When it comes to the numerous franchises under the PlayStation umbrella, few others have had as immense success as Santa Monica Studio's God of War saga. First hitting the scene on the PS2 in 2005, the series aimed to deliver high-flying adventure based on Greek mythology. Following the story of the brutal but broken man turned god, Kratos, the series features numerous epic showdowns as well as shockingly moving moments.

With the latest installment, God of War: Ragnarok, slated to hit the PS5 and PS4 this November, it's worthwhile to look back at the franchise as a whole and recount some of the biggest and most memorable sequences in Kratos' journey. With so many games in the God of War series and countless unforgettable encounters and set pieces, it's an almost impossible task to list them all. That being said, God of War has no shortage of large scale battles and heartbreaking scenes to choose from, and these are some examples commonly talked about among the fan base.

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The Fate of Kratos' Family

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Kratos is a tragic character, through and through. From his grim origins as a Spartan warrior, to the desperate deal he made with Ares to save his life, Kratos has had a life filled with violence and hardship. However, few other moments are as pivotal to the development and arc of Kratos as a character, as the sad death of his family in the first game on the PlayStation 2.

Kratos becomes Ares' personal mercenary for hire, owing him his life after Ares saved him on the battlefield. Kratos becomes a ruthless force of nature, completely losing sight of his own humanity. He kills, destroys and pushes through anything that Ares points him in the direction of, until one fateful day, Ares commands Kratos to attack a village where his wife and child are staying. An unaware Kratos kills them both, only realizing who his victims are before it is too late.

Kratos Versus The Colossus

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Serving as the swansong for the PS2 in early 2007, God of War 2 kicks things off with a bang as Kratos faces off against the Colossus. A towering statue brought to life by Zeus' magic, Kratos slowly chips away at the Colossus, inside and out. The battle goes on for a good amount of time, completely obliterating the city surrounding the conflict. Kratos eventually emerges victorious but at the cost of having to imbue the Blade of Olympus with his godly powers.

The pacing and scale of the battle are pitch perfect, and undeniably impressive that it's all running on the PlayStation 2. The original God of War game was considered at the time to be the peak of what that console's technology could handle, but these opening moments of the sequel completely blow them away in a matter of minutes.

Kratos Versus Poseidon

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Speaking of large scale battles, God of War 3 was jam packed with them, including its titanic sized opening with pitted Kratos against Poseidon, god of the sea. Leading into the PlayStation 3 generation, fans were eager to see what the developers could do with much stronger hardware, and from the first sequence in the game it was clear the conclusion to the original trilogy would be quite the rush.

Kratos leaps through the air, performing dizzying attacks against Poseidon's many aquatic limbs. Tearing away at the god piece by piece, the fight eventually climaxes in a truly gruesome beat down. Kratos pummels Poseidon to death, and gouges his eyes out for good measure. What makes this even more brutal is that players see the entire scene from Poseidon's perspective, emulating the fear of being at the opposite end of Kratos' rage.

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Kratos Reunited With His Daughter

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As mentioned above, Kratos' backstory is one filled with tragedy and great personal loss. Underneath all the gruffness and strength, Kratos is a very damaged soul who just longs to be with his family again. During the final moments of the PSP adventure God of War: Chains of Olympus, Kratos confronts the Queen of the Underworld in the Temple of Persephone, and she offers the Spartan a choice.

He can either give up his power and be reunited with his daughter (at the cost of humanity's suffering) or continue with his mission to fight the Queen of the Underworld. As much as Kratos wants to be with his daughter, he knows the right thing to do is to press on with his mission, and sadly gives up his chance to be with her again in order to vanquish a larger threat.

Brothers Team-Up

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In the second God of War PSP game, Ghost of Sparta, Kratos ventures on a very personal journey to find his brother, who he had long thought was deceased. Kratos enters the Underworld, facing off against demonic creatures in the search for his long, lost brother, Deimos. Years earlier, the gods of Olympus learned of a prophecy that a marked warrior would bring their demise. Mistaking this warrior for Deimos instead of Kratos, the gods imprisoned him for the rest of his life.

Deimos lived his life hating Kratos, but during the climax ultimately forgives him in order to team up and defeat Thanatos, the god of death. Their reunion is a triumphant moment, one that is sadly followed by tragedy as Deimos does not survive the battle, leaving Kratos even more bitter towards the God of Olympus.

"I Am Your Monster No Longer"

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2018's God of War was lauded as one of the finest achievements in gaming of its time, earning multiple awards and nominations at the end of the year. For such a critical darling, the game surely has no shortage of moments to choose from, such as the numerous scenes with Atreus or callbacks to Kratos' past. However, perhaps the most standout moment makes the best of the original games and this new interpretation of Kratos, during a pivotal moment in the narrative.

With Atreus' life in danger, Kratos has no choice but to tap into powers that he had long sealed away, and a part of himself that he tried his best to forget. In a haunting journey back to his home in the woods, Kratos sees visions of Athena, who mocks the Spartan for being a monster, and nothing more. Kratos digs up his Blades of Chaos, fastens them to his arm, and firmly retorts that he may be a monster, but he is no longer the monster of the Gods of Olympus. It is a powerful moment that pays tribute to what came before while also setting Kratos on a new path for the future.

God of War: Ragnarok is set to be released on November 9, 2022 for PS4 and PS5.

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