Kratos has been the player character of God of War since the first game, with the 2018 soft reboot giving fans an opportunity to see him in his older age years after his destruction of the Greek gods in the original trilogy. The last game also introduced Atreus, Kratos’ son who accompanies him on a journey to spread the ashes of Faye, Kratos’ wife and Atreus’ mother.
While it may not have immediate appeal to every fan of the franchise, there are some great reasons that Atreus should be a player character in the next God of War. If Santa Monica Studio goes down that route, the plot of God of War’s Ragnarok sequel could have some unexpected twists that bring out some of the series’ most interesting themes.
SPOILERS FOR GOD OF WAR 2018 AND RED DEAD REDEMPTION FOLLOW
The Jotunheim mural at the end of God of War 2018 reveals that Atreus is in fact the Norse god Loki, and the final hidden panel appears to reveal that Ragnarok will result in Atreus cradling what appears to be the corpse of Kratos, though without his trademark tattoos it could potentially be another important character like Odin, who has yet to be seen. If this event comes to fruition, there are a few reasons that Atreus becoming a player character could benefit the game.
Making Atreus a player character could allow for the game’s story to continue after Kratos’ death, in a similar way to the original Red Dead Redemption. The Jotunheim mural revealed what many fans assume will be the final moment of God of War’s Ragnarok sequel, but in fact Kratos’ death could be the inciting incident of the game, allowing the rest of the story to explore uncharted territory beyond the predetermined confines of the Ragnarok prophecy.
Even if the game takes place entirely within the events of Ragnarok, Loki has an extremely interesting journey through the mythological Ragnarok which could be great to explore from the perspective of the player character. In some versions of the myth, Loki starts Ragnarok bound beneath the earth by Thor as punishment for his involvement in the death of Baldur. This could easily happen at the beginning of the next game, with God of War’s secret ending showing Thor arriving at the end of Fimbulwinter after Baldur’s death.
From there, Loki escapes and raises an army of his children, including giants like Fenrir – the wolf destined to eat Odin – and the World Serpent. This might require a return to the time-travel plotline from God of War 2 in order to explain how Loki became the father of these two beings as well as appropriately aging him in time for the final battle, allowing him to fully explore his role as the Norse god of deceit in both the story and in terms of combat mechanics.
By making Atreus the player character, the storytellers could explore just how similar Atreus is becoming to Kratos from the original trilogy, with the player’s control of Atreus complementing that theme on a meta level. They could have him escape from his prison just as Kratos escaped the underworld in God of War 2, they could have him manipulate time to regain the upper-hand against the Norse gods just as his father did against the Greek gods, and, most importantly, they could show how Atreus is as vulnerable to becoming trapped in the cycle of vengeful violence which has haunted Kratos’ life, and which he partially inherited from his father Zeus.
Depending on if and when Kratos dies in God of War’s Ragnarok sequel, Atreus becoming a player character might not necessarily mean Kratos isn’t also playable in the game. However, allowing the player to take on the role of Atreus could help the character and the series’ overarching themes reach their full potential.
The God of War Ragnarok sequel is in development.
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