Follow TV Tropes

Following

History Heartwarming / GodOfWarPS4

Go To

OR

Added: 1086

Changed: 3356

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* Curiously, Kratos' fight with the Stranger (later revealed to be Baldur), largely due to the fact that the entire time Kratos is fighting simply to protect his son, and the minute the man threatens to harm Atreus, ''Kratos stops holding back and lets loose his infamous rage''.

to:

* Curiously, Kratos' fight with the Stranger (later revealed to be Baldur), largely due to the fact that the entire time Kratos is fighting simply to protect his son, and the minute the man threatens to harm Atreus, ''Kratos ''[[GodzillaThreshold Kratos stops holding back and lets loose his infamous rage''.rage]] to [[PapaWolf protect his and Faye's son]]''.



* A rather easy-to-miss moment, but there is a bit of this in the opening dialogue between Kratos and The Stranger. When directly confronted by someone who clearly wants to fight him, and explicitly tries to goad and antagonize him into it, to the point of saying he'll have to kill him to get him to leave, what does he do? [[DontMakeMeDestroyYou Tries to talk him out of it, repeatedly]], and even ''allows himself to get punched at least three times'' before he finally retaliates, and then only with a normal punch that just knocks him down. After that, while the Stranger is lying on the ground apparently dazed and hurt, Kratos' demeanor implies he ''still'' has no intention of seriously fighting yet, as he turns away and berates the man's insistence rather than kick him while he's down. The biggest part is what Kratos does next, as he goes up to The Stranger, and ''helps him back up to his feet''. This shows that even when he would be in some ways justified for reacting violently, the newer, older Kratos of this game won't do so until he genuinely is given no better option, a far cry from the younger Kratos, who ruthlessly and unflinchingly slaughtered anyone who was even slightly a problem for him... [[CrueltyIsTheOnlyOption or could be used as a meat-tool to get through a trap]].

to:

* A rather easy-to-miss moment, but there is a bit of this in the opening dialogue between Kratos and The Stranger. When directly confronted by someone who clearly wants to fight him, and explicitly tries to goad and antagonize him into it, to the point of saying he'll have to kill him to get him to leave, what does he do? [[DontMakeMeDestroyYou Tries to talk him out of it, repeatedly]], and even ''allows himself to get punched at least three times'' before he finally retaliates, and then only with a normal punch that just knocks him down. After that, while the Stranger is lying on the ground apparently dazed and hurt, Kratos' demeanor implies he ''still'' has no intention of seriously fighting yet, as he turns away and berates the man's insistence rather than kick him while he's down. The biggest part is what Kratos does next, as next: he goes up to The Stranger, and ''helps him back up to his feet''. This shows that even when he would be in some ways justified for reacting violently, the newer, older Kratos of this game won't do so until he genuinely is given no better option, a far cry from the younger Kratos, who ruthlessly and unflinchingly slaughtered anyone who was even slightly a problem for him... [[CrueltyIsTheOnlyOption or could be used as a meat-tool to get through a trap]].



** Before that, when the Reavers climb out, Kratos orders Atreus back - "This is my fight." Kratos is doing everything he can to keep his son from having to kill living humans for as long as possible.
* During their travels in Midgard during the opening Atreus opens up enough to mention he wasn't sure he would ever leave the woods, or his bed implying he at one point thought he'd die a sickly child. Kratos immediately points out his sickness was not his fault. Given how Kratos holds Atreus for every single action he makes trying to hone his control to perfect (and given what the sickness actually was), it's touching to see him jump right in to making sure Atreus doesn't feel bad for something that wasn't his fault.
* In a mix of heartwarming and sad after the events at the light of Alfheim, Kratos takes a moment to explain that he really didn't know he left Atreus alone for more then a few minutes and offered the closest thing to an apology he's been able to make up to that point. It's small, but for Kratos very meaningful because he ''admitted fault''. Not only that but Atreus accepted it and appeared to actually take it to heart.

to:

