Throughout the God of War series, Kratos has never been portrayed as the perfect father. After all, he was directly responsible for the death of his first child, and his second child, Atreus, was outspoken throughout 2018’s God of War about how his father had mistreated him. While the end of the game does show the pair bonding on a level they had never done before, the sequel, God of War: Ragnarok, will test their relationship.

2018’s God of War set up a lot for Kratos and Atreus, including a battle against Thor, a rivalry against Freya, and the death of even more Norse gods. Fans have already been treated to a few of the characters for the upcoming God of War title, from the introduction of Angrboda, who is Loki’s mate in Norse mythology, to the reveal that Tyr is still alive. Both characters are likely to have a close relationship with Atreus, and this can affect Kratos, who is very distrustful of any person he does not consider family.

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Tyr and Angrboda

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Tyr was a driving force in 2018’s God of War and commanded the respect of Atreus thanks to his positive relationship with the Jotnar. This will likely lead to Atreus trusting in the Norse god of war as Tyr definitely has some sort of relationship with his mother, whose death set off the events of the first game. With Kratos’ general distrust of all gods, he will not approve of Atreus admiring Tyr and will constantly attempt to warn his son, who will undoubtedly get angry at Kratos for doing so, and will definitely cause a strain on their relationship that players will get to experience.

Angrboda is the other new character introduced in the God of War: Ragnarok trailer that was revealed back in 2021’s PlayStation Showcase. In Norse Mythology, Angrboda is the mate of Loki and mother of Fenrir, who kills Odin during the events of the Norse Ragnarok, and is often called the Mother of Monsters. In God of War: Ragnarok, Atreus, who was revealed to be Loki in the previous game, will definitely form a relationship with Angrboda, who will be the only other child Atreus has probably ever seen. Once again, Kratos’ cautious behavior will likely lead to him distrusting her and attempting to keep Atreus from seeing her, which will lead to a big fight between father and son.

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2018’s God of War Mural Prophecy

After Kratos and Atreus successfully reached the top of the largest mountain in all the realms in God of War, they saw a mural that described the events of their journey. The prophecy revealed that Kratos’ wife, Laufey, was a Jotnar, and ultimately showed Atreus holding Kratos’ dead body as he cried. While the image may look like Atreus is simply grieving the death of his father, it may also be interpreted as Atreus grieving the fact that he was responsible for his father’s death. This will cause a lot of tension between the pair, especially since Atreus will not know why Kratos may start fearing for his life.

There have been many theories as to what the mural would lead to in God of War: Ragnarok. Whatever the case may be, one thing is almost certain, Kratos is unlikely to ever tell Atreus of what he saw until it is too late. This could mean that Atreus senses Kratos hiding something and, just like in 2018’s God of War, could lead to Atreus completely hating the fact that Kratos is still alive while his mother is not. This will test their relationship as Kratos will have to break down a lot of barriers he has built to open up to Atreus. Atreus will not only need to be willing to help Kratos break down those walls, but will also have to both discover and control his immortal powers.

When 2018’s God of War released, fans enjoyed seeing Kratos attempt to be a good father to Atreus, and even though he did not do a great job, the pair’s relationship was strengthened by the journey they took together. God of War: Ragnarok will likely follow the same dynamic and show fans how the relationship between the pair has grown, and how, in many ways, it remains pretty much the same. Whatever happens in God of War: Ragnarok, it will test the relationship between Kratos and Atreus, especially since they will also be battling against Thor, whose children they killed in the previous game, and his relationship with his own father, Odin.

God of War: Ragnarok is set to release in 2022 for PS4, and PS5.

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