Ever since Kratos' first appearance in the original God of War, we have seen the former Spartan captain's transformation into the embittered, wrathful Ghost of Sparta, seeking vengeance for the deaths of his family. His mistreatment at the hands of the Greek gods has caused him to lash out in a rage, at times bordering on full-blown cruelty to those who had not done him wrong.

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But 2018's God of War saw a marked change in Kratos. The man who brutally slew every Greek God imaginable has changed, forming a new family in the realm of the Nordic gods. Even here, Kratos undergoes a change in character and temperament, perhaps for the better.

8 He Learns To Be More Patient

As mentioned above, Kratos has created a new family with the Jötunn giantess Faye, resulting in a son named Atreus. Kratos raises Atreus as a single dad, and throughout the game, you can see the struggle Kratos has when it comes to fatherhood. Before, he never felt the need to calm down, and since the death of his first family, his pursuit of vengeance causes him to become impatient and react violently.

But with Atreus around, Kratos knew he had to tone it down. At certain points of the 2018 game, Kratos seems too harsh with his son, but he doubles back when he knows he's hurt him. He not only learns patience when teaching his child survival skills but even when dealing with allies.

7 Violence, But Not For Violence's Sake

In the past, Kratos has no compunction with meting out violence to those who got in his way - doesn't matter if they were innocent or not. You'll probably remember how he used Poseidon's wife to stop the gate from closing in God of War 3, indifferent to her cries for mercy.

Kratos's viewpoint on violence has changed drastically by the time he had Atreus. Now he believes that violence should only be done when it is necessary, a stark change to his prior actions. But learning from past experiences and teaching them to his son helps Atreus not make the same mistakes he did.

6 He Learns To Make Lasting Alliances

Let's just say that Kratos hasn't had the best track record when it comes to alliances and 'friendships'. But at the time, Kratos couldn't really trust anyone, and for good reason too. Hephaestus and Gaia ended up betraying him, and his own father stabbed him in the back - literally and figuratively.

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With the help of his son, Kratos has learned to place his trust in people and actually have friends. The blacksmithing dwarves Brok and Sindri are one example, willingly helping the father-son duo with upgrading their weapons. Freyja was a close contender too, but we all saw how that turned out.

5 The Past No Longer Defines Him

It is unsurprising that Kratos's long and bloody past would come to haunt him. The 2018 installment also depicts Kratos confronting the latter and finally revealing all to Atreus after the boy nearly died due to the overwhelming rage within him.

When Kratos ventures into Helheim, the ghost of Athena and Zeus appear before him. But the fact that he told the truth to Atreus and successfully escaped Helheim despite the horrible illusions (or are they?) of the people in his past, means that he has finally moved on.

4 He Learns To Channel And Control His Anger

One thing everyone remembers about Kratos is the depth of his anger. All the characters felt it in the past, whether innocent or guilty. Kratos not mastering control over his rage led him down a dark path, doing terrible things and suffering horrible consequences as a result.

Kratos lectures Atreus about controlling his emotions, channeling his anger as a weapon against his enemies and not innocents. In the comics, Kratos actually spends most of his time in the woods in order to control his anger and properly manage it so as not to harm Faye and Atreus.

3 You Can't Always Be Prepared For Everything

In the beginning, Kratos tests Atreus, before saying that the boy is not ready for what lies ahead. But he is soon to find out throughout the game that everything was already predetermined, and you can't always be ready for everything.

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Maybe it's because Kratos has been betrayed countless times before, plus the loss of his first family plays into wanting Atreus to be as prepared as possible.

2 Vengeance Is No Longer His Motivation

Kratos was once a man ruled by his desire for vengeance, the latter being his sole motivation to keep on fighting. But after Faye and Atreus, it is no longer so. Also, being away from Greece and any memory of it probably helped.

He has since mellowed considerably, reaching emotional maturity and acceptance as time passes. Now his motivation is loving and caring for his son, who he is quite overprotective about.

1 A Different Fighting Style

Of course, Kratos is no novice in combat, so it doesn't really surprise us that he's deadly with an axe too. With a completely new setting, it's time for a change, so storing his Chaos Blades for something new is not out of place.

From a hurricane of fiery blades to an axe that you can resummon from a great distance, you also get the additional option of using a retractable shield. Kratos has certainly shown his flexibility in fighting styles.

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