There was always going to be a follow-up to 2018’s God of War, but the announcement of the game’s sequel has still been met with all-round excitement and even funny reactions. Within the series’ storyline, stretching all the way from the first God of War to the most recent one, certain moments were vital to allowing the events of God of War Ragnarok to take place.
The titular Ragnarok was only possible because these moments happened, making them major things that need to be pointed out. Many are instances that you wouldn’t even realize were important, so let’s see just what these moments are and how they impacted the story at large.
10 The Timing Of Faye's Death
Whether everything that happened during the events of the game was fated or not remains one of the unresolved questions from God of War. In any case, Faye’s death lifted the spell that protected herself and her family from Odin and their position being exposed was what brought Baldur to Krato’s doorstep.
Had her death not happened at a time when Atreus was close to unlocking his god powers, the boy and his father would not have come into the path of Freya and the issues with her son, and this dynamic is how Ragnarok’s earliest seeds were planted.
9 Kratos Finding Poseidon's Trident
While 2018’s God of War is considered a game with the best side missions, one of the similar levels in the original God of War was of the highest quality as well. This involved getting Poseidon’s Trident, an item that allowed Kratos to breathe underwater with no possibility of dying.
As seen at the end of God of War III, Kratos had to swim across the tsunami-ridden world of Greece to escape. This meant he did so due to Poseidon’s Trident allowing him to safely breathe his way underwater and into the Nordic lands, thus kickstarting his time there and his eventual role in Ragnarok.
8 Kratos Seeing The Vision Of Zeus
Kratos remained conflicted over his role in destroying the Greek world throughout God of War. However, he didn’t seem to decide on taking an active role in changing the cycle of violence until he saw the vision of Zeus from his past.
It was due to this that he killed Baldur, as he didn’t want him to kill his mother and continue the trend of children taking the lives of their parents. Of course, Baldur’s death prompted not only Freya to swear her revenge but also led Thor to Kratos’ doorstep, which will be seen in God of War Ragnarok.
7 Atreus' Killing Of Modi
There are a lot of things from Atreus we want to see in the next game. The most appealing possibility is seeing his powers expanded, which started to be unleashed when he killed Modi. This was a result of Atreus’ arrogance, although he did seem to get stronger due to it.
Ragnarok is supposed to be the result of Atreus’ conquest against the gods, meaning any act of brutality in the future was born right from the moment he finished off Modi. It’s also through the death of his son that Thor was prompted into confronting Atreus and Kratos.
6 The Gods Refusing To Take Away Kratos' Nightmares
This one should go without saying, as Kratos’ contempt toward the gods was what motivated him to eventually kill them. It still needs to be mentioned, what with Kratos’ eventual arrival in the Nordic realms only being possible due to his need to distance himself from his past.
Had the gods simply removed Kratos’ nightmares, he would have been content in his role as the God of War and never wreaked havoc. It was his intention to control the rage -- the result of his nightmares -- that Kratos married Faye and thus sealed his role in starting Ragnarok.
5 Zeus Falling For Kratos' Bluff
The overly dramatic mannerisms of the characters have garnered many memes at their expense. Zeus was guilty of furthering this trope, having fallen for Kratos’ bluff during their clash at the end of God of War II. This took place when he almost had Kratos beat with his lightning, only for Kratos to claim he was conceding defeat.
Kratos’ bluff worked and he was able to turn the tables on Zeus. Had the latter not fallen for this ruse, he would have ended Kratos then and there. Zeus claimed Kratos’ torment would last forever, meaning he would never have escaped the underworld to ever go to the Nordic realms.
4 Kratos Deciding Not To Tell Atreus About The Future
It remains to be seen whether this will be added to the list of worst decisions made by Kratos. As it happened, he saw a depiction of the future when they arrived in Jotunheim. This prediction showed Kratos dying while in the company of Atreus.
Had Kratos told his son what he saw, there’s every chance the fated Ragnarok would change since Atreus’ intentions of revenge against the Nordic gods would never come to pass. It would also mean that Thor’s arrival in the future would not have been a surprise.
3 Thor Punching Jörmungandr Into The Past
The world serpent is set to join Kratos as one of his strongest allies. The reason for this is the fact that he’s supposed to be Loki’s son, making him Kratos’ grandson. Jörmungandr was sent to the past by Thor, a result of the God of Thunder punching him with all his might.
Had Thor not chosen this particular move, Jörmungandr would never have been in position to help the heroes as he did during the events of God of War. This will lead to Jörmungandr’s assistance of his father and grandfather during Ragnarok, as he’s also been confirmed to fight Thor again.
2 Freya Placing The Curse On Baldur
In order for Kratos to kill Baldur, the latter needed to have been attempting to finish his own mother. This was the result of Baldur’s intense hatred of Freya due to her spell of removing all of his senses, driving him insane, as a result.
Had Freya decided against placing this spell -- which, ironically, was supposed to protect him -- Baldur wouldn’t have allied himself with Odin and Thor. It’s due to his death that the latter two gods have turned their attention to Krato and Atreus, setting up Loki’s actions against them in the future.
1 Pandora's Plea Of Hope To Kratos
Kratos would have died by Zeus’ hand at the end of God of War III had he not experienced the vision of Pandora telling him about the importance of hope. It was due to this vision that he gathered the strength to overpower Zeus, also unlocking the power of Hope.
Had Pandora not made her plea, Kratos would have been slain and Atreus’ birth would have been an impossibility. In essence, Pandora’s words at that specific moment guaranteed that the fated birth of Loki would take place as Kratos’ own survival was contingent upon remembering Pandora’s memory.