Kratos

Kratos (クレイトス, Kureitosu), also known as the "Ghost of Sparta" (スパルタの亡霊, Suparuta no Bōrei), is both a fictional character and protagonist of the God of War series created by David Jaffe. He is a Demigod warrior recently turned into a Slayer of Gods.

He was a respected soldier and General of the Spartan army, until he renounced his service when he lost his 1st family due to Ares' trickery. He embarks on a quest in revenge against his father, the corrupt Olympians and the Titans who have betrayed him.

Along the journey, he finds himself in attempts to avert disaster or to change his fate while controlling his rage, learning how to take a good turn, truly be a father and mentor to his new son, and combating monsters and other gods, whom he also made enemies with.

"We will be the gods we choose to be, not those who have been. Who I was is not who you will be. We must be better."
 * —Kratos, telling his awful past to Atreus.

Appearance & Biography

 * Voice actor: Christopher Judge (English), Kenta Miyake (Japanese), Not Known (Arabic), Not Known (Basque), Not Known (Brazilian), Not Known (Cantonese), Not Known (Catalan), Not Known (Chinese), Not Known (Croatian), Not Known (Danish), Not Known (Dutch), Not Known (Finnish), Not Known (Filipino), Not Known (French), Not Known (Galician), Not Known (German), Not Known (Greek), Not Known (Hebrew), Not Known (Hong Kong), Not Known (Hungarian), Not Known (Indonesian), Not Known (Italian), Not Known (Korean), Not Known (Mandarin), Not Known (Norwegian), Not Known (Polish), Not Known (Portuguese), Not Known (Romanian), Not Known (Russian), Not Known (Serbian), Not Known (Spanish), Not Known (Swedish), Not Known (Tagalog), Not Known (Thai), Not Known (Valencian), Not Known (Ukrainian), Not Known (Brazilian Portuguese), Not Known (Canadian French), Not Known (European Spanish), Not Known (European Portuguese), Not Known (Latin American Spanish), Not Known (Latin Spanish), Not Known (Spain-Spanish)
 * Voice actor: Christopher Judge (English), Not Known (Japanese), Not Known (Arabic), Not Known (Basque), Not Known (Brazilian), Not Known (Cantonese), Not Known (Catalan), Not Known (Chinese), Not Known (Croatian), Not Known (Danish), Not Known (Dutch), Not Known (Finnish), Not Known (Filipino), Not Known (French), Not Known (Galician), Not Known (German), Not Known (Greek), Not Known (Hebrew), Not Known (Hong Kong), Not Known (Hungarian), Not Known (Indonesian), Not Known (Italian), Not Known (Korean), Not Known (Mandarin), Not Known (Norwegian), Not Known (Polish), Not Known (Portuguese), Not Known (Romanian), Not Known (Russian), Not Known (Serbian), Not Known (Spanish), Not Known (Swedish), Not Known (Tagalog), Not Known (Thai), Not Known (Valencian), Not Known (Ukrainian), Not Known (Brazilian Portuguese), Not Known (Canadian French), Not Known (European Spanish), Not Known (European Portuguese), Not Known (Latin American Spanish), Not Known (Latin Spanish), Not Known (Spain-Spanish)

Appearance

 * Hair Color: Black
 * Skin Color: Not Known
 * Eye Color: Brown
 * Age: Not Known
 * Birthday: Not Known
 * Height: Not Known
 * Weight: Not Known

