Ares vs Baldur | Who's The Better God Of War Villain

[@mielstevens6753]

Next "which is the better GoW villain" should be Hermes vs Heimdall: battle of the sh*t-talking gods

[@AlexxxMYLSince2013]

Its pretty onesided towards Heimdal to be honest

[@mielstevens6753]

@@AlexxxMYLSince2013 definitely in some aspects, like introduction & boss battle, but I think that there are some categories where they are pretty close in quality, like design & performance.

[@xSabinx1]

Both satisfying kills

[@Rdc_Dom]

Battle of the chicken shit heels 😂

[@captainzero4768]

Hermes is all talk but Heimdall is actually a formidable opponent

[@iug5672]

Baldur is probably a better character. But Ares is a better villain. Ares is at the center stage of all that happens in the first game; the title initially referrers to the guy until Kratos takes his place. His war on Athens can be felt through the whole game and when you leave Athens his presence is still felt by the lengths Kratos goes to in order to defeat him. Baldur is a good allegory to Kratos and Atreus's relationship while Ares is a good allegory to the sort of man Kratos is, the kind that would let their feelings dictate the death of countless people, except it seems Ares wasn't even brutal enough for Kratos. Anyway they each accomplish different things. I think the best idea for a video/vote is between Ares vs Zeus and a Baldur vs Odin in terms of efficiency.

[@JuliusCaesar103]

Perfect comment. You put it way better than I could have

[@lordofthepatrick]

@@iug5672 it's also worth noting that the second god of war begins with Kratos attacking Athens just as Ares had in the first game showing that were not so different

[@ihaveaplan.ijustneedmoney.9777]

theeeere we go. One the better character and the other the better villain is much the best phrasing for this match up.

[@lolhardcoregamer4563]

@@lordofthepatrick I thought GoW2 have Kratos attacking Rhodes ? That's clearly not Athens

[@RickDaSquirrel]

26:19 I think you miss what Kratos’ last lines were to Baldur were, they were the same ones that Zeus said to him in GOW2 about ending children killing their parents and Kratos uses it for good here instead of evil. Like you said Baldur is similar to Kratos and he doesn’t want Baldur to be what he became so he killed him so there wouldn’t be anyone else like him who caused more suffering than good from their actions

[@lordofthepatrick]

@@RickDaSquirrel don't discount that the second game begins with Kratos attacking Athens the same way Ares had in the first game showing deep down Kratos and Ares were the same

[@julianparsons3027]

One more point I would like to add to the category of "UTILIZATION" is the fact that Baldur is a bit more clever than people give him credit for. Not simply some unhinged loony, he is very observant (eg., "Why are there two beds in there?!") knowing how to get under Kratos's skin (Atreus is his greatest weakness) and the fact he locked the realm travel room to keep open the portal to the gods - "In a moment, the full might of Asgard will bear down on you" (paraphrased. It may not be verbatim), then escaping *_HELHEIM_* - seeming through sheer tenacity and stubborn determination rather than calling in a favor from Odin or another god, and figuring out Kratos and Atreus were inside of the world serpent, beating him up to release them... I'd say our boy Baldr was *_pretty well utilized!_* Seriously, for such an unstable dude, he sure is calculating, cunning and crafty. He started off as the villain you loved to hate, and after the scene in Helheim where his guard is down and you see his childhood trauma laid bare, he became the villain you hated to love.

[@Banazir-uz9zt]

Something I also would add to the the "personality" segment is that apart from the tragic backstory, rage and insanity; I also like that Baldur has, in his own deranged way, kind of a sense of humor. On first playthrough you're too in the moment to notice it, but on repeat playthrough I actually kinda had to smile at him stabbing Atreus in the shoulder and going "Hey can you hold this knife", before doing that little polite bow to Kratos.

[@christianhenry4173]

What? Buldur has two eye balls what are you saying? His observation was average. If anything Odin was the real spy because his ravens found kratos and Atreus after Faye's trees were removed from rune magic. Btw Ares Throwing a pillar at kratos from thousands of feet away as a god is more impressive. He even heard and saw he was trying to unleash Pandoras box in gow 1. Non of the new god of wars compare to that except a better atmosphere and story of prophecies.

