Perseus
the demigod of Argos
Perseus was a Greek demigod hero, a son of Zeus and half-brother of Kratos. Driven mad by his imprisonment on the Island of Creation, where he sought the Sisters of Fate to revive his lost love Andromeda, he was slain by Kratos.
Perseus was a Greek demigod hero of Argos, a son of Zeus and thus a half-brother of Kratos. A legendary warrior renowned across Greece, he journeyed to the Island of Creation in hope of changing his fate and reviving his lost love, Andromeda, and there met his death at his brother's hands. (God of War II; God of War II (novel))
A legendary hero#
Perseus was reckoned a powerful and legendary hero among the mortals of Greece, a demigod son of Zeus. The novelization of God of War II says he had defeated the witch-sisters called the Graeae and slain monsters of every kind, and in the novelization of the first game Poseidon counts him among the heroes capable of killing the Hydra, alongside Theseus, Peirithous, and Hercules, though the Sea God judges him unreliable and ultimately sets his favor on Kratos instead. He carried into battle a magic sword, a shield, and a helm that let him vanish from sight, which the God of War II novel calls a gift of Hermes. (God of War II; God of War (novel); God of War II (novel))
The Island of Creation#
Some time before his end, Perseus set out for the Island of Creation to seek the Sisters of Fate and change his destiny, so that he might bring his love back to life. There he became trapped in a great bathing house above the Hall of Atropos, and his long confinement, with no sign of the Sisters, drove him toward madness. When Kratos reached the hall, Perseus called out for aid, but the Spartan could not reach him at once. (God of War II)
When Kratos finally entered the bathing house and shut the door behind him, he sealed himself inside with Perseus. Half-mad and convinced that the Sisters were testing him, Perseus took Kratos for their instrument and attacked. He turned invisible with the Helm of Darkness and pelted Kratos with projectiles from a distance; when Kratos destroyed the helmet, he fought on with sword and shield, using the shield to catch the sunlight and blind his opponent. Kratos smashed the helmet, broke the sword, and at last hurled Perseus through a wall to impale him on a hook, killing him and opening his own path out of the chamber so that he could continue his quest. (God of War II)
Nature and obsession#
Like many who came to the Island of Creation, Perseus was desperate to change his fate, in his case to recover the woman he loved. He hoped to bring his love back from the grasp of Hades himself, and the God of War II novel names her as Andromeda. Confident in his own skill to the point of arrogance, he underestimated Kratos and resented that the Spartan had been granted the honor of killing Ares, which he thought too great a glory for him. Petty and taunting while shielded by his helmet, he grew desperate and far less assured once it was stripped away, revealing how much his courage rested on his enchanted gear. (God of War II; God of War II (novel))
His presence in the saga left a riddle. In Greek legend Perseus was famed for slaying the Gorgon Medusa, yet in this history it was Kratos who took her head during the siege of Athens, leaving unclear what deed had truly made Perseus a hero, though the Sword of Perseus in the multiplayer of Ascension is described as Athena's gift to him after he slew Medusa. What became of him after Kratos used the power of the Fates to travel back through time is unknown, though it is unlikely he survived the destruction of the Greek world that followed. (God of War (2005); God of War: Ascension; God of War II; God of War III)
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Perseus in God of War?
- Perseus was a Greek demigod hero of Argos, a son of Zeus and thus a half-brother of Kratos. A legendary warrior renowned across Greece, he was known for defeating the witch-sisters called the Graeae and slaying monsters of every kind.
- Why did Perseus go to the Island of Creation?
- Perseus traveled to the Island of Creation to seek the Sisters of Fate and change his destiny, hoping to bring his lost love Andromeda back from the grasp of Hades. There he became trapped in a great bathing house above the Hall of Atropos, and his long confinement drove him toward madness.
- How did Perseus die?
- Half-mad and convinced the Sisters were testing him, Perseus took Kratos for their instrument and attacked. Kratos shattered his Helm of Darkness, broke his sword, and hurled him through a wall to impale him on a hook, killing him and opening his own path out of the chamber.
