History Characters / GodOfWarSeriesKratos

* ScrewDestiny: Even when the Fates themselves dictate Kratos' death, he just storms their home and murders them to change the moment of his death. [[spoiler: In the PS4 game, it's implied by the fact that the three-year-snow preceeding Ragnarok, and the deaths of Thor's sons (who were supposed to survive it) that Kratos' presence may allow him to play with or possibly even break the prophecy of Ragnarok, one of the biggest examples of YouCantFightFate in any mythos.]]

* SingleTargetSexuality: Though he ReallyGetsAround, it's noted in-universe that Kratos finds no real comfort or happiness in doing so, with his wife Lysandra being the ''only'' woman he ever loved. Averted come the [=PS4=] game, where he's found love again and fathered a son.

** This would all come to a head when Ares sent Kratos to a village worshipping Athena, ordering him to slaughter all who lay within--naturally, Kratos obliges, but finds himself wracked with guilt and horror at having murdered his own wife and child in the haze of violence. Knowing this was all a manipulation by Ares to make Kratos a more efficient warrior, Kratos would be forever marked by his sin--with the ashes of his wife and child fused to his skin forever, Kratos transforms from a ruthless warrior devoted only to conquest and violence into a [[DespairEventHorizon cold shell of a man]] [[BreakTheHaughty endlessly tormented by his crimes against humanity]]. This would only get worse when he would later encounter his daughter Calliope in the Elysium Fields--though their reunion is sweet and brings out one of the few moments of genuine joy we'd see from Kratos himself, he'd be forced to abandon her yet again due to yet the machinations of Persephone. Leaving her in horrified tears, Kratos abandons her and his rage at the gods begins to gnaw and exhaust him both physically and emotionally.

* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype: Of the traditional heroes of Myth/GreekMythology. Many of those heroes, such as Oedipus, Achilles, and even Hercules at some points, had a MightMakesRight mentality; their worth as heroes wasn't measured by their moral character, but through their strength and power. Kratos is essentially what these kinds of heroes would be in real life; [[TheSociopath sociopathic]], [[ItsAllAboutMe selfish]], [[BloodKnight bloodthirsty]], and extremely entitled in their sense of revenge.

** His refusal to take [[NeverMyFault responsibility for his own actions]] spurred him into killing an entire pantheon of gods and utterly destroying the whole of Greece in a RoaringRampageOfRevenge that only left him physically and emotionally burnt out.

* GoodParents: Was this to Caliope, given some of his most human moments in the original series is when he is with her. He is most definitely this to Atreus, as he wants his son to be better than this. When Atreus sends them to Helheim, and earlier becomes arrogant, not to mention shooting him, Kratos simply gives him a calm reprimand instead of yelling at him. This actually pays off, as Atreus's journey through Helheim leads him to becoming remorseful and re-establishing the bond with his father.

* NeverMyFault: The bulk of his turmoil is caused by an inability to blame himself. Our Spartan friend prefers to point fingers at the gods rather than own up to what he's done. [[spoiler:By the time he finally realizes this and the full consequences of his actions in ''III'', it's seemingly too late to fix anything.]]

* NominalHero: To call him a hero in any sense of the word would be a stretch in and of itself. Kratos has repeatedly expressed his LackOfEmpathy towards others and in the original trilogy has gone on record stating that his need for vengeance matters more than the lives of innocent people. Much of the "heroic" acts attributed to him (namely defeating Ares and slaying all manner of creature terrorizing Greece) are done not out of any desire to defend the helpless but rather out of Kratos desire for either vengeance or peace from all the trauma-fuelled nightmares he endures daily. Even in the [=PS4=] game, where he's become a much kinder individual, his primary motivations are taking care of his son and getting Faye's ashes to the highest peak in Midgard. In optional questlines where he can help out the Dwarves or disturbed spirits, he always makes sure to voice out that any altruistic actions he takes on are largely [[PragmaticHero for his and Atreus' benefit]], and that they just so happen to align with helping out others.