[@vezokpiraka]

The thing is, the part where Ares just straight up kills Kratos is such a powerful scene that nothing Baldur didn't even came close to that. It's also the temporal rift between the games. The scene where Ares kills you in Gow1 was insane for 2005. I just didn't believe I worked so hard for the damn box only for the final boss to snipe me from across the map. (let alone the escape from Hell which is one of those areas you remember). Something like that in 2020 would have been basically irrelevant. That's why Baldur is so more complex than power for the sake of power. Additionally, while both bosses provide this feeling, for Ares the feeling of "imma get you, you bastard" is more pronounced as he is your final target, while Baldur is just an impediment for your final target of getting to Jotunheim. Comparing different characters from such a long span of time is very complicated as games have evolved so much in that time, it's unfair to compare them to their current counterparts. Also Zues fight in GoW3 is still the most insane final boss I've ever played against. That's the epitome of final boss fights.

[@khalidbashir4017]

@@christianhenry4173ok

[@naufalmEZa]

​@@christianhenry4173 ngl you got a point, everything about GoW 1 and 2 intro screams "Godhood" i half expected Kratos to turn gigantic against Ragnarok. Nothing ever close even in GoW III, a spectacle for sure that a man so small coukd showcase godly feats, but what was that if not overglorified mutants?

[@TheDualHero15]

I absolutely loved when you had to fight clones of yourself during aries' fight, especially at higher difficulties. It's so good

[@matthewmccoyd2578]

Ares is a G1 Decepticon Baldur is an IDW Decepticon Simple evil vs complicated evil

[@Banazir-uz9zt]

One thing I disagree with is the "Connection to Kratos" part. Not because I disagree that Ares has a better connection, but because I don't think that Kratos necessarily sees himself in Baldur - not until the last encounter at least. For the most part I think Kratos doesn't see himself in Baldur, Kratos sees himself in Freya. Baldur is mostly what Kratos is afraid would happen if he continues to distrust and distance himself from Atreus. Kratos keeps Atreus' powers secret from him, makes decisions without taking into account his opinions and underestimates his skills; just like Freya decided that she could do whatever she thought was best.

[@christianhenry4173]

Kratos sees himself in Thor. Freya was the example of a mother Kratos seen was sheltering her son because of gods turning on their mother's and fathers

[@dizzygunner]

That's why he said Kratos sees what he USED to be, AKA angry AF.

[@newdeoterent1340]

the boss fight against Ares in GoW is iconic. its prob one of the best in the series cause it did something i dont think ive ever seen a game do before or since it made you play tug of war with the health bar against the boss. its also thematically relevant because its kinda like fighting for the godly essence of the god of war because the winner of that fight will end up the god of war. so having a fight where you have to actually play well and not just hit trade and make it story relevant is just *chefs kiss*

[@BobBob-og6cr]

Baldur: I can’t feel anyth-… Ares: *stabs baldur with big ass sword Baldur: *faints (still alive) Ares: *traps baldur in a fire prison which he can’t escape from Baldur: *dies of boredom

[@shadowreezy3137]

lol 😂

[@bizzaroblake2519]

Eventually he'd get out

[@shadowreezy3137]

@@bizzaroblake2519 I don’t think he will

[@bizzaroblake2519]

@@shadowreezy3137 why not? He can't feel pain and can match some of kratos' feats of strength. I don't doubt it would slow him down but eventually he would have the willpower to break out. Not that hard to see

[@shadowreezy3137]

@@bizzaroblake2519 If you forgotten, he lost the willpower to feel anything, he’s mentally broken, you think someone like that would just escape unless torment of not feeling anything? He is been like that ever since, Ares doesn’t just physical torture, he can do emotional torture, do something that will make him suffer for eternity

[@claytonrios1]

Baldur made me realize something. The new God of War games tend to begin with an extremely powerful enemy that you have to fight off and you will face that enemy later in the game when you learn more about him. The same idea was used for Thor in Ragnarok.

[@Homelander1224]

Ares is a better villain, especially when you read the novels in a fight, tho i think ares extreme diffs with proper scaling

[@graduator14]

Ares' story and betrayal is legendary!

[@paiwandibrahim3978]

Ong u used grammer I would have just said areses 😭😭

[@BrennySpain]

Despite the fact that Ares wasn’t in the god of war prequel game ascension, his presence was definitely felt throughout because of Kratos’s ties to him and finally deciding to take him down. Even though chains of Olympus comes next in the timeline. But I thought it was worth pointing out.

[@Braselton21]

That Original GOW score got me feeling a type of war 😈☠️

[@Comicbroe405]

Well imo Ares is definitely the most threatening & more powerful but I like Baldur much more cuz he, while also being threatening on his own, has such a maniacal factor. The dude's insane & I love it. Also the scene where he says he can finally feel is one of my favorites in the Norse Saga.

