Kratos is a problem. Not just for the Greek pantheon, but for logic itself. When Santa Monica Studio released God of War II back in 2007, they didn't just give us a sequel; they handed us a massive, time-bending headache known as the Sisters of Fate. Honestly, if you played it back then, you probably remember the sheer scale of the Loom Chamber. It was gorgeous. It was terrifying. It was also the moment the series decided that rules didn't matter anymore.
The Sisters—Lakhesis, Atropos, and Clotho—aren't just bosses. They represent the ultimate "get out of jail free" card in narrative design. Most people think they're just another set of names to cross off Kratos's murder list, but they actually serve as the foundational pillar for why the Norse games even exist. Without the events of the God of War Sisters of Fate encounter, Kratos dies on that floor in Rhodes, and the story ends before it even begins.
The Brutal Reality of Lakhesis, Atropos, and Clotho
Mythology is messy. Most games try to sanitize it, but God of War leans into the grime. In the game’s lore, these three siblings control the threads of life for every mortal, god, and Titan. It's a heavy burden, or it would be if they weren't so incredibly arrogant.
Lakhesis is the one who greets you first. She’s tall, winged, and possesses a level of condescension that makes Zeus look humble. She truly believes that destiny is a fixed track. Then you have Atropos, who tries to pull a "Back to the Future" by jumping into the past to destroy the blade Kratos used to kill Ares. It’s a wild sequence. You’re literally fighting on the sword from the first game while the past version of yourself is fighting in the background. If she succeeds, the timeline collapses.
Then there’s Clotho.
Clotho is a massive, multi-armed, silkworm-looking nightmare stationed deep within the Loom Chamber. She is the weaver. She is also stationary, which makes her a giant target, but the sheer visceral disgust of that boss fight is something fans still talk about decades later. She doesn't have the grace of her sisters. She’s just a raw, pulsating factory of destiny.
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Why the God of War Sisters of Fate Fight Changed Everything
Before this game, death in the series was semi-permanent. Sure, Kratos crawled out of Hades, but that’s a physical place. You can climb a ladder out of hell. But you can't climb out of "never having existed."
The Sisters changed the stakes. They introduced the idea that the "threads of fate" could be physically manipulated. By defeating them, Kratos didn't just win a fight; he usurped the power of time. This is where the "Expert Mode" of the story begins. When Kratos steps up to the Loom of Fate, he isn't just looking for a way back to his own time. He goes back to the moment Zeus betrayed him, then goes even further back to bring the Titans into the future.
The Casualties of Time Travel
- The World's Agency: Once Kratos controls the Loom, nothing anyone does matters unless he allows it.
- The Narrative Tension: If you can go back and fix any mistake, why worry? The game fixes this by having Kratos destroy the Loom after he gets what he wants, effectively breaking time for everyone else.
- The Greek Logic: In actual Greek myth, the Moirai (the real Sisters of Fate) were often seen as even more powerful than Zeus. The game honors this by making Zeus genuinely afraid of what happens if Kratos reaches them.
Most people miss the subtle tragedy here. By killing the Sisters, Kratos essentially removes "Fate" from the universe. He creates a world of pure chaos where only strength determines the outcome. It's the ultimate nihilistic victory.
Mechanics vs. Lore: The Boss Fight Breakdown
If we're being real, the actual gameplay against the God of War Sisters of Fate is a masterclass in PS2-era design. It’s a three-phase endurance test.
Phase one is Lakhesis. She’s all about aerial movement and energy bolts. It’s a rhythm game, basically. You parry, you strike, you stay mobile. But then Atropos joins in, and the game forces you to manage two high-level threats simultaneously. This was 2007. We didn't have the "warning indicators" of the modern games. You just had to use your eyes and ears.
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The transition to the past is the highlight. Standing on the Blade of the Gods while Atropos tries to shatter it is a high-pressure moment because it connects the sequel directly to the player's previous achievements. If you fail here, you aren't just losing a life; you're losing the victory you earned in the 2005 game. It’s a brilliant meta-narrative trick.
Specific Tactics That Actually Work
You have to use the Amulet of the Fates. It sounds obvious, but people forget to spam the slow-motion mechanic during the Lakhesis fight. When she hovers over those green pillars, that's your window. If you aren't slowing time, you're just making life hard for yourself. Also, the Typhon’s Bane bow is surprisingly effective for chipping away at Lakhesis while she’s being evasive.
For Clotho, it’s all about the environment. You aren't "fighting" her in the traditional sense. You're solving a lethal puzzle. You have to use the levers to move the swinging blades and eventually impale her arms. It’s slow, methodical, and incredibly gory. It feels like a chore, but that’s the point. You’re literally dismantling the machinery of the universe.
Addressing the Biggest Misconception
There's this weird theory that the Sisters of Fate were working for Zeus the whole time. That’s not quite right. Honestly, they were working for themselves. They liked the status quo. They liked being the most powerful entities in existence. Zeus was just the guy currently holding the lease on Olympus, and they were fine with him as long as he didn't touch their loom.
When Kratos shows up, he represents "The Variable." He’s the one thing they didn't weave correctly. Their refusal to help him wasn't necessarily out of loyalty to Zeus; it was out of a refusal to admit they made a mistake with his thread. They would rather erase him from history than admit the Ghost of Sparta was beyond their control.
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The Legacy: From Greece to Midgard
How does this affect the newer games? Well, Cory Barlog and the team at Santa Monica had to deal with the "Time Travel" problem when they moved to Norse myth. In God of War (2018) and Ragnarök, they shifted toward a more "prophecy" based system rather than "physical threads."
The Norns in the Norse saga are the direct thematic successors to the God of War Sisters of Fate. But notice the difference: the Norns tell Kratos that there is no fate, only the choices people make because they are too predictable to change. This is a direct response to the Greek era. Kratos already killed "Fate" once. He proved that the threads can be broken. The Norse games deal with the psychological aftermath of a man who knows that "destiny" is just a word used by people too scared to change themselves.
Why the Sisters Still Matter to Players Today
You can go back and play God of War II on a PS2 or via streaming, and the Sisters of Fate fight still holds up. It doesn't feel like an old game. It feels like a grand opera. The music, the scale of the Loom Chamber, and the sheer audacity of Kratos screaming at the goddesses of time—it’s peak gaming.
It also serves as a reminder of how much the series has grown. We went from literally stabbing time in the face to Kratos having a quiet, existential conversation about his nature. But you don't get the emotional weight of the father-son journey without the absolute insanity of the Sisters of Fate. You need the spectacle to appreciate the silence.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Players
- Go back to the source: If you've only played the 2018 game and Ragnarök, find a way to play the Sisters of Fate boss fight. It provides the essential context for Kratos's hatred of prophecy.
- Watch the background: During the Atropos fight, look at the environment. The attention to detail in the "past" version of the Ares fight is incredible for the hardware it was running on.
- Compare the Norns: Pay close attention to the dialogue in God of War Ragnarök when Kratos meets the Norns. They explicitly reference his "thread" and his past, acknowledging that he is the one who broke the rules of the Sisters.
- Master the parry: If you're playing the Greek collection, the Golden Fleece is your best friend against Lakhesis. Don't just dodge; reflect.
The Sisters of Fate weren't just villains. They were the personification of the "Old Way"—a world where your path was decided before you were born. By tearing them down, Kratos didn't just save his own life; he cleared the deck for every choice he made in the years that followed. It’s the most important turning point in the entire franchise, bar none. Without that loom, there is no redemption. There is only the end.