** Before that, when the Reavers first climb out, Kratos orders Atreus to stay back - "This is my fight." Kratos is doing everything he can to keep his son from having to kill living humans for as long as possible.
* The meeting with Brok is fairly hilarious and also touching. This blacksmith crosses paths with this young boy and his intimidating father, sees that the latter has the Leviathan Axe, and decides that these two must be all-right folks. He also offers to enhance the Axe for Kratos, which Kratos eventually accepts once he sees proof that Brok is being truthful. Brok might be a rough, crass fellow, but he's also honest and fairly generous too.
* During their travels in Midgard during the opening opening, Atreus opens up enough to mention he wasn't sure he would ever leave the woods, or let alone his bed bed, implying he at one point thought he'd die a sickly child. Kratos immediately points out his sickness was not his fault. Given how Kratos holds Atreus for every single action he makes trying to hone his control to perfect (and given what the sickness actually was), it's touching to see him the guy jump right in to into making sure Atreus doesn't feel bad for something that wasn't his fault.
* In a mix of heartwarming and sad after the events at the light of Alfheim, Kratos takes a moment to explain that he really didn't know he left Atreus alone for more then a few minutes and offered the closest thing to an apology he's been able to make up to that point. It's small, but for Kratos it's very meaningful for the player because he ''admitted they just saw Kratos ''admitting fault''. Not only that that, but Atreus accepted it and appeared to actually take it to heart.



** It doubles as Funny, but when Mimir realizes Kratos is the "Ghost of Sparta", Kratos tightly tells him ''not'' to call him that. Not only does Mimir comply, but he also states that he believes "the Pantheon had it coming". It is a small moment, but it is heartwarming to see someone believe Kratos had some justification in his revenge against the Greek gods rather than dismissing him as a monster.
** By the end of the game, after Kratos and Atreus completed their goal of scattering Faye's ashes, they actually ''take Mimir back with them home''.
* After seeking out Freya's help after Atreus falls ill, just before Kratos leaves to retrieve the Blades of Chaos, he pauses and tries to apologize for his earlier words against her after finding out that she's a Goddess only for her to gently stop him and tells him that she understands why he would distrust a god, before affirming that she would keep Atreus safe--promising so not as a goddess, but as a mother. It's a small moment that really shows how much Kratos has changed over the centuries, going from someone that only cared about himself to a person who's willing to admit and try to make amends for their mistakes.

to:

** Subtly, but eventually Kratos' dialogue when he is joined only by Mimir includes the latter implicitly. For example, while traveling through Helheim for the heart, Kratos refers back to his earlier fight against the Reavers in Midgard thusly: "When ''we'' killed the Reavers near my home..." Kratos appreciates that Mimir is there to help him in battle, even if the latter can't do much beyond giving the former alerts.
** It doubles as Funny, but when Mimir realizes Kratos is the "Ghost of Sparta", Kratos tightly tells him ''not'' to call him that. Not only does Mimir comply, but he also states that he believes "the Pantheon had it coming". It is a small moment, but it is heartwarming to see someone believe Kratos had some justification in his revenge against the Greek gods gods, rather than dismissing him as a monster.
** By the end of the game, after Kratos and Atreus completed their goal of scattering Faye's ashes, they actually ''take Mimir back with them home''.
home''. Come ''Ragnarök'', they've taken some measures for Mimir to be comfortable at the cabin.
* After seeking out Freya's help after Atreus falls ill, just before Kratos leaves to retrieve the Blades of Chaos, he pauses and tries to apologize for his earlier words against her after finding out that she's a Goddess Goddess, only for her to gently stop him and tells him that she understands why he would distrust a god, before affirming that she would keep Atreus safe--promising so not as a goddess, but as a mother. It's a small moment that really shows how much Kratos has changed over the centuries, going from someone that only cared about himself to a person who's willing to admit and try to make amends for their mistakes.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* The origin of Atreus' name. Kratos tells his son about Atreus, a Spartan soldier who once fought beside Kratos long ago, a truly different sort of Spartan from the rest because he still believed in the Spartans' capacity for '''genuine kindness''', even as they were raised to be machines of war. The Spartan Atreus sacrificed himself for Kratos and the other Spartans in battle, so Kratos decided to honor this fallen brother-in-arms with a proper burial by carrying him on his shield held on his back all the way to bury him in his grave befitting Spartan tradition. And now, centuries later, Kratos names his own son after this dear Spartan soldier. It really shows that, despite his brutality, cruelty and ruthlessness, Kratos does value altruism and kindness and wants '''that''' to be what he passes onto his son instead of all the hatred, rage and sorrow he carried with him all those years.

to:

* The origin of Atreus' name. Kratos tells his son about Atreus, a Spartan soldier who once fought beside Kratos long ago, a truly different sort of Spartan from the rest because he still believed in the Spartans' capacity for '''genuine kindness''', even as they were raised to be machines of war. The Spartan Atreus sacrificed himself for Kratos and the other Spartans in battle, so Kratos decided to honor this fallen brother-in-arms with a proper burial by carrying him on his shield held on his back all the way to bury him in his grave befitting Spartan tradition. And now, centuries later, Kratos names his own son after this dear Spartan soldier. It really shows that, despite his brutality, cruelty and ruthlessness, Kratos does value altruism and kindness and wants '''that''' to be what he passes onto his son instead of all the hatred, rage and sorrow he carried with him all those years. And despite how far he would fall during the Greek era, Kratos always had humanity deep down.

