Kratos is the main protagonist of the God of War series. Created by Santa Monica Studio, he first appeared in the original God of War game in 2005 as a Spartan warrior whose life is shaped by violence, guilt, and conflict with the gods.
In the Greek-era games, Kratos becomes known as the Ghost of Sparta after being deceived by Ares into killing his own family. He serves the Olympian gods, eventually defeats Ares, and takes his place as the new Greek god of war. His battles then expand into a larger struggle involving Zeus, the Titans, and the fate of Olympus.
The 2018 God of War moved the character into Norse mythology and changed the emotional focus of the series. Older and trying to control his rage, Kratos travels with his son Atreus while confronting gods and creatures from the Norse realms. Atreus is important to the story, but Kratos remains the central protagonist. Aloy, Joel, and Nathan Drake are protagonists from other PlayStation-associated franchises, not God of War.