Valhalla - The End of Kratos - Part Two

[@SierraMonstera]

The fact that Kratos leaving Colliope is a quick-time event, forcing the player to actually make that choice to abandon her, is a really smart thing

[@Warrior-Of-Virtue]

It also shows how difficult it was. It took the same amount of effort Kratos needs to finish off a minotaur or a cyclops to push away his daughter.

[@shagarumedic]

Honestly making we wonder how powerful Calliope could’ve been had he not killed her

[@flamingmanure]

they used to do this type narrative gameplay laughably better in the older games than the newer ones.

[@NoCluYT]

@@flamingmanure don't try to act like old gow fans didn't hate the side games. they thought it was too "soft" and "preachy" about good and bad stuff. i hate revisionism due to nostalgia.

[@VictorIV0310]

Not a QTE, a button mashing sequence.

[@Rukdug]

Tyr feels like he's a god of war who embodies an aspect we don't usually see: the aftermath. He's the god of war, but also the end of war and its fallout. The negotiated peace, the haunted veteran, the grief of victims, the slow healing of wounds and treatment of trauma. Those are all a very real part of war, and Tyr seems to fully understand that and embrace those aspects of what he is the god of by acting as a source of divine comfort and therapy for those who are fundamentally changed by war.

[@owenleal]

In a nutshell, he is first and foremost a God of Preventing and Healing from War. Thats why he makes such a good therapist. His role is essentially one of mediation and open communication.

[@jeambeam3173]

Beautifully said

[@myself2noone]

Honestly? That's kind of Athena's domain. I know they can't do that with her due to the previous games. Ehh, I just go to the Roman Pantheon next if you want a second chance at that. I mean there's a rewrite of "The Odyssey" that is pretty much exactly that. Form like the 50's I think.

[@danielferrieri7434]

Who else screamed with joy the moment Kratos casually pulls out the Blade of Olympus?

[@fucknames]

Yeah but he says it’s a powerful memory so dose that means he doesn’t have it anymore or just stored somewhere like his blades were

[@Dctctx]

I think I shook the very foundation of my house

[@Double_0_7_Strings]

I literally shouted ZEUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSS

[@roberguardia]

I was fully in disbelief

[@najibzulkafli5820]

About the same amount of hype as when the blades of chaos were first revealed in the previous game

[@SuperHothead14]

I have to give props to the voice actor to Týr. Tyr and Týr sounds so different. They speak so differently. Odin talks the same in disguise or not. Same tone, same inflection, same rhythm. Real Týr speaks with a totally different inflection and tone and I Love it.

[@crabniac]

Tyr was speaking a lot but said very little. Because Odin didn't think. He used, he talked, he acted. In the end, it was just a disguise, a means to an end, like an empty plotpoint. He impersonated Týr but didn't know anything about him. The real Týr is quiet. When he says something, it has real caliber. If he doesn't need to talk, he does not. When he does talk, he asks, thinks, makes ideas and questions. He is a thinking man that acts out of curiosity and wisdom, not wants and needs. He isn't a slave to his ego and killer like Odin, he is a warrior monk who only uses violence when necessary and radiates light. A simple man, and I Love it.

[@Nguyenngocquocbao5]

Good summary. The same man but with different way of communicating. One speaks without thinking as a manipulation tactic, only trying to deceive and harm others.The other one speaks with clarity, thoughtfulness, wisdom and most importantly, he speaks in a laconic and respectful manner. Speak only when needed, doesn't try to tear other's down, humbly and actively listening to people. One of the big reasons why Kratos respects him, besides his combat skills.

[@christopherackerman5785]

I also really like how Tyr calls Kratos “spartan.” It definitely goes hand in hand with the theme of kratos accepting his past. Kratos talks about how he is from Sparta a fair amount, but he and others rarely calls himself a Spartan. Kratos owes his drive, his stoicism, his wit, his strength to how he was brought up as a spartan. If he was born in Athens, he never would have made a deal with Ares. He never would have the gall to climb out of hades or stand toe to toe with gods. With so much of this part of gow being about Kratos starting a new life, accepting and moving on, it’s nice to see a character recognize that Kratos is, before a god, a Spartan

[@KerMaWaffLe]

What I also love is that Kratos, despite everything he’s been through in the Greek Era, he regrets all of it, but he never once regrets being a Spartan. Like you said he owes so much of his survival thus far to his life in Sparta. But he did say he doesn’t look back on it fondly when he and Freya were trying to remove Freya’s bonds in Vannaheim.

[@UltraXan]

OH OH OH! You bring up an interesting subject with this, but allow me to take it further. There IS one other character that refers to Kratos as a Spartan in Midgard, and that's Athena when Kratos retrieves the Blades. Athena uses the word in an almost derogatory way, but Tyr most certainly does not. It looks like it's another example of the theme at play here with reclamation of symbols. The sword of the berserker king, Kratos' throne, AND Kratos being called a Spartan.

[@Lyubimov89]

A Tyrapist

[@Hamppdur]

Really good point here. Also, we saw a glimpse of this with “The Lady” when giving Kratos the spear. When she took his blood, it initially formed the omega sign which she was displeased with so she changed it to the spartan symbol. Love those little things.

[@TheEtherealAlchemist]

Tyr calling Kratos Spartan also goes hand in hand with how Athena used to call him Spartan affectionately and cared about his well-being (for Athena, before her death and ascension to a higher plane of existence made her uncaring to Kratos). So it brings it all back around to Kratos having a god in his life that truly cares about his well being and respects him, wanting him to be his best self.

