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Note: This article is one of a series examining the God Of War game stories in detail:
God of War II and The Sisters Of Fate, Will Kratos Live Happily Ever After?, God Of War: What Were They Thinking?, and God of War III: Empty Gods.

I posted earlier about the significance of the Sisters of Fate to God of War II, but now I'd like to turn my attention to something else that follows from that discussion: how Kratos' journey could be concluded in the future, partially based on how each of the current God of War games ended.

Like the last article, this one is rife with plot spoilers. Continue at your own peril if you want to play either God of War game but haven't done so yet.

The Story So Far
It may sound silly to suggest a happy ending would happen to Kratos, but stranger things have happened in video games.

Kratos came to be Ares' killing machine when he gave his life over to him, as shown in the flashbacks during God of War. Apparently the newest game in the series, God of War: Chains of Olympus for the PSP will follow Kratos after he becomes Ares' servant, after he is tricked into killing his family, but before he decides to try and go after Ares himself. Kratos apparently appeals to the gods for help or solace a number of times during this process, and is consistently turned down, further fueling his anger and vengeance.

Defeating Ares at the end of God of War was done at great emotional cost to Kratos -- witness the second stage fight to protect his family from the small Kratos clones -- and when he does become the God of War he appeals to Athena to take away his nightmares and guilt for what he did to his family and what he has become, but she and/or the other gods refuse.

This sets the stage for God of War II, where Kratos ends his own godhood by going on a sullen rampage, leading his Spartan army to destroy city after city, and attracting the ire of Zeus. Incidentally, this is what prompts Athena to send Kratos after Ares in the first God of War when Ares is sacking Athens.

His utter and complete disregard for the gods is spelled out as he dies beneath Zeus' blade. When given one last choice to repent and pledge himself to Zeus in return for his life, Kratos refuses and commits sacrilege by saying "A choice from the gods is as good as no choice at all!"

All of this ties together to Kratos leading the titans against Olympus in the final cut scene of God Of War II. He wants to see Olympus destroyed.

The Driving Force
The first God of War was more emotionally powerful than the second one, but we still see hints of despair and regret lurking in Kratos' heart from what he had done. The flashbacks of him killing his family continue in God of War II. When Kratos nearly gives up when facing the kraken, we again see his sadness when Gaia confronts him in the form of his wife. He apologizes to her before Gaia speaks through her and then re-energizes his resolve.

Kratos has always been driven at his core by vengeance. At first it is against Ares for helping enable Kratos to become an incredible killing machine for his master followed by the killing of his family. In God of War II it is at first against the gods for refusing to take away his torment, and then against Zeus for betraying and killing him. The premise of God of War III is the complete destruction of Olympus via the coming titan war.

There is another possible driving event for Kratos' vengeance introduced at the end of God of War II: the death of Athena. While she did throw herself on the Blade of Olympus as Kratos moved to slay Zeus with it, but that wouldn't stop Kratos from blaming Zeus for her death. Kratos was visibly upset as she died in his arms.

Can Kratos Find Peace?
The God of War games are all about gory, brutal action and high adventure, but it can't go on forever. I suspect God of War III will end the timeline for Kratos, so it stands to reason Kratos' story will be concluded there.

I can't imagine that Kratos will allow Olympus to stand. His anger against the gods is so absolute that he will likely kill all of the remaining gods in sequence in the next game, ending with Zeus, and causing the literal or figurative collapse of Olympus itself. But this would leave the titans in charge, perhaps changing one set of masters for another.

We do get some hints about what the titans would do, however. We know from God of War II that their rule was marked by peace and prosperity, and we know that Kratos received all of their remaining magic to complete his quest. Would this leave the titans as big, immortal creatures with no magic to rule with? What would take over?

More importantly, what would become of Kratos after the war was over? They could leave his story there, destined to live out his days alone with his memories and torment, keeping the pain of his actions with him for the rest of his life.

It might also happen that must sacrifice himself to ensure the gods are fully defeated and never return. After that it doesn't matter who rules, as long as the gods are destroyed. This would be a fitting end to Kratos, as his dying wish would guarantee vengeance on those who wronged him. It wouldn't leave him sitting around with nothing to do, and with no gods left to capture and torment his immortal soul, perhaps he would then find peace.

This also opens the door to speculation about the image of the three wise men and star of Bethlehem in the murals leading up to the fight against Clotho in God of War II. Could Christianity be injected into the next installment of the game, and why?