Does Kratos Still Have Hades‘ Soul in God of War Ragnarok?
No – the quick answer is Kratos no longer possesses Hades‘ soul nor any fragments of it by the events of God of War Ragnarok. But how did we get here? Let‘s recap the epic saga of the soul‘s rise and destruction across the Greek and Norse eras…
The Battle With Hades and a Soul Absorbed
In the iconic events of God of War III, Kratos seeks out Hades in an underground pit of lost souls to retrieve the Omphalos Stone. This leads to a brutal boss fight against the God of the Underworld.
As Hades lies defeated on the stone platform, Kratos uses the legendary Claws of Hades to painfully rip out his very soul from his body. A devastating finishing move!
[insert graphic screenshot from fight]Kratos proceeds to absorb Hades‘ soul into himself, gaining powerful new abilities. This includes summoning undead legionnaires and enhanced soul manipulation.
For a time, the Ghost of Sparta carried the soul of Olympus‘ ruler of the dead within him.
The Destruction by Zeus and Loss of the Soul
However, this possession was short-lived. Later in God of War III during the final confrontation, Zeus manifests his giant astral form to confront Kratos.
In this epic encounter, Zeus unleashes a massive electrical blast that destroys all of Kratos‘ weapons and equipment – including the Claws of Hades that stored Hades‘ soul.
Just like that, Hades‘ soul was obliterated by Zeus as collateral damage. Kratos may still carry fragments of earlier souls he absorbed…but the God of the Underworld was wiped from his being.
[insert artwork depicting Zeus destroying weapons]So What About God of War Ragnarok?
By the events of the present-day Norse saga (including God of War Ragnarok), the soul of Hades no longer exists within Kratos.
Not even the smallest piece remains, as it was fully destroyed in God of War III‘s final conflict.
While we catch glimpses of figures like Thor and Odin – there are no signs or mentions of Hades still influencing Kratos in any way in the Norse realms. His power level and abilities seem wholly his own.
So while the adventures of Greek and Norse sagas remain epic, haunting and brutal…the soul-draining days of God of War III are squarely in Kratos‘ past.
Hades‘ soul is but a distant memory. And frankly, Kratos likely wants to keep it that way given the pains (literal and metaphorical) it took to first claim then lose it!
Could Hades Return in Future Games?
An interesting fan theory posed on Reddit is whether Hades could potentially return in future God of War games. After all – death is rarely permanent for the gods!
Perhaps a future game could see Kratos journey to the remains of Olympus, or a resurrected Hades seek vengeance. He would surely still despise the Ghost of Sparta for the humiliating way he was defeated.
As much as I‘d personally love to battle the grim lord of the underworld again, I suspect his soul is likely gone for good at Zeus‘ hands. Yet anything remains possible in the epic, unfolding sagas of God of War!
[insert subjective opinion on wanting to see Hades come back as an antagonist]The Takeaway on Hades‘ Soul in Ragnarok
While absorbing then losing part of Hades‘ essence was impactful for a short period…Zeus wiped out all traces of the soul long before Kratos‘ adventures shifted north to the Norse realms.
By the era of the latest God of War Ragnarok, any lingering influence or abilities gained from Hades‘ soul seem to have vanished.
Kratos rides solely on his own fearsome power as he journeys across realms to protect his son Atreus and hopefully avoid more looming prophecies of destruction…
So in summary – nope, no part of ol‘ grim Hades still resides within our ashen-skinned antihero anymore. That thread and power source seems completely snipped…for now at least!
[Subjectively express enthusiasm about the series‘ lore and interest in seeing where Kratos‘ journey goes next after Ragnarok!]