Detailed Analysis - Main Narrative
5-Act Structure - Kratos' Future
Since his debut in 2005, Kratos has become an icon in the PlayStation family, being as memorable as other action heroes like Nathan Drake, Cole McGrath and Crash Bandicoot. While initially starting off as just an angry, bloodthirsty murderer with a talent for killing scores of people, Kratos has grown in the years since his debut. While his skills at killing and his rage certainly haven’t dulled, he’s become a much more grounded person and even a reasonable person. In the original games, he didn’t care about anyone he came across and would even Indiscriminately kill them, with no other reason than they were in his path.
Since Reemerging in 2018 with the Norse series, Kratos has become a well-rounded person who can hold a pleasant conversation with people if the circumstances invite it and he may even chuckle on occasion. Since the end of God of War: Ragnarök, Kratos has been living with a potential prophecy in his head, which gives him hope for the future, a future where he can be seen as more than a murderer, but how could he get there? This answer would be found in only one place, Valhalla.
As we re-join Kratos and our Favorite talking head Mimir on the shores of a black sand beach, the air is thick with intrigue and Tension until they come across a massive door. Atop the door, Norse runes that read one thing, “Master Thyself”. In proper God of War fashion, Kratos forces open the massive stone door with nothing but his strength. He also loses access to his Armor, and upgrades, which is also in typical God of War fashion as a new adventure is about to begin.
Entering the realm of Valhalla, Kratos finds himself in many odd reflections of the realms he has travelled to and enemies he has faced, this time however, he doesn’t have Atreus or Freya to help. Even worse, not only is he missing his Upgraded magic, but his natural strength is hamstrung until Kratos either dies or comes across an Ancient stone chair, only to awaken on the black beach. Without even a moment of rest, Freya (Danielle Bisutti) arrives with the Shield-Maidens, demanding answers from Kratos. Kratos explains how he received a mysterious note, inviting him to master himself in the halls of Valhalla. It seems the catalyst for this is something Freya asked him, but more on that later.
With the help of Freya and Sigrun, Kratos and Mimir can re-enter Valhalla with no constraints, to find their mysterious host. After some twists and turns, and revisits from old foes past, Kratos finally reaches what seems to be the centre of Valhalla, where he finds Týr. It was Tyr who invited Kratos and Mimir to the halls of Valhalla, to challenge Kratos to face his past so that he can look to a better future. The purpose of Valhalla’s story is to act as an Epilogue for Ragnarök and it does this in a way that doesn’t feel forced but simply feels like the next chapter, especially with Freya’s request hanging over Kratos’ head.
Valhalla’s story is cut into 5 distinct parts, each revealing a fragment of Kratos’ past and revealing a vital piece of his future. Despite having a 5-Act structure, the game’s story knows not to outstay its welcome as it offers a wealth of new stories to tell that will affect Kratos, Mimir and many in Midgard. The first and last acts are the obvious Prologue and Epilogue, which is ironic considering what Valhalla is meant to be. The middle 3 acts each have a singular theme in mind, holding deep revelations for Kratos.
Acceptance - Kratos must accept Everything he has done in the past, and come to terms with every act he has done.
Vigilance - Kratos must understand how his actions have affected the world and people around him and if doesn’t want to become who he was, he must guard himself against his worse impulses.
Benevolence - Kratos must recognise the good that has been done in the long-term due to his actions, even if these actions have consequences in the short-term.
These are important lessons for Kratos to learn and thanks to Tyr, he’ll be able to move forward on his path to answer Freya’s important question, but what is this question?
Agency - Future Of The Realms
Since Asgard’s fall, the realms have been left in a precarious state, yet hopeful state. With Asgard gone, the realms of Vanaheim, Svartalfheim and Midgard have a chance to heal and build themselves up, but realms like Alfheim have yet to recover from the devastation of Ragnarök. Taking charge, Freya is setting out to restore peace and stability across the realms with the survivors of Ragnarök. Among her inner circle are the shield-maidens. While they are a Formidable force of strength and wisdom, they are left lacking in certain area’s and that is where Kratos comes in. Having forgiven and fought alongside Kratos, Freya has grown to respect the former God of War, so much that she has asked him if he would again take up the mantle.
