Nearly a full year after teasing the title card, the trailer for God of War Ragnarök was finally released during the 2021 PlayStation Showcase. Not only that, but it teases quite a lot of exciting stuff regarding gameplay, mythology, and lore. One of the many striking moments of the trailer involves Atreus asking Kratos to "stop thinking like a father for a moment," which ignites something in the god of war that goes deeper than anything Atreus may yet know.

2018's God of War introduced a new Kratos into the world, one who has a family and a desire to protect his son in the only ways he knows how. His initial strategy of denial and "because I said so" parenting didn't work out very well, but over the course of their adventure, Kratos learned how to control his rage in order to be more open and vulnerable with his son. Most importantly, Kratos realized that he can no longer run from his past or hide it from Atreus.

Related: God Of War Ragnarök Trailer: Who The Girl At The End Is

During the game's third act, Kratos tells Atreus about his godhood and some insights into his past. However, he stopped well short of revealing everything. At this point, it's unclear how much Atreus knows about Kratos' past but God of War Ragnarök's trailer does make one thing very clear - Atreus doesn't know that Kratos was a father once before.

Why Kratos Refuses To Act Like A General Instead Of A Father

God Of War Ragnarok: Who Kratos & Atreus Are Looking For

In this pivotal moment, he actually asks Kratos to "stop thinking like a father for a moment and start thinking like a general-" but Atreus was nearly cut off by a swift and heavy "No!" from his father. Whether or not it's clear to Atreus at that moment, Kratos' response isn't just one of denial, but of deep pain and sorrow. Their journey thus far has been Kratos learning how to be a father again and protecting his son with everything he has, instead of being the one to cause his death. The trailer can be viewed here.

What Atreus doesn't know is that Kratos was once married and had a daughter named Calliope. This was when he was a Spartan General who was so vicious in battle that Aries, the Greek God of War, took notice and personally empowered Kratos - but at a cost. While Kratos can control his Spartan Fury ability now, Ares once manipulated that power to trick Kratos into slaughtering his family without realizing it. During his emotional reaction to the God of War's trick, the ashes of his family were bonded to his skin, thus giving Kratos his famous white-grey skin. This event was the catalyst for Kratos destroying the Greek Pantheon and becoming the god he is today.

This is why Kratos is quick to shut down any thought of being a general over being a father in God of War Ragnarök. He knows that this path only leads to tragedy and he's not willing to risk being the one that kills his child again. While the battle with Asgard is unavoidable at this point, it's clear that Kratos would rather fight them as a protective and loving father than a ruthless and blood-thirsty general.

Next: God Of War Ragnarök: Who Kratos & Atreus Are Looking For