Before the launch of God of War Ragnarok, there were many theories on potential character deaths. Who could bite the bullet, especially since this is the end of the Norse Saga? Spoilers follow, so be warned.
Of course, while there are several casualties, the series’ most popular character isn’t one of them. Did the development team at least consider it at some point? Director Eric Williams sat down with Shannon Liao of The Washington Post and confirmed that it was never on the cards for “many reasons.”
“We did not consider killing Kratos for many reasons. But the main one was that that’s not the story we’re trying to tell. The story that we wanted to tell was this idea of this parent-child unit coming together and then becoming strong enough that they know each other, and they know that they made each other better and that if you were to break them apart, you’d still feel like they’d be okay.
“And death, that’s a different thing. That creates a different set of emotions, there’s a lot of grief and regret. Whereas just watching your child go to college, that’s a natural progression that doesn’t have such heavy weight at the end of it.”
Again, it makes sense when you consider how the sequel ends. There’s also the fact that God of War Ragnarok sold 5.1 million copies in its first week. It’s unlikely that Sony or Santa Monica Studio want to kill off its most recognizable mascot after such success. Besides, creative director Cory Barlog has hinted at future titles, and Williams is happy to keep working on the franchise (even though the studio has other projects in the works).
God of War Ragnarok is available for PS4 and PS5. Check out our review here.
