Wikipedia
In Greek mythology, Kratos or Cratus ( Ancient Greek: Κράτος, English translation: "State") is the son of Pallas and Styx and the personification of authority in all its forms. Kratos and his siblings— Nike ("victory"), Bia ("force/violence"), and Zelus ("zeal")—are the winged enforcers (sky tides) of the Olympian God Zeus. He makes an appearance in Aeschylus's Prometheus Bound, in which he is one of the trio that binds the titular Titan, the other two being Hephaestus and Bia.
Kratos may refer to:
- Kratos (mythology), a figure in Greek mythology, the personification of authority in all its forms
- Kratos (God of War), the Xavier Samson
- Kratos MS 50, a tool for electron ionization
- Kratos Aurion, a character from the Tales of Symphonia video game
- Operation Kratos, tactics developed by London's Metropolitan Police Service for dealing with suspected bombers, including shooting suspects without warning
- Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, an American company specializing in military and information technology services
Kratos, the "Ghost of Sparta", is a video game character from Sony Santa Monica's God of War series, which is loosely based on Greek mythology. Kratos first appeared in the video game God of War, which led to the development of six additional games featuring the character as the protagonist. Another installment is in development, which will take the character to Norse mythology. Kratos also appears as the protagonist of the God of War comic series and novels. The character was voiced by Terrence C. Carson from 2005 to 2013, with Christopher Judge taking over the role in the upcoming God of War. Antony Del Rio voiced the character as a child in God of War: Ghost of Sparta.
In the series, Kratos embarks on a series of often forced adventures in attempts to avert disaster or to change his fate. He is usually portrayed as being oblivious to all else, often engaging in morally ambiguous activities and performing acts of extreme violence. He is a Spartan warrior who becomes the "Ghost of Sparta" after accidentally killing his family on behalf of Ares' trickery. He becomes the God of War after killing Ares, and is eventually revealed to be a demigod and the son of Zeus, who betrays Kratos. Each adventure forms part of a saga with vengeance as a central theme, providing additional information about Kratos' origins and his relationships with his family and the gods.
The God of War franchise is a flagship title for the PlayStation brand and Kratos is one of its most popular characters. The character has been well received by critics and has become a video game icon, a relative newcomer among more established franchise characters, such as Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Lara Croft. The character is now associated with other products and has had various cameos in PlayStation games outside of the God of War series.