The Best God of War: Ragnarök Quotes

By Andrew Ceco

God of War: Ragnarök brings us into the heart of Norse mythology and plunges us headfirst into a story about prophecy, agency, and love. What can a single individual do in the grand scheme of things? How have Kratos and his son changed, especially after learning that Atreus is the giant Loki?

Kratos has been through a lot. In chronological order, these are the absolute best quotes from God of War: Ragnarök. Learn from the wisdom of Kratos and his company, as we have before, and hopefully will again.

“A problem doesn’t have to reach our doorstep for it to be our responsibility.” — Faye

For the very first time, we get to really spend time with Kratos’ late wife. He calls her Faye, though we know it’s short for Laufey. In fact, they both had nicknames for each other. Kratos called her Faye and Faye called him Grumbles.

When she and Grumbles first had their child, Faye did everything she could to make the world better. After all, she wanted Atreus to grow up in a beautiful world, even while knowing his role in Ragnarök. The lessons she taught Kratos were just as valuable as the lessons she taught Atreus. Kratos needed to learn that we are all responsible for each other. We all deserve to be safe and protected.

“Speaking as the smartest man alive … I have no idea.” — Mimir

Mímir has a lot of stories. In fact, it would seem he has more stories and opinions to share than almost anyone we meet across all the nine realms. And yet, one of the most incredible lessons that he inadvertently teaches us is to be humble. Even with all the knowledge he has available, there are things Mímir doesn’t know. Instead of pursuing them at all costs like Odin, he is willing to admit that there is a limit to what he knows.

“Intent does not matter. Only consequences.” — Kratos

Kratos realizes throughout the game that his actions are unforgivable. And though he has done much to protect people, the results remain the same. Gods have died by his hand again and again. Even the beloved Baldur fell because of him. Freya has every intention to seek revenge, but he does not fault her. He knows what he has done, and even though his intent was to protect Atreus, he understands her anger. His intent does not change the way he has affected others, and the way he has changed the world.

“In moments of crisis, panic does nothing. Harness it. Let it serve you.” — Kratos

Kratos learns so much from Atreus throughout the entire game. After all, Atreus has grown, and his wisdom is far beyond his years. And yet, Atreus is still young. He is easily overwhelmed and his emotions often get the better of him. It would be easy to think that the God of War doesn’t want his son to process any emotions, but the whole game tells us otherwise. Atreus’ emotions are powerful. They are what make him who he is. And while it takes a long time for Kratos to understand, he realizes that there is strength in all emotions. Our emotions can be harnessed and used for good.

“War does not measure the strength of a man.” — Kratos

Some quotes are powerful because they are true. Some quotes are powerful because they are unexpected. This quote is powerful because the God of War himself speaks an unexpected truth with the earnest desire for Atreus to understand. Kratos is not strong because his blades are worn. He is strong because he is true to his word and intentional with his actions.

“There is no grand design. No script. Only the choices you make. That your choices are so predictable merely makes us seem prescient.” — Urd of the Norns

Kratos, Freya, and Mímir search far and wide for the Norns. The Norns are three beings who know the past, present, and future. While Kratos wants to change his fate, they assure him that the Norns neither control it nor even truly predict it.

To Kratos, they say, “You come to us, piteous archetypes, seeking freedom from your scripts. As if knowing your lines would grant you the power to rewrite them.” And yet it is not the knowledge of their scripts that changes things. It is their very nature that must listen to change. When we are ill-fated, we must reflect on our fears, and allow ourselves a change of heart.

“The nature of a thing is more important than the form of a thing.” — Brok

God of War: Ragnarök gives us a greater appreciation for Brok the Dwarf. We get to see him in a new light, especially as the story goes on. Some of the ingenious workings of dwarven magic are revealed when Kratos and Brok work together to create a new spear. We learn that dwarves work with the nature of objects instead of just how they look.

As Brok explains this, he captures the howling wind from the sky itself. Dwarves do not control the elements by any means, but they have a clear understanding of the nature of the world. This wisdom expands beyond dwarven magic, though. Even in our own world, the nature of a person is more important than the form of that person.

