Kratos' God of War axe and combat compared to reality

[@shadiversity]

Hmm. . . seems like sarcasm can be lost on some people. When I said Kratos was a little bit stronger than a regular human I emphasizes the *little bit* , for the juxtaposition of the understatement. Perhaps I should have emphasized more. It's surprising how many people took me literally and were upset by it. Enough people are saying that Kratos can use the axe however he want’s because he’s a god. I agree and say so in the video, saying he can just tank it. But this doesn’t change the fact that there is a more efficient way he could use his axe. And then there’s the few people who criticize me for analyzing Kratos’ axe and combat because it’s fantasy. This is funny. They say I take things way too seriously when they’re taking it seriously enough to be offended because I’m taking it too seriously. Hmm, I sense hypocrisy. Having fantasy elements in a game/movie is not grounds to abandon reality otherwise why is there gravity in the game??!?!? Having realistic elements to surround the fantasy increases the suspension of disbelief and immersion.

[@SK8TER4LIFE45]

Shadiversity the video was fun to watch. And it made me chuckle how in the beginning you talked about how you made a rough wooden version of the axe for 40 dollars, yet they have an actual replica of the axe for sale for 40 dollars lol. Albeit the replica is foam and i'm sure making your own stuff is more satisfying, but it could have saved you some time if you needed to make the axe to make this video.

[@SK8TER4LIFE45]

Shadiversity also a side note that doesnt really take anything away from the video but figured I would let you know anyways, the axe was not made for Kratos. It was designed for his wife, which might explain some things like the placement of the grip. But im sure this raises alot more questions than it answers lol.

[@faygoorangedrip4426]

Jokes on you Shad. The Leviathan axe was made for Faye, Kratos's wife.

[@kirxuvalentine4795]

Well put together and analyzed, his combat does look amazing you should look at his shield combat more in depth I used pretty much it and atreus to slaughter a horde of enemies

[@kirxuvalentine4795]

Ninja Goobie she was probably more efficient.... Also fairly certain she was a jotun... I translated the runes on the collectors edition map. Atreus mentions to Kratos that not all giants were huge in the game.

[@meris8486]

"Headphone users beware" Alright i'll turn down *Explosion* hmmm that wasn't that bad, *turns volume back up* "presenting the pommel of mass DESTRUCTIONNNNNNNNNN!!"

[@leumas_razalas4427]

My hearing was rightly ended

[@meris8486]

Sam_S.Gamgee Same :D

[@ZGuy0fSci]

Yeah, he needs to fix that. Might be a funny gag thing/segment but not if it is going to cause actual user harm, or excessively unneeded lasting discomfort like how did first time it caught me. XD

[@Reveling-In-Rebellion]

O O F

[@poopeater5270]

Meris eardrums have left the chat

[@thischannelrighthere6545]

To be fair to Kratos, he isn’t familiar with this weapon. In the game, the weapon belonged to Fey, his wife, and he only takes up the axe when she dies (the beginning of the playable game) He probably isn’t familiar with axes thus accounting for his unorthodox style and grip

[@ethangray8527]

And he probably doesn't even notice the difference in proper form and just holding the axe out there. I mean this is the guy that can throw entire hills, and regen from intense wounds in seconds.

[@amadousef846]

Doubt it. He was a spartan general (or something like that). He would've trained in axe combat already, albeit axe combat wasn't very popular throughout Greek history. Laufey gave the axe to Kratos before her death, so she probably had taught him a thing or 2 about the basics of grip and stuff. The actual reason is just the developers wanting to supersize the axe to amplify combat experience and changing grip placement for good framing. It's not like it hasn't been done so in previous GOW games. I mean holy shit look at the weapons in GOW 1 & 2.

[@thischannelrighthere6545]

anh tuệ oh absolutely! I was mainly thinking of in game reasons for Kratos’ “unique style” of axe fighting. And even if he was trained in axe fighting during his spartan training, would that have been hand axes or two handed aces?

[@douglasgraham883]

And in learning to use it himself, he's probably too strong to even consider that he's being inefficient

[@TimTim-dn3vu]

@@amadousef846 the axe was the weapon of the scyths

[@seanhelligso6518]

"Santa claus exists, and he uses an axe." I need a medieval, axe wielding Santa. Please.

[@ASmartNameForMe]

On it

[@A._is_for]

You might want to check out "the hogfather" by sir Terry Pratchett. Also includes DEATH and his grandaughter, god of hangovers and a raucous cast of drunk wizards

[@keithlively230]

Pretty sure the person or god you're looking for is Oden

[@hirokimura1316]

May not have a axe wielding one, but we sure as hell do have a sword wielding one. Slave knight Gael

[@scutumfidelis1436]

Saint Nicholas punched a heretic in the face at the council of Nikea.

[@PLF...]

Was not expecting that kick.... At all.

[@alsymphony7868]

The axe swinging too.

[@madisonlink7141]

I remembered from previous videos that he had experience in Tai Kwan Do, so as soon as he started talking about it, I was expecting it.

[@arjunpatel212]

That kick was awesome!

[@durandol]

Shad constantly saying he's not a superhuman, yet is swinging around a faux-axe and round shield while wearing a black gambeson in direct Australian sunlight? The gentleman doth protest too much, me thinks.

[@mme.veronica735]

I think he kills the spiders with his mind

[@Poodleinacan]

And how does he keep the fort clean of dangerous spiders?.... well, maybe he doesn't own a cat or lets it go outside and kill helpful lizards.