[@blackfox4138]

I really like how Tyr's role as a "God of War" was more about how conflict that actually bring people closer together. He was a scholar before he was a warrior, and you can tell that he sought out different martial arts and combat experiences to get a better understanding of the world and how people address conflict. He understood the discipline of the Greeks; the sheer will of the Azteca; the devotion of the Egyptians; and the patience and honor of the Japanese. Where someone like Odin or even early Kratos would just see different suits of armor and weapons to use, Tyr saw an opportunity to understand other cultures and ways of war in order to pursue peace.

[@jahquestanderson9471]

What about the Norse?

[@bananaraptor7747]

i could see him being a sportball coach in a piece of fanart lol

[@JonathanMartinez-gs7pr]

I was amazed at the real Tyr. He absolutely lived up to the legend that was portrayed of him in the 2018 game. Seeing the real Tyr makes me question even more as to how Odin was able to fool everyone as long as he did.

[@DoctorBabylon]

Kratos and Atreus had never met Tyr before, and Mimir and Freya hadn't seen him in over a century. Plus fake Tyr was supposedly changed and traumatized by all those years of isolation and torture, which was a convenient and realistic explanation for out of character behavior. It's not that surprising Odin was able to fool them.

[@thomashongshagen4912]

@@DoctorBabylon that, and they all WANTED him to be the real Týr. It's easy to excuse away out of character behavior if you just _want_ strongly enough.

[@shagarumedic]

I’m honestly shocked Freya didn’t catch on the second he called her Frigg

[@kjj26k]

​@@shagarumedic Last time she saw him that name was not yet tainted by trauma, but...

[@kjj26k]

​@justingary5322 It was close, Tyr definitely played a dangerous game antagonizing Freya, both in that moment and others. If she had not been so distracted by everything else going on around and within her...but she was quite distracted.

[@JohnMasterCheif]

I also think Tyr was acting like the one thing Kratos really needed in his life. a therapist. His he asked questions not just to get to understand Kratos, but to get Kratos to at least break out of his mindset that he'd just go back to being a monster. and then having the sparring matches between exploring memories shows that Tyr was not just testing him, but getting Kratos to release any pent up resentment and negative energy he may be feeling from confronting his memories

[@hartantoanggoro]

You mean a Tyraphist ?

[@callmev3531]

@@hartantoanggoroI think you may have just won this comment section.

[@hueco5002]

Honestly…makes me wonder if therapy wouldn’t be more effective for men if it included some sort of physicality. Currently, most men find therapy unhelpful for most things.

[@92brunod]

@@callmev3531 You must be new here in the internet.

[@worksmagic89]

I agree with you and I actually enjoyed the fights with Týr as well. But it did seem like he help guide Kratos in right direction on addressing his old self. I really enjoyed the storyline of the Norse series just as much if not more than the og series. I'm not saying the Norse series is better but seeing Kratos mature and become a better father, Spartan, and God was dope.

[@theroadstopshere]

Honestly Valhalla was an absolute shock to me-- an expansion for a AAA game which: 1. Offers a significantly new and different experience from the base game (sure, the combat itself hasn't changed, but the context and incentives very much have) 2. Actively works to address open questions and unexplored aspects of the base game, rather than just tack on another new adventure and problems. 3. Seems genuinely more interested in developing and humanizing the characters using good, realistic therapy-type approaches to overcoming failure and trauma one day (and one failure) at a time, rather than just papering over their problems with platitudes about how their actions have redeemed them or how different things will be now. It's so easy to write cheap catharsis, and so much harder to write a catharsis that feels real in that it recognizes there is no endpoint to the challenges of a healthy internal life, but that each step towards who a person wants to be is one worth celebrating. 4. IS FREE (???????) If there is any hope for AAA games to be able to produce art that feels real and like a work of love and passion, Santa Monica Studios has made a strong case for being the best representation of that in the US games market. Can't imagine the fighting against the top they must've had to do to get something like Valhalla released for free; that's the kind of thing I'm pleasantly surprised to see from indie devs, much less industry titans. Thanks for all the reflective videos on GoW, it's been a pleasure getting to hear the thoughts of someone who really cares about and has grown up alongside the series.

[@Mirage475]

I adore the roguelike gampelay mechanic as a conduit to express therapy and overcoming hardship. Progress is rarely easy, and even then it isn't a linear path; it has troughs and peaks. It requires practice and patience much like a roguelike genre

[@chuckled125]

Honestly, who would've even been mad if it was like $15

[@shuttlecrossing1433]

@@chuckled125 While true, the fact that it isn't is a really good thing to help set less predatory industry standards.

[@theroadstopshere]

@Mirage475 Totally, and every day and every challenge is unique even if many of the elements remain the same. Nor can you "beat" your problems in one day or one run-- it's a process of getting back up and going back at it again and again and facing down different aspects of yourself and your traumas and failures one at a time. And just like how Helios and the memories of Kratos's unnecessary and irreversible cruelties will keep coming back to haunt him, so too do you have to carry memories and hurts that will never fully leave you. It sucks, it hurts, and sometimes it's even not your fault at all, but you have to deal with it anyways. It really is a wonderful and visceral simile to the therapy experience, and absolutely the perfect way for Kratos to seek peace with his own troubles.

