Summary
TheGod of Warfranchise has showcased a variety of moments in Kratos' life, and one of the most important thus far has focused on his relationship with his son Atreus. Atreus was first introduced in 2018’sGod of War, and his relationship with his father often sees the two butting heads but ultimately respecting one another.
From the beginning, Atreus was clearly headstrong, and this was further illustrated inRagnarokwhen the character regularly ventured out on his own to Asgard to meet with Odin. Between the events of 2018’sGod of WarandRagnarok, Atreus saw a jump in age that showed players how the character was starting to grow into his powers and slowly become more mature.The nextGod of Wargamecould easily age up Atreus again, and there are a variety of pros and cons to this possibility.
The Pros and Cons of Making Atreus Older in the Next God of War
The Pros
One of the biggest benefits of making Atreus older in the nextGod of Waris that players would get to play as a more mature version of the character. It’s been quite compelling to see Atreus grow so far and exploring realms as an adult could offer a fresh new perspective for the character.At the end ofRagnarok, Atreus ventured on his own to search for the remaining Giants, and whatever this journey holds is sure to teach a lot of lessons that will make him a more well-rounded person.
A major focus of Atreus' story inRagnarokwas how he was starting to grow into his powers. As a way to utilize his rage,Atreus can shape-shift into animals, most notably a wolf and a bear. Atreus being older almost definitely means that he would have gained better control of these shape-shifting powers and may have even discovered new animals to transform into. An older Atreus means that players would get to see how his powers and abilities have evolved to make him a god to be reckoned with.
Currently, there is no official confirmation about anotherGod of War, but one possibility is that the story may be setting upAtreus to eventually take up his father’s mantlein the overall narrative. If this ends up being the case, an older Atreus would be far more suited to follow in the footsteps of his father than his age inRagnarok. InRagnarok, Atreus had begun to mature and become more independent, but he was still nowhere near ready to lead his own story.
A popular theory suggests that Atreus' search for the remaining Giants will take him to an all-new realm that could potentially introduce a new pantheon of gods.
The Cons
A big con of making Atreus older in the next entry is that it means there will be a lot of missing time betweenRagnarokand its follow-up. There’s no telling how longAtreus will be on his ownas he searches for Giants, but it would be a shame to miss out on that if the jump in age is significant. Atreus' journey could definitely take years, which means players could see an older Atreus still looking for Giants, but that still means there are several years left unaccounted for.
Unfortunately, the most obvious con in an older Atreus would mean that Kratos may be on his way out. There are plenty of theories aboutan Atreus-ledGod of Wargame, and if this happens, it’s probably because Kratos has either retired voluntarily or has been killed.
Getting to see an older Atreus would be an exciting new look into the character, but there are also some serious downsides to consider. Although it would be great to see the character grow into a well-rounded and powerful individual, it also has major implications for the franchise’s future.
