God of War's Ragnarok sequel is a hugely anticipated title for a lot of gamers out there. Not just because of its presumed Ragnarok setting, but also to see how far into the future it is, and how the protagonists have changed. Atreus in particular has captured the imagination of a lot of fans, with some fans even creating art, predicting what an older Atreus will look like in the Ragnarok-set sequel. The new game is likely going to be set several years after the events of the 2018 title, and as much as Atreus' appearance could change, so too could his personality in several meaningful ways.
By the conclusion of the 2018 God of War game, Atreus finally understood his lineage, and that he is no mere mortal. Atreus is half-god and half-frost giant, meaning that he has a mix of different powerful blood running through his veins. Throughout God of War, players see Atreus improving his abilities in combat, alongside subtle displays of his other traits such as regenerative healing after being stabbed by Baldur, and his innate linguistic skills becoming more refined. Between his older age, the discovery of his heritage, and further training, players can expect to see a version of Atreus who is very different from what has come before.
Atreus' Age and Maturity
In God of War, Atreus is said to be 11 years old, based on a novelization of the game by J.M. Barlog. The next God of War game is heavily rumored to be taking place during Ragnarok, the Norse apocalypse, and with this information fans can make educated guesses as to how old Atreus will be during the next game. Ragnarok is set to come after a period known as Fimbulwinter, a three-year-long winter that is an immediate prelude to the events of Ragnarok.
Based on this, Atreus could be a teenager of 14 years old during the events of the next game. With Atreus possibly being a teenager, he will be more physically and emotionally developed, but his personality is an unknown factor and could progress in several different ways. This might mean significant changes for the character and his relationship with his father, Kratos. Players have seen different facets of Atreus' personality throughout the last God of War game.
He started as a sickly young boy, who was ill-equipped for the journey to spread his mother's ashes. As the story progressed, players saw him become arrogant after learning of his true nature. By the end, Atreus had snapped out of his cockiness and reverted to his normal self, albeit with a bit more confidence and battle-hardiness. Adolescence is a tumultuous and emotional time rife with change, and the question remains as to Atreus may change. He could retain the same arrogance he developed upon discovering his divine nature. This turbulent time in his life could play a part in the narrative, coupled with the baggage with Atreus' other name.
Atreus' Powers and Relationship with Kratos
It has been established thus far that Atreus is part-god and part-frost giant. Kratos' paternal influence is evident when Atreus manages to summon his own Spartan Rage to save his father, in addition to his enhanced strength and healing factor. Atreus is also shown to have inherited his mother's precognition ability when he had a vision of Thor arriving at the end of Fimbulwinter, to confront him and Kratos after the death of his sons, Magni and Modi.
Atreus is also ought to have more abilities than players have seen so far due to his parentage, including cryokinesis, once again owing to his mother having been a frost giant. It's unclear if his additional powers will be shown in the Ragnarok sequel, but with the passage of time and further training with his father, he may have discovered these talents along the way.
Much like in 2018's God of War, as Atreus continues to discover the reach of his skills, chances are players could see him become hubristic once again. In the last entry in the series, he was shown to be predisposed to arrogance and a sense of superiority. Coupled with his possible adolescent stage of life, gamers could likely see an unstable Atreus, something his father wouldn't take kindly to. This older version of Kratos is a more reserved man than he once was, and he seems determined not to let his son follow the same path he once followed. There is potential for a huge rift to be created between them, which could be one of the leading narrative threads of the Ragnarok-set God of War sequel.
Atreus' Other Identity
It was revealed at the end of God of War that the father-son duo has different names, and Atreus is known as Loki to the frost giants. This could have huge implications for Atreus' character and the events of the next game. In Norse mythology, Loki is a god and a trickster, possessing the ability to shapeshift into all manner of creatures to deceive his enemies. According to Norse mythology, Loki is destined to face the gods in a battle among the frost giants, and ultimately wind up being killed by Heimdallr, an all-knowing and all-seeing god.
In the God of War lore, the beginning of Ragnarok has begun differently than the prophecy has foretold, meaning that events potentially won't play out the same as the Norse mythology, but his role during Ragnarok could still be significant. Loki is said to be the father of the giant wolf Fenrir, Hel, and Jormungandr, all of whom have significant roles to play during the Norse apocalypse.
Atreus' identity as Loki could easily start to manifest during the next God of War game. Atreus will be older and likely discovering his other powers, and that could be inclusive of the abilities usually associated with the trickster god. The most notable power of Loki is shapeshifting, which has enabled him to have monstrous animal offspring like Fenrir in Norse mythology, in addition to concealing himself and tricking his opponents.
Atreus foreshadows this trait in God of War when he mentions to Kratos how he would like the ability to transform into animals, which is something he could discover as he trains and discovers his other skills. God of War has strayed from the Norse myths in several significant ways, so it's unclear right now if Atreus will have the complete range of powers associated with Loki, or if the narrative can or will include his offspring in any capacity.
The Ragnarok God of War sequel is a hotly anticipated title for PlayStation in 2021 and there is a host of storytelling opportunities with Atreus at the center of them. Atreus is likely going to be older and going through changes, with adolescence and his growing understanding of his heritage, meaning that the character is likely to see some significant changes. His destiny is closely associated with significant events during Ragnarok, but only time will tell if Santa Monica Studio will follow the myths to the letter, or continue to craft their own version of it.
God of War's Ragnarok-set sequel is set for release in 2021 on PlayStation 5.