20 God of War Easter Eggs You Totally Missed

20 God of War Easter Eggs You Totally Missed

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at some of our favorite Easter Eggs across the “God of War” series that players may have missed.

Secret Messages

“God of War” (2005)

If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to have an actual conversation with Kratos, these secret messages have the answer. By completing the first game on God Mode, the hardest difficulty, you’d unlock Secret Message 1 in the Treasures Menu. The phone number it gives leads to a recording of Kratos, praising your talents for completing the mode and revealing a hidden chamber in which he keeps Ares’ soul. Secret Message 2 can be obtained by destroying the two statues in Kratos’ Throne Room. Descrambling this phone number also leads to a recording of Kratos, though this time he’s interrupted by director David Jaffe. Hilariously, Kratos kills Jaffe after he insults the God of War’s pasty white skin.

Indeed

“God of War” (2018)

This Easter Egg probably went over the heads of most players unless they also happened to be fans of “Stargate SG-1.” When you make it to the Mountain’s Base for the first time, Atreus remarks on its beauty, understanding why his mother wanted her ashes scattered there. Kratos agrees, with a simple ‘Indeed.’ That might sound like nothing, but it’s actually the catchword of Teal’c, Christopher Judge’s character on “Stargate.” Judge confirmed it was a knowing nod to his other most famous role, as the developers got a nice chuckle from getting him to say it during the 2018 game’s production.

Atreus’ True Identity

“God of War” (2018)

Atreus’ real name came as a pretty shocking twist at the end of the game. But if anyone had thoroughly studied the first area, and we do mean thoroughly, they would have seen it coming. Similar to how the developers placed a damaged Jotunheim mural in the first fight with Baldur, they also hid Atreus’ true identity in Kratos’ home. Inside, you can find four runes that, when translated and put in the right order, spell ‘Loki.’ As the game tells us, this is the name Faye (or Laufey) wanted to give her son before she and Kratos agreed on a Greek name. This grand twist made for some interesting story beats in the sequel, considering Loki’s role in Ragnarok.

Kratos’ Giant Name

“God of War” (2018)

Similar to how the Giants had a name for Atreus, they also had a specific name for Kratos, but which is never spoken out loud. On the same mural in Jotunheim, the Norse word next to an image of Kratos can be translated to Farbauti. Not only is that a real figure in Norse mythology, but he’s naturally the father Laufey the giantess had Loki with. It’s a simple Easter Egg, though one that shows the studio’s commitment to the historic tales and characters it’s adapting. Farbauti also consists of the noun ‘fár,’ which means hostility or danger, and the verb ‘bauta,’ which means to strike. So, we’d say it fits Kratos to a tee.

The 999,999 Hit Combo

“God of War II” (2007)

It sounds ridiculous, but tweaking the rules in the Arena mode can let you get this insanely high combo. And once you reach that number, the url islandofrhodes.org will briefly appear on the screen. Initially, all that could be seen by visiting the site was a countdown. And when it reached zero, players discovered its own secret that led to the game’s hidden HD mode. By following the site’s instructions, you’d be able to play in high res. The mode was so deeply hidden as it was apparently tough to implement, with the last bug getting fixed on the final day of production. In this case, the process of figuring out the secret was much more interesting than what it turned out to be.

Spartans Stand Tall

“God of War III” (2010)

Despite the lackluster payoff of the hidden url in “God of War II,” the developers decided to hide another one in the sequel. But this time, the site actually led to a cool tease and was likely more obtainable by a wider array of players. By getting the game’s Platinum Trophy, you’d be shown spartansstandtall.com. At first, it only showed a spartan shield with a meter around it set against a rainy backdrop. But over time, the meter filled, revealing the full picture: Kratos looking at his younger self in a massive puddle. The site was teasing “Ghost of Sparta,” a PSP spin-off set in between the first two games. Hiding its reveal within the third entry was a great way to build hype.

Sindri’s Painting

“God of War Ragnarok” (2022)

Within both Norse games, there are multiple references to Egypt and its pantheon, lending credence to the theory that that’s where “God of War” will head next. However, one of the biggest ones is staring you straight in the face: Sindri. Inside Sindri’s house in “Ragnarok” is a painting of a sailboat as it heads towards a beach. But wait…that isn’t a normal beach, is it? No, the massive sand dunes have convinced many that this is Egypt and that Sindri has been there before. If you go back to the 2018 game, during the scene where Sindri searches his magic bag for a reward for Kratos for rescuing him from a dragon, one of the items he pulls out is an Egyptian sickle.

