God of War Ragnarok Theory: How Odin’s Presence Could Affect Kratos and Atreus’ Relationship in the New Game

God of War Ragnarok, the highly anticipated sequel to the franchise’s phenomenal soft reboot of 2018, is upon us. While PlayStation’s marketing has been fairly lackluster in regards to the forthcoming first-hand exclusive flagship, it’s been picking up steam of late.

Fans can finally get an in-depth look at the game’s story and gameplay via the all-new story trailer that debuted during PlayStation’s State of Play event.

The new trailer gives fans a much-needed glimpse into the upcoming game’s story, character interactions, as well as some new locations. Recurring characters like Freya, Mimir, and the Huldra brothers have all been confirmed with the announcement trailer for the upcoming sequel.

However, fans got their first glimpse of some of the most anticipated Norse gods, Thor and the Allfather, in the recent God of War Ragnarok story trailer. Odin’s character is still shrouded in mystery, only a sillouhete of the character can be seen in the trailer.

The menacing and powerful Allfather had much to say to both Kratos and his son Atreus, which could affect the father-son relationship between the two protagonists in ways that players might not have expected.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinion of the author.

Odin’s presence could create tension between Kratos and Atreus’ relationship in God of War Ragnarok

Odin’s presence was known and felt throughout the previous game, although the All-Father did not physically appear. The countless ravens that roamed the skies, the evidence of cruelty left in the wake of the All-Father, and the various murals depicting the glory of the Aesir all pointed to the almighty Odin.

Given that God of War Ragnarok is the finale of Kratos’ Norse saga, fans are finally expecting a look at the ruler of Aesir, the Allfather himself, and with the recent story trailer for the game, Santa Monica Studio and PlayStation could took a look at it only got a confirmation on it.

For just a split second, fans finally got a glimpse of Odin as he appeared at the doors of Kratos and Atreus’ cabin in the Wildwoods, similar to Baldur’s first appearance in God of War (2018).

Though only a silhouette of the character was visible, and the character’s malignity remained intact for the game’s full release, fans were finally able to hear Allfather’s voice (voiced by Richard Schiff) as he reprimanded Kratos for his actions.

“You really don’t want a war… do you Kratos? All that blood on your hands…your son’s hands.”

“What do you even know about deity?”

“During your lifetime, has anyone ever worshiped you…ever prayed to you?” Can you even imagine that kind of love? No!

From the trailer, Odin appears to be as cunning and cunning as Mimir described in the previous God of War title. The Allfather seems to get his way with words, judging by the way he speaks to Kratos.

His words appear to be aimed at the spirit of Sparta, but they genuinely seem to be for Atreus, giving him an insight into Kratos’ violent nature and how he fails to understand the responsibilities and true meaning of being a god.

Players have already seen a growing rift between the father-and-son duo in the last game, as Atreus learns of his true nature as a god. Although young Jotun quickly got over his divinity and embraced the human side of his personality, Odin’s arrival could once again cause Atreus to stray from Kratos, albeit for a short time.

Similarities between Odin and Kratos’ father Zeus in the God of War series

The similarities between Zeus and Odin end not only in the personalities, but also in how they plan to manipulate Kratos for their own benefit.

Much like Zeus attempted to turn Kratos into a weapon of anger and destruction just to quench his own thirst for power and control, Odin seems to have a similar plan in mind for Kratos and his son Atreus.

Odin is known for his cruel way of punishing those who don’t give in to his wishes or worse, go against him. Whether he held Mimir captive in a tree for several winters or imprisoned the Valkyries in their physical form, he was unrelenting in his punishments.

Zeus had a similar nature in the previous God of War games, where anyone, be it mortal or god, who dared to challenge the ideals of the almighty god of lightning was met with his wrath.

Zeus prided himself on being worshiped by those below him. How Odin mocks Kratos for not being worshiped seems to have a similar sentiment to the Greek god.

It will be really interesting to see how Kratos manages to overpower the very powerful and ruler of the Aesir, Odin. However, one thing is certain. Regardless of how the battle between the two enigmatic forces ends, it will be a spectacle to behold.

God of War Ragnarok will be released on November 9, 2022 for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.