In 2018's God of War reboot, players were introduced to a new Kratos. He was an old god living another life in a completely different mythological plane, but he now had a personality and emotional depth that was previously obscured by rage and grief.
During the 2018 reboot, players meet his son Atreus and experience the funeral pyre of his late wife, Faye. The entire game centers on Kratos and Atreus trying to complete their promise of spreading her ashes from the highest peak in all the realms. There is a lot of lore around Kratos' fallen wife and Atreus' mother, Faye.
Updated November 29th, 2022 by Sam Reaves: God of War: Ragnarok's release has exploded the series' popularity and lore. With Kratos and Atreus's journey extended into Fimbulwinter, we gain a shocking amount of detail and a new portrayal of Faye. Faye had previously been shrouded in mystery, but the latest entry in the series aims to make her a more robust and motivating character than a mere plot device. Similarly to the 2018 God of War entry, Faye has impacted characters and the world around her as a mother, warrior, and friend, but we get to see those impacts in a much more tangible way.
Beware, as there are story and endgame spoilers throughout.
14 Faye Is Portrayed By Deborah Ann Woll
Faye had previously been a mostly unseen character. You only ever got to see her impact on the characters, alongside her initial funeral in the opening scenes of the 2018 game. She had no voice lines and no real character model to showcase her face or features, but that all changed in Ragnarok.
Deborah Ann Woll, from Daredevil fame, offers mocap, modeling, and vocals for our new representation of Faye. She is one of the better characters in Ragnarok and appears throughout Kratos's dreams as he prepares for his prophesied death and reminds him of key moments the couple shared throughout their years together.
13 Hiding Away A Prophecy
Much of the ongoing theme of Ragnarok is forging your own fate. Kratos is determined to enable Atreus to survive without him, whereas Atreus is determined to keep Kratos alive. At every turn, the pair questions their own actions and motives as it drives them closer to Ragnarok and the fulfillment of prophecies they had already seen.
The final scene in Ragnarok, before the credits roll, showcases Kratos discovering a hidden Giant Prophecy. It is one that Faye had previously destroyed in an effort to enable her husband and son to create their own path forward. She wanted the two to disregard prophecy, plans, and all ulterior motives to instead care for one another and be better than they had been before. This move enabled them to change their fates and survive Ragnarok. With a new lease on life, Atreus goes to find the last of the giants, and Kratos becomes the new All-Father, finally finding the love and admiration he never thought he would achieve.
12 Her Pet Bird
Before her passing, Faye had a pet gyrfalcon that she named Jophie. It was a smart and loyal bird that she had by her side for years. Atreus would call out to the bird in hopes of commanding it, but unfortunately for him, the bird only listened to his mother's calls. Kratos and Atreus do not have much good luck with birds in their travels, so it might be for the best.
The gyrfalcon isn't a fictional creature, but in reality, it is the largest species of falcon found in the wild. They're native to Arctic coasts and tundra, as well as on the islands of Northern North America, Europe, and Asia.
11 Working With Tyr
Tyr is one of the more famous Norse gods and another son of Odin. He fought for peace among the realms, and his unwavering belief that everyone could coexist led to Odin becoming suspicious of his son.
After a series of events, which included Tyr working with Faye to hide the Jotunheim Tower to protect the people of that realm, Odin imprisoned Tyr. Many thought that Odin had killed his son due to his fear of disloyalty, but Ragnarok has many secrets to divulge about both Tyr and Faye.
10 Keeping Secrets
Faye was initially a character completely enclosed in secrets. Even after Ragnarok, little is known about her past and who she was before her life with Kratos and Atreus.
Some characters like Mimir, Sindri, and Brok know a fair amount about her, but as both games progress, there are plenty of discoveries that lay dormant for ages. Often secrets are associated with immoral behavior, but it seems Faye hid everything she could for the safety and protection of herself and her family. Her heart was always in the right place.
9 Linguist
A funny discovery for Kratos is that he learns about Atreus having a way with words. The young boy can read multiple languages, which is a big surprise to his father. It turns out Kratos spent most of his time out in the wild hunting, while Atreus mostly grew up under the supervision of Faye.