[@flamingmanure]

plenty of studios produce even more and better art than santa monica. fromsoft, rockstar (rdr2 has a better written story), nintendo, capcom etc etc ehhh...i dont know, i mostly view the new god of war as a bad attempt at "growing up". wouldnt even call this art tbh, just seems your run of the mill redemption and growth story and alot of actual game design aspects suffered for that imo, and frankly the ppl that say old god of war was just angry kratos are ignorant, the older trilogy did alot of story beats and villians laughably better than the new gow, ragnarok has the worst written villians in the series imo, ffs odin literally talks with a brooklyn mafioso accent XD he actually said "ill get my ex off your back" like someone was actually paid for this writing and it irks me.

[@ThatOtherGuyOverThere]

Beyond GoW Ascension, Lysandra has two key appearances in Gow 1 and 2. In 1, she appears in a flashback in which she demands to know when Kratos' bloodshed will end. Kratos says it will stop when "Sparta's glory is known throught the world". Lysandra immediately CALLS HIM OUT on his bullshit, and says that he's only doing this for himself. This shows both her deep understanding of her husband's ambition and the strength of her character in putting her foot down when Kratos isn't being honest. In 2, she appears in a vision in which Gaia takes her form to fully convince Kratos to aid the Titans and give him a Rage upgrade. The importance of the moment doesn't come with what Gaia says, but in Kratos' reaction to seeing her. He literally begs for forgiveness, an act that demonstrates his love for her and the importance that she had in his life. For the little screentime she gets, Lysandra has a huge impact in her husband's life.

[@vikreedoye8695]

Thanks for that

[@Dookieman1975]

Something I noticed about the comparison of lyssandra to Faye is that lyssandra in the first game had the balls to scold her husband in front of their daughter. That is something only Greek kratos’ wife could ever get away with. She’s upset that he is constantly fighting on the battlefield for the glory of Sparta (really himself) and rarely gets to see his own family and is biting off more than he can chew. When is it enough? Well we found out when it was with their deaths

[@cwickwitted]

No? Norse Faye is very easily perceived as having been written into the story to be means of taking Kratos out of his normally impenetrable husk, and forcing him to step outside of his self-defined perspectives built on his direct pursuit of removing the literal/metaphoric layer of ash on his skin that represents the monster he was, and why he can no longer build on that, but Faye takes it a step further by opposing his linear "this works, we are doing this" way of thinking, the means of how he protects himself from slipping back into being the monster he fears will resurface and her influence forces him to adapt that approach to decision making/self-guiding in a way that is appropriate for Atreus, as a developing son, to learn from / identify with (notice their rocky relationship in 2018, but in Ragnarok he can finally put his hand on his shoulder, all of the many lines of exchanged 'exploration dialog' reinforces this idea heavily as well) Faye challenges Kratos so much in fact, that she reshaped his character for the better of their son, and you wanna talk about balls? She would playfully/flirtatiously make him out to be the harmless man she sees him as and knows he and Atreus deserve him to be for both of their best interests.. Granted, she might pierce his veil with love and logic, whilst Lyssandra was a bit more emotionally tense and aggressive in her approach... that doesn't equate to being any more or less of a challenge to his character or stoic-form. If anything, she had the most massive ballsack of any character in the entire story. You do remember the Canyon lore, yeah? This bitch went to war with Thor, evaporating people, producing a frenzied manic swing with the Leviathan capable of 'reproducing' (or, preproducing?, lol) the stagnant frozen lightning that comes from only one type of monster of a warrior-tier of swing that Kratos and Thor clash with in their Chapter 1 fight. The bitch threw hands, was a fire mom - the kind that gave you a Lunchables everyday in your lunchpale because she knew it made you feel like a big dick gangster, and could suck d so good with her words she could tame the beast of a man notorious for slaying God's.

[@EJaDav]

Mimir was absolutely the highlight of the DLC for me, I never thought I would be so personally moved by a video game character’s quote but something about this one just shook me. I hope we give him a body in the next game 😢 “Show me someone for whom friendship means lack of love, and I’ll show you someone who wonders why their lovers never end up being worth their time”

[@lamergamer8211]

I feel something that goes unappreciated in this new dlc is how absolutely beautiful tyrs quotes are. Like half of those I could totally see being incredible tattoos.

[@mcmewsen]

My favorite is when he's asked why he helps, he says simply, "Because I can." It immediately lays down who Týr is as a person. The measure of a man. Týr is a god who can do whatever he chooses...and he chooses, merely, to help. Unfortunately I don't expect we'll see much more of Týr in his own story. He already had his hero story, long before the events of God of War 4. It's why he was so revered in the first place. He himself said his time is done. Though I won't mind being proven wrong.

[@driphamilton3138]

something significant to me is that the button mash quick time events represent extreme effort. pushing away his daughter was just as taxing as keeping cronos from crushing him or killing poseidon.

[@ahhdee1996]

…..or banging Aphrodite 😂

[@Cr0misc]

The whole point of Kratos and GoW series growing up with it's audience resonates so damn hard with me. Sure, it was cool to see Kratos casually disembowel everyone left and right back in mid-00s, when edginess in media like videogames or comics was a big selling point and something of a novelty. But as we grew older and looked back at those games, we began to recognize Kratos as the monster he was; so hellbent and twisted by his quest for vengeance that he went out of his way to display cruelty towards those who did nothing wrong to him as well. Nothing and no one mattered to him. But we also recognized why he became that way, we recognized what he went through, what caused him to harden so much that he made no difference between killing Gods and killing people who were just minding their business. And it made sense that, once his quest for vengeance was over, Kratos would spend the next millenia looking back at his past actions with guilt, shame and self-loathing. Vengeance always feels empty. So it was refreshing to see Kratos not only acknowledge his past actions, but working hard to be a better person than he was before. He grew up, alongside his audience. I always felt that the people who want the old "cruel, puppy-kicking, people-disemboweling Kratos" have failed to mature since they focus entirely on the brutal, graphically violent aspects of his journey and not on the underlying themes and circumstances that caused Kratos to become such a monster. They can always go back to playing those games if they wish, but demanding that Kratos' character development gets undone in newer games and demanding from the writers to revert him to the Greek era monster he was? They refuse to grow up and accept that things and people change, for better or worse. They think new Kratos is "woke" because the story revolves around all these complex themes and most characters acknowledge their faults, and work towards improving themselves. They think acknowledging your faults and trying to improve makes you weak. They remain immature, and wish to drag everyone down with their immaturity. I say this as someone who loved the old games, and still considers the new GoW games to be excellent additions to the series and natural character progression.

