mr barlog please give us content with these two, a comic book or something, ANYTHING please

Headcanons of Elijah being married to a Norse Goddess

Warnings: Fluff, cute Hope

A/N: I was playing God Of War and this popped into my head. Atreus is my boy and I love him

You married Elijah when he was human

Kratos was following you and Elijah around when you both were courting, this man is making sure Elijah isn't touching you

Showing Elijah your magic watch him be amazed by it

Faye already planning your wedding, your mother is always encouraging you to spend a lot of time with Elijah

Mikael and Kratos do not get along, Kratos finding Mikael too harsh on his sons while Mikael thinks Kratos isn't hard enough on Atreus

Going on the journey with your baby brother and father when Elijah was turned with his siblings

Doing old Norse traditions every Spring and Winter

Elijah teaching Atreus how to hunt when he was human

You coming home seeing that Atreus and Kratos sitting in the livingroom with Elijah who was smiling

"Surprise sister! Look we even brought Mimir." "I can see that."

You telling Hope stories of your childhood and adventures with your father

Hope curious about the Norse ruins tattooed on your body which lead you to tell her stories on why

Now Hope asks her uncle if they have their own tattoos which Kol tells her yes

"Daddy can I have one? I want ones like aunty Y/N." "When you are older Hope."

"Atti, aunty says you met the World Serpent!" "We did would you like to hear how?"

Elijah cursing in Norse when Hope is in ear shot so now Hope repeats the words, cue Klaus glaring at his brother

Elijah coming home to the sound of clashing swords and seeing you sparing with father as Hope watched in awe

Your heart melts at seeing how soft Kratos is with Hope as the old God shows her how to use a bow and arrow

"Aesir are Norse Gods little sister. Your aunt is part Jötnar, gifted with magic. " You over hear Mimir tell Hope making you smile as the head tells Hope stories

Hope asking Elijah questions about when he was human wanting to learn more about Vikings

Kratos answering Hope's questions about Spartans and Greeks finding her curiosity adorable

Everyone getting overly protective when you and Elijah tells the family that you were pregnant

"Elijah, your siblings are driving me crazy." "My love, they just want you safe."

Atreus carving a little wooden bears as a baby gift while Kratos made you a crib

Hope following you around the more you showed because she wanted to help you

Rebekah and Freya taking you baby shopping while Kratos takes your husband hunting

"Father I don't think the baby will need a sword." "How else will it fight." "Kratos, our child will not be fighting."

Atreus thinking of baby names with you saying it was his uncle's duty to help you

Atreus and Hope like touching your belly, they like feeling the baby move

The witches are more careful around you because Kratos and Elijah will not hesitate

psst... warflower gang I have learned something

it's pretty much accepted if Kratos and Freya have any more children they have daughters, Hnoss and Gersemi... but did ya'll know Loki in the Norse myths had brothers? Me either.

This is from the Prose Edda, and hi?? So Atreus can have some little brothers now.

Yang Summons Kratos (Norse era) as her Mentor.

Unfortunately, Yang already has a mentor. However, there is someone else who could have Kratos as their mentor.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Again."

Pyrrha lunged at her mentor, her spear clashing against his shield. In turn, his axe swung hard for her head, to which she responded by ducking and lifting her shield. The axe smashed against her smaller defense and sent her sprawling to the ground.

"Again."

Pyrrha stood up and turned to face her mentor. His cold eyes glared into hers, making her flinch. "Come." He ordered. She replied to his call by stepping forward, to which he replied by slamming his shield forward. Pyrrha fell backward, her shield doing little to protect her.

"Again." With a huff, Pyrrha stood up, her nostrils flaring.

"Enough." She blinked. "You are angry."

"I..." She gulped. "I'm not..."

"You cannot allow anger to cloud your judgement." He rumbled, his shield shrinking into his bracer. "Those who do often learn this lesson too late." Before she could speak, he raised his hand to her. "Breathe, then speak."

She did. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Be better." He said, his words echoing in her mind. He always replied to her apologies with that, and when she brought it up last time, he said, 'Because you did not listen.'

"Yes, sir."

"Now..." He readied his shield. "Again."

About an Atreus-lead game…

(Note: I originally wrote this for Reddit but it’s not gaining steam there because my god does Reddit hate this idea. But I spent too much time typing it out for it to get no eyes at all so fuck it. It’s getting posted here too. But it’s been copy pasted verbatim so that’s why the tone sounds different than what I usually post over here)

I’m admittedly a little surprise to see such negativity towards this idea, at least on Reddit. But I’ve realized by reading more posts about it that the people who don’t like the idea are picturing an entirely different game than the one I’m picturing.

So let’s talk about it

The main issue I’m seeing is people against the idea are imagining games lead by the exact same Atreus as the one that appears in Ragnarok. I’m not a game dev, but I am a storyteller, and I can tell you unequivocally that this would not be the case

Firstly, an Atreus-led game would almost certainly star an older Atreus. Probably an Atreus in his early twenties. If nothing else it’s just the most practical option if they plan on keeping Sunny Suljic as his actor. He’s already older than Atreus was in Ragnarok and it’ll probably be another year or two before Santa Monica is ready to record another hypothetical GOW game. Not that they can’t recast Atreus, I’d just be really surprised if they did.

This would give us an Atreus that’s a bit more experienced and fun to play for an entire game. While still being inexperienced enough to have a good arc and make lots of improvements over the course of the game.

Next, I see people saying they didn’t enjoy his gameplay during Ragnarok. I think assuming that his gameplay would be exactly the same in a solo game is a little short sighted. People are forgetting his gameplay is not MEANT to carry an entire game in Ragnarok. His segments are relatively short and more story focused than combat focused, at least when you compare it to the rest of the game. If he were to star in his own game, his gameplay would most likely be MASSIVELY expanded. In fact I think he has a ton of potential for fun mechanics in his own game:

Seeing as this franchise has Kratos fight with three different weapons each with unique gameplay, it’s super likely Atreus would get the same treatment. I could see him getting a more close-ranged weapon, think sword or something akin to it, as well as a medium ranged weapon like Kratos’ blades. If we leave the Norse lands with him (which I think we will) it’s likely these weapons will be from other cultures, and we’ll get to see very different designs and mechanics around them.

Secondly is magic. We know he has an affinity for it, but outside of runes the games don’t really have a in-depth spell casting system. This could change with an Atreus lead game, especially if it takes place when he’s a few years older. I could see him having learned more Giant magic in that time, and this could lead the way into some very cool gameplay. Combine that with leaving Midgard, and Atreus could be learning magic from all over. Imagine an Atreus game that takes him to Egypt, and he gets to learn the magic of that land. I think it would be SUPER fun!

Lastly, the mechanic I think has the most potential is shapeshifting. It’s his “Spartan Rage” ability now, but it’s still very new for him in Ragnarok. Loki in the mythos is a natural shapeshifter, he does it constantly, a more experienced Atreus might have that kind of control over his shapeshifting. I could see him learning new forms over the course of a game. Maybe some are story given and others you have to hunt for yourself. I’d imagine it’d work a bit like finding the keys to the other realms, some are given, but others you have to go out of your way to find. I imagine being able to pick between forms, if it stays his “special move” maybe you could select one like you select between the different types of Spartan Rage for Kratos. Each form with its own strengths and weaknesses in combat. Maybe it’s a mix of both, some forms you can access during normal gameplay and others are reserved for more intense moments. He could learn the forms of the new lands he goes to, turning into lions, elephants, even other mythical creatures of the lands. There is SO MUCH you could do with a shapeshifting system.

My point is, I see Atreus as a character ripe with potential for his own game, and am surprised to find people who don’t look past Ragnarok to see it. Obviously I didn’t mind his segments in the game, but I also play on story mode so that should give you an idea of how important combat is to me. Even so, I never thought what we saw in Ragnarok was all we’d ever get from him. This is a character who has just BARELY scratched the surface of his abilities and that shouldn’t be dismissed so quickly.

If you still don’t like the idea that’s fine. Kratos is great! But I think Atreus could be a very fun main character in his own game. If you read all this thank you and I’d love to hear what you think!

things i am adoring about gow ragnarok so far

• MANY DOGY

• atreus: shit!! >:/

• kratos: WHO TAUGHT YOU THAT WORD

• acknowledgment of calliope. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF CALLIOPE

• the very first miniboss fight against the bear, forcing you to beat it nearly to death before we get the reveal that it was Atreus all along and we get to see kratos have that GUT FUCKING WRENCHING realization that he nearly killed ANOTHER of his children in a bloodlust frenzy

• brok and sindri

• brok and sindri

• brok and sindri

• giant talking squirrel. my god i love Ratatoskr

• atreus casually refers to sindri as his uncle. brb im going to lie down and cry a little

• brok, upon meeting atreus again, walks around him a few times in bewilderment before asking what the Fuck happened to him. dismayed to learn that children grow. commands kratos to put a stop to that shit

• the description of the Talon Bow tells us that Atreus has “finally grown into it”

• the ravens are happy when we kill them. not gonna lie i was worried about that

• the journals in the previous game were all Atreus’s, but this time they are written by kratos and we get a lot of his own introspection

• kratos is letting atreus (and mimir) teach him how to read Norse runes, instead of just relying on atreus to read them for us

• there is so much love and warmth between all these characters that was so terribly absent from the last game! im aware that was the point — forcing atreus and kratos to bond with each other because the world was so profoundly empty of anyone else — but the cast has grown so much and so has our trust with them! kratos is bringing brok along as a companion while atreus is Fucking Grounded and i just love that for him

• atreus gets fucking grounded for sneaking out and running around unsupervised with a Girl. what the fuck that’s so cute. local demigod sent to his room without dinner for sneaking out of this plane of reality and doing unauthorized realm travel. he didn’t even call. teens am i right

• angrboda. angrboda. little miss i would kill or die for you. you wouldn’t let me but i will find a way.