[@Triple500X]

Don’t know if Ares is more powerful than Baldur. Kratos himself only was able to defeat Baldur because he lost the curse that made him invincible.

[@shadowreezy3137]

@@Triple500XAres feels and is powerful, but Baldur was only powerful with his curse, he’s only strong with his element abilities, he could have potential but still, I am pretty Ares has the abilities to destroy Baldur even with the curse

[@Omniclad]

​Ares has no abilities to destroy baldur with his curse,all ares has is physically attacks that'll get tanked, although ares does seem more imposing and versatile especially with that giant size of his,but yeah without the curse ares is probably more powerful,but with the curse i don't see how ares can kill him permanently​@@shadowreezy3137

[@ShyGuy-op8vd]

Ares is the ultimate end goal of your journey, while Baldur is a constant obstruction during your journey. That's what I really like about these two as villains. They're both murderous, insane psychopaths intent on eliminating Kratos, but take vastly different approaches. God of War as a whole really does a good job in making every one of its villains stand out in their own unique way, even if they may share similar motives and ideals.

[@lordofthepatrick]

@@ShyGuy-op8vd I wouldn't say Ares wants to kill Kratos. To him Kratos is more of a disobedient pet getting in his way that he'll kill if he has to but he would prefer it if Kratos would go back to being his obedient general.

[@Yourfat247]

It’s are’s easily, baldur only wants to find someone who can make him feel something and kill him permanently. Whereas area’s purposefully planned to make kratos kill his family just so he’d be the best killer. That is a villain

[@dvillain4136]

Even though both were amazing Ares was more personal to kratos while baldur felt like he didn’t have much connection to kratos imo. I personally prefer baldur as a character but Ares is more of a villain.

[@Omega-jg4oq]

Not to mention Ares is the very first Gow villain and final Boss to be created, he is more of challenge and overwhelming threat both for Kratos and the Player

[@qdakid7776]

@@Omega-jg4oqso in other words nostalgia over everything

[@Omega-jg4oq]

@@qdakid7776 I did not say that, why do you take it the wrong way? I could say the same thing for Baldur like he is the first Norse God Boss fight and the first Final Boss of the Norse saga

[@natashaw.7315]

I'd argue that Kratos does have some stakes with Bauldur in that, like TBP said, he's a reflection of Kratos in his younger years. Which comes at a time when he is most vulnerable, with Atreus. He's a father again and has seen his son acting like he did. On top of that here is this god who HAS succumbed to the powerlust on top of being desperate and unhinged. Ares will always be one of the most iconic villains in the series, I feel like the characters as a whole were done better in the norse saga. I've played all the games several times, but idk. I love the different types of maturity in the norse saga.

[@riiddisbuk2496]

TBP says it best. They're Both Performing 😭😭📝📝

[@treyb6875]

I have so much respect for you that you didn't fake a reason to keep the rounds even till the end. So many of these types of videos do that for "tension" but feels disingenuous. You gave your thoughts in the matchup and viewers can be entertained or not.

[@Matt-md5yt]

glad you did this one.

[@terrorix2097]

Ares was and is the reason Kratos became, in the end, the vengeance-driven monster we all know from GoW3. Baldur was a beast showing how different Norse Gods are to the known Greek ones and how much Kratos is in control of his anger (see the fight with Baldur vs the curb-stomp of Poseidon). They're both great in their monstrous power but Ares tops in one category. He created the beast that killed it's own master (and a buttload of other gods, titans and whatever he and the Blades came across)

[@legendlalo]

The series is called god of war, and ares fucking annihilated Kratos’ life and put him in a path that ended with the death of a whole pantheon, so, yeah…

[@marcussabom2696]

Thinking Freya vs Athena should be next. I'm seeing everyone want Thor vs Hercules or Heimdall vs Hermes, but I don't know, feel like both Heimdall and Thor take it just simply because they actually got developed as opposed to just showing up just to give Kratos a boss to fight. I feel like if you want an interesting match up, Angrboda vs Pandora?

[@CabooseDOTexe]

I literally beat God of War 4 for the first time last night! Love the content man! Keep it up!

[@Naraku11]

Baldur is a great villain but man...I don't know, Ares is so cool, you should use not only ONE game but all media, Ares gets more credit in Ascension and Comics.

