The upcoming God of War: Ragnarok will continue Santa Monica's story with characters, villains and weapons all from its predecessor game; here's what to remember before Ragnarok releases on Sony's PlayStation 5.
God of War ends with Kratos and his son Atreus homeward bound with their talking severed head friend, Mimir, in tow. The Norse god of Wisdom noticed in Kratos' and Atreus' absence; the weather had begun to turn cold. Mimir declares that Fimbulwinter, the three-year-long winter that precedes Ragnarok, has started prematurely due to Baldur's death at the duo's hands. Baldur's death has sent ripples throughout the Norse world that will lead straight to Ragnarok. With the sequel slated to hit the PS5 soon, here's the rundown of characters to remember.
Kratos
Kratos was known as "The Ghost of Sparta" in his home of Greece. He later made his way to Midgard and found solace for a time with his wife Faye and son Atreus. That was short-lived, however, when Baldur arrived with suspicion a short time after Faye's death.
For the God of War reboot, Kratos favored the Leviathan Axe but also had kept his Blades of Chaos from the original series. The axe was a gift from Faye and the solution to many puzzles he and Atreus would face on their journey together. The Leviathan Axe was crafted by Brock and Sindri for Faye but became Kratos' after her death. It displays the properties of cold and frost. The Blades of Chaos are servitude symbols seared onto Kratos' flesh while still a slave to the Greek God of War, Ares. Kratos had hoped he'd never need to use the Blades again, donning them only to call forth the elemental fires required to defeat frost-bitten foes that barred him from saving Atreus. Kratos also puts his Guardian Shield to fair use, a gauntlet that can turn into a shield for parrying or blocking.
Atreus
Atreus is Kratos' son and also half-giant on his mother's side. He's got the fire in his blood of the last living Greek God of War and the potential prophetic lineage of being the last of the giants. Atreus has grown from a meager, soft-spoken boy to a brash punk, all too eager to take unsafe risks. By the end of his first adventure, he's begun a path to maturity that will hopefully flourish in Ragnarok.
Atreus uses the Talon Bow through his journey. Faye carved the bow for Atreus out of a Yew tree and created it larger by intent so that her son would grow into his tool. Down the road, Atreus would be offered augments to his Talon Bow by Freya and the Dwarven brothers, Brock and Sindri. These enhancements would allow Atreus to intersect in different ways with the nine realms or induce status ailments on enemies. It was with his bowmanship and mistletoe taken from Freya that Atreus would eventually wound Baldur, making him susceptible to Kratos.
Mimir
Mimir is the Norse God of Wisdom, but to Kratos, he's just "head." Mimir is a constant companion in Kratos and Atreus's adventures; despite his body being stuck in a tree, Kratos removed his head and had it revived with help from Freya, carrying Mimir on his belt to offer guidance on their journey. He's not much for a fight, but he's always more than happy to give his opinion.
Baldur and Freya
Baldur was a son of Odin and Freya. When Freya foresaw that Baldur would die a fruitless death, she placed a spell on him so that he couldn't die and would not feel any pain. This also suppressed any sensations that he could have at all. Enraged and distraught at the mother who wouldn't remove her spell, Baldur swore vengeance on Freya for his life void of sensation.
Kratos would come in between the mother and son to stop Baldur from matricide. When Kratos chose to kill Baldur to save Freya, it left her filled with vengeance for the son she'd lost. Freya began to investigate rumors of her removed Valkyrie wings to reclaim her title as Queen of the Valkyries and smite Kratos.
Thor
Thor is the son to Odin and Freya, also brother to the now-deceased Baldur. Thor has earned himself a reputation for the slaughter he commits with his hammer, Mjolnir, quite often. Also created by Brock and Sindri, Mjolnir is one of the creations they regretted after bearing witness to how Thor put it to use. Though Thor does not appear directly in God of War's story, a post-game vision sees Kratos and Atreus attacked by Thor one year after the game's events.
Odin
The enigmatic all-father, Odin, hasn't made a direct appearance yet, but his ravens hide all across the nine realms. Odin is Freya's husband, father to Baldur and Thor, and all-around top of Midgard's food chain. Odin always knows what's happening in his lands, and he despises outsiders, including those who come from neighboring realms. He's been sure to keep an eye on everything that's happened in Midgard, and it would appear that it's only a matter of time before he makes his presence more pronounced.
From Santa Monica Studio and Sony Interactive Entertainment, God of War: Ragnarok will be available in 2021 on the PlayStation 5.