Top 10 Ungodly Kratos Kills

“God of War” (2005) Kratos was unknown to gamers in the first entry of the series, but it didn’t take people long to get a sense of what to expect in the years to come. Coming face to face with one of the most fearsome creatures Greek mythology has to offer, and as the first boss no less, our pale hero wasted no time in proving his worth by crushing the smaller heads before climbing up the mast and impaling the sea serpent right through its skull. That’s one hell of an introduction.

“God of War III” (2010) Everyone knows, and loves, this iconic hero. He paid his dues and worked his way back into the good graces of the Gods with his twelve labors. Hell, he even got a Disney movie, entrenching himself in the hearts of families all over the world. Kratos really doesn’t care about any of that though, and after a stiff slugfest with the two half-brothers grappling and trading blow after blow, it’s the Spartan that comes out on top, crushing the demi-god under a column before literally caving his face in with a repeated, bare knuckled beating. Take that nostalgia.

“God of War II (2007) Continuing his vendetta against all living things, our hero at first seems outmatched against the giant multi-legged sea creature. It’s big, strong, and presents a daunting challenge when you encounter it for the first time, but any and all doubts are cast aside when you land that final stab and make your way to the bridge mechanism. Turns out all the pain you inflicted was just the appetizer, with the main course being the extendable bridge rocketing over the sea and through the throat of the giant beast.

“God of War III” (2010) After spending two titles hunting down the gods of Olympus, it was at first hard to get us excited about more of the same. Realizing most gamers probably felt like we did, the developers threw us a bone and gave us even more intimidating foes to fight in the form of the ancient Titans. Providing the backdrop for one of the more unique fights of the series, Cronos also suffers more than his fair share. After swallowing his grandson, he gets his stomach ripped open from the inside, impaled through the jaw, and even stabbed in the freaking brain.

“God of War III” (2010) By the time you finally come face to face with the King of the Gods at the end of the third game, Zeus has already betrayed you, sent all of his sons to hunt you down, and even killed you. While the final confrontation with the big boss of the Olympians may not end in a way that would score very highly in the creativity department, it is immensely satisfying to get your revenge and punch that smug SOB until he stops breathing. It’s brutal and gruesome, but deviously rewarding.

“God of War II” (2007) & “God of War III” (2010) It’s bosses that get most of the attention in the series, and rightfully so, but this bumbling one-eyed monster not only poses a stiff threat on our journey through Greece, but also has one of the better deaths as far as regular enemies go. Starting with the second game, every fight with one of these powerhouses ends with Kratos jumping up to the head of the beast and using all his force to rip out the lone eye of the monster and then watching it blindly limp around until finally dropping dead. We almost feel bad, but we need that eye for our collection.

“God of War III” (2010) One of the “big three” of the Greek pantheon, the god of the sea puts up a stiff challenge in your confrontation, and for his trouble earns himself a kill worthy of his status. After being ripped out of the ocean, the now defenseless and weakened boss gets tossed around like a ragdoll and beaten repeatedly. What makes this one stand out though is the artistic use of POV shots throughout that let gamers really live the experience of getting their eyes gouged right out. We can’t imagine what’s taking so long to bring this one to VR.

“God of War” (2005) The original monumental task that seemed to surpass everything we had encountered to that point, Ares was an absolute nightmare to take down in this multiple stage boss fight. For all his trouble though, Kratos finally stabs his rival right through the chest, taking down a god for the first time ever and immortalizing himself in the pantheon of gaming’s greatest. Is it the bloodiest or the most creative? Not at all, but every time we watch it we get a sense of satisfaction that hasn’t really been topped since.

“God of War III” (2010) Probably one of the most annoying deities to deal with, this little bugger spends so much time taunting Kratos before the fight even begins that it very quickly becomes obvious that karma won’t play nice with poor little Hermes. Once that final button input is hit gamers are rewarded with the sight of the speedy god getting both of his legs sawed right off by the business end of the Blades of Chaos, which really does the trick in shutting him up. Really at this point you have to wonder what’s keeping these gods so confident. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: Elephantaur “God of War: Ascension” (2013) Theseus “God of War II” (2007) Icarus “God of War II” (2007)

“God of War III” (2010) We’ve seen stabbings, impalings, beatings and eye rips, but it’s the ending to this slog of a fight that tore its way to top spot in our rankings. While Helios probably made the wise choice by hiding behind his soldiers, the entirety of the encounter is pretty dull before Kratos really makes him pay. Mounting his fallen foe and giving us quite the show of upper body strength, everyone’s favorite Greek takes top honors for ripping Helios’ head right off his shoulders. Adding insult to injury, the decapitated head is then used as a special item for the rest of the game, a constant reminder of this epic moment.