Sindri’s Favorite Glassware

“God of War Ragnarok” (2022)

There’s another fantastic Easter Egg in Sindri’s house, also in plain sight but so small that many of us didn’t notice. In both games, Kratos can collect a group of artifacts from each major area, which earns players XP. In the 2018 game, you could also sell these artifacts to the Huldra Brothers, and they would then be displayed inside the Tyr’s Temple shop. One of those groups of artifacts were cups and goblets found in the Mountain area. In “Ragnarok,” your artifacts go on display in Sindri’s house. However, if you pay close attention to scenes where characters are sharing a meal, you can notice they’re drinking from the same group of cups Kratos collected in the first Norse game.

Surrender Kratos

“God of War” (2005)

In the original game, after Kratos makes it to the Temple of the Oracle for the first time, players can discover a hidden message from the Gods. And naturally, it isn’t a very positive one. First, you must click R2 on the left side of the temple, past the Save Point and near a hidden chest. Then, you must press R2 on the largest mound of dirt next to the Gravedigger. Finally, click R2 one more time, in between the two torches that lead to the temple. If you’ve done everything correctly, a message reading ‘Surrender Kratos’ will be written across the night sky.

Now I Am Become Death

“God of War II” (2007)

‘Surrender Kratos’ is a pretty cool Easter Egg. But for the sequel, they did one better. After Kratos’ fight with Perseus, you can backtrack a bit through the Hall of Atropos and find three stars on the ground: one by the exit to the balcony, a second under the window outside and a third by the two trees near the giant horses. Pressing R1 on each of them quickly enough will cause a ton of red orbs to pour out of the trees. And another message will appear in the sky, this time reading, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” It comes from the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu scripture, and was popularized by J. Robert Oppenheimer after he created the Atomic Bomb. But there’s no arguing it fits Kratos incredibly well.

Odin’s Deception

“God of War Ragnarok” (2022)

“Ragnarok” delivered a huge twist that most of us never saw coming, in that Tyr, the peaceful Norse God of War, was really Odin in disguise all along. Naturally, going back for a second playthrough, you’ll notice all kinds of hints to the twist. He manipulates the situation by preaching to the group against going to war, as well as stirring the pot between Kratos and Atreus. But there are also more specific details, like how he calls Freya ‘Frigg,’ Odin’s pet name for her. When Kratos and Atreus first meet him, Tyr is restrained by a noose around his neck; Odin famously hung himself from Yggdrasil for nine days to learn knowledge of other realms. Additionally, Tyr’s name is meant to have an accent mark over the ‘y.’ Every time the imposter is on-screen, the subtitles leave it out. But when you find the real him post-game, the accent mark is there. The real Tyr is also found in a prison, with bodies of other people Odin impersonated, including a dwarf you can spot in Svartalfheim.

Chaurli the Tortoise

“God of War” (2018)

When Kratos’ first Norse game was revealed at E3 2016, fan hype went through the roof. Everyone was talking about this new era of the series, including GameSpot. The publication covered the reveal like many others, but strangely, referred to Atreus as Charlie since his name had not yet been revealed. Why Charlie? We have no idea. But it gave director Cory Barlog a laugh, and so he included a reference to it in the final game. As most of you remember, Freya’s home in Midgard resides under a giant tortoise. During one interaction, Atreus refers to the tortoise as Chaurli, with a less-modern spelling, which confuses Kratos. It’s a fun joke for those who pay attention to gaming news outlets.

Hildisvíni the Boar

“God of War” (2018)

Speaking of Freya’s animal companions, the father/son duo first meet her while hunting, when Atreus shoots her boar friend. The next step in the story is fixing their mistake, and afterwards, she gives them access to the secret passageways underneath her house. However, if you choose to turn around instead of heading forward, you’ll get a secret scene where Freya explains the boar, including that his name is Hildisvini. That itself is an Easter Egg, but it goes deeper. In Norse mythology, Hildisvini is indeed the shapeshifting protege of Freya, who takes on the form of a boar. However, at this point in the game, Kratos, Atreus, and the player are unaware the Witch is Freya. There was a hint about her true identity hiding right in her opening scenes.

