it's largely out of fear of Kratos eventually usurping his position as King of Olympus that drives him to act.
Jerkass Gods: Zeus is not a nice god, to say the least. When a good deal of the other gods think you're a cruel and petty being, you certainly qualify as this. While the evils of Fear did turn him into a malicious being, that doesn't change the fact that he's done a large number of heinous acts ven before being infected.
Karmic Death: Zeus rose to power by killing his father, and spent most of his rule abusing, molesting, and manipulating his children and family. Zeus is killed by one of his own children after one betrayal too many.
Kick the Dog: Like Kratos, Zeus tends to lash out for his own petty reasons. Destroying the city of Sparta, after killing Kratos, sends Kratos fuming mad. He also laughs maniacally when Kratos opens Pandora's Box to reveal nothing, lampshading the fact that Pandora died for nothing.
Lack of Empathy: He doesn't emotionally concern himself with the lives and circumstances of others, regardless of whether they're subjects who are loyal to him, mortal, or god, or his own children, who have suffered considerably due to Zeus either not giving a damn about their predicament, or actively furthering it. His reaction to Athena getting fatally stabbed by Kratos (for an attack meant for Zeus) is to quickly bolt out of the scene rather than process the fact that Kratos just killed his daughter and one of his most favored children.
Light Is Not Good: Zeus is a man clad in white who can throw lightning bolts and is generally associated with bright lights. But he's also a genocidal paranoiac whose desire to preserve his rule outweighs his senses and his morals, to the point where he is willing to kill anybody who shows any sign of rebellion against him.
A Lighter Shade of Black: Zeus' self-serving attitude plus his crippling paranoia doesn't do him any favors, but he and the other gods are in an unambiguously heroic position during the events of III, as Kratos' mad dash for vengeance causes so much destruction and mayhem that, if left unchecked, could culminate in the destruction of all Greek civilization. Which happens the moment Zeus finally dies.
Lightning Bruiser: Puns aside, Zeus is incredibly fast and amazingly strong, which makes for a hell of a boss fight.
Like Father, Like Son:
- Zeus has become more like his father Cronos, doing whatever it takes to stay on his throne as king of the gods. He would let his children and his siblings die in order for him to remain in control and is willing to murder one of his offspring out of fear of being killed by said offspring.
- Zeus' children share their father's vindictiveness, arrogance, willpower, and unbelievable reserves of strength. And as much as Kratos would be loathe to admit, most of his personality likely takes after his father's worst traits.
Luke, I Am Your Father: As revealed by Athena at the end of II, Zeus is Kratos' father.
Made of Iron: Befitting of the King of Olympus, Zeus can take some serious damage that would outright kill other gods. In II, Kratos stabs him in the gut with the Blade of Olympus, a weapon which with one swing can take out an entire battlefield of titans, and Zeus not only survives, but continues to live until the very end of III.
Manipulative Bastard: In the novelization of the original God of War, Zeus left a path open to Pandora's Box thousands of years ago knowing that one day a god would turn against him and he would need a way to get around the decree forbidding the gods from fighting each other. Athena infers that Zeus manipulated her into manipulating Kratos to kill Ares and for the latter to commit suicide to rid himself of both his problems.
Marathon Boss: Much like a lot of bosses in the series, but his boss fight in God of War III is the ultimate example. First off, he fights Kratos in a gameplay style that is akin to the Fighting Game genre whilst his temple starts to collapse. Then he's fought in a traditional manner, that is until Gaia joins the fray and they retreat inside her insides, where he and Kratos resume their bout right next to Gaia's heart. After stabbing Zeus with the Blade of Olympus, which also kills Gaia, Zeus assumes a corporeal form and incapacitates Kratos. Once Kratos returns after a mental reflection on his actions, another stylistic change is made where Kratos fights and finally kills Zeus in a first-person camera perspective. The fight is so long, there's a break between the first and second segment, complete with a save spot.
Mind Rape: Attempts this on Kratos during their final battle. He tried to break him by forcing him to feel the pain and angst of those he killed during his rampage, and if it wasn't for Pandora's soul, his mind would've been destroyed by his sheer overwhelming guilt.