[@Jaggedfire]

Hermes vs Heimdall, Hercules vs Thor

[@srstriker6420]

It’s too bad that Hela never appeared in the game as she controls the dead like Hades and Thanatos

[@56Tyskie]

Nice! Always a good day when you drop a new vid

[@TreyH.006]

22:20 Lookin at you Titan Joker🫵

[@mrhalfsaid1389]

Eh, the very first game came out at a time where narrative wasn't the focus and it shows

[@thiefthearcher9907]

I was gonna say Athena vs Freya, maybe supporting character to Kratos? Not sure. Still workshopping the title. 🤔

[@HouseofRedWine]

many of the greek games characters seem shallow or one note if you only play the game but the novels and director interviews give alot of depth to them and imo that's the problem with the greek games story its the way they told it

[@theazurehawk310]

Aight, so 4min in and there's a small nitpick to have, already: the "Introduction" category would more fittingly be called "First Scene". When the reader/player/spectator is fairly well acquainted with the character, that's when they're introduced to them. By the video's standards, Zeus' "introduction" was in GoW1, when he gives you Zeus' Fury, which is even weaker than common enemies' "introductions" from the same game.

[@milanbeerepoot4260]

I’d love to see you do something similar for different GTA villains, just with different categories, obv.

[@whothis5810]

I don't know why but for some reason I just realized you are the same person I watch for twisted metal and God of war content

[@gauravnankani4143]

2005 vs 2018? Yeah we should compare that

[@pharmcat8484]

I guess the developers just grew with the franchise.

[@NotHippyJustLazy]

Nobody cares but I'm here super early. Feels good, man.

[@Comicbroe405]

Fr

[@MrWhatdafuBOOM]

The answer is always **Kratos voice** "ZEUS!"

[@nugget4358]

Fun ideas for the next one if you decide to make it, Thor vs Hercules: battle of powerhouses

[@silvrgrl317]

Nah, Thor would win EASILY

[@nugget4358]

@@silvrgrl317 honestly I believe it, still would be fun to see the comparison

[@frankkennedy6388]

I would give "Motivation" to Ares as even in death he still won. Kratos became the great warrior that destroyed Olympus. And in the words of Kratos: "You Succeeded"

[@yeeyeeedits]

This deserves more views

[@supergirlvideoclips894]

I agree completely. Baldur mops Ares. Next can you compare the frenemy character - Athena vs Freya

[@The-BlackDemon]

I was going to comment that

[@srstriker6420]

How about Hercules vs Thor

[@BattleGamingMayhem]

​​@@srstriker6420Hercules stronger, Thor more powerfull. IMO Thor wins 8/9 out of 10 fights. Just to edit: We never saw a true Hercules strength or power in GoW lore, but he was pretty much on pair with Kratos in raw muscle power considering GoW 3 fight. But i must say that would be a good fight !

[@Poussyeater-w5e]

Athena is far more complex and it is still likely that we might not have seen or heard the last of her.

[@israeljenkins8107]

Is it me or when Baulder walks out of the water does he walk like.George Romero from Call of the Dead?

[@yqafree]

GoW Baldur and Ares : Baldur for the win Actual Mythology : Ares for the win

[@Leviathan1000]

Ares was the reason the ghost of sparta was born so I think it's clear who is the better villain. Baldur was more of a broken character which is funny cause in the myth he's actually the kindest of all the norse gods.

[@Bxrry125]

Thor and Zeus are still the best villains in the series by far

[@thepandasamurai228]

I agree completely love Baldur as a character especially his sense of humor. Yes Baldur is better then Ares imo in almost every way. I know that might piss off some people but that’s what i think.

[@rbaskins]

I’ve always thought that Ares was a force that you had to overcome while Baldur was a character you had to interact with. Both were great for the role they served in their respective series. I don’t think you could swap the two and make the stories work.

[@chetankalyanreddyarabandi2818]

Please make a Hermes vs Heimdall Those 2 sh*t talkers would definitely have a great face off

[@julianparsons3027]

@@chetankalyanreddyarabandi2818 Heimdall is taking the W for that one. Hermes barely got screen time and was lately ineffectual.

[@chetankalyanreddyarabandi2818]

@@julianparsons3027 yeah I agree Heimdall had an honorable death as he at least put up a good fight and kinda had the last laugh seeing Kratos doing something that he never wanted to do Hermes just came on to the screen poke fun at kratos, immediately runs the f***ck away and got his Jordans stolen and even zeus didn't give a damn about his death despite him being his son

[@gkivestattoo]

I know it's not the game you are talking about, and I love GoW, but I'm using this comment section because it's your newest video. Can you talk about the Twisted Metal:Harbor City project that is going on? I heard that, even with the tv series being announced for a second season, Sony cancelled a new game that were supposed to be release soon, and we tm fans are waiting for a new game for so long, that this new project using Black and the alpha version of Harbor City is bringing hope for the community. Would love to hear your opinion!

