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Nike

the Olympian goddess of victory

Nike was the Olympian goddess of victory, daughter of the Titan Pallas and the water goddess Styx. Though she never crossed Kratos' path in the flesh, her likeness was honored across Greece in statues, carvings, and murals raised to celebrate triumph in war.

By Joe Garratt

Nike was the Olympian goddess of victory, daughter of the Titan Pallas and the water goddess Styx. She allied herself with Zeus against the Titans and was honored throughout Greece as the giver of glory and fame in war, though Kratos never met her in person and knew her only through the statues and murals raised in her name.

Birth and the war against the Titans#

Nike was born on the Island of Creation to the Titan Pallas and the water goddess Styx, and she became the embodiment of victory itself. In the early days she counted herself a close ally of Cronos, pledging herself to him, though she did not agree with his cruel methods.

When the sixth child of Cronos came of age as Zeus and freed his brothers and sisters, the gods declared themselves the Olympians and went to war against the Titans. Nike took no part in the Titanomachy on the side of the Titans. Instead she allied herself with Zeus and the newly raised pantheon of Greek gods. After the Olympians won the war, Zeus granted her the status of a goddess.

Honored across Greece#

Nike never appeared in the flesh during Kratos' long road of vengeance, yet her likeness stood in many places across the Greek world, raised wherever mortals and gods wished to mark their triumphs. The people of Attica built a great statue of her upon a rooftop in her honor and for victories won in war.

On the Island of Creation, the domain of the Sisters of Fate, a carving of Nike was made upon a wall. Kratos came upon it in the Temple of Lahkesis, in a small courtyard where an elevator descended to the chains of the Steeds of Time. Upon Mount Olympus the Olympians fashioned a mural of Nike in her honor, marking both her fame and her closeness to Zeus.

The Second Titanomachy#

When Kratos freed the Titans from their banishment in Tartarus and led them back through time to scale Mount Olympus and take their vengeance, the gods were divided. Owing to Zeus' paranoia and cruel behavior, Nike, along with Artemis, Apollo, and several other gods, did not come to the aid of the Greek gods in the second great war. Her ultimate fate amid the fall of Olympus was never recorded.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Nike in God of War?
Nike was the Olympian goddess of victory, the daughter of the Titan Pallas and the water goddess Styx. She sided with Zeus and the Olympians during their war against the Titans and was honored across Greece for granting glory and fame in battle.
Does Nike appear in the God of War games?
Nike never appeared in person. Her presence in the Greek world was felt through the many statues, carvings, and murals raised in her honor, including a great statue at Attica, a carving on the Island of Creation, and a mural on Mount Olympus.
Whose side did Nike take in the war against the Titans?
Nike did not fight for the Titans. Though she had once been a close ally of Cronos, she allied herself with Zeus and the Olympians, and after their victory Zeus granted her the status of a goddess.
Did Nike take part in the Second Titanomachy?
No. Owing to Zeus' paranoia and cruelty, Nike, like Artemis and Apollo, declined to aid the Greek gods when the freed Titans assaulted Mount Olympus in the second war.

Sources

  • WikiNikeGod of War Wiki entry

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