There is no shortage of fan theories and speculation about what's coming next for Kratos and Atreus in God of War: Ragnarok, but no one will know for sure until the game is released. God of War had numerous twists and turns that kept players guessing the entire time, and Ragnarok is sure to do the same. However, there was a lot of foreshadowing in the previous game that hints at what might be coming.
One of the most shocking twists came at the end of the game, when Kratos saw an image of himself dying by Atreus' hand in Faye's mural. It's an ominous image because Faye accurately predicted every event in the game, and the patterns throughout the God of War series suggest that Atreus could kill Kratos. After all, sons killing their parents (or attempting to) has happened several times in the series. For fans who aren't quite ready to say goodbye to Kratos, this foreshadowing is probably actually a blessing in disguise.
God of War: Ragnarok Shouldn't Have a Predictable Story
Kratos' death at his son's hand has been heavily foreshadowed, and a lot of players are expecting to see Atreus kill his father in the next game. If not in the next game, it's possible it will happen in a future installment. However, God of War likes to be unpredictable. With that in mind, it's hard to imagine that the story will actually follow through with what was foretold by the mural.
Atreus killing Kratos feels like it could be taking a step too far, especially because the father and son reconcile by the end of God of War. There's plenty of room for that to change, but it probably won't happen the way fans are imagining it. Having Atreus kill Kratos in God of War: Ragnarok would be far too predictable, given the foreshadowing and the franchise's themes. Just because of that, the story will probably go in another direction.
It's important to note that God of War does have a pattern of children killing parents, as exemplified by Kratos killing his own father Zeus, and Baldur attempting to kill his mother Freya. At one point, Atreus asks if children killing their parents is what it is to be a god. There's no question that it's something of a theme, but Kratos also tells Atreus multiple times in God of War that he must grow up to be better than Kratos was. Right now, everything points towards Atreus making that horrible mistake, but hopefully he will be able to learn from his father's mistakes. While he might face temptation to kill his father, it's unlikely he would knowingly go through with the act.
Atreus Killing Kratos Is Probably a Red Herring
Fans expect Atreus to kill Kratos or to somehow be involved in his death, but this is probably a red herring meant to distract players from other things being foreshadowed. It would be a huge deal to kill off a character who has headed a massively popular franchise for years, and that's why people are so focused on it. If Atreus were to kill Kratos, it would be an emotional story beat, but would also make it difficult for the series to carry on.
Atreus is a wonderful option for a future protagonist when Kratos' story does come to an end, but how many players will want to root for someone who killed the character they loved? If the controversy over The Last of Us 2 has taught the gaming industry anything, it's that a narrative like that can be successful, but it's also a difficult sell.
Everyone is fixated on the possibility of Atreus being the one to end Kratos' life, but the truth is, it's not even entirely clear what the mural depicts. It shows Kratos dying in Atreus' arms, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Atreus was the one who dealt the final blow. For all we know, maybe Atreus is trying to save his father's life rather than end it. Perhaps Kratos knowingly laid down his life for Atreus, or requested that Atreus kill him. There's also the question of whatever is shown coming out of their mouths; no one knows the meaning of that yet, and it will probably end up being very significant.
Atreus killing Kratos is the simplest and most obvious explanation of what's happening in the mural, but it can't be as simple as that. Santa Monica could be using hints and teasers as a form of misdirection, keeping fans preoccupied on Kratos' fate while pulling countless other strings in the background.
God of War: Ragnarok Might Still Bring Out Atreus's Dark Side
Hopefully Atreus doesn't kill Kratos, because aside from being far too obvious to be the truth, it would feel like overkill. Atreus clearly does love his father despite all of their differences, and it's hard to imagine a situation where Atreus would intentionally murder him. However, that doesn't mean that players won't get to see more of Atreus' dark side in God of War: Ragnarok.
Upon discovering that he's a god, Atreus took a bit of a dark turn in God of War. He mercilessly killed Thor's son Modi, and yelled at Brok and Sindri for bothering gods with "little people's little problems." He believed that because he was a god, he was more important than everyone else and could do whatever he wanted. Kratos set him straight and eventually, Atreus came back around, but that dark side is still there.
The end of God of War revealed that Atreus is also the Norse god of mischief, Loki. A lot of fans might be familiar with Tom Hiddleston's lovable yet devious MCU interpretation of the character, but God of War could go a bit darker with it. In most iterations, Loki is not exactly a good person. Revealing Atreus' second identity as Loki could be signaling towards his character taking a bit of a dark turn in God of War: Ragnarok, but it probably won't be so dark that he winds up committing patricide.
God of War: Ragnarok will release on PS4 and PS5 in 2022.