* AccidentalMurder: [[spoiler:His murder of his wife and child while in a blood frenzy. Athena is unintended too - she happened to get in the way of a very angry Kratos.]]

-->"If all on Olympus will deny me my vengeance, then all on Olympus will die. I have lived in the shadow of the gods for long enough! THE TIME OF THE GODS HAS COME TO AN END!"

* ChainedByFashion: The Blades of Chaos/Athena/Exile are attached to his skin by magic chains. The ending of the 2018 game shows that they left chain-shaped scars across his forearms.

--> '''Kratos''': ''Mind your tongue, boy!'' Until our journey is over, one of us must remain focused. Do not mistake my silence for lack of grief. Mourn how you wish, leave me to my own.

** [[spoiler:While the Greek Gods were no saints, Kratos practically brings the world to ruins with each God he slain. Once Zeus is killed, the world is practically in Chaos]].

->''"The hands of death could not defeat me. The sisters of fate could not hold me. And you will not see the end of this day. I will have my revenge!"''

* CharacterDevelopment: By the end of the second game, Kratos had become an [[VillainProtagonist amoral, self serving lunatic]]. Fortunately, by the end of the third game, he's finally learned to accept that he's the primary source of most of his grief and for the first time in possibly ever, performs a genuinely selfless sacrifice to help the countless people he's hurt on his quest.
** As seen in the gameplay trailer for the Norse entry into the series, Kratos is shown raising a young boy, and training him how to properly hunt. While he does get upset at the kid for his recklessness, Kratos shows remarkable restraint in his actions and makes an effort to calm himself when he gets impatient. A big change from the HairTriggerTemper Spartan warrior the previous games made him out to be. He also tells his son that 'killing a god has consequences,' showing he'd learned from the original trilogy.

** Chief Developers has gone on to state that the chief inspiration for Kratos' persona in ''God Of War (2018)'' draws heavily from the gunman played by Creator/ClintEastwood in Film/{{Unforgiven}} ; A RetiredMonster spurned into action by the death of his wife, returning to a life of murder for OneLastJob to build a better life for his child.

* SociopathicHero: Extremely concerned with self-interests, morally bankrupt, finds pleasure in the deaths of his enemies, extremely prone to emotional outbursts, violently reacts to things like betrayal...Kratos has been this since the beginning. This may change, however, by the newest installment, as it details his new life in the world of Norse mythology, as a father to Atreus.

* HeyYou: His default term of address for his son Atreus is "boy". He only uses his actual name when he is seriously concerned for his safety.

* ItsAllAboutMe: This guy killed a pantheon rather than admit that maybe, just maybe, something was ''his own damn fault''. Most evident in the second game, when he starts doing the exact same thing that Ares did, i.e. the thing that prompted the gods to help Kratos kill him. Then he claims that the Gods of Olympus betrayed ''him'' by stopping him. This gets called out in the third game, where Hermes gives him a BreakingSpeech on how his path only leads to destruction and Kratos undergoes a slow HeelRealization. Also lampshaded in the first game, where it's shown in a flashback that his wife Lysandra refused to believe that his brutality was for "the glory of Sparta" as he claims, telling him that he does it all for his own personal glory.

* CharacterDevelopment: He starts out as a man on a mission of revenge and redemption in the first game and then becomes into a tried and true "Solve all problems with intense violence" pattern. By the end of the second game, Kratos had become an [[VillainProtagonist amoral, self serving lunatic]]. Fortunately, by the end of the third game, he's finally learned to accept that he's the primary source of most of his grief and for the first time in possibly ever, performs a genuinely selfless sacrifice to help the countless people he's hurt on his quest.
** And as seen in the gameplay trailer for the Norse entry into the series, Kratos is shown raising a young boy, and training him how to properly hunt. While he does get upset at the kid for his recklessness, Kratos shows remarkable restraint in his actions and makes an effort to calm himself when he gets impatient. A big change from the HairTriggerTemper Spartan warrior the previous games made him out to be. He also tells his son that 'killing a god has consequences,' showing he'd learned from the original trilogy.

