Kratos (God of War)

Kratos (Ancient Greek: Κράτος, lit. 'strength') is a character and the protagonist of Santa Monica Studio's video game series God of War, which is based on Greek mythology and, later, Norse mythology. Kratos first appeared in the 2005 video game God of War, which led to the development of nine more titles featuring the character as the protagonist. Kratos also appears as the protagonist of two God of War comic book series (2010 and 2018–2021) and in three novels that retell the events of three of the games. The character was originally voiced by Terrence C. Carson during the Greek era from 2005 to 2013, and by Christopher Judge for the Norse era from 2018 to 2023; Carson returned in 2026 for the side-game God of War Sons of Sparta, a prequel that takes place during the Greek era. Antony Del Rio voiced a young Kratos in God of War: Ghost of Sparta (2010) and reprised the role in Sons of Sparta. Ryan Hurst is set to play the live-action version of the character in the upcoming television adaptation.

Throughout the Greek era of the series, Kratos is portrayed as a Spartan warrior who becomes known as the "Ghost of Sparta" after Ares, his former mentor, tricks him into murdering his family. Kratos later avenges their deaths, kills Ares, and becomes the new god of war. Kratos is eventually revealed to be a demigod and the son of Zeus, who later betrays him. Kratos embarks on several adventures in attempts to avert disaster or to change his fate, and is generally portrayed as a tragic figure. Vengeance is a central theme of the Greek era; installments focus on Kratos's origins, and his relationships with his family and the Olympian gods. In the Norse era, Kratos finds himself controlling his rage and learning how to be a father and mentor to his son, Atreus, whom he helps to come to terms with his divinity. During their journey, Kratos and Atreus combat monsters and gods of the Norse realm, which leads to the catastrophic battle of Ragnarök. Redemption is a main theme of the Norse era and Kratos comes to terms with his godhood, eventually becoming the Norse god of war and championing the ideals of hope.

The God of War franchise is a flagship title for the PlayStation brand and Kratos is one of its most popular characters. The character has been well received by critics, becoming a video game icon, and has had several cameos in games outside the God of War series. Judge's performance as Kratos in the two Norse-based games was highly praised, and received numerous awards and nominations.