Why God of War Ragnarok Kept Kratos Alive

Santa Monica Studio has explained why Kratos was kept alive in God of War Ragnarok. In fact, the team never considered killing him, according to director Eric Williams, who told The Washington Post that Kratos staying alive was an integral part of the story that the studio wanted to tell.

Kratos’ role in God of War Ragnarok (spoilers)

When Atreus a.k.a. Loki meets Angrboda in God of War Ragnarok, the duo discuss prophecy that suggests Kratos will die and Atreus will serve the villain Odin. It’s an important part of the story that directly influences the events thereafter, and has some fans wondering if Santa Monica Studio considered going in that direction. However, Williams told The Washington Post that this was never the case.

“Oh no, we did not consider killing Kratos for many reasons,” he said. “The story that we wanted to tell was this idea of this parent-child unit coming together and then becoming strong enough that they know each other, and they know that they made each other better, and that if you were to break them apart, you’d still feel like they’d be okay.”

Towards the end, Atreus does end up finding his own path but not due to Kratos’ death. What happens in the next installment, though, is anybody’s guess.