[@cosmiclive4437]

Why would Mark Zuckerberg be there?

[@rustyshovel7179]

i hate that the only reason i did get the reference is tvtropes

[@benjamindelgado7555]

He saying he is not superhuman is just a cover up

[@justmutantjed]

"Try spinning, that's a good trick!" - an expert.

[@theyhaventfedmesince]

Do a barrel roll

[@SkippertheBart]

Okay. He's holding it wrong. But I sure ain't gonna be the one to tell him.

[@BlackGreenDragon7]

He has used to have 2 big swords at his arms, maybe that is reason why he keeps blade closer than it should be.

[@SkippertheBart]

Black Greendragon He's also used to being strong enough to toss gods around. This must be a strange experience.

[@helgenlane]

He isn't holding it wrong. Look at how Shad holds it himself during the whole lenght of the video. And then look at how Kratos holds it. Then look at Shad again and think "oh, it's the same". In combat Kratos constantly switches his grip placement, changes hands and it's always in a way that is effective for the situation.

[@Yal_Rathol]

TheTekOr Oleg right, but it's effective because he can pull a man in half with his bare hands. we're not arguing that kratos is a murderous tornado trapped in human form, what we're saying is that if he actually knew how to use an axe, he wouldn't be using it like that.

[@helgenlane]

There is literally no better way for him to use it. Every complaint Shad made in this video doesn't apply to Kratos.

[@predadorcris]

"Kratos does a beautifuly historical accurated movemen in God of War" I never suspect to hear that phrase from this saga

[@Verse84]

I want to see a castle review of your kids castle fort. Is it historically accurate? Did castles really have slides?

[@mayanboricua]

Who said that was for his children 😏

[@pineappleproductions1696]

Not me

[@Mike_Rogge]

did you give your kid's castle MMAACCHHIICCOOLLAATTIIIIIOOOOOOONNNSSSSS

[@texasbeast239]

All is excused because it's a SLIDE OF DESTRUCTION!!!

[@AssassinLupus7]

The best ones had slides.

[@HavikXIII]

It could be that Kratos' axe was purposely modelled after the executioner axe. It has an ability called executioners cleave, and Faye used it to defend the innocent, so an argument xan be made she was executing the guilty evil. Just my two cents

[@ShinDangaioh]

Actually there is another axe that was missed completely. It is a modern day axe though. Other than the scroll work(they don't have any) and color(they are painted red and white), a lot of them look like the Leviathan Axe. The axes of fire fighters.

[@zameliz]

@@ShinDangaioh Well the handle may be similiar but the firefighters axehead is just a big lump of steel so more like a woodcutting axe but instead of flat back end they have a spike whereas Kratos axe has more like a smaller axhehead as the backend. But I guess its mostly the handle that gives it that kind of feel.

[@freshavocado4755]

He was literally cutting trees with it in the opening of the game

[@selenagamya1612]

So the axe is too long to be a single-handed weapon, and too short to be a dual-handed weapon... Well, let's use our heads here; what sort of parallel can we draw from this? I think the answer is obvious: it's a bastard axe. Or a "Baxetard," if you wish.

[@DynomitePunch]

you are currently one of my favorite people for this, i'm using this term now to refer to half lengthed axes, baxetard is now what i call my dane axe, since it's got a similarly long shaft, thank you very much

[@CrystallizedBlackSkull]

"BASTARD AXE" YES

[@stuchly1]

Selena Gamya oh my God! To the top with you! You win all the internetz for today!

[@Helstiir]

*Fun fact for those who were not aware:* there is such a thing as a Bastard Axe it seems

[@kenperez4206]

Its not a single handed weapon nor a two handed weapon then its a three handed weapon problem solved

[@SpinningTurtle66]

“He’s holding it wrong!” Kratos: Throws axe 100m into a dragon’s mouth, drops a mountain on him, calls the axe back as it tears through the dragon and use his Spartan Rage to decimate the dragon Shad: “yeh but bad form”

[@motherlyfather9871]

Shad: "THAT STILL ONLY COUNTS AS ONE!"

[@nathanielb.2561]

Imagine what he could do with actual good form.

[@muhammedshamil2443]

Kratos: Boi, you are not ready

[@omnical6135]

@@nathanielb.2561 dear god

[@_V.Va_]

"Yes, yes. Very impressive. BUT YER HOLDIN' THE DAMN THING WRONG!" - Shad

[@liberatusblair]

Kratos's axe may not be historically accurate but, as you've mentioned, it perfectly fits his needs. His axe just looks like how I would imagine an axe that's used by a god-killer who kratos is.

[@troydunkle8248]

"Yes, Santa Claus is real and he would use an axe." I think we need a "What medieval weapon would Santa Claus use in real life" video to further discuss this point.

[@ColdNorth0628]

War pick. One side to rid of the ice, the other to bash the naughty warlords heads in.

[@absher6973]

He would use sleigh bells

[@Yak1312]

Merry X-mas!

[@j-don5228]

A sledgehammer/warpick, so that he can infiltrate houses at his leisure

[@PunkZombie1300]

You fools, he obviously uses an Executioner Greatsword with the Sunset Shield.

