Introduction
Let's review the story of God of War before God of War Ragnarok.
The God of War series, for all its badassery and bravado, just wants to tell a story. God of War Ragnarök is the fifth main game in the iconic PlayStation series – and that's not including all the spinoffs: two PSP games, a mobile game, a text-based game, and a full-fledged prequel, God of War: Ascension, for PS3. And even with a 2018 update that made a relatively clean break from the original Greek era of the series, it still showed a few key aspects of Kratos' past that played into the game's narrative.
There's a lot of plot for mental juggling. For its part, God of War Ragnarök at least tries to get players up to speed: There's a two-minute synopsis video, accessible from the main menu, but it's vaguely structured and glosses over the details. (To be honest, if you haven't played the 2018 game or are vague on the details of the narrative, the video will probably confuse you more.)
That's where we come in. What follows is a complete rundown of every major narrative beat in the God of War series - from his days as a ghost in Sparta in Greece to his recent adventures (i.e. angering the entire Norse pantheon). Keep this page handy as you play God of War Ragnarök. If you're confused about the story beats or can't quite parse a side character's misguided remarks, you'll find the answer here.
God of War Trilogy Summary
The original God of War game was released in 2005 on the PlayStation 2. Set in ancient Greece, the hack-and-slash action game starred Kratos, a very angry general of the Spartan army.
You might ask why Kratos was so angry? Because after being granted superpowers by Ares, the Greek god of war, Kratos was tricked into slaughtering his wife and daughter during a raid on a village. Their ashes were then glued to his skin, giving him the grayish-white color he was known for – and also the nickname “The Ghost of Sparta.”
Throughout the first game, Kratos completes a series of tasks to give him the power to face Ares himself. In the end, Kratos kills Ares and inherits the former title of the dead god, becoming the new God of War.
God of War 2, released in 2007 on the PS2, picks up years (possibly centuries) after the first game and sees Kratos exploiting his newfound godhood by wreaking havoc across Greece with his Spartan army. The other gods aren't happy about this, and Zeus betrays Kratos, stabbing him in the chest with the Sword of Olympus (hence the scar on Kratos' stomach that you may have noticed in the 2018 game and in the pre-release Ragnarok movie).
Kratos is rescued by the Titan Gaia and joins her in an attempt to assassinate Zeus. Kratos then learns that Zeus is his father – essentially meaning that Kratos is a demigod. Shortly thereafter, Athena (one of Kratos' only allies on Olympus) sacrifices herself to save Zeus. Angered by yet another defeat at the hands of the gods, Kratos rejoins the Titans and prepares to attack Mount Olympus.
God of War 3, released in 2010 on the PlayStation 3, begins with a battle for control of Olympus. In the opening minutes, Kratos inflicts the first major casualty on the Greek pantheon: Poseidon, god of the sea. The death of Zeus' brother floods the lands surrounding Mount Olympus, and Kratos continues his assault. Over the course of God of War 3, Kratos kills nearly the entire pantheon, starting with Hades and working his way through Hercules, Hermes, Hephaestus, Hera, and more. All of this devastation essentially destroys Greece, turning it into an uninhabitable wasteland.
Finally, Kratos succeeds in his mission to end the Greek pantheon, kills Zeus, and jumps off Mount Olympus, seemingly to his doom.
The non-original God of War games are technically quite ordinary, but they don't have a terrible impact on the wider narrative. Chains of Olympus (PSP) sees Kratos stop Persephone - the wife of Hades - from using the Titan Atlas to destroy the world. Ghost of Sparta (PSP) follows Kratos as he searches for his mother, Callisto, and his brother, Deimos. Thanatos, the god of death, kills Kratos' brother, driving Kratos - as usual - to seek revenge. Ascension takes place before the original God of War and pits Kratos against the Furies.
God of War (2018) Synopsis
God of War (2018) takes Kratos to an older Kratos (can immortal demigods age? Maybe it's just a beard) in an unfamiliar, icy land: Midgard. Kratos has found his way to the land of Norse mythology and has a new child – Atreus, his son – and his wife, Fye, who died shortly before the game begins.
The game begins with Kratos cutting down a tree that Faye had marked, breaking the protective spell around their home. This leads to an encounter with a mysterious stranger who we later learn is Baldur, son of Odin, the ultimate father and king of the Norse gods. Kratos and Baldur fight, and Kratos breaks Baldur's neck - though Baldur's death is not permanent. Baldur is impossible to kill thanks to a protective spell cast by his mother, Freya.
Kratos and Atreus then set off to scatter the ashes of Fey from the highest peak in all the realms, which they believe is in Midgard. Along the way, the two meet Freya – who simply calls herself the Forest Witch to hide her identity – and then Jörmungandr, aptly named «the World Serpent.» Oddly enough, Jörmungandr, who is positively gigantic, somehow recognizes Atreus, despite Atreus’s claim to have never seen the serpent before. Kratos and Atreus also meet the Holdra brothers, Brock and Sindri, who forged Thor’s hammer and the Leviathan axe that Kratos inherited from his late wife. Brock and Sindri don’t speak to each other when they first meet Kratos.
Freya helps Kratos and Atreus reach the highest peak in Midgard, but the path is blocked by thick smoke. Freya then helps Kratos and Atreus use the Bifrost in the Temple of Tyr to travel to Alfheim, the realm of the elves. However, due to a curse placed on her by Odin, Freya is unable to leave Midgard and is forcibly dragged back to her home after walking a few steps towards Alfheim.