To maintain peace and freedom across the realms, Freya has determined that the Realms need a new God of war, one that is both respected and strong enough to enforce the laws of the realm to keep all safe. Getting to know Kratos across their journey both before and after Ragnarök, Freya believes that Kratos is the best man for the job. Both Mimir and Sigrun believe this as well, but Kratos does not. His hesitancy is not unwarranted as he often gazes back into his past and sees and even comprehends what kind of God of War he was. He was vain, cruel and selfish and while Kratos has since become a better man and a better God, he believes these qualities are always with him.
Receiving a mysterious note inviting him to Valhalla to fae the past is an act of providence as it seems to be the perfect place for Kratos to ask himself the vital question, should he again take up the mantle of the god of war? Physically, Kratos is past his prime, but he is still one of the greatest warriors in all the realms and very few have ever been able to beat him. While he is no longer haunted by his past, he knows the perils of forgetting his actions and fears of becoming the same man he was. When he and Atreus parted ways, they made a promise to each other that they would always hold their advice close to them but without Atreus by his side, Kratos is vulnerable to his own impulses. While he is a God, he is still a person and we are not perfect.
Character Debate - Mimir and Helios
While Kratos may not have Atreus or Freya with him on his journey to Valhalla, with Atreus on his own quest and Freya not having died before, His most trusted comrade and friend, Mimir is along for the journey and he as always proves to be a beacon of wisdom in Valhalla. Seeing how far Kratos and Mimir have come has to be one of the greatest Achievements of the Norse saga. What started as an arrangement out of Necessity has turned into one of the greatest friendships in gaming. Where Kratos used to only refer to Mimir as head and never respected his stories now Kratos acknowledges Mimir as a brother and many conversations with the head. The Amazing performances of Christopher Judge (Kratos) and Alistair Duncan (Mimir) are captivating on their own but when they are conversing together, it makes for some excellent dialogue.
Mimir having seen Everything Kratos has done and become, Naturally thinks that Kratos should take up the mantle but Kratos doesn’t think The same. Regardless, with Mimir at his hip, Kratos enters Valhalla to master his past and perhaps find the answer to possibly his most important question. Mimir has many opinions about this, he acknowledges what Kratos has done in the past without condoning it but helps him to understand that he’s not that man anymore. His friendship with Mimir is living proof of that as the Old Kratos would have threatened to crush Mimir’s head if he ever spoke a word. While Mimir is a constant companion on this journey, there are times when he is replaced.
After he manages to reach a certain point, Mimir is seemingly replaced by the reanimated head of Helios (Martin Krispin), the greek God of the sun which comes as quite a shock. The last time Kratos saw him was in Greece after he had ripped the sun God’s head off and used it as a torch on his journey to kill Zeus for those who are not familiar with God of war, however Unlikely, I’m not kidding. During Kratos’ final battle with Zeus, all of Kratos’ weapons and gear had been nullified, including the head, and Kratos left it all and Greece behind. Now in the deep halls of Valhalla, Kratos is reunited with one of his past victims and it makes for interesting storytelling when Kratos is forced to confront his past to the ear of such an arrogant Apparition.
Where Mimir is Encouraging and accepting, Helios is resentful and constantly jabs Kratos for his past actions. While in all seriousness, it is meant to act like holding up a mirror to Kratos, Martin Crispin’s performance brings us quite a few laughs now and then and of course, it shows us just how much he has changed as his younger self would have crushed the head when he first saw it. Kratos is also concerned for Mimir as he wants to know where his best friend has been taken but not to worry, Mimir would continue to help Kratos on his journey but some areas he would miss if only to have Helios insult Kratos while also helping him in combat.