[@sanfordrussell8549]

The funniest thing about the whole 'woke' label, I'd that when somebody just throws it around at something they don't like, you can just immediately identify that they're a horrible person. Like bro??? You're a bad person???

[@thelionofjudah5318]

Gow 2 and 3 is when kratos is vengeful not previous series.

[@FelisImpurrator]

​@justingary5322I'm going to report you for spam.

[@FelisImpurrator]

The "people who want old Kratos to keep being that forever" thing is something you could call... The Zack Snyder effect. That's the biggest running critique of Snyder's films - that he just seems fixated on the aesthetics of machismo and physical power without critically examining them. "Anti-woke" types have the same childish obsession with spectacle and brute force, so they feel threatened by the concept of introspection. Oddly enough, Snyder himself seems to try on some level to approach the tough questions surrounding this subject, how it often leads to the fascist worship of might and the harm it can do... But fails to get very far in his work. The anti-wokeists who champion things like 300 or the original GOW trilogy uncritically, on the other hand, don't even try...

[@Sysyphony]

2:35 bro, when he mentions that Athena could still be wandering around, my first thought was that she is gonna go after “boy”

[@AnuxeL]

Dang

[@thetwelfthdoctor9892]

Athena approaching Atreus and presenting herself as "Aunt Athena, your father's favorite sister."

[@Strongmount]

I may be off base, but i always took it as disgust that caused Kratos to let the boat captain die. Right before the man gets eaten, he throws his hands up and runs away, trying to abandon the men he was supposed to be leading. Kratos at that time would have seen it as cowardice, but as he says in Valhalla, there was nothing the captain could have done against the Hydra

[@kouroshnahid4299]

That makes a lot of sense. Especially with Kratos being a Spartan, he probably was disgusted by the boat captain's "cowardice".

[@bigroaststyrone8135]

When people say the Greek GOW games had zero depth I always point them to that scene with Kratos and his daughter, man that’s some great storytelling woven into the gameplay where you as the player are directly put into Kratos’ shoes and have to actively make the decision to leave his daughter. Amazing stuff

[@Ability-King-KK]

Anyone who says the Greek Saga had zero depth only look at Kratos and see "angry man go brrrrrrr" without understanding WHY he's angry.

[@pianoman1718]

I get this, but the guy who created god of war originally has outright stated that he doesn't give a fuck about character growth and this new path they're taking kratos. He just wants kratos to be an angry dude who beats everyone up. Not saying that the greek saga has no depth... just that it probably wasn't 100% the goal and that it was probably the work of other people who were also working on god of war. Not an expert tho, so feel free to correct me.

[@Xehanort10]

@@Ability-King-KK Problem is in the Greek games the only hints of character he had beyond the anger were caring about Lysandra, Calliope, Callisto, Deimos and Pandora. People knew why he was angry but the anger didn't have to be one of his only traits.

[@rodneylane952]

There's also the scene where he accidentally kills his own soldier in GoW2

[@patricktsao9630]

@@pianoman1718 You're right about this. Kratos had depth - but in the early series, that depth was always a vessel to get him to rage more and fight more - which is why it can easily (and rightfully) be perceived as shallow, and why so many people have no trouble characterizing Kratos as a meaningless rage monster. Thankfully what depth they did give him in the early series was consistent, and consistently tragic - they're on record as saying that when Kratos was not furiously cutting everything in front of him, they wanted to go for "Greek tragedy". The problem of course is that the cutting and the rage always came first.

[@thatoneguy1232]

The Tyr in Valhalla is the Tyr I expected to see after hearing all the stories in 2018. Valhalla made him cool and respectable. He also gives Kratos exactly what he needs. Nice bit of therapy. A good sparring partner which is something he probably hasn’t had since he was a Spartan. Just a bro he can duke it out with and shake the hand of later. Love it

[@phxzombiekiller7112]

Something you need to remember about the Boat Captain is that he was a MEGA coward in Kratos' eyes. He is supposed to be the leader and the most fearless man on that ship but he locked the women in a room with no guards and no way out, and was running and screaming while his men fought on. As a Spartan Captain, Kratos would not take pitty or mercy on a man like that

[@Flame4516]

While I don't agree that it made him deserving to die 2 times. I can see and understand why a Kratos who is, comparatively to the kratos we have now, more instilled in the spartan mindset would look down on the captain and would not care to save his life.

[@leethorpeiswhoiam2216]

Pushing Calliope away was so difficult when I played this back in the day. Looking at it now, as a parent, I'm glad I never have to play it again and peeved at Persephone all over again. Great video, cheers!!!

