20 Things You DIDN'T Know About God of War

Replacing an Icon
“God of War” (2018)

Before Christopher Judge took up the mantle of Kratos for the 2018 game, the character was played by T.C. Carson. Carson portrayed him from the 2005 original, all the way through 2013’s “Ascension.” The reason that director Cory Barlog gave for replacing him was because the studio wanted motion capture and voice work to be done by the same performer, and Carson didn’t match Kratos’ stature. But what you may not have known is that Carson was never notified about the change by Sony, a decision he deemed “unprofessional” in a later interview. Both are excellent in the role. And to Judge’s credit, he refused to ever voice a younger version of the character out of respect to Carson. This is likely why, in the ‘Valhalla’ DLC for “Ragnarok,” the younger version of Kratos you come across at the end doesn’t speak.

Recycled Concepts
“God of War: Ghost of Sparta” (2010)

The prequel “Ghost of Sparta” takes several concepts from previous games and makes them its own. Kratos’ younger brother, Deimos, actually appeared before this game, in a bonus unlockable video in the 2005 original. “Birth of the Beast” shows him dying, abandoned by the Spartan Army for being weak, and ending up in the underworld. While the game version is kidnapped by the Gods to avoid a prophecy, both end up resenting Kratos for not saving him. Similarly, another unlockable video in the 2005 game, “A Secret Revealed,” details Kratos questioning his mother about his mysterious father. But before she can tell him, a curse triggers, turning her into a monster that Kratos has to kill, which also happens in “Ghost of Sparta.” Finally, a key location in the game is Atlantis. The underwater city was planned to appear in “God of War II,” but was cut.

Love ‘Em & Leave ‘Em
“God of War III” (2010)

Kratos kills just about every god he comes across in the Greek games, with “God of War III” featuring his highest body count. However, the one he doesn’t kill is Aphrodite. No, their encounter ends much more peacefully, and sensually. You can play the sex mini-game with Aphrodite as many times as you wish. But director Stig Asmussen once revealed in an interview that this could have been very different. Originally, if players initiated the encounter a second time, the camera would have panned away before a record scratch was heard. The camera would have panned back, revealing Aphrodite trying to kill Kratos with a dagger. There would have been a quick time event, and Kratos would have then kicked her into the underworld.

Feeling Blue
“God of War” (2005)

There are many recognizable features about Kratos’ design, not least of which is his massive red tattoo that he got in honor of his brother, Deimos. However, the tattoo wasn’t always red. In early concept art, it was blue. This was actually the plan pretty close up to the game’s reveal. The reason it was changed last minute was because a staff member notified creator and director David Jaffe that Kratos looked an awful lot like the Barbarian class in “Diablo II.” Well, red was always more of Kratos’ color anyway.

Odin as a Father
“God of War Ragnarök” (2022)

Richard Schiff did a great job playing Odin in “God of War Ragnarök.” And by that, we mean we reeeeeally wanted to kill him. As good as he was, he initially needed some convincing, but not from anyone at Sony. Director Eric Williams stated he was certain Schiff would say no. But when the offer came through, the actor happened to be in the car with his son, who is apparently a big fan of the series. His son told him to say yes to whatever the role was, so long as that meant he got to appear in “God of War.” With his dad not being much of a gamer, he even wrote up a two-page synopsis of the previous game to help convince him.

The Meaning of Boy
“God of War” (2018)

Throughout a good chunk of 2018’s “God of War,” Kratos refers to Atreus as ‘Boy.’ It becomes a somewhat demeaning thing to say, a bit dismissive of his son’s personality and spirit while also being cold. Kratos’ distance makes sense, given their strained relationship at the start of the game. But this was actually not by design. For a long time during production, the team just didn’t have a name picked out for Kratos’ son. Christopher Judge was instructed to simply call him ‘Boy,’ and it ended up working out for the better for their dynamic and characterization.