Added: 476

Changed: 319

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** If the opening is any indication, Kratos genuinely loved his wife. In between building a large funeral pyre for her, and the way he speaks as he lifts her body from its resting place, it's clear he tried his best to be a good husband to her.
** In that same scene, Atreus tries to take the knife off his mother's burning body, only to get his hand burned by the heated metal. Kratos, who up until this point has only spoken to his son in cold, simple orders, hands Atreus a pack of snow to soothe the burn, gently asks him to squeeze, and gives the boy a piece of his hand wraps to cover the wound, before gifting the knife to Atreus. It is quickly established that despite his brusque demeanor, Kratos is capable and willing to protect his young son, and he has discarded much of his old brutal ways.

to:

** If the opening is any indication, Kratos genuinely loved his wife. In between building a large funeral pyre for her, and the way he speaks as he lifts her body from its resting place, it's clear he tried his best to be a good husband to her. It also gets better after learning about Faye from Kratos' dreams in ''Ragnarök''. For Kratos, cremating Faye's remains isn't the same as entombing, as was done in Greece, but he'll follow Faye's wishes because he loves her.
** In that same scene, Atreus tries to take the knife off his mother's burning body, only to get his hand burned by the heated metal. Kratos, who Kratos--who up until this point has only spoken to his son in cold, simple orders, hands orders--hands Atreus a pack of snow to soothe the burn, gently asks him to squeeze, and gives the boy a piece of his hand wraps to cover the wound, before gifting the knife to Atreus. It is quickly established that despite his brusque demeanor, Kratos is capable and willing to protect his young son, and he has discarded much of his old brutal ways.



** To elaborate on the above, the Stranger remarks just before then that Kratos has two beds in his house and immediately assumes he's hiding someone. He then tries to use this information to goad Kratos;

to:

** To elaborate on the above, the Stranger remarks just before then that Kratos has two beds in his house and immediately assumes he's hiding someone. He then tries to use this information to goad Kratos;Kratos:



* Atreus reuniting the Witch after their spell induced forceful separation, even going far as to embrace one another.

to:

* Atreus reuniting the Witch after their spell induced spell-induced forceful separation, even going far as to embrace one another.



** It doubles as Funny, but when Mimir realizes Kratos is the 'Ghost of Sparta', Kratos tells him not to call him that. Not only does Mimir comply, but he also states that he believes the 'Pantheon had it coming'. It is a small moment, but it is heartwarming to see someone believe Kratos had some justification in his revenge against the Greek gods rather than dismissing him as a monster.

to:

** It doubles as Funny, but when Mimir realizes Kratos is the 'Ghost "Ghost of Sparta', Sparta", Kratos tightly tells him not ''not'' to call him that. Not only does Mimir comply, but he also states that he believes the 'Pantheon "the Pantheon had it coming'.coming". It is a small moment, but it is heartwarming to see someone believe Kratos had some justification in his revenge against the Greek gods rather than dismissing him as a monster.



* After seeking out Freya's help after Atreus falls ill, just before Kratos leaves to retrieve the Blades of Chaos, he pauses and tries to apologize for his earlier words against her after finding out that she's a Goddess only for her to gently stop him and tells him that she understands why he would distrust a god before affirming that she would keep Atreus safe. It's a small moment that really shows how much Kratos has changed over the centuries, going from someone that only cared about himself to a person who's willing to admit and try to make amends for their mistakes.

to:

* After seeking out Freya's help after Atreus falls ill, just before Kratos leaves to retrieve the Blades of Chaos, he pauses and tries to apologize for his earlier words against her after finding out that she's a Goddess only for her to gently stop him and tells him that she understands why he would distrust a god god, before affirming that she would keep Atreus safe.safe--promising so not as a goddess, but as a mother. It's a small moment that really shows how much Kratos has changed over the centuries, going from someone that only cared about himself to a person who's willing to admit and try to make amends for their mistakes.