[@aldrichunfaithful3589]

there's a really simple detail about tyr that i personally find pretty interesting. don't get me wrong he's a giant who's built like a boulder compared to regular people, but i found his visual design very strange when i first saw it coz compared to other warrior gods like thor and the greeks he's pretty skinny and has a pretty normal human physique, and in ragnarok his character was (deliberately) too empty to understand why since it wasn't actually him. but seeing his character in valhalla really makes him into a gentle giant, he's physically imposing but rather than an aura of violence he has an aura of power, he doesn't intimidate in the same way someone like kratos does and he doesn't have the same sense of violence. he's a protector, rather than being scary and being glad he's on your side he's a comforting presence who makes you feel safe, instead of being an overwhelming brute he's just a capable man, and it's very clear that even though he's capable of overpowering others through fear and strength he chooses to use his mind and his words to guide, with his ability as a warrior being a backup option. idk if my thoughts are accurate but regardless his visual design is really impressive and it communicates a lot of his character

[@ajizel13]

Freya and kratos have moved in together, and it's apart of the message of love in this dlc, of how it can come from unlikely places....and how it is a reflection of what we are.... The other thing about tyr, that some ppl have mentioned; When kratos asked "why" in terms of helping him...his simple answer is "because I can"... showing another vast difference between him and ares...most of the other gods always try to manipulate kratos...and it's interesting that gods like freya, and now tyr, simply help kratos only because they want to....not because they have to.... And how interesting that the final boss of this DLC, is really just combat therapy between 2 gods of war...

[@bxnative247]

Odin did provide a thought provoking question when Atreus as if “did they help the right side” in the light/dark elves war. Even tho it was for selfish reasons.

[@Whyiseveryhandletaken6942]

I love how the Norse games act like you did specific side content in the previous instalment, Ragnarök acts like you freed the valkyries & Valhalla acts like you freed Týr

[@Zawarudo_tokiya_tomata]

These videos are so calming and they give a whole new view to the storyline of GOW. Especially because of how complex the writing is.

[@goodenoughright5433]

I love that we finally talked about how messed up what he did to that boat captain was

[@goodenoughright5433]

I was however disappointed we never addressed Poseidon's Princess

[@jonathanflores7313]

Lysandra did appear in God of War 2 but it was Gaia talking through Lysandra to Kratos about the destroyed Sparta Zeus did.

[@Rman94]

I could see Sirgrun either helping Atreus along his Journey in a future spin-off game but Tyr's Temple showed at least four lands he visited so perhaps she'll travel to one of the other lands solo. I could totally see her gaining a badass Katana in Japan, With her wings and mask they'd probably see her as a Tengu.

[@T_E_G]

Hopefully we get Sindri as well, I just hope the guy is alright, I wouldn't want his grief to corrupt him :((

[@Rman94]

@@T_E_G My theory with Sindri is that Athena might recruit him, offer him Hephaestus's old position as God of the Forge.

[@hristescu263]

One thing I wish you talked about its Tyr's bossfights . He uses 4 different, very distinct weapons , from 4 different mythologies , not only that but he uses special techniques for each of them , wich for me this means 2 things : his experience as the god of was , his adaptability ,dissipline and armony with his inter self , also his history as a warrior 0:01 ; and his skils as a peacemaker , as someone who doesnt seeks violence but who will not think twice to use it as nessesary , hid curiosity like u said , that made the people of the norse pantheon to look so much at him , also , thats why I think that Tyr most probably earned the respect of the gods of the other pantheons , so much that they not only gave him the weapons , but also training in how to propperly use them. Also , his a fucking badass , motherfucker is 8'5 , he hits stonger than a tank , and he catches the punch of Kratos like is nothing . Also his theme is probably my favorite track in Ragnarok, easily one of the best bosses and characters in this series , and all of this stuff AND MORE for free . God (of war) bless sony Santamonica for the amazing work they dind , and I am very curios for what we will see in the future

[@DShawnPaytonOffiicial]

I find myself rewatching these GoW videos of yours. There's something relaxing about your tone of voice and narrative style that makes these videos a go-to. Thanks for another one!

[@theclassyviking7351]

Man... on the topic of Kratos' old life not getting alot of screentime, could you imagine a prequel game about Kratos' time as a Spartan general, working his way up the ranks, growing up with his brother, his relationship with his old family, and his enslavement to Ares before his final transformation into the Ghost of Sparta.

[@solracstormhunter3023]

Lysandra got at least as much screentime, as Calliope in the first GOW, GOW2 and GOW:Ascension. And her portrayals picture her as a loving wife, nurturer of their family and the only one, who confronted Kratos on his warmongery. That last part is what Kratos mentions to Mimir in Valhalla. Also, the PSP games give the heaviest tragedies beside the Ares trickery. In GOW: Ghost Of Sparta alone, Kratos is forced to kill his own mother, is constantly confronted with the failure of protecting his brother and even has to watch him die, after spending the whole game trying to rescue him. Deimos is the in-story reason, for Kratos's iconic tattoos and eye-scar I'm disappointed, Valhalla didn't address any of that at all, like three additional memories don't seem to be that much work at that point.

[@glenpope4955]

The mother I understand wanting to see in the game however deimos died in battle fighting. Both Spartans and Norse view that as a worthy death. His mother was killed by his hand, which is rarely viewed as a good thing in most cultures

[@kratosgow342]

@@glenpope4955 also he talked about Deimos in the based game as well especially in the Wolves case how Kratos being harsh on them because he saw himself in those wolves where he couldn't protect Deimos from kidnapping be the gods

[@TheSgtLolrus]

Man I always love the small things you pull out of the characters in this game. Between the game itself and watching your breakdowns, it’s really gotten me to think deeper about the purpose and intent behind the media I consume. I love the videos and I can’t wait for more!

