The beginning of the first God of War, the one launched on PS2 way back in 2005, is one of those that are not easily forgotten: Kratos, the undisputed protagonist of the entire saga, is about to throw himself into the Aegean Sea from the top of the highest mountain in Greece, with the clear intent of taking his own life. What drives him to commit such an extreme act?
Why does Kratos commit suicide?
To understand the reasons for the protagonist’s attempted suicide, we need to rewind time to a time before the events narrated in the video games. In the past, Kratos was a Spartan general who served his City-State with dedication and commitment, until one day his army finds itself facing an unstoppable horde of barbarians.
On the brink of defeat, Kratos calls upon Ares, god of war and his protector, who immediately comes to his aid. The god gives Kratos the Blades of Chaos, turning the tide of the battle, but obtaining his soul in exchange.The price to pay soon becomes very clear. In the grip of a blind fury, Kratos undertakes with his faithful army a powerful campaign of extermination throughout Ancient Greece, which even leads him to stain himself with the blood of his wife and daughter, teleported before him by an evil Ares. That day, Kratos realizes that it is better not to make deals with a god.
Consumed by visions of the past and marked for life with the white ashes of his beloved, Kratos transforms into Ghost of Sparta and puts himself at the service of the other gods in search of forgiveness for his sins. Some time later, the opportunity to take revenge on the god of war presents itself and he doesn’t let it slip away: after numerous vicissitudes, which see him clash with mythological monsters, razing entire cities to the ground and open Pandora’s box hidden in the temple on the shoulders of the titan Kronos, Kratos manages to obtain immense power and finally take revenge by killing Ares. The events just described take place in the first God of War, which is none other than a long flashback capable of explaining the reasons for Kratos’ attempted suicide.
After killing Ares, Athena tells him that his past deeds have been forgiven but that the gods cannot free him from nightmares and the visions that continue to consume him. No longer able to support this weight, Kratos then decides to throw himself from the mountain.At this point comes the final twist: Athena comes to his rescue again, saving him from death and offering him, as a sign of gratitude, the place of Ares. Kratos accepts and becomes the new God of War, or the new god of war. The story then continues in God of War 2…