Why Is Kratos White?

The main reason behind Kratos’s distinctive appearance is his white bleached skin tone, which earned him the nickname “Ghost of Sparta.” However, if you’ve played earlier games of the series, you’ll know that his body isn’t white but instead covered by cremated remains of his deceased spouse and child.

Kratos (God of War)

Kratos (Ancient Greek: Kratos lit. “strength”; Old Norse: Farbauti [‘fa,’ boute], i.e., “cruel striker”) is an imaginary character who is the main protagonist of Santa Monica Studio’s God of War series, that is based on Greek mythology, and in later years, Norse mythology. Kratos first appeared in the online game God of War, which led to the creation of additional games featuring Kratos as the protagonist. Kratos is also the main character in the comic book series of 2010 and 2018. series, and three novels that tell the events from three games. He was played by Terrence C. Carson from 2005 until 2013, and Christopher Judge took over the character in the sequel to 2018’s which is also titled God of War. In addition, Antony Del Rio voiced the character in the role of a young boy as a child in God of War: Ghost of Sparta.

In the Greek period of the series, Kratos is portrayed as a Spartan warrior who later becomes famous as “Ghost of Sparta” after accidentally killing his family because of the deceit of his former coach Ares known as the God of War. Kratos later seeks revenge for the murders of his family members and is”God of War “God of War” after defeating Ares. Kratos is later identified as a god of the sky and the godson of Zeus and later betrays his father. Kratos embarks on numerous adventures to avoid the disaster or alter his destiny. Kratos is often portrayed as a naive individual who is unaware of everything other than things and is considered stoic and blood-sucking in character, often engaging in morally questionable activities and committing brutal violence.

But, he often questions his self-worth, suffers from extreme self-reflection and guilt, even tries suicide several times, and is often depicted as a tragic character. It is the central theme of the Greek period, and subsequent installments are focused on Kratos, the origins of his character, his relationship with his family, and the Olympian gods. In the Norse period of the series, Kratos discovers he can control his anger and learn to be a mentor and father to his son Atreus in helping him to come to terms with his divine nature. While on their quest, they fight monsters and gods from their Norse realm and face enemies, which eventually leads to the epic fight of Ragnarok.

The God of War franchise is an iconic title for the PlayStation brand, and Kratos is among its most loved characters. Kratos has been well-received by critics. It has since become an iconic video game character as a relative newcomer to more well-known franchise characters, like Mario, Link, Sonic the Hedgehog, Lara Croft, and Crash Bandicoot. This character has been part of different products and has featured in numerous appearances in PlayStation games apart from games in the God of War series.

Concept And Design

In creating Kratos, God of War (2005), creator and director David Jaffe attempted to create the character with a brutal look. However, it did not resemble an ordinary Greek hero. The Kratos would not wear armor typical to the genre because Jaffe wanted him to stand out as an individual. Though the idea of using the character in the full mask was accepted, the idea was dropped because the concept appeared empty and did not have an identifiable personality. Some designs had unusual elements, like his infant riding in his arms, whereas others were adorned with excessive details, like hair or other “flowing things.”

Charlie Wen, director of visual development for God of War (2005) and God of War II, was the one who designed Kratos. Wen stated that similar films inspired his vision in designing Kratos as it was pop culture. After forgetting his sketchbook, this inspired him to imagine Kratos as a collection of napkins served at an eatery. This led to double-chained blades and, ultimately, Kratos, the iconic design.

Double-chained blades were selected as Kratos’s signature weapon since they emphasized Kratos’ animalistic nature but also allowed the combat to be fluid. The double-chained blades simultaneously activated the same way as Kratos was throwing the blades with a mix of speed and precision. Jaffe spoke regarding the final version of Kratos, “[Kratos] may not completely feel at his home in Ancient Greece from the perspective of costume, but I believe that he fulfills the ultimate goal, that is to provide players the opportunity to play a character can be played by them who lets them get carried away and unleash the fantasies they’ve had in their heads.