*** If you're on the boat in this sequence and try to steer away, Kratos stops it, saying, "I must help my son." It's probably the earliest that Kratos calls Atreus that, so it's a shame the latter is in no condition to hear it.



*** Brok is also excited to see the Blades of Chaos, impressed with their craftsmanship. While Kratos understandably doesn't share Brok's sentiment, it's still nice for the player to see the blacksmith share their excitement.



* Kratos deciding to pick a fight with a neutral Soul Devourer, even though they have already gotten the basic information they need on their quest involving it. Why go out of his way to fight something not actively attacking him? Because Atreus is terrified of it and Kratos wants him to help kill it. In his own admittedly slightly messed up way Kratos is helping his son overcome what fears he has.

to:

* Kratos deciding to pick a fight with a neutral Soul Devourer, even though they have already gotten the basic information they need on their quest involving it. Why go out of his way to fight something not actively attacking him? Because Atreus is terrified of it and Kratos wants him to help kill it. In his own admittedly slightly messed up way way, Kratos is helping his son overcome what fears he has.



*** [[VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok The sequel]] adds on to the Heartwarming by revealing that this wasn't a one-off occasion, Atreus continued to teach his father how to read runes over the three year TimeSkip, enough so that Kratos is now able to read them himself without aid.

to:

*** [[VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok The sequel]] adds on to the Heartwarming by revealing that this wasn't a one-off occasion, occasion: Atreus continued to teach his father how to read runes over the three year TimeSkip, enough so that Kratos is now able to read them himself without aid.



* Later in the game, Kratos asks Atreus to help him push a giant hammer lodged in ice, with all his strength. Nothing up to this point indicates that Kratos ''needs'' any sort of assistance, so it's clear he's trying to reward his son's diligence and growth by treating him as his equal.
-->'''Kratos''': Now dig in and push with everything!

to:

* Later in the game, Kratos asks Atreus to help him push a Giant's giant hammer lodged in ice, with all his strength. Nothing up to this point indicates that Kratos ''needs'' any sort of assistance, so it's clear he's trying to reward his son's diligence and growth by treating him as his equal.
-->'''Kratos''': Now dig in and push with everything!everything!\\
'''Atreus''': Yes, sir!
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

** As soon as Atreus was fit to leave Freya's care, Kratos thanks Freya with a handshake and gratefully tells her "I will not forget this". He keeps this sentiment throughout the series, saving her life from her son, Baldur, despite her refusal and his downright refusal to kill her when she sought revenge.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** Kratos and the blades have been through ''a lot'' together. They’ve saved his life and cut down his enemies on countless occasions, and even when Kratos tried to get rid of them, the blades refused to let their master leave them. In a strange way, watching Kratos put the blades back on is almost like seeing him reunite with an old friend.

to:

** Kratos and the blades have been through ''a lot'' together. They’ve Regardless of what they represent, they’ve saved his life and cut down his enemies on countless occasions, and even occasions. Even when Kratos tried to get rid of them, them after leaving Greece, the blades refused to let their master leave abandon them. In a strange way, watching Kratos put the blades back on is almost like seeing him reunite with an old friend.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

** Kratos and the blades have been through ''a lot'' together. They’ve saved his life and cut down his enemies on countless occasions, and even when Kratos tried to get rid of them, the blades refused to let their master leave them. In a strange way, watching Kratos put the blades back on is almost like seeing him reunite with an old friend.

Changed: 1

Removed: 2299

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
No meta moment, see this query.


* The original God of War saw Kratos cast himself from the highest mountain in all of Greece out of despair, utterly alone and abandoned with no more will to fight. Here? He casts himself from the highest mountain in all of Midgard out of love, to save his son.

