God of War has been around since 2005. Because of that, a lot of newer fans may have missed out on the incredible stories each title offered to its players. If you’re here, you’re probably wondering what the Kratos curse is in the God of War titles. You may have heard it in passing through dialogue for God of War (2018) and Ragnarok, but it’s never really talked about in the recent games. Keep on reading to know what exactly is this curse Kratos has in the God of War games. Stay with us!
What is the Kratos curse in God of War?
A lot of gamers fell in love with Kratos being an antihero in the God of War titles. But did you know that there’s actually a backstory to all of that? In the past, Kratos wasn’t actually as evil as the gods and the prophecies make him out to be. To further explain it, let’s explore Kratos’ rich backstory and how he became who he is known now: the Ghost of Sparta.
Kratos and Deimos
Although Ghost of Sparta was released in 2010, it was the first game that let us get a glimpse of Kratos’ past. The oracle and how the Olympians interpreted it was largely to blame for why Kratos became the God of War.
- The oracle predicted that the fall of Olympus would be at the hands of a mere mortal. According to the prophecy, a marked warrior will come and burn Olympus to the ground. From those words alone, Zeus, Athena, and Ares were under the impression that it was Deimos who will cause the destruction of Olympus. They assumed that he is the marked warrior because of his birthmark, so they kidnapped him.
- When the Olympians kidnapped Deimos, Kratos believed that his younger brother was dead. However, the Olympians brought Deimops to Death’s Domain and had the god of death take care of him. For years on end, Deimos was tortured.
- Because Kratos was under the impression that Deimos was no longer alive, he took it upon himself to honor his brother. Kratos marked himself with a red tattoo as a way of remembering and honoring Deimos in whatever he did. The tattoo was also identical to Deimos’ birthmark.
His deal with Ares
Kratos grew up to be a formidable Spartan soldier. As he grew older, he easily breezed through the ranks until he became a general. Under his command, Kratos and his unit easily won countless wars. Things were going so well for Kratos until he had to face the Barbarians.
- During his fight with the Barbarians, Kratos and his men were on the brink of defeat. It was obvious that the Barbarians were going to win, so Kratos did what he had to do. Out of desperation, he called for Ares and asked for his aid in the battle.
- Ares responded and blessed Kratos with the type of power that would be enough to make the Spartans win over the Barbarians. That was eventually what happened. Unfortunately, Kratos had to hold up his end of the bargain and pledge a firm loyalty to the God of War.
- This didn’t prove to be a problem for Kratos at the beginning. But since Ares wanted to make sure that the Spartan would stay true to his word, he had Kratos undergo trials. One of these trials involved Kratos spilling the blood of his family.
- The whole time, Kratos had no idea that both his wife and daughter were in the temple full of civilians he murdered. Realizing he had been tricked, Kratos broke his deal with Ares and renounced the God of War.
A village oracle curses Kratos
While the temple burned to the ground, Kratos could only watch in horror as he processed what he had just done. A village oracle appears and curses Kratos for spilling his own family’s blood. As a way of making Kratos remember this “terrible deed,” the oracle fated for Kratos to wear his family’s ashes on his skin.
When this happened, Kratos’ skin turned pale white and this is where he got the title “Ghost of Sparta”.
Curse of the Blades
Another curse Kratos has is the Blades of Chaos relentlessly following him everywhere. This was not shown in the video games, but if you’re an avid reader of the comics for God of War, then you may have seen this issue already.
- The first two issues of God of War: Fallen God show us what Kratos has been up to after he left Greece. In the first issue, he resolved to find peace after everything that happened. However, the first issue focuses on how the Blades of Chaos will always show up no matter what he did to discard them.
- At the end of the first God of War game, Kratos vows never to use the Blades of Chaos. However, we see that this curse follows him until the latest entry in the series.
- No matter how much he tries to avoid and leave his past, it will always catch up to him. He may have finished his business with the Greek gods, but the Blades of Chaos serve as a reminder of his violent past.
- In God of War: Ragnarok, Kratos seemingly accepts the curse for what it is. Before setting out on his journey with Atreus, he picks up the Blades of Chaos despite swearing that this weapon will no longer have a part of his life.
Kratos bears the crosses of his mistakes no matter where he goes
With all that being said, Kratos definitely has a lot of repentance to do. Props to our favorite Spartan, though, as he seems fixed in his ways of becoming a better father and person overall with Atreus in his life. He obviously does not want a repeat of his past, but he already did what he’s done.
No matter how fast he tries to run from it, his past will always be looming over him. We’re interested to see what becomes of Kratos’ adventures in the next God of War titles to come!
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