Chapter 1: Summary of Previous Events

If you need a summary of the God of War videogame series, I will describe here the most important plot elements I can give from the video games. Some familiarity with Greek and Norse mythology may be of help to understand certain concepts and characters. But again, I am trying not to assume audience familiarity with anything. Please skip to Chapter 2 of this story if you want to avoid spoilers and play the games yourselves. You may want to skip this story entirely, if you want to avoid spoilers, but if so I hope you will return and reread my work when spoilers are no longer an issue.

Previously...

“God of War (2005)”: Kratos is a Demigod Spartan soldier and general living in the Realm of Ancient Mythological Greece. The Greek Pantheon of Olympian Gods, led by Zeus, consider Kratos their champion and assign him various missions to defeat Monsters and wage war in their name. Among the particular mission assigners for Kratos are Ares and Athena, the two Greek Gods of War. Ares is a God who represents the savage bloodlust of war, while Athena represents its strategic aspects. All the Greek Gods are greedy and cruel. In the past, Kratos primarily served Ares as a champion. That was until Ares motivated Kratos to murder his own wife and child. Ares did this by causing Kratos to get so wrapped up in blind anger he could not stop himself from committing the murders. After this event, Kratos turned on Ares and, aided by that God’s rival War Goddess Athena, sought to overcome and defeat Ares. Kratos accomplishes this goal and murders Ares at the conclusion of his first videogame. Kratos then takes the position once occupied by Ares and becomes a new God of War.

“God of War: Chains of Olympus”: Kratos has conflicts with the other Greek Gods and ends up killing a young member of the Pantheon who was trying to usurp power. This was necessary, but it turns several Gods against Kratos. Our hero is also briefly reunited with his child in Elysium, the Greek version of Paradise, but he must leave her behind for good to save the Greek Realm. This does not sit well in his mind.

“God of War: Ghost of Sparta”: Kratos gets additional backstory. He has a dead brother named Deimos. There was also a prophecy that there would be a great marked warrior that wreaked much destruction on the Greek Realm. Ares assumed Deimos was the prophesied warrior, and he killed Deimos. Kratos took up the markings once worn by Deimos and swore vengeance, long term. That was why Kratos originally served Ares. Now, in the present, Kratos attempts to resurrect Deimos by killing the Greek God of Death, Thanatos. This quest succeeds, but Deimos dies again during the final battle with Thanatos. During the quest, Kratos also ends up killing one of his relatives and destroying a major Greek city, neither for the first time. The Olympian Gods dislike Kratos even more now. Only Athena and Zeus appear to still be on his side.

“God of War 2”: Kratos destroys another Greek city in his crusade for power and vengeance. Zeus finally decides he’s had enough of Kratos and tries to kill him. Kratos escapes from Zeus, allies with another Pantheon of Greek Gods- The Titans- and seeks to destroy Zeus and the Olympians. First, he must murder the Sisters of Fate, who hold power to determine the destiny of all beings. Kratos wants to prevent the Sisters of Fate from holding power over his destiny. He succeeds in killing the Fate Goddesses, but this has consequences. The Greek Realm begins to crumble. Kratos goes after Zeus again at the climax of the game, and nearly achieves victory, until Athena sacrifices herself to save Zeus. As she dies, she reveals to Kratos that Zeus is their father.

“God of War 3”: Kratos, aided by the Titans, must overthrow and defeat the Olympian Gods. He is also aided by the spirit of Athena, who now claims to be a “Higher Being” than any particular Gods. Athena wants to help Kratos still, or so she claims. Kratos accepts her help. Kratos then fights his way through the fortress of Olympus, murdering many Gods and Monsters, as he has in previous games. This time around his opposition includes the Titans, who turn on Kratos once he is no longer necessary to their crusade. As Kratos murders various Titan and Olympian Gods, the Greek Realm continues to crumble. Kratos ultimately kills Zeus and then refuses to empower Athena when she tries to become the new dominant Goddess of the Greek Realm. Athena’s spirit fades away. Kratos then leaves the collapsing Greek realm, not sure what he will do next.

“God of War” (2018): In a reboot of the series, Kratos reappears, now living in the Realms of Norse Mythology. He is now working to give up many of his past character flaws. One might call this version of Kratos a “Second Testament”, as per Christian religious terminology. I call it a “Second Testament” instead of a “New Testament” because, like many fans, I hope Kratos will have future games and further character development.

Anyway, the “Second Testament” Kratos is doing his best to put aside anger and vengeance, and instead live a life of peace. Kratos has not chosen the safest realm as home, however. He is still haunted by Athena’s spirit and his past. He also constantly has to battle various Monsters threatening his peaceful life. Kratos has managed to survive these dangers and he now has a new family. His second wife, Fey, is dead from unspecified cause at the start of the game and Kratos must now raise their son Atreus alone. Kratos has to do a lot to earn his son’s respect.

To make matters worse, a seemingly invincible Norse Aesir God named Balder comes looking to kidnap Atreus. Kratos must now protect his son from Balder. Kratos and Atreus flee from Balder and seek to escape his attention while working to reach the top of the Giants’ Fingers, the highest mountain in the Norse Realms. This was the last request of Fey before she died- she wanted Kratos and Atreus to scatter her cremated ashes from that mountaintop.

Kratos and Atreus fight and murder various Norse Gods and Monsters during their journey, including Magni and Modi, the sons of Norse Aesir Thunder God Thor, who were helping Balder. Kratos and Atreus also become friends with four exiled Norse Gods- Brok & Sindri, the Dwarven Gods of Craft; Mimir, the Faerie God of Wisdom; and Freya, the Vanir Goddess of Love, Preservation, and the Earth. Kratos and Atreus also learn that Freya is Balder’s mother and this fact eventually turns her against them. Balder will not stop his insane plan to kidnap Atreus at the direction of his father Odin, the most powerful of the Norse Aesir Gods and Freya’s former husband. Freya hates Odin, and she considers Kratos and Atreus her friends, but she does not want anyone to kill Balder.