[@AlexHatzberger]

I'm so glad someone else recognized the brilliance of the scene with Calliope on the Fields of Elysium!

[@TerryB01]

Kratos won't be gone. He's the selling point of the series.

[@That_Guy-]

This, ain't nobody buying atreus solo game

[@KolmManison]

​@@That_Guy- I might if he has other weapons than his bow. Im really not a bow guy, it's the main reason I stopped playing Horizon Zero Dawn

[@MyDemon32]

​@@KolmManisonMythologicaly he has a sword tho i forgot the name

[@Dctctx]

@@MyDemon32 Lævateinn

[@MoeMoon]

​@KolmManison oh was the game too hard for your lil boy hands?

[@MrSmketr]

You also see the boat captain's spirit in God of War 2, I believe during a boss fight you don't kill him again per se, but he is there

[@TAP7a]

That scene to abandon Calliope is more brutal than any physical violence in the rest of the series. I think I’m physically in pain after seeing that.

[@quandary23]

Not sure what I was expecting out of Mimir and Sigrun's side story, but I'm so happy to have found such a well done "right person, wrong time" story.

[@Kleed44]

Your God of War videos are some of the best I've seen, and it helps me appreciate the games so much more!! Thank you so much and I can't wait for your future content! :)

[@ethinwhite3454]

Another great video Brett your video essays are some of the best on KZbin. Thanks bud.

[@oscarftb]

Totally agree with this

[@enochamoahmintah5832]

Its very true

[@kamalalsb7292]

man you are like the only youtuber who's videos I feel like I NEED to watch the second I get the notification. I absolutely love what you do. I've watched your stuff for games I've played AND games I haven't, and then been prompted to go check those games out. I'd love to see you talk about dead space some more, but I figure at this point with (technically) only one game out there's not much more to get into.

[@sautter09]

Thanks again for this great video. I could listen to you for hours talking about God Of War.

[@davidsendy1869]

I always thought the boat captain had locked those women in the boat on purpose and that's why Kratos was so apathetic to whether he lived or died

[@tyrantravealpha]

Coming back to the scene with his daughter always makes me sad. He sacrifices his time with her so she may live her afterlife. I remember the first time I played Chains of Olympus and I was FURIOUS.

[@therefinedhellion5041]

Something I love about the Calliope scene is that it's a QTE, which in this series was usually reserved for something either relevant to the story or for something that requires a godly amount of strength to do. I like to imagine it's a mix of the two, that while it is relevant to the story, it does also take a lot of strength from Kratos that, in the moment, he can barely bring himself to muster. It requires a god-like will in order to do so, even knowing if he doesn't that Calliope will truly be lost to him forever all the same. And the fact I can even speculate that and it even being .5% possibly true shows in full display how ignorant it is when people say Kratos has always and/or should always be a killing machine and nothing more. He was a total bastard in the Greek trilogy and spinoffs, but he was still human and humans change and evolve with time and value interpeesonal connections, social and emotional.

[@VirtualShogun]

As a young boy playing CoO button mashing O to push away Caliope, the daughter of a character I had grown so fond of, was hard to do. Now, many years later and a father myself, I don't think I would have the strength in me to get past this enormous yet simple boss battle.

[@erniebeasley8521]

Kratos really did the “I lied” to the boat captain there

[@NoCluYT]

force unleashed reference

[@kjj26k]

​@@NoCluYT Or that Arnold Schwartzenegger film where he holds a guy over a cliff and says: "Remember how I said I wouldn't kill you?" "Yeah" "I lied." *Lets go*

[@neon4706]

I was kind of hoping they would address the Poseidon Princess from GoW 3, that was one of the moments that bothered me the most of young Kratos.

[@christopherfrais3462]

Great video! Can't wait to see what you see next! Also, Lysandra appeared in the first God of War during the flashback of him first becoming Ares' Champion

[@brynshannon6692]

It's kind of hilariously ironic that Odin, typically known as a wise god, was extremely warlike in Ragnarok, and Tyr, their literal god of war, was very wise and patient. X'D

[@tristanjessop8697]

Excellent! Couldnt find anything good to watch but brett always makes s tier content

[@SpiritzPlanet]

The new _God of War_ games are a masterclass in writing. They seem separate from most other modern media; they seem pure, free from corporate interference and political ideology. I have to thank you for making this series of essays. They’re very personal and insightful and, for me, made the story even better.

[@cielwolf4603]

I have been REALLY enjoying these videos, not only has it been poking at my urges to write stories, but they're good literary analysis videos. And I just like the longer form media on this platform. Sorry I'm not able to comment much on these but genuinely keep up the good work.

[@murraydavidson4743]

I adore this dudes passion for games, man needs more subs

[@nerdsavvy1]

These videos made me appreciate GOW even more. Loving all your content.

[@mcmewsen]

Did Artemis EVER show up in person in the old series? What ever happened to her? Did she just see the writing on the wall and nope out early?

[@inquisitor9207]

I like to think her being a huntress makes her less arrogant. She has to respect and understand her quarry to hunt it effectively, so she recognises she’d probably lose to Kratos and just gets the he’ll out of dodge

[@mcmewsen]

@@inquisitor9207 And maybe preserve what life she can take with her when Greece is inevitably destroyed. That'd be the smartest move.

[@KolmManison]

She showed up to give Kratos a power up in gow1 and was never seen again.

[@TheDanielk4]

Lysandra was actually in one single Cutscene in the Original God of War. Confronting Kratos about when enough is enough. So, Kratos' Description of her in Valhalla seemed pretty accurate to me.

