5 SATISFYING Kratos Kills and 5 That SHOCKED Us

Satisfying: Magni

God of War (2018)

Magni and his brother, Modi, help their uncle Baldur track Kratos and Atreus during the 2018 game. Although he doesnt get a lot of time on screen before his death, hes immediately shown to be callous and cold-hearted. And so, we couldnt wait to dispose of him. As the sons of Thor, the duo shows off their formidable power with electrified attacks and a dense fog in an attempt to gain the upper hand. However, they make the mistake of threatening Kratos son, bringing out the rage the God of War is famous for. As the fight comes to a close, Kratos delivers a few deadly blows before burying his axe in Magnis head. This leaves Modi fleeing the fight like a scared child, and us feeling mighty.

Shocking: Lysandra & Calliope

God of War (2005)

 The death of his wife and daughter is one of the most famous aspects of Kratos characterization. But back in the day, these deaths were horrifying to learn the truth of. As a Spartan general, Kratos was saved from death and defeat by Ares, who seared the Blades of Chaos into his forearms. The God then tried to turn him into the ultimate warrior, which meant eliminating the family he saw as a distraction. He commanded Kratos to attack a village loyal to his sister Athena and blinded him with rage and bloodlust. In this state, Kratos took the lives of Lysandra and Calliope, only realizing what he had done moments later. It was then that the village Oracle cursed him to wear his familys ashes, and that players witnessed one of the most tragic backstories of any video game hero.

Satisfying: Cronos

God of War III (2010)

 Long before the game series takes place, Cronos grew fearful that his children would rise up and overthrow him, and began eating them to make sure it wouldnt happen. So, yeah, pretty bad dude. In God of War III, after learning that a mystical stone inside Cronos stomach can be used to create a weapon, Kratos seeks the Titan out. Things couldve gone peacefully, but Cronos holds a serious grudge against Kratos for things that arent directly his fault. During the fight, players must scale his body, fighting off minions, before Cronos goes with his old standby: trying to eat you. In one of the bloodiest deaths in the series, Kratos cuts his way out of Cronos gut, impales his chin with a piece of his own shackles, and drives the Blade of Olympus through his head. Utterly vicious and entirely awesome.

Shocking: King Midas

God of War: Ghost of Sparta (2010)

Midas is another character who gets little screentime, but whose death is still impactful. Kratos comes across the King, whos cursed to turn everything he touches into gold, in the Canyons of Sorrow. Needing passage across the flowing rivers of lava, Kratos sees an opportunity. Midas is clearly already in agony, having accidentally taken the life of his own daughter and tormented with visions that cause him to painfully lose his hand. But theres no time to care about that. Kratos chases him and beats him senseless. He then carries his body over to a lavafall and tosses him in, which turns to gold as Midas screams in pain before being turned to gold himself. All so Kratos has an easier time navigating the area.

Satisfying: Ares

God of War (2005)

Since Ares is responsible for the deaths of Kratos wife and child, to say that getting revenge on him in the original game is sweet would be an understatement. After Kratos opens Pandoras Box to grow to the same size as his foe, players are tested with a three-phase final boss battle. And its certainly a climactic one. Ares holds none of his viciousness back. But he also makes things even more personal during the second phase, which transports Kratos inside his own psyche, where he must defend Lysandra and Calliope against evil versions of himself. During the third phase, Kratos uses a massive blade to combat the villain. And when he finally wears him down, after delivering a fantastic one-liner, he drives that blade through Ares throat. As this whole game was about gaining vengeance, this moment was incredible.

Shocking: Athena

God of War II (2007)

While Ares death left us feeling accomplished, his sisters demise definitely didnt. During the first and second games, Athena does her best to aid Kratos and keep the peace between him and the rest of her family. Although she certainly doesnt approve of how Zeus has wronged him, she knows his death will lead to the downfall of Olympus, and therefore Greece. At the climax of God of War II, as Kratos is about to kill Zeus for all the horrors hes brought upon him, Athena defends her father. She even takes a killing blow, allowing Zeus to escape, much to Kratos sadness. She was arguably the one decent Olympian. But her final words also confirm that Zeus is Kratos own father, a surprising reveal at the time.

Satisfying: Heimdall

God of War Ragnarök (2022)

 We loved to hate Heimdall in God of War Ragnarök. From the moment he appeared, he spent all of his time demeaning and antagonizing Atreus. He was so gleeful and disrespectful, that by the time the Norns told Kratos that Heimdall planned to kill Atreus, we were almost giddy with excitement. Fate had spoken; there was no avoiding this confrontation. Heimdalls boss fight is also one of the most fun in the game, and seeing his confidence melt away as Kratos continues to gain advantage is delicious. Props to Kratos, as he does try to reason with Heimdall and not get dragged back into his former ways. But as players, we simply couldnt wait to wipe away his smugness. Kratos may not feel great about choking the life from Heimdall, but we sure enjoyed it.

Shocking: Poseidons Princess

God of War III (2010)

This poor woman is never even given a name. And yet, she gets one of the most brutal deaths in the entire series. After entering Poseidons Chamber in God of War III, Kratos comes across his enslaved lover, who regrets asking for help once she realizes who he is. Rather than take pity on her, he seemingly only frees her so he can use her. Leading her through several rooms of enemies, Kratos eventually comes across a heavy crank that keeps a door open. He then forces her to hold it up while he ventures forward. But after you leave, you hear a chilling crunch as the weight of the crank crushes her. Its a heartless death, and one of the cruelest things Kratos has ever done.

Satisfying: Zeus

God of War III (2010)

Ares is a major stepping stone in Kratos quest for vengeance against the Olympians, which ends with Zeus in God of War III. With as many terrible things as his father put him through, including his own death, as well as those of his mother and brother, we cant blame Kratos for wanting to put an end to him. That only comes after a grueling, multi-phase boss battle that caps off the game. It feels nice to run Zeus through with the Blade of Olympus, which is exactly what Zeus did to him. But even that doesnt fully stop him. Kratos then has to fight off Zeus spirit before pummeling him with his bare hands. This being through a first-person view is especially savage, as blood covers the screen until you can no longer see.

Shocking: Helios

God of War III (2010)

Some might also call this death satisfying, which is hard to argue against. The Sun God sides with Olympus even after Kratos rescued him in Chains of Olympus. But the sheer brutality of it tips the scales towards being more shocking. During the war between Gods and Titans in God of War III, Kratos comes across Helios battling Perses. He takes out his chariot with a ballista and hunts him down later. Although Helios tries to fight off, reason with, and then lie to Kratos in order to stop his rampage, none of these tactics work. Despite having several sharp weapons, Kratos takes hold of Helios head and rips it off with his bare hands. Its the most jaw-dropping kill in the game, simply because of how ruthless it is.

Did we leave off a kill you found satisfying? Or one that shocked you? Share your thoughts in the comments!