Multi-Stage Battle: Zeus's boss battle in God of War III takes place at, by a list of order, near Pandora's Box, at the top lookout of Mount Olympus, next to Gaia's heart, and at what remains of Mount Olympus. It's long to the point where a save point is offered between the first two sections of the fight.
Mystical White Hair: Flashbacks in God of War II show that he was white-haired from birth.
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown:
- He does this to Hephaestus when he discovers his creation of Pandora following his corruption into a paranoid monster. Notably, Zeus beats his son up so badly it ends up permanently disfiguring his face.
- He himself ends up at the receiving end of this at the fists of Kratos. Once his corporeal form his dispelled, Kratos wastes no time in getting his hands on good old dad and beating him as brutally as possible until the camera is literally filled with blood.
Nominal Hero: In III, he's placed in a position of Hero Antagonist to contrast Kratos' Villain Protagonist status; while Kratos' actions threaten all of Greece itself (as Olympus is sustained by the gods, and would therefore fall if the gods were to die), Zeus' reasons for opposing Kratos have a self-serving edge to them as well. While he's of course terrified of the destruction of his kingdom, and with good reason, it's less out of concern for the mortals or even the other gods under his domain, but rather out of a desire to preserve his own rule.

O-Z

Offing the Offspring: The reason why he antagonized Kratos was because he was paranoid that his son would overthrow him the way he overthrew his own father, Cronos. The opening act of the second game ends with Zeus ruthlessly impaling Kratos, who is too weak to properly fight back. This is also why he aided Kratos in killing Ares.
One-Hit Polykill: How he ended the first Titanomachy. Essentially, he unveils the newly forged Blade of Olympus, and then thrusts it to the ground with great force, unleashing a great wave that spread all across Olympus, killing and incapacitating any Titan it came across, with those in the latter category being banished into the depths of Tartarus.
Orcus on His Throne: He simply disappears between the beginning and the climax of III. Hell, we don't even know if he was on his throne. This is justified due to the specific evil of fear from Pandora's Box infecting him, manifesting as cowardice and paranoia which caused Zeus to avoid Kratos for as long as possible because he didn't think he could beat him, sending out his brethren in the hope that someone else would manage to kill Kratos for him, and only confronting him personally when there were no other gods left.
Order vs. Chaos: III explicitly draws parallels of the conflict between Zeus and Kratos to this, with Zeus representing Order and Kratos representing Chaos. In a strange twist, Kratos is the protagonist in this scenario, and while Zeus' goals are ostensibly heroic, they have a self-serving edge to them as well. So in the end neither side is particularly one to root for.
The Paranoiac: Zeus is constantly attacked by the fear of his rule coming to an end at the hands of someone else, namely one of his own children. This is because once Kratos opened Pandora's Box, Zeus was infected with the evil of fear, though there's no indication he didn't have this fear before (and if Athena's origins are of any indication, it's probable he did).
Parental Favoritism: At the end of the first game, Ares accuses him of favoring Athena over him, as he stands over the burning ruins of Athens. Furthermore, in III, Hercules states his belief that Zeus favored Kratos over him, using the fact that Kratos was chosen to kill Ares and succeed him as the God of War while Hercules was left doing "mundane" tasks like finding the Apple of Hesperides and cleaning the Augean Stables. In truth, Zeus only cares about himself and abandoned his so-called favorite Athena to die after Kratos accidentally stabbed her.
Parental Neglect: This is Zeus's parenting at best. If he's not interfering and ruining their lives, then he's content to just let them do their own thing and not give a damn about it whilst paying attention either to himself or to the few kids that do grab his attention. This is how Hercules apparently rationalizes his thoughts when questioning how Kratos got to accomplish many deeds and feats while he was stuck doing the 12 labors, which he saw as underwhelming in comparison.
Pet the Dog: Zeus repeatedly aided Kratos throughout his journey to defeat Ares, even helping him escape the underworld, while referring to him affectionately as "my son." And in his guise as the gravedigger, he later Deimos and Callisto (Kratos' brother and mother, respectively) proper burials. Albeit that could be seen as a twisted form of self-assuring his victory, by burying those who prompted Kratos to rebel against him. And then he says ominously "Now, only one remains," and the camera shows a third, open grave, meant for Kratos.