Wen offered Kratos the most recognizable feature, his ash-white appearance, a plot development that earns Kratos the title “Ghost of Sparta.” Other notable characteristics include a smudge across his right eye and a massive red tattoo extending through to his right eye. The tattoo around the left side of his torso finishes at the left shoulder of his character. The original tattoo was blue but altered later in the production. The series’ lore states that the tattoo is later revealed due to an early encounter with Ares, the Olympian god Ares. The tattoo, however, is a memorial to his brother, who died, Deimos, who also had similar birthmarks. The other changes in the Greek period of the show include the introduction of divine armor if Kratos has been declared God of War. God of War, an abdominal scar, armor that enhances abilities like an epaulet known as The Golden Fleece (all God of War II) and The Boots of Hermes (God of War III). According to the earliest God of War script, the character’s height is 7′ 1 inch (2.13 millimeters) tall. However, the height was changed after Santa Monica Studios and Gnomon School explored the rigging and animation history of the series and revealed Greek Kratos at 2.34 meters (7 8 inches) tall. This contrasts the Norse Kratos, measuring 1.94 meters (6 4 inches) in height and coming around 250 pounds (110 kg). [17] In the 2018 edition of God of War, the creators gave Kratos an edgier, more Nordic style, including his full beard. The designers also altered his primary weapon to an axe for the battle to make his battle more solid. In contrast to earlier games, players can alter and upgrade Kratos with three different armor pieces, one of the game’s many RPG components.

Kratos his appearance in Kratos’ appearance throughout Greek games can be changed by playing bonus games, completing the game at a certain level of difficulty, and also, in challenge mode, unlocking bonuses costumes. There were a variety of costumes available only through pre-orders or various other offers (e.g., God of War III, which features three costumes based on the sketches of the character’s early creations) on the PlayStation Store. Although most extra costumes fit the story’s themes, some are stupid or funny, like the female costumes “Athena” and the “Spud of War.”The character was named after him at a later stage of the development of the initial game after the character was already created. In ignorance of the mythological god known as Kratos featured within Prometheus Bound, the creators could choose Kratos. The same Greek word translates to “Strength,” of which Kratos is the mythological personification. Stig Asmussen, who worked in the initial two games and was the game director for God of War III, declared the name coincidence a “happy mistake,” noting that both the Kratos that appear in the game and also found in Prometheus Bound are both “pawns.” [2020 Zoran Iovanovici from California State University, Long Beach, pointed out in a humorous way that, while it is true that the mythological Kratos is most famous for his role in chaining Prometheus In God of War II, the game’s character is released from the mythological Kratos.

Classical historian Sylwia Chmielewski explains that the character in the video game Kratos is heavily influenced by other characters in Greek mythology, such as those of the gods Perseus, Theseus, and Achilles. [22][23] But his biggest influence is that of Hercules, the hero Heracles (Roman Hercules), who is featured as a character in God of War III with the romanized name and is also the character’s half-brother. [22]

In the 2018 version of God of War, game director Cory Barlog explained that Kratos must change his pattern of violence and figure out how to manage his anger. Barlog said that Kratos made several bad choices that led to the demise of Olympus, and he was curious to know what the consequences would be should Kratos make a wise choice.

His son was a factor in the concept of Kratos altering his character. The canceled live-action Star Wars television series was also an influence. The relationship between Kratos and his son lies at the center of the game. Barlog stated, “This game is about Kratos teaching his son how to be a god, and his son teaching Kratos how to be human again.” About The Marvel Comics character Hulk, Barlog explained that about the character of Kratos, “We’ve already told the story of The Hulk. We want to tell the story of [Bruce] Banner now.”

What Gave God Of War’s Kratos His Pale Skin?

In the very first God of War game, players are introduced to Kratos as a servant to his fellow Greek gods known as Olympus. As the game progresses, it becomes clear that Kratos was once an aide of Ares, the goddess of warfare. Kratos was a wildly prosperous Spartan commander who led the battalion in numerous bloody but often successful wins. However, Kratos and his battalion were to meet their match when they faced a vicious barbarian King. Afraid of dying, Kratos pleaded to Ares to help him and his men, and in exchange, Kratos promised to serve Ares. In the final analysis, Ares did save Kratos and his men and received his Blades of Chaos bound to him as a reward.

Kratos employed the blades to take on and defeat several of Ares the enemies of Ares. Serving Ares had a cost, however. The god of war ordered Kratos to take on a village that Athena worshiped. In the dark, and unbeknownst to Kratos, Ares secretly transported Kratos’s daughter and wife into the village and cast the spell over Kratos, who hid his family from him. In a furious attack, Kratos slaughtered his wife and daughter. In rage and grief, Kratos renounced his servitude to Ares and declared to take revenge upon the God of War. Unfortunately, the oracle that the village Kratos was about to destroy cursed him and burned the cremated remains of his daughter and wife onto his skin forever. He will always be in the memory of the harm the curse caused.

