Kratos is a killer of gods, but he is also a savior to those he loves and a deeply devoted soldier. While Kratos’s most well-known feats are chronicled in the original God of War trilogy, his lesser-known adventures can be found in the various spin-offs that have been released parallel to the core games. In the 2010 God of War miniseries by Marv Wolfman and Andrea Sorrentino, Kratos undertook a grueling quest in order to save his infant daughter.
Spartans are the embodiment of strength. Those that are born weak are cast off into the chasm of Mount Taygetos. It is a harsh code to live by, but it is a testament to the iron will that fills each and every Spartan. Kratos, the greatest Spartan warrior to have ever lived, is this code incarnate and fiercely proud of it. The birth of his daughter Calliope, however, rattled Kratos’s conviction to its core.
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Calliope is born stricken with plague and is to be cast-off to her death. Kratos, determined to save his daughter’s life, pledges to find the Ambrosia of Asclepius, a magical elixir said to possess the power of healing any malady. Given a finite amount of time to find the Ambrosia and return to Sparta, Kratos embarks on the harrowing quest. Little does he know that the gods themselves have their own stakes in the outcome of Kratos’s journey.
Hades, Ares, Hermes, Artemis, Poseidon, and Helios hold a simple contest to see who’s champion will claim the Ambrosia first? Each believes their respective champion is the best and most proficient. Statues and temples for the victorious god will be raised throughout Greece. To inspire their champions into taking part in their contest, the devious gods each performed a small feat of their own. Hades sickened his champion’s father to near-death; Poseidon cast a pox over his champion’s entire village, and Ares afflicted Kratos’s daughter with plague.
Kratos’s journey pits him against humans and monsters alike. As Kratos proves his mettle time and time again he fights not only the other champions he races against, but also against the power of the jealous gods. But as the contestants draw closer to the Ambrosia, each of the champions fall until only Kratos and Alrik the Barbarian remain.
Alrik steals the Ambrosia from Kratos and flees atop a giant bird. Kratos, giving chase, catches up to the barbarian. Kratos and Alrik’s battle begins in the air and ends on the earth; Kratos bests Alrik in battle and wins back the Ambrosia. Successful in his quest, Kratos returns to Sparta with mere seconds to spare. The Ambrosia cures Calliope of her sickness and Kratos is promoted to Captain for his deeds.
Parallel to the events of Kratos retrieving the Ambrosia before his transformation into the God of War, another story is told of Kratos traveling back towards the Tree of Life that the Ambrosia was originally taken from. As Kratos approaches the Tree of Life, a cosmic horror opens its many eyes and mouths beneath Kratos’s feet. This is the Centimanes Gyges, which had been waiting for Kratos’s return. Kratos’s new mission was to destroy the Tree of Life, not only to prevent disciples of Ares from resurrecting their god, but also to prevent Gyges and his brothers from gaining enough power to rule the world. Kratos is successful in both destroying the Tree of Life and defeating Gyges.
God of War tells a tale that sheds light on Kratos’s past. It is an interesting path Kratos treads in this story as his actions are driven by love and devotion to his family, but by saving them he damns countless others in the process. Kratos is a loving father and husband, yes, but his rival champions are also husbands, sons, and fathers themselves. In classic God of War tradition, Kratos is painted as the hero of his own story as well as the villain to everyone around him.
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