At this point, everyone knows that Kratos from God Of War is no mere mortal. He replaced Ares as the God of War and annihilated most of the Greek Pantheon by himself. Moreover, Kratos's recent father-son adventure with his "boy" Atreus proved Kratos hasn't become a pushover.
It seems the secret to Kratos's awesome physique has more to do with his origins and training. His connection with the Olympians may have bolstered his mortal body. Aside from his height, what should fans know about the otherworldly physique of the Ghost of Sparta?
Updated December 22nd, 2021 by Russ Boswell: One of the most frequent questions from some God of War fans since the series' inception has been, "how tall is Kratos?" It's been difficult for many to tell from the media just how tall the Ghost of Sparta may actually be but, thankfully, some in-game lore and other documents have given players a solid answer. Strangely enough, however, this height was changed for 2018's God of War. To shine a better light on how tall Kratos really is now, and to give players a better idea of how tall Kratos was when the series began, the following list has been updated with even more information regarding his physique.
12 How Tall Was Kratos In The Beginning?
In addition to his costume design, Kratos is noticeable thanks to his height. Thanks to a God of War III special feature, fans now know that Kratos is approximately 8'0'' tall, a staggering height for the God Slayer.
Prior to this, non-canon suggestions estimated that Kratos stood between 6'0'' and 7'0'', depending on appearances. Perhaps the most accurate description of Kratos would come from comparisons with other characters based on his appearances in Mortal Kombat and SoulCalibur.
With these in mind, Kratos in SoulCalibur is likely exactly 7'0'' (or 213cm). This also takes into account that his cameo appearances are so far based on the original trilogy.
11 How Tall Is Kratos In 2021?
Surprisingly, Kratos has seen a reduction in height in recent years. When developers crafted the bearded-brute version of Kratos for 2018's God of War, they shrunk the Spartan by a considerable amount, bringing his overall height down from 8'0'' to around 6'6''. Game designers claim that this was done to make Kratos a more "relatable figure" as it pertains to humans. While it does seem like a pretty big reduction in size, it does to help make the Ghost of Sparta a much more believable character and it certainly makes his feats against some of the towering Gods of Greecian and Norse mythology even more impressive.
10 How Big Is Kratos?
Unlike height, measuring Kratos's weight is trickier considering the flexible nature of human mass. Given his training and evolution throughout the series, it makes sense for Kratos to have lost or gained weight.
Again, based on his appearances in SoulCalibur and Mortal Kombat, Kratos at his prime likely weighs 240 lbs (109 kg). This of course doesn't take into account muscle mass and potential body fat percentage. It's likely that Kratos gained weight in his life in Midgard, due to the more mundane nature of his lifestyle with his new family.
9 What Does His Name Mean?
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Interestingly, Kratos was always meant to be a visually striking physical monster and the proof is right in his name. The moniker "Kratos" means "Power" or "Strength" in Greek. Kratos may not be a real figure in the Greecian mythos but he is aptly named as one who would bring on the downfall of the Gods themselves.
There is, however, a mythological character in Greecian fables by the name of Cratos but that particular person is a far cry from the Kratos that fans have come to know and love in the video game series. For one, Cratos is fiercely loyal to Zeus, and fans of the action-packed God of War franchise know exactly how Kratos feels concerning Zeus and his Godly counterparts.
8 Did Spartan Training Influence His Growth?
Due to the history of Ancient Sparta, there aren't many accurate details regarding the exact lifestyle of its famed soldiers. However, assuming God Of War tries to be historically accurate, it makes sense for Kratos's physique to be influenced greatly by Spartan Training.
For instance, Kratos's original tanned skin likely came from his Spartan upbringing. According to historians, Spartans likely hardly bathed and wore little clothing, to make their skin harder and more resistant to harsh conditions. Likewise, combat sports may explain why Kratos seems to know how to wield all weapons he came across in the games.
7 Is It Possible To Bulk Up To Get Mass Like Kratos?
Kratos fans who are into bodybuilding may wonder if it's possible to achieve the God of War's mass. Interestingly, a Reddit comment thread in 2013 dived into this matter using mathematics. User FourOneThreeX referenced his own bodybuilding journey, and stated that a person of his height (6'6'', which is near Kratos) took around a year to get a considerably fit build.
