Kratos surely has aged over the years with every entry in the God of War franchise. Aside from the obvious changes in the Ghost of Sparta’s physique and appearance, his strength and wisdom also changed over the years. We’ll be mapping out Kratos’ age through all of the God of War games as well as his current age now that Ragnarok is here.
A timeline of Kratos’ age in all God of War games
Kratos surely has come a long way ever since we met him in 2005. Back then, he was a young Spartan soldier out on a mission to take down Ares, the Greek God of War. But there’s a stark difference between the Kratos then to the Kratos in the recent games, especially when we started the second era.
It might get confusing along the way so here’s a quick overview of how old Kratos is through the years:
| GAME | YEAR RELEASED | KRATOS’ AGE | ERA |
| God of War | 2005 | 38 years old | First Era/Greek Mythology |
| God of War II | 2007 | 50 years old | |
| Betrayal | Around 40-50 years old | ||
| Chains of Olympus | 2008 | Around 30-35 years old | |
| God of War III | 2010 | 50 years old | |
| Ghost of Sparta | 2010 | Between 39-40 years old | |
| God of War: Ascension | 2013 | Around 28 years old | |
| God of War | 2018 | Around 1050 years old | Second Era/Norse Mythology |
| God of War: Ragnarok | 2022 | Over 1050 years old |
There are plenty of discussions about Kratos’ actual age in each game, so we’ll break it down for you.
How old is Kratos in God of War (2005)?
In the very first game, we meet a Spartan soldier named Kratos. This is the start of the first era of God of War, where the game’s story focuses on Greek Mythology.
- The main antagonist of the first game is Ares, the Greek God of War. But before Kratos embarked on a journey to locate Pandora’s Box and bring down Ares, he was actually a loyal servant to the god
- After Kratos accidentally killed his own daughter and wife under Ares’ command, this was when he pledged to redeem himself.
- Kratos would have been around 25-27 years old when he killed his family at the temple. When we start playing God of War (2005), Kratos is 38 years old as it takes place ten years after Ares’ deception
- Most discussions and forums agree that this was Kratos’ age in the first game since “Spartan men could only leave the active military at the age of 30” and Kratos was obviously still serving as a soldier when he called on Ares for help during his battle with Alrik
God of War II (2007)
Kratos is betrayed by another god for the second time around in God of War II. It is widely agreed in the God of War community that Kratos’ age in this game is 50 years old. One proof of this is Daedalus’ construction of the labyrinth but this can only be discovered in God of War III.
Betrayal (2007)
Before we get to God of War III, this is the next entry in the franchise. However, it was only released for mobile phones that supported the Java Platform, Micro Edition.
- In God of War: Betrayal, the story takes place before God of War II
- It is believed that Kratos’ age in the game is around 40-50 years old. Some fans speculate that Kratos is in his early 40s during the events of this game
Chains of Olympus (2008)
Another entry in the series that takes place before a particular title is God of War: Chains of Olympus. However, Chains of Olympus gives us a look at how Kratos was before the events of the first God of War (2005) took place.
- Kratos is still an active Spartan soldier in the game. In the ten years he has spent serving the gods, the game takes place during half of it. With that being said, it’s safe to assume that Kratos is around 30-35 years old in God of War: Chains of Olympus
God of War III (2010)
Not much time has passed between God of War II and III, which means that Kratos is still 50 years old in this title. Remember when we mentioned Daedalus’ construction of the labyrinth? This plays an important part in determining Kratos’ age at this point in the series.
- When Daedalus started working on the labyrinth, he took note of his progress. Some of the information in his notes include how long he has been working on the labyrinth
- Nearing the completion of the labyrinth, Daedalus wrote one last note to record his progress. The final entry reads that it is Day 4603 of him working on the labyrinth
- If we convert days into years, it would equal over 12 years of him building the labyrinth. This means that between the first God of War game up to now, over 12 years have passed
- Aside from Daedalus’ notes, we must also consider the fact that God of War III takes place directly after God of War II
Ghost of Sparta (2010)
The game’s setting takes place between the events of God of War (2005) and Betrayal. Kratos embarks on a journey to rescue his brother, Deimos, after he was imprisoned by Thanatos, the God of Death.
- The events in Ghost of Sparta occur after what happened during God of War I. How old does this make Kratos, then? It’s highly likely that he is between 39-40 years old in the game.
God of War: Ascension (2013)
Ascension may be the prequel of all prequels in the God of War franchise. In the game, Kratos has already killed his daughter and wife out of blind fury. However, he is currently imprisoned by the Furies after he broke his oath to Ares.
- The game’s events are set before Chains of Olympus. We also get a glimpse of how Kratos has been tormented by nightmares of his family for years
- Kratos is around 28 years old in God of War: Ascension
God of War (2018)
Finally leaving behind Greece after Kratos freed them from Olympus, we find Kratos in Midgard. This is the start of the second era in the God of War games since Kratos encounters various Norse gods and creatures. Moreover, we are also introduced to Atreus, his son with a Giant named Faye.
- God of War (2018) focuses on the story of Kratos’ journey to Jotunheim with his son. Based on his physical appearance, the God of War definitely looks older (and maybe even wiser!)
- Since the First Era (Greeks) ended with the destruction of Sparta that occurred in 464 BC, Kratos’ age in God of War (2018) is around 1,050 years old
- Kratos is most probably around this age because the Second Era in God of War takes place around 500AD. More than 1,000 years passed since we last saw Kratos battling the Greek gods
How old is Kratos in God of War: Ragnarok (2022)?
With all these estimations and talk about Kratos’ age, how old does this make him in God of War: Ragnarok? After Kratos and Atreus’ actions triggered Fimbulwinter (R.I.P. Baldur), we’ll have to survive the war that is brewing among the Nine Realms.
- Ragnarok is inevitable at this point which is exactly what we’re preparing for in the latest God of War release. In God of War (2018), Atreus is 11 years old
- Since Fimbulwinter lasted for three years, God of War: Ragnarok takes place directly after this. So from the previous game, we can safely assume that Kratos is still around 1,050 years old in this title
RELATED NEWS: Will there be God of War after Ragnarok?
If you have other questions about the God of War games, feel free to leave them in the comments below! Until then, stay with us here at Spiel Times for more content.
