The original God of War games were based loosely on Greek mythology and centered on Kratos, who was consumed by a desire for vengeance against the gods. Despite being a terrible person who is so consumed by a lust for vengeance that he regularly gets a large number of innocent people killed without a second thought, Kratos has become an iconic video game hero with a large fanbase.
When it came to bringing him back for 2018's God of War, there was the slight problem that he'd killed most of the key figures in Greek mythology. Aside from Artemis and Aphrodite, most of the Greek pantheon had been wiped out by his rampage. So Santa Monica Studios opted to take the series in a different direction by switching to Norse mythology.
This approach was well-received and now has an upcoming sequel. But it also suggests a new direction for the franchise. Switching from Greek to Norse mythology shows that the developers are open to exploring different settings and myths. So when Kratos gets through slaying all the Norse monsters, there are still many other potential mythologies for God of War to choose from.
Updated on January 2, 2023, by RItwik Mitra: God of War Ragnarok was one of the most awaited PlayStation video games of all time, and the first hour itself convinced everyone that this game wouldn't just serve as a worthy sequel to its predecessor, but it might even surpass it! Santa Monica Studios have done a brilliant job of translating Kratos' journey over to Norse mythology, so it's only a given that some people might voice their concerns over the future of this series after Ragnarok marked the end of Kratos' journey in this mythology. Thankfully, there are more than enough avenues for Kratos to expand his roots.
7 Japanese
Japanese mythology is rich and full to the brim with interesting stories that will be a blast to explore. Of course, justifying the presence of a figure from Greek mythology can be a huge ask, but Santa Monica Studios have proven before that such a massive shift can definitely feel natural if done with great skill.
From the eternal conflict between Amaterasu and Susanoo to the history surrounding the creation of the Japanese archipelago itself — it's clear that Japanese mythology will make for a rich avenue to explore if the God of War series decides to shift in this direction. Many fans of pop culture are actively familiar with facets of this mythology through anime and manga, so seeing the origins of these themes along with Kratos can definitely be a delightful prospect.
Notable gods of Japanese mythology include the aforementioned Amaterasu (the sun god) and Susanoo (the storm god), along with other notable mentions such as Daikokuten (the god of luck) and Hachiman (the god of war).
6 Celtic
While the inclusion of Kratos might be quite challenging in Japanese mythology, the same can't be said for other mythology from the region of Europe. However, it would be impossible to talk about Celtic mythology without mentioning the vast body of work that was lost after the invasion of the Romans.
Thankfully, some stories remained intact and were spread around orally for the longest time before being recorded by historians. Various regions have their own versions of gods, events, and the like, with both Irish and Welsh mythologies being quite expansive and a great avenue for Kratos to explore after the events of God of War Ragnarok.
In terms of war, the Celtic gods actually have a trio corresponding to this element of humanity called The Morrigan. These three sisters are named Badb, Macha, and Nemain and are essentially the gods of war and fate. However, these names vary across stories, so it can be a challenge to try and set a game in such a broad mythology that has so many interpretations.
5 Chinese
One of the richest mythologies in the world that would definitely be interesting to explore is that of Chinese mythology. It is full to the brim with divine and immortal beings, and players are well aware of the trials and tribulations that Kratos had to deal with when he had to face one memorable immortal foe in the first game.
The scope of Chinese mythology is truly massive and encompasses the very nature of how the world was created. Along with this, facts of this mythology are steeped quite heavily in religion and philosophy, so it only goes without saying that God of War will have to tone down some of the aspects of this mythology if they don't want Kratos' adventures to go completely out of control.
A very important figure from this mythology includes the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven, hell, and the realm of the living. Other notable deities are Nuwa, the mother goddess, and Tian, a powerful and important sky deity.
4 Egyptian
Next to Norse and Greek, Egypt has one of the most iconic historical mythologies, making it a logical option for the next time the series needs to try something new. Egypt itself has a long and complex history, but it has its own strange mythologies as well. There would be no shortage of gods for Kratos to encounter, and they would stand out from the previous games if the developers chose to keep some key details - namely the traditional depiction of animal heads on human bodies.
Just the Egyptian afterlife alone could be an interesting opportunity for gameplay, especially since both the Greek and Norse-themed games have done the same with their respective mythologies. There would also be plenty of monsters for Kratos to go through that the developers could have fun with - undead mummies, giant snakes, and scorpions. Maybe a boss fight against Ammit, the devourer of souls who consumed those deemed unworthy for the afterlife.
In Egyptian mythology, the god of war is Montu.
3 Aztec
It might seem like a stretch seeing as the Aztecs never made contact with the Greek or Norse civilizations, but to be fair there is a pretty significant gap between Ancient Greece and the Viking Era, and yet Kratos is able to go from an Ancient Greek to the early medieval setting without much trouble. So going halfway around the world should not be an issue.
The massive Aztec empire that once ruled Mexico was known for its practice of human sacrifice, something that happened a lot due to their beliefs hinging on the idea that constant bloodshed was required to appease the gods. Naturally, their mythology included lots of cruel gods, monsters, and apocalyptic events that would be perfect for a God of War game.
The developers could certainly have fun trying to work with Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god responsible for creating humanity. Aztec mythology is also a largely unexplored theme in games, outside of the upcoming Aztech Forgotten Gods, which means it would be unique among other mythology-inspired games. In Aztec mythology, the god of war is Huitzilopochtli, who is also the god of the sun and human sacrifice.
2 Roman
At first, this might seem like a strange choice, seeing as a lot of Roman mythology is more or less the same as Greek. While there would certainly be similarities between the games, Kratos would be a very different character by this point thanks to his extensive character development. His experience with Greek gods would affect his interactions with Roman ones.
With Roman gods, there could be a theme of history repeating, and of Kratos learning from his experiences dealing with their Greek counterparts. Perhaps the story could feel like Kratos is revisiting his past with the knowledge and experience he has gained and trying to make different choices. It could be a point of characterization - maybe Jupiter is trying to prove that he's superior to Zeus, or Minerva is trying to learn from Athena's mistakes. The developers could even include a Roman version of Kratos himself and have him as a boss fight.
Of course, while the Roman pantheon is indeed very obviously plagiarized from the Greek one, they do have a few (very strange) additions such as Cloacina, goddess of the sewers. As much of Roman mythology is modeled on Ancient Greece, the Roman god of war is Ares' counterpart, Mars.
1 Lovecraftian
Although not technically mythology in the strictest sense, the Cthulhu mythos by author H.P. Lovecraft has a lot of traits that make up "a mythology." It has its own pantheon, monsters, and complex lore. Lovecraft's themes of an indifferent universe in which humanity is just a tiny component are not entirely lost, even if Kratos may be more powerful than the average human. It could even be made part of the story, with Kratos wondering if his actions are really making a difference in the grand scheme of things.
There's no shortage of monsters to battle. Kratos could encounter a variety of creatures: mi-go, deep ones, and of course the shoggoths. The latter is basically a massive shapeshifting blob so fighting a shoggoth could be an interesting opportunity for Kratos to find more unusual solutions.
And of course, a God of War game wouldn't be complete without gods. There would have to be a boss fight with Cthulhu, who's not even the most powerful in the mythos. Some of the later levels would have to find ways to incorporate Yog-Sothoth and Azathoth. Definitely some interesting opportunities for creative developers. As the gods in the Cthulhu mythos do not have specific domains, there is not really a "god of war".
God of War Ragnarok is available now for PS4 and PS5.