It seems that over those years, she helped her son understand parts of other languages she was fluent in. Maybe Atreus can take some time to help his father learn and make him a bit more distinguished.
8 Painting Your Way To Jotunheim
You find out near the end of the first Norse saga game that Faye had already perceived the journey that Kratos and Atreus would find themselves on. In Ragnarok, you find out how truly extensive the prophecies of the giants ran. Over the course of the two Norse games, you will find shrines that tell the entire story that spans both games.
This was enough information for Faye to mark rocks, pathways, and crevices with her signature yellow and glowing paint. Her paintings highlight nearly every important path and direction along Kratos and Atreus' signature journey.
7 Fighting Skills
If Kratos is impressed by your fighting skills, you know you're doing a thing or two correctly. Kratos praises Faye's ability to protect herself, which seems to be more than kind words for one's significant other. She also was the first wielder of the Leviathan Axe.
Faye was a hero to many people across the realms, so she knew how to fight. It is hinted that Kratos and Faye initially fought when they first met, further proving her skill.
6 A Skilled Warrior And Hero
Knowing that she sometimes went by the name Laufey the Just will put Faye's character into another perspective. Players might have the misconception that Faye was a Nordic housewife of sorts and she was simply a loving caretaker. You quickly discover across both Norse games that she was a warrior, huntress, academic, and loving mother.
It turns out that on top of being a great fighter, she was also a protector of the weak. She looked out for those who couldn't defend themselves and made sure they were safe. You can hear a tale of her bravery as you search Vanaheim. Kratos may not be the traditional hero, but it seems his wife truly was.
5 Nicknames
On top of being Laufey the Just, Faye also went by the nickname Last Guardian of the Jotnar. This is a title she held with intentionality and power as she purposefully hid away Jotunheim and the last of the giants, which was a secret she carried to her grave.
Modi, Thor's brother, also calls her something which can't be included in this family-friendly article. Let's just say it wasn't exactly a term of endearment and was purposefully used to get Kratos's spartan rage flowing.
4 Second Wife
Faye abounded in grace and tenacity, enough to warrant being Kratos' second wife. She is able to poke, prod, and otherwise joke around with the retired God of War and brings out his more sentimental side.
Kratos was previously responsible for the death of his first wife and child, which likely shocked Faye at first. It speaks volumes of her character that she continued on with him and loved him and Atreus until her end.
3 She Was A Giant
Twists and surprises are executed best when they play on preconceived notions or generalizations people have about things. If you can trick people into believing in something so true and commonplace, then pulling the rug from underneath them will result in a truly spectacular reveal.
This is why the realization that Faye is a giant works so well. The Jotnar giants in God of War are more different than you might expect. Marvel fans might think that giants are huge in stature and blue skin, but she's neither. It's a reveal that you might have never seen coming. Thankfully, Ragnarok delves into the lore of giants and showcases that being a giant is more of a concept of nature than it is of structure. Giants can be souls, physically giant, or appear no larger than a child.
2 Faye Fought Thor To A Standstill
Vanaheim is one of the largest realms you can explore in Ragnarok, holding some of the series' most interesting stories in lore. One set of side quests has Kratos and crew searching for tales about the frozen lightning bolt in the Crater. Kratos and Thor had created a similar frozen bolt during their own encounter in the game's opening hours.
Spurred by intrigue, they find story after story of a rageful Faye that protected Vanaheim from a drunken Thor. Kratos only barely survived his initial encounter with Thor, so the stories you hear of Faye and her axe go a long way to determining the scale of her power.
1 Real Name
The big revelations in God of War happen at the very end when the true identities of both Faye and her son Atreus are uncovered. It turns out that Faye's real name is Laufey, and Atreus is Loki.
Faye hiding the fact that she was a giant of Jotunheim was likely due to her trying to protect both her and her son. She knew about Kratos' past and understood that he would do anything to protect them. In many ways, she was trying to protect Kratos from himself.