When a single character has been at the forefront of a series since the beginning, they are bound to go through some changes. Change is inevitable after all, even in a video game series as big and longstanding asGod of War. Some might even say that change is required to stay relevant, as was the case with the 2018 reimagining oftheGod of Warfranchise.
Kratos himself has gone through numerous changes since he was first introduced in the original 2005God of Warrelease. His personality has shifted with his roles, which include being a warrior, general, servant of the gods, a god himself, and more recently, a fulfilled father and teacher. Time has changed Kratos not just personality-wise, but in his appearance as well. Gone are the pointy goatee, drab loincloth, and tacky bracers on his arms and legs. These were replaced by a full beard, fur-lined leather clothing on his chest, waist, and legs, and full boots respectively. But one thing that hasn’t changed at all is Kratos' lack of hair.
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Bald Is Beautiful
Ever since the first game,Sony Santa Monica has always portrayed Kratosas a bald Spartan warrior. This may be to distinguish him from characters both in theGod of Warseries and in other video games, but unless Kratos suffers from a very rare case of alopecia, it would be impossible for Kratos to be bald from birth. Closely inspecting Kratos' chrome dome in the most recentGod of Warshows that he does indeed possess a vague hairline above his eyebrows. His presence of hair growth can also be proven by his facial hair. A full beard currently stands in place of Kratos' once-infamous goatee, signifying that he can grow it out if he wants to.
It is clear then that despite his disheveled appearance in the latest game, Kratos does care about how he looks. His choice of fur-lined clothing signifies his desire to protect his body from the elements as well as in combat while also not wanting to slow down his movements with bulkier armor. He also grew his beard so that others won’t be able to recognize him as the former Greek god of war. In spite of all his physical changes, however, Kratos just couldn’t bear to part with his iconic hairstyle (or lack of one). Going bald relieves Kratos of any hair-related issues such as obscured vision. It also makes him somewhat aerodynamic and can provide him with an advantage over hairier opponents. Whatever Kratos' reasoning may be, it looks like the bald look is here to stay, as isevidenced in theGod of War Ragnaroktrailers.
Relatives Are The Biggest Pieces Of Evidence To Kratos' Missing Hair
Concept art would be the first thing to look at when trying to discern Kratos' hair if it grew out, but it should be noted that not all of these pieces have a relation to the finished product. To truly find out what Kratos looks like with a full head of hair, people should look to his relatives that are already established in theGod of Warcanon.Kratos' parents, Callisto and Zeus, have short, dark brown (almost black) hair and long white hair respectively. Deimos, Kratos' younger brother, seems to have inherited the short, dark hair from his and Kratos' mother.
While this does give clues to Kratos' hair, people shouldn’t discount Kratos' own offspring. Calliope, Kratos' daughter through his first wife Lysandra, shares the straight, light brown hair of her mother. Atreus, Kratos' son through his second wife Laufey, also has straight brown hair. While Calliope’s genetics are easier to pin down thanks to Lysandra’s presence in the series,Atreus is much harder to make sense ofsince players never really get to see Laufey. Nevertheless, both of Kratos' children have the same straight, light brown hair, which provides a vital clue to Kratos' hair.
So What Does Kratos' Hair Look Like?
Based on his closest relatives and Kratos' facial hair and hairline, it can be inferred that the hair on his head is in fact a very dark shade of brown that borders on black. Lighter brown hairs would have telltale signs on Kratos' bald head, but closer inspection reveals that the shaved areas do contain dark hairs - a testament to his mother’s dominant genesoutclassing Zeus' godly genes. It is unknown if Kratos' hair is straight or somewhat curly (his brother Deimos possesses hair that has characteristics of both), but it’s safe to say that his children inherited their hair genes from their respective mothers. Kratos will most likely always be bald, thanks to the religious upkeep of his appearance, but it is fun to guess what the former Greek god of war would like if he grew his hair out.
God of War: Ragnarokis set to release in 2022 for PS4 and PS5.
