Kratos gets all the credit for the carnage, but if you really look at the bones of the story, God of War Athena is the one holding the knife. Or at least, she’s the one who sharpened it and pointed it at the throat of Olympus. Most players see her as the tragic mentor who died for her father, but that’s a surface-level read that ignores the cold, calculating shift she takes after her "death."
She’s complicated.
In the early games, she’s basically the only god who isn’t a total jerk to Kratos. She’s his handler. His patron. The voice in his ear telling him that if he just kills one more monster, his nightmares might finally go away. It was a lie, obviously. But it was a useful one.
The Evolution of God of War Athena: From Protector to Puppet Master
The shift happens in God of War II. When she jumps in front of Zeus’s blade, she isn't just saving her father; she’s preserving the Hellenic order. But look at what happens when she returns in God of War III as a "higher form of existence." She’s different. She’s translucent, glowing with a sickly green energy, and her vibes are completely off. She stops talking about "we" and starts talking about "my power."
Honestly, it’s a bit chilling how quickly she turns on her own family once she realizes she can rule the ashes.
She didn't just want Zeus dead. She wanted the Flame of Olympus. She wanted the power of Hope—not to give it to humanity, but to keep it for herself as the sole remaining deity. When Kratos realizes this at the end of the third game, it’s the first time we see him truly outsmart a god. He doesn't kill her with a blade; he kills her ambition by impaling himself and releasing Hope to the world.
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She was livid. You could see it in her face. That wasn't the reaction of a benevolent goddess. It was a sore loser.
Was she ever actually "good"?
That’s a tough one.
In the 2005 original, she seems genuinely regretful that the gods can't take away Kratos’s memories. But you have to remember that Greek mythology—and the God of War interpretation of it—is built on the concept of metis, or cunning intelligence. Athena is the goddess of strategy. Every move she made, including her sacrifice, served a long-term goal.
If she’s the goddess of war (the tactical side, unlike Ares’s bloodlust), then Kratos was always her greatest weapon. You don’t love a sword. You maintain it. You use it. And when it gets too sharp, you try to find a way to control where it swings.
The Post-Olympus Ghost and the Norse Connection
For a long time, we thought we were done with her. Then 2018’s God of War happened.
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When Kratos digs up the Blades of Chaos from under his floorboards, God of War Athena is right there. She’s standing in the doorway, mocking him. "You will always be a monster," she says. It’s a hallucination, sure, but it’s a haunting one. It shows that even across realms, her influence is the one thing Kratos can't just punch away.
She represents his past, but she also represents the specific brand of divine manipulation that he’s trying to keep Atreus away from.
The brilliance of her character is how she contrasts with Odin. Odin is a bumbling, "nice guy" manipulator who talks your ear off. Athena is different. She’s cold. She’s elegant. She makes her demands sound like logic. When she appeared in the Norse realm, even for a few seconds, the tension in the room spiked because she’s the only person Kratos actually seems to fear—not because she can beat him in a fight, but because she knows exactly how to break his spirit.
Analyzing the "Higher Form"
There’s a lot of debate among fans about what her "higher form" actually is. Some people think she reached a state of enlightenment, but if you look at the lore provided in the God of War novels and the Valhalla DLC context, it’s more like she became a parasitic entity.
- She survived the death of the Greek world.
- She lost her physical form but gained omnipresence.
- She fueled Kratos's rage specifically to clear the board of other gods.
- She sought a monopoly on worship.
She basically tried to become the Monotheistic God of the Greek world by letting Kratos delete the competition. It’s the ultimate long-con.
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Why her role in Valhalla matters
If you haven't played the Valhalla DLC for God of War Ragnarök, you’re missing the final piece of this puzzle. Without spoiling the emotional beats, the DLC forces Kratos to reckon with his past. He has to look at the throne he took from Ares.
While Athena doesn't have a massive physical role here, her presence hangs over the entire experience. Kratos has to decide if he’s still the "God of War" she built, or if he’s something new.
Every time Kratos chooses mercy or self-reflection, he’s actively defying the path Athena laid out for him decades ago. He’s proving that her "strategic" view of him—as a tool that only knows how to destroy—was wrong. That’s the real victory over her. It’s not a boss fight with health bars and QTEs. It’s a moral rejection of everything she stands for.
Actionable Insights for Lore Fans and Players
If you're revisiting the series to understand the full scope of Athena’s manipulation, keep these specific story beats in mind. They change the way you see the narrative entirely:
- Re-watch the God of War II ending: Look closely at Athena’s face when she tells Kratos that "Zeus is Olympus." She isn't just protecting a father; she's protecting the source of her own relevance.
- Pay attention to the color of the "Higher Form": In the GOW universe, green is often associated with souls and magic that is somewhat "off" or necrotic. Her glow in the third game is a visual cue that she has become something unnatural.
- Listen to her dialogue in the 2018 "hallucination": She specifically uses the word "pretend." She wants Kratos to believe he can never change. Why? Because a Kratos who changes is a Kratos she can no longer predict or use.
- Contrast her with Freya: Both are "mother figures" or mentors to Kratos at different points. Freya’s manipulation comes from grief and love; Athena’s comes from a desire for order and power. Understanding that distinction is key to the series' themes.
Athena remains the most effective villain in the franchise because she never had to throw a punch to ruin Kratos's life. She just had to give him exactly what he thought he wanted. The next time you see her on screen, don't look at her as the helpful guide. Look at her as the architect of the ruins.