The God of War Ragnarok. The story of Kratos and Atreus continues as they traverse the nine realms and prevent the impending doom that will be caused by Ragnarok.
With nine games in the franchise, there have been plenty of characters who have played a huge part in Kratos’ story, including Greek gods and legends. However, not all of them have desirable personalities and are well-written. That being said, many Reddit s have shared some God of War characters who they think are the worst.
Athena
Over the course of the franchise, Athena has gone from one of Kratos’ fiercest allies to the very terror that torments Kratos for what he’s done to Olympus. According to the game’s lore, the goddess of wisdom was deeply affected by the evils released from Pandora’s Box, which resulted in her motivating Kratos to kill Zeus and the other gods.
Reddit M1nd0verM4tter8400 proclaimed their dislike for Athena, not because of what she did to Kratos, but that “her treason” wasn’t “properly set up nor properly explained.” The narrative of the game remains unclear, but many fans inferred that Athena wanted to be the last Olympian standing and rule over mankind.
Magni
Magni is one formidable villain introduced in God of War (2018). Along with his brother Modi, Magni is the son of Thor and is incredibly powerful with his superhuman strength, speed, and durability. Like his father, Magni can also harness electricity and shock his enemies.
Redditor Interesting_Ad5016 highlights their disdain for Magni as he was “too arrogant” for their liking. In fact, they even proclaim that they were “happy” when they “saw the axe get slammed into Magni’s face." While it can’t be denied that Magni needs a personality check, he was an effective villain as he riled up some of the fans of the game.
Hermes
The herald of the gods has briefly appeared across the franchise, but it wasn’t until God of War III that Hermes had a chance to encounter Kratos face-to-face. While Hermes is a Greek god that’s greatly misrepresented in most media, his personality in God of War is spot-on, as he’s portrayed as overconfident, childish, and arrogant.
A comment by Redditor dulmassquirrel says that Hermes is their most hated character in the franchise as he’s successfully “annoying." In addition, they add that they weren’t a fan of Hermes’ voiceover performance as they found it “too cartoony.” In a way, seeing Kratos rip off Hermes’ legs might have been satisfying for gamers who didn’t like the Greek god.
Atreus
In God of War (2018), Atreus has gained a lot of flack for being an immature boy. However, this is rightly justified, as Kratos has only just introduced his son to the dangers of the world. The doe-eyed boy does not know much about his father’s history and has also inherited his father’s rage.
Reddit Bauxiticmoth53 says that they found Atreus to be “insufferable and annoying” especially after “he finds out he is a god.” However, in the most recent entry in the franchise, Atreus is more well-rounded as he’s gained more experience and knowledge about the world he walks in, which makes the character less grating.
Kratos
Driven by rage and vengeance, Kratos has done a lot of nefarious and unbecoming acts. This includes freeing the souls of the dead by killing Hades, wreaking havoc on Olympus, and leave destruction in their wake, affecting all of the people on earth.
A post by Redditor one of the most unlikable video game protagonists of all time, especially when they factor in “character development”. They can’t believe that they’re supposed to be “rooting” for him, but they do it that he is “cool in combat.” That said, God of War Ragnarok has undoubtedly humanized Kratos, especially since he now has Atreus to take care of.
Hercules
The half-brother of Kratos had a lot of hate for his brother as he wasn’t given much attention by their father Zeus. While Hercules was busy doing his labors, Kratos was proclaimed as the God of War, which motivated him to slay his half-brother out of jealousy.
Despite Hercules being a hard boss to defeat in the game, Redditor singh853 wishes that the writers fleshed out his story. Hercules’ personality in the game was one-note, and they add that a “figure of his stature” could have had more character development.
Gaia
As the entity that represents Earth, Gaia was no doubt a very powerful Titan. She was instrumental in helping Kratos reach the top of Mount Olympus, assisting him in defeating Poseidon. However, Gaia then reveals that she was only using Kratos to mount the revenge of the Titans against the gods.
In a post by Redditor Ace201613, they say that Gaia “might honestly be one of the dumbest characters” in the franchise. That’s because she underestimated Kratos’ capabilities, which led to her downfall. Despite being hated by some fans of the game, Gaia was an excellent character that further motivated Kratos to pursue vengeance.
Freya
The God of War franchise is known for its characters with tragic backstories. Aside from Kratos and Persephone, Freya is a character that has moved some fans of the franchise. After seeing how evil Odin can be, Freya left the All-Father and tried to protect their son Baldur by cursing him and making him immortal.
However, sweeptheleg1981 thinks that Freya is a “horrible person.” The Redditor says that what “she did to Baldur is unforgivable” as “not being able to feel” anything is extremely horrible. They further highlight their hate for Freya by saying that they hope to see Freya killed in God of War Ragnarok. Fortunately, Freya’s personality was further developed in the recent entry in the series and she became a very useful ally for Kratos and Atreus.
Baldur
The main antagonist of God of War (2018) is a cursed being known as Baldur. The son of Odin and the witch Freya, Baldur holds an intense grudge against his mother as he was cursed to not feel anything in exchange for immortality.
Despite his awful backstory, Redditor Helmetcards holds no place in his heart for the Norse god of light and peace. They see him more as a “whiny teenager” than an “intimidating boss,” probably due to his ungratefulness to Freya. However, Baldur’s anger is justified, and many fans of the series think that he was just trapped in an unfortunate circumstance.
Dark Elf King
In the game, Kratos faces the Dark Elf King, also known as Svartáljofurr, is a boss that Kratos encounters in Alfheim. To try to defeat Kratos, the Dark Elf King kidnaps Atreus, which then ends in him being hit by Kratos’ axe.
Redditor bigdaddyalix hates the Dark Elf King not because of how he’s written in the game, but due to the challenging combat he presents. They add that players “can’t be aggressive” as the boss can drop a ball that inflicts heavy damage. In addition, he “can summon reinforcements” if players are not on top of eliminating them. God of War (2018) is known for its difficult bosses, and the Dark Elf King might just prove to be an extreme challenge for most players.
