Kratos is the main character of Santa Monica Studio's God of War series. He is a Spartan warrior who went from serving the gods of Olympus to killing nearly all of them, then tried to leave that life behind in the Norse realms and raise a son. He debuted in God of War on the PlayStation 2 in 2005 and has been the face of the franchise for more than 20 years.
Who Is Kratos?
Kratos was created by David Jaffe, director of the original God of War, and his look was designed by Charlie Wen. The ash-white skin, red tattoo, and shaved head made him instantly recognizable on the PS2. In the Greek games, he is driven almost entirely by rage and revenge. In the Norse games, he is older and quieter, and he spends most of his time trying to keep that rage locked down so his son doesn't inherit it.
Origin: The Ghost of Sparta
Kratos was a captain in the Spartan army. Facing certain death against a barbarian horde, he begged Ares for help and pledged his life to the god of war in exchange. Ares bound the Blades of Chaos to his arms and turned him into a weapon. Years later, Ares tricked Kratos into slaughtering his own wife, Lysandra, and his daughter, Calliope, during a raid on a village temple. The village oracle cursed him to wear their ashes on his skin forever. That is where his pale skin and the name Ghost of Sparta come from.
His red tattoo has its own story. God of War: Ghost of Sparta revealed that it honors his younger brother, Deimos. The gods took Deimos as a child because of a prophecy about a marked warrior who would bring down Olympus, and Kratos had the same markings put on himself in his brother's memory.
The Greek Era
God of War (2005)
After ten years of serving the gods to try to erase his nightmares, Kratos is given one final task: kill Ares. He uses Pandora's Box to grow to the size of a god, kills Ares, and takes his place as the new God of War.
God of War II (2007)
Kratos turns out to be no better at being a god than he was at being a servant. Zeus betrays him, strips his power, and kills him. Kratos claws his way out of the Underworld, teams up with the Titans, and takes control of the Sisters of Fate to rewrite his own death. The game ends with the reveal that Zeus is his father.
God of War III (2010)
Kratos leads the Titans in an assault on Mount Olympus and kills Poseidon, Hades, Helios, Hermes, Hercules, and finally Zeus. The Greek world falls into chaos as each god dies. In the end, Kratos impales himself with the Blade of Olympus to release the power of Hope to humanity, but a trail of blood leading away from his body shows he survived.
The Prequels
Chains of Olympus (PSP, 2008), Ghost of Sparta (PSP, 2010), and Ascension (PS3, 2013) fill in the years before and between the main games. Ascension was the earliest point in the timeline until Sons of Sparta came along, covering how Kratos broke his blood oath to Ares and escaped the Furies. Sons of Sparta now goes back even further, to Kratos and Deimos training together in the Spartan Agoge. There was also God of War: Betrayal, a 2D mobile game from 2007.
The Norse Era
God of War (2018)
Years after the fall of Olympus, Kratos is living quietly in Midgard. The game opens with the death of his wife, Faye. Her final wish was to have her ashes spread from the highest peak in the nine realms, and Kratos sets out to do it with their son, Atreus, while being hunted by Baldur. Kratos trades the Blades of Chaos for the Leviathan Axe, which belonged to Faye. By the end, Atreus learns that his mother was a giant named Laufey and that his giant name is Loki, and Kratos finally tells his son about his past.
God of War Ragnarök (2022)
Fimbulwinter has set in, Odin and Thor are coming for the family, and Ragnarök is on the way. Kratos spends the game fighting prophecy, including one that says he will die. The story ends with Kratos letting Atreus go off on his own and a mural that shows Kratos as a leader people look up to, something he never expected for himself.
God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla (2023)
This free roguelite DLC released in December 2023 and forces Kratos to face his Greek past head-on. It ends with him accepting the title of god of war again, but on his own terms.
Kratos in 2026 and Beyond
God of War Sons of Sparta came out on February 12, 2026, as a surprise release on PS5. It is a 2D Metroidvania developed by Mega Cat Studios with Santa Monica Studio, and it follows a teenage Kratos and his brother Deimos during their training in the Spartan Agoge. It is canon, and TC Carson returns to narrate as the adult Kratos. At the same State of Play, Santa Monica Studio announced that the original Greek trilogy is being remade.
The next mainline game is God of War Laufey, which puts Faye in the lead and launches on PS5 on February 16, 2027. At San Diego Comic-Con 2026, Cory Barlog confirmed that the next Kratos game will follow Laufey and tie directly into its story. No title, setting, or release window has been announced.
Kratos is also getting a live-action series on Prime Video from showrunner Ronald D. Moore, adapting the 2018 game. Ryan Hurst, who voiced Thor in Ragnarök, was originally cast as Kratos, but he tore a bicep on set in June 2026. Dave Bautista took over the role in August, and the episodes already shot with Hurst are being redone. Callum Vinson plays Atreus, and Alastair Duncan is returning as Mimir.
Kratos's Weapons
The Blades of Chaos are his signature weapon: twin blades chained to his forearms. Over the Greek games, he also wields the Blade of Olympus, the Blades of Athena, the Blades of Exile, and the Nemean Cestus. In the Norse games, he uses the Leviathan Axe, the Guardian Shield, the Blades of Chaos again (from partway through the 2018 game), and the Draupnir Spear in Ragnarök.
Who Voices Kratos?
TC Carson voiced Kratos from the original 2005 game through Ascension in 2013. Christopher Judge took over starting with God of War (2018) and won Best Performance at The Game Awards 2022 for Ragnarök. Carson came back for Sons of Sparta in 2026.
Kratos Outside of God of War
Kratos has made guest appearances in other games, including Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, the PlayStation versions of Mortal Kombat (2011), PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, and Fortnite, where his skin hit the item shop in December 2020.
