Summary
- Atreus faces immense pressure in possible future God of War entries, needing to avoid his father's tragic mistakes.
- The potential for Atreus to create his own family aligns with Norse mythology, adding a new chapter to the series.
- While familial tragedy is common in mythology, Atreus' story may benefit from a different, more positive narrative approach.
God of War is a franchise defined by tragedy. Before the series went all-in on its new Norse pantheon, Kratos was a man riddled with grief, having lost his family in horrific fashion long before the explosive events of God of War Ragnarok. With Atreus possibly heading up God of War's future entries, it will be interesting to see how Santa Monica Studios chooses to handle his development in this regard.
Spoilers ahead for the entire God of War franchise.
2018's God of War and God of War Ragnarok are both built around the relationship between Atreus and Kratos, but this isn't Kratos' first family. In Greece, he had a wife and child, but after being whipped up to a boiling-point blood frenzy by Ares, he raided his own village, slaughtering everyone residing in the Temple of Athena which, as he soon found out, included his family. Wracked with guilt, Kratos embarked on a path of vicious revenge, wiping out almost the entirety of the Greek pantheon, a network of gods that includes his father Zeus and other extended family members. This trauma, mingled with his shame, informs his internal journey in the newer games, and as Atreus grows older, he will need to take care not to make the same mistakes as his father.
Atreus Shouldn't Follow the Same Tragic Spiral as His Father in His God of War Stories
Atreus May Have His Own Family Someday
Although there are many potential issues with putting Atreus in the protagonist position in the next God of War game, this decision is also rife with potential. By the end of Ragnarok and the Valhalla DLC, Kratos seems to be entering a new stage of his life, stepping into a leadership position after healing his psychic wounds and coming to terms with his past. Atreus, on the other hand, is just now embarking on a journey of his own, signifying a passing of the torch for the franchise.
Joining him on this journey, almost certainly, is Angrboda, a giantess whom Loki, in original Norse mythology, has three children with. Since Loki and Atreus are one and the same, Atreus could very well start a family with Angrboda, especially as their budding romance is hinted at in God of War Ragnarok. Whether this would happen in the next God of War game or in another entry down the line is uncertain, but it seems like a reasonable narrative decision, as it aligns with the source material and would provide rather fitting symmetry for the series, which has doubled down on its parental themes in the Norse saga.
Even if Atreus isn't the de-facto star of the series moving forward, he will almost certainly be aged up in future God of War games, as his actor, Sunny Suljic, is just now entering adulthood.
Atreus Could Suffer Familial Tragedy, but Shouldn't
World mythologies tend to revolve around family drama: fathers killing sons, rivals killing children, et cetera. Entering a world fraught with peril, Atreus' potential children could either perish, turn evil, or otherwise descend into darkness. Indeed, it would seem almost reasonable for Atreus' family life to be characterized by the same violence and tragedy as Kratos', but not only would this be repetitive for the God of War series, it would also undermine the Norse saga's message.
The newer God of War games have focused on parental responsibility and building a better world for the future. If the franchise were to take a cyclical approach, allowing chaos and strife to befall Atreus' family in the future, then it may be forced to either walk back its earlier thematic framing, or else repeat narrative beats in a potentially uninteresting way. It may be better to allow Atreus to have a different, but still complex, dynamic within his own family, learning from the mistakes and successes of his father, rather than putting him in a position to either seek vengeance or mourn a terrible fate.
God of War Ragnarok
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- November 9, 2022
- ESRB
- M For Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Santa Monica Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
WHERE TO PLAY
Embark on an epic and heartfelt journey as Kratos and Atreus struggle with holding on and letting go
From Santa Monica Studio comes the sequel to the critically acclaimed God of War (2018). Fimbulwinter is well underway. Kratos and Atreus must journey to each of the Nine Realms in search of answers as Asgardian forces prepare for a prophesied battle that will end the world. Along the way they will explore stunning, mythical landscapes, and face fearsome enemies in the form of Norse gods and monsters. The threat of Ragnarök grows ever closer. Kratos and Atreus must choose between their own safety and the safety of the realms.
- Franchise
- God of War
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
