Every God of War God Boss Fight Ranked

“God of War II” (2007)

Perseus has all the makings of an epic and climactic boss fight. With the confined space, there’s little breathing room and Perseus’ invisibility offers a modest challenge. Or it would if the room wasn’t filled with water alerting Kratos to Perseus’ every step. Once the helmet of invisibility is removed, the battle plays out like a normal one on one fight, and even with Perseus’ magic attacks sprinkled in, he doesn’t offer much of a challenge and is easily thrown through his window of opportunity in which he finally gets the point

“God of War II” (2007)

The battle with Theseus is just as much a battle of egos as it is strength, both of which Kratos has in spades while Theseus seemingly only has the former. Although the fight begins with two hardened warriors going toe to toe, and the battle proves to be challenging for both combatants. However, for all of his talk, Theseus will routinely run and hide above the temple, relying more on summoning minotaurs to battle Kratos while he takes pot shots from afar. Although the fight isn’t very difficult, it is still remarkably satisfying to shut the door on Theseus and his non-stop gloating.

“God of War III” (2010)

The fight against Hermes does a great job of frustrating you just enough with the constant cat and mouse game and Hermes’ never-ending taunts that by the time you finally get your hands on the little speedster, the finish is immensely satisfying. However, it’s everything leading up to this moment that makes the whole encounter kind of “meh”. You spend almost more time chasing after Hermes than you do actually fighting him and even the small arena you battle him in is nothing remarkable. If it weren’t for the excessive way in which Kratos acquires Hermes’ boots, the only thing gamers would remember is the frustration of the chase.

“God of War Ascension” (2013)

Much like everything else about God of War Ascension, Pollux and Castor have great character designs but outside of that, nothing is very memorable about this encounter. The time bending mechanics keep Kratos constantly on the move, but the duo has the same habit of running for the high ground as Theseus albeit without the Minotaur minions. Were it not for the wibbly wobbly timey wimey mechanics that can degrade the arena, this would have simply been another one v one and a half fight that is completely forgotten in a game most already have.

“God of War Ascension” (2013)

We’re collecting all of the Furies into one entry from God of War Ascension just for simplicity's sake, but much like everything is Ascension, it’s more about style over substance. None of the battles are particularly memorable outside of their scale and spectacle with the respective fight against Megaera and the Hecatonchires and Alecto later on being the major standouts just for their cinematic nature, but both end up being more about the quick time events rather than the actual fight. Tisiphone drags the entire group down however by adding nothing to any of the fights she’s involved in, and her death is nothing more than another quick time event, although her constant shape shifting to add to Kratos guilt is a nice touch.

“God of War II” (2007)

Although this wouldn’t be the last time Kratos takes on Zeus, the King of Olympus makes an impactful first impression and gamers get an idea of what kind of power the Greek God of Thunder is capable of. Although Zeus starts the fight as an enormous deity, in a bout of poetic justice, Kratos uses the Blade of Olympus to zap Zeus’ power and bring him down to scale. The back-and-forth battle as the Blade of Olympus constantly changes hands is let down by the quick time event that leads to an albeit anticlimactic but necessary ending that sets up God of War 3.

“God of War: Ghost of Sparta” (2010)

Long before Kratos teamed up with Atreus, he teamed up with his brother Deimos to take down the God of the Dead. What begins as a normal ground level encounter transforms as Thanatos reveals his true form and the brother’s teamwork eventually leads to Thanatos killing Deimos and sending Kratos into a blinding rage so powerful it quite literally knocks Thanatos down to size. The fight against Thanatos is memorable not only for laying the groundwork for Atreus fighting alongside Kratos but also for the emotional weight for Kratos of finding his long believed dead brother and then losing him all over again.

“God of War: Chains of Olympus” (2008)

Chains of Olympus might not have a lot of boss fights compared to many other entries in the franchise but what they do have will beat you mercilessly until you come back for round 2. Unbeatable on their first encounter, the Ferryman is more than happy to school Kratos once again but this time Kratos is far more prepared. Charon won’t go down with the ship easily however and will routinely retreat to regain his health and come back rejuvenated and packing a host of new attacks as well. With his constantly changing tactics as well as an almost insta-kill move, Charon might be the closest the series came to a Dark Souls boss.

“God of War III” (2010)

It’s not very often a challenger will take Kratos on with almost nothing but their bare hands, but Hercules is unlike the other Greek Gods or Demi-Gods, and believes that by beating Kratos he will be granted his place on the God of War’s throne. After a brief bout with fodder enemies, Hercules joins the fray and over time Kratos strips him of not only his armor but also his prized gauntlets which he then turns on his half-brother. Even without his armor or weapons, Hercules still puts up a substantial fight, culminating in Kratos using the entire arena to finally leave Hercules in the gutter where he belongs.

“God of War: Chains of Olympus” (2008)

While the boss fight itself is decent enough, Persephone ranks higher than her other PSP counterparts just for the emotional weight of this conflict alone. When faced with the option to stay with his daughter or regain his powers and save all of Olympus, Kratos must make the heartbreaking decision to leave Calliope behind and the player is forced to do it. Alongside a back and forth with Persephone, players also manage to trap Atlas into holding up the weight of the world on his shoulders before delivering a gut punch to the Bride of the Underworld that saves all of humanity.

“God of War II” (2007)

When you challenge fate, you’d best be prepared for a fight. Fighting against not only the Sisters themselves, but also time itself as Atropos sends Kratos back in his own timeline to the fight against Ares and attempts to destroy the sword Kratos used to kill the former God of War. Upon returning to the future, Kratos takes on both Lahkesis and Atropos using all the time bending and grappling hook swinging skills Kratos perfected in his journey. With the Sisters defeated, Kratos shows them their own cracked reflection and successfully changes his fate allowing him to bring the fight to Mount Olympus.