Friends/Allies

 * Atlas

Family

 * Callisto (Mother; Deceased)
 * Zeus (Father; Deceased)
 * Deimos (Brother; Deceased)
 * Hera (Step-Mother/Aunt; Deceased)
 * Athena (Half-Sister; Deceased)
 * Ares (Half-Brother; Deceased)
 * Persephone (Half-Sister; Deceased)
 * Hercules (Half-Brother; Deceased)
 * Hephaestus (Half-Brother; Deceased)
 * Artemis (Half-Sister)
 * Hermes (Half-Brother; Deceased)
 * Apollo (Half-Brother)
 * Perseus (Half-Brother; Deceased)
 * Minos (Half-Brother; Deceased)
 * Pollux (Half-Brother; Deceased)
 * Lysandra (1st Wife; Deceased)
 * Laufey/Faye (2nd Wife; Deceased)
 * Calliope (Daughter, with Lysandra; Deceased)
 * Atreus (Son, with Faye)
 * Fenrir (Grandson)
 * Angrboða (Daughter-in-Law)
 * Jörmungandr (Grandson)
 * Hel (Granddaughter)
 * Sköll (Great-Grandson)
 * Hati (Great-Grandson)
 * Gaia (Great-Grandmother; Deceased)
 * Ouranos (Great-Grandfather; Deceased)
 * Rhea (Grandmother)
 * Cronos (Grandfather; Deceased)
 * Tethys (Grandaunt; Deceased)
 * Oceanus (Granduncle; Deceased)
 * Theia (Grandaunt)
 * Hyperion (Granduncle; Deceased)
 * Crius (Granduncle)
 * Phoebe (Grandaunt)
 * Coeus (Granduncle)
 * Themis (Grandaunt)
 * Iapetus (Granduncle)
 * Mnemosyne (Grandaunt)
 * Gyges (Granduncle; Deceased)
 * Megaera (Grandaunt; Deceased)
 * Aegaeon (Granduncle; Deceased)
 * Alecto (Grandaunt; Deceased)
 * Tisiphone (Grandaunt; Deceased)
 * Aphrodite (Great-Aunt/Sister-in-Law/Former Lover)
 * Demeter (Aunt)
 * Hades (Uncle; Deceased)
 * Hestia (Aunt)
 * Poseidon (Uncle; Deceased)
 * Orkos (Half-Nephew/Uncle; Deceased)
 * Pandora (Adoptive Niece; Deceased)
 * Theseus (Cousin; Deceased)
 * Pegasus (Cousin; Deceased)
 * Triton (Cousin)
 * Theseus (Cousin; Deceased)
 * Polyphemus (Cousin; Deceased)
 * Nyads (Cousins)
 * Helios (First Cousin Once Removed; Deceased)
 * Selene (First Cousin Once Removed)
 * Eos (First Cousin Once Removed)
 * Atlas (First Cousin Once Removed)
 * Prometheus (First Cousin Once Removed; Deceased)
 * Epimetheus (First Cousin Once Removed; Deceased)
 * Thanatos (First Cousin Once Removed; Deceased)
 * Charon (First Cousin Once Removed; Deceased)
 * Erinys (First Cousin Once Removed; Deceased)
 * Primordials (Ancestors)
 * Chaos (Ancestor)

Early history
Born in the Greek city-state of Sparta, Kratos is the demigod son of Zeus and a mortal woman named Callisto, although he would remain unaware of who his father was for most of his life. Outraged at Zeus for fathering yet another bastard child, Hera ordered Kratos' execution on the day he was born, but the King of the Gods took pity on the child and refused, leaving him in Sparta to be raised by Callisto.

Like all Spartan youth, Kratos was monitored and trained for combat by the Spartan authorities; those who were deemed fit were to stay and be trained as Spartan warriors, while those who were deemed unfit would be sent to the mountains (probably Mount Taygetos) to fend for themselves. Already feisty and aggressive at a young age, Kratos trained together with his younger brother, Deimos, as they dreamed of joining the Spartan army when they grew up.

Around this time, Zeus began to hear prophecies foretelling his demise at the hands of one of his sons, a "marked warrior". Hoping to circumvent the cycle of patricide before it was too late, Zeus sent Ares and Athena to hunt down and dispose of the boy who would one day rise up against him. Ares, noticing Deimos' strange birthmarks, decided to invade Sparta with an army of centaurs and take him to Thanatos, the God of Death.

Kratos tried to save his brother, but Ares punched him into a pile of wood, leaving him with a permanent scar over his right eye. Insulted by the mortal's defiance, Ares prepared to kill the young Spartan but was stopped by Athena. The Goddess reminded Ares that they had what they were looking for, and apologized to Kratos before disappearing into the flames. The loss of his brother left an indelible mark on Kratos, as he vowed to never falter again. In honor of his brother, Kratos had himself tattooed in the exact image of Deimos' birthmark.

Kratos would later forget that it was Ares and Athena who took his brother from him and wouldn't realize it until after Ares' death. As Kratos came of age, he became a respected member of the Spartan army, eventually marrying Lysandra and siring a daughter, Calliope.

