Kratos

"You... will not see the end of this day!"

- Kratos' Mortal Kombat (2011) Battle Cry

Kratos is the main character in Sony Computer Entertainment's God of War series, which is loosely based on Greek mythology. Kratos first appeared in God of War, which was released in March 2005, and whose success led to the development of five additional games featuring him as the protagonist. He appears as a guest character in the PlayStation 3 version of Mortal Kombat (2011) because Ed Boon and the Mortal Kombat team felt Kratos would "fit perfectly". However, he isn't part of the story mode.

About Kratos
Eventually revealed to be a demigod, Kratos embarks on a series of often forced adventures in attempts to avert disaster or change his fate. Kratos is usually portrayed as being oblivious to all else in the execution of these adventures, often engaging in morally ambiguous activities and performing acts of extreme violence. Each adventure forms part of a saga with vengeance as a central theme, and provides additional information on Kratos' origins and relationship with his family and the gods. Kratos has received positive critical reception, being described by reviewers as a "sympathetic antihero." The character is also associated with products including artwork, clothing, comic books, fast food, the internet, a novel, sweepstakes, toys, and cell phone skins, with Game Guru claiming that "Practically anyone, even if they hadn't played any of the God of War games, would know about Kratos." Kratos was featured in in GameInformer's "50 characters that defined a decade" issue, giving props for the games and the deep, well done storyline.

Kratos was officially confirmed to appear in the new Mortal Kombat video game at Spike TV's annual Video Game Awards with a new trailer. On March 23, Gamespot posted a new video showcasing Kratos' gameplay and stage.

Biography

 * kratosMK9VS.jpgMortal Kombat 2011: "Ancient Greece knew no more bloodthirsty a warrior than Kratos, who for a time was the God of War. Mortal once more, Kratos withdrew from the ages-old clash between men and gods. But his solitude was broken when he was ripped through space and time. As the madness subsided, Kratos found himself in present-day Outworld, kneeling before Shao Kahn. To ensure his victory in Mortal Kombat, the emperor had invoked an ancient ritual, sacrificing the souls of his vanguard to summon and enslave the most powerful warrior of all time. But the spell alone could not contain Kratos, who soon regained his free will. Enraged by Shao Kahn's arrogance, Kratos vowed to rip the warlord's spine from his body. The God of War had returned to battle."

Personality
thumb|250px|right In the beginning and throughout the God of War series until the very end, Kratos is a very destructive, amoral, self-centered anti-hero with a level of guilt so strong that he is constantly haunted by visions of his past misdeeds is often moved to extreme rage. Kratos has never shown any sense of love for anyone except his late wife and daughter whom he murdered in a fit of blind rage orchestrated by Ares. Many of his goals revolve around vengeance, hatred, and death. Unable to cope with the constant visions of his own misdeeds, Kratos attempted suicide on one occasion, but was saved by Athena. However in God of War 3, Kratos finally forgives himself for murdering his family, ending the guilt that haunted him for so long. When Athena demanded the power of Hope, so that she could rule over humanity, he performed the selfless act of stabbing himself with the Blade of Olympus; releasing the power of Hope for humanity to embrace and ensuring they would never serve the gods again.

Combat characteristics
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Kratos' main weapons were once the Blades of Chaos, a gift from Ares as a sign of Kratos' servitude. They are essentially two Falchion-like blades on long chains, permanently fused and seared to the wielder's forearms. Once Kratos killed Ares, Athena replaced them with a nearly identical pair of blades called the Blades of Athena, and then replaces them again in God of War III with the very similar Blades of Exile. Kratos displays proficiency with all of his weapons. It's implied that he learned many of his fighting skills from Ares, the former God of War himself.

Also, in the games, he's seen using different weapons, ranging from the Blade of Olympus to the Nemean Cestus. He uses the Head of Helios to stun his opponent with a blinding flash.

