Why is Kratos so short? To bring players closer to a more human god of war

At a towering seven feet six inches, the vengeful Kratos of the classic God of War trilogy seemed ready to pluck down the very pillars of Olympus. When the franchise was reborn in 2018‘s God of War, long time fans were struck by a noticeable change – the once mighty giant appeared almost shrinked. So why is this figure of legend now closer to an average height?

According to Sony Santa Monica Studio lead character technical artist Axel Grossman, cutting Kratos down to size to around 6‘4" was a very intentional creative decision. By making his physical stature less grandiose and more approachable, they opened story and gameplay opportunities to humanize the demigod antihero through his relationship with his young son Atreus.

Relatable Redesign Brings Players Closer to Kratos

Standing head and shoulders above enemy hordes, the Greek era Kratos lived up to his savage Spartan warrior roots as an instrument of raw destruction. While thrilling to battle as, this colossal figure could seem more malicious force of nature than sympathetic protagonist. Once defined solely by viciousness, shifted priorities in the Nordic realm reveal Kratos‘ once buried humanity.

The average male in the United States stands at around 5 feet 9 inches tall. By compressing Kratos‘ proportions from the extremes of 7‘6" down to a more believable 6‘4", Santa Monica Studio brought him closer to players‘ eye levels so they can better see themselves in his weathered gaze. The connections fostered in exhilarating father-son gameplay sequences and quiet conversations would not have resonated as deeply were Atreus interacting with a giant instead of his dad.

This intentional height adjustment exemplifies series director Cory Barlog‘s assertion that "Kratos needs humanity, not divinity" in the current age of gods.

The updated camera perspective also brings a new intimacy to this epic saga. Rather than towering on high seeing Kratos raining blows down on foes like natural disasters, we experience mountainous threats bearing down on us through his eyes. As axes clang off shields and unforgiving Nordic cold sets in, we share a mortal‘s perspective even with godly abilities.

By adjusting the God of War‘s height from superhuman Olympian to simply a very tall mortal, Santa Monica Studio brought physiological verisimilitude to his emotional transformation. Once an abstraction frothing at the mouth for vengeance, we can now look the living legend Kratos square in the eye as he reckons with past demons while forging a hopeful future for his son in the Norse wilds. This bold design change expanded the franchise‘s narrative and gameplay horizons.

Synergy With Christopher Judge‘s Appearance and Performance

In addition to better integrating Kratos‘ story into the game design, Santa Monica Studio was eager reflect the image of the man newly breathing life into the Spartan warrior for this generation. Taking over the role of both voice acting and motion capture, actor Christopher Judge‘s natural height of 6‘3" superseded the earlier character model.

Rather than awkwardly adjust Judge‘s movements upward through animation, the team adapted Kratos‘ proportions to match the performer behind the grizzled voiceover work. This allowed for more seamless integration of voice acting and body language in conveying the spectrum of emotions on Kratos‘ stoic but conflicted face. Judge‘s appearance also informed the shift to a more tanned complexion better representing the studio‘s biracial lead performer.

The technology leap between Playstation console generations allowed Santa Monica Studio to capture Judge‘s facial expressions directly rather than extrapolating from voice work alone. Being able to see and respond to Judge‘s raised eyebrows, furrowed frowns, and subtle winces transforms Kratos into a dynamic character rather than unitary force. In effect, the God of War was rebuilt from the ground up starting from the man beneath the myth.

Aligning Kratos‘ virtual height with the real actor playing him completes the commitment to grounding this iconic action game franchise in deeper emotional authenticity. Rather than fanciful wish fullfilment, playing as Kratos now reflects what Santa Monica Studio Head Shannon Studstill calls “the human condition through the lens of gods and monsters.”

Towering Beings of Norse Lore

While reduced from his Greek god era, Kratos‘ 6 and a half foot frame still leaves him towering over ordinary humans across the realms at about double young Atreus‘ height. Even in the land of giants, this father figure stands tall enough to instill the boy‘s awe.

Comparatively, Kratos drastically contrasts with the height of iconic figures newly introduced in the Nordic era of God of War such as the Norse pantheon‘s chieftain Odin. Ruling from cloaked high places like a surveillance state, the Allfather sits enthroned as king of the Æsir gods in the heavens rather than walking among mortals.

Odin‘s son Thor serves as the sinewy muscle enforcing Asgard‘s will, devastating any resistance with his divine hammer Mjölnir. Actor Ryan Hurst implied Thor would stand "just over 7 feet tall" in an imposing embodiment of the thunder god. Compared to Thor‘s mythic proportions approximating lightning striking down from the clouds, the relatively down to Earth Kratos leans more on his Spartan infantry military training in their tactical clash of opposites.

Tyr, the Norse god of war before Kratos usurped his title, stands as another instrumental figure from this pantheon. Though details remain shadowed in mystery, the one-handed Tyr likely challenged threats beyond even Thor‘s might. His towering legacy still inspires the veneration of Týr‘s temple prominently located in the center of the Lake of Nine.

These larger than life figures help reinforce the relatable humanity Santa Monica Studio instilled in Kratos by adjusting his physiology smaller but no less mighty. Once an insatiable god defying fate, he now stands shoulder to shoulder with family and allies against the oppression of boastful divinities drunk on their own power. Rather than solely an instrument of destruction, he has become a champion protecting the freedom of all living creatures great and small against tyranny.

Sizing up Kratos Against Major Threats

Despite his reduced dimensions compared to his Greek era exploits, Kratos retains the strength to battle beasts far larger than anything found in Midgard. While a guardian dragon the size of a mountain may seem the ultimate obstacle for human combatants, the Ghost of Sparta finds kinship with fellow tattooed foreigner Fafnir based on their shared violent histories. Other threats emerging from imprisonment or destabilized by conflict also push Kratos to employ his full might against towering creatures threatening the realms with chaos unchecked by natural order.

While still a giant, the Kratos of the current God of War saga utilizes skillful tactics honed across eras alongside his peak physical prowess to topple gargantuan foes. He may lack the hundred foot height of titanesque opponents, but exhibits strategic resourcefulness combined with magical mastery to outmaneuver their brute strength. Check out this data table contrasting Kratos‘ vital statistics against major creatures fought in the 2018 God of War and in the upcoming Ragnarök sequel:

Rather than brute strength alone, Kratos also exhibits an intellectual cunning picked up from his bloody path through Greek politics and the corps of Sparta. Outsmarting and outmaneuvering protects his family as much as outmuscling. Checkmate positioning to counter brute force represents signature Kratos tactics making size uneven footing tip in the favor of this wily veteran.

Conclusion

By the design team‘s admission, the God of War himself did not lose any of his epic warrior capabilities between eras – only his roided out proportions from when Greece knew him as the vicious Ghost of Sparta. The move to mesh his mythology with real world physiology helps players relate to Kratos as a man working to overcome his dark history rather than an abstract symbol of violence. Paired with a renewed focus on emotional authenticity in performance capture, Kratos stands on the precipice of a new saga not diminished but enhanced by the choice to reduce his frame.

Rather than struggling against the heavens themselves, the threats arising in the Norse era seem grounded by human qualities of greed and fear unchecked. Kratos stands ready to teach gods, monsters, and men alike to resist oppression through resilience and moral courage. Players can continue this legend by strapping two axes to their backs and embracing the wilder lands ahead as God of War Ragnarök arrives November 9th 2022.