Kratos

0:00 Kratos is the hero of God of War: a Spartan warrior who pledged himself to Ares, killed the gods of Olympus in revenge, and then, in God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok, lived in the Norse realms as a father to his son Atreus. Sony introduced him in 2005 as "an ex-Spartan warrior" whose pact with Ares, the God of War, saved his life. TC Carson voiced him in the Greek games; Christopher Judge has played him since 2018. In God of War Laufey, due on PS5 on May 20, 2027, Kratos is not the hero for the first time: his wife Faye is.

This page reveals the stories of every God of War game through Valhalla.

Quick facts

Sources: GameSpot, Mar 30, 2026; GameSpot, Mar 8, 2010; The Hollywood Reporter, Sep 29, 2017; PlayStation Blog, Feb 13, 2026; Variety, Aug 20, 2026.

What is Kratos's backstory?

0:46 Kratos grew up in Sparta with his brother Deimos; God of War Sons of Sparta (2026) shows the two as cadets in the Agoge, the Spartan training, "at the earliest point in the series timeline". Deimos was taken from him when they were children, and Ghost of Sparta (2010) is about finding him (GameSpot).

2:28 To save his own life, Kratos made a pact with Ares and swore to serve him. Ares bound the Blades of Chaos to him, "seared into Kratos' flesh" by chains around each arm, then tricked him into killing his own wife, Lysandra, and daughter, Calliope (GameSpot; GameSpot). Their ashes clung to him and turned his skin pale, which is how the game explains his look (GamesRadar+), and the deed gave him the name the Ghost of Sparta. He then served Athena and the gods of Olympus for ten years in the hope of forgiveness.

Kratos in the Greek games

Listed in story order. Sources: GameSpot, Mar 7, 2013; IGN, Mar 14, 2013; GameSpot, Jun 7, 2026; GameSpot, Mar 21, 2005; IGN, Jun 27, 2007; GameSpot, Mar 13, 2007; GameSpot, Mar 8, 2010.

8:49 In God of War (2005) the gods send him to stop Ares from destroying Athens, and since a mortal can kill a god only with Pandora's box, he goes to find it. The game ends with Kratos on the throne as the new God of War (PlayStation Blog). In God of War II he leads Sparta's army against Greece, is betrayed by Athena and seemingly killed by Zeus, his father, and is rescued by Gaia. God of War III is his revenge: he rides the Titans up Mount Olympus and kills Poseidon, Hades, Helios, Hermes, Hercules, Hera, Hephaestus and, at the top, Zeus (GameSpot). Greek Gods in God of War lists every fight. That last battle, GameSpot writes, "would eventually send Kratos into the arms of Faye."

Kratos in the Norse games

22:13 God of War (2018) picks him up years later. "Kratos is a father again," PlayStation's page begins: his vengeance behind him, he lives among the Norse gods with his son Atreus and struggles to control his rage. After Faye's death they carry her ashes to Jotunheim, and Kratos tells Atreus he was once the God of War, which makes the boy a demigod (SVG). He kills Baldur, and Freya swears revenge.

2:27 In God of War Ragnarok the Norns tell him prophecies are predictions, not fixed fate. He kills Heimdall, spares Thor at the end, and survives Ragnarok, despite the giants' prophecy that he would die at Atreus's hand; Atreus leaves to find the remaining giants (Den of Geek). A last shrine shows him revered, which narrative director Matt Sophos called Kratos as "the rebuilder" rather than the destroyer. In Valhalla (Dec 12, 2023) he faces his past with only Mimir beside him and ends by choosing to become a God of Hope, taking his place in Freya's new pantheon (Dexerto).

Kratos in God of War Laufey and after

1:29 Laufey follows Faye in The Everywhen, and its premise is that the plans she made to protect Kratos and Atreus are at risk (PlayStation Blog). Christopher Judge is credited as Kratos on PlayStation's page, but how much Kratos appears is not known as of Nov 4, 2026. At Comic-Con on Jul 24, 2026, Cory Barlog said the next Kratos-led game will "directly follow the events of Laufey"; it has no title or date. See Next God of War After Laufey. "We can't not tell stories about the big guy," Game Director Ariel Lawrence told Game Informer. The clip is IGN's report from that Comic-Con panel.

Who voices Kratos?

TC Carson was the longtime voice of Kratos in the Greek games (The Hollywood Reporter); Ascension (2013) was his last time before God of War Sons of Sparta, in which he narrates as the adult Kratos (GameSpot; PlayStation Blog). Antony Del Rio voiced young Kratos in Ghost of Sparta and Sons of Sparta. For the 2018 reboot, Barlog cast Christopher Judge, because the single-shot camera needed the actors to perform together on stage, which Carson's size difference from Kratos made "almost impossible". Judge won Best Performance at The Game Awards 2022 and Performer in a Leading Role at the BAFTA Games Awards 2023 for Ragnarok. On TV, Dave Bautista plays him in the Prime Video series after Ryan Hurst was injured (Variety); see God of War TV Series.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Kratos in God of War? Kratos is the Spartan warrior turned god who leads the God of War series: he killed Ares and then Zeus and the gods of Olympus, and later raised his son Atreus in the Norse realms. God of War Laufey is the first mainline game where he is not the hero.

