There’s not much known about the nextGod of Wargame, although some have taken to calling itGod of War: Ragnarok. This is because the PS5 teaser trailer echoes a powerful message from Kratos: “Ragnarok is Coming.” However, because of the strange and circular nature ofGod of War, Ragnarok has technically already happened.
As described in the game, Thor hits the World Serpent so hard during Ragnarok that it gets sent back in time to a period before its birth, the exact time ofGod of War. Loki, who is manifested as Atreus in the game, is the father of the serpent according to Norse myth, which means one of two things. Either time shenanigans are afoot, orGod of Waris taking a few steps back from the myth that inspired it. While the latter is not impossible and definitely happens to some degree,the death of Baldurand coming of Fimbulwinter suggest that it is still deeply rooted in the mythology.
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This means that theNorse mythology behind Mjolnir, Thor’s mighty hammer, likely comes into play as well. Yet this has also been slightly intervened upon with the arrival of Kratos from his previous mythos, and as every game has its iconic weapon, the Leviathan Axe and Mjolnir may be more closely connected than it initially seems, making it clear that Kratos and Thor are in a strange relationship.
God of War: The Blades of Chaos and Leviathan Axe
First, it’s worth looking at the meaning of the weapons of Kratos, the titular God of War. In the original games, he first wielded the Blades of Chaos, forged by Ares for those he deemed worthy to be in his service. These weapons, more than any other, representKratos' warlike and hateful nature. These weapons represented his rage, his hate, his tragedies, and although he abandoned them after killing Ares, they always found their way back to him. This is why he still has them in the latest game, as while he has seemingly moved on, this has always been and likely always will be part of him.
The Blades of Athena and the Blade of Olympus are both similar and different to the Blades of Chaos, but with renewed purpose and symbolism. The former represents his ascension and how he seemingly overcame his own hatred, although as he learns later when they are taken with him, his own role as a god is an illusion to himself. The Blade of Olympus is one of few artifacts in the Greek world that can kill another god, and this shows how his rage was internalized and aimed. It foreshadowed how, much like Zeus overthrew Cronos, Kratos would effectively overthrow Zeus. These weapons effectively show a progression of his rage and its direction, but as the Blades of Chaos cannot leave him, they show there’s always a regression.
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It is a form of irony then when these weapons follow him to the Norse world, and since he cannot be rid of them, he hides this part of himself from his son. This is a powerful message throughout the story, as it is Kratos hiding what it means to be a god from Atreus that sees the latter give into his own chaos (at moments), and these are the weapons Kratos needs to heal Atreus' illness, with him hopefully accepting what it means to wield the Blades of Chaos. Atreus only fell ill because he was in conflict over his own nature and this, in a way, follows the samesymbolism of the Blade of Olympus. The chaos that once consumed his father had its grips in Atreus, with the weapons symbolizing that being the ones he needed in the moment. Part of Atreus was hidden from himself, while part of Kratos was literally boxed away.
Come the Leviathan Axe, it shows how Kratos has tried to be better and to hold himself to the standard he believes Gods should be held to. It is the choice and movement away from blind rage that the Leviathan Axe resembles, yet it is blind rage that inspired the Leviathan Axe. Originally designed for Laufey, Kratos' wife, the Leviathan Axe is meant to be equivalent to Mjolnir, which Brok and Sindri created as well. This weapon is the guilt they feel after Thor’s massacre of the Giant people, inspired by the epic size of the World Serpent with the power to oppose Mjolnir. Fitting it is then thatThor and Kratos' two weapons are two sides of the same coin.
Kratos vs. Thor, Leviathan Axe vs. Mjolnir
In many ways, Thor is who Kratos once was. Thor, inGod of War, clearly has some anger issues, is incredibly destructive, and cares not for what he leaves in his wake. This is what everyone once loved about Kratos and whymaking a mature Kratoswith a son was such a risk, but it paid off. However, that narrative is far from over—just as Kratos urges Atreus to accept and understand who he is, Kratos must accept and understand who he was. Hiding the Blades of Chaos is evident that he has not, and the fact that they are bound to him means that his rage is still there.
Facing Thor inGod of Warlikely means that Kratos must face himself. With the Leviathan Axe as powerful as Thor’s Mjolnir, it likely means that Kratos has to realize that his rage is a weapon, much like these, and he must wield them appropriately. If he can accept that, then maybe the Blades of Chaos will finally let him be at peace, and if this happens, there’s a solid chance that Kratos could wield Thor’s Mjolnir. With this mindset, Kratos could see the good Mjolnir could do and use it along with the Leviathan Axe to show his full character growth. If this were to happen, it would be interesting to see if it was Kratos who used the power of these weapons, ergo the power in himself, to send theWorld Serpentback in time for one reason or another.
Atreus' fate may be on the line, after all. As Loki,Atreus' destiny is darkand perhaps only a fully realized God of War, a Kratos at peace with who he was, can show Atreus how to be at one with his own nature. As such, Ragnarok may come down to how Kratos manages to accept who he was and who he wants to be, in order to help Atreus/Loki understand his own future.
A newGod of Wargame is set to release in 2021.
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