Who Voices Kratos in God of War Ragnarök?
The Mysterious Case of Kratos’ Voice
In the world of video games, characters are often voiced by actors who bring them to life through their performances. But did you know that Kratos, the beloved character from the God of War franchise, has a distinctive and iconic voice actor behind the scenes? Who voices Kratos in God of War Ragnarök is a burning question that we will investigate in this article.
Kratos: The God of War Character
For those who might be unfamiliar, Kratos is a fictional character created by renowned game developer and publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Santa Monica Studio. As the central protagonist of the God of War series, Kratos is a god-like demigod from Greek mythology with incredible strength and fighting abilities. Throughout his adventures, Kratos must battle iconic gods and mythological creatures to fulfill prophecies and save humanity from annihilation.
A Change in Voice Direction
Initially, Kratos was voiced by Lorne Cardinal in the early PlayStation 2 titles (God of War (2005) and God of War II (2007)). Cardinal, a Cree actor from Manitoba, Canada, brought gravity and ruggedness to Kratos, setting the foundation for the character’s legendary status in gaming.
In the early 2010s, the God of War franchise underwent a creative overhaul with the release of God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta, two hack-and-slash spin-off games. With the passage of time and new developers at the helm, there was a slight departure in Kratos’ character traits and voice design. But what about God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök (2022)? Whose mighty voice does Kratos possess? Let us dive deeper…
Jeremy Davies: A New Take on Kratos’ Voice
Enter Jeremy Davies, the talented American actor behind Kratos’ voice in God of War (2018). Born on October 27, 1969, Davies has played various roles throughout his film and television career, notably in U-571 (2000) and Alien III (1989) series. Prior to being cast as Kratos, Davies earned praise for his work on shows such as The Three** in 1973 and his recent TV series Watchmen (2019-2022).
So, was Davies the best choice to voice Kratos in 2018?
Why did they Choose Jeremy Davies as Kratos’ Voice? **Davies vs. Other Options**
When speaking to IGN regarding his portrayal of Kratos, Jeremy Davies mentioned how Michael Fassbender’s performance as Achilles in the Trojan War series influenced him. Sony could have easily pursued Cage’s raw power in Ghost Rider or actor Jason Statham for Kratos. Hollywood Reporter**: ‘The voice direction on that game was an experiment’, said Cory Barlog, director of 2018’s God of War.’ We wanted a fresh face, someone to put some new blood on Kratos’ voice.
Table 1: Who Voiced Kratos:
Kratos | Early Years | PS2 God of War I- II | 2005 God of War PSP Spin-off | 2007 Ghost of Sparta | God of War: 2018 | 2022 God of War Ragnarök | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jeremy Davies | n/a | no voice act | n/a | no voice act | YES | YES, re-confirmed |
2 | Lorne Cardinal | Yes, the original | VOICED Kratos | NO | NO | NO reprise, no confirmation | |
3 | Other possible options |
• Davies: Fresh perspective as an unexpected choice
• No reprise: Lorne Cardinal did not reprise Kratos voice or make it clear he is interested.