God of War’s Creator Explains the Abandonment of Kratos’ Original Name

It turns out that Kratos was nearly the god of a completely different domain: pizza. The creator of God of War, David Jaffe, shared on X that Kratos was initially named Dominus, but a barrage of Domino’s Pizza jokes made him rethink that choice.

“Dominus sounded brutal, and violent, and dominant,” Jaffe explained. “I loved that name. It felt perfect. But then something started happening at the studio. The team began cracking jokes about Domino’s Pizza. Every time someone mentioned Dominus, someone would inevitably shout ‘30 minutes or free’ or ‘Get the door, it’s Dominus,’ or reference the Noid. After hearing it for the 50th time, it was clear: Dominus was out.” Interestingly, Dominus isn’t a Greek name; it’s Roman, derived from the Latin word for “lord” or “master.”

Jaffe continued, noting that someone had printed a huge list of ancient Greek male baby names for him to sift through, but none of those names resonated. Then, the game’s marketing lead, Susan Panico, suggested the name Kratos, which struck a chord with the team. Jaffe later realized that Kratos had been on the original list of names, but he had overlooked it. “It just shows how much of success in gaming is about luck and timing, and in this case, marketing.” In Ancient Greek, kratos means “power” or “strength,” making it a fitting name for the main character.

After the first God of War launched in 2005, the series quickly became one of Sony’s flagship franchises. The initial four main games (along with several well-received PSP titles) were rooted in Greek mythology, until the 2018 soft reboot transitioned Kratos into Norse mythology, where he evolved from a cartoonishly violent character.

The upcoming God of War game, titled God of War: Laufey, will continue exploring Norse mythology. This installment will be the first in the series not to feature Kratos as the protagonist; instead, it will follow Faye as she navigates the afterlife to rescue Kratos and their son, Atreus. It’s set to launch on February 16, 2027.

Following some “controversy” over Laufey featuring a female lead, Santa Monica Studio confirmed that Kratos will return as the main character in an untitled sequel. Earlier this year, the studio also announced that remakes of the original three games are in development. Additionally, a TV series based on the 2018 God of War reboot is in the works at Prime Video, with Dave Bautista set to portray Kratos. More than two decades later, the god of war continues to thrive.