God of War truly is an amazing story, and with God of War III about to debut on the PlayStation 3, there are sure to be many new gamers jumping into this series. So for those of you who have yet to experience this great saga, or who just want to freshen up on your God of War history, let us bring you back to the beginning, back to the time before Kratos was known as the God of War.
Soul Man
Kratos is the youngest and most promising captain in Sparta’s army, having achieved his recognition through various violent tactics that he has employed to gain victory on the battlefield. It seems as though he is an unstoppable force, plowing through the land, until the day that his army is ambushed by a Barbarian tribe. Though Kratos’ army fights long and hard, they are outnumbered; the odds are against them. Breaking down the Spartans piece by piece, the Barbarians finally get to Kratos. Just before the Barbarian King kills him, Kratos summons Ares, the Greek god of war, and offers his soul in exchange for victory on the battlefield. Hearing his cry for help, Ares parts the clouds and brutally strikes down all who oppose the Spartan army. Ares then summons the Blades of Chaos. The chains that attached to these blades wrap viciously around Kratos’ arms and dig deep into his flesh, shredding through his skin and fusing to his bones. The contract is complete and Kratos is now the servant of Ares.
Ashes to Ashes
Kratos serves Ares for ten long years, killing all who stand in the way. One most unfortunate night, Kratos is ordered to pillage and burn a village to the ground. Blindly following his master’s orders, Kratos tears his way through the city, killing everyone in sight, leaving no one standing. Just as the last of the villagers falls to the ground, he looks to the ground at his feet. To his horror, he sees that his very own wife and daughter — the only human souls who have ever mattered to Kratos — have had their lives taken away by his own hands. He has become a monster, so violent and blind with rage that he has killed his own family. These atrocious acts lead the village oracle to place a curse on Kratos, a curse like no other, leaving the ashes of his murdered wife and daughter fastened to his skin, giving him an ashy white appearance. Thus the ghost of Sparta is born.
With A Little Help From My Friends
Vowing revenge upon his former master, Kratos sets out to destroy Ares. Athena agrees to help Kratos if he will help defend Athens from Ares’ reign of destruction. After defeating many vicious monsters sent out to demolish Athens, Kratos saves Athena, who in return offers him a bit of advice to help take down Ares. “Choose your enemies wisely, Kratos,” Athena’s oracle tells him, “your brute strength alone will not be enough to destroy Ares. Only one item in the world will allow you to defeat a god… Pandora’s Box, which lies far beyond the walls of Athens, hidden by the gods across the desert to the east.” Upon hearing this news, Kratos ventures to the far east, overcoming many challenges and killing everyone who dares get in his way. At the end of Kratos’ quest for the box, Ares hurls a huge broken pillar towards the hidden temple, aimed right at Kratos. The pillar impales Kratos and kills him, sending him to Hades and leaving the box to harpies. It seems at this point that all hope for Kratos is lost, but as he falls into the clutches of Hades, he manages to catch a ledge and pull himself out of harm’s way with the help of a mysterious grave digger.
Faster Pussycat: Kill, Kill, Kill
After cheating death itself, Kratos retrieves Pandora’s Box and heads straight for Ares, who has no intention of going down without a fight. Ares traps Kratos in an alternate reality where he is forced to protect his family from clones of himself, reliving the horror of his own sin. After slaying four monstrous clones of himself and keeping his family safe, Ares grows tired of watching his plans fail. Bent on the destruction of Kratos, the god of war proceeds to rip the chains from Kratos’ arms, using these same blades to once again kill Kratos’ family. Distraught and frenzied once again over the loss of his wife and daughter, Kratos returns to the battlefield and finds the ancient Blade of the Gods. Thrusting the blade through Ares, Kratos succeeds in deicide, and the terrible reign of Ares comes to a brutal, violent end.
Despite his victory over Ares, Kratos is informed by Athena that the gods will not forget the atrocities he has committed. The nightmares and horrors at killing his own family will stay with him. The gods can, however, forgive him for his sins. Hearing this sends Kratos into a fit of depression, thinking all of his troubles were in vain, he throws himself off a cliff. Intent on suicide he falls to the earth, only to be caught by Athena. She restores his magical abilities and gives him new weapons, the Blades of Athena. Soon after this episode, the gods offer him the chance to become the new God of War.
What will Kratos do with his new found power? Will the Gods accept him among their ranks? Find out this and much more with Vitals: God Of War Series (Part II) Coming soon.
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