Perhaps, what makes Helios’ return more important for Kratos’ journey is the debate he brings. Helios witnessed many of the monstrous acts that Kratos committed, hell he was one of the acts. Now while Mimir and Helios never directly interact, their comments to Kratos do help him untangle things in his head. When Kratos killed the Sun God, the Sun was blacked out and brought darkness to Greece. When Kratos tried to kill himself later, he gave humanity the power of Hope which allowed them to endure and rebuild. The parallel of Mimir and Helios helps Kratos come to terms with some of his deeds. Now we’ve spent a good bit talking about Valhalla and why Kratos is there but what of the person who has invited Kratos to the hostile realm of Valhalla?
Character Foil - Tyr
Who has invited Kratos to the realm of Valhalla? As Kratos makes his way through a recreation of Greece, he finally meets the man at the end of the road or should I say God? Tyr, the former God of War of the Norse lands waits for Kratos at the end of each stage, eager to help Kratos on his Foray into Valhalla the only way he knows how, by fighting. Tyr was the former God of War of the Norse lands and has much advice for Kratos that even Mimir cannot provide. Tyr is different to Kratos in many ways, patient, a man of peace and a fan of yoga.
While Tyr was long thought to have been killed, Atreus discovered that Tyr was alive and being held prisoner. Kratos and Atreus eventually rescue Tyr to help them fight against Odin, only to suffer a painful betrayal, realising that Tyr was Odin. After Ragnarök, Kratos and Freya discovered a remnant of Asgard that blasted through the realms and found a prison that Odin kept. In the depths of the prison, they find none other than the imprisoned Tyr. After he learned of Ragnarök and Odin’s death, Tyr could be seen travelling the realms, examining them. While we were uncertain what his plans were, it became clear what Tyr was thinking about.
The realms need a new god of war, one that the realms can respect and has the Strength and resolve to Ensure peace through the realms and while Tyr would be good at the job, being an excellent diplomat, he deems himself unworthy and sees only his past failures. In many ways, Tyr’s thinking is like Kratos', but this is how Tyr can help him face his past and find the resolve to become the new God of War. During his tenure as the God of war, Tyr sought to provide peace and stability through the realms but Aesir like Odin and Thor made that difficult. We heard many tales of what Tyr could do but hear, is where we would get a hands-on experience.
As Kratos fights his way through Valhalla, he finds Tyr at the end of each run and fights the seasoned God. We knew Tyr was powerful to be able to stand up to Odin, but I don’t think I appreciated just how powerful until we fought the man. Thor was a monster in a fight and gave Kratos a run for his money but Tyr was something else. Having travelled the realms, his wealth of knowledge and magic was different to any God we’ve seen before. Instead of raw power, we saw a tactical warrior, armed with weapons from faraway lands, representing a distinct culture from Aztec, Japan and Egypt. He’s challenging and he doesn’t only fight Kratos, he helps him to see past his own distinct faults and deeds and see beyond.
While Kratos did become a slave to Ares and kill many innocents, his people would have been slaughtered and enslaved if he didn’t make the deal that granted him power. He saved Greece and many others despite the cost. When Kratos opened Pandora’s box, he unleashed the great evils to the Gods and absorbed the power of Hope. When Kratos killed himself, the power of hope was unleashed into the world, allowing the people to of Greece and perhaps the world, to endure. Tyr helps Kratos understand his worse deeds and helps him see it in a different light and this is pivotal for Kratos to master himself if he is to take up the mantle of God of War once more.
Theme - Facing the Past
“Face the past, to face the future.” “Master Thyself.” These are Phrases that resonate throughout the entire plot for Ragnarök - Valhalla and are pivotal for Kratos if he is to move forward and become the God that the realms need. Not only do the realms need a new God of War but Kratos wants to be accepted and not feared. Since he found the Jotnar shrine depicting a future where he is worshipped and loved, this future has been at the front of his mind and as much as it has inspired him, it has also haunted him as he couldn’t fully see the road to get there. Almost as an act of providence, Freya has the perfect position for him, the God of War.