Other users began deliberating whether a real-life Kratos would need the help of steroids to build mass faster. Calculations-wise, the discussion referenced the Square-Cube Law — essentially, an object that gets a proportional size increase will have a volume equal to the cube of the multiplier. Fans outside Kratos's height range might need to consider their own proportions to identify the mass they need to start building muscles like Kratos.
6 Is It Possible To Build Muscles Like Kratos?
Building on the aforementioned Reddit post, Kratos fans may also wonder if it's possible to achieve the God of War's defined muscles. As expected, enthusiasts from r/Fitness have varying responses towards the question.
A common consensus is that training to achieve Kratos's physique would likely require a smart approach of exercises such as overhead presses, rows, pullups, and deadlifting. However, Redditors also noted that those planning to get Kratos's physique shouldn't skip leg day, as Kratos in the original trilogy seemed to lack lower body muscle compared to his upper body.
5 Why Is Kratos Less Bulky In The New Games?
When Kratos aged in the new God Of War game, some fans inquired about his change in physique. How come Kratos lacks the muscle definition compared to other older characters such as Heihachi Mishima (Tekken) or Geese Howard (SNK)? However, other fans praise this older Kratos for being a more realistic rendition of the growth of a man of his body type.
In a Quora thread, George Loumakis noted that Kratos's current remains an accurate depiction of the growth of a body of his age. Considering his constant training, it makes sense for Kratos to retain a more muscular frame by default. However, the lack of intensive activity in the Norse Realm also lessened his muscle definition.
4 Why Do Kratos's Muscles Look That Way In New Games?
Building upon the question of Kratos's new appearance, others may wonder about the nature of the former God of War's muscle growth. Science once again comes to the rescue with a simple explanation: sarcopenia. Sarcopenia describes the gradual loss of muscle mass due to aging. This may explain why some of his allies and enemies in the Norse Realm seem bulkier than him.
Moreover, the devs seem to make the differences apparent in some of his upper body muscles. For instance, older Kratos retains shapely triceps and biceps, but are now also less defined. Likewise, the persistence of abs in Kratos's body implies a lower body-fat percentage, perhaps due to his diet in the Norse Realm.
3 How Come He Always Heals From His Wounds?
Thanks to his status as a demigod, Kratos demonstrates a remarkable healing factor. This trait allows him to heal himself from almost any injury. He seems to retain this ability even in his older age in the Norse Realm, though it takes more effort from him to do so. This trait seems to imply that Kratos isn't necessarily immortal, but may take much longer to grow older.
Interestingly, his healing factor also exempt him from injury and scarring. In addition to receiving injuries, Kratos also seems to retain scarring on certain injuries. For instance, Kratos still has a facial scar from an attack on Ares as a child. Likewise, he has a scar on his abdomen and back from his stabbing of the Blade Of Olympus.
2 Is There A Reason His Skin Is Colored Like Ash?
Newcomers to God Of War wondering about Kratos' skin color may be surprised that his ash-colored skin is, in fact, made of ash. However, Kratos began his life with the tan-colored skin expected of an active Spartan General. This all changed when Kratos, at the orders of Ares, attacked a village that worshipped the Goddess Athena.
In his rampage, an Oracle warned Kratos to not go into the temple dedicated to the Goddess. Sadly, Kratos ignored the warning and slaughtered everyone inside. To his horror, his slaughter unintentionally included his wife and child. When Kratos left the temple, the Oracle cast a spell that would embed the ashes of the Spartan's wife and child onto his skin forever.
1 Will His Physique Change As A God?
In God Of War, deities seem to have an ability to shapeshift into a gigantic form. Ares is a good example of this shapeshifting, as Kratos fights him as his gigantic self in the end of God Of War. If fans are to assume that this is Ares's true form, then one can surmise that Kratos's true form in his stint as the God of War is that of a giant as well.
After slaying Ares in the first God Of War game, Kratos officially becomes the new God of War. This comes not just with godly powers, but a new appearance as well. Just like Ares, Kratos as the God of War can change his size into a nearly 500-foot tall giant. However, Kratos seems to only possess this ability as a God, as he never shows this again past the original trilogy.