The God of War series started placing more emphasis on story and character quality from the Nordic saga, although the majority of the franchise remains related to Greek mythology. While Kratos’ journey as the Ghost of Sparta has been lauded, his antagonism with the Greek gods has introduced characters with potential that wasn’t fully realized.
Some were wasted because they could’ve been big-time threats instead of one-off bosses, while others had personal connections with Kratos that would have been better served if they'd been explored on a greater scale. With God of War Ragnarök set to feature new characters, it’s worth looking back at the ones who didn’t get the screentime they deserved.
10 Lysandra
Lysandra’s presence was the only thing that prevented Kratos from being God of War’s true villain, as she was proof that he did have humanity in him. However, the games never brought her appearance in full and Lysandra became more of an idea than a person who really existed.
The series missed a big opportunity by excluding her from Chains of Olympus, where only Calliope appeared. Lysandra could have been brought back for Kratos to achieve the closure he needed in God of War III, but she was once again left as a memory instead of showing audiences why Kratos fell in love with her in the first place.
9 Hera
The God of War series has lacked a villain who is purely of the scheming variety. Hera could have filled that void, having manipulated Hercules to fight his brother Kratos in her attempt to get both men killed at the same time. Hera was initially unfazed by Kratos’ bravado and hit back with a kind of sarcasm that Kratos was ill-equipped to match.
It would have been interesting if Hera was the main antagonist out to kill Kratos as part of her contempt for him as an illegitimate child of Zeus, and her manner of disposal in God of War III was very weak for one of the main gods of Olympus.
8 Icarus
Icarus’ backstory is a lost opportunity that could have been expanded in God of War III. He appeared in the previous game seeking an audience with the sisters, but his motives were unclear and the reasons for his mental state weren’t revealed.
Daedalus’ appearance in the following entry would have made more sense had he been reunited with Icarus, as his ramblings to do so would’ve been justified. Icarus deserved more than to be a minor boss, especially since the seeds were planted for a backstory involving his wings and his father’s creation of the Labyrinth.
7 Castor And Pollux
The Gemini twins had an unsettling appearance that was made intriguing through their means of reversing time to retain their youth. As it is, Pollux was Kratos’ half-brother through Zeus while Castor was the mortal twin of Pollux.
Their backstory alone is interesting enough for fans to want to know more about them, only for God of War Ascension to turn them into a one-time boss fight. Things like how they got to the Oracle’s temple, their relationship with Zeus, and how they became connected among many others details should have been shown in the game.
6 The Village Oracle
The Village Oracle’s mean streak was such that she managed to make Kratos a sympathetic character in God of War. This was impressive considering the flashback features Kratos slaughtering the villain. The Oracle was a mysterious figure overall, as Kratos let her live even though he could have ended her right there.
It’s also unclear how she cast the magic that forced Kratos to wear the ashes of his wife and child. Considering she’s the only Oracle who survived the series, the woman could have been portrayed as a constant reminder to Kratos of his failures. Instead, the story had her placed as a one-off character who still brings up many unanswered questions.
5 Rhea
The Titans were underutilized characters, and Rhea is doubly so because she’s also one of God of War’s most tragic characters. Rhea’s only appearance was to hide baby Zeus for Gaia to take, which left many questions, like what became of her and why she ever bore children with Cronos to begin with.
She was well placed to have a reunion with Zeus in his adulthood; it would have allowed fans to see how Zeus would react to the mother who genuinely loved him. Rhea was also the only truly sympathetic Titan, and a meeting with her grandson Kratos sounds equally intriguing. Unfortunately, the series left her as a minor character whose appearance seems out of place.
4 Morpheus
An unseen character, Morpheus’ absence is rather baffling, as he’s the reason the events of Chains of Olympus kicked off. Morpheus colluded with Persephone to plunge the gods into an indefinite sleep, but didn’t show up in person and was said to have retreated after Persephone’s failure.
As the God of Dreams, Morpheus could have placed Kratos in a loop of his nightmares, which sounds like an entertaining aspect to play through. Morpheus’ role as the one to take down all the gods at once was an incredible achievement that deserved to be acknowledged onscreen.
3 Helios
Helios was teased as the one god (technically a Titan but this wasn’t confirmed in the series) who felt some sympathy for Kratos. However, God of War III ignored this in favor of a quick death for him, which didn’t align with the fact that he owed a life debt to Kratos.
The games would have done better to depict Helios wrestling with the debt that was to be paid and Kratos exploiting this in his favor. He also had the opportunity to avoid the stereotypical god move of attacking Kratos, as his earlier sympathies in Chains of Olympus was a prime opportunity for Helios to be portrayed as a layered character.
2 Artemis
Artemis didn’t need to be a character with an emotional connection with Kratos - she had the potential to be a challenging foe. Artemis appeared once when she gave Kratos a powerful weapon, and her powers would’ve been entertaining to combat against in a difficult boss fight in God of War III.
The series missed the chance to put Artemis' money where her mouth was, as she didn’t fight against the Titans when they returned. Artemis is still seen as a worthy fighter, but the games chose not to bring on the challenge when it made the most sense during Kratos’ war against the gods.
1 Hades
The god of the Underworld was arguably the best boss fight after Zeus in God of War III, and it felt so personal because of Hades’ beef with Kratos. The latter killed Hades’ brothers, niece, and his own wife, for which Hades sought retribution.
Ideally, the series should have placed Hades as the main antagonist to a separate game, much as Thanatos was in Ghost of Sparta. Instead, Hades was wasted during a boss fight where his bid for revenge seemed rushed and eventual defeat failed to come across as significantly as it should have.
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