This is not exactly the role we or even he envisioned for himself but in a way it makes sense as it allows his journey to come almost full circle. Kratos’ journey started when he made his deal with Ares, where Kratos traded his freedom for power. When Ares tricked Kratos into killing his own wife and daughter, he set out on a path of vengeance to Kill him and when he did, Kratos was given the throne of the god of war. When he was on the throne, Kratos abused the power and Privileges the office gave him until he was betrayed by Zeus. Then after that, Kratos waged war on Olympus and killed all of the Gods that wronged or stood against him.
Because he was a spartan general, being the God of War was not new to him, he just had more power on a larger scale. Because he won against the Olympians this made him the ideal person to lead the war on Asgard. Even though Kratos has proven who he is on countless occasions, he believes that he cannot be entrusted with the position of the God of War but Freya’s thinking is sound. Being the fabled hero of Ragnarök, Kratos is respected and revered across the realms and he would be able to enforce any laws and rules spread across them. If any realm dared to think of war, they would have to follow the rules that Kratos would set and they wouldn’t dare cross him for fear of his wrath.
Despite this, Kratos fears the mantle of the Gods of War, as he remembers all the bad things he did when he held office. During his early years, Kratos had his Spartan legions wage war across all of Greece, but while Kratos did many things that can be Considered Vile and horrendous, Tyr convinces Kratos to view his actions through 2 lenses. Tyr is perfect for this job as he can see past the carnage and senseless violence and can see the good that came of Kratos’ deeds and this is something Kratos learns as well. Even when he traded his freedom for power, he did so to protect his people from being enslaved. At the end of Kratos’ campaign on Olympus, while he may have devastated the world, atleast he released Hope back into the world so that humanity could rebuild.
With Tyr’s help and no small amount of prodding from both Mimir and Helios, Kratos can confront his past. At the end of every run he does in Valhalla, he goes through a door that holds a stone throne. Everytime, Kratos thinks he’s ready, he feels pain so profound that he is knocked out and wakes on the shores of Valhalla, resolute to try again. On his final run, and finally facing Tyr for the last time, Kratos finally enters through the door, only to find the one thing he hates most, himself.
Kratos confronts a younger version of himself, sitting on the throne of the God of War. Here we witness a masterful performance by Christopher Judge as Old Kratos says everything he’s wanted to say to his younger self, calling him selfish and cruel and he cannot be forgiven as he chose his path. Right then something seems to click and Kratos realises that he is talking to himself. It’s obvious to us but there’s a time difference for us. From God of War: Ascension in 2013 to God of War in 2018 it was only a five-year gap. For Kratos, It has been so much longer. After some moments he understands who he is and how he can influence the future for the better. He doesn’t know if he’ll succeed or if he’ll be able to stay on his path but all he can do is try.
Resolute in his task, his former self Disappears and our Kratos sits on the throne with a smile on his face. To add a cherry on top, Mimir appears and congratulates Kratos on his successful journey. In an act of contentment, instead of heading straight back to the beach, Kratos decides to rest with his best friend at his side. When he finally does return, he happily informs Freya that he will be the God of War, what the realms need and its people need, much to her relief.
If Valhalla had any goal, it was to try and tie up Kratos’ story in a way that felt meaningful and it does this in a way that is both emotionally Cathartic and in keeping with who Kratos is now. It forces him to reconcile his past and allow himself to move on. Kratos Staunchly believes that there can be no forgiveness for what he has done and while that may be true, he does have a chance to prove he is more than his past. Facing the past is such a simple theme but the writers managed to keep us emotionally invested in what can come next. Whether the God of War series continues with Kratos, his son or if it follows a brand new character, at least Kratos’ arc that started in 2018 has been wrapped masterfully and now the slate is clean for what comes next.