Quest for the Ambrosia and Rising through the Ranks of The Spartan Army
Shortly after her birth, Calliope contracted a plague, causing the Spartan authorities to deem her weak. Spartan law required that she be thrown into a chasm and left to die. Determined to save his daughter, Kratos set out on a journey for the Ambrosia after hearing from an elder of its exceptional healing capabilities. But unbeknownst to Kratos, Ares had chosen him to be his champion in the wager of the Gods, a contest with the ultimate goal being the capture of the Ambrosia; the victor would have statues erected in their honor all throughout Greece.

A battalion of Spartans accompanied Kratos on his quest, including Captain Nikos. Along the way, he encountered a healer who gave him the Flames of Apollo. Kratos eventually encountered Poseidon's champion, Herodius, and killed him as the Spartans conquered his army and stole their ship. Enraged at Kratos for costing him the wager, Poseidon unleashed a handful of hazards at sea in the hopes of killing him but failed.

Later on, Kratos encountered Artemis' champion, Pothia, and killed her as well, with her army also falling victim to the Spartans, although Artemis did not retaliate. In fear that Kratos would defeat his champion, Alrik, the Barbarian King, Hades sent a torrent of fire through the sky. Although he failed to kill Kratos, he succeeded in killing many of Kratos' men, including Captain Nikos. As he found the Ambrosia, Kratos encountered Cereyon, the Helios' champion, and killed him as well.

Alrik and his Barbarian army battled the Spartans for the Ambrosia, as Alrik's Father was very ill and in need of the elixir. After a grueling battle between the two leaders, Kratos successfully captured the Ambrosia at the cost of his own men and summoned an army of Rocs to continuously torture Alrik. Kratos then returned to Sparta and healed Calliope, obtaining the rank of 'Captain' from the King of Sparta.

At some point after becoming captain, Kratos would command a young soldier named Atreus who remained hopeful even in the darkest times. When the day came for Atreus to lay down his life in battle, he did it without hesitation and saved many others, earning Kratos's respect. The captain carried Atreus home on the soldier's shield and personally buried him will full honors of Spartan custom, acknowledging him as the only Spartan who ever had a smile on his face even in battle.

Birth of the Ghost
As a general, Kratos won battles through brutal, but effective tactics. However, his pride and hunger for power grew greater with every victory. Despite Lysandra's pleas, Kratos vowed to continue his bloody conquests "until the glory of Sparta is known throughout the world", spending time with his family only when he was able to return to Sparta. Kratos and his army finally met their match when they encountered the merciless Barbarian tribes from the East, led by Kratos's old enemy, Alrik.

Outnumbered and overpowered, the Spartans quickly found themselves on the losing end of the battle, with Kratos himself left at the mercy of Alrik the Barbarian King, who sought revenge against Kratos for inadvertently causing the death of his father. In desperation, Kratos called out to Ares, the God of War, pledging his allegiance in exchange for victory. Ares accepted the offer, proceeding to kill all of the Barbarians, including Alrik, and giving Kratos the Blades of Chaos as a sign of his servitude.

For a time, Kratos served Ares loyally, raiding villages, slaughtering innocents, and spreading chaos in his name. Under the God of War's influence, Kratos became utterly ruthless and gradually lost any semblance of the humanity he once had. One day, during a raid on a village of Athena's followers, Ares secretly transported Lysandra and Calliope to a nearby temple. Ignoring the village oracle's warnings, Kratos entered the temple and slaughtered everybody inside in a fit of blind rage, including his wife and child (whom he believed were still in Sparta).

Ares justified this as a means of severing Kratos' remaining attachments to the world of mortals, thereby molding him into the perfect warrior. Stricken with horror and grief at what he had done, Kratos left the bodies of his family to be burned within the temple, ultimately renouncing his allegiance to the God of War. The oracle cursed Kratos, forcing him to forever wear the ashes of his dead family on his skin. From that day forward, Kratos became known as The Ghost of Sparta; his skin now 'pale as the moon' from the ashes that coated him.

To other mortals, he was now marked by his ghostly white skin - the knowledge of his past actions often repulsed them to the point where they would rather die than allow him to save their lives. He became known as the personification of cruelty and selfishness. Word of this metamorphosis would spread even outside of Greece as Norse god and advisor to Odin, Mimir who would become a future ally to Kratos himself would later on instantly recognize who Kratos was.