• did i mention the dogys. there are so many fucking Dogs in this game and so far all of them have been nice :)

Chapter 9 ~ Witch's House

"I found it, father!" Atreus whisper-yelled, kneeling as he took out his bow. The two adults hurried to his location. Kratos placed his hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"Shoot when you're ready." he grumbled carefully. "Remember - Draw to your chest. A wild boar's hide is thick." the boy did as instructed and aimed flawlessly, only for the arrow to ricochet from its skin. "That was very good, Atreus!" the woman praised him. "But... I hit it, didn't I?" the boy was so confused, poor dear. "I did what you said and it looked like it bounced off. Could... The boar be magical?" "What do you think?" Kratos crouched in front if his son, testing his shrewdness. "It looked weirder than any boar I've ever seen..." the boy pointed out. "Let's go get it, then!" Kat jumped to her feet and tapped his shoulder. "Tag~!" she played along, running towards the boar. "Come on, child, let's catch our meal!" "H-Hey, wait for me!" the boy's eyes widened as he hurried after her. Kratos remained behind, shaking his head at the two and making sure nothing tries to chase after them. He couldn't believe their childishness, though he shouldn't have, one was an actual child, while the other always did everything in her power to combat his own grumpiness.

Though the fog was making the God feel uneasy, he continued sprinting after the two, calling out to his son - Atreus was able to shoot the boar, only for a lady, a witch, to yell at them for almost killing her friend. By the time Kratos arrived at the two, Katrina's hands were deep inside the boar's insides, bidding the woman's instructions. It came to the God, however, to carry the victim all the way through the gorgeous forest with the carmine-red leaves, to the witch's house that was surprisingly underneath a... A giant turtle tree?

Neither of the two Olympians should be surprised any longer, nothing ever made humanly sense after all. The witch used some kind of potions and powders on the boar, before telling the boy to go outside of the house and search for some plants. After a strong warning about the lack of welcoming manners that the Norse Gods have for outsiders, the witch asked for more ingredients, and it came to the Olympian to help the boy out. Katrina couldn't help but feel absolutely appalled that, despite her magic, she couldn't heal the boar - She was capable of healing any wound, so why not a magical boar's, then? Was it a curse? Or its magical properties? She couldn't tell, but she needed to find out fast, before something bad happens to them and she becomes powerless before their woes. Still, Katrina could only wonder how could this witch discern their identities with such ease... It was almost unnerving.

After the nameless witch drew a mark on the back of their neck, to keep their Godly aura hidden from the other enemies of the same status, she opened the door to an underground passage, through which they were to traverse, battling draugr and nightmares of all kinds, yet none stood a chance when facing them. She also offered them a magically enhanced Compass, to aid their journey. The magic of this world is so different from that from home. Though Kat was exceedingly intrigued and wished to learn more, she also felt unease, being so vulnerable and ignorant in a cruel, harsh wasteland where anything could kill you, and you'd have no clue on how to retaliate.

When finally they found a small boat in the underground cave, Kratos was the rower, Atreus sat opposite of him, excited for his first adventure, while the Goddess could only gaze around, taking in the beauty of the place - It might be a simple cave, but it was nothing that she's seen before. "I just can't believe I'm here, doing all this. There was a time when I thought I'd never leave our woods." Atreus spoke, a little nostalgic. "Or even my own bed, sometimes." "You were not to blame for your sickness." Kratos reassured him quickly. "Oh, I know... I guess I'm just sayin'... This is great!" Atreus exclaimed with glee. "Little One, you've been sick?" Katrina asked, vividly remembering Calliope's sickness, so long ago. "Y-Yeah... But I'm much better now! I haven't coughed even once since we've left home - Right, Father?" Kratos grunted in approval. "You're such a strong young man, Atreus! I feel very safe, knowing I have you protecting me!" Kat giggles sweetly, stealing a glance to her partner, whose expression was set and concentrated as always. "Oh, look, Kat, the mountain! We're so close!" Atreus turned around, staring awestruck at the mountain. "Ahh, the familiar smell of salt water, how comforting!" Kat hummed, her head leaned back, a relaxed smile on her face. "Salt water?" Atreus questioned her, confused. "We flow into the sea." Katros explained. "How do you know?" Atreus blinked, even more confused. "The sea has a rather strong smell of salt. My homeland is surrounded by two seas - The Aegean and the Ionian Seas. Smelling the salty, humid air is so comforting." Kratos avoided Katrina's gaze, not wanting to be reminded by his once home. Atreus, however, scrunched his nose in disgust. "If that smell's the sea... The sea stinks." his childish, innocent comment made the Goddess start laughing. "You are so adorable, Little One!" Kratos continued to row, out of the cave, and into the open sea. "Look at that - It's Thor!" Atreus pointed towards a colossal statue in the middle of the sea, depicting a man with a hammer grasped in his right hand. "Who is Thor?" Katrina asked, unfamiliar with the Norse Pantheon. "Thor... God of Thunder." Kratos' mention of the Gods made the red head shudder softly. "That's right! I never thought you listened when mum spoke of Gods." Atreus chuckled softly. "I seldom did." Kratos noted. "Did she speak of one who could feel no pain?" what a peculiar question, Katrina thought with a soft frown, wondering if this man he was referring to might be the reason for the destroyed land she walked past previously. "Oh - That sounds like Baldr. An Aesir God. Son of Odin and Frigg." it all sounded so foreign to Katrina, that she felt a shudder of fright go down her spine. "And Odin is king." Atreus approved. So Odin was a sort of counterpart for Zeus, then? What a scary thought. "If this Odin is the King of the Gods, then I dearly hope we will never have to encounter him." Kratos grunted in agreement.

Somewhere in the middle of the Sea, a gigantic scale-clad specimen seemed to be occupying a large section of the water bed; A thing, that may as well actually be a being, dead or alive, something that not even Atreus, born and raised in the North, had no clue of. Kratos rowed towards a smaller statue, just close enough for the boy to read the yellow-painted runes. 'Sacrifice your arms to the center of the water; Awaken again the cradle of the world.' "Is... This supposed to be a riddle? As we are now, our only arms I can think of are the boat oars." Kat tilted her head in confusion. "I think we're supposed to throw our weapons into the water." Atreus spoke his supposition. "Guess that won't be a problem for you." he jokes with his father and his fantastic ability of recalling his weapon. "Are... You gonna do it?" "I can do it, if you're not feeling comfortable with parting with your weapon." the Goddess placed her hand on his arm, speaking to him in a gentle voice. Kratos grunted as he rose to his feet, freezing the axe before throwing it far, far away, into the middle of the sea. "Impressive throw." she praised him, as he extended his arm, recalling the axe... Yet it didn't seem to return. "The axe did not return." Kratos pointed out. "No, but the sea in tremoring underneath us." Kat braced herself. "I did not wish for another Atlantis trip!" the once static scale-like being came to life, revealing itself to be the World Serpent, a snake so long that it's supposed to go around the world. The water shook with its movements, propelling their boat farther away, violently. "Hang on!" Kratos exclaimed, holding the two firmly in his strong arms, until the waves stilled once more. "What IS that?" the God asked his knowledgeable child. "It's the World Serpent...!" Atreus was completely fascinated as they faced the red serpent eyes. The snake rose its head, spitting out the Leviathan axe, impaling it into their boat, as if to return it to its rightful owner; Yet now, the weapon had been upgraded, imbued with Eitr, the poison of the World Serpent itself. "Stay calm, boy!" the God cried out to his Son, standing protectively in front of the two, as the Serpent looked down at them. "I am! This is great!" the young boy was captivated by this discovery. It seemed to try to communicate, but it was definitely not a language that even the Goddess of Nature could comprehend. "It speaks?!" Kratos asked his son. "Yeah! Mum said he's friendly!" what a sweet child. "So what is he saying?" Katrina asked. "I don't know!" the boy answered, almost indignant, as he managed to step in front of his father, at the peak of the boat, getting a better view of the serpent settling down.

With this change in sea level, a ship-wreak was revealed, along with the bottom part of Thor's statue, a golden temple, and even a dock. To think that all this was hidden underneath the sea. "This is just like Atlantis all over again." Kratos turned his gaze to the Goddess, grunting in amusement. Atreus even noticed a faint half-smile on his face, something he's never witnessed before. Her long hair was glued flat on her head and body, getting in the way, while the sheer material of her grass green dress took the silhouette of her forms, as though she was a masterpiece statue. As ethereally beautiful as always. "You look like a wet cat." Atreus wasn't sure if his father's joke was funnier, the fact that he actually was capable of such a feat, or that Kat's glare was the farthest thing from intimidating. Who really was this woman, and how did she know his dad? Will he ever find out the truth?

"You know of the Serpent?" the boy was suddenly brought out of his many questions. "He's one of the Giants, and he's so big that he's wrapped around the world and bites his own tail." the boy exclaimed, happy to show his father his vast knowledge of Jormungandr. "An exaggeration." Kratos easily refuted such childish fantasy. "I dunno, it looked pretty big to me." as Kratos helped Katrina step on the dock, he took out the Compass to see what it was worth; Sure enough, the coils of the Serpent were visible. They rushed up the stairs of the Golden Temple, only to get called out by a familiar vulgar-voice; It was Brok, the blue dwarf, welcoming the trio and urging them to take some more upgrades to their armor and weapons.

