At long last, fans have confirmation that God of War: Ragnarok is coming to Sony's PlayStation 5. The upcoming exclusive is the sequel to 2017's God of War, which served as a sequel and soft reboot of the original PS2 franchise.
With a franchise that dates back 15 years, it can be tough to recall Kratos' start and how his adventures brought him from Greek to Norse mythology. Here's a quick guide to Kratos' origins and the story so far.
The Rise and Fall of Vengeance
Kratos started life in Greece, where he grew into a ferocious, but loyal, Spartan soldier. Kratos married his first wife, Lysandra, and with her had his first child, Calliope. Kratos' reign as General extended far and only faltered when he encountered the Barbarian tribes, who decimated Kratos' army.
Faced with defeat and pleading for salvation, Kratos called out to Ares, the God of War. Ares obliterated the hordes of Barbarians in exchange for Kratos' loyalty, searing the Blades of Chaos to Kratos' flesh. For a while, Kratos served as Ares' agent, but this ended when he attacked an Athenian village. Kratos realized, to his horror, that his wife and child were among the dead. As he cremated the remains of his family and renounced his oath to Ares, the village oracle cursed Kratos to wear the ashes of his deceased wife and daughter forever.
For a while, Kratos would serve as Athena's champion, hoping that the Gods would lift his curse. One day, as Ares prepared to attack one of her cities, Athena offered Kratos forgiveness for his sins if he could find Pandora's Box and use the power to defeat Ares. Kratos succeeded in killing Ares, but learned Athena had worded her promise carefully; the Gods forgave Kratos his transgressions, but he still bore the curse of his undead family.
A distraught Kratos resolved to end his life but was stopped by Athena. As Ares' throne sat vacant, Athena offered Kratos his title -- Kratos would become the new God of War. Kratos was satisfied for a time, but his ambitions grew too large, and Zeus slew him. Now focusing his rage on Zeus, Kratos escaped the underworld and killed the three Sisters of Fate, undoing his death to travel back in time to kill Zeus.
Atop Olympus, Athena used her dying breath to reveal that Kratos was Zeus's son, hoping to break the cycle of patricide. Kratos was too far down his path of vengeance, though, freeing the Titans and launching a war on Olympus. Along the way, Kratos is warned that heedless revenge will only lead to the destruction of the Greek world. As the Gods fell, the things they represented in the real world also withered and died. This didn't stop Kratos, but he did take pause when he met Pandora, who reminded Kratos of his daughter. Zeus knew to capitalize on this, provoking Kratos' rage and causing Pandora's death. After another perceived failure, Kratos eliminated Zeus once and for all. Only then did Kratos understand the utter destruction he'd wrought. In a final act of guilt, he attempted to again take his life.
Lessons From the Past
Sometime later, Kratos finds himself in the realm of the Norse gods and remarries to a woman named Faye. Together they had a son, Atreus. When Faye passes away, her final request is that Kratos and Atreus bring her ashes to the highest peak in the Nine Realms; however, a mysterious, unkillable man arrives, seemingly aware that something is amiss with Kratos' presence. Kratos and Atreus quest to grant Faye's last request despite this, aided by various figures such as Odin's former wife, Freya, and the decapitated head of the wise Mimir.
Atreus is soon stricken ill, and with help from Freya, Kratos both saves Atreus and faces his past as the God of War. Haunted by the perpetual cycle of death that has led him here, Kratos decides to tell Atreus about his heritage as a God. However, this only brings out his arrogance and cockiness. Atreus puts himself in harm's way and reasons that Gods can do whatever they want. Kratos notices this behavior and scolds his son for showing his old traits. With the end of their journey in sight, the father and son are again confronted by the mysterious man, who reveals himself to be the unkillable Baldur, Freya's son. Kratos and Baldur battle once more, with Atreus' mistletoe arrows making Baldur susceptible to harm. Kratos kills Baldur, leaving Freya devastated over the loss of her son.
At last, the duo reaches their destination and share a moment as they put Faye's ashes to rest. Before they leave, Atreus learns that his mother wanted to name him Loki and that she was a giant. The Norse gods had sent Baldur in search of Faye, not Kratos and Atreus. Kratos notices a mural that appears to depict his death at Atreus' hands, but the two return home, their quest complete. On the journey back, Mimir notes that Fimbulwinter, the winter that proceeds Ragnarok, has begun.
The trio finally arrives home, where they take a long, well deserved rest. However, Atreus has a vision of himself and Kratos one year later, waking to a thunderous storm and confronted by a man who appears to be Baldur's brother, Thor.
Developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, God of War: Ragnarok will release in 2021 for the PlayStation 5.