How old is Kratos in God of War? Santa Monica Studio has not given Kratos's age. The Greek games span his youth in Sparta, ten years of service to Olympus and his war on the gods; God of War (2018) takes place years after God of War 3.

Who voices Kratos in God of War? TC Carson voiced Kratos in the Greek God of War games and narrates Sons of Sparta (2026). Christopher Judge has played him since God of War (2018), including Ragnarok and the cast of God of War Laufey.

Is Zeus Kratos's father? Yes. Zeus is Kratos's father in God of War; he kills Kratos at the start of God of War 2, and Kratos kills him at the end of God of War 3.

Is Kratos in God of War Laufey? Christopher Judge is listed in God of War Laufey's cast as Kratos, but Faye is the playable hero and how Kratos appears has not been shown as of Nov 4, 2026.

What happens to Kratos at the end of Valhalla? In God of War Ragnarok's Valhalla epilogue, Kratos confronts his past and chooses to become a God of Hope, taking his place in Freya's new pantheon. See Valhalla.

Sources

• Rave Reviews Nationwide Spark High Anticipation for God of War as the 2005 Must-Have Game on PlayStation 2, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Mar 22, 2005
• God of War Review, GameSpot (Alex Navarro), Mar 21, 2005
• God of War II Review, GameSpot (Alex Navarro), Mar 13, 2007
• God of War: Betrayal Review, IGN (Levi Buchanan), Jun 27, 2007
• God of War III Review, GameSpot (Tom Mc Shea), Mar 8, 2010
• God of War: Ghost of Sparta Review, GameSpot (Tom Mc Shea), Oct 30, 2010
• God of War: Ascension Review, GameSpot (Mark Walton), Mar 7, 2013
• God of War: Ascension Review, IGN (Alex Simmons), Mar 14, 2013
• God of War III Remastered Coming to PS4 on July 14th, PlayStation Blog (Cory Barlog), Mar 20, 2015
• The making of the original God of War, GamesRadar+ (Leon Hurley), Nov 12, 2018
• All The Murdered Gods That Could Appear In God Of War Laufey, GameSpot (Alessandro Barbosa), Jun 7, 2026
• God Of War Trilogy Remake Release Date Speculation, Trailers, And Everything Else We Know, GameSpot (Blair Marnell), Mar 30, 2026
• God of War Sons of Sparta: What you need to know, PlayStation Blog (Santa Monica Studio), Feb 13, 2026
• God of War Sons of Sparta, Mega Cat Studios discuss origins of Kratos and company's name, PlayStation Blog, Feb 16, 2026
• God of War, PlayStation
• 'God of War': PS4 Game Hinges on Bond of Its 2 New Actors, The Hollywood Reporter (Patrick Shanley), Sep 29, 2017
• We Finally Understand The Ending Of God Of War, SVG (Nathan Simmons), Aug 7, 2019
• God of War Ragnarok Ending Explained: What Happens to Kratos?, Den of Geek (Matthew Byrd), Nov 11, 2022
• God of War Ragnarok Ending Explained by Narrative Director, MP1st (James Lara), Nov 20, 2022
• God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla ending explained, Dexerto (Sam Smith), Dec 15, 2023
• The Game Awards: 2022 winners, The Game Awards
• Games Awards 2023, BAFTA
• First look at God of War Laufey, PlayStation Blog (Grace Orlady), Jun 2, 2026
• God of War Laufey, PlayStation
• God Of War Laufey Delayed To May, Game Informer (Wesley LeBlanc), Nov 4, 2026
• What Happens To Gods When They Die?, Game Informer (Kyle Hilliard), Jun 16, 2026
• God Of War Laufey Actor Says The Love Between Kratos And Fey Is Like 'A Soul Finding Its Own Reflection In Another', Kotaku (Myles Obenza), Jul 28, 2026
• Dave Bautista Officially Set as Kratos in 'God of War' TV Series, Variety (Joe Otterson), Aug 20, 2026
• God of War's Story in 7 Minutes (2018), IGN, Mar 23, 2018 (video)
• The Complete GOD OF WAR Timeline Explained!, GameSpot, Sep 26, 2022 (video)
• God of War Ragnarok Review, GameSpot, Nov 3, 2022 (video)
• A New Kratos-Lead God of War Is Coming | Comic Con 2026, IGN, Jul 25, 2026 (video)