God of War Ending Explained - God of War (2018) Wiki Guide - IGN (2023)

This page explains the ending of God of War and covers a few unanswered questions and theories. It goes without saying, but spoilers are ahead. Text in the blue boxes explains in parallel what happened in the original Norse Mythos.

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• The Final Battle
• The Mural Explained
• Who is Faye and Atreus
• Who is Kratos in Norse Mythology
• The True Ending
• After Defeating All Valkyries

Stuck on a particular step of God of War's Journey? See our complete Walkthrough Guide for the solution to every puzzle, boss fight, and more.

The Final Battle

During Kratos and Atreus' final battle with Baldur, the rampant god becomes mortal after being pierced by the mistletoe that Sindri gave Atreus earlier on in the story. Turns out that the plant was the one thing that Freya wasn’t able to ensure couldn’t harm her son.

In Norse mythology, Freya (sometimes synonymous with Frigg. God of War's Freya seems to follow the theory that Frigg and Freya are one and the same.) asked for everything in existence to pledge an oath to never harm Baldur. She only did not ask for a mistletoe plant, seeing it as either too young, or inconsequential. It was Loki who sought the mistletoe, formed an arrow from its branch, and gave to Baldur's blind brother Hother to unknowingly throw at Baldur with the rest of the gods as they tested his invulnerability. This killed Baldur instantly, the first sign of Ragnorak.

This weakness allowed Kratos to snap Baldur’s neck and finally put an end his madness. While Kratos and Atreus view this act as necessary, Freya watches her son die in horror, and vows to exact revenge in this incredible monologue which proves that hell hath no fury like a mother scorned.

With Baldur out of the way and Freya rightfully pissed off, our heroes are finally free to use the Bifrost to travel to Jotunheim (with a bit of unconventional help from Mimir).

The Mural Explained

As the pair make their way up to the highest peak, Kratos unwraps the bandages around his wrists, finally making peace with the ghosts of his past. He also finally allows Atreus to carry Faye’s ashes up the final stretch of the mountain, showing just how far these two characters have come.

The pair make it to a temple that the giants constructed after leaving Midgard. Suddenly the walls give way to reveal an intricate mural that leads to a startling revelation. A mural, that shows their past, present, and future, all playing out at once. From the first time Kratos and Atreus met The World Serpent, to their fight with Baldur -- Atreus entire life is displayed on the wall.

Faye was a Giant, meaning that Atreus is part Greek God, and part Giant. Remember, Giants are known for their ability to see the future. As Kratos says, he wasn’t the only parent keeping a secret.

After Atreus leaves the temple, Kratos watches as a curtain blows back, revealing that the mural also shows the future.

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Ok Kratos alone sees this final, hidden pane, which is open to a bit of interpretation. It appears as if Kratos is dying, with his son close by. But what is coming out of Atreus' mouth? Does the boy cause Kratos’ death? Is the cycle of a son murdering his father truly not broken? Is it simply Atreus hearing Kratos' final words? And why is Kratos so content with this ominous image? Unfortunately, we don't have answers for this.

Who is Faye and Atreus

So this is where things get tricky. Let’s jump ahead a few moments to the reveal that the name Atreus was given to the boy in honor of a brave and kind Spartan that Kratos knew back in Greece.

We find out Faye wished to name Atreus Loki, and that's how she referred to him to fellow giants, and in the mural. The boy’s real name is Loki. Yes, THAT Loki. Trickster, father of wolves (Fenrir), World Serpents, and Hel. And of course, the catalyst of Ragnarok - the death of Baldur is the first domino that causes it in mythology.

We find out as the credits roll that Faye is also known as Laufey (Lau[faye], see?) Laufey is a jotunn (giant), mother of Loki, and wife of fellow jotunn Farbauti in Norse mythos. Laufey's nickname was Nal - possibly meaning needle - because she was known to be small and slender when compared to other jotunn.

Who is Kratos in Norse Mythology

Just as Atreus' name was written differently in the runes on the mural, so is Kratos'. The giants' name for Kratos, in runes, seems to be Farbauti.

Farbauti in Norse Mythology is the husband of Laufey, and is known as "Cruel Striker," related to wildfires. His lore is not nearly as extensive as Loki's, but some stories relay both Farbauti and Laufey as perishing early on in Loki's life, and Loki getting adopted by Thor or Odin.

The True Ending

The wind blows to reveal Thor’s iconic hammer Mjollnir. Given that you killed his two sons, it’s not hard to imagine why the God of Thunder has come knocking.

After Defeating All Valkyries

But wait... there’s still one last secret in God of War, and that comes after you’ve defeated the 8 Valkyries as well as what you assume was the Valkyrie Queen, Sigrun.

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Turns out, there’s only ever been one true leader of the Valkyries, and I bet you can guess who that is... Tap to Reveal.