[@axel9473]

I think a lot of this comes down to the new GOW games putting a lot more emphasis on story, character interactions and dialogue in general. The older gamer were more bare bones in that regard. With that being said, i do think Ares is the better villain (or maybe it's better to say just 'more' of a villain, despite not being the better character. Ares made Kratos everything he is. He is the major catalyst for the entire series and Kratos' target of hate. Baldur at the end of the day is only an obstacle, Ares was the goal.

[@tairbolgario538]

Hey great video! I would like to share my disagreement with some of it however, particularly when it comes introduction and utilization. As for introduction, while Ares' introduction seems to pack less of a punch than Baldur's, I would argue it is more subtle and smarter when it comes to writing. Up until that point, we never saw Ares. We only know that he is the one we must defeat. We then see this giant figure that faces what seems to be endless firing arrows from all directions that looms over Kratos during gameplay. Then the cutscene occurs, confirming this is the god of war and along with that, we get a hint that there is bad blood with Kratos' monologue. While it is true that Baldur's intro is smart in its own right with the clever writing of his dialogue to what we initially assume his intentions were and what his intentions are, it's still doesn't have the 'show don't tell' aspect that Ares has with how looming he is over everything. As for utilization, I think you forgot something or missed something I think is critical: The presence of the villains when they are off screen. I do agree that when it comes to how they are utilized in the scenes they are shown, Baldur is better, but he does have a presence that looms over the events of the story when he isn't there. This does make the moments he is on screen more powerful, true, but it also means he is more detached from it. By contrast, Ares' presence is all over the first God of War game, after you deal with the Hydra. Your quest is to kill him, the armies you face in Athens are his, the nightmares are due to him, you get Pandora's box to kill him and you also fail because of him. Everything can be traced to Ares in the first God of War and Baldur in GOW 2018 doesn't have the same thing in the game.

[@ivanheernaandez]

Shut up everyone, my favorite youtuber has dropped a video, though I'll never forget that time he made fun of Simple Plan. 🤨

[@Man0fkulture]

Baldur: "I can't feel any of this!" *Ares takes Baldur's powers away* Ares: *"No power, No Magic, all that is left for you is death!"* Baldur: "Snow"

[@Adsper2000]

Honestly I feel like Ares would try to keep Baldur alive to train him as one of his soldiers, exploiting his madness just as he did to Kratos.

[@Man0fkulture]

@@Adsper2000 it would be badass

[@thorveim1174]

Dont think Ares could pull that off though... The only hole in all the magic protections is mistletoe. If it was possible to just rip out the protective magic, Baldur would likely have found someone capable of it by now since he wants that protection GONE

[@lazaroskarmaniolas7410]

Baldur is a better character, but Ares is much more effective as a villain because of his presence and importance in the story.

[@JoseGarcia-rf8nc]

You all forget, the power inside Pandora's box killed all the Greek and Norse Gods together. Kratos could never kill a God and can die as easy as Daimos.

[@spyjack69]

Next should be Freya vs Athena

[@A-1-Sawce]

Now do something on Handsome Jack plz&ty

[@geeharris6927]

Did you do who a better blacksmith yet?

[@julianparsons3027]

22:35 Agreed... Odin deserved better. He needed more room to stretch his backstory, his personality and flex his muscle - be it physical, or magical. I mean the dude straight up honed his fighting abilities and studied archane knowledge for countless thousands of years... Come on! Even if you take away the fact he's a god, the dude is STILL A VIKING WARRIOR! He needed to show off he was the boss of bosses. It would also been fantastic if the Norse saga was a true and proper trilogy.

[@Hades-god-of-the-dead]

Baldur has a lot more going for him than ares but one thing he doesn’t have is a personal connection to the main character he is the reason Kratos’s family is dead he is the reason for kratos’s scar he was one of the gods who kidnapped Deimos he’s the better villain cause for a good villian they need some kind of connection to the hero is you can even call Kratos that

[@InternetNinja100]

As much I dislike the new god of war games I can give it some praise for Baldur he's my favorite antagonist in the series a God that was driven insane by the curse he always stoled the show every time he was on screen

[@jamainegardner4193]

