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You’ve beaten the last boss, you’ve finished all the side-quests and upgraded your armor. There’s still one more thing to do in God of War. If you’re like us, you probably noticed that there’s something missing from the ending to Kratos and son’s adventure — credits! Seeing as the entire game is presented in a unique way, as an uncut camera shot that lasts the entire game, I figured this was another stylistic choice.
Turns out I was totally wrong, there’s still a little more to see after you’ve finished the fight and have the post-game world to explore. We’re not going to spoil anything else here, so if you want to know where to go to get one final tease — a tease I’ll attempt to explain below — then keep scrolling, and check out the gallery for a rundown of all the important stuff you should know about before the next game in the series is announced.
[Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead — We’re going to be talking about the ending, and the true ending tease that follows. Stop here if you want to see it for yourself!]
More God of War (2018) guides on Gameranx:
- God of War (2018): How To Beat Every Boss | Strategy Guide
- God of War (2018): How To Fully Upgrade The Leviathan Axe | Level 6 Upgrade Guide
- God of War (2018): All Realm Tears Locations | Dust of Realms Guide
- God of War (2018): How To Get The Best Armor Sets | Valkryie, Magma & Mist
- God of War (2018): How To Unlock Every Shortcut | Mystic Gateway Locations Guide
- God of War (2018): All Artifacts Locations | Collectibles Guide
- God of War (2018): ‘More Than A Myth’ Shrines & Marker Locations | Lore Guide
- God of War (2018): How To Free All 3 Dragons | ‘Dangerous Skies’ Guide
- God of War (2018): All 7 Hidden Chambers of Odin Locations Guide
- God of War (2018): All Nornir Chest Locations & Solutions Guide
- God of War (2018): Legendary Chests Locations | Runes Guide
- God of War (2018): Unlock Witch Time & Improve Parry | Best Talismans Guide
- God of War (2018): All 12 Treasure Maps & Digging Spots | Locations Guide
- God of War (2018): All Odin’s Raven Locations | Collectibles Guide
Endings Explained | How To Find The Secret Ending
[Spoilers Begin Here]
At the end of the game, after Kratos and Atreus defeat Baldur and his mother Freya vows revenge, the two finally travel to Jotunheim to spread Fey’s ashes from the tallest mountain in all the realms. While exploring the mountain, Kratos and Atreus find a temple built by the giants, showing the exploits of the two gods on their journey to Jotunheim, and one mural even shows a scene from the future.
There are some important facts we can gleam from the final reveals in the game. Most important is that…
- Kratos sacrifices himself or dies in battle against an unseen foe while Atreus is still a child. One of the murals, covered in a tarp, shows this fate. Kratos silently acknowledges it without showing Atreus.
- In the mural, vine-like appendages are attacking a wounded Kratos. These vines just might be the same used by Freya to strangle Kratos during their final battle. This means that Freya, as promised, will return as Kratos’ enemy and may even be the one to kill him.
- Kratos and Fey (Atreus’ mother) wanted to name their son Loki. Atreus, essentially, is Loki. In Norse mythology, Loki is the son of a giant and becomes an enemy of the gods after killing Baldur. It is said that, in Ragnarok, Loki fights with the giants against the gods.
- Loki is commonly seen as a villain, but his real role in Norse mythology is more complicated than that. He’s known as a trickster figure that can change shape, but also neither a hero nor a villain. He opposes the gods, which is always a good thing in the God of War series.
This is all part of the original, standard ending that you can’t miss. There’s one more ending to see, and you’ll have to complete a simple task to check it out.
- To see the secret ending, travel back to the Wild Woods and return to your house. Rest in the bed to check out the secret teaser and get the credits.
In this semi-secret ending, another stranger comes knocking on Kratos’ door. A title card appears, revealing that several years have passed. Outside, Kratos and Atreus confront a hooded stranger as a lightning storm crackles above their modest hut. The camera pans closer to the weapon in the broad-shouldered stranger’s hand — it’s a hammer. Mjolnir, the weapon wielded by Thor, the God of Thunder.
Thor, as described in God of War, is an impossibly powerful god — and one seeking revenge for the deaths of Baldur, Mordi and Magni. The credits then roll. Like, the real credits. It fades to black and plays music. When the credits are over, the game returns to the present day, and Atreus describes the ending like a dream he experienced. Then you’re free to continue exploring in the post-game world.
What did you think of God of War’s ending? Was it the emotional conclusion you were looking for? Did it suck? Let us know in the comments!
