Does Kratos become the all father?

No, despite defeating Odin at Ragnarok, Kratos does not take Odin‘s place to become the new all father or ruler of the Norse gods in God of War Ragnarok.

The God of War‘s Redemption

Throughout his epic saga, we witness Kratos transform from his days as the destructive Greek God of War into a more peaceful protector – albeit still a very lethal one against those who threaten his son Atreus or the defenseless.

In an emotional scene from Ragnarok, Kratos has a vision of his future self bringing hope and salvation to the Norse world instead of vengeance and mindless slaughter. He sees himself revered as the prophesied hero of Ragnarok, finally breaking free from his bloody legacy to become this almost messianic figure foretold to liberate the weary denizens of Midgard from endless chaos and tyranny.

Kratos witnesses himself revered as the hero of Norse prophecy (Source: Santa Monica Studio)

This represents an incredible redemption arc for the Ghost of Sparta. The original Greek saga depicted Kratos as a vengeance-driven harbinger of woe, spreading mayhem and destruction in his quest to slay the very gods of Olympus themselves.

The Norse saga shows Kratos walking a difficult road towards peace and salvation. He tries steering his son Atreus away from the toxicity he himself struggled with while younger. And Atreus too seems to have a stabilizing effect on Kratos‘s fury with his compassionate outlook and inquisitive, optimistic spirit – qualities that Kratos recognizes would have served him better than the red rage that consumed his early life.

Odin‘s End – A Victory Without Reward

In his final confrontation against Odin All-Father, the increasingly unhinged ruler of Asgard, Kratos fights not for ambition or power but for his son‘s future. This is a profound shift from his self-serving rampages in Greece to topple the pantheon.

Kratos slays Odin, but refuses the throne of Asgard for himself. As Atreus himself declares to an incredulous Thor after Odin‘s demise – "My father does not want Odin‘s seat".

Rule over the Nine Realms passes to Thor and Freya instead, gods who despite their strength have shown the capacity for good as evidenced through their care for the races under their guidance. Kratos likely believes they would steer the Norse world down a gentler path than iron-fisted Odin ever could.

Atreus too now seems ready to guide rather than dominate. In God of War (2018), it is revealed he is secretly the long prophesied Loki. But observing his father‘s personal growth has likely put Atreus in a more balanced mindset regarding how he will embrace his destiny.

"I know enough to stay out of their way", Atreus says to Heimdall‘s all-seeing eyes glaring down from Asgard‘s now vacated throne. This hints he understands power‘s trappings and shall not repeat the cycles of violence that previously consumed gods and men alike.

The Road Forward

For longtime fans,God of War Ragnarok delivers a satisfying closure regarding the most crucial dynamic – the complex but loving bond between Kratos and Atreus.

Other raging gods and mystical threats may always loom large, but father and son now stand a fighting chance based on hard-won wisdom and a connection once badly strained, now perhaps indestructible after walking through the torturous fire and fury of Ragnarok shoulder-to-shoulder.

Atreus will likely have to steer his "Uncle Thor" down positive pathways the God of Thunder has rarely known before. As for the aging Ghost of Sparta? More mortal than deity now despite his lingering godly gifts, Kratos seems a battered warrior yearning for simpler days tethered to the quieter woods and wilds high above the realms.

But the Nine Realms shall still need the lethality and legendary resilience of Kratos again. After all, more enemies surely await in the wings for a new saga. Tyr sensed a grave rising danger from very far to the North that may require the lethal skills of the Greek warrior.

And like his past trauma from Greece that continues haunting Kratos via nightmares and regret, the bloody legacy of the Greek era will probably refuse to dim completely for God of War‘s protagonist.

But for now, by defeating Atreus‘ grandfather Odin yet eschewing the throne himself, Kratos sets the realms down an enlightened path preferably without him at the helm so a ravaged land may heal. An older god of war wearied by carnage seeks no crown, just a long-denied chance at peace.