I would definitely have given more points to Ares. Better Theme: You chose based on listening in free-time, however I would choose based on implementation in their game of origin. This leans it wildly in Ares's favour because unless you actively mess with the options in the pause menu, 90% of Deliverance is going to get drowned out by the SFX and Dialogue. Meanwhile you simply cannot escape just how grand and climactic Duel with Ares is. The short runtime works because no matter whether you win or die, the fight is incredibly short so you get to hear all of it. It's also the only track in the series to never reappear, because this is the ultimate battle for Kratos. Introduction: Yeah sure if you count just that scene as his intro then Baldur does have a better one, but there is something to be said for the fact that he just shows up there absolutely devastating Athens with the sky ripped open, the first true depiction of a God in the franchise. Utilization: Baldur kinda has a percentage of 66% on good appearances at best while Ares, even with how he makes a dumb move, never feels like he's not impactful. First he scars Kratos and takes his brother, then he becomes the reason Kratos survived the battle with the Barbarian Horde, then he gets Kratos to kill his own family, and that's only just the start of it. Up until God of War 1 literally everything Ares did built the foundation of Kratos as a character completely. Meanwhile all of Baldur's moments kinda just get hollowed out when Kratos reveals his full strength and shows that Baldur is really not a threat to him at all, then casually snaps his neck. He doesn't even really feel like much of a threat to Atreus, which even Modi accomplishes. The best way to prove my point is at the end of the story's 2nd act when each villain robs Kratos of his goal. The first time you play 4, the moment feels kinds big but also more like an idiot moment on the part of Kratos. The second time if you didn't feel the idiot moment then ya do this time. Meanwhile, Ares aim-botting Kratos across the endless desert *never* loses it weight even after Kratos comes back to life and kills him. Final Boss: This goes to Ares so hard it's not even funny. Baldur round 3 could never really feel epic when Kratos has won every fight they've had. I'd really only say it has a few good moments, none of them during gameplay, which is the part that I care most about in a GAME. Those moments being him knocking out Jormungandr, Kratos having enough of his shit and especially Atreus finally proving himself. And all of that gets out-done by the nightmare realm. Overall I'd give it to Ares as the better villain because even if he won fewer categories (by my count it should be 5-4 in favour of Ares), many of the points Baldur got kinda just felt like free ones based on the way the games were designed then vs more recently, so Ares won the points with more value.

[@Warpded]

I wish they didn't make Baldur functionally invincible.

[@maryray4960]

He was in Norse myth.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

@@maryray4960 Freya made everything swear that it would not harm Baldur. As nothing could harm Baldr he became popular in target practice. Mistletoe was forgotten. Loki learned it and as he was fond of doing impossible AND had serious grudge from mistreatment of his OWN family (one child thrown to sea, one in captivity and third in Hel) he made a spear from mistletoe (or named a weapon "mistletoe") and let blind Hodr throw it at Baldr. Cue Baldr dying and Hel being threatened to return him. Hel said that if everything weeps for his return, she lets him return. Didn't happen.

[@maryray4960]

@@vksasdgaming9472 I know this story.

[@paddyknapp4151]

This isn't an entirely fair comparison as the modem god of war is standing on the basic foundation set by previous games. The original was quite basic, and you can tell it didn't know if it was going to have a sequel, and if so, what direction it might take, not to mention the focus and capabilities in modern storybased gameplay.

[@naufalmEZa]

Not to confuse Ares's twisted sense of motivation with stupidity. He essentially served Zeus all his life only to be less favoured than Athena, he saw familial bonds as hindrance to one's true potential. He tried to brute force that ideals to Kratos, thinking Kratos's family as setback.

[@289Production]

I know it'd be a bit niche given there are few games in the franchise to pick from obviously. But how about who's the more effective infamous villain Kessler or The Beast? Maybe I'm just itching for more infamous content 😂

[@GamblerOfFate777]

Baldur wins because he’s that damn good I love Baldur he’s such an awesome character and way cooler than Ares also you feel bad for Baldur when you really think about his story and whole life Freya fucked up with him her own selfishness took over and ruined Baldurs life I’m glad she finally realizes that later on we need a Heimdall vs Hermes one next

[@shadow3746]

In comparison baldur is a more appealing character, but ares is a worse villain. Power wise also ares is more powerful without a doubt. Imagine baldur going for a fist fight and just getting sealed in a pocket dimension to relive his trauma forever

[@AndyHorcasitas-ck6dn]

Baldur is immune to any threats Physical or magical though

[@creeperYT9824]

ares takes the ez win for me, baldur felt like an obstruction to my goal and a goofy guy randomly showing up to ruin my day, while as ares felt like a threat and his relation between kratos was so personal

[@VRHyoumaru]

Can I just say, I don't think casting Steve Blum as Ares was the best idea. Blum has made some fantastic performances but he just can't do "gruff". The performance comes off as mocking more than anything, as if he's trying to make fun of the person who woulf actually be voicing Ares.

