PlayStation Confirms Kratos' First Name Is John
Mario, Link, Ratchet, what do they all have in common? Unlike Lara Croft, Trevor Phillips, and Crash Bandicoot, we've never really wondered if they have a surname. As a little factoid, Shigeru Miyamoto has said that Mario's full name is Mario Mario, so you're welcome for that.
When it comes to Sony Santa Monica's long-running God of War series, we've always known Kratos as just that. He's the son of Zeus, and looking at how Thor is called Thor Odinson, maybe we should start calling him Kratos Zeuson - but did you know, Kratos isn't even his first name? That's right, we've been naming that bald brute wrong all these years.
What Is Kratos' First Name?
Blowing the minds of the gaming world, he's apparently called John Kratos. Yes, much like Halo's Master Chief actually being called John-117, he's John Kratos. Joining the club alongside Master Chief, John Marston, Johnny Cage, and John Shepard, Kratos has a new name badge that we didn't see in God of War Ragnarok.
This bizarre turn of events started as something of a joke, but now that it's been canonised by PlayStation, we'd better get used to it. Things kicked off when Guardian video game editor Keza MacDonald shared a marketing email from someone who's clearly never picked up the Blades of Chaos. In a hilarious exchange, the email writes, "The game follows John Kratos as he delves into a fantasy world of dragons and monsters."
MacDonald's tweet soon went viral, where it was picked up by the official PlayStation Twitter. In response, the account confirmed John Kratos as fact and said we should all start calling the World Serpent Colin. Even though it's obviously still a joke, it's definitely got us thinking. Come on Cory Barlog, give us the official nod.
What Have Fans Said About John Kratos?
Click to enlargeSafe to say, the tweet has exploded as the God of War community has chuckled and raged in equal measure. One fan joked, "The story of John Kratos, a janitor turned into a greek God by an accident during an experiment with tacos...," while another added, "John Halo Vs John Kratos. A battle of the ages."
A third poked fun at the iconic Souls meme and asked, "I wonder if John Kratos is friends with John Dark Souls." What's weirder, calling him John Kratos or that concept of Skinny Kratos?
Whether you're on board with calling him John Kratos or not, you'd better make it snappy. Ragnarok is confirmed to be the end of the road for Sony Santa Monica's dip into Norse mythology.
Although we're sure the franchise will continue, it looks increasingly likely a maturing Atreus could take over from him. Sorry, isn't that meant to be Atreus Kratos?