The Speed of Jason McDonald
“God of War Collection” (2009)

Although it doesn’t have the most infamous trophies around, the “God of War” series still has a couple of tough ones. One from the remastered version of the first game requires you to beat it in under five hours, though this at least can be done on any difficulty. The trophy is called ‘Speed of Jason McDonald.’ If you’ve ever gotten it and wondered who the hell Jason McDonald is, he was a Combat Director for the series. And he held the record among the developers for speedrunning the game, and so was given a digital Trophy to commemorate this.

Trophy Title Changes
“God of War III Remastered” (2015)

Speaking of Trophies, the third game had a couple whose names were a bit…suggestive. So much so that Sony apparently thought their names ought to be changed when the remastered version was released in 2015. One called ‘Are You Horny to Win?’ required collecting all the Minotaur horns, and became ‘Horn of Plenty.’ Another simply called ‘Hooker’ was earned after you kill Hades, and was changed to ‘Depths Below.’ Gotta keep those trophy titles family friendly…Ya know, for all the kids playing one of the bloodiest games ever created.

A Meaningful Release
“God of War Ragnarök” (2022)

As many may remember, “God of War Ragnarök” was meant to release in 2021, but was delayed to 2022. This was due to a combination of COVID and injuries that Christopher Judge suffered in 2019, for which he needed surgery and time to recover from. The original release date would have lined up with the game’s story. The 2018 game ends with the beginning of Fimbulwinter, which lasts for three years and precedes Ragnarök in Norse mythology. While Sony missed that connection, in a fun coincidence, the new release date occurred during another. The day before the game was released on November 9th, a blood moon occurred. This special type of eclipse was noteworthy, since one of the events that also precedes Ragnarök is the darkening of the sun and moon, which happens in the game.

The Origin of Kratos' Name

“God of War” is obviously packed with plenty of gods and goddesses made famous by myth. And while the series’ protagonist seemed like an original creation, that’s not necessarily the case. Or at least he isn’t where his name is concerned. In Greek mythology, Kratos or Cratus is the lesser-known god of strength, power, and sovereign rule. His name and power is about where the similarities end, though. Cratus and his three siblings were enforcers of Zeus with him being the one to chain up Prometheus. But in “God of War II,” Kratos is actually the one to free the Titan. We’re using “free” in a very loose sense here.

Censored Human Sacrifice
“God of War” (2005)

Kratos has committed some vile acts over the years, often throwing anyone under the proverbial bus to reach his goals. In the first game, Kratos comes upon a caged soldier of Athens during the Challenge of Poseidon section. At first grateful to see him, the soldier soon realizes Kratos plans to sacrifice him in order to continue. The player must push the cage up a steep incline while fighting enemies, all while the soldier begs for his life. It’s a pretty brutal scene and one that Japanese and PAL versions of the game censored. In those versions, the soldier is replaced with an Undead Legionnaire. Not quite as impactful.

A Less Iconic Look
“God of War” (2005)

We’ve mentioned his blue tattoo, but that wasn’t the only thing that changed about Kratos’ design. There are a ton of video game characters that started off looking one way before changing drastically for their final appearance. Kratos is now one of the most iconic characters in video game history, not just in personality but also in design. But the studio went through several looks before him. Some concept art shows him as being heavily armored, including a helmet that would obscure his face. Others depict him with long hair while another shows him carrying a baby on his back. But the look Kratos ultimately ended up with, with his pale white skin, bald head, and bright red tattoo, was definitely the right choice.

A Different Pantheon
“God of War” (2018)

When it was decided that “God of War” would move on from the tales of Greek myth, Kratos moved into the world of Norse. However, this wasn’t an immediate decision. According to director Cory Barlog, others that were in the running were Egyptian, Inca, and Hindu. This was narrowed down to Norse and Egyptian. And the latter was considered long enough for concept art to be created, featuring Kratos and Atreus in combat, and a sphynx spreading its wings in the background. References to Egypt can be found in both the 2018 game and “Ragnarök.” There’s no doubt many players would love to see the series head their next, which actually falls in line with recent leaks.