[@tempasdiz1j]

God of War releases and his neighbor looks outside and sees him doing a video with a replica of Kratos his weapon ''Ah shit, here we go again''

[@user-vp5dn3uz8t]

"Steve he's doing a weapon video again"

[@pedroscoponi4905]

A comprehensive guide to axefighting as a super-human 1- Grab the end of the shaft with both hands 2- Hold it horizontally, put your right foot back and bring the axe to your shoulder 3- Step forward, striking horizontally and then 4- Spin in place while holding the axe outward* 5- Repeat step 4 until your targets are all dead or you've literally passed out from vertigo *Screaming is optional, but recommended!

[@ninjahombrepalito1721]

Pedro Scoponi Lol XD

[@РоманГогешвили]

superhuman, or just really untrained but easily distressed person

[@helgenlane]

You already messed up at first step. Axe is not a baseball bat and you are not going to fight baseballs.

[@YayaFeiLong]

It looks like Sindri and Brok intended for the Leviathan Axe to be all-purpose; its primary use seems to be a one-handed battleaxe, but at the beginning of the game Kratos holds it in both hands to chop a tree down. The Leviathan Axe was originally Faye's, so it's likely Kratos uses it incorrectly because he just doesn't know better, and his super strength takes care of most of the usual inconveniences.

[@LS-wy4bk]

In gow 1 book its said that kratos is a master of all weapons...

[@wyvernslayer4530]

Brok and sindri

[@stantorren4400]

except Greeks rarley used axes apart from being a tool they used swords, blades and spears with shields

[@Sbaker566]

Old comment, but Kratos is 6'6 or so, and bulky even at that height. A 2 handed axe made for a woman, or even sized for most any normal sized human, would almost be toy like for him, hence the whole too small to use exclusively 2 handed, but awkwardly sized for single hand use.

[@tejacube8373]

@@Sbaker566 Well Fey was a giant so size is quite relative here.

[@hoegild1]

Oh dear! I just spotted, that your kids castle DONT HAVE ANY MACCHICULATIONS! This is unforgivable!!! Also, what about dragons? Your kids are completely unprotected from dragonattacks. They need a ballista, or at least some firefighting equipment...

[@caninelupus8369]

And pots of boiling oil. Can't forget those.

[@XxgoodbudsxX]

We learned from game of thrones that if you only have one dragon they are invincible to ballista lmfao

[@bradhaines3142]

@@XxgoodbudsxX only if the guys cant aim. like at all. that was so annoying

[@shattywack]

Wearing a black gambeson mid day in Australia... ARE YOU MAD?! That would be hot to wear up here in Canada!

[@concentratedcringe]

I live down in Tasmania, and despite the frigid temperatures we've had lately I still felt overheated just watching him.

[@lefterismplanas4977]

I think that black clothes can absorb more heat . And gambeson has many layers . So it might not have been as bad at the start .... but I do not know how many minutes he was recording xD

[@Lukester132]

I like how the whole Pommel thing has become a meme across most of these historical/HEMA channels.

[@thekingofcardboard]

I love the image of shad using a huge battle axe but deciding to kick with his foot.

[@shanaenaeshanaenae9400]

Excellent spin kick! Looks to me like you've actually studied Tae Kwon Do.

[@ArgieGrit]

He always says "yes, I studied Tae Kwon Do, and yes, it doesn't look like it", but it does looks like it

[@TheQuakeIV]

"and thats just the shaft, wait until you get a look at the head!"

[@kriss3907]

I laughed entirely too hard at that joke...not ashamed to admit it...

[@TheCapitalLetterM]

That's what she said.

[@imugi-16]

As a taekwondo blackbelt, that was very crisp spinning hook kick

[@maaxorus]

박지호 I may not be a blackbelt, but I have a few years of experience and yes that was a good kick.

[@floof5949]

I agree

[@ryanart7241]

박지호 yea I was thoroughly impressed with the dexterity and reach of that kick. Nice shad

[@fattiger6957]

Wouldn't it be awesome if there was an RPG where the animations change as your character levels up? Like you are super sloppy baseball bat swinging at level 1 and become more graceful and precises the higher you go until you are a fluid master of death at max level.

[@shadiversity]

That would be awesome.

[@streetz86]

Dark Souls 3 does that to weapons your'e not strong enough to wield.

[@delvisomanda1]

Fat Tiger the only ones i can think of are gothic 1 and gothic2 . Sorry for my bad english

[@KuraIthys]

Would be cool, but given how animation is done it'd be a hell of a lot of work. Plus there is a lot of secondary stuff tied to battle animations as well.

[@rowdyabilene375]

There already is one game precisely like that, it's called Gothic. You have to train with your weapon to get better attack animations.

[@infidelheretic923]

There was a feat in one version of dungeons and dragons called “brutal throw”. Normally a ranged attack is dexterity based but with brutal throw you can use your strength instead. I think of that when I see Kratos chuck the leviathan axe.

[@HonorableTaco]

Your fiction to historical combat comparisons are the best I've seen. You are one of the only people that I've seen who puts in the effort to understand the context from within the fiction and use it in your evaluation. What I'm referring to here, is you referencing the capabilities of the character in question and using that as an element of your criticism or justification. To specify, how you lay out what the character can do, why they could do it, if they should do it, and potentially if they likely wouldn't do it, and comparing that to historical combat as a point of reference. Really good stuff, Shad. I wouldn't mind if you did more of these.

[@davontihoward1864]

TK Dave awesomely said

[@XBullitt16X]

Totally agree

[@CoffeeFresh_]

The only thing I took away from this video is the historical accuracy of statements like: "Santa did exist." And "Santa would use an axe".

