Summary
TheGod of Warfranchise is beloved by millions of fans and has helped make Sony and Santa Monica studios what they are today.Kratos' story of revengeand his hatred towards Olympus and all that inhabit it is well-known, and up to a certain extent, understandable given what they put him through.
However,not all gods meant him harm, and many of them didn’t even stand directly in the way of his goals. Sometimes, it was just Kratos' anger and blind rage that led him to kill even those who didn’t oppose him. Here are somecharacters in theGod of Warfranchise that Kratos should not have killed.
5Modi
He Was Beaten And No Longer A Threat
When Kratos and Atreus first encounter the brothersMagni and ModiinGod of War (2018),they put up a decent fight and force father and son to work together. While not as powerful as Baldur or Odin, this duo still posed a significant threat and had to be dealt with. However, whenKratos killed Magni with his Leviathan Axe, Modi was morally defeated, and while his original instinct to let him escape was mistaken, it was also noble.
The second time father and son encounter Modi, he once again threatens to kill them and even goes as far as insulting Atreus' mother. Luckily, he’s defeated again. The last time Atreus and Kratos encounter him, he’s beaten to a pulp and has likely been exiled by Odin. He can no longer defend himself, as Kratos points out to Atreus; however, Atreus still kills him and kicks him into the abyss.
While Kratos didn’t kill Modi directly, he is responsible for his son’s actions at such a young age—especially after telling him the shocking truth about who he is and what he did in Greece.
4Hermes
While Kratos Needed His Boots, He Could Have Spared Him
As annoying as flying pests go,Hermeswasn’t even the worst one inGod of War 3. Sure, he constantly resorted to taunting Kratos and proverbially pulling his leg when it came to infuriating comments and making his life somewhat difficult, but he wasn’t even close to being a threat. Even in Olympus, he was a second-class citizen, so there was no reason for Kratos to give him the importance he did.
After a long chase that ended with Hermes being injured and Kratos towering over him, the Ghost of Sparta took his legs gruesomely to get the messenger god’s boots, giving him one ofthe darkest endingsof any deity in the franchise. The reality is that Kratos did not need to kill him, he could have just taken his boots to progress through the game and spared Hermes' life.
3Helios
He Was Badly Injured And Was Willing To Repay His Debt To Kratos
WhileHelioswasn’t a saint in any regard, other than game progression, there was no need for Kratos to kill him, especially the way he did. After a long battle with the Titans, Helios' chariot came crashing down from the sky, leaving him defeated and injured. He started a conversation with Kratos and told him he hadn’t forgotten the debt he owed. Kratos had lent Helios a helping hand inGod of War: Chains of Olympus, and the god promised to repay it if Kratos spared him.
At one point, Kratos looked like he was about to let him live, but Helios had to go and use the power of the Sun to try and blind the Spartan to survive. Considering how terrifying Kratos is, players can’t blame Helios for trying to defend himself; however, this action was probably what gave Kratos the determination to end Helios' life.
Game progress-wise, Kratos had to kill Helios, as he wouldn’t have been able to leave the underworldafter defeating Hadesotherwise. However, from a non-story perspective, he could have just let him die on his own.
2Athena
Athena’s death is probably one of the saddest in the entireGod of Warfranchise, and likely the one Kratos regrets the most. When fighting against Zeus, his father, Kratos entered a state of blind rage as his journey towards revenge neared an end. And while he was more than justified in wanting to kill Zeus in the most horrific way possible, it was his abrupt actions that eventually led to Athena’s demise.
As Athena tried to take the Blade of Olympus from Kratos in an effort to stop the conflict and save Olympus, the Ghost of Sparta accidentally impaled her, thus ending her life. Feelings of regret can be seen on his face as she draws her last breath, and even after Zeus is defeated, it’s clear that Kratos still dwells on the consequences of his blind rage.
While killing Athena wasn’t a choice Kratos made, he’s still accountable for letting his anger get the best of him. Luckily, as is made evident in the 2018 reboot, the years taught him to control himself better and think before acting. Some players mightsee this as a weakness, as Kratos' whole thing is unbridled rage, but strategy and keeping a level head are key components for victory as well.
1Hera
She Was Once A Threat, But That Wasn’t The Case The Moment Kratos Killed Her
Herawasa great female character inGod of War, but also a terrible goddess, there’s no denying that. However, it’s worth questioning how much her husband’s cheating and other betrayals contributed to her being so bitter and resentful. Sending Hercules after Kratos was reason enough for the Ghost of Sparta to want to kill her, but considering how easily he ended him, it might not have been enough to put her name on his blacklist.
However, the straw that broke the camel’s back came when Hera, drunk and belligerent, started taunting Kratos and dared to speak ill of Pandora. That’s when Kratos decided to snap her neck in a single movement and make her silent forever.
While Hera had given Kratos several reasons to kill her, the fact that it was words that led to her demise speaks volumes about the original trilogy’s Kratos' temperament and blind rage. The older, wiser Kratos from the 2018 reboot would have ignored her and continued his path, which is why there’s a strong case that can be made for Hera making this list.
