Kratos will likely face several strong opponents when he returns for one last Nordic adventure in God of War Ragnarök, but some players are wondering what would happen if he went up against a truly formidable foe: himself. The Ghost of Sparta has gone through a deep evolution throughout the Santa Monica Studio series, growing from a rage-filled God of War warrior focused on vengeance in the original trilogy to an aged hermit who only desires a peaceful life with his son Atreus in 2018’s God of War reboot.
Though he is certainly a changed man in Santa Monica's latest God of War title, Kratos remains haunted by the violent life he led during his earlier days in Greece. Throughout Kratos' and Atreus' journey to scatter his late wife Faye's ashes across the highest peak of Jotunheim, Kratos is met with grim reminders of his previous quest for revenge. He repeatedly warns Atreus to control his rage, least his son go down a similar path. Even in the upcoming God of War Ragnarok, Kratos seems to be reluctant to get involved with the affairs of the Nordic Gods due to his troubled past - pointing to a potential epic boss battle with a physical or spiritual manifestation of those inner demons.
Reddit user Gauri_aya11 (via GameRant) recently pondered what would happen if Kratos faced a past version of himself in God of War Ragnarok, using a sketch from web artist Erdem Denizlioğlu to illustrate. This idea led to a debate in the comment section about which version of Kratos is stronger; with some fans favoring the younger Kratos due to his pure, unbridled fury, while others noted that the more recent Nordic-era Kratos might have an edge due to his controlled strength, added wisdom and bulkier build.
Who else wanna see this fight? If only in a dream sequence. Old Kratos fighting his inner demons ( younger self)? from GodofWar
Kratos’s difficult past won’t be the only possible foe he and Atreus could go up against in God Of War Ragnarok - which will see the father-son duo search for answers about a mysterious prophecy that foretells the end of the world. During this quest, they will battle legendary deities like Thor, join forces with new allies like Tyr and Angrboda, and possibly discover Atreus’s destiny and role in the upcoming Ragnarök. Developer Sony Santa Monica confirmed that God of War Ragnarok will be the conclusion of Kratos and Atreus's journey through the Nine Realms of Nordic mythology, and could possibly serve as the final chapter in Kratos’ series-long arc - with Atreus potentially taking over the lead role in future games.
A boss fight between Kratos and a version of his past self (in an illusion or dream of some kind) could be an interesting way to bring the Ghost of Sparta's narrative full circle and signify that he is truly ready to put his violent past behind him by literally defeating the bloodthirsty deity-slayer he once was. In any case, God Of War Ragnarök will likely have an intense climax when it finally launches on the PlayStation 5 sometime next year.
Source: GameRant, Gauri_aya11/Reddit, Erdem Denizlioğlu/Pinterest