Modern action heroes in gaming come in many shapes and forms — and all of them boast their own sets of superhuman feats as testaments to their might. But what happens when two titans of the highest order clash in a fight to the death? And two of the angriest titans around, at that.
Kratos of God of War relies on his Spartan training and Blades of Chaos to slay monsters and gods alike. Meanwhile, Doom's Doom Slayer went to Hell and back to protect Earth from demons and other mind-boggling threats. If these two vengeful heroes were to meet in battle, who would walk away? We'll cover what each fighter has going for them before delving into the fight itself.
10 Kratos: Spartan Background
Folks from Santa Monica Studios introduced Kratos as a respectable soldier and general. Thanks to his Spartan training, Kratos grew to become an extremely capable soldier, demonstrating mastery over combat tactics and various weaponry. Additionally, his servitude and loyalty towards Ares granted him remarkable power. Unfortunately, when his Spartan rage led him to kill his wife and son, Kratos had to wear the ashes of his dead family - making him "the Ghost of Sparta."
However, Kratos soon learns his true heritage in the games. As it turns out, Kratos bears the blood of Zeus and the human Callisto, making him a demigod. Thanks to his training, Kratos can go toe-to-toe against gods with feats of superhuman strength, durability, speed, and agility. More on that later.
9 Doom Slayer: A True Pedigree
Folks from id Software intended the Doom Slayer as the great-great-grandson of Wolfenstein protagonist William Blazkowicz. In turn, it's heavily implied that the Doom Slayer himself carries genes of natural fighters and survivors of various global conflicts. Long story short, Doom Slayer hails from Earth as a marine engineer. As such, the Doom Slayer's incursions in Doom already had him face demons with his extensive knowledge of both modern weaponry and advanced technology.
Moreover, his various adventures in Hell made him quite adept in killing demons and other kinds of hellspawn. His stay in Sentinel Prime forced him to face and eventually lead the Night Sentinels, an ancient cadre of aliens who are also fighting demons invading their planet from Hell.
8 Kratos: A Close-Range Arsenal Fit For The Gods
As a warrior-general, Kratos finds himself trained in the art of combat with a wide variety of weapons. Prior to his servitude of Ares, Kratos wields the Sword of Valor. However, the story knows the Ghost of Sparta best with his Blades of Chaos. These chained blades allow Kratos to dish out vicious attacks both in melee and ranged distances. In his adventures with his son Atreus, Kratos also wields the Leviathan Axe that can freeze his enemies.
Alongside these signature weapons, Kratos also wields weapons and armaments unique to the gods themselves. For instance, he wields the Gauntlet of Zeus, the Sun Shield, the Triton's Lance, Poseidon's Trident, and even Icarus Wings. Thanks to these weapons, Kratos can quickly change his fighting style depending on the situation.
7 Doom Slayer: Guns, Guns, And More Guns
As a testament to his strength, Doom Slayer managed to fend off demon after demon with an arsenal of both conventional weapons and those he found throughout his journey in Hell. These include staples such as pistols, shotguns, chainsaws, and rocket launchers. However, Doom Slayer also gets unique weapons such as the Super Shotgun, the Plasma Gun, the BFG 9000, the Unmaker, and more.
Meanwhile, the Doom Slayer's signature Praetor Suit boasts advanced systems that allow Doom Slayer to survive the harsh environments of Hell alongside some extra features — not least of which are increased mobility with jumping and dashing, that beautifully lethal retractable blade, and a shoulder-mounted flamethrower or grenade launcher.
6 Kratos: The Powers Of The Gods
Thanks to his training, Kratos has a straightforward approach to combat. Kratos likes to go on the offensive, eliminating any opportunities for the enemy to make counter-attacks. Moreover, Kratos boasts a reputation of being extremely brutal, showing no mercy against his enemies. Additionally, his demigod nature allows him to withstand most blows and wield godly powers.
For instance, Kratos has the ability to use the powers of the gods to imbue his Blades with various elemental properties. Moreover, some gods also blessed Kratos with unique abilities — such as Soul of Hades and Charon's Wrath that use the forces of the dead, Medusa's Gaze that turns enemies to stone, and Rage of the Gods, which boosts Kratos' battle prowess.
5 Doom Slayer: An Argent-Fueled Powerhouse
The Doom Slayer has his military training to thank for his sheer survivability. However, his journey in Hell also imbued Doom Slayer with abilities far beyond any normal human. Thanks to the blessing of The Seraphim, Doom Slayer possesses immense (some say transcendent) human physiology. Combined with his weapons training, Doom Slayer can turn any battle to his advantage.
Moreover, the Doom Slayer has demonstrated the ability to grow stronger whenever he kills various demons. Additionally, Doom Slayer can absorb mystic runes to gain new abilities and absorb Argent Energy to enhance his base abilities.
4 Kratos: Has Taken Out Literal Gods
In the original God of War game, Kratos begins his journey seeking revenge against Ares, the God of War. When he finally kills Ares, Olympus grants Kratos godhood — which Kratos then uses to systematically kill the other gods himself. In the end, Kratos manages to kill Zeus, both in his physical and spiritual forms, and releases Hope throughout mankind.
Despite having a separate adventure with his son in 2018's God of War, Zeus definitely poses the biggest threat to Kratos. Moreover, Kratos needed the power of godhood to go toe-to-toe against his father. As a god, Zeus boasts immortality as well as superhuman strength, speed, and durability. It was no small feat, to say the least.
3 Doom Slayer: Not Even Hell Couldn't Stop Him
Doom Slayer's journeys through Hell and back bring him face to face with some of the realm's meanest and baddest creatures, most prominently the Icon of Sin. It's revealed that the Icon of Sin's presence in any realm heralds its destruction, as it will soon bring forth a black hole large enough to force the realm to collapse upon themselves. Due to its sheer size, it has immense durability and strength.
Doom Slayer had to systematically eliminate parts of the Icon of Sin's body to start dealing critical damage to the creature. As such, Doom Slayer's elimination of the Icon of Sin avoided the universe-ending black hole to show itself. Not even Hell's strongest entity could hold him back.
2 The Battle: God Slayer Versus Demon Slayer
A battle between Kratos and Doom Slayer would begin rather quickly. There won't be any room for pleasantries or introductions — just a battle that would erupt from wherever they're standing. Doom Slayer would easily get the upper hand early on thanks to his range. His weapons can unleash Hell on Kratos, thanks to the sheer variety of ranged pain at his disposal.
However, one wrong move and the Blades of Chaos could reach Doom Slayer, enabling Kratos to zoom in and unleash his devastating combos. In melee, Kratos rules the battlefield, as Doom Slayer's Retractable Blade might not stand a chance against Kratos' arsenal — though the Crucible is nothing to sneeze at. However, just as the Slayer rules the roost at range due to the sheer variety at his disposal, Kratos has a superior number of toys to employ up close.
1 The Victor: Too Close To Call
Interestingly, the sheer battle prowess and survivability of both warriors will make each of them extremely difficult to kill. Due to their harsh training and experiences, both warriors can easily pick up a weapon and learn their abilities fairly quickly.
For instance, Doom Slayer can pick up the Blades of Athena and dish out his own melee attacks. Moreover, Kratos can easily get the drift should he pick up the BFG 9000 and blast a few nearby enemies. As such, the resulting battle would easily lead to a potential tie — leaving both combatants either dead or too exhausted to fight.