Signature moves
Kratos' fighting style often uses the Blades of Exile in his combos. He also has other weapons from the third game as well, such as the Nemean Cestus, the Bow of Apollo, the Head of Helios and Blade of Olympus.
 * Apollo's Bow: Kratos pulls out the Bow of Apollo and shoots two arrows. The enhanced version, Apollo's Inferno, fires three flaming arrows in an arc. (MK 2011)


 * Golden Fleece: After parrying an attack, Kratos slams his Blades of Exile on the ground, creating a shockwave that sends his opponent into the air. (MK 2011)


 * Helios Flash: Kratos pulls out the Head of Helios, which emits a small shockwave of light that blinds the opponent, leaving them vulnerable for a second attack. The enhanced version, Helios Flare, has a longer range. (MK 2011)


 * Zeus's Rage: A quicktime event style move where Kratos slashes the opponent and then punches them when they're on their knees. The enhanced version, Zeus's Wrath, adds a stab with the Blade of Olympus. 712103-t_mortalk_kratos_gp_001_thumb.jpg (MK 2011)


 * Hermes Dash: Using the Boots of Hermes, Kratos dashes through his opponent, damaging him/her and leaving a trail of fire. It can be charged. The enhanced version, Hermes Rush, is slightly more damaging. (MK 2011)


 * X-Ray Move: Nemean Cestus: Kratos anchors himself to his opponent with his Blades of Exile, then slides toward them. He then stabs his opponent with both Blades as he reaches him/her, slicing the ribcage. Then, he punches the opponent in the face with the Nemean Cestus, shattering their skull. (MK 2011)

Fatalities

 * thumb|250px|right|All Kratos Finishers in MK 2011Blade of Olympus: Kratos stabs the opponent with both Blades of Exile, wrenching out pieces of flesh as they are removed. As the opponent tries to stop the bleeding, Kratos draws the Blade of Olympus and drives it through their chest, finally slicing vertically through their torso. After a while, the sliced body stops moving and falls. Kratos then drives the blade into the ground, growling. (MK 2011)
 * Medusa's Gaze: Kratos pulls out Medusa's Head and turns the opponent to stone. Then he wields the Nemean Cestus and lunges through the opponent, shattering them into tiny pieces. (MK 2011)

Other finishers

 * Babality: He starts pulling on a Medusa plush doll's head until it is ripped off and holds it triumphantly. (MK 2011)

Ending

 * thumb|250px|rightMortal Kombat (2011): "Shao Kahn was dead. The God of War had prevailed. The spell that had summoned him began to reverse itself. As he slowly faded from this place and time, Kratos was approached by Raiden and Fujin. Though he did not count them among his enemies, Kratos had never been beloved by these gods. He prepared for kombat. To his surprise, they bowed to him, a show of respect he had not seen from an immortal in many an age. Raiden explained that though his motives were not pure, Kratos had saved Earthrealm. He was owed a debt of gratitude. As he returned to his own world, Kratos nodded silently. Their change of heart would perhaps prove useful one day. A debt of gratitude is often dearly paid."

Trivia

 * His first fatality, "Blade of Olympus," is considered by fans one of the most brutal fatalities in the game.
 * But his second fatality, "Medusa's Gaze," is often disliked because fans say it feels "like Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe."
 * If both players choose the default costume, P2 will have everything Kratos has red turned blue.
 * Also, if both players choose his alternate costume, P2 will have Kratos' red stripes in yellow.
 * When he performs any of his fatalities, God of War music starts playing.
 * In his ending, his golden fleece is missing.
 * His alternate costume is known as "Fear Kratos" from God of War 3.
 * His eye can be seen on the cover of the PS3 version of Mortal Kombat.
 * In the end of the Arcade Ladder, when Kratos is beating Shao Kahn, his blades turn into the Blades of Athena. After Shao Kahn is dead, they change back into the Blades of Exile.
 * Kratos has his own arena: Chamber of the Flame, which is the only arena to have 3 Stage Fatalities.
 * In Test Your Luck, if you get Armless Kombat when playing as Kratos, he will only be able to perform four attacks that actually damage the opponent: Front Kick, Back Kick, Spartan Knee and the jump kick.
 * Mortal Kombat (2011) is actually the second fighting game in which Kratos appeared in as a guest fighter. The first being Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny for the PSP.
 * If Kratos is defeated by Johnny Cage with his "And the winner is..." fatality, for some odd reason he will not get a trophy planted in his head. This may be an error, or just because Kratos is a guest character.
 * Also, if Mileena's Be Mine fatality is performed on Kratos, she will not eat Kratos' face, instead she will immediately drop it on the ground.
 * In addition to that, If Ermac's Pest Control fatality is performed on Kratos, Kratos will instead yell at Ermac instead of running around in fear.
 * His and Scorpion's backstories are very alike. They both had a wife and child who where killed and they both seek revenge.
 * He is the first guest character in the Mortal Kombat series.
 * He is the only character to do a sweep move not with a low kick, but with his Blades of Exile.
 * Whenever a Fatality or X-Ray attack is performed on Kratos, his mouth will not move for some reason.