"If it isn't the rose bush, the bearded-beefer and his sac-seed! Have I got something for you three!" he invited them inside. "Brok?! But how did you--" Atreus wasn't able to finish his question, for he was already cut off. "None of yer fuckin' business. Now get in here, I got somethin' for ya! And don't go makin' pig eyes at my spot... I saw it first!" Brok pushed the large door farther open, welcoming them inside. "What a peculiar specimen..." Katrina murmured under her breath, uncomfortable with his brash tone and the myriad of curse words used - Definitely something she wasn't used to. "What do you think he wants?" Atreus asked, walking ahead, not witnessing the comforting look that Kratos offered Katrina, nor the tender touch of his fingers brushing her cheek, placing a gentle kiss on top of her head. "Thank you." that beautiful soft blush coating her cheeks was enough of a thanks for him. "To test out patience." Kratos finally answered his son, urging the woman to step ahead. "When word gets out about my shop, folks'll finally come outta hiding." Brok replied, a little too cryptic for their understanding. "They'll be clawin' all over each other just to catch a whiff at my wares - You watch!" he boasted cockily as he walked behind his workshop table. "Hey, flower garden, catch!" caught off guard, Katrina squeaked adorably in surprise as she struggled to catch a beautifully glowing light blue gem stone. "Ladies love jewels, don't they, ey?" he chuckled gruffly. "The pile o' rock there -" he nodded towards the rocks behind them that started glowing light blue, just like the gem, and levitated in the air to create a wonderfully carved stone door that seemed to magically connect realms. "With that Key of Yggdrasil, you can open a magic door to the branches of the World Tree - A shortcut 'tween realms. If y'ever see 'em out in the world, use it to get back to me quick." he instructed. "But it's only one way - Straight back here and nowhere else - And whatever you do, never, never, EVER, never, ever, ever, ever, ever throw yourself over the edge of the path... Lest you want death." Katrina shuddered softly, imagining a void-like purgatory. "Yeah, I don't see us wanting that." Atreus sarcastically joked.

Before they continued their journey, Kratos and Atreus upgraded their stuff; This time, Katrina agreed to wear a golden talisman that had the carved skull of a ram engraved in stone, and its horns were made out of some red jewel, while its eyes were green - It almost looked like her, how creepy. Brok mentioned it has the chance to stun enemies you attack, and it strengthens the power of the surrounding runes, how interesting, to think such a little necklace could have such power. Though she was skeptical, she agreed to having her spear embellished and carved with these peculiar Norse runes, under the belief they might enchant it. Now, she just needs to test it out.

Before they left, Kratos looked down at the Goddess and let out a low grunt. At first, he didn't utter a single word, yet his hand rose to touch the amulet around her neck, his calloused fingers trailing over the roughly sculpted charp. "It does not suit you." he muttered. "Yes... I agree. However, the dwarf said it might be of common use... So, I suppose, there is no harm in trying it out." Katrina smiled up at him. Kratos grunted in understanding. His eyes lingered on her body, before stealing a short glance at his child. "Are you not cold?" he found himself asking. "Perhaps a little, during the harsher breeze, but there is nothing that I cannot handle, per se. Though I cannot lie, I do miss the warmth of home." she chuckled softly at him. "I will find you something proper to keep you warm." he said, gently placing his large palm over the exposed skin on her arm. "Your flesh is freezing." he said, feeling the gold bracelet as cold as her skin. "Thank you, Kratos. Ever the thoughtful. There is no rush though, I am doing fine enough as it is." he couldn't look at her tender smile, knowing the urge to embrace her and kiss her was overwhelming his heart, and he didn't want Atreus to see and misunderstand his actions.

Once their business with the blue dwarf finished, the trio went back outside, forwards toward a large golden horn covered by moss. Amusingly enough, Kratos didn't want to blow into it, under some rather amusing pretexts. Poor Atreus was right, usually, they would push every button and pull on every lever they found, until something happened, and they had to beat up a bunch of creatures. Kratos truly was getting old, if he refused something like that. Instead, he opted for pulling on a lever to reach the bottom level of the temple, where they were met with a bunch of undead monsters, full of nasty water and algae - They were going to get quickly killed and returned to the afterlife, where they belonged.

Throughout the arduous journey, Kat couldn't help but look around like a child in a wonderland, admiring and gazing awestruck not only at the gorgeous landscapes that were so different from anything they had back home, but also, the myriad of mechanisms that would offer such fantastic rewards, such as a large copper bell that had to be powerfully hit to echo a strong jingle, or even treasure chests that could be opened not by even Godly sheer force, but through finding certain runes that would light up as soon as you touched them. Different civilizations, different pantheons, and certainly, different cultures, in all ways possible. It truly was fascinating.

Throughout the looktower, they stumbled upon another shrine - A Jotun shrine, they called it, and it had depicted on it, painted with gleaming gold, the World Serpent Jormungandr, ready to bite down on the one God known as Thor, the Thunder God. Katrina shuddered softly, the mere idea of having to meet malevolent Gods again not something she fancied. Still, she focused on admiring the artstyle of the shrine, and its power to predict future events, as they said.

Across the realm, they were met with trap-like flowers that emanated poison miasma that could easily prove fatal. Thankfully, Faye had taught Kratos how to counter them, using the freezing abilities of the Leviathan's Axe. Through more adventuring around the realm, they reached the foggy foothills, where yet another dwarf, garbed in golden armor, greeted them. He was soft-spoken and polite, albeit a little frightened and timid, poor man. He couldn't blame him for being afraid of confronting someone like Kratos though.

"Hey, uhhh, excuse me... How did you come by that axe?" the dwarf stuttered lightly. "That is my concern alone." Kratos rasped, not even sparing a glance to the stranger. "And uh.... While I won't dispute that... I know that blade." the dwarf was desperately trying to keep brave. "It was one of ours, but uh, we didn't make it for you." Kat couldn't help but admire the dedication and passion that blacksmiths had, recognising each of their work with a single glance. Hephaestus was much alike, she remembered the Smith God, long before he was corrupted. "Step aside." Kratos ordered, making the dwarf flinch, yet he bravely stood his ground. "I can't. See - The woman we made this for... I was, well... I am... Quite fond of her." Kat put her hand on Kratos' biceps, squeezing it delicately, as a way to show him that he needn't be on guard. "And I would, uh... Be quite... Displeased, if it turns out that... You did something to her." "You need not worry, little sir. We mean you no harm." the Goddess gently caressed the dwarf's face, immediately calming him down. "It was my mother's." Atreus stepped forward, speaking in a sad voice. "She left it to father before she died." "Faye's dead...?" the dwarf's breath hitched in his throat, and his whole body felt lax with grief. "I'm... Very, very sorry to hear that..." the dwarf sighed, looking away from the trio. "She was a fierce warrior... And a good woman." he sighed, before turning with newfound vigor towards the travelers. "Alright. I will make improvements to the axe." "But... No one asked you to." Atreus rose a questioning eyebrow. "W-Well, it's true, but... But knowing your mother, she would have insisted I repair that act of vandalism perpetrated against her axe by my brother." Kat giggled softly at the childishness of this brotherly feud. "I knew it! You are Brok's brother!" Atreus exclaimed, hopping towards the dwarf's blacksmith tent. "The other half of the brand's here." "The blue one is your brother?" Kratos quired, his eyebrows furrowed. "Yes... Though my talents are vastly superior. No boast - Swear to Freya." Freya... Was that another God of this world? Still keeping the dwarf under a stern gaze, Kratos took out his axe and handed it to the smith. "Do not undo his work. Improve upon it only." "Yeeeeaaaahhh.... But can you put it down over there?" the dwarf asked, visibly uncomfortable and trembling. Kratos rasped a drastic negative answer. "The handle is filthy..." the dwarf sighed shakily, his eyes darting around with great anxiety. "Okay, then... I'll just... I will just..." "By the Gods..." Katrina sighed, placing her hand over her lover's. "Kratos, please. If you will not accommodate him with his clear repulsion to uncleanliness, then at least allow ME to do it. I am getting uncomfortable myself simply by looking at his poor self." It was clear that Kratos had many things to complain about, simply from that look in his dark, stern eyes, peering into the Goddess' own forest-green ones; Instead, he simply gruffed, allowing the woman to slide her hand onto the wooden handle and aid the poor dwarf. "My, this is much heavier than I expected. People of the North must truly be strong, to be able to carry about such weapons." she chuckled softly, smiling at the dwarf as she placed the axe on the workbench. As soon as he finished with the upgrading, Kratos quickly snatched the axe back into his possession. "Anything else I can help you with?" the dwarf asked. "A coat, perhaps? Or a pair of breeches? I have to say, I've never seen anyone wearing such garments before. This silk feels like water... Amazing. You aren't from around, are you?" Sindri gently felt the material of her flowy dress that hugged her body like a godly sculpture. "My home is much, much in the South. I have been travelling for so many moons, that I lost count." Katrina smiled cheerfully, remembering her home. "I see. Well, I think I have just the right thing for you!" at once, Sindri brought a cloak of leaf-green, embroidered in golden thread, and a pair of skin-tight breeches, the same colour of the bark of brown-white trees. Her outfit hadn't lost her lovely nature-like allure. "Thank you for your kindness, Sindri. I feel much warmer now, thanks to you. You have my gratitude." the Goddess smiled warmly at him, making the dwarf blush slightly and look away. "Don't mention it, don't mention it! It's the least I could do! Now off you go!" with a lazy wag of her fingers, Katrina waved the dwarf goodbye, following Katros and Atreus towards the mountain.

During a particularly tall climb up the mountain wall, Atreus jumped on his father's back, being comfortably carried. the Goddess, on the other hand, simply ran up the wall, making Kratos gruff in annoyance, remembering that fool named Hermes, who pestered him similarly, years ago. He will never get over that annoyance. "Do you think for this last leg up the mountain that maybe I can carry her?" the boy asked, while Katrina was idly dangling her feet from the edge of the mountain. "I told you, no." came his father's resolute answer. "Why?" Atreus sighed in disappointment. "She meant more to me than you anyway." "What?!" Kratos rasped immediately. "Atreus!" Katrina gasped in surprise at the child's disrespectful comment. "You do not say such words to your father!" "I-I just meant -- I spent more time with her. You were off hunting a lot." the boy tried to explain himself. "He was out so he could provide your family with the comfort of food and the necessary items of the house. Were it not for your father, it would have been your mother away. It is a father's duty to provide for the family, and a mother's to care for it. Do not be so harsh on your father. He did everything he could for you." Kratos shot the woman a quick glance, half-grateful for the explanation that he would never be able to provide, but also, rather uncomfortable. "How would you know that? You've just arrived. You couldn't know what happened, could you?" true enough, Atreus' words made Katrina keep quiet, unable to muster a relevant reply that would not give away their identity. "It would serve you to stop talking." his father intervened thankfully as he went ahead to decimate a few undeads.