!!Meta:
* Cory Barlog decided to put up a reaction video of him seeing, for the first time, the score for the game. He bursts into tears at seeing the high scores and thanks all the fans. To make it even better Cory reveals in the description that he only posted it because his son has been having problems crying in front of people, not wanting people to see him sad. Cory stated he wanted to do the video to show his son that it is okay to cry.
* In a behind-the-scenes video, we see the filming of a cutscene with Christopher Judge and Sunny Suljic doing their thing. After they finish a take, the two start playing patty-cake, with Judge being the one to initiate it.
** It seems that Atreus isn't the only one nervous and uneasy around adults, as BRoll footage shows Suljic to be quite nervous working on the game's mo-cap. Cory Barlog and crew are seen repeatedly comforting and encouraging Suljic and it's clear they are doing everything they can to make the experience comfortable and fun for young Sunny.
* Who had the final say in the new actor to play Kratos? Sunny Suljic, as Barlog knew that the person Sunny got along with the best would make for the best Kratos.
* This Guerilla Games [[https://twitter.com/Guerrilla/status/987224348309176321 artwork]] of [[VideoGame/HorizonZeroDawn Aloy]] giving bow aiming pointers to Atreus while a proud Kratos watches.
* The very fact that ''God of War'', one of the darkest, most mean-spirited and un-apologetically cynical franchises in Video Games, is willing to even entertain the ''possibility'' that its bloodthirsty monster of a protagonist has the capacity to love, change and become a better person.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_MuTMcSaGY This]] thank you video from the developers to the fans for their love, support, and creativity towards the game, released ahead of its one year anniversary.
* Watching reaction videos of the E3 2016 reveal, seeing the fans light up in joy seeing Kratos is back. They grew up with Kratos' quest for revenge, believing his story (and life) had ended and moved on. Then they learned that their hero was coming back, to universal approval.
* [[https://www.reddit.com/r/GodofWar/comments/8h090l/an_open_letter_cory_barlog_from_a_son_of_a_father/ An open letter to Cory Barlog, from a son of a father.]]

to:

* The original God of War saw Kratos cast himself from the highest mountain in all of Greece out of despair, utterly alone and abandoned with no more will to fight. Here? He casts himself from the highest mountain in all of Midgard out of love, to save his son. \n\n!!Meta:\n* Cory Barlog decided to put up a reaction video of him seeing, for the first time, the score for the game. He bursts into tears at seeing the high scores and thanks all the fans. To make it even better Cory reveals in the description that he only posted it because his son has been having problems crying in front of people, not wanting people to see him sad. Cory stated he wanted to do the video to show his son that it is okay to cry.\n* In a behind-the-scenes video, we see the filming of a cutscene with Christopher Judge and Sunny Suljic doing their thing. After they finish a take, the two start playing patty-cake, with Judge being the one to initiate it.\n** It seems that Atreus isn't the only one nervous and uneasy around adults, as BRoll footage shows Suljic to be quite nervous working on the game's mo-cap. Cory Barlog and crew are seen repeatedly comforting and encouraging Suljic and it's clear they are doing everything they can to make the experience comfortable and fun for young Sunny.\n* Who had the final say in the new actor to play Kratos? Sunny Suljic, as Barlog knew that the person Sunny got along with the best would make for the best Kratos.\n* This Guerilla Games [[https://twitter.com/Guerrilla/status/987224348309176321 artwork]] of [[VideoGame/HorizonZeroDawn Aloy]] giving bow aiming pointers to Atreus while a proud Kratos watches.\n* The very fact that ''God of War'', one of the darkest, most mean-spirited and un-apologetically cynical franchises in Video Games, is willing to even entertain the ''possibility'' that its bloodthirsty monster of a protagonist has the capacity to love, change and become a better person.\n* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_MuTMcSaGY This]] thank you video from the developers to the fans for their love, support, and creativity towards the game, released ahead of its one year anniversary.\n* Watching reaction videos of the E3 2016 reveal, seeing the fans light up in joy seeing Kratos is back. They grew up with Kratos' quest for revenge, believing his story (and life) had ended and moved on. Then they learned that their hero was coming back, to universal approval.\n* [[https://www.reddit.com/r/GodofWar/comments/8h090l/an_open_letter_cory_barlog_from_a_son_of_a_father/ An open letter to Cory Barlog, from a son of a father.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

** Before that, when the Reavers climb out, Kratos orders Atreus back - "This is my fight." Kratos is doing everything he can to keep his son from having to kill living humans for as long as possible.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* Atreus reuniting the Witch after their spell induced forceful separation, even going far as to embrace one another.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

*** Not quite, as [[VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok the sequel]] shows that Atreus instead took an existing Giant's soul and put it into a soulless snake's body. This adds a whole new level of heartwarming however, because when Atreus did this, Jörmungandr simply slithered off, with Atreus disappointed and unsure that it even worked. Now, Jörmungandr finally is able to thank Atreus for his act of kindness all those years ago (from his perspective) by coming to his aid in his hour of need.

Top