In this week’s top five video, we’re celebrating God of War III’s release on the PlayStation 4 (with the review coming up very, very soon) by counting down the best God of War boss battles ever! Well, at least until God of War IV comes along and shakes up the list.
It’s fairly obvious but it bears mentioning that the footage above will spoil the games for you! If you haven’t played/completed God of War 1-3, then it’s better to not watch the video and experience the fights fresh.
We’ve picked five battles from God of War, God of War II, and God of War III (Sorry, God of War: Ascension!), and show you the best of the best. Bear in mind, though, taste is subjective, so our top five boss encounters might not include your picks.
Do you agree with our top five best God of War boss battles? What’s your top five boss encounters in the franchise? Sound off and let us know.
Essential Reading:
- Top 5 Batman Arkham Trilogy Best Moments
- Examining God of War’s Mythological Accuracy
- Now Loading…What Do You Make of That Batman: Arkham Knight Ending?
God of War Mythology
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Examining God of War’s Mythological Accuracy
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Ares
In God of War: Despite saving the life of Kratos, Ares would quickly become a villain. He tricked Kratos into murdering his own family, and was the primary antagonist of God of War.
In Greek Mythology: Despite having such a large role in the God of War series, Ares is largely a side character in Greek mythology. He is perhaps best known for fathering over forty children with the likes of Aphrodite and the Amazon Queen Otera.
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Athena
In God of War: Athena largely acts as an aid to Kratos throughout the God of War series. Her rivalry with her brother Ares is one of the series main sources of conflict.
In Greek Mythology: Much like in the games, Athena was known for helping out heroes. This included helping Perseus behead Medusa and Heracles defeat the Nemean lion.
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Atlas
In God of War: After not siding with the Olympians, Atlas would be forced to hold the Pillar of the World on his shoulders for all of eternity. It was there that he would battle with Kratos, and then years later aid the Ghost of Sparta.
In Greek Mythology: After losing to the Olympians, Atlas was forced to hold up the Heavens for the rest of eternity. He didn't manage to do much after that, besides getting tricked by Heracles
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Castor and Pollux
In God of War: Unlike their mythological counterparts, Castor and Pollux are straight up evil in God of War. The conjoined twins battle with Kratos early on in the Temple of the Oracle.
In Greek Mythology: Castor and Pollux were fathered by Zeus while he took the form of a swan. Naturally, the two hatched from an egg (Greek mythology gets weird). Unlike the games, they were generally regarded as swell guys that helped out humankind whenever they could.
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Cronos
In God of War: Once the leader of the Titans, Cronos now crawls the desert with Pandora's Temple on his back. Cronos is one of the few characters that appear in all three main God of War titles.
In Greek Mythology: Cronos had the strange dietary choice of eating his own children. His son, Zeus, ended up not being a fan of the whole eating babies thing, and ended up overthrowing his father.
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Zeus
In God of War: After Kratos opened Pandora's Box, his father (and ruler of Olympus) Zeus slowly grew evil. Zeus ended up being Kratos' greatest enemy.
In Greek Mythology: After growing up with some understandable trust issues, Zeus overthrew the Titans and lived on Mount Olympus. He would rule the Olympians and fathered several notable children, such as Heracles, Athena, Ares, and Perseus.
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Hades
In God of War: Despite being a background character in the first two titles, Hades became a major antagonist in God of War III. His video game representation is fairly faithful to his mythological background. Interestingly, Hades' look changes throughout all three games.
In Greek Mythology: The son of Cronos and Rhea, Hades was the god of the underworld. His three-headed hellhound Cerberus guarded the entrance to the home of the dead.
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Hercules
In God of War: Hercules (who sports his Roman name for whatever reason) grows jealous of Kratos' accolades. He feels that his half-brother is Zeus' favorite son, and vows to kill him as his thirteenth labor.
In Greek Mythology: After being driven mad by Hera, Heracles killed his family. To atone for his sins, Heracles underwent 12 difficult labors. The Greek hero once conceived 50 sons in one night.
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Kratos
In God of War: Kratos is drastically different in God of War. Instead of being the son of a Titan, Kratos is the son of Zeus. As the protagonist of the series, he accomplishes more than any other Greek mythological figure.
In Greek Mythology: Kratos is the son of the Titan Pallas and the Goddess of the river Styx. His most notable appearance in mythology was helping bind the Titan Prometheus, who gave fire to mankind.
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Poseidon
In God of War: Poseidon helps out Kratos in the series until the ghost of Sparta releases Thera who destroys Atlantis. After this, Poseidon vowed to never forget Kratos' actions and ended up being the first boss fight in God of War III.
In Greek Mythology: One of Cronus' children, Poseidon rules over the sea. He has many children, including Arion, a talking horse. You read that right.
