John Esposito
SPOILER WARNING: The following post will feature story spoilers for 2018’s God of War. If you have not played it yet, stop reading!
Fenrir’s Appearance
3 Things You Might Have Missed in God of War Ragnarok’s Father & Son Trailer
Let’s just start with the elephant in the room. With their backs against the wall, Kratos and Atreus are confronted by a giant hulking wolf, and while the message is positive, the outlook is grim. Eager beavers are sure to recognize the wolf, but for those who are unaware, the wolf is none other than Fenrir. In Norse mythology, Fenrir is the son of Loki and the giantess Angrboda. Fenrir is representative of savagery or wild ferocity, one that cannot be contained which is pretty evident since every depiction of the wolf is very imposing and downright dreadful. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Fenrir in media, however. 2017’s Thor Ragnarok also portrayed the big bad wolf albeit the female version named Fenris who served the goddess Hela and battled the Hulk in the movie’s epic finale. 2020’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla also portrayed Fenrir as an antagonist. Santa Monica Studios isn’t shy from messing around with Norse mythology to fit the scope of their narrative. With Atreus being Loki, Fenrir’s appearance at the end of the trailer does raise some questions as to how his existence is explained given Fenrir’s constant conflict with the Norse Gods. If Fenrir does show up as a boss, it’ll no doubt be an epic one given the nature of the God of War and pitting Kratos in David vs. Goliath-esque matchups.
The Blades of Chaos Are Missing in Action
3 Things You Might Have Missed in God of War Ragnarok’s Father & Son Trailer
Another easy thing to point out are Kratos’ famed weapons, the Blades of Chaos, are missing in action. Longtime fans of the series know the story of the Blades of Chaos. As a symbol of his enslavement to the gods, the epic conclusion of God of War 3 saw Kratos freed from the chained dual swords. However, to much shock, Kratos kept them hidden in a secret spot underneath his house as he swore to never use them again. Unfortunately, that was short lived as he needed to their power to help conquer the icy depths of Hel. The reunion wasn’t very exciting, however, as it caused Kratos to be haunted by his past and brought him to a weird situation of uniting his present while facing his past. After unlocking them, they became a staple of the late-game as you could use them seamlessly in combat. Kratos kept the fiery blades with him, yet in the trailer, they’re not present. If you go back to the end game cutscene with Thor’s appearance in the previous game, Kratos is seen with them. Did he put them away after the events of the first game as a form of closure? Or will he pull them back out again when his back is against the wall?
The Father-Son Cycle Continues?
3 Things You Might Have Missed in God of War Ragnarok’s Father & Son Trailer
God of War fans have known Kratos for the better part of his video game career as the cold collected antihero who will achieve victory no matter what it takes. 2018’s God of War completely redefined the character, giving him more layers than an onion as he tackled the next stage of his life, fatherhood –more specifically, the opportunity to be the father he was robbed of the first time around due to treachery. In the beginning of the journey, you can clearly tell that Kratos is struggling with his relationship. His responses are short and to the point and, by stark contrast, Atreus is full of child youth and fun. Their relationship changes remarkably come the end of the adventure as they solidify themselves as a powerful duo. The game is being marketed as a powerful father-son duo. While that’s great, there’s plenty of issues that lie underneath the shades of positivity. Most notably, the end of 2018’s God of War introduced us to a few major revelations:
Atreus is referred to as Loki by his mother Faye and the Giants.Atreus was also named after a soldier Kratos fought along side during his days in the Spartan Army. Atreus was kind and hopeful but ultimately fell in battle.Kratos sees a mural of a man who eerily looks like him dying being held in Atreus’ arms.
All of the above points are very important to remember, and the next tidbit neatly ties them all together. Kratos tells Atreus that he killed his own father as a teaching point for Atreus as he hopes to end the vicious cycle of sons killing their fathers. While their father-son bond is powerful, Atreus is such a massive piece in this universe. Whether it be by the name his mother gave him also known as the god of deceit or by being named after a soldier that fell beside Kratos in his past life, their strong bond may very well be undone come the game’s end. That’s all of the things you might have missed in God of War Ragnarök’s Father & Son trailer. As the game has just received an official launch date, be sure to check out our coverage of the announcement as well as all of the various preorder editions.
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