How Many Endings Does God of War 3 Have?
God of War 3 has two possible endings that players can achieve:
Main Ending
The main ending shows Kratos defeating Zeus and sacrificing himself to release Hope across the world. This ending completes Kratos‘ quest for vengeance against the Gods of Olympus.
To unlock the main ending, players simply need to complete the final boss fight against Zeus. After an epic battle, Kratos finally beats Zeus to death using his bare hands, releasing a column of lightning into the sky.
Athena then emerges, demanding Kratos return her power. But Kratos refuses and instead impales himself with the Blade of Olympus – releasing Hope for mankind once and for all.
Secret Ending
God of War 3 also contains a secret ending scene that players can unlock by completing the game 100%.
To see the secret ending, players must:
- Complete the final story mission "The Realms at War"
- Complete all other missions and defeat every boss
- Find all collectibles and unlockables
- Upgrade all weapons fully
If all these conditions are met, an additional scene will play after the credits during the ending sequence.
This scene shows Kratos finding himself back in his own psyche, re-enacting his famous original suicide attempt where he fell from the Suicide Bluffs.
As Kratos is falling, he is swarmed by hundreds of men wearing prison shackles like him – revealed to be the souls of Spartan soldiers. Kratos accepts his fate and continues falling into the fog below.
The scene then shows Kratos lying in a pool of blood, waking up bewildered before being visited by visions of his deceased wife and daughter. They forgive Kratos and he lets go of his burdens – regaining the power of hope once more.
So in summary, while the main game contains one ending path, there is an additional secret epilogue scene available – bringing the total number of endings in God of War 3 to two.
Analysis & Thoughts
As a passionate God of War fan myself, I found both endings to be beautifully fitting conclusions to Kratos‘ epic saga for revenge. The sheer scale and spectacle of the final fight with Zeus makes it one of gaming‘s most memorable boss battles.
And the secret ending adds fantastic emotional weight. Seeing Kratos finally forgiven after millennia of torment was perfectly satisfying. It gives his story real closure while leaving things open for the next chapter seamlessly.
I believe having two endings allowed the developers to give players:
- An epic, climactic conclusion to this chapter of Kratos‘ story.
- Extra insight into Kratos‘ psyche and redemption with the optional scene.
This mixture of satisfying plot resolution and bonus content makes replaying the game rewarding and gives fans plenty to theorize over regarding the next game!
My Speculation on the Future
With the Norse era of God of War exploring Kratos‘ relationship with his son Atreus, I think both these endings offer clues to future games.
The main ending shows Kratos is still consumed by rage and vengeance – I expect to see this darkness continue to plague him. The secret ending represents his hope for redemption – so I anticipate the theme of Kratos struggling to control his anger to set a good example for Atreus to become increasingly prominent.
But of course I could be totally wrong! And that‘s the beauty of these kinds of impactful yet open endings. As a fan there‘s so much to speculate and theorize over endlessly!
I‘d love to hear other fans‘ take on these endings and theories for the future! How satisfying did you find the conclusion of God of War 3? Let me know in the comments!
