Daedalus
Architect of the Labyrinth
Daedalus was the master craftsman of Athens who built the great Labyrinth for Zeus in return for the promise of his lost son Icarus. Driven to madness in years of servitude and chained within his own creation, he was crushed when Kratos set the Labyrinth turning, and died grateful at last to be free.
Daedalus was the master craftsman of Athens, the architect who raised the great Labyrinth at the command of Zeus. Like the tortured builders before him, he was used and discarded by the gods of Olympus, and when Kratos set the Labyrinth into motion the old engineer perished within his own work, mourning to the last his lost son Icarus. (God of War III)
The craftsman of Athens#
Daedalus was a craftsman and artisan of unmatched cunning, an Athenian whose skill the gods themselves prized. In the old tales he was the maker of the dancing-ground for Ariadne and the builder of the Labyrinth on Crete that held the Minotaur, the maze through which Theseus found his way by Ariadne's thread. He was also the father of Icarus, the boy who flew too near the sun and fell into the sea. (Iliad; Metamorphoses)
The bargain with Zeus#
In the age of Kratos, Daedalus was set to a far greater work. He built the Labyrinth for Zeus, and in return the King of the Gods promised to restore to him his son Icarus. The Labyrinth was raised in part to imprison Pandora within it, after Hephaestus confessed her existence, and its heart was made to serve as both lock and key, with the Judges of Hades as the final latch. But Zeus never meant to honor his end of the bargain. Bound in endless labor, Daedalus left behind a written warning that if he did not get his son, all the Labyrinth unlocked would be destruction and chaos. (God of War III)
Like Pathos Verdes III and Archimedes, Daedalus was an architect of the gods broken by their cruelty. Year upon year of toil and the loss of Icarus drove him to madness, and he was enchained within the very maze he had created, mumbling of his boy and of the inventions that had made the work possible. (God of War III; God of War (2005); God of War: Ascension)
Death in the Labyrinth#
When Kratos came upon the chained and insane Daedalus, the old man took the Spartan for his lost son and called out to Icarus, until Kratos stepped into the light and the architect saw his error. On learning of Icarus's death, Daedalus was left distraught. Heedless of the old man's pleas not to do so, Kratos went on to activate the Labyrinth, wielding Boreas' Icestorm to set its mechanisms turning while Daedalus was caught in the middle of them, and so killed him. At the final challenge of the maze Kratos found the architect's still-chained body, and with it a last note written in Daedalus's own blood. Even in his ending, Daedalus was grateful to the Spartan, for he had found his freedom at last and could rest with his son in eternity. (God of War III)
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Daedalus in God of War?
- Daedalus was the master craftsman of Athens, an artisan of unmatched cunning whose skill the gods prized. He was the architect who raised the great Labyrinth at the command of Zeus, and the father of Icarus.
- Why did Daedalus build the Labyrinth?
- Daedalus built the Labyrinth for Zeus, who promised in return to restore his son Icarus to him. The maze was raised in part to imprison Pandora, but Zeus never meant to honor his end of the bargain.
- How did Daedalus die?
- Kratos activated the Labyrinth despite the old man's pleas, wielding Boreas' Icestorm to set its mechanisms turning while Daedalus was caught in the middle of them, and so killed him. Even in death the architect was grateful, for he had found his freedom and could rest with his son in eternity.
- Why did Daedalus go mad?
- Bound in endless labor and chained within the very maze he had created, Daedalus was driven to madness by years of toil and the loss of Icarus. He mumbled of his boy and of the inventions that had made the work possible.
- What happened when Daedalus first met Kratos?
- When Kratos came upon the chained and insane Daedalus, the old man took the Spartan for his lost son and called out to Icarus, until Kratos stepped into the light and Daedalus saw his error. On learning of Icarus's death, Daedalus was left distraught.
Gallery
Images via God of War Wiki
Sources
- GameGod of War III, Santa Monica Studio, 2010
- GameGod of War (2005), Santa Monica Studio, 2005
- GameGod of War: Ascension, Santa Monica Studio, 2013
- BookIliad, Homer, around 750 BC
- BookMetamorphoses, Ovid, AD 8
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
Followed from this entry
Icarus
Icarus was the son of the inventor Daedalus, who fell to his death and was driven mad in the Underworld. Decades of crude repairs let him graft wings to his own flesh and escape, and he sought the Sisters of Fate to undo his fate, until Kratos tore the wings from his back at the Great Chasm.
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