The central musical moment in God of War Ragnarok continues the saga of Kratos, the formidable Spartan general navigating the mythic landscape of the Norse pantheon. Sony Santa Monica builds this chapter as a natural evolution from the prior game, placing Kratos in a deeper, more mature emotional space. The project’s composer, Bear McCreary, explains that the main theme was reimagined to mirror the character’s growth after the events of the last adventure. The music does more than accompany action; it signals a changed Kratos whose choices reflect a broader history and a more complex inner life.
McCreary notes that the Kratos motif returns with a refined texture, but the composer intentionally adjusts the tone to align with the narrative shift. The new arrangement preserves the core identity of the original theme while weaving in fresh color to reflect the character’s evolving arc. This approach ensures that players hear a familiar voice that has been tempered by experience, loss, and responsibility, signaling that Kratos is no longer simply forging ahead as a warrior but shaping his path in a world where family ties carry heavy implications.
In addition to the Kratos theme, the score introduces motifs tied to key figures who influence his journey. The goddess Laufey, Kratos’s late wife, receives her own musical signature, and the son Atreus is given a thematic line that underscores his influence on Kratos. The deliberate layering of these melodies communicates a shared destiny and the sense that the family story now binds Kratos in ways that extend beyond personal prowess. The arrangement highlights how relationships echo through the score, turning memory and obligation into sonic texture that guides the epic forward.
Beyond character themes, the soundtrack expands its storytelling through vocal lines that allude to prophecy and fate. A chorus in Old Norse lends weight to lines about Ragnarok and the looming question of who will fall in battle. The choral phrases act as a narrative chorus, framing Kratos within a larger mythic countdown and hinting at the dramatic consequences of the characters’ choices. This element of the score deepens the sense that the world itself is speaking through music, guiding players toward an inevitable reckoning while inviting reflection on the cost of prophecy and power.