KRATOS, THE GOD OF KICK ASS PROTAGONISTS
BY TARA BABCOCK

(Mild Spoiler Alert)

Kratos, strong and quick, throws his chained arm blades in a fiery-hot fury at his opponent, a green-eyed Gorgon. Drawing only half of its last breath, the Gorgon screeches as the invulnerable metal shreds through its neck, leaving the lifeless corpse in a pool of blood. But, unlike many other video game super-protagonists, Kratos was not looking just to kill some monsters, obtain fame and fortune or save the Earth from destruction, the ashen-skinned warrior is on a much bigger mission: ultimate revenge of the creators of all, and the death of anyone (and I mean absolutely anyone - women and innocent villagers included) who stands in his way, or stands in his general vicinity, with any means necessary.

Once a strong, young, undefeated Spartan Captain, Kratos nearly met his fate at the hands of an overwhelming barrage of barbarian soldiers. Calling out to Ares, the current God of War, he surrendered control of his life in return for victory, and to cheat death. The god immediately descended from his palace atop Mount Olympus, striking down all who stood in Kratos's way and inexorably attaching weapons more befitting of the God of War's mortal apprentice: The Blades of Chaos. From then on Kratos was to carry out the brutal will of Ares in the mortal realm, slaying soldiers and innocent villagers alike, plundering and pillaging until one fateful night, where Kratos would lose what he holds most dear, by his own blade, tricked by Ares himself. From that day forward, Kratos vows gruesome revenge that spirals out of control, desecrating anyone and everyone who happens to be in the vicinity of Kratos... human, god, and beast alike. Even the monstrous titans are no match for the blood hungry Kratos. Once captain of a Spartan army, turned Ares's servant, then the "Ghost of Sparta", God of War and fallen God of War respectively, this multi-status brute continues to avenge, be defied and climb out of hell itself to avenge again until, literally, the world is at its end. You'll never be able to fathom what happens next!

We all know he's fond of plucking Harpy wings... but Icarus's wings!? How awesome is a flying Kratos!? 

Based very loosely on the god bearing the same name, the story of Kratos is set in Greek mythological times, and although his story is not found within the mythology, you'll learn a ton about it through the other characters that are strongly intertwined into the story. Possibly one of the most successfully rated video game franchises in the modern world, God of War takes action games to a whole new level. With a wide range of ever-evolving moves, power ups and new weapons, it's hard to play the game through just once and explore it in entirety. New weapons become available for use at specific, relevant times during the plot, which wholly enriches the story. Never before has a game been so lurid, yet so intricate and aesthetically pleasing. Each game is more graphically gorgeous than the last, with the most recent being mind-blowingly amazing and ahead of the curve. More impressive is that each game outdoes the last with newer innovations and even more ridiculous, captivating happenings. Not only is the game macabre and dark, it also offers a very deep, appealing storyline with relatable-yet out there ideas. It's not your everyday mindless and shallow slasher game! In addition, each game features a sexy scene (my personal favorite) where you can choose to please one or more beautiful women, as a side bar to the ruthlessness that adds just a twinge of humor. Kratos really proves he's not only an accomplished warlord and, uh, revenge-taker, he's also great with the chicks. What woman wouldn't want the Ghost of Sparta in her bed!?

Whoa... that is one sexy God!

There are three major God of War titles: God of War and God of War II on the Playstation 2 (also remastered in HD on the Playstation 3), and God of War III on the Playstation 3. God of War: Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta on the PSP add a bit of side story carnage to your portable gaming devices. Although gaining little exposure, Sony also released God of War: Betrayal in 2007 for mobile phones which featured vast 2D side scrolling action-adventure goodness and an adorable story plot with the goddess Hera and her beloved pet, Argos.

Kratos himself has become a staple in the video game industry and among gaming fans everywhere. Hailed for his unorthodox pseudo-humanity, bravery, savagery and all around badassery, Kratos is now a protagonist for the history books. Not only do us fans adore him, he's gotten so much publicity he has also had the pleasure of making appearances, sometimes as a playable guest, in many other renowned video game titles. ModNation Racers, Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds, LittleBigPlanet, and Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny are a few examples. Kratos also makes an amusing parody appearance in The Simpsons game as "The God of Wharf" on a background billboard. Most recently, Kratos has appeared in the newest installment of Mortal Kombat's PS3 edition, which further solidifies which system to purchase the title for. Unlike many other Kratos sightings, this one has a bit of a unique tie-in story. Shang Tsung, evil sorcerer to the king of Outworld, Shao Kahn, devises a plan to use his powers to summon "the strongest warrior in all of the realms" to fight for them as a possessed slave during the Mortal Kombat tournament. After being summoned, Kratos, whose power is apparently unimaginable, cannot be contained and immediately seeks -you guessed it- revenge on whoever has summoned upon him. Fans of God of War will love how true-to-form the Kratos model is in the game, with slow motion button command pop-ups during combos and special abilities that are so reminiscent of the original you'll forget you're playing a fighting game! We're not on Olympus anymore!

Two of the hottest men in gaming in a versus match. Make your bets!

As a petite girl with a small frame, I have admired Kratos and his strength to conquer anything he desires while using his raw power to make such huge world changes. He has always been very appealing to me, both as a character and a big, sexy rendered dude that I wish was real! Ever since I beat the very first God of War back in 2005, I've been calling it my favorite video game line. I'm impressed by each installment's improvements and I've yet to be disappointed in any aspect of the franchise! The only improvement that I'd be yearning for in a future game is for Kratos's next sexy girl toy to be modeled after me! I mean, how else could they top Aphrodite!? I would have so much fun during production as a sexy mo-cap, rolling around on some Greek princess's bed or in a steamy hot spring... oh oops, got a little carried away! Anyway. I truly hope God of War III is not the last we will be seeing of Kratos as the main muscle. It doesn't matter if he is slaying gigantic icy scorpions, plucking (and stashing away for later, mind you!) the eye of a Cyclops, re-killing a zombie barbarian, or using Poseidon's wife's mutilated corpse to prop open a gate, we all have a soft spot in our hearts for him. The world of gaming really is a better place with Kratos, the God of War!

Follow Tara at her official website, www.tarababcock.com