Looking back at God of War's original Greek saga, it was established pretty early on that Kratos' journey through the mythology was heading in only one direction. Following the revelation during God of War 2's conclusion that the Spartan's father was the all-mighty Zeus, a deity who'd just so happened to have impaled him on a giant sword only a few hours earlier, it was clear that a confrontation between the two was going to be the last checkmark on every player's ancient Greek bucketlist. Subsequently, by the time God of War 3's credits started to scroll in 2010, it wasn't particularly surprising that the electric-powered god's death signaled the end of the pantheon and saga.

Fast forward to God of War's Norse mythology-based adventures, and things are a lot less straightforward when it comes to a final destination. Now that the second saga in the franchise's lineage is coming to an end next year, via God of War: Ragnarok, it's hard to envision who the biggest threat is that Kratos and Atreus will need to slay before they can attain peace. Based on the secret ending to 2018's game and the marketing material that Santa Monica Studio has released so far, it appears that the legendary hammer throwing Thor is being teed up as the next climactic opponent. However, there's reason to believe that this could be deliberate subterfuge on the studio and Sony's part, and that even bigger threats are lying in wait.

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Thor is Likely Just A Minion

Thor appears at the end of God of War

Teased dramatically at the end of God of War 2018, players have known for some time that Thor is set to play a large role befitting of his current pop culture status in the upcoming Ragnarok. During Sony's September showcase event, which the PS4 and PS5 title closed with an epic narrative trailer, his presence was keenly felt on and off screen. Voiced by Sons of Anarchy's Ryan Hurst, it appears that Thor will indirectly team up with outcast Freya to hunt down Kratos and Atreus following the bloody concluding moments of the last game's story.

Having gone to all of this trouble setting the stage for such a titanic clash of characters and egos, it's clear that Santa Monica is eager for fans to buy into the idea that Thor is the biggest threat that awaits Kratos in God of War: Ragnarok. However, examining what's been shown of the game so far, alongside the studio's interpretation of the instantly recognizable deity, that seems to be an obvious attempt to direct attention away from the larger picture. It's worth keeping in mind that the Norse god of thunder isn't alone in his quest to exact revenge, and that Freya has arguably been developed to a greater extent over the course of 2018's game as the character for fans to really keep an eye on. Thor's hedonistic mythologically accurate personality and physical appearance both suggest that his sharpest war-mongering days are behind him, too.

Thor will no doubt still be powerful within Ragnarok, as his backstory up until this point has established the sadistic joy he takes in committing atrocities like genocide. His arrival at Kratos' house in the State of Play trailer suggests that he shows up fairly early on in the game's story, though. While several big-bads from the franchise's history have admittedly done this too, it's hard to envision any fight between the pair not ending in some form of immediate bloodshed. What could also be telling is Thor's iconic weapon Mjolnir. Even though the Leviathan Axe functions in a similar fashion gameplay and lore wise, there's still a unique allure to the hammer that makes it hard to envision the studio not letting Kratos play with it at some point. Setting Thor up as the biggest and potentially final threat, would all but rob players of a chance to do this.

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Odin's Pulling the Strings

Kratos in front of tower with one of Odins ravens in God of War

What puts Thor's status as the biggest threat in even more doubt, is the fact that Norse mythology features a much more dangerous character for Kratos to face off against. Despite the god of thunder's popularity, his father Odin is arguably a far more pivotal player in the overall destiny of pantheon. Driven by a deep-seated paranoia and narcissistic desire to protect his throne at all costs, the 'Allfather' is central to the events of Ragnarok. Despite actively fighting to prevent the war to end all wars, Odin's destructive actions are ultimately what makes sure the apocalypse becomes inevitable. For those reasons, and the fact that he was the one who manipulated Baldur into hunting Kratos and Atreus in God of War 2018, there's a sizable chance that he's the one actively pulling his other son's strings in the sequel.

While often depicted more as a schemer and the brains behind Asgard's many plots, Odin's intelligence is actually matched by equally impressive combat skills and experience. In both Santa Monica Studio's universe and the stories of Norse mythology, the king of the gods is said to be the fourth most powerful entity in the religion, behind only Starkadr, Fenrir, and Sutr, characters likely to be aligned with their fellow giant Atreus. What makes Odin particularly formidable is his complete mastery of magic, and his spear Gungnir, which is said to never miss once thrown. Having faced brutal opponents with elemental powers in the past like Aries, a character reminiscent of Thor on multiple levels, someone like Odin and the unique abilities he has would represent a completely fresh challenge for players and Santa Monica Studio alike.

In Norse mythology, it should be noted that Ragnarok only ends when Odin is beaten and devoured by Fenrir. Even though Santa Monica Studio has shown a desire to put its own spin on the story, this predetermined fate wouldn't necessarily need to be avoided. Of all of the matchups and potential final threats on the table, a climactic battle between Odin and Kratos that ends with the aforementioned giant getting the final attack in, would arguably break from the established literature the least.

The Other Possible Threats

god of war ragnarok kratos atreus

It should be mentioned that there's a handful of other outside alternative contenders in the picture, that could end up being the biggest threat in God of War: Ragnarok. Character's like Tyr and the World Serpent have both been introduced as having larger ominous foreboding roles to play in the story ,for example. It's not hard to envision the former pacifist and Aesir god in particular taking a dim view on Kratos' bloody history, especially considering that his trophy room in the first game makes it clear he's already aware of the Ghost of Sparta's past.

If Santa Monica Studio follows the template it established in the Greek-saga, and follows up on the first game's prophetic mural, Atreus could also theoretically end up being the final threat that's waiting for his father. After all, on the male side of his family, there's a deeply established precedent for sons killing or imprisoning their parents, as evidenced by Kratos, Zeus, and Cronos. As hard as it is to imagine potential motivations for him doing something like that right now, considering the parallels that have already been drawn between Odin and the equally paranoid and manipulative Zeus, this aspect of the story could also end up being something that turns out to be repeated as well.

Still, Odin's unseen but constantly felt presence works more effectively than any physical threat that's so far been shown on-screen. Currently unrevealed players in the events of Ragnarok, like Starkadr, Fenrir, and Sutr, would all fall short in comparison to the head of Asgard, simply because there will have been two games that have actively explored his motivations and desires by the time the story ends. Based on the established literature of the apocalypse, and the destruction he's already sown whilst making it happen, it stands to reason that at the very least Odin will end up being one of the more memorable and dangerous threats players face next year.

God of War: Ragnarok is scheduled for release in 2022 for PS4 and PS5.

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