After GoW Ragnarok's DLC, Kratos Has Earned His Retirement

Summary

Valhalla DLC in God of War Ragnarok is a deep dive into Kratos' character development and his journey of self-acceptance and redemption.
Kratos' storyline in the DLC serves as an intense therapy session, closing the chapter on his past actions and setting the stage for a new beginning.
Moving forward, Kratos should take on a non-combatant role in the next game, allowing him to be a mentor or guide instead of a fighter, for a more meaningful narrative.

Fans of God of War Ragnarok got a pleasant surprise in the form of last year's free Valhalla DLC, which offered a surprising amount of new narrative and gameplay content. The DLC is essentially an epilogue for the base game and while it does a lot to further Kratos' character development, it should also serve as the last outing for the famous hero, paving the way for other God of War protagonists.

The Valhalla DLC, despite being a mode that's wholly disconnected from progression in God of War Ragnarok's main campaign, serves up classic roguelike gameplay within a relevant narrative context. The story of the expansion sees Kratos reckoning with his past and coming to terms with his violent and often immoral actions. Valhalla is basically intensive psychotherapy for Kratos, ending with him accepting who he has been and who he has become over the course of the past two games. This finale is a moving, fitting conclusion to Kratos' story, and Santa Monica should refrain from pulling him into a leading role in the next game.

The Argument For God of War To Take Another Stab at GOW: Ascension's Most Divisive Feature

A future God of War game might want to look to a contentious God of War: Ascension feature when expanding its gameplay offerings.

Posts

By Nick Rodriguez

Kratos Needs To Be Past Fighting After God of War Ragnarok's Vallhala DLC

Kratos Has a New Life After Valhalla

Kratos has committed a number of unsavory acts throughout the God of War series, and his actions in the previous two games are a reaction to his checkered past, in many ways. He makes certain decisions, like his reluctance to inform Atreus of his godhood in 2018's God of War, out of fear, as he doesn't want to relapse into his old life of violence or begin a new cycle of murder and warfare.

Who he kills, who he spares, and how he treats those around him in these games is also informed by this shameful view of himself.

He strives to repent and redeem himself but he never truly faces his guilt and shame until Valhalla. When his journey in the DLC is over, he is more at peace with himself and ready to accept Freya's offer to take Tyr's place as the Norse God of War. This could set the stage for a new God of War game starring Kratos back in his old role, but it shouldn't, as putting Kratos back into battle would undermine his Norse Saga character arc as punctuated by Valhalla . Instead, Kratos should move forward as a pacifist.

How Kratos Could Be Portrayed in the Next God of War

It's been speculated that Atreus will lead the next God of War game, and this speculation seems to be supported by the conclusion of God of War Ragnarok. Even if this ends up being the case, it's probable that other God of War characters, including Kratos, will appear in future entries. If Kratos does show up in the next games, Santa Monica might feel tempted to make him a playable character. That said, this should be avoided unless his playable sections are devoid of combat entirely.

In God of War 2018, Ragnarok, and the Valhalla DLC, it seems like Kratos is slowly transitioning into the role of a mentor or wizened guide. After Valhalla, Kratos ought to complete this transformation, becoming a non-combatant character altogether. He can still play a role in the story, perhaps guiding Atreus in his solo adventure or providing tactical or strategic support from afar. Anything else simply wouldn't make sense for the character and could make the narrative of all the God of War games feel inconsequential.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image