“May this weapon strike true. May it be wielded with wisdom. May it be put down when its job is done.” — Brok

With the help of The Lady of the Forge, Brok and Kratos are able to create the Draupnir Spear. Draupnir was once just a ring owned by Odin. It has the extraordinary ability to duplicate itself. With the Lady of the Forge’s help, the ring is able to duplicate countless spears.

Even though Brok has a rather rough way with words, when Kratos asks him to bless the Draupnir Spear, his words are perfect. He blesses the spear in a way that honors its wielder and its target. The blessing itself reveals Brok’s true sentiments about weapons. They are tools with a singular and devastating purpose. Brok hopes for a time when the purpose is no longer necessary, and the job is finally done.

“We are not our failures. We are not who we were. We must be better.” — Faye

In another delightful flashback with Faye, we discover that she is the source of Kratos’ greatest wisdom. We cannot change who we were and the ways we have failed. We can only move forward with open hearts and bright eyes. While we are accountable for our actions, we are not defined by the mistakes we’ve made, so long as we actively work to do better. This knowledge was passed on from Kratos to Atreus. We saw how Kratos taught this lesson in the last game. In this game, we see Kratos learning the lesson. And like most lessons, we must learn them more than once.

“Don’t be sorry, Father. Be better.” — Atreus

Atreus sits next to Kratos as they reflect on the journey behind them, and prepare for the journey ahead. Kratos apologizes to Atreus for the way he lost himself in his rage. He speaks earnestly when he says, “Atreus, I am sorry.”

Yet Atreus teaches him the very same lesson he learned in the last game. We cannot be redeemed for the actions of our past. We cannot wallow in the errors of our past. We can only move forward. We can only do better.

“Fate only binds you if you let it. Do what is necessary. Not because it is written.” — Kratos

As Kratos and Atreus approach what seems like inevitable doom, they have one last rallying cry against their dark prophecies. They realize that some things may be inevitable. Still, they insist that their actions will not be decided by prophecy.

Instead, their stories will be chosen. They will follow their hearts and trust their guts. They will do only what they feel is necessary. None of us are bound by fate, but we are certainly subject to the whims of our own patterns. We can break free from these patterns only when we break free from fear and hate.

“Be wary of shortcuts to knowledge.” — Kratos

Kratos has seen all across the nine realms, and even into the lands beyond, fighting through worlds unimaginable. He has been promised worlds and offered power from all manner of gods and goddesses. Through it all, he realizes that there is always a catch. It is these shortcuts to knowledge that actually blind us to to the truth.

This metaphor is not lost on the writers of this game, who reveal that Odin lost his eye when searching for that very shortcut to knowledge. We must be studious and observant if we want to learn. After all, truth comes from many sources — not just a first glance.

“If you can’t be yourself, you also might not feel like you can follow your own path.” — Atreus

Throughout the entire game, Loki and Thor clash. It is in their nature to clash, really. However, unlike his Marvel Cinematic Universe counterpart, Loki has no ill-will towards Thor. If anything, he wants the best for him.

So when he sees Odin berating him, degrading him, and abusing him, Loki feels Thor deserves better. He insists that everyone deserves to be themselves. That way, each person can follow their own path. Everyone deserves to be true to themselves.

“Our actions have consequences. To be reminded of them is not punishment.” — Kratos

As Kratos‘ journey nears its end, he dispenses only a final few words of advice to his son. Perhaps one of the most important lessons is this: Even though we must constantly strive to be better, and even though we are not defined by our failures, they are still a part of us. We leave a mark on this world, be it brilliant or brutal.

Even if we change, and even if we learn to be better, we must also learn from our past. Truth is not punishment. Accountability is integrity. And the only way forward is with the wisdom of the past.

In the end, Kratos is given a look at a potential fate in which he is loved. He sees himself standing on a pedestal, loved by followers, not feared by enemies. This vision shows himself as a god who can create and bring beauty into the world, not just a God of War who destroys and brings rage. It’s a future in which he can be better. We can do the same.

What are your favorite quotes from God of War: Ragnarök? Who is your favorite member of Thor’s family tree? Let us know over at side.show/geekgroup and, lest you mean to challenge fate itself, don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow.