Kratos (God of War)

Kratos
God of War character
Kratos as he will appear in the upcoming God of War for PlayStation 4.
First game	God of War (2005)
Created by	David Jaffe
Designed by	Charlie Wen
Voiced by	Terrence C. Carson (adult, 2005-2013) Christopher Judge (adult, 2016-) Antony Del Rio (child, 2010)
Motion capture	Brandon Molale (2005) Joseph Gatt (2007-2012) Terrence C. Carson (2013)
Fictional profile
Species	Demigod
Affiliation	Sparta
Position	Captain, Spartan Army (pre-Ghost of Sparta metamorphosis) Greek God of War (after Ares)

Kratos, the "Ghost of Sparta", is a video game character from Sony Santa Monica's God of War series, which is loosely based on Greek mythology. Kratos first appeared in the 2005 video game God of War, which led to the development of six additional games featuring the character as the protagonist. Another installment is in development, which will take the character to Norse mythology. Kratos also appears as the protagonist of the God of War comic series and novels. The character was voiced by Terrence C. Carson from 2005 to 2013, with Christopher Judge taking over the role in the upcoming God of War. Antony Del Rio voiced the character as a child in God of War: Ghost of Sparta.

In the series, Kratos embarks on a series of adventures in attempts to avert disaster or to change his fate. He is usually portrayed as being oblivious to all else, often engaging in morally ambiguous activities and performing acts of extreme violence. He is a Spartan warrior who becomes the "Ghost of Sparta" after accidentally killing his family on behalf of Ares' trickery. He becomes the God of War after killing Ares, and is eventually revealed to be a demigod and the son of Zeus, who betrays Kratos. Each adventure forms part of a saga with vengeance as a central theme, providing additional information about Kratos' origins and his relationships with his family and the gods.

The God of War franchise is a flagship title for the PlayStation brand and Kratos is one of its most popular characters. The character has been well received by critics and has become a video game icon, a relative newcomer among more established franchise characters, such as Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Lara Croft. The character is now associated with other products and has had various cameos in PlayStation games outside of the God of War series.