Kratos and Atreus advance through the Temple of Light until they claim the light arrows for Atreus' bow. The pair also manage to drive the dark elves out of the temple, shifting the power dynamic in Alfheim in favor of the light elves. (The light elves and dark elves have been at odds in Alfheim for centuries. Kratos and Atreus' characteristically violent interventions are mostly attributed to self-defense.)
Returning to the mountain, Kratos and Atreus use newly found light beams to cut through the smoke and then find themselves battling a thunder dragon on their way to the summit. When they reach the top of the mountain, they hear Baldur – along with his grieving nephews, Magni and Moody, sons of Thor – interrogating a mysterious figure. As the Aesir gods depart, Kratos and Atreus emerge from hiding and meet Mimir, the wisest man alive, who introduces himself (and is accurately titled).
Mimir informs the two that unfortunately they are not at the highest peak in all the realms. The highest peak is actually in Jotunheim, the realm of the giants. Unfortunately for Kratos and Atreus, reaching Jotunheim from Midgard is impossible. Mimir has ideas on how to get there, but unfortunately for the triplets, his body has been trapped inside a tree by Odin.
Mimir demands that Kratos cut off his head and take it to the witch in the forest, offering her eternal wisdom in return. Kratos, accustomed to killing people he has just met, quickly returns the head to Freya. The witch resurrects Mimir, who then reveals to Kratos and Atreus who this mysterious witch truly is: the former wife of Odin, the mother of Baldur, and the queen of the Vanir gods.
With the fully-living head of Mýmir now hanging from Kratos' belt—and chatting nonstop—the trio ventures out into the world to find a way to Jotunheim. After adventuring through the corpse of a real-life giant in search of a chisel, the group encounters the Sons of Thor. Kratos kills Magni. Moody escapes.
Kratos and the crew head to the Temple of Tyr and use their new chisel to break in. However, an angry Moody ambushes the crew. While Atreus doesn't take any real damage, he is struck down by a mysterious illness. Freya and Mimir explain that Atreus' illness is because he doesn't know he's actually a god - as Kratos has never explained his true nature or Greek god lineage.
In order to heal her son, Freya orders Kratos to travel to Helheim and collect the heart of a guardian. However, due to the extreme cold of Helheim, Kratos's ice axe Leviathan will be useless. The demigod then returns to his home and literally digs up his past, pulling his classic Blades of Chaos from under the floorboards. On this journey, he encounters visions of Athena and Zeus that lead Mimir to learn Kratos' identity as the Ghost of Sparta - a legend so brutal that it has somehow made its way into the Norse world.
After adventuring in Helheim and claiming the heart, Kratos heals Atreus and reveals to the boy that the pair are gods. Considering Atreus is just a child, this goes about as well as you might expect. He quickly develops a superiority complex. When the group once again encounters Moody – now beaten by Thor – Atreus stabs and kills him, despite Kratos' protests.
The three return to the peak where they found Mimir and attempt to open the gate to Jotunheim there. However, Baldur appears and causes havoc. A confused Atreus betrays Kratos by firing an arrow. The Jotunheim gate is broken beyond repair, and Baldur, Kratos, and Atreus are trapped together in Helheim. Kratos has another dream from Zeus and uses a flying boat to escape.
In a desperate attempt to reach Jotunheim, Mimir offers the trio the chance to retrieve his lost eye, hidden in a statue of Thor, which Jörmungandr swallowed earlier in the game. Kratos, Mimir, and a humble Atreus sail their boat into the serpent's mouth and retrieve Mimir's eye. Unfortunately, Baldur appears and causes the serpent to vomit up the heroes.
The battle between Kratos and Baldur greatly upsets Freya. Baldur accidentally hits the tip of the mistletoe arrow that Sindri gave Atreus earlier in the game, and it turns out that Mistletoe was the only living creature Freya could not protect Baldur from. Her protective spell is broken and the battle continues. Freya resurrects the dead giant in an attempt to stop Kratos, and Atreus summons Jormungandr to fight the giant.
Baldur eventually tries to kill Freya for ruining his life by taking away his ability to feel anything for centuries. Freya apologizes to Baldur in order to earn his forgiveness, but Baldur won't let go. He still intends to kill Freya. Freya tells Baldur that she is willing to give up her life if it makes him happy, but Kratos intervenes and snaps Baldur's neck again, killing him forever. Freya vows revenge on both father and son as she travels to Jotunheim.
After opening the realm portal with his eyes in the newly-turned Temple of Tyr, Mimir remains in Midgard with the Holdra brothers, who have since mended their relationship. Kratos and Atreus go to scatter Faye's ashes. In Jotunheim, the pair discover that all the giants are dead and that Faye herself was a giant (whose name was Laufey). They also learn that Atreus' giant name is Loki, while Kratos sees a prophecy predicting his own death, Ragnarok - the Norse apocalypse - which he hides from Atreus.
Kratos and Atreus bond over the scattering of Fey's ashes and then return to Midgard. However, when they return, Fimbolwinter - the eternal blizzard that heralds Ragnarok - has already begun, as indicated by the death of Baldur. At the end of the game, Kratos and Atreus fall asleep and are awakened by an angry Thor.
Outside of the main story, God of War also has many side quests, some of which have a significant impact on the story. For example, Atreus, Mimir, and Kratos rescue three dragons who are actually cursed dwarves. They also defeat all of the Valkyries, powerful warriors cursed to serve Odin endlessly. During this quest, it is revealed that Mimir and Sigrun – the Valkyrie Queen – were once lovers.