Posthumous Character: While he's long dead by the events of God of War (2018), a ghostly apparition of Zeus appears in Helheim as a reflection of Kratos's deep-seated guilt. It's here where Mimir figures out Kratos's identity as the Ghost of Sparta and why he is hesitant on telling Atreus about the full context of his own past, something that Mimir doesn't agree with.
Promoted to Playable: While Zeus isn't playable in the story mode in Ghost Of Sparta, you can unlock the Grave Digger costume that allows you to play as him in combat arenas
Prophet Eyes: He has glowing white eyes, which were absent when he was an infant but developed some point before adulthood.
Raised by Grandparents: Because Cronos was hellbent on killing and eating his children out of fear of being usurped, Gia took the responsibility of retrieving her grandson safely and allowing him to reside inside of her where he could have a sheltered, but ultimately comfortable upbringing before he became of age.
Rasputinian Death: Killing Zeus is a horrendously difficult task, befitting his status as the King of the Gods. In II, he gets beaten and stabbed repeatedly by the Blade of Olympus, which could One-Hit Kill an army of Titans and drain the life from Kratos in his God form. In III, Zeus survived a direct explosion from the Flames of Olympus, which could kill Gods on contact, and survived being repeatedly impaled with the Blade of Olympus to Gaia's own heart to continue a brutal fight with Kratos. He then ascends to a higher existence as a ghost-like Athena, nearly kills Kratos again after disabling his arsenal, and retreats back to his body before Kratos has to viciously beat him to death until the player screen is red with blood.
Really Gets Around: Downplayed slightly compared to some other depictions of Zeus, but still implicitly the case due to his many, many children conceived with a variety of different mothers. It's only really called attention to when Hera complains about Kratos being "another bastard child of Zeus".
Rousing Speech: Delivers one to the other gods before the second Titan War.
Zeus: My brothers, we were forged in victory. A victory that ended the great war and brought forth the reign of Mt. Olympus. Born from the depths of the underworld. Rooted in the river of souls. Our mountain emerged out of the Chaos. As it grew, so to did the might of the Olympians. We created a world of peace, a world of prosperity, a world that lives in the shadow and safety of my mountain. A mountain that has come to be the absolute measure of strength and power. Now, on this day, that power is to be tested. The mortal Kratos, seeks to destroy all that I have wrought. Brothers, put aside the petty grievances that have splintered us for so long. We will unite. We will stand together. And I will wipe out this plague! OLYMPUS... WILL PREVAIL!!!
Screw Destiny: Zeus notices that, just as he had overthrown his father Cronos and the Titans in a bloody revolution, Kratos is making strides towards doing the same to him and the gods. In response, Zeus tries to invoke this trope, to little success.
Self-Duplication: Using Gaia's heart as an source of energy, he can create clones of himself.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: His attempt to off Kratos to prevent the recurring cycle of patricide throughout Olympus' history and save his own hide did little more than give Kratos just the incentive he needed to kill Zeus and continue said cycle.
Shock and Awe: Like in mythology, Zeus can use lightning to his advantage and at one point thrusts an entire lightning storm onto Kratos during their second bout.
Smug Super: Zeus is extremely arrogant and acts high and mighty about his power and authority. Then again, he's the king of the Greek Gods and easily the most powerful of them all, so he does have a reason to be high and mighty about himself.
Teleport Spam: He moves so fast that he's practically teleporting, which he uses to devastating effect.
Took a Level in Jerkass: As the Grave Digger, he was a helpful ally to Kratos as well as giving him some tips and motivation in accomplishing his goals, and it was implied by Hera that Zeus spared Kratos during his infancy because he took pity on the boy. After Pandora's Box was opened for the first time and Zeus was affected by Fear, Zeus, as the Grave Digger, still helped Kratos, but was more condescending and confrontational towards him before the two become mortal enemies by God of War II. That said, this is a downplayed case as Zeus had his fair share of dickish and malevolent acts even before he was affected by Fear; it's just that after the effects of the first game, his negative traits swelled up considerably.
Top God: Well, yeah, this is Zeus we're talking about after all. Most of the other Greek Gods swear utmost loyalty to him and are ready to fight and die in Zeus's name.