An uncomfortable silence filled the air as the three kept apart from each other by at least three steps. It was Kratos who led the way, as he crouched down to raise up a fallen boulder that was blocking the door. Just as he was able to pull it away, the large gates were sprung open by a hideous monster attacking them. It immediately tried to lunge towards the child, but Kratos quickly grabbed onto its forearm, halting its movement. It seemed to be communicating in low grunts, but they were unable to understand its tongue. "Let him GO!" Atreus tried to dash forwards and aid his dad, but Katrina quickly grabbed him by the  arrow quiver, pulling him backwards, just in time to evade a powerful swiping fist, which she took instead. It was one thing for a God to get thrown to the ground, and another for a child like him.

"Atreus, stand back!" Katrina called out to the boy, but just as she got up, the monster grabbed her at lightning speed, his grasp around her slender body squeezing so tight that it was difficult breathing. At the very same time, not only did the God of War shove his whole arm into the monster's gnawing mouth to protect her from harm, but Katrina, also, extended her hand towards its face, summoning her spear so that she could impale its skull. Finally, the monster was dead, on the ground. "Father!" Atreus called out quickly, pointing towards the approaching enemies. The Goddess quickly ripped away the monster's fingers from around her body and clinged onto Kratos' damaged arm. "Forgive me for getting you harmed, my love." she murmured softly, making sure the child wouldn't hear her words as she quickly healed his bleeding injuries. "It is fine." he grunted, holding his axe. "Ready yourself, boy." "Let me help out with these pests. You have injured yourself on my behalf far too much." Katrina sighed, summoning a bunch of vines from underground that latched tightly onto the undead, ripping them apart with ease. "An Ogre? Here?" Atreus was out of breath with shock at the intensity of this encounter. "Who built this place?" thankfully at least, once they passed through the large base, they reached the Mountain's Base. They were getting closer to the desired destination. "Whoa... I can see why mum wanted us to bring her here." "Indeed." Kratos gruffed, agreeing to the landscape's beauty. "Is there anything like this back at your home, Kat?" the boy asked. "No, not really. I have never seen anything quite like this. In fact, I do not recall ever seeing snow before either." the red head shivered softly at the cold breeze.

Atreus quickly went on ahead towards the bridge engulfed in a pitch black smoke, coming up from the face-like mountain wall. He seemed to try and get close to the smoke, but he was unable to. "Kat, you have magical powers, right? Think you can do something about it?" Katrina stepped forward, slowly reaching out her hand towards the blockage, only to quickly snatch her hand back with an electrifying hiss. "This curse is something that I cannot undo. Its malevolence is foreign to even me. We must find another way." she tried to look around in hopes that she could create a ladder of sorts, but she doubted, given the harsh blizzard around them, that she would be able to safely get them both across. "Then, maybe the witch? Wish she was here. I bet she could get us past this." Atreus sighed sadly. Out of nowhere, the witch's voice startled them with her presence. Was she summoned here, somehow? Creepy. "My magic is useless against the Black Breath, and there's no way around it. Odin saw to that long ago." Atreus quickly skipped to the witch, grinning widely in happiness. "What are you doing here?!" "Making sure you can finish your journey." she bent at his level, her hand squeezing his shoulder motherly. "Why wait to warn us?" Kratos asked defensively. "I was busy saving my friend, if you remember..." Kratos grunted, looking away. "The Black Breath is a corruption of magic even I can't dispel. Only the pure Light of Alfheim is strong enough to break through it, but that road is long. What does this goal mean to you?" "It's everything." Atreus replied. The witch seemed to be touched by the boy's resolve. "Follow me." Kratos grabbed her arm, seizing her with his eyes. "Why help us?" "Maybe I see more of myself in you than I'm willing to admit. Maybe..." she gulped slightly, hesitating in her truthful answer. "Maybe by helping you, I'll make up for a lifetime of mistakes." she shrugged softly, smiling at the child. "Or maybe I just like you." "Even though we shot your friend?" the witch smiled dryly. "Even though you shot my friend, yes." "Where must we go?" Kratos asked, as the trio started following her. "To a realm beyond your own." the witch replied, running off ahead. "We're going to another realm?! Are you coming with us?" Atreus asked, excited. "Only for a little while." she repeated Kratos' reply.

They came by a large contraption, which Sindri had previously talked about. Seems that he was able to finish repairing it, what a fantastic smith. The witch explained their destination was Tyr's Temple, the one previously under water, and from there, they will be able to travel to Alfheim. When the God asked about the World Serpent's whereabouts, she explained that there is no one with such knowledge, though when Thor attacked it, their battle was felt across all the realms. The fight ended in a stalemate, and though Thor returned empty-handed to Thor, they are destined to kill each other, come Ragnarok. Kat wasn't quite sure what Ragnarok was, but the witch seemed to be rather terrified of that notion.

She guided them back towards the large gates, where there was no way across. Instead, the witch was smug, and she took out her bow, firing an arrow towards a large gem glowing blue. "Ljosta!" she exclaimed, and a solid bridge of pure light spawned across. Elven architecture, she said. Her bowstring was soaked in the Light of Alfheim, and it has the ability of reawakening the magic of the Elves.

The witch was rather impressed by Atreus' knowledge of Vanir magic, from the realm of Vanaheim. He mentioned his mother telling him that the Vanir Gods are always at war with the Aesir Gods of Asgard. He said they are 'Good' Gods, compared to Odin and Thor, but are there truly any good Gods out there? "There are no good Gods, boy. I thought I taught you that." Katrina pondered over a little Kratos' reply. Gods are all selfish, yes, she often warned him of that notion - But she never did think that Gods like Hestia or Hebe were evil. She could even say that Aphrodite, Anteros, Psyche and Eros were very kind... Not that she could ever see Kratos getting over his hatred of the Gods.

Once they went past another great set of doors, they reached Tyr's Temple. The witch mentioned that, with the help of the Giants, Tyr was able to travel across all nine realms and keep the peace between them. Something must have happened to this Tyr, considering the amount of dead things overflooding the premises and destroying everything in their path. With the aid of Kratos' fantastic Godly strength, they were able to turn the whole entire bridge into position. It was a fantastic sight, seeing Kratos' incredible power in action once more. Hopefully, he wasn't hurting.

The Witch mentioned this temple being the very last construction where all nine realms worked together. With some kind of immersive magic, the witch used the last bit of Alfheim Light to create the bridge, before swapping around her bowstring with Atreus', instructing him on how to infuse his own weapon with such power. She also said she doesn't think she'd be able to follow, considering a numerous amount of measures had been taken to keep her trapped in Midgard. Was Midgard the human realm they were walking on, then? The more Kat learns, the more she realises her lack of knowledge is even greater than she anticipated. She said the Gods don't care much for her - But surely, the Gods wouldn't make sure she's unable to travel, if she were unimportant. How peculiar.

They entered together in this Realm Travel Room that was pitch black - She says they need the light of the Bifrost to reawaken, for the temple had been underwater for over a hundred and fifty winters passed. They reached a large tree, known as the World Tree, which makes this traveling between realms possible. It was glowing a magical blue. The Witch offered Kratos a small gadget which could capture the Light of Bifrost and allow this kind of traveling. "Amazing...!" Katrina was breathless at the beauty of this place, once Kratos stuck the gadget into its rightful place, and the lean surface of the water starter glowing a lovely fluorescent blue, waving and emanating cinder drops around like fireflies. From underneath the small water basin, a miniature layout of the temple emerged, whilst at the same time, blue fire came out from the ground in nine different places across the room, signifying the different realms. The witch explained these realms all exist in the same physical space as reflections of each other. These doors, the towers outside, and the nine realms are all intertwined and co-exist on the branches of the World Tree, separated only by the Bifrost light of Alfheim. Katrina could barely pay attention to the explanation, as her eyes were bewitched by the work of lights surrounding them in the darkness, illuminating the place with blue sparkles of all kinds. This place they were in, could focus and control that said light.

Atreus voiced what the Goddess was thinking - This World Tree was merely an artistic representation of the much more impressive and grand Yggdrasill. The Tree of Life is bound to the fate of the world, just as they all were bound to it. The tree nourishes the soils; The dew from its leaves feeds the valleys and rivers. The Tree's very existence supports all of creation along its boughs - Its life energy interwoven into the tapestry of life - Birth, growth, death and rebirth. Every strand - Transcending time, transcending space. Everything comes back to the Tree. The Goddess was in awe, her heart having stopped altogether, as a gentle flurry of blue snow swished around them, and the small sprouts of flowers growing at the roots of the tree bloomed together in perfect sync.

