It’s hard to believe that it’s been 18 years since the first iteration of God of War. Way back in 2005, we were introduced to Kratos for the first time, on the Sony PlayStation 2. Now we have the latest version: God of War: Ragnarök, which continues the rebooted story of Kratos and his son, Atreus, whom Kratos simply—and affectionately—calls “boy.”
In between, there have been nine games over the years, which brings the total to 11 ( although some of them can barely be considered games). That’s a whole lot of enemies slaughtered by Kratos’ more-than-capable hands.
There are so many things to love about a God of War game, from the mythology and characters to the settings, but perhaps the most amazing is the impressive array of weapons.
Gameplay and the weaponry involved go a long way, and God of War has some of the best. There have been variations over the years, but Kratos generally sticks to a few tried and true artifacts of killing when he goes on his rampages.
Read on to find a comprehensive list of every weapon Kratos uses in every game.
Before anyone gets in a tizzy about the order, the games are listed by date of release, not chronology. Yes, God of War: Ascension is chronologically the first game in the series, but it was released in 2013.
God of War (2005) weapons
This is the game that introduced the world to Kratos and set the stage for every game since. It featured some of the classic weapons that Kratos still uses to this day.
He starts out the game with the Blades of Chaos (get used to hearing that). They’re given to him by Ares after Kratos pledges his allegiance to the war god. They’re large blades with a curve attached to his arms by chains, so he can swing them in various directions. After Ares rips them back during a Kratos hallucination, he gets an upgrade.
His next weapon is the Blade of Artemis. It’s slow and cumbersome but more powerful than his previous weapon. It was given to him by Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. His next weapon was the Blade of the Gods. This incredibly powerful blade was hidden in Athens and used as a footbridge between a statue of Athena and the Suicide Bluffs.
After Kratos opened Pandora’s Box and became giant-sized, he used the sword to murder Ares and become the new God of War. His final weapon in the game is the Blades of Athena. These replace the Blades of Chaos since Ares took them back.
God of War II (2007) weapons
Kratos starts God of War II with the Blades of Athena and ends with the less powerful Blades of Chaos which have chains attached to the blades that allow for a number of combos. Statistically, the next weapon is the strongest in all of God of War, after the Blade of Olympus: the Barbarian Hammer.
It’s huge, unwieldy, and does incredible amounts of damage, especially when Kratos is surrounded by enemies. He gets it after he defeats Alrik. The hammer also could be leveled up to become even stronger, and it also could summon cursed souls, but at the cost of Kratos’ ability to dodge roll.
Kratos gets the Spear of Destiny after he kills the Dark Rider and pulls it from the body of a dead Griffin. It’s imbued with purple crystals that explode in chain reactions that cause more explosions. It can also get longer for ranged attacks. Next is the Blade of Olympus, which is one of the only weapons that can harm other Gods.
It could only be used by Kratos during his fight with the Colossus of Rhodes and against Zeus in the game’s final showdown, as well as some bonus play in the game.
God of War: Betrayal (2007) weapons
This is one of the lesser-known titles in the God of War universe. As a mobile game, it’s the only one in the franchise to not be released on a PlayStation console as well as being a 2D side scroller. Despite the limitations of the technology of the time, it was well received.
There were no new weapons in the game that weren’t in previous installments. The game starts with the Blades of Athena and you eventually acquire the Blades of Artemis.
God of War: Chains of Olympus (2008) weapons
This was Kratos’ first foray into the portable world, and there wasn’t much change in weaponry here either. If it’s not broken, why fix it? He starts with his trusty Blades of Chaos. The only difference here is that when he powers them up to level five, the red cracks on the blade disappear.
His next weapon in the game is the Gauntlet of Zeus. It allowed for two-handed attacks and was used by Zeus to chain and imprison the Titans.
God of War III (2010) weapons
This was Kratos’ first return to consoles after two mobile outings, and it was a spectacular return to form. There were quite a few weapons in this one, so let’s get to it. He starts the game with the Blades of Athena, but they’re soon replaced by the Blades of Exile. Next came the Blades of Olympus, but they could only be used as a magic ability. When Kratos defeats Hades, he earns the Claws of Hades. They’re like the Blades of Exile but move a little slower. They can also summon dead souls to fight on Kratos’ behalf.
Next came the Nemean Cestus, chained fists that looked like lions. They were the only weapon that could break Onyx, making them incredibly useful in the game. Kratos could also smash them into the ground to create shockwaves. Finally, we have the Nemesis Whip. This weapon is three blades chained together, and it can fire electricity. It also had a magic ability that was kind of like Cronos’ Rage.
God of War: Ghost of Sparta (2010) weapons
Kratos’ second PSP outing didn’t have a ton of weapons to choose from. You start out with the trusty Blades of Athena, and because this one has Sparta in the name, your next weapon is the Arms of Sparta, which are a sword and shield from soldiers of, you guessed it, Sparta.
Finally, you have Thera’s Bane, which is just the Blades of Athena but with fire.
God of War: Ascension (2013) weapons
This is chronologically the first game in God of War lore, but it’s the second iteration of the game on PS3. Kratos starts out the game with his own fists. Then he gets the trusty Blades of Chaos, and that’s it. They did it a little differently in the game, and you kept the blades, but they were upgraded with different powers. These are the Fire of Ares, Ice of Poseidon, Lightning of Zeus, and Soul of Hades.
God of War: A Call from the Wilds (2018) weapons
If you’re scratching your head over this one, you’re not alone. A Call from the Wilds is a choose-your-own-adventure game starring Kratos’ son, Atreus, and you play it on Facebook Messenger. What were your weapons? Words. Yes, words were your weapon in this game. It was more than an experiment than a game, but it remains a curious entry into the expanded God of War universe.
God of War: Mimir’s Vision (2018) weapons
If you’re even kind of familiar with this iOS/Android game, then congrats. It’s not really a game as much as a lore explainer. It’s also in augmented reality. Basically, you point your phone at a flat surface and a map shows up, and you can select different points on the map.
Are there weapons? Only your mind from trying to not get bored “playing” this snoozer. It’s included for the sake of completion, and if you’re curious you can get it in your phone’s app store. There are about 20 interactive points that have voiceovers, photos, and videos.
You can also physically move your phone…well, you get it.
God of War (2018) weapons
This is the reboot that got everyone interested in the game again. It’s also pretty sparse, weapons-wise, unless you count the Head of Mimir, which can be wielded to unlock certain things in the game. Kratos starts off with the Leviathan Axe, and Atreus has a bow and arrow called the Talon Bow.
The axe belonged to Kratos’ wife, Faye, but it became his after she died. Kratos also has a shield and punches a lot. Guess what his next weapon is? If you guessed Blades of Chaos, you’re correct. It’s pretty sparse, but it matched the tone of the game. All of the weapons can be leveled up except his fists and the Guardian Shield.
God of War: Ragnarok (2022) weapons
We’ve reached the home stretch here. Ragnarok sees Kratos and Atreus a little older, wiser, and potentially worse for the wear. Once again, Kratos’ first weapon is his trusty Leviathan Axe, and it returns when you throw it. Atreus still has his Talon Bow.
The Blades of Chaos are in every God of War game so far, and this one is no different. They’re great for large enemies, and they can build up a burn status effect. Finally, we have a new weapon, the Draupnir Spear. This is great for throwing, and the spears can be detonated. It’s a balanced weapon that splits the difference between the blades and the axe.