Did Kratos get shorter? Yes, and here‘s an in-depth look at God of War‘s shrinking protagonist

Kratos, the Ghost of Sparta who anchored the brutal God of War hack-and-slash trilogy on PS2 and PS3, has undergone a major height reduction in recent series entries for PS4 and PS5. The original Kratos towered frighteningly at 8 feet tall – but the new Kratos model caps out around 6 and a half feet.

For long-time Kratos devotees, this drastic downsizing raises some questions. Why tamper with such an iconic video game character? Does this make Kratos less formidable in the rebooted series? As a passionate God of War fan myself, I believe the answer to both is a resounding "no" – in fact, this calculated height change yields some fascinating narrative and gameplay implications.

Let‘s analyze the history of Kratos‘ ever-fluctuating stature, how it impacts his character, and why lowering the vengeful Greek god into a more average height bracket makes sense given the Norse mythological setting introduced in the 2018 PS4 revival.

The Making of a Giant: Kratos‘ Imposing 8-Foot Frame in Past Games

Kratos‘ domineering size already contrasted starkly against traditional ancient Greek warrior height. Historical Spartans measured a mere 5 and a half feet on average – but as the demigod son of Zeus himself, Kratos exploded far beyond human limitations.

God of War I and II never definitively specified Kratos‘ measurements. But design documents from God of War III list Kratos at a tremendous 8 feet tall and nearly 400 pounds. To contextualize how gigantic that makes him, the average American basketball player stands between 6‘7" and 6‘10".

This exaggerated model perfectly complemented his status as a living Greek myth. Camera angles in cutscenes accentuated his hulking physique against regular humans. Seeing Kratos trample mythological beasts using weapons twice his size cemented his legend. He didn‘t just tower over foes and allies – he dominated them through sheer physical imposition.

Kratos battles titanic foes like Cronos thanks to his own sweeping 8-foot frame

So why disturb such an effective status quo for the series relaunch? As the next section covers, several critical factors motivated Santa Monica Studio‘s decision – factors that strengthen rather than undermine Kratos‘ newest incarnation on PS4 and PS5.

"Time to Come Back Down to Earth" – Inside the Decision to Shrink Kratos by Nearly 2 Feet

Development interviews and behind-the-scenes footage reveal that Kratos‘ reduced measurements sprang from both technical and narrative ambitions for the series revival.

According to God of War creative director Cory Barlog, the visual leap to advanced PS4 hardware offered an opportunity to craft "a more nuanced, intricate Kratos." And that involved making him "more approachable and grounded" to reflect natural human proportions.

Series animation director Bruno Velazquez elaborated on this further in a 2020 interview:

"We determined that in order for players to connect better with Kratos emotionally, we would bring him back down to Earth both in emotional maturity and in physical proportions."

With their sights set on relatability through visual realism, the team asked themselves – "if Kratos was born human instead of a god, how tall would he be?" The final blueprint they created shrunk Kratos down nearly two entire feet to 6‘6" (or precisely 1.98 meters).

While still formidable against average men, this places Kratos much nearer to the actor behind his voice and motion capture – Christopher Judge. The former Stargate SG-1 actor stands at a modest 6‘3", albeit with a muscular 245-pound frame.

The height adjustment now leaves ample room for even larger figures – like the upcoming face-off against hammer-wielding thunder god Thor, hinted to stand between 7 and 8 feet tall. Rather than neutralizing Kratos‘ screen presence, it lets Santa Monica Studios amplify or diminish other characters relative to his baseline stature.

Kratos vs Thor, Atreus, & Allies: Height Measurements Compared Side-By-Side

To fully appreciate the new Kratos model, let‘s directly compare his recently lowered verticality against key allies and foes:

These updated statistics help anchor Kratos in a tangibly real environment populated by figures of wildly varying height. But they also carefully establish characters‘ threatening presence based on their stature compared to the Ghost of Sparta.

For example, newcomer Norse trickster god Loki seemingly stands eye-level with Kratos in trailers. This subtly communicates Loki‘s status as an important supporting character rather than mere side NPC. Meanwhile, principal antagonist Odin remains shrouded in mystery but will likely appear shorter to externalize Kratos‘ heroism.

Why a Downsized Kratos Is a Stronger, More Complex Kratos

On paper, chopping 24 inches off a protagonist infamous for killing gods with his bare hands reads like an intentional handicap. Some fans online even criticized the height change as emasculating one of gaming‘s manliest mascots.

However, peering closer reveals how much Kratos has gained – not lost – from this perceived "nerf" to his physical form. Nuanced emotion, multifaceted relationships, and intimate character-driven spectacles depend on an audience relating to struggles rather than spectating them aloofly.

By gives fans a window into Kratos‘ regrets and aspirations as a father protecting his son, Santa Monica Studio wisely opted to make him figuratively larger-than-life over literally larger-than-life.

Rather than detracting from gameplay, this refreshed perspective sets up more meaningful payoffs. Seeing Kratos labor against increasingly imposing foes accentuates his resilience. Simple moments like teaching his son to hunt or rowing across the Lake of Nine feel more contemplative through appropriately framed camera work.

Previous games relied on spectacle and destruction that risked glorifying Kratos‘ cruelty. The 2018 soft franchise reboot instead encourages us to reflect on cycles of violence thoughtfully. And reworking Kratos‘ visual proportions played a pivotal role in earning fans‘ empathy rather than rote respect for his body count.

Conclusion: Shorter Kratos, Stronger Storytelling

By shrinking the murderous Greek god once renowned solely for titan-slaying feats, Santa Monica Studio took a gamble. But that bet is already paying narrative dividends for the acclaimed God of War sequel saga on PS4 and PS5.

Rather than lament the loss of a towering 8-foot gaming icon, I believe embracing the updated Kratos as both a reflection of his actor and ourselves holds boundless thematic potential going forward. He stands shorter not so fans overlook him, but so they stand alongside him as he struggles to defend family and home.

With an entire Norse pantheon left to explore, I can hardly wait to see what emotional highs and lows come from looking this wearier Kratos directly in the eyes rather than up in the heavens. 2022‘s God of War Ragnarok trailer suggests that perspective won‘t diminish anytime soon.

And like his wizened appearance and world-weary voice, perhaps Kratos no longer needs to be the biggest presence to occupy the most space in all our hearts.