The witch explained how, by turning this wheel around the water basin, the great wheel that Kratos previously moved would also be spurred, as the bridge aligns to the different realm towers on the lake outside. As Odin had prevented access to vanaheim, and Jotunheim was currently unavailable, for the Realm Tower was missing, they were urged to move towards the Alfheim tower. She drew a symbol rune on Kratos' palm, so they can lock into this realm and begin the sequence at once. Everything around them changed, and a single part of the room got illuminated in brilliant blue, as the roots grew longer towards the crystal glowing there. Each realm has a corresponding crystal that focuses and amplifies the power of the Bifrost, she said, opening the bridge to that realm. As she continued speaking, a powerful blue lights engulfed them - Yet it was not a blinding one, but a soothing blue that seemed to caress their souls.  Before they left, Atreus was curious about the missing Jotunheim Tower, to which he was told that the Tower went missing by the time the Giants disappeared from Midgard, and no one knows its whereabouts. As the blue lights subsided, the boy thought nothing happened. The witch hummed in amusement, urging them to follow her

Kratos pointed out the Bifrost became dark - It was out of power, thus, they could not return without being replenished by the Light of Alfheim. But Katrina wasn't concerned by such trivialities; She was captivated by the flowers that turned red, just like her hair, the same colour as the Maple Tree Leaves. Kratos had to grab her by the wrist and pull her towards the exit, revealing what looked like a city overgrown with trees. The witch's smile quickly vanished once she realised the Light was barely visible - The Column of Light in the horizon, housed in the heart of a ringed temple, was supposed to be far more powerful.

But the witch was beginning to dissipate in a glowing green light. The trio grabbed onto her, but it was in vain, for the curse was too strong to be resisted. "To restore the Bifrost's magic, you must step into The Light - But be very careful not to get caught up in the --" before she could finish her warning, however, she was pulled inside a portal, no doubt, back to Midgard. "How convenient, being unable to finish the full warning." Kat chuckled, shaking her head. The boy's panic was almost hilarious to her. The whole placed seemed to be fused up with some kind of plant-based organism... Though it also looked a little like corals. How peculiar, she's never seen anything like it."Are you ready for yet another misadventure?" "No."

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OMG, i just love your platonic yandere gow stuff and i kinda have a prompt that i just can't get out of my head and i wanted to know if you'll up for writing it

so lets say that reader is well lets say understatemented because of how much people don't really see him as anybody else then being kratos son and loki's/atreus brother

so… what if lets say the reader sees the peeps (sif, thor, heimdall, freya and anybody else you want) in trouble and reader being seen as the weakling out of his family suprisingly saves there life like they do some powerful magic shit

Sorry if you don't want to write about this, but it was just stuck in my head and i wanted to share

thank you and goodbye :>

Broken Truth (Looks at the ask): Let's be honest - Thor and Heimdal can handle themselves in a fight, Lady Sif really wouldn't leave Asgard and Thrud would be able to defend herself without any help; so I'll write for Freya because she's the only one I can see getting into trouble and needing help. If I think of someone else, I'll come back to this ask and add to it. I hope that's okay.

Someone gave me an idea to make [Name] something like the Dragonborn from Skyrim because I gave his voice power in the Thrud Extension and it would do good in this.

I'm thinking of giving [Name] a name, what do you guys think about 'Nithe' for a name? It means Dragon or Serpent in Old Norse if my research is valid. Anyway, let the words weave together.

[Freya]

Freya was looking for some kind of rare ingredient in the land where the dragons were plentiful, it was quiet for a while when she found the ingredient but that's when the dragon attacked. Freya did what she could and used her magic along with her combat skills but the creature overpowered her and knocked her into the wall, causing her to drop her sword and slump to the ground. She looked at the creature with blurry vision as it slowly stalked toward her before charging at her; she closed her eyes and waited for the impact but it never came, she opened her eyes when she heard the dragon roaring in anger and pain, and came face to face with an unbelievable panorama.

A single body stood between Freya and the Dragon & that body was [Name] - the youngest & 'weakest' of the Sons of Kratos. Holding the head of the dragon still as it struggled and tried to get away from him.

"Dovah Mul!" [Name] roared out in an unknown language as he began lifting the dragon up and threw it against the wall, making it slump to the ground. [Name] looked at the downed beast with an unknown fury in his eyes, this made Freya rise to her feet and hold her bleeding arm.

"[Name]? What are you doing here?" Freya asked.

"Stay back, Lady Freya, I'll deal with this." [Name] demanded as the dragon began to stand again. The beast inhaled and shot a river of fire in [Name's] direction, he inhaled and spoke in the strong language again.

"Yol Toor Shul!" [Name] roared out as a river of fire left his jaws and collided with the dragon's canceling each other out before he inhaled again and hit the dragon in the face with his fire, causing the creature to screech in pain and fly away from the agony. [Name] watched to make sure it was gone before turning his attention to Freya, who healed her wound. "Are you alright, Your Majesty?"

"I...I am fine. How did you do that? You had the strength of a dragon and you could breathe fire like one; aren't you a human?" Freya asked as she walked over to [Name] who shook his head.

"I'm half-giant & half-god. My Blood holds the blood of a dragon, my mother found that out a long time ago and was training me to learn more about controlling it but ever since she died, father refused to train me." [Name] explained it as he looked around for something.

"What are you looking for?" Freya asked as she followed his gaze but couldn't see anything.

"I heard that this dragon took a very powerful steel and I wanted to use it to make a weapon for myself." [Name] said as he walked over to the dragon's hoard and began digging through all the various metals until he found the one he was looking for. "I need to get back home and craft my weapon before father and Atreus get back." [Name] began walking to the ledge of the high point before Freya called out to him.

"Wait, have you thought about my offer? Will you become my son and the brother Baldur saw in you?" Freya asked him.

"I...I can't see myself leaving y father and brother. Please understand, Lady Freya" [Name] said as he turned and sprouted dragon wings and began flying away.

"I understand that you are too good for him and I shall make you my son, [Name]." Freya said as she went to the hoard and got the ingredients she needed.

See, in the perfect world where Kratos and Freya get together, I imagine it happening several years down the road once they’ve finished fixing the major leftover problems from Ragnarok and are establishing a somewhat centralized place of operations in Midgard.

It probably starts off small with some casual affection from Freya (in private) that Kratos doesn’t object to because he’s come to have feelings for her as well and then it probably progresses to a private ceremony between those two because Kratos doesn’t like pomp and circumstance. From there people slowly find out and leave gifts which would’ve annoyed Kratos if they’d all been given at the same time but since they’re spread out he’s fine with them and appreciates the sentiments in any case.

I’m up in the air on if they have a kid, but, if they do I’m going to say it’s a girl that (shockingly enough) isn’t named Calliope. Freya probably has a Vanir name picked out and Kratos wasn’t going to argue it. That child, of course, ends up being a great warrior but ever since she was little (possibly learning from what he views is a mistake he made with Atreus) Kratos also encourages her to pursue any other interests she enjoys, Freya does too, and I’m guessing she learns how to play some kind of instrument.

Oh it will be a slow burn but they're rather closer than further to becoming a thing IMO. And yes, they will be private about the whole thing for sure. Both Freya and Kratos like their privacy very much, especially after years of torment they both faced. I can see them staying in the realm between the realms for long years and then move to another realm, different than the ones they lived so far. Or maybe even move somewhere else, find a home in a different world.

According to Norse Mythology they should have two daughters :) Gersemi and Hnoss :) I can see them creating a very warm and loving family, Atreus being the best big brother the girls could ever wish for. Kratos becoming soft like he was with his previous daughter and Freya becoming an understaning and responsible mother, giving her kids lots of freedom and teaching them instead of trying to protect them for all the cost. She'd still protect them, like any mother would. But not to the point of ever casting any potentially harmful magic on them. She would not dare to lose them like she had lost her son. And Kratos being their dad would also be a huge protective thing. He's loyal, loving and strong. He would never even think about messing with their heads like Odin did with Baldur. He'd also teach them, in a softer way than he did with Atreus though. He understood his mistake and asked the boy to open his heart. That was a huge step.

God of War: Ragnarok - Review

No secrets on how I felt about it given the gif, and to tell you the truth I still have some Berserkers, Muspelheim trials and one very feisty Valkyrie Queen to deal with, but I've dealt with the main story and if I keep delaying it (having to wait over a month to get it because people were nagging me for birthday ideas) I'll end up not doing it, so here's a more in-depth review of the game

Spoilers for the game

So yeah, I really enjoyed the game, probably a little more than the first of the Norse saga, there's plenty it excels at but at the same time there are elements I found were not as good as the previous. We'll get the negatives out the way.

What I didn't like as much Perhaps my bigger gripe (which is an actual gripe) is the combat. The invincibility frames, and lack thereof, are frustrating especially against Elite and Boss fights, you can take a ton of damage when you're doing a Runic attack or you can hit an attack that should stun an enemy and then the enemy will no-sell it and land a stronger blow. With bosses I also didn't like that you couldn't tell between a dodgeable red attack and a red attack where you need to attack them to stagger them, so it can get annoying. Personally I also preferred when summoning the axe was a simple triangle, using the D-Pad does slow my rhythm.

In addition, the Amulet of Yggdrasil is a bit of a downgrade to the equipment slots, there are less customization options as well which makes it harder to get a decent armor build, in the end I stuck with the Survival gear because it had the best stats - which makes you wonder why do you bother with the other sets? I also felt sad that we lost out on some skills and runics, Ivaldi's Anvil thankfully stuck around but all the other Runic attacks I used before didn't transition to the sequel. It would've also been nice for the companion armor to have some stat modifications too.

While it was good to visit all the realms, the time you spend in each realm isn't so well spread out, Vanaheim is beautiful but I lost my senses with how long I was in there, Day/Night based missions with respawning flora catching me out, we spent so much time there and yet Jotunheim, Asgard, Niflheim and Helheim used very sparingly. This transitions into my least critical gripe that we could've spent more time in the main story; take the Atreus quests (or Loki Sennas as I sometimes call them), Ironwood was just one whole chunk and you only get 3 Asgard chapters, which does reduce our time spent with characters like Skjoldr, Thrúd, Thor, Sif, and Angrbroda, I also feel like we could've spent more time with Freyr's rebel squad a bit more, Birgyr's sacrifice may've been undercut by surviving but the act of his sacrifice would've landed much harder if we had spent more time with his character. On lighter sides, I do also wish we had some more creative special bosses, particularly Bitter Squirrel I wanted to smack that rodent around, fighting the Norns would've been interesting - and I do wish we could go back just to show them that we survived anyway - and got to visit more prophecy cabinets' secret rooms just to learn more of the world.