[@newhybrid101]

I think their fight would be near a draw. I rank Baldur similar to Ares Thor similar to Hades and Poseidon And Odin similar to Zeus

[@Baldurversusall]

Baldur>ares Thor>hades Heimdalhelios Odin>zeus

[@Poussyeater-w5e]

Ares is the better villain for sure. He MADE Kratos. I love the scene where he comes down from the heavens and imbues Kratos with the blades. You really get the sense that he IS a god. Not to mention the final fight between them is just epic.

[@nghtspawn651]

Ares doesn't show it, but when you think about it, he is very smart. He knew to pick Kratos as his champion, and has conspired with the Furies with interesting plans. He didn't just go ham on Athens, but was indeed a behind the scenes villain in a lot of the lore, but when it comes to his videogame presence, he is indeed weak.

[@ItsOver9000Productions]

this did NOT show up in my feed unfortunately. weird

[@remrad4315]

Its actually Ares because without him Kratos would have died and both the Greek pantheon and Odin would be doing their thing. #thanksares

[@Skibodo_edits]

Ares i so much better he also has a better back story

[@mereumxkomugi780]

W video baldur stomps ares and its not close

[@krausercruz2780]

Another way to look at the Motivations would be which one was better executed in the story. Motivations are all well and good until the story does nothing with it.

[@TheGodofweak]

Ares was never a character that I had great nostalgia for, I remember when I first played God of War as a kid, thinking Ares was an underwhelming villain. You show up to Athens, you see he's big, and then the entire game he's relegated to flashbacks or sending Harpies(???) to pester Kratos until the end of Pandora's temple where he actually does something. (A cool moment throwing the pillar, to be fair) I never thought he was a great villain, just a mean dude that took advantage of Kratos, but then, EVERY god does this to Kratos. Zeus ends up being the true great villain of the Greek Saga. Ares "Made" Kratos sure, but I've never felt that he was some insurmountable antagonist, even after opening Pandora's box, it seems to just make Kratos match his size and that felt silly more than anything. And what's up with the extra arms? Ares being cruel never did anything for me on its own. But, it was a cool boss fight, and he got what he deserved. Baldur: he's a GOAT. Being a mirror to the version of Kratos that he needs to leave behind, having kratos literally mercy kill him to symbolize Kratos choosing to be better than he was is a chef's kiss from a storytelling perspective. That, and Baldur is a significant, looming threat from the start. First off, he's hunting you and he's INVINCIBLE? Ok so how does Kratos even approach killing someone who is unkillable? Also he's cunning, observant, he knows how to pick apart Kratos' psyche and the spectacle of his fights are unmatched and really set a high bar early on. You knew right away anytime you fought Baldur, shit was hitting the fan, whether it was making a fissure and cracking a mountain in half, fighting on a Dragon or a Dead Giant, every time Baldur is on screen the stakes are raised and its completely satisfying to see Kratos and Atreus team combo him in the end. It all feels earned. Also Baldur has a personality, he's entertaining while Ares is like a stock saturday morning cartoon badguy. Ares has no reason to be bad, he just is and that's kinda lame. Always was.

[@My6119]

Baldur is a good antagonist, but Ares is too good to be topped.

[@supergirlvideoclips894]

No, Ares is average. Baldur is definitely far better

[@Omega-jg4oq]

Ares feels more personnal since he is the first ever Gow villain and the first Gow final Boss, like he is trash talks to Kratos about his past and humiliates the Player if their skills aren't good enough, because the final Boss is hard and let alone in the hardest difficulty..

[@Omega-jg4oq]

​​@@supergirlvideoclips894 Baldur came out of nowhere and knocks the door and all he does is bother the shit out of Kratos and his son

[@charleswilfred6463]

I think nostalgia is clouding your judgement there buddy

[@Omega-jg4oq]

​@@charleswilfred6463 Dafuq? Ares was always one of the best villains, he is literally the Original God of war

[@BrennySpain]

I’m not surprised Baldur won this round! He was a true menace and force to be reckoned with! A literal machine of destruction. Now put Baldur and Odin against one another. We all know who’s gonna win this round!

