PLEASE NOTE: This article takes great care to avoid SPOILERs as much as possible, but given the nature of Boy’s usage, fans may still find spoilery details below.
God of War (2018)saw Kratos call Atreus “boy” so much that it became a meme. Many would mimicKratos by shouting “Boy!“in his voice, while others would sometimes call the game “Boy of War.” Because of this, the fact that Kratos only calls Atreus “Boy” ONCE inGod of War Ragnarokcomes as a big surprise. In total, it’s only used four times, with one of those simply being a passing joke.
This storytelling choice no doubt reflects how Kratos sees his son. InGod of War,Atreus had a lot of growing up to do, was immature as they come, and was unprepared for the fights that came his way. Atreus, by the time ofGod of War Ragnarok, has grown a lot—physically, but more importantly, mentally. He is no longer the annoying kid that fans knew, asKratos and Atreus spent the majority of Fimbulwinter training. This change in how Kratos sees Atreus is evident throughout the game, even if Kratos still struggles with seeing his son on his own path, and this gives the handful of times “Boy” is used extra meaning.
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God of War Ragnarok: The Important Use of ‘Boy’
To get it out of the way, Brok will use the word as a joke at one point in the game. This is just a simple reference toGod of War 2018, while Thor will call Kratos “boy” in his initial boss fight. This is used to discourage Kratos, though it doesn’t exactly accomplish that, but Thor is suggesting the experience between them is vastly different. Thor is basically belittling Kratos as a god, and it serves as showing howThor and Kratos are two sides of the same coin inGod of War Ragnarok. This is obviously more malicious than how Kratos used it with Atreus, but it serves an important purpose: the use of Boy in the franchise is mostly familial but also an indicator of experience differences. The other two uses are far more important.
When Atreus runs away from Sindri’s house, Kratos stands at the door and shouts “Boy” at the top of his lungs. Here, it can be argued that it’s largely due to Atreus' inexperience and rash decision-making, but the familial ties are far more important. Atreus is setting out on a path that scares Kratos, something that he doesn’t think Atreus is ready for or should do, and it’s an emotionally heart-breaking sequence. It sets the emergency and tone that follows, but this single use of it by Kratos throughout the entirety ofGod of War Ragnarokshows how important Atreus is to him.
Finally,God of War Ragnarok’s Thorwill call Atreus “Boy” when he—the former—is drunk at a bar. Atreus protests and is quite angry by the word, but it also goes a long way in establishing the parallels between Atreus and Thor.
What’s ultimately clear is how important the word “boy” is inGod of War (2018)andGod of War Ragnarok.With this major usage shift, that’s only reinforced and goes even further in showingKratos' relationship with Atreusand how Atreus operates with the surrounding gods. Indeed, inRagnarok, Atreus earns the respect of his father, proves worthy of his namesake, and forges his own identity as a warrior, distinct from his father.
God of War Ragnarokis available now on PS4 and PS5.
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