And finally, when we talk about characters, Thor. Now I loved what we did with Thor because he was in many ways a mirror of Kratos, who also found a sense of peace by bettering himself from his brutal, genocidal and bloody past, and while I understand that Odin killing Thor is a big moment, it also sucked that we robbed Thor of the chance to better himself by having him die the first moment of agency he has against his father. While it does represent the continuation of the cycle Kratos tried to avoid by killing Baldur in the previous game (Parent killing Child/Child killing Parent) I felt there could've been more stock in Thor getting the chance to be good, especially with a potential sequel, we could've also done more with Gryla.

What I really liked Of course we can choose 'everything else', because this game is a lot of fun with equal parts of frustrating - unsurprising that previous annoyers like Wulvers and Revenants come back just to join new annoyers like the Dreki and Bifrost users (like seriously that Bifrost Berserker...) - with stunning visuals and music to boot.

Its crown jewel is of course the character building; each character undergoes a compelling journey, most compelling is Thor with how his character is subverted from his stories into a sympathetic grieving character and Kratos' journey to try and find a way to live knowing that Atreus will soon seek his own path. We also got new characters such as college bro Freyr, Angrboda (who exposes Atreus' inability to flirt), rough and tough aspiring valkyrie Thrúd and 'face in the dictionary' bastard Heimdall who made strong impressions without overshadowing the current characters. Odin's role as chief villain as well is great because of how unlike God of War it is, his villainy isn't some hulking muscle sponge for Kratos to skewer like it's a washboard, he's cunning, sly and manipulative, having influenced Atreus throughout the whole story by posing as Tyr (I did wonder why he was caged in such an unguarded area), which leads us into the tragedy of losing Brok. The dwarves' 'chaperoning' did provide some good comedy, and as we built to Brok being without part of his soul we slowly didn't clock onto his death, which hurts even more given how he was both correct to suspect 'Tyr' and we had recently come back from a deep scene of him blessing the Draupnir Spear. Admittedly I didn't like the blipping out animation because it always feels like a bug, but Sindri's grief is a heartbreakingly tragic part of the story necessary to bring us to our lowest point, while the grief will linger with Sindri, I felt that Sindri being the one to 'kill' Odin was justified.

Initially, I wasn't sure I'd like the Draupnir Spear; as a ranged weapon I worried it wouldn't fit with the more hack n slash style, but I was greatly wrong in that department. The Spear is great, I use it a ton especially against the Drakes, Wights and Phantoms since it's good for stunning and longer range. The expansion of allowing Atreus to fight alone with his own unique skill tree is also a lot of fun, having his own variation of 'Spartan Rage' in shapeshifting, as is getting to have Freya as a companion to fight alongside too by being able to use her Valkyrie powers. Dialogue also remains fun and witty, expanding on elements of the speaking character, particularly Mimir and his past, but it was also surprising to see Kratos open up on his past a lot, not only to Atreus and Mimir but to Freya too (who engage in a lot of 'hate flirting' and just general flirting) even mentioning his wife and child and also Deimos - existing only in PSP side games.

While we spend A LOT of time in Vanaheim, all of the realms are good to explore, Jotunheim is particularly breathtaking and both Vanaheim and Svartalfheim has some fantastic scenery, Asgard itself is good to look at too, very Nordic in its aesthetic of longhouses and taverns, each realm feeling different for the other. And then the crescendo of Ragnarok did set up a big and dramatic ending.

The ending too is bittersweet, but it fully encapsulates the themes of God of War; choosing ones path in spite of prophecy, letting go and embracing the unknown - which Odin couldn't comprehend doing, and not responding to grief by sinking into old ways, it is a perfect end to the Norse saga while leaning but not fully copying aspects to how Ragnarok and other aspects of Norse myth - such as the origin of Loki's 'children' - went down (though I would not have minded Fenrir just popping up and swallowing Odin whole much like he does in Norse Ragnarok). And yet, then there is still a wealth of post-game still to achieve, which does benefit in extending the play time.

So yeah, everything else.

The Norse Saga ends, but what next? I know that Barlog has said that the Norse saga is over, and that they're eyeing Egyptian and Maya mythology, but part of me does feel like part of the Norse saga is still unfinished.

If it were me at least, I would look towards perhaps working on a multi-pronged assault. Odin is dead but that doesn't mean his religion is all gone; he was worshipped by Saxons and other Germanic faith too, which could invite British folklore to come to try and avenge Odin and perhaps even trigger the Wild Hunt - which Odin sometimes leads. We could also use Odin's oft-forgotten brothers Ville and Vé and refashion them into leaders of other pantheons in other lands, seeking to avenge their brother in the same way. While that is happening too we can have Sindri's descent, acting upon rage and the path of revenge since killing Odin didn't give him the satisfaction he had hoped, in that aspect Sindri could be Atreus' enemy but one Kratos can eventually talk down after he gets clarity over the damage he has caused - probably through association with another, for instance Vidyar, son of Odin and god of Vengeance, or by creating Tyrfing the cursed sword that kills whenever it was drawn to rival the Leviathan axe out of grief and anger, knowing that to get to Atreus he'd need to distract Kratos. Finally I feel like we should also consider bringing Athena back as a manipulator in the shadows, looking once more for a chance to drop the hammer on Kratos at his most vulnerable, she could also be associated with the mask, since they both bore an ethereal green light and she did find a way to avoid death in a higher plane of existence.

With that we could also get Atreus seeking other lands for more Jotnar who established themselves as other deities from other pantheons, while maybe also inheriting his mother's axe in the end while Kratos seeks to fulfill Faye's new vision for him by protecting the lands that home his allies and family, therefore bridging out to other pantheons that way without having to kill off or discard all of the Norse saga's groundwork.

Regardless, and I have cut a lot short just so it didn't get too long such as gushing about Fay, all the doggos, the Tortoise with a mini tree growing out of its back etc., Ragnarok leaves me fulfilled with my playing experience and yet equally eager and anticipating for more, so I hope to see what Santa Monica has for us next.

hi ! do you have any thoughts about kratos and heimdall together? i love your writing and am very interested on your take on this interesting n odd pair!

Hello! And my, this is a hard one, isn't it?

No matter how you slice it, this would be a difficult pairing from the get-go. Heimdall is... very much a representation of a younger Atreus that never grew up, in a sense. At least that's how I see it! I've noted his vanity, shallowness, and superiority/inferiority complex before, so I'll move past that, and say that Heimdall is a foil to and for Atreus.

That said--it could work. But Heimdall would have to go through some serious personality and mental growth before Kratos would ever, presumably, entertain even the thought of something more than pity and/or hatred regarding him. You could also say he may feel some regret for the way he lost control during their fight that had resulted (as thought) in Heimdall's death and, in his own way, may make it up to him.

Or... perhaps, Heimdall develops something of a death wish. Why should he have survived if he failed? Odin was dead, he has no purpose in life without him, so he deliberately seeks Kratos out to force him to kill him permanently this time.

You could easily draw parallels to Baldur, here.

But since we're talking about the relationship aspect and my thoughts on it, I'll stop rambling about how I think it could work canon-wise. 😅

• They're dysfunctional at best, polar opposites at worst. Kratos is stern, gruff, takes no bullshit; Heimdall is all bullshit, mouthy, defensive--it would be the first thing Kratos would have to train out of him to expose the deeper issues he has. Being a father would mellow him out enough for him to understand where Heimdall's coming from, but only just.

• Heimdall runs his mouth. Kratos would barely tolerate it before his temper would get the better of him, especially in the beginning stages.

• Kratos would no doubt see Heimdall as a way to right the wrong he committed in almost killing him and losing control. Despite how unbearable the man can be, I think Kratos would see the benefit in returning him to something worthwhile that does not depend on his now dead father's approval.

• Loneliness. Assuming Mimir takes up his torch with Sigrun, Kratos will be alone for the majority of the time post-Ragnarök. With Freya only able to join his journeys every so often due to issues within Vanaheim, this would be the perfect place to introduce Heimdall as a sort of growth experiment. He would have to learn to do things he never had to when in Asgard, and the hard way.

• Without his arm, Heimdall's esteem would tank drastically. His foresight would be of no aid to him there. Kratos could bond with him through these things, teach him to use a weapon, as he would no doubt have experience teaching maimed warriors to fight in some way. (And if not, perhaps he takes on a particular side quest regarding just that.)

• But, when all is said and done, you must consider Faye. She was a large part of Kratos' restructuring within the Norse lands and it cannot be easily brushed aside. Heimdall would be snide about her existence, expressing distaste of her giant heritage. Kratos would, without a better phrase, need to show him who's in charge. And no, that's not an innuendo haha.

• This relationship has a high chance of turning toxic. I'd throw a guess out there and say around 90% if Heimdall doesn't change his ways and 100% if Kratos starts slipping, because Heimdall reminds him too much of a certain Greek God he had killed long ago.

• I really don't think it would be sunshine and rainbows. There would be happy spots, yes, but Heimdall does not seem to be able to coexist in a family unit, especially one so heavily marked by those he considers wronged his father. And if he did try, he would have periods of running away, but would return.

• It's a very complicated question of: will he? Can Heimdall change enough to be something better for himself and not just Kratos? Enough to keep a relationship with the man, to boot?

• Heimdall would struggle with the idea of a non abusive fatherly figure, especially through the lens that he sees Kratos interact with Atreus. He would need to get over that quickly or any chance of this working implodes fantastically.

• Don't get me wrong, Kratos would have to put in a lot of work alongside Heimdall to make it somewhat stable. And I think it could be, with time and effort, and eventually be something based on love, but truly... I think we all know it would be sparked by the sexual tension that arises between the two.

So, with all this in mind, I think it could work! But anyone who writes it would have to have some consideration for Heimdall's issues, his new existence as a disabled god, and Kratos' slip up. 🤔

I hope this was helpful! This was actually a really tough question for me and I enjoyed it immensely. And thank you for being a fan of my writing 🥰

Revna

Revna , a female given name from Old Norse, meaning “raven”,

First photo is done on Picrew

Born: Unknown

Age: 600 years old

Type of God: Aesir

Gender: Female

Parent(s):  Odin & Freya

Hair colour:  Blonde

Eye colour: Blue

Height: 177cm (5ft10)

Nicknames:  Raven, Rev, blondi, _______________________________________________

Personality: Caring, nurturing protective, a heart of fury and a serious nature. Revna cares for the ones around her, despite being an Aesir her time on earth showed there is more to life than blood and violence

Likes: her family, training, meditating, studying, cooking, crafting, telling stories, magic, forging weapons and Kratos

Dislikes: Heimdall, seeing her loved ones hurt, mentions of Ragnarök

_______________________________________________

Backstory:

The middle sibling of the Odin family, sister to Baldur, Thor, Týr. Revna shone a light upon the Odinson family, some may even say Odin was happy to have a daughter. When she was born he immediately thought of the name Revna, which meant Raven.

Growing up Odin taught her all she needed to know, all the while learning from her family members. Learning to weild a sword, to shoot a bow and arrow, from magic and to communicate with the Ravens she had her fathers wits and intelligence and her mother's knowledge in magic.

After the divorce of Freya and Odin, Revna remained in Asgard with her family. And grew up to be a fine young warrior, respected and loved by many.

When tensions were rising, and Odin's daughters life was almost lost. Odin did the unthinkable, erasing her memory of her family and Asgard and sending her down to Midgard. All the while sending one of his many Raven's down with her to protect her.

When Revna woke up, she was in a midgard forest, not knowing who she was ... Or where she was. All she seemed to remember was the will to survive, to fight and to communicate with the Raven's

Eventually encountering Kratos and Faye, they sheltered her. Despite how hesitant Kratos was, Faye insisted. Upon Faye's death she assisted Kratos and Atreus, spreading Faye's ashes at the highest peak ... All the while her past was catching up to her.

The nightmares kept on getting worse over the years which reflected to her past, flashes of memories and sometimes she used her powers to teleport herself to one place and another.

11 years later after Faye's passing Revna assisted in helping Kratos and Atreus spread Faye's ashes.

Coming across Freya, who was actually Revna's mother. Rejoiced as she was Revna couldn't remember, thus Freya found the source of the curse that Odin out on her.

(Which made Revna forget her memories) They sought out to break the curse, and just like that... Revna was free. Remembering everything.

During the rise of Fimbulwinter and the dawn of Ragnarök, she had to make the choice between the new family she had made, her love for Kratos and the family and life she knew before.

Revna also has the ability to transform into a Raven, and also forge between a half human half Raven form; With black feathers around her body, sharp nails and large wings.

Rwvnah as various Norwich runes; Reflecting Raven's, War & her family.

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Face Claim:

My Idea for next mainline God of War (Kratos as lead)

Okay, overall spoilers ahead, this is your warning! This is more about what the core story could be rather than otherwise side character interactions. Basically, we shall call this, the 'Roman' Storyline

So following the events of the Valhalla DLC, you can have any amount of time go by.

Kratos is now the revered and celebrated God of War of the Norse Realms. He, Freya, and Mimir are on a council keeping peace, fighting monsters and villains that threaten that peace etc etc. Kratos is now at a point where he can really feel a semblance of peace. Atreus is still out in the world, likely visits on occasion. His relationships with Mimir and Freya are great support. He's thriving. His time in Greece weighs less on his mind as he's learned acceptance and now has the wisdom to maintain himself. Speaking of Greece and, later, Rome a small tidbit of info. As the Romans grew in size all over the Mediterranean and Europe, they did what was called 'religious syncretism'. When they conquered a place, instead of stomping down the local religions and forcing their ideas on the conquered, they would merge their gods into their beliefs. Hence why, when the Romans took Greece, Zeus became Jupiter, Ares became Mars, Hermes became Mercury, and Apollo... actually stayed Apollo. They just got renamed into their gods and adopted their aspects, which is why so much of it seems similar. So how about, Rome has solidified it's place and now seeks to go further north... north into Norway/Scandinavia. The Greek Gods have now have been recreated into the Roman Gods (method still thinking over) and Mars leads the armies north in search of conquest. I know Santa Monica has gone on record saying they wont do another Norse Game, but perhaps they dont have to. Essentially, Kratos is now fighting off these invaders, leading the counter offensive as the God of War. We get to see his development in action. Mimir is with him, and it's intense. Think about it, all this time we've had the discourse within pantheons in the games so far, how fuckin epic would it be if we have pantheon v. pantheon. Kratos is anti-Ares from GoW1, maybe he has soliders praying to him to destroy their enemies like he did all those years ago but doesn't make them into slaves and, instead, guides them to remember their humanity. Of course it leads to the obvious showdown between Mars and Kratos. Perhaps it's just reskinned Ares and he wants payback, or maybe it's Ares that's not.... complete, or at least understands why he wants to fight Kratos so much but it doesn't matter. In Valhalla we face Kratos' regrets, but the only God that gets lines and screen time is Helios, as a head. Here we get to see Kratos face down new versions of his original kill list. Jupiter, Minerva, Neptune, Pluto. Really face his mistakes, perhaps for the last time so he can really lay it all to rest. Maybe the game takes you back to Greece for a time, you get to explore Italy, different myths. And hell, maybe a Roman version of Kratos if we really want to go off the walls. Atreus def shows up near the midway of the game. Angroboda and Fenrir with him. And maybe, just maybe. As Kratos dismantles the Roman Pantheon as they don't give up, perhaps a plot point can be making sure there's something in their place so they aren't plunged into agony... Enter, Christianity. Now it would be a hell of a long ways away from the middle east (unless it takes us there for some reason) but i could see it as Kratos knowing what is at stake when he faces a pantheon. He can't leave the people in ruins all over again. He's God of War elsewhere, he can't do it. Hell it can even be a conflict that Kratos has pushed the enemy far back but doesn't want all out counter invasion, but the soliders he leads, everyone around him, knows that they will just try again so it needs to be dealt with. Kratos tries peaceful route but it nearly kills him... OH! I got it, Kratos is at the walls of Rome, he sues for peace. He is tricked, mortally wounded, and tossed into the sea, ends up in the middle east and finds Jesus (literally) and they go from there. Literally figured that out as I typed. I know, it's just ramblings at this point but that's what I love about God of War, nothing crazy is off the table. Maybe it warrants it's own duology, trilogy if you really squeeze it.

Odin’s Truth

Warning: Massive Spoilers for the entire God of War series below, including Ragnarok.

Knowledge. Understanding. Truth. The ultimate pursuit of any scholar, be they mortal, or divine. Indeed, sometimes, not even gods are all-knowing, but that doesn’t stop some of them from trying to be. In Norse myth, the All-Father, Odin, is well-known for his pursuit of knowledge. Some of Odin’s most well-known myths include sacrificing his eye, and even hanging himself from the branches of the World Tree to learn the secrets of the universe. Some might say that there is no length to which Odin won’t go for knowledge: no cost too great…

In God of War: Ragnarok, Odin’s obsession for knowledge is taken to the extreme. This particularly portrayal really leans into the All-Father’s relentless desire to know the truth, and shows us times and again the lengths he’ll go to in order to reach it. His friends, family, the lives of innocents; there is no price he won’t pay to learn the true nature of the world, and yet that very obsession is what earns him an army’s worth of enemies, thus leading to Ragnarok.

But as ever, God of War has no qualms introducing a few new elements into the mythology; plot points of its own creation that tie into the journey of Kratos and his seemingly-endless struggle against the divine. For instance, Ragnarok itself follows quite a different set of steps from the prophecy we know from the Poetic and Prose Eddas… But we’re not here to talk about that. Rather, we’re here to talk about the cause of Ragnarok, and the root of Odin’s obsession: the mask.

For a brief recap: in the God of War games, Odin is obsessed with a strange, floating tear he found when he was young. According to him, this tear in time and space leads to the very core of existence itself: the heart of reality, where all secrets are laid bare and the flow of destiny is revealed. Odin wants nothing more than to stare into the rift and absorb the knowledge within, but there’s a problem: such knowledge is so arcane that even a god can’t just stare into it. His missing eye is a testament to that.

However, Odin did have one hope: the fragments of a mysterious mask that he claims don’t even originate from the Norse lands. These fragments are covered in a mysterious text that even the All-Father can’t decipher, but Loki, with his godly ability to learn pretty-much any language instantly, can. After Loki, otherwise known as Atreus, helps Odin to reassemble the mask, it becomes the core of the struggle that eventually leads to Asgard’s downfall.

In the end, Atreus destroys the mask. The broken halves fly into the rift, which promptly closes, and Odin lashes out in one last fit of anger and desperation at having been denied his life’s goal. Of course, we are still left just as many questions as the All-Father: what WAS the mask, and where did that rift truly lead? While it’s likely that the answers await us in the next installment, and to that end the next pantheon of deities Kratos will have to fight, I think we already have a possible hint as what lies beyond.

In God of War 2, Athena dies, like so many other members of the Greek Pantheon. The difference between her demise and that of the other Olympian gods is that Athena’s was selfless; she threw herself before Kratos’s fatal blow meant for Zeus, believing that Olympus must endure for the good of all. In God of War 3, however, Athena comes back singing a very different tune: that Zeus and the Olympians must die for true peace to prevail.

In her own words, by sacrificing her own life in such a selfless way, Athena ‘ascended to a higher form of existence,’ becoming privy to many truths she didn’t know before. She aids Kratos on his quest to slay the gods, though this is ultimately just a ploy so that he can help Athena acquire the Light of Hope. With it, she can become the new, sole deity of Greece and save humanity in the wake the rampant elements Kratos unleashed. Kratos denies her and instead gives the Light of Hope to humanity, before swimming off to a different mythology altogether.

That, however, would not be the last Kratos saw of Athena. In God of War 4, she appears to him to mock the Spartan for his failures; for trying to leave the past behind and start a new life, when he knows that he is still a killer at heart. Now, some people assume that this is simply a hallucination, and it very-well might be, but I have my doubts. While she might have been denied the Light of Hope, Athena still possesses some unique abilities in her “ascended” form, including the power to conveniently manifest wherever she wants and even speak to Kratos from whatever “higher realm” she occupies.

By this point, I think you all might be able to see where I’m going. My theory is this: I believe that Odin’s Tear may very-well lead to the “higher realm” that Athena now resides in. It is, as Odin describes it, a place beyond the reality of the Nine Realms. Recall that he also mentioned that all manner of revelations awaited within, such as… The revelations that Athena acquired after her demise, perhaps?

Is it a stretch? Probably, but I don’t think it’s impossible. I wouldn’t at all be surprised if Kratos’s fights through different pantheons are slowly leading him closer and closer to the truth of this “higher realm:” a place beyond the rules and boundaries that different gods operate on. Of course, that raises the question: what IS this higher realm, really? Well, if you’ll indulge my ramblings even further, I believe the answer can be summed up in a single word: Heaven.

See, the God of War series was once intended to go in a VERY different direction. The original vision for God of War 3 would involve Kratos killing Zeus early on, which leads to a power vacuum in the Greek realm that other deities would seek to fill. Kratos was intended to team up with his “Egyptian and Norse counterparts,” whatever that implies, and kill off basically all the gods until all mythologies were destroyed.

This would lead the revelation of the One True God, aka the Abrahamic/Judeochristian God, coming in to take their place. Kratos and his “counterparts” were intended to become the Three Wise Men from the Bible, and meet a newborn Jesus Christ. Yeah, if you thought Kratos being the father of Loki was wild, imagine how he’d handle interacting with Baby Jesus in the manger.

Now, obviously that’s not where the series went, arguably for the better, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some of those original ideas were floating around in the writers’ heads. If the God of War franchise is indeed going to continue with Kratos fighting and killing other pantheons, or at least the head deities of pantheons like Zeus and Odin, then maybe that WILL eventually lead Kratos to discovering an even higher divinity. What happens after that is anyone’s guess.

But what do you all think? Is Heaven waiting beyond the rift, or am I completely insane?

God Of War Ragnarök’s Valhalla Is So Much More Than Just A Roguelite DLC

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God Of War Ragnarök’s Valhalla Is So Much More Than Just A Roguelite DLC

Since rolling credits (and platinum-ing) God of War Ragnarök shortly after its release last year, I have craved more of developer Santa Monica Studio’s take on Norse mythology. I was satisfied with how the story wrapped up, although admittedly, I would have liked a more bombastic finale worthy of the name “Ragnarök,” so I wasn’t necessarily looking for new story content just yet. I was fine to wait for a sequel years down the road, perhaps with Kratos and Atreus traversing through a new line of mythological lands and gods. But I wanted some reason to return to its beautiful world, adrenaline-inducing combat, and top-tier characters. 

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When PlayStation revealed Ragnarök’s Valhalla DLC, I was immediately excited. A free DLC dropping less than a week after its reveal featuring a new roguelite structure on top of the game’s already stellar combat? Sign me up! With just that trailer to go off of, I fully expected Valhalla to be just that – a roguelite mode to partake in more of Ragnarök’s combat. However, after three hours with the DLC, I am blown away. Not only is it a full-featured roguelite mode starring Kratos and trusty companion Mimir, with excellent arenas and tantalizing upgrades and strategic decision-making t, but it’s a story I didn’t know I wanted. 

Spoilers Below For The First Few Hours of Ragnarök’s Valhalla DLC

Valhalla starts immediately – there’s no bridge between the ending of Ragnarök and this DLC. It’s just Kratos and Mimir on a small boat rowing toward Valhalla. Unlike other depictions of this mystical realm, like in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Santa Monica Studio doesn’t paint it with sunlight, rainbows, gold, ales-a-plenty, and celebration. Instead, it’s a spooky land, bathed in fog and mystery. And, as you soon find out after entering its doors, it transforms based on who has entered it. In this instance, it becomes what I can only imagine is a nightmare for Kratos. All nine Norse realms come together to create combat arena after combat arena, with pockets of exploration for Kratos to venture through on a journey against his mind.

It’s here where Valhalla’s purpose becomes clear. It’s not a new DLC to give players a chance to experience the game’s combat in roguelite fashion (although it certainly does that); it’s an opportunity to provide a glimpse into the mind of Kratos, after all he’s been through in the events of Ragnarök, 2018’s God of War, and even the Greek entries before them. In the modern games, we see Kratos come to terms with his new life, his son, and his role in this Norse world. Those adventures only touch on his history, mainly to compare how far he’s come, but in Valhalla, Kratos must come face to face with his past choices. 

He encounters the Sun God, Helios, whom Kratos infamously decapitated shortly after receiving help from the deity in 2010’s God of War III.

It has tortured Kratos all these years, we learn, and Valhalla is pushing him to come to terms with that decision, Helios, and how he might tackle that type of conflict today. With Helios introduced, Valhalla also brings Kratos to Greek realms for combat, where he fights new enemies (for the Norse entries in the series, at least) like legionnaires, minotaurs, sirens, and more. 

What’s most fascinating for me, as someone who still has not played any of the Greek God of War games, is that I’m getting a glimpse into what those stories did to Kratos. Having loved God of War and Ragnarök, I was satisfied with the parts of Kratos’ history that they touched on and didn’t feel I needed more. But now, a few hours into Valhalla, I’m thoroughly enjoying these touchstones to his past I’m receiving, and it’s coloring the Kratos I know in a new light. 

That I’m getting all of this additional story content, which itself is an excellent epilogue to the events of Ragnarök in ways I haven’t mentioned here, plus a well-crafted roguelite spin on one of my favorite combat systems this generation, for free is almost bewildering. Don’t get me wrong – I’m happy it’s free and delivering so much “new” to a game I already love – but PlayStation could have easily charged for this.

If anything, it paints the publisher’s decision to charge $49.99 (or $9.99 to upgrade if you already own it on PlayStation 4) for the upcoming remaster of The Last of Us Part II, which includes the roguelite No Return mode, a bit more painful. As someone primarily interested in the remaster for the new roguelite mode, having beaten the campaign twice already, I’m questioning whether the $9.99 upgrade fee will be worth it when Valhalla delivers so much in the same vein for free.

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But that’s a debate for another day. 

What’s not a debate is that Ragnarök’s Valhalla is so much more than just roguelite DLC; it’s essential content for the God of War series and Kratos’ journey thus far.

Are you playing God of War Ragnarok’s Valhalla DLC? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below!

God of War: The Bad End

I want you to consider for a moment the possibility that Kratos’ entire adventure in Norse Mythology may in fact just be a scheme employed by some nebulous force.

Maybe Utgarde-Loki. Maybe real Loki. It doesn’t matter.

But imagine how cruel and bitter it would be for Kratos to wind up plucked from out of time and space by some unspoken force, dropped into a specially crafted pocket dimension, purely to manipulate his feelings, experiences and perceptions, and brainwash him. To give him something, a family, some ghost of rehabilitation, some sniff of progress and happiness in his life. Love, family, even the potential to become the sort of god he’d want to worship if he were mortal.

just to yank it away from him again, and turn him loose on something else, like Vanellope von Schweetz lets Wreck-it Ralph loose on unbreakable things she wants destroyed.

That the entire life he thought he knew in Norway was orchastrated by some unknown entity or organization, purely to drive him to destroy them out of revenge for the loss of something he felt he had, but never did.

I think that’d be a very risky thing to do. Post a series of games and then potentially spoil the entire thing by showing how, as intriguing, moving as the story, characters and plots were, they never actually happened- they were phantoms and fascimilles based on real things, puppets injected purely into Kratos’ mind while he slept as a god does, to give him false memories and relationships solely to have him wake bitter and angry.

On the one hand, it’d be somewhat beautiful. Extremely bitter, but man, what a twist. On the other, it’d mean the entire series you thought you knew would have as good as never happened, and just lead up to a horrible revelation that it was never real. The characters were never, in their own canon, substantial or material. They were the equivalent of figures in the Matrix.

Would the fandom ever forgive the creators if this ever turned out to be the truth of a series? Would it ever be taken as anything but an asspull in order to retcon out something they didn’t want to write around? I wish I knew. This is the sort of twist that could lead into a game where Kratos goes absolutely batshit again with blood in his eyes to demolish an entire pantheon, or have the fandom commit it to the rubbish bin.

It’s very unlikely to be true, this isn’t even a tinfoil hat theory about where the God of War games are leading. I’m just speculating on how the fandom would react to something like this ever being attempted. Make a series of God of War games where it just turns out Kratos is being rehabilitated only for a god to yank the curtains down, mock him and then point him at the nearest killable god whose form the instigator was taking, just to trick Kratos into mercing them. Introduce characters and relationships and events, only.. like for Kratos.. to learn it was never real and never mattered. That it was all just elaborate smoke and mirrors.

I personally would forgive this plot twist. I can see this sort of bullshit happening to Kratos, not just for the span of one game (like that one game few people talk about) but several. With a final for the series leading up to a return to form of ripshit anger and despair and tragedy. I mean, it’d suck. But, that’s the life of Kratos. This feels right.