Few other PS3 exclusive games were as hyped during that console's lifetime as God of War 3. The epic conclusion to the original trilogy ended on a bang and bittersweet ending, with Kratos ultimately sacrificing his own life to free humanity from the reign of the gods. Of course, Kratos did eventually return in 2018 with God of War and will once again grace a PlayStation platform with next year's God of War: Ragnarok. The upcoming sequel is primed to be one of the biggest games available next year and sure to be a must-have title on both the PS4 and PS5.
Santa Monica Studio is hard at work polishing the game leading up to its launch. Not only has the gameplay likely been refined and the graphics improved, but there are numerous plot threads from the 2018 title that still need to be tied up in God of War: Ragnarok. However, while continuing the story of Kratos and Atreus is likely the priority, there are details that can be touched on from the aforementioned God of War 3. Specifically, God of War never alluded to how Kratos survived what seemed to be a permanent death at the conclusion of God of War 3, something which Ragnarok could hopefully shed some light upon.
What Happened to Kratos After God of War 3
The main plot of God of War 3 picks up exactly where the second game left off, with Kratos declaring war on all of Olympus as he leads a full-on assault with the Titans against the Gods. A good number of events and battles happen in between, but the game concludes with a final confrontation between Kratos and Zeus, with Kratos emerging victorious. Athena demands that Kratos return the power he gained from Pandora's Box, but he instead chooses to kill himself and release this energy to mankind. He collapses onto the ground and is left for dead by Athena.
At the time, God of War 3 was marketed as the conclusion of the series and with Kratos left in a bloody mess in the final shot, it seemed like this was indeed the case. However, for players patient enough to stick around after the credits, it was revealed that Kratos is no longer where he fell, with a trail of blood leading over the cliffside, implying he survived and escaped. The ground he was lying upon also featured an image of the Phoenix, a mythical creature that is the symbol of resurrection. While symbolically this is a clever hint to show the character will return, the exact specifics have never been discussed, as the next chronological game, 2018's God of War, begins its own new story instead.
God of War's New Mythology
With the reign of the Greek gods ended and most of its lethal monsters disposed of, Kratos returned in 2018 to new mythology entirely. Shifting from Greek to Norse legends, Kratos appeared to have survived the fatal blow he struck to himself and traveled to a new land in an attempt to restart his life. It of course doesn't take long for Kratos to butt heads with the gods of this world as well, as any player who experienced the 2018 adventure is well aware of.
However, as fascinating as this new world and storyline are, there is a clear disconnect between what happened at the end of God of War 3 and the beginning of 2018s' God of War. It is possible that Cory Barlog and the rest of the creative team intentionally chose to ignore past events so that they could focus on a new plot and not be weighed down by prior narrative beats. In all fairness, this worked very well, as God of War tells a gripping and hugely emotional tale that works regardless of whether gamers played the prior titles. That being said, the protagonist escaping what seemed like certain death is completely glossed over, and some answers would be welcome as to what exactly happened.
God of War: Ragnarok Can Bring Everything Together
Going into God of War: Ragnarok, there are already a ton of plot threads being juggled for one game to balance neatly. Atreus' revelation to be Loki, Kratos and his continued conflict against Freya, as well as the introduction of Thor result in a packed sequel. It may seem counterproductive for Santa Monica to touch upon things that happened in the past in a story that is moving forward, but there are ways in which Kratos' death at the end of God of War 3 can be brought back in a meaningful way.
It is made clear in God of War that Kratos has already developed a reputation in the Norse world, and isn't exactly liked by the gods of that realm. He is an outsider, an intruder, someone clearly belonging somewhere else that should not be there. Perhaps Kratos struck some kind of deal or summoned the use of forbidden magic to break barriers and enter this new world.
To add to this, it has been hinted at by the developers that God of War: Ragnarok's ending will be surprising, yet inevitable. This could of course be interpreted in many ways, but one obvious conclusion to jump to is that Kratos will be killed, and possibly for good this time, handing the series over to Atreus as the new protagonist. If this is the case, then God of War: Ragnarok may want to revisit the last time Kratos died both narratively and thematically, finally providing some details on what happened that fateful day.
God of War: Ragnarok releases in 2022 on PS4 and PS5.