Unveiling Kratos' Uncharted Odyssey: How God of War Ignites a Breathtaking Journey

Content revamped: God of War has come a long way since its origins in Ancient Greece, and its protagonist, Kratos, has undergone significant changes as well. It is unfortunate that his previous family has not been given much attention, considering Kratos has formed a new family in a different mythology. Nevertheless, Kratos' character development has made him more diplomatic and considerate since becoming a father. In God of War Ragnarok, there is a foreshadowing of Kratos potentially meeting his demise, but in the end, he remains unharmed and even embraces a new life ambition, supposedly destined for him.

However, the opportunity to have Kratos depart from the series in a logical manner may have been lost. Atreus, now embarking on his own adventure, is expected to have his own standalone entry, allowing him to take over the franchise. Nevertheless, the decision was made to keep Kratos alive, possibly to maintain his status as a PlayStation mascot, as he continues to be an integral part of the series. While there may be valid reasons for this choice, saying goodbye to Kratos now would feel like a missed opportunity, as it would have been more authentic to let him go when the time was right.

God of War Losing Kratos After Ragnarok Would Feel Unceremonious

Kratos possibly had the most convenient exit from a storytelling perspective, which may be Santa Monica's way of bidding farewell to the character without requiring players to explicitly say goodbye themselves. However, this diminishes the impact a bit. It makes sense to allow players to explore the Nine Realms and complete any unfinished content, but it would be a huge surprise if Kratos were to be kept around, hinting at a potential sequel, and then abruptly announcing that there won't be another game with Kratos as the lead. If Santa Monica truly wanted to move on from Kratos, they would have needed to definitively retire the character in a way that made it impossible for him to return as a playable protagonist, even if he remained alive.

The ambiguous ending of God of War Ragnarok therefore suggests that Kratos will continue to be a crucial part of the franchise. The most effective way to conclusively wrap up Kratos's story in God of War Ragnarok would have been to offer a "true" ending that becomes available after completing all side content, similar to how Batman: Arkham Knight had a Knightfall Protocol ending that provided closure to Batman's story (although this ending seems to have been retconned or overlooked for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, regardless).

The 'true' ending for God of War Ragnarok could have depicted Atreus sailing off alone, leaving his destination ambiguous while also indicating that the franchise will no longer revolve around Kratos. Kratos, on the other hand, is destined to become a generous and beloved god. Rather than feeling like the end of his story, this sets the stage for the next God of War installment to explore this premise further.

There have been no announcements or confirmations to clarify whether this is true or not, but it appears that God of War has multiple sequels in the works as a result. If this was an intentional decision, it can be considered a successful design choice. However, if the intention was to eventually move away from Kratos, the opportunity to do so has now been missed, since the game's legacies have already hinted at Atreus leading his own standalone games. If Kratos is kept around only to be killed off or sidelined later on, his departure will feel undeserved and overdue, without much justification.

God of War Ragnarok is out now for PS4 and PS5.