- What weapons did Perseus use?
- Perseus carried a magic sword, a shield, and the Helm of Darkness, a gift of Hermes that let him vanish from sight. He turned invisible to pelt Kratos with projectiles, and used the shield to catch the sunlight and blind his opponent.
- Did Perseus kill Medusa in God of War?
- In Greek legend Perseus was famed for slaying the Gorgon Medusa, but in this history it was Kratos who took her head during the siege of Athens. This left unclear what deed had truly made Perseus a hero.
Gallery
Images via God of War Wiki
Sources
- GameGod of War: Ascension, Santa Monica Studio, 2013
- GameGod of War (2005), Santa Monica Studio, 2005
- GameGod of War II, Santa Monica Studio, 2007
- GameGod of War III, Santa Monica Studio, 2010
- BookGod of War (novel), Matthew Stover and Robert E. Vardeman, Del Rey, 2010
- BookGod of War II (novel), Robert E. Vardeman, Del Rey, 2013
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
Followed from this entry
Hercules
Hercules was a son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene, a demigod who had completed twelve labors to atone for killing his family. Consumed by jealousy of his half-brother Kratos, he named the killing of the Ghost of Sparta his unofficial thirteenth labor and died for it in the Forum of Olympus.
Kratos
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Theseus
Theseus was a Greek demigod, son of Poseidon and former hero-king of Athens, celebrated for slaying the Minotaur. Worn down by old griefs, he gave himself to the service of the Sisters of Fate as Keeper of the Horse Key, guarding the Steeds of Time until Kratos cut him down to claim the way forward.
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Ares tricked Kratos into slaughtering his own wife and daughter to bind him as a weapon. Kratos killed him at Athens and took his place as God of War.
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Ares laid siege to Athens out of hatred for his sister Athena. Kratos was sent to save it, and killed Ares there to become the new God of War.
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Demigod: the mortal children of the gods
Demigods were the offspring of a god and a mortal, half-human and half-divine. Mortal yet possessed of superhuman strength and the fighting prowess of a god, the worthiest among them could rise to godhood. Kratos himself was one such demigod before he claimed the throne of war.
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Golden Fleece
The Golden Fleece was a powerful golden armlet that had once belonged to the Argonaut Jason. Worn by Kratos, it could turn aside and reflect any attack, from a Gorgon's stone stare to a blow from the Blade of Olympus itself.
Hades' Helm
Hades' Helm, known also as the Helm of Darkness and the Cap of Hades, is the helm of invisibility that the Cyclopes forged for Hades in Greek myth. In the games Hades wears a flaming horned helm, and the hero Perseus turns invisible with a magic helm in his duel against Kratos.
Island of Creation: cradle of the Greek world
The Island of Creation was the place where all life in Greece began, lying at the very edge of the world. It became the seat of the Sisters of Fate and one of the most heavily guarded places known to man, until Kratos broke through its defenses, slew its guardians, and left it in ruin.
Kraken: the sea beast of the Island of Creation
The Kraken was a giant meat-eating sea monster, an octopus-like horror of armored tentacles and a fanged maw. One rose against Kratos on the Island of Creation after the death of the Last Spartan and nearly crushed him before he impaled her through the mouth, while in the Norse realms a hatchling of the same breed lived as the pet of the dwarf Durlin.
Medusa
Medusa was a Gorgon queen who fought among the armies of Ares during the siege of Athens. Slain by Kratos at the command of Aphrodite, her severed head granted him the petrifying power of Medusa's Gaze.
Pegasus
Pegasus was a great winged horse of the Greek world, gray of coat with wings wreathed in flame. Sent forth by Gaia, he carried Kratos through the skies on his second war against Olympus until the Dark Rider struck him from the air above the Island of Creation.
The Argonauts: the crew that carried the Golden Fleece
The Argonauts were the company of Greek heroes who sailed under Jason aboard the Argo and took the Golden Fleece out of Colchis. Their last voyage brought them to the Island of Creation, where the monsters of the Bog of the Forgotten killed every one of them and a Mole Cerberus swallowed the Fleece.
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