[@Cookie-fe7mn]

When you think about it, it makes sense that kratos would be more used to a shield than a axe, as Greek warriors used shields as their most important tool

[@zanelemler4446]

The old saying come home caring it or on it

[@ThePageTurnerPT]

So I practice Tae Kwon Do, and my kicks are super low because I'm not flexible with the same general body type as you Shad. And the fact that you can do a TKD back reverse kick at your head is HELLA impressive. Well fucking done mate

[@Chaps_Jr]

Who are you, oh one who is wise in the ways of medieval warfare? "I am an historian." What is your name, historian? "There are some who call me by the name of... Shad?"

[@daisan5859]

tim ?

[@xyon9090]

*BOY* the comment section.. *BOI..*

[@dr.calibrations7984]

Shad moves a helluva lot better than i though he could, AND HE'S DOING IT IN A GAMBISON!!

[@evalpenguin8797]

6:44 "santa claus exists and he would use an axe" I'm now picturing santa claus in crimson red gambeson riding his sled across a medieval battlefield using an axe as a cavalry saber...

[@mennograafmans1595]

I would say, he would more likely use a bow. On a sled, you need a lot of range to get beyond the sled itself. And because of the reindeer in front, a lance is useless. But an axe for boarding would be usefull.

[@theldraspneumonoultramicro405]

well, color was rather expensive back then and he had to get that red somehow :)

[@AJZulu]

Merry Fking Christmas indeed

[@427Arbok]

In defense of Kratos's base position with the axe, he does use the Leviathan in some capacity as a throwing axe, so the outreached position is more effective for chucking the thing on short notice. When a weapon like that is shouldered, you'd have to shift it into position to get your full arm into the swing, whereas the position he holds it in can use his full arm at any time. That said, good points all around, and I learned a lot about historical axe combat from this.

[@greggaverett9949]

Every actual, competitive axe throw you will ever see is directly overhand, not sidearm. Aim and distance is impossible to assess with a sidearm throw.

[@sonicpsycho13]

He already uses a type of sidearm throw with the blades of chaos, so it could be a natural habit from using those.

[@devonogrady6403]

He could just as easily chuck it overhand, and competitive axe throwing is done overhand.

[@tomjue5128]

His base stance imo is due to camera angle

[@JSFRD]

@@greggaverett9949 I think you forgot one thing: He is a fucking god. He pushed over a fucking 500 meter long stonemason hammer. I don't think Kratos has any problems with accuracy and distance

[@gamelordthebadass4010]

Santa Clause exist and he would use an axe. Put that on a shirt

[@THEonlyAEON]

Holy crap I want to draw that now! Just need to wait til I've done my work for college, lol :P

[@gunsniper0018]

look up santa the barbarian, a comic done by maximum press back in the day. Not on a shirt but wouldn't be hard to put it on one.

[@djy53]

kratos is santa clause

[@logosimian]

Santa is prone to fisticuffs.

[@callumholliday5202]

I agree I'd get that shirt

[@flametitan100]

So in short: Not necessarily a realistic/accurate axe design, but not necessarily outside the realm of probability. Bigger issues come from people not knowing how to axe fight. Do I have that right?

[@rvanzo925]

I think if we imagined a guy the size of Kratos, without being a god or anything, he could probably wield that axe effectively. He is big, strong and heavy enough to do it and the grip of the axe is further up the shaft. He’s movements are not historically accurate, but then again he is killing monster made of rock, so you would probably need to overswing to actually do some damage. Overal, given the absurdity of fantasy weapons, the leviathan axe is pretty accurate and reasonable.

[@ThetaReactor]

It's a reasonable design within the context of the game, which is fine. Contrast with something like a Buster Sword which would require not only superhuman strength but also lead boots.

[@EricJacobusOfficial]

The gold standard is utilizing this knowledge to develop the cool silhouettes and idle poses that the game animators were always seeking on the mocap stage. That said, nice analysis... boy.

[@J_Seuss]

Shieeeet if it isn't the god of war himself! Huge fan of your stuff!

[@arnoldernestine8684]

1:50 "Starts swinging axe like a boss" Me: Gentlemen we have a god at our midst

[@DoomRater]

That ain't Jackscepticeye!

[@kodyjayvin]

I feel you have a fair amount of good points, but this is the kind of guy who has beaten gods to death with his bare hands and can pick up entire trees like a light stick. Even if his hand is a little forward or if his swings are more difficult, its as easy for him as a human waving around a piece of straw. And he is literally a god of war, so I doubt the exertion of waving an axe, which weighs next to nothing to him, would take even a fraction of his stamina. Regardless of my aforementioned points, I enjoyed your episode and I'm glad that someone is willing to delve into the real life equivalent of video game fighting

[@kaimagnus5760]

That and the Chaos Blades we're easily some of the most ridiculous fantasy weapons in existence and he swung them around like they were weightless. This puny axe by comparison would be nothing to Kratos.

[@Aerroon]

> its as easy for him as a human waving around a piece of straw Take a piece of straw and hold it to the side like that for 5-10 minutes. It's not as easy!

[@kodyjayvin]

Perhaps for a weakling such as yourself, but we're talking about a man who was raised in sparta to be a warrior, the most grueling and intense warrior culture ever to exist. Then, after fighting countless battles, and being chosen by the god of war to be his champion, he battled nonstop until he killed aries, became the next literal god of war, murdered all the titans, fought and killed every single greek god, and all that after falling down to hades and climbing back up to olympus, the towering mountain of the gods. I'm pretty sure his physical strength and stamina are so far beyond human comprehension that we could not judge him based on what a normal person could do.

