The God of War series has already tackled Greek and Norse legends, but the franchise also needs to explore Roman mythology and Kratos' effect in it. The recently released God of War Ragnarok brings an end to the series' Norse saga, with Kratos and Atreus confronting their destinies while battling legendary foes like Thor and Odin. It remains unclear where the God of War series will go next, but seeing Kratos journey to Rome can answer some complex questions about the mythology's pantheon.
The series started off with God of War's Greek mythology saga, with Kratos himself being a Spartan general named after the Greek personification of strength. Throughout this first era Kratos encounted and subsequently killed a long list of Greek gods like Zeus, Athena and Hades. The end of God of War 3 leaves Greece on the brink of destruction, with Kratos eventually traveling to the world of Norse mythology to escape his past. While the franchise's previous two installments have referenced Greek figures like Zeus and Athena, both titles mostly focus on mythic Norse figures like Thor, Odin, Loki and Freya.
God Of War Brushed Over Roman Mythology
The God of War franchise has sadly ignored the realm of Roman mythology by having Kratos travel from Greek to Norse mythology without any layover. The gods of Ancient Rome are based directly on Greek mythology, with most deities receiving new names but maintaining their original spheres of influence. The Greek god Zeus and the Roman god Jupiter are essentially identical, for example, with both wielding lightning while ruling over the sky and various other lesser gods. Given the similarity between Greek and Roman mythology, it's not surprising that the God of War franchise chose to explore the more popular and unique Norse myths.
However, the God of War universe leaves the fate of Rome and its pantheon of gods a complete mystery. It remains unclear whether the Roman people still worshiped gods like Jupiter and Minerva, and whether these were separate figures from the Greek gods in God of War or simply different names for the characters Kratos slaughtered. It's also possible that the Roman gods are actually reincarnations of the Greek gods, and Kratos will once again face his original pantheon in a future title. Without the existence of the Roman gods, the God of War universe would also have no logical name for planets like Venus, Mars and Jupiter.
Every system of mythology seems to exist in the God of War universe, which raises serious questions about the nature of the Roman gods. They may have been separate beings from the Greek gods, or perhaps the same figures were reincarnated and will face Kratos again under new names. If the Roman gods never existed in the God of War universe, it would have complex implications for the modern world and the name of Earth's neighboring planets. The existence of the Roman gods is a conundrum, but perhaps another God of War game will eventually address this identity crisis.
Source: PlayStation/YouTube
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God of War Ragnarok
- Released:
- 2022-11-09
- Developer:
- Santa Monica Studio
- Franchise:
- God of War
- Genre:
- Adventure, Action
- Platform:
- PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Publisher:
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- ESRB:
- M
- Summary:
- Ragnarok has arrived in God of War Ragnarok, the sequel to the 2018 game of the year released on PlayStation 4. Three years have passed since Kratos and his son, Atreus, completed their quest across the realms while facing a small handful of Norse gods. However, their actions come with consequences. The Allfather, Odin, is ready for vengeance, and his son, Thor, leads the charge. Atreus, looking to find more answers about his lineage on his mother's side, embarks on another quest with his father to discover the truth while contending with the wrath of Odin's realm in this conclusion to the Norse God of War Saga.
- Prequel:
- God of War
- How Long To Beat:
- 26 Hours