[@avalon_0581]

bro i just LOVE your videos, you deserve way more because of the effort you put in these

[@disguisedcyclops4593]

I really like these videos. Video games have evolved into a one-of-a-kind storytelling medium. It’s the only medium where the audience directly drives the story, and it allows them to grow a much deeper bond with the characters. Imagine if God of War’s story was told through a book. It just wouldn’t be as engaging.

[@BasicallyBaconSandvichIV]

Ah, the legendary "Abandon Your Daughter Quick-time-event". If it wasn't for the memes, I wouldn't know about it. Which is a shame. Because it's sort of darkly hilarious. Just the fact there is a quick time event to abandon your daughter, that that even exists.

[@Ayyyyyyyhdndnekans32]

Love your god of war content man keep it up!

[@ShadowFox178]

I was honestly expecting Athenas voice to appear from that tear in space in Odins room.

[@Dezatron-]

If there's an atreus game, i just hope that if sigrun does show up. We get to play as her.

[@greatbeard55]

Love the videos my man, like to hear more of your analysis/opinions on these stories, looking forward to it! Keep up the good work. Much love. ❤

[@The_Nuttman]

I cant believe you didnt know about the scene with his daughter! Or even that whole game! One of the best entries and it was on psp only!

[@AluVixapede]

Hey, just wanted to say. I found your videos by way of AC:VI (armored core 6 for those who think I'm talking about ace combat lol) --- and I LOVE those videos. AC:VI is one of the few modern games I've actually played. And I like it so much I S-ranked it, all. I dug the lore, the story telling, and your perspectives only enhance the game for me. Which is cool. -- However, I also really really really like these ones too; I've only watched my friend play God Of War, Last Of Us, Alan Wake, and Zelda but even so, the stories feel more complete now. Further, I dabble in some writing myself, and these deep dives into the [mechanics] of how games tell stories is broadening my horizons. I find it very fascinating. Hope you keep creating content!

[@BTM8109]

I can't decide if "mash circle to deny your daughter's love" is tragic or the funniest thing in gaming

[@DrewIbarra714]

5:48 Chains of Olympus was my first time ever playing video games

[@himwhoisnottobenamed5427]

Okay. I feel old now. 😂

[@DrewIbarra714]

@@himwhoisnottobenamed5427 PSP was the first ever piece of technology I ever got to touch😮‍💨

[@vitorhunt2785]

I'd love to see one tackling Blasphemous 2's Incarnate Devotion and what led to its creation. Amazing video as always!

[@Xehanort10]

I thought the same about Lysandra. Faye, while only being mentioned in 2018 and in Ragnarok flashbacks was an actual character. Lysandra just existed to die to motivate Kratos to hate the Greek gods.

[@danielocean1176]

Thank you for your time in putting this videos you truly help me in understanding even deeper the mind perhaps even the true being that is Kratos the God of War 😎

[@quetzalthesnek9971]

Sitting on my hands for that Atreus video Though these banger vids still great enough to keep me patient

[@andrew_dias]

Of the 3 memories, the Boat Captain was my favorite, it also has one of my favorite dialogues in the game, "The hydra was just an animal. I showed him what a true monster looked like". The reason why this one is my favorite is because as a child I loved that moment, had never seen the "hero" of the game doing something like that, I thought Kratos was such a badass for doing that, but today I can see it was just needlessly cruel. It's the perfect example of God of War maturing up with its audience.

[@NidoKnight]

How do you NOT have minimum a million subs yet? That’s a fucking crime. Love your videos man. Can’t wait for the Sindri one

[@yaboiharry]

mimir and sigrun wasn't random in ragnarok, i believe they mentioned it in 2018

[@brianirwin8111]

Rehabilitating Týr was a brilliant choice for Valhalla. We spent the entirety of 2018 hearing about how impressive he was; a God of War who transcended violence and fought for peace, who united all the realms in peace and was worthy of trust and love like few others. Then, when we meet Tyr/Not-Týr in Ragnarök, he's a puling coward, a manipulative, selfish charlatan who only exists to make snide comments and sow division between the protagonists until we finally see he was Odin the entire time. We never met Týr, but this interpretation certainly coloured our impression of him. Having the impersonation be perfect meant that when we meet the real Týr post-Ragnarök, and his reaction to Odin's death and his own freedom is to travel the realms and do yoga, one might wonder whether or not Odin's performance was very far from reality. He's not out looking for a fight, or joining Kratos and Freya: he's taking some Týr Time. Having him invite Kratos to battle in Valhalla, seeing that Kratos needs to clear his mind and do some deep introspection, and demonstrate some incredible skill in combat (that catch of Kratos' fist at the end of a duel is impressive Every Single Time) to help Kratos better understand himself, is stupendous redemption for Týr. It showcases the thoughtful interest he takes in people, the insight and compassion it would take to make him universally beloved, and the phenomenal power and adeptness to go toe-to-toe with a rival God of War with the sheer confidence that if the fight gets out of hand, he can put a stop to it. It's a real triumph of writing, direction and performance.

[@Grz349]

In don’t think it’s just that God of War has matured with its audience but also that games are a more developed medium and we’ve seen more antihero characters who might act in that way. It’s a less unique or memorable trait to have a character who acts in that way.

[@Alex_FRD]

The fact there's people (including the freaking creator of GoW) who are mad Kratos isn't the same bloodthirsty Lord of Murder Mountain he was back then is insane. It's like a kid saying he never wants to grow up and proceeding to be a manchild.