Since then, Kratos became known as the “Ghost of Sparta” due to his ghostly, pale appearance. It is also where players meet Kratos at the start of the course. Kratos pledges his loyalty to the gods of other gods in the hope of retribution for the loss of his daughter and wife. But he’ll forever be haunted by his actions and the memories of the loved ones he lost. Whatever gods he killed or what power he gained the power of gods, he won’t be able to erase the lasting evidence of guilt.

The remainder continues into the reboot for the PS4, keeping Kratos connected to his previous actions. Kratos cannot escape his most horrific crime despite killing the entire Greek mythology. Kratos feels like a wicked killer, who is ruthless, and his skin soothes him of these thoughts. In addition to guilt, this blemish on his skin warns him that gods can be trusted. That is why Kratos is determined to defend Atreus and teach him about the evil of gods.

What Is It That Gave Kratos His Pale Skin Tone?

Before Kratos was the father of Atreus and his daughter, he had a daughter and wife in Sparta. He was a servant to the God of War himself, Ares, as a Spartan captain. He led his unit into several bloody fights and came out triumphant. This was until he clashed with a opponent who proved too much for his strength. In exchange for his victory, Kratos pledged himself to Ares and bound the Blades of Chaos and the Blades of Chaos to Kratos to serve as his tools, binding him to the God of War’s wishes.

Being tied to Ares was to be too to Kratos, who was manipulated into killing his family. During a routine murder of a community that believed in Athena, Kratos’ family was magically kidnapped, disguised, and then kidnapped. He was unaware that Kratos had murdered his wife and his child. After witnessing his heinous actions, the oracle of the village cursed him and instilled the remains of his family remains into his skin to serve as a reminder of the crime for all time.

Kratos took on the role of gods and embarked on a quest to cleanse the world of their deities for the good of humanity.

The Game This Was Revealed In?

Although the PlayStation 4 title God of War was viewed as a reboot of the series, playing the initial three games remains necessary to comprehend the motivations and emotional ramifications behind Kratos, the character. In the first God of War game, players meet Kratos as the avenging hero that he becomes and is reminded of the exact act that spurs his revenge initially.

With one family gone, Kratos is overly protective of Atreus and Atreus, an important element in the most recent stories. Knowing Kratos’s motivations after playing the initial three God of War games goes far in understanding his progress throughout the series. God of War Ragnarok is out now on PS4 and PS5.

FAQ’s

Why is Kratos, the main character in God of War, depicted as a white character?

Santa Monica Studio created the fictional Kratos, whose design was influenced by Greek mythology. His white complexion could be due to his heritage, which is based on the Greek race, which typically had a light complexion. However, the developers have not provided a specific explanation for this, so it’s possible that it’s due to that. Additionally, at the time the series began, it was common practice to depict protagonists as white males in video games, which may have influenced his appearance.

Does Kratos being white anily affect the ongoing interaction or storyline of the game?

The race of Kratos isn’t a big part of the story or how the game works. The journey he takes as a Spartan warrior seeking vengeance on the gods who have wronged him is instead the focus of the narrative. His race has no effect on the story of the game, and his appearance is purely aesthetic.

Are there any instances in the series where the race of Kratos has been discussed?

The race of Kratos has not been specifically discussed in the series. Race is not a major theme in the story of the game, which focuses on the gods, monsters, and warriors of Greek mythology. Only in relation to Kratos’s heritage, which is established early on in the series, is the race of Kratos relevant.

Has there been any controversy regarding the depiction of Kratos’s race?

The overabundance of white male protagonists in video games has sparked online debates about the games’ lack of diversity. In any case, the contention encompassing Kratos’ race has been moderately muffled. While others argue that Kratos’ race is not a significant issue, others have expressed disappointment at the game’s lack of diversity.

In subsequent installments of the series, could Kratos’ race be altered?

In subsequent installments of the God of War series, it is highly unlikely that Kratos’ race would be altered. It would be a significant departure from the character’s established design to alter his appearance, which has become iconic among fans of the show. In addition, changing his race would necessitate a significant revision of the character’s past and the mythology of the series.

Has St Nick Monica Studio resolved inquiries concerning Kratos’ race?

Questions regarding Kratos’ race have not been directly addressed by the Santa Monica Studio developers. The team has paid more attention to the character’s growth and the story of the game series than to how he looks. However, the studio has pledged to include more racially diverse characters in its games, pointing to the possibility of this happening in the future.