10 Iconic Video Game Character Debuts

Everybody’s favourite rage-monster, Kratos, exploded onto PS2s globally in 2005. This tale of a Spartan warrior, tricked by Ares into murdering his wife and child, is a dark one that will stick with many players as a unique and unforgettable introduction to the franchise.

Betrayed by Ares and thirsting for revenge, Kratos is best known for his anger and his ferocity in combat in this phenomenal hack-and-slash, action-adventure title. God of War doesn’t go easy on the violence and its brutal, adult themes sealed its position in the charts and its reputation as one of PlayStation’s biggest exclusives.

We need only look at 2018’s reboot of the series (also titled God of War) to see how far Kratos has come since his debut. We now have brooding, mature father Kratos who’s trying to teach his son the many hard lessons of life, rather than just murdering and shagging his way across numerous mythical settings.

That being said, without the young, short-fused lunatic Kratos of 2005, we never would have had all of the fantastic follow-ups, including the recent reimagining. Kratos has been on one of the most epic, developmental journeys of any video game character and his debut in the original God of War set the trail that he’s since blazed so heroically.