[@rockfisher2424]

Kodyjay even the beginning of the new PS4 God of War game shows him carrying an entire tree with one arm like it was nothing. Along with other feats of strength. Plus it also makes sense why he may not be as proficient with the ax, it wasn't his until recently, belonging actually to his wife Faye.

[@johnwerner6445]

Kodyjay who is aries? Its Ares

[@cancermancer692]

18:43 *Chaimpion Gundyr flashbacks*

[@wyvernslayer4530]

Yes... Chaimpion

[@lassim3111]

Ahh old friend gundyr

[@shamimahmedchowdhury4228]

Yeah one of my fav ds boss

[@brycenwalker3385]

Oww... Why must thou remind me. My casual days of not knowing how to press L2 at the right time still haunt me...

[@no-u.]

I see, you're a man of cultural.

[@ssg4predater]

It's obvious why Santa would use an ax. Got to chop those Christmas Trees down after all. That said, that just gave me the imagery of Santa fighting off dark elves from his workshop with a battle ax, riding his slay like a war chariot... Great vid Shad, also impressive Kick! Wasn't expecting that.

[@billysagulo8038]

Should have brought your kids out.... if you had a son, you could have yelled "BOY!" at him... you know, for kicks.

[@denos1699]

Billy Sagulo BOY

[@CabooseTheMousse]

I saw the thumbnail and thought to myself “he’s Kratos, he wields it however the he’ll he wants.”

[@jumanjicostco3248]

*Just want to give some input in a designing perspective :)* so don't kill me The way he grips the axe is most likely for the sake of a proper silhouette and composition on screen. (Same for why the size of it is exaggerated) If you watch the gameplay footage again, one of the highlighted features is that he can recall his axe back to his grip after throwing it. Meaning this is something the players should be familiar with and will be using for a million times. When he does this, the animators made sure that his catching hand is visible to the player and that it is clear that the "Recall" action has taken effect. The animation projects a noticeable silhouette that clarifies the action to the player. And as you were saying, Kratos has super human strength. So catching the axe by the rear of the handle would be a piece of cake. That is where composition comes in. If he catches the axe by the rear, there's a chance that the axe head would be cut off at the top of the frame and would look really awkward in terms of composition. Catching the axe by the middle makes sure that it gets placed in the points of interest of Rule of thirds and that the glowing engravings become highlighted. The size of the axe is also exaggerated for these reasons. In fighting games, weapon sizes (and even fists and feet) are made larger than usual so that the player will have a good sense what the action would be. I'm pretty sure these are the reasons because these are literally the basics of character design. PS: Love these videos still! It's fun to learn history! But it's a video game and it also deserves to be critiqued in designing language!

[@Beremor]

That's some interesting input there, friend! Seeing as how supersizing melee weaponry is a common trope even in film makes me wonder though: How difficult would it really be to animate proper historical combat (in terms of equipment, technique, and speed) in a way that is understandable and entertaining to an average, uneducated viewer? I understand that many viewers wouldn't appreciate the "puny weaponry" because they've been trained to understand that a real man's sword is at least two meters long in total and must weigh no less than 10 kilograms. On the other hand is the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy which, for the most part, has realistically sized and shaped swords and was well received regardless.

[@kargarkargar6055]

Cassie Barns

[@starburner2638]

I think it even said the leviathan axe is a two handed axe but kratos just said "fuck that" and swings it like a steroid filled maniac

[@takashiryuusuke2770]

StarBurner that would explain EVERYTHING

[@blackeroni]

StarBurner yeah he's a demigod with superhuman strength. A battle axe might as well be a butterknife to him

[@SERPENTONORTHAM1992]

Well, he can lift whole giants, smash huge boulders, jump from the skies and land with a few scratches. The real struggle for Kratos is to not grab the axe too hard and destroy the handle, lol.

[@dzdogg]

He doesn't care if his holding it wrong he still has [ L3 + R3 is now available ]

[@mas8705]

What I think I love the most about this video is the fact that you can argue that Kratos not using the axe in an efficient matter actually would make sense. I'm sure you can point towards a few Greek examples of axe users, but for the most part, The Axe wasn't exactly the Spartan's weapon of choice (or at least you can point towards a few other weapons that would likely be used before an axe). So one could argue that while Kratos knows how to fight with the Leviathan Axe, it isn't exactly that he knows how to use it properly like his late wife. Either way though, this was a great video to watch the break down and I can't wait to see more. *Hits Sub*

[@minnion2871]

Also his wife may have been a shape-shifting giantess... Which might explain a thing or two about her axe...

[@Mianless]

That spinning back kick was beautiful.

[@synthrogue6856]

"The axe's defensive capability is absolute crap!" Stamford Bridge Berserker: "Hold my beer, bro!"

[@ColdNorth0628]

"Hold my pelt"

[@tanoshiofm3852]

It's true. That's why he uses a shield with it.

[@goofysamathewise5561]

That kick is so worth a sub. 18:42 - 18:48

[@XxImStarvingxX]

goofy sama the wise no joke....

[@night1952]

Yup, as a martial artist it was a pretty nice kick. The footwork at the start not so good, but the execution and return to a stance were on point.