[@HeOfTheBeginning]

Ares has a greater sense of presence and his actions affected Kratos in the ways that true villains should. Baldur is nuanced, moreso as an antagonist, yes he had his showings of sadistic pleasure, but it didn't come from malevolence, it comes from detachment. He's definitely the better character who you can even feel sympathy for. Ares has no such sympathy and is definitely a character you want to see Kratos kill

[@rileysimonds4224]

Bauldrs chasing you, you’re chasing ares

[@khalidbashir4017]

I want to see normal size Ares fighting Baldur let’s compare 🥶

[@Swecan76]

If you think about it Kratos was able to kill the Greek gods, he would never EVER been able to kill Baldur if it wasn't for the fluke of the mistletoe. That is the scary part about Baldur. Also game wise Baldur was a better villain character, he was played really well by Jeremy Davies. He was insane and he was like "Michael Meyers". Just an unstoppable force that just keeps coming, you can kill him a million times he doesn't die.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

Ares is much more of a personal threat towards Kratos and he has personal grudge towards him and as he has new sponsor Kratos has no problem betraying Ares. Baldur has no personal connection with Kratos. He merely shows up to investigate who are these strangers in Midgard Odin doesn't know about. Baldur is better character as his own personal issues and reasons for them are shown, but Ares is better villain as everything he does is villainous or at least ambiguous. He wanted Kratos to be better killer and succeeded and he really can't understand why Kratos does not like method Ares chose to improve him.

[@crapsound]

Ohh yeah, the Greek GoW does seem more gameplay focused compared to Norse GoW which seems more story focused. And both are great games IMO.

[@ulurius]

Ares doesn't have much of a personality tbh, Baldr wins easily

[@Omega-jg4oq]

Have you ever played Gow in your life?

[@chetankalyanreddyarabandi2818]

​​​@@Omega-jg4oqAres feels like he is bad for the sake of being bad........ Zeus was even more complex than Ares and that is with or without the power of evil Ares is like "I want to take over Olympus with the help of my step bro and I will kill his family and reveal it to him to make him a warrior and but I will take the credit for killing his family to make him even more senile" After his plan fails "OH shit he is now angry with me........ I will ask my wife and her sisters to seduce him.... I need him if I want to take down Zeus" After another fail "Damn I am better off doing this on my own but i will wait for 10 years and not interrupt my step bro in any way and let him become a faithful ally to Olympians"

[@balrogsareop4773]

​@@chetankalyanreddyarabandi2818 bruh, personality =/= depth.

[@chetankalyanreddyarabandi2818]

@@balrogsareop4773 GOW 1 and prequel game makes Ares look like some dumbass who is evil I mean the dude really waited 10 years to take over Olympus on his own....... Meanwhile letting Kratos under his Sister wing........ And he even took credit for killing Kratos's family despite knowing that it will make him turn on him Even Hades was way smarter than Ares if you have read the GOW comics you will know that once the gods had a wager on who would find a cure known as ambrosia every one chose their respective champions...... Ares chose Kratos who wanted to save his daughter, Hades chose the Barbarian prince, Alrik who almost killed kratos in gow 1...... Kratos won that wager to which Hades became angry and killed Alrik's father whom he wanted to save from a disease but he had the brains to not reveal it was him and this is what led Alrik to form a massive army to attack the Spartan soldiers

[@Jojo-nq3bp]

heimdall was really good in an ideal world where SMS made a 3rd. norse gow game game 2 would end with heimdall. game 3 all odin

[@motivatedstorm3816]

I wonder how much more lore and story can be put into remakes if story is considered as a big part when remakes are considered I feel like comparing Ares to Baldur is just unfair since Ares was present in the era and series of God Of War where story wasn't as focused on compared to the newer God Of War

[@Tagmon]

Anyone know the name of the music track at 17:42?

[@Firstsurugi]

So I'm 2 points into this video, and the mistake I'm seeing immediately, is that you're comparing the narrative directions taken by a game that was made arguably at the beginning of this style of game development, and a game that came out almost 15 years later. That's a LOT of time to refine the approaches one takes to get to a certain point.

[@skibot9974]

Any Ragnarok spoilers? I haven’t gotten to playing that yet because I injured my hand at the start of the year and it’s only now healing

[@andrebighach]

it's not being the better person to not take vengeance. Kratos and Balder aren't wrong for what they were doing or trying to do to their parent's, it's everything else they did that was wrong in service to Gods or Kratos for ambition when conquering lands for the spartan empire.

[@rileysimonds4224]

Kratos feels but became numb. Bauldr never felt. That’s a difference. Someone else took it from bauldr, Kratos took it from himself.

[@ThomasTheCure]

Ares lookin like Selene Delgado

[@ShirakiAkarin]

I disagree about the desing, Baldur's tatoos make him over desinged in comparison to Ares, since him only has his armor, fire hair and spider legs, is better to the sight than all that blue ink.