A God of War Plothole is So Outrageous It Even Bothered Kratos

The God of War series has captivated gamers for years with its blend of brutal action and intricate storylines. Kratos’ journey from vengeful anti-hero to tragic father figure is compelling, with numerous twists and emotional moments along the way. However, even the best stories sometimes have narrative inconsistencies, and this iconic series is no exception.

Players were baffled to see her turn on Olympus. | Image Credit: Santa Monica Studio

One of the glaring plot holes in the series centers around the character of Athena. She is often portrayed as a rational and protective figure, guiding Kratos. However, her motivations take a confusing turn as she goes from safeguarding Olympus to empowering Kratos to destroy it, leading to a major plot inconsistency that even Kratos questions.

Athena’s Journey from protector to power seeker in God of War

While her arc is intriguing, her sudden turn toward evil raises various questions. | Image Credit: Santa Monica Studio

Athena’s character arc in the God of War series is one of the most intricate and evolving in the franchise. She initially serves as a guiding and protective force for Kratos, helping him defeat various gods along his journey to confront Zeus.

Although she is depicted as the voice of reason, her role becomes more complex in GoW2. When Kratos, driven by vengeance, attempts to kill Zeus, Athena intervenes.

She explained that Zeus’ death would be disastrous for Olympus. She insists that Zeus must live to maintain balance, and even goes out of her way to sacrifice herself to stop Kratos.

This sacrifice proved her dedication as a protector of Olympus and the greater good, which included the survival of the gods and the stability of Olympus. At this point, she is a figure of wisdom, driven by rationality and the desire to preserve the world order.

However, in GoW3, Athena’s motivations take a dramatic turn. After her resurrection as a higher existence, Athena appears to Kratos not as someone seeking balance in the world, but as someone willing to help him kill Zeus and bring down Olympus, seemingly with ulterior motives.

She guides him to the Flame of Olympus, abandoning her former position as a protector of the gods. This sudden shift in her allegiances raised several questions.

Even Kratos himself asks her about this change, but she dodges the question and offers him the Blade of Exile. This abrupt change in her character feels a little jarring and creates a narrative inconsistency that challenges the established logic of the series.

Even Kratos can’t explain this plot hole

Players are still speculating- was she corrupted? | Image Credit: Santa Monica Studio

Given the sudden and unexplained nature of Athena’s character shift, it’s understandable that fans are puzzled. While there are various theories and speculations, the most prominent one is that after achieving a higher existence through the knowledge she gained during her resurrection, it corrupted her and led her to seek domination over humanity.

This certainly explains the ending of GoW 3 where she was demanding Kratos to give her the power of hope, which resides inside him. However, Kratos, refusing to be manipulated any longer by gods, takes the ultimate step of self-sacrifice.

Instead of giving her the power, Kratos drives the Blade of Olympus into his own chest, releasing the power of hope not just to Athena but to the entire world. Athena is enraged and disappointed, as she is left with nothing.

However, many fans reject this idea and believe that she was actually the main villain in the original God of War games. They argue that she was manipulating the entire sequence of events from behind the scenes, not only to attain a higher existence but also to claim the power of Hope from Pandora’s Box.

In the end, whatever the reason, Athena’s character arc in GoW3 represents a glaring narrative inconsistency that, while intriguing, is difficult to justify and pinpoint within the established logic of the series.