Paying Homage
“God of War II” (2007) & “God of War III” (2010)

Plenty of well known actors have lent their voices to “God of War” characters, such as Clancy Brown as Hades and Michael Clarke Duncan as Atlas. But there are a couple who have actually reprised roles that made them famous. Harry Hamlin, who voiced Perseus in “God of War II,” previously played the hero in the 1981 classic, “Clash of the Titans.” Kevin Sorbo, best known for portraying Hercules on the TV show of the same name and several TV movies, also voiced him in “God of War III” as well as “God of War: Ascension.” Although, their video game counterparts ended up much worse off than the live-action ones.

Like Father, Like Son

If you follow the “God of War” series, Cory Barlog is a name you’ve likely heard many times. He’s worked on the series since the very beginning. He directed both “God of War II” and the 2018 Norse entry, but he’s also written for several other installments. As it turns out, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. His father, James Barlog, is an accomplished young adult author best known for the “Minno” series. And he also helped write his son’s video game directorial debut. It’s a good thing their relationship is much more positive than Zeus and Kratos’.

The Three Wise Men
“God of War III” (2010)

“God of War III” could have been very different if creator David Jaffe hadn't left in 2007 to form his own studio. He’s spoken about his plans for the Greek finale. And by the sounds of it, it would’ve ended the series completely. Originally, the studio was playing around with the idea of having Kratos kill Zeus very early in the game. From there, Norse and Egyptian Gods would have invaded, causing war between the three pantheons. All gods and goddesses would have perished. But Kratos and his counterparts from the Norse and Egyptian realms would have become the Three Wise Men, beginning the belief of one true God from Christianity. There’s even a mural hinting at this in “God of War II.”

A Forgotten Daughter
“God of War: Ascension” (2013)

Atreus was a great addition to the series, challenging Kratos as a parent while lending some much appreciated aid in fights. But Kratos was almost given another child. In celebration of the studio’s 20th anniversary in 2019, Sony Santa Monica released a ton of unseen concept art spanning the series. Some of it was for Kratos’ secret and playable daughter, even bearing a similar face tattoo, who would have gone looking for him following “God of War III.” However, when the next game in the series turned out to be a prequel, the art was repurposed for the Amazon Warrior enemies of “Ascension.”

Fairy Companion
“God of War” (2005)

Series creator David Jaffe has revealed several elements changed between the planning stages and release of the first game. And of all of them, we wish this one could have been included the most. Jaffe originally wanted Kratos to have a fairy companion similar to Navi in “Ocarina of Time.” But in a hilarious twist, Kratos would have gotten annoyed with his little helper and killed it before the end of the first level. Given Navi’s fame for being an annoyance, we can definitely understand his thought process here. Unfortunately, the idea was scrapped because the team just didn’t have time to set it up.

Sources of Inspiration
“God of War” (2005)

With its immense popularity, “God of War” ended up inspiring a lot of copycats. But the game itself was a blend of ideas inspired by other games. Jaffe was impressed by Capcom’s “Onimusha,” and wanted to do something similar, just with Greek mythology instead of Japanese. Another Capcom hit, “Devil May Cry,” influenced the game’s hack-and-slash action. For its camera and puzzle solving, the development team looked to the action-adventure classic, “Ico.” Finally, for inspiration on adapting well-known characters with their own twist, they took a page out of American McGee’s book and his adaptation of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.”

Almost First-Person
“God of War” (2005)

Clearly, the first game could have wound up being very different. Sony Santa Monica looked to several popular games for what wound up being the melting pot that is “God of War.” But before that, creator and director David Jaffe showed interest in making the game first-person. He spoke about this interest on his YouTube channel, citing a Dreamcast game called “Maken X.” It certainly would have made the game stand out against other action games. But Jaffe ultimately felt like that view wouldn’t capture the emotion, character building, and combat he wanted from the game. With Kratos’ emotion and brutal combat being some of the most important facets of the series, this was definitely the right call.

What’s a fun fact you love about the “God of War” series? Share it with us in the comments!