[@gem9535]

Let's be real, the game title always made sense. He has ALWAYS been the god of war. That is a title he carries throughout the Norse games, from him avoiding telling Atreus his past to Mimir connecting the dots. Much of the Ragnarök game is about Kratos AVOIDING falling into his past violence in order to be better for his son (a lesson he passes onto Thor). The Norse games had Kratos hiding and avoiding his past as the god of war, though he relies on those previous lessons to move the story forward. The DLC is where he accepts that the title will always be a part of him, but he now knows that it does not have to define him. He is the god of war.

[@Mabryova]

I never clicked faster ❤️ amazing video as always

[@justedits95]

I would absolutely love a remake of the original trilogy

[@toolman99]

There is a very slim chance of that happening.

[@victory8928]

12:34 we do get a sense of her character in GOW though through narrator. She never wanted him to go on these campaigns for ares. She wanted him to stop as she say that he was doing it for bloodlust and wanted him to be better and to be there for their daughter more. It is why Ares killed her cause he saw her as someone who would try to ‘limit’ Kratos in his eyes.

[@lilpunrexrex]

I absolutely would LOVE to hear your thoughts on Persephone! She’s such a never talked about villain!

[@nicholasaugello2534]

Kratos's Story has finally reached a truly satisfying end

[@Xehanort10]

7:41 I've seen a lot of people point out that Kratos didn't tell Freya about the oracle cursing him by bonding Lysandra and Calliope's ashes to his skin as punishment so he'd always remember killing them.

[@weeperman]

i know you’re taking a break from the series, but when you’re ready, please never stop making gow videos 😭

[@stormbldebb9344]

" The passion of love is not limited by one's number of functional limbs and vital organs." FatBrett, 2024

[@Doomsword0]

I love the stories told in Valhalla but I think they also do them a great disservice with the way you get the stories in these bite size bits. Each story being broken up in at least three parts makes them feel disconnected/you (or at least I) forgets part of them by the time the next part is told

[@raidanforster1768]

A small detail I loved about the QTE to abandon Calliope was how there was a qte at all, usually those come up when he’s killing something and it goes to show how hard it was for Kratos to do that if abandoning his daughter took the same strength as it takes him to kill a god

[@v_35hr]

8:30 if you liked chains of olympus, youll love ghost of sparta (also a PSP title)

[@jakevelasco4072]

So a few things that I noticed about the points you’ve made about the characters that I’d like to add based on the GOW wiki and some symbolism: -The boat captains abuse by Kratos hands seem to represent the anti social side of Kratos, since he only truly trust in those from Sparta and perhaps sees outsiders as lesser or problematic. One could argue that the boat captain was acting cowardly under pressure when the hydra attacked and was about to abandon the crew, and as a general once, Kratos didn’t like people who were cowardly among men. However that captain looked like an old man, and as the hydra was tearing his ship apart and eating all the crew, the captain only wanted to live, and Kratos denied him that. -According to the GOW wiki, Lysandra was the person who was not only not afraid of Kratos but also called her husband selfish, as Kratos battles we for his own glory and not Sparta’s. I think in the Vahalla DLC, Kratos description of his first wife as a lot like Faye seems kinda stretched, like prior to this DLC if the wife of the main character starts calling the main character selfish and we the audience only have that datapoint to look at in terms of the quality of the relationship, I don’t think the husband and wife relationship was that good, or maybe Lysandra was a lot like Faye but more (mind the language) “bitchier”. -The more I hear everything Tyr discusses with Kratos, the more I feel that Tyr himself isn’t really a God of War, and is more like a wisdom/war god, similar to Athena in actual Greek Mythology. To Elaborate, the title of God of War in the Greek games seems to have been kinda a title for batshit insane and overall just not well in the head individuals. Ares was just a monster with a thirst for war and violence, and later Kratos claim the thrown after his suicide episode, and he perhaps didn’t understand or like the role. The God of War title for Tyr must have been a cake walk because 1) Tyr is a nice and open minded dude, thereby shaping the title to his personality, and 2) Odin might have formed the title to let his enemies know a scary bruiser is on his side, but without Tyr this title would have no substance

[@TheImmortalAvenger]

Super happy with your series here and looking forward to your Last of Us videos!

[@nightlock826]

The thing is; the boat captain was obviously a running gag that wasn’t ment to be taken to seriously but well…Valhalla did a good job making the joke mean something else

[@Demigod_3scrub]

I love this channel.. Thank you Brett !

[@6-1-98]

There are memorable moments in all of the games you should check the other releases too if you haven't already. Chains of Olympus is still to this day one of the best in the series imo I'm glad you reviewed it.

[@ruanvictorcabraldelima4752]

Both psp games are crucial to the caracterization of kratos in the greek era, the torment that kratos suffered in those games are the fuel to his anger against the gods in god of war 3, all the things with his brother in ghost of sparta, the end to his mother, just justifies the anger that he had, and frankly justified the slaughter of the gods, not the inoccent people of course, kratos definitely did a lot of wrong, but a lot of his anger was rightfull, and well the gods surely deserved.

[@AG_HP7]

Well, one of the character trait Lysandra had was her defiance towards Kratos lust fro glory, I don't remember in what game that happened but it was something like everybody feared him but his wife, telling him he was arrogant and selfish in his quest for glory.

[@KolmManison]

That was one of the flashbacks in gow1

[@wewewe6152]

your videos are very thoughtful and excellent! Love it

[@Ifinishedyoutube]

Noah Caldwell-Gervais has a good deep dive through God of war that you should watch. It will hope you better understand things and know everything that happens like how they went to this random PSP game. 8:12