[@eng.George50]

the YOOO sound killed me :))

[@skywrithin6963]

yeah but it was sped up lol

[@ZeDawgear]

Great video, but one correction; Santa Claus uses an Executioner Sword, as seen in Dark Souls 3. :)

[@daniellarkin8596]

Auge des Kaisers gale is santa but instead of dispersing coal he kills every living thing

[@noodle393]

This is great. I love how you are able to point out the flaws in his combat style while still acknowledging that he can get away with it because he is a god. I feel most people would just pick one side (reality or fantasy) and stick to it.

[@josephplatt7622]

I smell a series on what kind of weapon(s) would holiday mascots actually use.

[@ElectorCount]

THIS!

[@yiweicao4051]

That spinning kick...It's beautiful.

[@ninjahombrepalito1721]

Calcium Oxide It was indeed very well performed.

[@naimovfarhod]

I`m a game developer (level designer) and I practice kendo at the same time, so I`m familiar both to game development and sword combat. The thing is, it`s not Kratos fighting, its player, and developer has to make sure what player sees (position of the camera and stance and axe), what could be transition between animations when player decides to press one button or another. Also there is sword throwing attacks that adds more complexity (and probably fun) for game combat designer. Love your videos tho, I believe if combat designers would know more about historic axe combats they would do even better job. PS. The taekwondo spinning kick was awesome :)

[@shadfacts6465]

Shad Fact: Shad's "Buys me a Castle" Kickstarter was deleted by a vengeful dwarf, whom Shad beat in a game of Warhammer.

[@amitabhakusari2304]

The dwarf wasn't using historically accurate weapons, so Shad had to attack.

[@dark666105]

Fancy that, it's like an executioners axe and he has a move called executioners cleave...

[@terrytaylor1732]

Funny enough, if Kratos did design the Leviathan Axe, the grip probably would be at the bottom. But it was actually his wife's axe first.

[@STUNTHEINSECT]

I didn't care at all about this video, but you are so passionate you made me care

[@Raikiir]

I love God of War AND Historical Combat. A Video like this is all in good fun and in fact celebrates both. Really enjoyed the watch!

[@soogmer9025]

When you’re in your yard like this I like to think about what your neighbors are thinking over the fence

[@ourtube1128]

the pommel of mass *DESTRUCTIONNNNNNNNN* it kills me every time! good show shad!

[@РоманГогешвили]

well, that's no surprise, after all, that's what it was designed for

[@Jasonwolf1495]

Excuse me, but Santa Claus, aka Saint Nick, aka Saint Nicholas, was actually known for being quite the bare nuckle buster. He didn't need a weapon. He'd just deck you for your heresy.

[@stevie_ily]

Jeffrey someone’s halls are getting decked this year.

[@ChristopherFortunate]

Thumbnail: He's holding it Wrong Me: Yeah tell the God Of War how to hold an Axe

[@omnical6135]

he have bad form

[@kimoomik7600]

18:45 *Martial Arts Intensifies* Most impressive

[@kimoomik7600]

Mr. Shad- - has noticed me! I am honored :D

[@Manu-ct9uz]

Well Kratos is expert warrior with decades of experience and is inhumanely strong. So Kratos can ignore problems that most people have with heavy weapons and risky moves. The spin moves might be influenced by his former weapons Blades of Chaos/Athena/Exile and accuracy isn't a problem because these chain blades were much more difficult to use. Another thing i would like to point out is that in the video you mentioned that combat axes were shorter that Leviathan axe so Kratoses point of grip might come from that just because it is more comfortable for him to use his axe this way. I might be wrong just throwing my speculations around like an axe that will return to me.

[@tejacube8373]

Kratos grip position seems pretty accurate to me as it's the most comfortable grip position in my experience, at least with this kind of grip.

[@PeachDragon_]

Kratos is taller than 2mt... To him that's the right size for a one handed axe...

[@rishabhjagota4034]

He's 6'6 according to wiki....

[@freshavocado4755]

Drake 5 that’s literally 2 meters dude

[@cussundriakneal9904]

It literally looks like a normal one handed axe when he's weilding it. I only realized the wonky porpotions of it when his son was standing next to it. XD

[@haillobster7154]

@@freshavocado4755 that's 1.95 meters. Almost 2 metres.

[@Somethingwithoutatrace]

shreee fetus mature

[@CG3theRealtor]

Yo you really slick as hell with the moves foreal😂that axe combo and taekwondo kick was nice💯👌🏾 subscribed

[@stuchly1]

You are the only (occasional) KZbin screamer who is legitimately funny and not annoying. 😂 Perfect intro for an informative video though. Really woke me up. 😀

[@jasontodd8933]

"And yes, Santa Claus exists, and he would use an axe." best line EVER!

[@LovelyChaosIsABeauty]

As a taekwondo student, your form was really good. I don’t know if you’ve studied it before, but good job lol. As with spinning, I would never do a spin attack if my opponent had a weapon because it leaves you open to an attack. Spinning with martial arts increases force with your own limbs. Spinning isn’t really required with weapons because the weapon being at a distance adds more force (as well as a cutting edge, eliminating the need for pure blunt force). I also like how you mentioned how Cretos(sp?) is a superhuman/god so his fighting style will be different from historical fighting. Though I think maybe implementing some of the techniques you mentioned would make the combat more realistic and arguably cooler.

[@Vennant]

I could maybe see someone do a spinning attack as a part of a dodge, for example if your enemy lunged at you with his weapon. You could maybe spin sort of to his side and use the momentum to hit him.

[@kenansabic2901]

Vennant Wouldn't that be just sidestepping the attack?

