Why Does Kratos Rock That Totally Badass Scar Over His Eye?
As an obsessive God of War fanboy, I gotta stop my axe grinding and give some love to arguably the most baller video game scar ever pixelated. I‘m talking about the completely sick battle trophy that slashes right over my dude Kratos‘ eye!
We all know Kratos rocks a killer Spartan mercenary look – between the golden fleece armor draped over mind-blowingly shredded muscles and not one but TWO deadly chainsaw-swords, my guy is cruising for a visually epic bruising. Butmodels out on some next level war-torn warrior style with that gnarly facial scar adding a perfect dose of grizzled veteran realness.
The Brutal Origin Story
How‘d our ashen-skinned beast get his iconic war wound? The trail of vengeance started back when he was just a kid training alongside his brother Deimos. Then one crapfest of a day, the godly bullies Ares and Athena crash the party, hellbent on snatching up his bro Deimos. Little Kratos goes full "not on my watch!" and tries taking on freaking ARES to save his brother!
But baby Kratos is no match for the God of War yet. Ares backhands him right in the face – BAM! – and knocks his scrawny Spartan butt halfway across the arena. bye bye eye, hello forever badass scar!
Just imagine getting whupped that hard by the muscle god who makes Arnold Schwarzenegger look like Gene Kelly. Kratos definitely earned bonus tough guy points surviving a direct face-to-fist taste of Ares’ roid rage! Even if the lil bro rescue failed…ouchtown, population you!
Suffice to say, from that literal smackdown emerged the legend known across realms as the Ghost of Sparta. And this OG warrior wears that mark of shame pride like few can.
The Scar Seen ‘Round the World(s)
Jump forward a few decades and Kratos has raged his way up the warlord ranks fueled by bitterness over Ares stealing his bro then manipulating him into offing his own fam in a beserker bloodrage. Sporting the scar over his right eye, our ashy assassin slices and dices his way to becoming the new God of War himself after brutally assuming room temperature on Ares. Revenge dish served ice cold!
But that iconic scar endures as THE signature element completing the Kratos look of death. Combined with the permanent chain scars etched around those log-thick arms, my man is 300 pounds of Grecian muscle and menace.
He rocks that facial battle damage like few characters in gaming history – right up there with Geralt from The Witcher games. These are scars that make fandoms swoon and launch a billion fanfics!
Symbolic Significance
While it sets his style apart wickedly, that wicked scar symbolizes the deeper psychological trauma that fuels Kratos’ rage. Like his tattoo, the scar mirrors brother Deimos’ birthmark, serving as a permanent reminder of that failure to protect him and the loss Kratos still carries. Its prominence forces him to re-live that defining defeat every time he sees his reflection.
Throughout his god-slaying rampages and now into the Norse wilds, that mark represents a deep-seated pain no blades of chaos can heal. It adds complexity and sympathy to his otherwise one-note rage persona. Under the anger lies profound grief – the failure to spare his brother torment, the anguish over his slain wife and daughter. Physical scars may fade, but mental ones remain raw and aching.
So in many ways, the scar across his eye lets us connect with Kratos and his suffering on a deeper level. It represents unfinished business, gods he still seeks to destroy in order to quell his simmering PTSD. That mission continues into the new God of War Ragnarok where his own son Atreus sports similar face tattoos…perhaps a case of like father, like son? Or will the boy avoid repeating past bloody mistakes?
Either way, when gamers behold that jagged Spartan flesh wound, we know some poor gods are catching this super saiyan’s smoke! The legend – and lacerations – of Kratos will eviscerate on!
Scar Tally Table
Source of Scar: Ares face punch
Age: Sustained in childhood
Length: 3 inches
Depth: Muscle-deep
Awesomeness Scale: 10/10