** His [[DidntThinkThisThrough shortsightedness]] costs him much throughout the series. Kratos spent his entire life doggedly focused on singular goals, and as such has a very difficult time seeing the big picture, so to speak. Throughout the original series, he's so blinded by his desire for revenge that he fails to notice or even ''care'' that in killing the gods, he's heralding the destruction of Greece. Even in the 2018 game, Kratos is primarily focused on caring for his son and getting Faye's ashes to the highest peak in all the realms. Despite his intentions being significantly more noble than they were before, he focuses on his relationship with Atreus and their goal so much that he brushes off the [[spoiler:prophesies of the mural in Jötunheim--namely the fact that Atreus will trigger Ragnarök through Kratos' death--along with the implication that Faye had intended for all of it to happen]].

* GodIsGood: From the eyes of his fellow Spartans and through the implications that he will take on the role of God.

** His [[Didn'tThinkThisThrough shortsightedness]] costs him much throughout the series. Kratos spent his entire life doggedly focused on singular goals, and as such has a very difficult time seeing the big picture, so to speak. Throughout the original series, he's so blinded by his desire for revenge that he fails to notice or even ''care'' that in killing the gods, he's heralding the destruction of Greece. Even in the 2018 game, Kratos is primarily focused on caring for his son and getting Faye's ashes to the highest peak in all the realms. Despite his intentions being significantly more noble than they were before, he focuses on his relationship with Atreus and their goal so much that he brushes off the [[spoiler:prophesies of the mural in Jötunheim--namely the fact that Atreus will trigger Ragnarök through Kratos' death--along with the implication that Faye had intended for all of it to happen]].

* FatalFlaw: Considering it's a game based off of Greek Mythology, it's no surprise that he has one. Kratos' flaw is his inability to [[NeverMyFault accept the consequences of his actions]].

** Even in the original series, he typically gives characters that he has no real problems with a warning to get out of his way, which is never heeded due to either their duty or their hubris (or a combination of both).

* AmbiguousSituation: At the end of ''God of War III'', it was unclear if Kratos survived his self-inflicted wound, or simply cast himself off the cliff, as he tried to do at the end of the first game. He's alive and well, living with a boy in a world ruled by the Norse Gods, by the time the PS4 game rolls around.

* DiscardAndDraw: By the time of the Norse era, Kratos discarded his signature chain blades and instead uses a magical axe as his primary weapon. [[spoiler:He eventually finds his old weapons and regains them]].

** [[spoiler: He impales himself on the Blade of Olympus at the end of ''God of War 3'', but that is more of a HeroicSacrifice, and even then, it's left ambiguous if Kratos truly died. The God of War IV gameplay trailer reveals that, no, he didn't die.]]

* FashionableAsymmetry: Starting with "II", Kratos begins to wear armor on his right shoulder and arm only. At first it is the Golden Fleece, but Kratos has casted it aside for other pieces of armor for GodOfWarPS4.

* MegaManning: Has a habit of taking weapons, items, and powers from defeated enemies.

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: Played with, at the end of [[spoiler: ''III'', he kills himself with the Blade of Olympus to release the power of Hope. It is up to the viewer to decide if this was to humanity and try to make up for destroying the world in his quest for revenge or just to spite Athena]].

* SelfMadeOrphan: Killed his mother after she was turned into a monster, then killed his father Zeus.

TheProtagonist. Once the brutal captain of the Spartan army, Kratos made a deal with the God of War Ares to further his exploits—which took a tragic turn when the god tricked him into killing his own wife and child. Branded the Ghost of Sparta for his terrible deed, most of the series follows him on his quest for revenge against Ares, which later extends to the Gods of Olympus themselves. He ultimately succeeds, but at terrible cost. Leaving Greece, he traveled north to start a new life.

TheProtagonist. Once the brutal captain of the Spartan army, Kratos made a deal with the God of War Ares to further his exploits—which took a tragic turn when the God tricked him into killing his own wife and child. Now branded the Ghost of Sparta as a mark showing his terrible deed, the rest of the series follows him in his quest for revenge against Ares, which later extends to the Gods of Olympus themselves.

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