[@Zergonapal]

Makes me wonder why video game developers don't consult with HEMA experts more. I mean Shad looked pretty cool doing those axe strikes. It would have looked just as good if Kratos was doing it.

[@stuchly1]

Trent Baker Nonsense! No one can look as cool as Shad swinging an axe!

[@MrFr2eman]

I agree, just from an artistic/visual point of view proper axe stances and strikes Shad showed in the video look much better compare to that you see in the game, especially these big horizontal swings look super awkward to me

[@MrFr2eman]

@Stephan Salvatore, Kratos is a Spartan tho, and before he became a God of War he was a General, so I'm pretty sure he supposed to be trained in martial arts

[@IndustrialBonecraft]

it's called a 'spectacle fighter' for a reason.

[@MrFr2eman]

@Stephan Salvatore that is a fair point, although I would still prefer him performing more real life looking techniques just because I think they look better and more "natural" in a way :)

[@kristianvaris2996]

So basically the way a god of war fights is flashy, mocking, inefficient and not possible for a normal human

[@Thezaccazzac]

2 Things, First: this is some nice audio quality for being outside. Often times you can hear wind, or worse just can't hear the person speaking. but not with this video, so good job. And Second: when is someone going to take all this video from the side and turn Shad into a Mortal Kombat character?

[@setlerking]

Techno_Zed that's now on my mods wishlist

[@117Haseo]

Wait hes not Sheng Tsung in a disguise?

[@kennethleo4471]

Give me a little while in Kreate-a-fighter.

[@42astrutsen]

There are actually some spinning attacks in the Montante (zweihänder/spadone/greatsword) treatises from the 1500:s. Specifically when they deal with a single Zweihänder-wielding defender vs several attackers with other weapons. This was very awkward to me when I first tried it, and still is to some degree. Experiments that we have tried in our HEMA-club tells that a skilled person with a Zwerhänder can keep a lot of attackers at bay as long as he/she keeps that big sword spinning. It is really hard to get close enough to hit with a shorter weapon in those situations. Similar techniques ought to work with a great axe.

[@adambielen8996]

I imagine that the great axe would be less efficient because of its long haft, whereas the greatsword is mostly blade.

[@42astrutsen]

That is probably one of the reasons why the large two handed swords actually was used and got their own treatises and the big two handed axes didn't.

[@greathoonta3461]

“Kratos is a little bit stronger then the average human” **Kratos laughing in lifting the entire 9 realms with zero fatigue**

[@EscapeMCP]

I don't rate your castle. Not very historically accurate - where are the machicolations? I'm also wondering where that portcullis goes? How are your kids going to learn proper history? Bet they love it though :)

[@ArgieGrit]

They are gonna be in trouble when angry Shad storms the castle to make them tide their bedrooms.

[@ninjahombrepalito1721]

18:43 very good kick

[@tonecao4358]

but not something you really use in a real situation because you'll completely lose sight of your opponent. Or at least I'm not gonna do that in a sparring match, too many kick to the ball because of fancy moves... :D

[@TheGerudan]

I actually hated that in the Witcher 3 as well. The whole spinning during a fight is so stupid in almost all situation when there is an enemy close...

[@aurourus6894]

+Tone Cao Unarmed martial arts don't work on the same principals as armed martial arts, spinning attacks work just fine.

[@tonecao4358]

not saying it won't work but base on my own experience as a Taekwondo practitioner. I'll say a spin kick is a good way to invite your opponent to your blind side, saw it happen too many time when inexperience peeps want to do fancy stuff.

[@aurourus6894]

The only time that would happen is if your leg got stuck on something, you spin back into your normal stance far too quickly for anyone to do something.

[@rookiedrifter4273]

"Who the hell made this thing, the design of it's totally flawed! For a two-handed axe, the hilt is way too short!" "It's not flawed, it's just a one-handed axe..." *The One intensifies*

[@src248]

Well the big overhand strike is literally called the "executioners cleave" in game so it being an executioners style ax does make sense in that regard

[@8thfloormath369]

Your Physics IS ;) good. So I took mechanics in high school. It's the part of physics that has to do with how things move, if you're wondering other parts of physics include electricity and magnetism (E&M) and relativity and more (which are all heavily intertwined with mechanics and each other). So that is where my knowledge comes from. Your correct on what centripetal force is. It's the force keeping the mass rotating, it's the tension in your arm during a swing that keeps the mass of your arm and the axe from flying off on a tangent. People reading this may have heard of centrifugal force which is not actually a force, it is the masses tangental velocity that the centripetal force has to overcome, it could be in the form of tension or gravity(with planets) or maybe other forces. When you swing your arm really fast in circles around your shoulder and it feels like it's going to rip off, that is centrifugal force be careful trying it :). When it comes to the figure 8 motion that you mentioned, your right that it conserves momentum better, but it is a special kind of momentum called angular momentum. Momentum is mass times velocity so it is (mostly) when mass has velocity (light also has momentum, that is a rabbit hole I wont get into). In the case of a rotating piece of mass the velocity is always changing so instead of linear momentum we use angular momentum which is moment of inertia(in this case it is the mass of your arm plus the axe times the distance from the center of mass of your arm and the axe to the axle (your shoulder hopefully) squared or m*r*r) times the angular velocity(how fast you swing your arm and axe around your shoulder (the axle) assuming you only use your shoulder to swing otherwise it is more complicated, you get the idea though). Yeah things get more complicated when rotating. Compared to swords, axes and maces have more angular momentum. Now when it comes to how far your hand is up the axe handle you are also right. Now in this example I will explain it where you only use your wrist instead of your shoulder as the axle, so the mass and reach of your arm isn't involved here unlike before (to make it simpler). When you have your hand farther up it deceases the distance between the center of mass of the axe and the axle(your wrist) which decreases the moment of inertia which decreases the angular momentum, but it also decreases the amount of torque needed to accelerate it to the same degree (angular acceleration or alpha not regular acceleration) making it easier to wield because you can accelerate and decelerate with less torque. People reading this can imagine the opposite because I'm tired of typing. In the future talk about thrust that way nothing is rotating and everything is much simpler.

