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Blade of Olympus

the sword that ended the Great War

The Blade of Olympus was the sword Zeus forged from the heavens and the earth to banish the Titans to Tartarus and end the Great War. Capable of slaying gods and Titans alike, it later held the godly power of Kratos and became one of the most powerful weapons in the world.

By Joe Garratt

The Blade of Olympus was a sword of immense power, forged by Zeus during the Great War to banish the Titans to Tartarus. Created from the heavens and the earth, it was likely the most powerful weapon of the Greek age, able to slay both gods and Titans. For a time it held the entire godly power that Kratos had carried as the God of War, and it would be used to kill some of the mightiest beings in the world before passing out of his hands.

Forging and the Great War#

The Blade of Olympus was created during the First Titanomachy by Zeus as the means to end the war against the Titans. After the defeat of Atlas, Zeus returned to the battlefield and wielded the new weapon, declaring that he banished the Titans to the depths of Tartarus before driving the blade deep into the earth. This opened an enormous vortex that engulfed the battlefield and carried the Titans down to Tartarus, where they remained chained for centuries. The blade was a large golden and white sword brimming with bluish energy, and according to the Titan Atlas it was made of the heavens and the earth. Though Hephaestus was the smith of Olympus, it was Zeus himself who made this weapon.

The draining of Kratos#

The blade was used again at Rhodes, when Zeus sent it down to help Kratos destroy the Colossus of Rhodes. Unknown to Kratos, Zeus had tricked him into draining all of his godly power into the blade, supposedly to grant him the strength to destroy all who defied the gods. Severely weakened by the loss of his power, Kratos was struck down by the falling hand of the Colossus, and when he reached for the blade Zeus arrived to retrieve it, denying him the chance to reclaim his strength. Zeus then drove the blade into the Spartan's abdomen and killed him.

Vengeance and the death of Athena#

Kratos escaped death and traveled back through time to confront Zeus once more, regaining the Blade of Olympus and nearly killing his father atop the Summit of Sacrifice. As he thrust the blade toward Zeus, Athena interposed herself, and Kratos killed the goddess instead. The blade would later serve a further role in his war: planted on the back of the Titan Gaia during the siege of Mount Olympus, then lost into the Underworld when both Kratos and Gaia fell.

The fall of Olympus#

Reclaiming the blade from a statue of Pandora in the depths of Hades, Kratos wielded it as part of the Rage of Sparta, the only means by which he used it. With the blade he slew the Titans Cronos and Perses as he journeyed through the Underworld and Olympus, and in the final battle he used it to kill both Zeus and Gaia. At the very end Kratos turned the blade on himself, stabbing his own body to release the power of Hope that dwelt within him, and with it the power within the blade itself. The spent weapon, no longer glowing, was last seen abandoned in the ground of the arena where he fought Zeus, following his disappearance from Olympus.

Powers and legacy#

The Blade of Olympus, forged from the heavens, the seas, the afterlife, and the earth, was likely the most powerful weapon of the Greek age. It possessed godly power that allowed its wielder to kill deities and those infused with divine might, as Kratos used it to slay the Colossus of Rhodes, Athena, Perses, Cronos, Zeus, and Gaia. It could release blasts of energy strong enough to destroy armies in a single swing, and could serve as a conduit through which a god channeled their own power, as Zeus channeled his lightning through it. Because it was forged by the gods and infused with godly power, it could not be wielded or manipulated by mortal beings. Long after the fall of Olympus, the blade reappeared in the realm of Valhalla, manifested from Kratos' own memories through the Spartan Rage ability called Legacy, the blade summoned forth to cut through ranks of undead legionnaires.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Blade of Olympus?
The Blade of Olympus was a sword of immense power forged by Zeus during the Great War to banish the Titans to Tartarus. Created from the heavens and the earth, it was likely the most powerful weapon of the Greek age, able to slay both gods and Titans.
How did Zeus use the Blade of Olympus to end the Great War?
After the defeat of Atlas, Zeus wielded the new weapon and declared that he banished the Titans before driving the blade deep into the earth. This opened an enormous vortex that engulfed the battlefield and carried the Titans down to Tartarus, where they remained chained for centuries.
How did Zeus trick Kratos with the Blade of Olympus?
At Rhodes, Zeus tricked Kratos into draining all of his godly power into the blade, supposedly to grant him the strength to destroy all who defied the gods. Severely weakened, Kratos was struck down, and Zeus retrieved the blade and drove it into the Spartan's abdomen, killing him.
Who did Kratos kill with the Blade of Olympus?
Kratos used the blade to slay the Colossus of Rhodes, Athena, Perses, Cronos, Zeus, and Gaia. Athena was killed by mistake when she interposed herself as Kratos thrust the blade toward Zeus.
What happened to the Blade of Olympus at the end?
In the final battle Kratos used the blade to kill Zeus and Gaia, then turned it on himself, stabbing his own body to release the power of Hope. The spent weapon was last seen abandoned in the ground of the arena, though it later reappeared in Valhalla, manifested from Kratos' memories through the Spartan Rage ability Legacy.

Gallery

Blade of Olympus — image 2
Blade of Olympus — image 3

Images via God of War Wiki

Sources

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