“God of War III” (2010)

After all the numerous trips and escapes from the underworld, Hades is out to make sure that this time, Kratos’ visit is permanent. Kratos has an answer to the tried-and-true taunt of “You want a piece of me?” by quite literally carving chunks from the God of the underworld that need to be destroyed before the fight can progress. Kratos makes the most out of Hades’ blades by using them to toss the God around the arena before eventually pulling him into the river Styx. The battle doesn’t end there however, as seemingly nothing in Hades truly stays dead until its soul is pulled from its rotting corpse.

“God of War III” (2010)

Hands down one of the best intro boss fights in the original Greek series, Poseidon wastes no time bringing the fight to Kratos as he climbs the cliffs of Mount Olympus. Bringing with him the creatures of the sea itself, Poseidon builds an enormous avatar to combat not only Kratos but Gaia as well. Not only does Kratos need to contend with Poseidon’s attacks, he also needs to break Gaia free of his grasp so she can continue her assault on the mountain. The frenetic nature of the battle as well as the multiple objectives all while combating one of the pantheon’s strongest Gods could have easily been overwhelming but thanks to the over-the-top and cinematic nature of the fight, players finally get their shot at the God of the sea’s true form and end his reign right before his eyes.

“God of War” (2018)

Kratos has had no shortage of boss encounters in which he takes on more than one opponent at a time, as you’ve seen on our list so far, but it’s the addition of Atreus in this fight that also elevates it above the rest. The sons of Thor, Magni and Modi are hunting Kratos and Atreus and after a chance encounter, attempt to force their surrender. Magni is clearly the one in charge and wastes no time in taking the fight to Kratos while Modi focuses on Atreus. The moments when the father and son square up together and watch each other's back as the brothers attack is especially memorable and foreshadows their synchronized attacks later on. Helping Magni get the point that Kratos doesn’t know the meaning of surrender is by far one of the game’s high points.

“God of War Ragnarok” (2022)

Don’t let the kindly old grandpa persona fool you, Odin is more than willing to throw down when the moment arises. Full of dirty tricks befitting his character, Odin uses all manner of magical attacks in his repertoire to keep Kratos and Atreus at bay and then with the mask and rift gone, Asgard nearing ruin, he holds absolutely nothing back. It takes the combined efforts of Kratos, Atreus, and Freya to finally bring the All Father to his knees and even then, he remains defiant to the end. Not wanting to continue the cycle he started in Greece; Kratos is resistant to kill another God. Sindri however, has no qualms with it whatsoever.

“God of War” (2018)

The Stranger came looking for a fight and although initially resistant, Kratos more than handily gave it to him. The revelation that all the blows and damage Kratos had struck had no effect was shocking as was the reveal that Baldur still lived and was willing to do whatever it took to hunt Kratos and Atreus down. Although most of the fights with Baldur are mostly standard combat, albeit with constantly shifting elemental effects, the ever-changing battlefield due to Freya’s interference as well as the beautifully choreographed back and forth blows delivered by Kratos and Atreus was one of the coolest moments in the series up to that point, even surpassing the spectacle of many of the encounters with the Greek Gods. Impactful for both the fight and narrative importance, it’s a fight that remains one of the most memorable.

“God of War Ragnarok” (2022)

Never before in the God of War series has a character been so hated from a first impression. With his gift of Sight, Heimdall has all the arrogance of the Gods from every realm in one extremely punchable face. The fight might not have been one Kratos wanted but players were all too happy to lay the smackdown on his arrogant ass. And thanks to Kratos’ new weapon the Draupnir Spear, watching the shock on his face when we bested him was extraordinarily cathartic. Even at the hands of defeat, Heimdall’s ego wouldn’t let him quit and despite Kratos’ best efforts, another God fell by his hand.

“God of War” (2005)

The God who lit the match that brought about the end of the Greek pantheon. Kratos’ regret at his oath to Ares and subsequent attempts to end it only fueled resentment for the Greek God of War and the final battle between the two is just as personal for Kratos as it is the player having learned Kratos tragic history. Ares won’t go down easily however. Forcing Kratos to use Pandora’s Box to come face to face with the God, their battle shakes all of Greece and even forces Ares to unleash a new horrific form. He should have chosen a better battlefield however, particularly not one with a sword shaped bridge nearby. The end of the battle is immensely satisfying even if it doesn't bring Kratos the peace he was hoping for.

“God of War Ragnarok” (2022)

Ever since the stinger at the end of God of War 2018, gamers were eagerly awaiting this confrontation and by the Gods, it did not disappoint. After an initial encounter so powerful it not only brought down the thunder but also broke the fourth wall, another climactic class was imminent. With Ragnarok quite literally on the horizon, the two gods hold nothing back and for a moment, however briefly, Kratos was worthy of wielding Mjolnir. The showdown ends not with a bang but an understanding of mutual respect, which perfectly bookends this rivalry, even in the end thanks to Odin, it was short lived.

“God of War III” (2010)

There truly is no other fight that could have ranked at the top than the climactic battle between father and son that brought an end to an entire pantheon in the process. What starts as an epic Street Fighter style showdown quickly takes both Gods into the heart of Gaia, and Zeus only grows in strength from there. Multiplying himself for additional health, Kratos eventually destroys all the clones of Zeus and breaks Gaia’s heart before Santa Monica Studios puts the end of the Thunder God quite literally in the players hands and lets them unleash their Spartan Rage on Zeus until they see red.