There was... a horse. The horse sought vengeance upon his enemy, a stag. But he could not kill the stag alone. The horse met a man — a hunter — and made a deal. He took the man's bit and bridle and allowed him to ride in a saddle on his back. Together, they killed the stag, and the horse tasted victory. But the hunter would not release the horse, and made a slave of him.
— Kratos in God of War (PS4), recounting his own past to Atreus in the form of a parable.
Kratos: Boy. Listen close. I am from a land called Sparta. I made a deal with a god that cost me my soul. I killed many who were deserving. And many who were not. I killed my father...
Atreus: That was your father in Hel. Is this what it is to be a god? Is this how it always ends? Sons killing their mothers... Their fathers...
Kratos: No. We will be the gods we choose to be. Not those who have been. Who I was is not who you will be. We must be better.
Atreus: That was your father in Hel. Is this what it is to be a god? Is this how it always ends? Sons killing their mothers... Their fathers...
Kratos: No. We will be the gods we choose to be. Not those who have been. Who I was is not who you will be. We must be better.