Treacherous Advisor: At first, he directly aided Kratos in his quest to defeat Ares, but as Kratos gradually became more belligerent and hateful towards the gods, Zeus took action by tricking Kratos into giving up his godly power and then killing him in his weakened state.
Tyke Bomb: Was raised by Gaia to defeat Cronos. There's even a drawing he made as a child depicting himself facing Cronos.
The Unfettered: Zeus has shown time and again that he will preserve his reign no matter the cost. Like his father, he will kill as many divine or non-divine beings as he has to, all in order to ensure he remains the ruler of Olympus.
Ungrateful Bastard:
- Gaia personally raised him and protected him so he would be able to defeat Cronos and save his siblings. Zeus thanked her by deciding to persecute the entire Titan race for Cronos' crimes, including Gaia herself, and felt no remorse afterwards. Unfortunately for him, this comes back to haunt him severely in God of War II.
- He barely even took notice when Athena sacrificed herself to save him. Arguably even worse than his betrayal of Gaia, as Athena was Zeus' own daughter.
- For that matter, Kratos is the one who stopped Ares from overthrowing Zeus and taking over Greece. Zeus repays him in the sequel by killing him, and allowed Athena to welch on the deal that Kratos originally made with the Olympians in the first place.
Vocal Dissonance: In the games where is the main antagonist, he is always voiced by Corey Burton, but it varies. In 2, Burton uses a deep imposing voice, similar to the one he used for Hugo Strange in Batman: Arkham City, but in 3, aside from his opening speech, Zeus's voice is considerably softer, until he turns into a spirit. Burton then uses the same voice Zeus had in 2 for his appearances in the PlayStation 4 reboot.
Vicious Cycle: Took part in a cycle of patricide, wherein the deific rulers of a certain realm would be overthrown by their offspring in a violent usurpation of the throne. Though Zeus managed to overthrow his father, Cronos, he's trapped by a constant fear of losing his throne, and when his extremely violent and vengeful son belligerently opposes him and all of Olympus, Zeus immediately takes action against him.
Villain Ball: When Pandora tries to step into the Flame of Olympus Kratos desperately tries to pull her back, and might have succeeded if Zeus hadn't taken a moment to lean on his Berserk Button as hard as possible, even though he wants to stop her too.
Stop her Kratos! Do not let her into the flame! [...] Don't listen to her Kratos! For once in your pathetic life don't fail! Don't fail her like you failed your family!
Villain Has a Point: Despite being a ruthless paranoiac obsessed with preserving his rule over Olympus, Zeus and the others in the Greek pantheon are 100% in the right to oppose Kratos' thoughtlessly destructive, god-killing rampage in III, largely because Greece literally begins falling apart from the deaths of multiple gods at Kratos' hands.
Villainous Breakdown: By the end of the final battle, Zeus is left screaming at Kratos, "WHY WON'T YOU DIE?! DIE!!! TREMBLE IN FEAR!!!" And as Kratos charges at him to bash his face in repeatedly, he shows a look of Fear on his face for the first time, revealing the evil that had infected him.
Villainous Valor:
- Throughout the third game in particular, Zeus is defending the world as it stands from Kratos' thoughtless and destructive actions. He's fighting for family, subjects, and arguably, given the consequences of the game up until that point, life itself; the only reason he's in an antagonistic position, despite the more unhealthy parts of his personality, is because Kratos is the player character.
- Despite his paranoia and his fear causing him to double down on underhanded tactics, Zeus does fight against Kratos head-on in the final battle without any signs of cowardice. If anything, he's put all of his focus on killing Kratos and, in his own words, "put an end to this chaos" and when he's finally killed, he doesn't default on making pleas or bargains as he resigns himself to getting pummeled bloody by Kratos.
Why Won't You Die?: He says this line word for word during the final battle against Kratos.
Yellow Lightning, Blue Lightning: Zeus's default color of his lightning bolts is yellow as a signal of his godly authority. That said, during his youth and the first Titanomachy, his lightning was instead blue.
Your Size May Vary: He can change his size in whatever way he sees fit. He assumes a gigantic form whilst fighting Kratos in their fight in God of War II.

Sandbox / God of War Series - Zeus

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