Amazon Prime is developing a God of War show which will focus on the game franchise's Norse saga, but that's a huge mistake. God of War's recent Norse arc is an interesting new path for the games, introducing an entirely new mythology to the franchise. God of War is a popular action-adventure video game series developed for the PlayStation that was first released in 2005. The series follows Kratos, aka the Ghost of Sparta, a vengeful Spartan soldier that decides to kill all the Greek gods in an attempt to avenge his family. The God of War franchise has been ripe for an adaptation for a while, with mumblings about a movie based on the games circling Hollywood.
It was announced in 2022 that God of War would be adapted into an Amazon Prime show, something that better suits the series' long and complex story. 2018's God of War and 2022's God of War: Ragnarok have become far more popular than their predecessors, with each game garnering massive acclaim for their stories, characters, and gameplay. However, the franchise's Norse stories only work due to their connection to the original Greek saga, something that Amazon Prime's God of War will completely miss.
The Norse Gods & Atreus Wouldn't Work Without Kratos' Greek Story
Initially, God of War only focused on Greek mythology, with the first seven games in the series chronicling Kratos' journey to kill the Greek Pantheon. However, the series went on hiatus after God of War: Ascension was released in 2013 due to dwindling sales. The franchise made its long-awaited return with 2018's God of War, a reboot. There are drastic changes to the gameplay, putting Kratos in a new setting and having a more mature and thoughtful story. The plot follows Kratos and his son Atreus as they journey to spread their mother's ashes from the Nine Realm's highest peak, facing all the terrors of Norse mythology along the way.
The story of 2018's God of War, and subsequently God of War: Ragnarok, hinges on players' familiarity with the original games. Kratos' arc is training his son to be a better person than he is, attempting to steer Atreus away from the rage and violence that Kratos perpetuates when dealing with the Greek gods. Kratos' relationship with Atreus is directly juxtaposed with Kratos' relationship with his blood father, Zeus. Amazon Studios' head Timothy McClelland promises the God of War show will be faithful to the games. However, by having the series jump straight to the Norse mythology, the show will skip this essential setup, most likely only revealing it through exposition.
Since Amazon Prime's God of War doesn't have the gameplay to rely on, it will focus more on the plot. It shouldn't be tossing out the heart of God of War's story. Skipping past the Greek mythology arc and immediately centering on the Norse saga would be a huge mistake, as the reboot duology's entire story is designed around Kratos' past. Even the series' title is an allusion to Kratos killing Ares and becoming the God of War in the first game, something that won't be shown if Amazon focuses exclusively on the Norse saga. For Amazon's show to work, it needs the Greek stories.
How Amazon's God Of War Can Incorporate Kratos' Greek Story
Amazon Prime's God of War show faces a tough challenge, as there's no way it can completely ignore Kratos' Greek stories. The series will most likely squeeze in the Ghost of Sparta's backstory, even if it may not be executed perfectly. The most likely storytelling strategy will be exposition and flashbacks. God of War 2018 features dialogue that fills the player in on Kratos' backstory, largely through Kratos telling Atreus about his past, so the show will likely follow that same route.
There is a more interesting way Amazon's God of War could incorporate the Greek stories. It could have entire episodes dedicated to the Greek side of Kratos. The timeline of the God of War show could be similar to House of the Dragon's. The first few episodes could cover Kratos' Greek story before spending the rest of the series with the Norse gods. If the show wants to highlight Kratos keeping it a secret from Atreus, it could also have a bottle episode later in the season where Kratos divulges the information. Amazon's God of War won't work without the Greek stories, so it'll have to explore them somehow.