Santa Monica Studio's upcoming God of War: Ragnarok looks set to end Kratos' time amongst the pantheon of Norse mythology, in appropriate apocalyptic style. Having made fans wait an agonizing amount of time for concrete narrative details, the studio ripped back the curtain on the game last month with an in-depth story trailer during Sony's PlayStation showcase. Naturally, Atreus' development and coming of age was one of the key talking points that was raised following the video's debut, and has understandably prompted questions to be asked amongst fans regarding the future of the franchise.
For the last 16 years, Kratos has more or less been the franchise's sole mascot, which ensures that his own personal appearance within the God of War: Ragnarok trailer is significant as well. Having hacked and slashed his way through an entire pantheon during his formative Greek-mythology days, before his current wintery adventures, the god of war's centuries-long journey has taken a visible toll on his body and fashion sense. So much so that, despite sharing similar visual details like the iconic red tattoo, the young and old versions of the character have some striking differences.
Kratos' Body and Face
Considering that the playable events of the God of War franchise take place over the course of roughly 200 years, it's surprising that Kratos' physical body is one of the aspects of the character's design that's changed less than others during that span of time. Being born a demi-god and the son of Zeus has presumably helped slow down the natural aging process a considerable bit. However, there are still a few signs that the passage of time has worn down the incumbent Greek god of war a little bit.
During the franchise's earliest Greek mythology set installments, it's established in passing that Kratos made history within the Spartan army by becoming its youngest ever General. By the time the events of the original 2005 PS2 God of War take place along the timeline, exactly 10 years have passed since the Spartan pledged his life to Aries, before tragically killing his wife and daughter. Those two snippets of information mean that Kratos is roughly in his mid to late 30s when players first assume control of him. At this point, the character has already been cursed to wear his fallen family's ashes on his skin for an eternity, and has somehow lost all his hair; two physical features that remain a constant in all of his future character models and appearances.
By the time God of War: Ragnarok picks up the story, at least 150 years will have passed within the in-game universe since the events of 2005's installment. While Kratos still looks rather spry for a guy that's lived for two centuries, his face in the upcoming game looks noticeably older and more grizzled than his original incarnation, likely thanks to countless battles and sleepless nights. His beard is noticeably bushier, and the odd grey hair has started to sprout as well. All of these details can in-part be attributed to the fact that three generations of PlayStation advancement have taken place, resulting in a character model that's far more life-like. While the Spartan warrior was already in peak physical condition during his time in ancient Greece, he still looks bulkier and more physically imposing from a stature perspective, within the PS4 and PS5 game.
Kratos' Armor
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Kratos' physical appearance from a face and body perspective, is only really a small part of the equation. Between the original God of War and 2022's God of War: Ragnarok, the character's clothing is arguably the biggest part of the overall package that's changed the most dramatically. Considering the different mythologies that form the backbone of each chapter in his life, and their unique respective styles and cultures, this isn't entirely surprising.
During the very first God of War game, what's remarkable about Kratos' appearance is the fact that he actually doesn't wear much clothing at all, aside from a skirt that evokes his Spartan heritage, some leg guards, and a pair of sandals that seem almost comically unsuited for monster slaying. Despite this, over the course of the game he manages to fight off mythological entities like a hydra and Aries, with most of his upper torso and legs on full display. It isn't until the second entry in the series that the character begins to protect more of his body. Most notably after officially becoming Mount Olympus' god of war, Kratos retrieved the Golden Fleece from Cerberus, which he then subsequently wore on his right shoulder up until its ultimate destruction during God of War 3's closing moments.
By the time the character successfully transitioned over into Norse mythology, the former Ghost of Sparta's fashion style had greatly evolved. In 2018's God of War, Kratos' default outfit covers his upper chest and right shoulder in leather armor, while his lower half is similarly protected by the same material, knee guards, gauntlets, and several belts. The Spartan skirt that he infamously wore in his youth is still present underneath the ensemble, though, and is slightly faded and shorter. During the God of War: Ragnarok trailer, it appears that the character's default outfit going forward will be more of an evolution on this design, rather than a total revolution. Due to Fimbulwinter, Kratos is seen at several points sporting a thick fur cloak, whilst other sections of footage show him wearing leather armor that also covers more of his stomach, torso, and right arm.
Smaller Details
Having fought through plenty of brutal battles over the course of the series, several of which resulted in his temporary death, Kratos' latest character model in God of War: Ragnarok reflects these tussles in a number of less noticeable ways. Working from the top to bottom, in the latest trailer for the PS5 and PS4 game, the scar above Kratos' right eye that he received during his childhood in a fight with Aries, has faded considerably since the original PS2 game.
Lower down, in several scenes within Santa Monica Studio's latest story trailer, Kratos' stomach is also visible, which still bears the scar that he received after an altercation in the opening moments of God of War 2. Having been deceived into pouring his godly powers into the sword by his father Zeus, the Greek god of war was impaled by the Blade of Olympus. During the closing moments of God of War 3, Kratos stabbed himself as well, which means that the now faded scar is technically bigger in the upcoming game than it has been at various other points in the series. With so many changes made to the character model thus far, it will be interesting to see if any further adjustments are made as God of War: Ragnarok's story progresses.
God of War: Ragnarok is in development for the PS4 and PS5.