[@aliteralmoth2243]

The ax being very similar to an executioner ax does make a lot of sense when you think about why it was made in the first place.

[@siddharthgautamdev]

Great points! Love the amount of effort and detail put into your analysis. However, just from a video game design perspective, the grip is kept there to make the animations easier and a lot more natural looking while charging up attacks. Similarly, the decision to keep his axe to the side is to give the gamer an idea of how much he has charged his throw. It's part of what we call as the visual language in gameplay. Santa Monica has an old habit of trying out movements with weapons, capturing the motion and then making the character move like a total badass. Kind of like you with wearing those clothes in that heat. They also need to keep the movements of his attacks wider and varied to allow him to hit a range of different opponents without having to tweak his attack animations every time In a fight,, our pattern would change based on the size and number of opponents we fought. The game cannot have those animations changing as that would seriously drive up price and consume the processing capabilities of the system. I do understand that your video is about the real applications of Kratos' fighting style. I'm just a huge fanboy, I guess. Keep up the good work! Subscribing now!

[@justinthompson6364]

Video: "HEADPHONE USERS BEWARE!" *Explosion* Me: That wasn't so bad. Shad: "POMMELS OF MASS DEEEESTUCTIIIIIOOOOOOOOOONNNN!!!" Me: No coffee for me, thanks.

[@Grimbur]

It's very interesting, I agree with everything you saif in regards to the grip, but I draw the exact opposite conclusion. To me, it makes sense that Kratos would hold his axe the way he does, not despite but *because* he's superhuman. He is one of the physically strongest beings in existence, so imo he'll have more than enough strength to do devastating damage even when holding the axe a bit higher up, but he doesn't have superhuman accuracy or however you would want to call it. So imo it makes perfect sense he'd opt for a grip that gives him better accuracy and maneuvrability as the strength to land killing blows is there either way. Also, I like that his shield is more akin to a hoplite shield, being strapped, than to an actual viking centre grip shield, as he is originally a greek god, and not a norse one. So I like his shield is seemingly inspired or influenced by one of the most iconic pieces of gear of his culture of origin.

[@erhardtalex]

The only thing I can say in Kratos’ defense is that he doesn’t usually use axes.

[@crazeeeavery4203]

SearchForSunnyD nope he doesn't. It's actually his wifes axe but there's definitely nothing historically accurate about his swords from the original games.

[@Astropeleki]

Santa Claus would use an axe? Most valuable thing I've learned from you Shad...

[@screamingcactus1753]

Now THAT needs to be a T-shirt. Santa... WITH AN AXE!

[@thewarebear9737]

Would love to see you do something involving Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher.

[@kriss3907]

Ohh hell yes...Like how effective a silver sword actually is? What would its durability be like or what processes can be used to temper silver? Are they steel swords with a high enough content of silver to be deadly to monsters?....Ahh shit...you have me thinking way too much on this...

[@Guilhermegab]

Now you only need a safe area to test Kratos' axe throws. Having the axe actually coming back is optional.

[@drunkredninja]

Lots of games utilize that shield bash. Off the top, Warhammer Vermintide 2. Put that spinning heel kick on a tshirt btw. I'll take 10.

[@Frznwhrlpll]

that spinning heel kick *chefs kiss*

[@crysis117]

This is just a great man, look at the sun and then look at his armor/clothing, your blood could be boiling and you could still do such great content, this helps me so much to know how to do the animations accurate and realistic, I’m trying to do the concepts of a fantasy game but kinda realistic, I just love your content, man

[@jordancollins3242]

I AGREE YOU CAN PROBLY DO IT RANDOME HUMAN ON THE INTERNET

[@Mika-Fresh]

3:21 “This is in a weird, kind of midsize; and that’s just the shaft.” I believe it’s also fairly historically accurate to consider that’s what she said🍻 Sorry Shad, but you’re the perfect straight man for setting up a dirty joke. Thank you brother. Wonderful video so far 😁

[@DeaddMax]

This was suprisingly very entertaining. Well done for a first video I have seen from you. I find myself compeled to look for more.

[@xqzme7654]

An army of axe wielding ballerinas whirling like mad dervishes...terrifying absolutely terrifying

[@HexCypherr]

I feel the style and stance and grip really fit his character the kind of a guy who says fuck form or being efficient I will just cut them in half either way

[@beatcopdude9426]

Well, I know I'm a bit late, but I'd like to point out that in the lore of the game, he actually goes easy on the enemy, which is why people say Kratos in the first 3 games seems for more powerful against enemies, but he just goes easier on them, this could explain his grip on the axe, not wanting to absolutely destroy his enemies, but gove them a chance to run away. But I don't blame anyone for overlooking this detail, it took me weeks to find this out.

[@lukahorvat5964]

Wearing very thick, dark clothing in the Australian sun...you sir are a mad man