Jari and Somr

“God of War Ragnarok” (2022)

One late-game quest in “Ragnarok” sees Kratos tracking the touching romance of Jari and Somr. It begins in Midgard, on the frozen Lake of Nine, where you can find a recipe book that starts the quest. Kratos then has to collect different ingredients from different realms, all the while hearing tales of Jari and Somr from Mimir. It’s an extremely sweet story and earns you the Meal of Comfort, which increases all of Kratos’ stats by 5. The quest isn’t hard to find, but the true meaning of it is lost if you don’t dig deeper. It’s actually a tribute to Jake Snipes, one of the game’s programmers who passed away in 2020. It was put in by the team at the request of Sam Handrick, another programmer, whom Snipes was in a relationship with.

The Three Wise Men

“God of War II” (2007)

In the second game, Kratos travels to the Temple of Fates, where he finds three murals. The third clearly depicts the Three Wise Men of Christianity following the North Star, which leads them to the newborn Jesus. It’s a neat Easter Egg, though not hard to find. What many might not have realized is that this was the intended end to the series. For the original vision of the third game, before it was drastically altered, creator David Jaffe wanted Zeus to die in the opening act. Norse and Egyptian Gods would have then been brought in for an all-out war, with Kratos and his counterparts from those pantheons becoming the Wise Men after killing all the rest.

The First Fight

“God of War Ragnarok” (2022)

The first boss fight against Thor is a standout moment in “Ragnarok.” But by the sound of things, the God of Thunder’s clash against Faye was far more destructive. Kratos learns much later in the game that his late love once squared off against Thor in Vanaheim. Not only did this fight cause a ton of damage to the land, it similarly resulted in a frozen lightning bolt when Mjolnir collided with the Leviathan Axe, just like our own fight with Thor. In fact, after that happens, Thor remarks that it feels familiar. But when Kratos questions him about it, he says it doesn’t matter. It’s a nice hint towards Faye’s more confrontational past.

The Amber Stone

“God of War Ragnarok - Valhalla” (2023)

The “Valhalla” DLC was full of references to Kratos’ Greek era, though not all of them were spelled out for the player. At a certain point, Kratos finds what looks to be a piece of Amber, which Helios refers to as symbolic of his shame. This likely means nothing to players who didn’t try the spin-offs, but this references the plot of 2013’s “Ascension.” The prequel shows Kratos fighting the Furies, who captured him after he broke his oath with Ares. This piece of amber is actually a physical representation of that oath, which is held by Ares’ son, Orkos. Considering Kratos’ vow to Ares led to the murder of his family, ‘shame’ is putting it lightly.

Tribute of Trolls

“God of War Ragnarok” (2022)

Within the realm of Vanaheim, inside Noatun’s Garden, Kratos can fight two trolls: Golrab of the Frost and Golrab of the Flame. It’s similar to the dual troll fight in the 2018 game, and many probably thought that ‘Golrab’ was just the type of silly troll name to expect. In actuality, ‘Golrab’ is ‘Barlog’ backwards. Cory Barlog, of course, has been with the franchise since the beginning, serving as lead director on “God of War II” and the 2018 game. Why the team chose to honor him as a pair of trolls is unknown to us, but it’s fun Easter Egg regardless.

The Cistern Painting

“God of War: Ascension” (2013)

This 2013 prequel houses one of the most fascinating teases in the series. During the Cistern chapter, Kratos comes upon a mysterious painting of what looks to be Olympus. A message from Aletheia warns of a terrible prophecy and lists jumbled letters. But if you descrambled the letters and solved the subsequent puzzle, the painting would change to Earth, clearly showing the supercontinent Pangaea. The message also changed to read, “When the Earth stops, the journey begins.” The painting puzzled fans for years. But it was likely a tease for the future of the series. Pangaea explains how Kratos could go from the world of Greek myth to Norse. And the main quest in the 2018 game is called The Journey.

The Boat Captain

Various

This poor guy. What first seemed like a very minor character has popped up multiple times throughout the series. In the first game, he gets swallowed up by the Hydra and ends up in the Underworld, with Kratos leaving him for dead in both instances. In the second game, he’s one of the souls summoned during the fight with the Barbarian King. In the third game, you can find a letter from him in the Underworld that curses Kratos’ existence. He’s even referenced in the Norse world. One of the many treasure maps you can find on the Lake of Nine comes from one of the captain’s crewmen. Following it leads you to part of a destroyed ship; the very same one where Kratos began his journey all those years ago. Even ‘Valhalla’ refuses to let Kratos forget this NPC, as it's one of his many shortcomings the DLC touches on.

Know of any other well-hidden “God of War” Easter Eggs? Share them with us in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great gaming videos every day!