Shield: where Kratos got his shield, and the six that came before Ragnarök

A shield in the God of War series is a piece of Kratos' equipment that was functionally introduced in God of War: Chains of Olympus and became a far more customisable feature in God of War Ragnarök. These are not conventional shields. They retract and unfold mechanically from a wrist attachment worn on Kratos' left arm, and they exist to give the player proactive defence rather than a passive block.

Where did Kratos get his shield?#

The Guardian Shield was handed down to Kratos by his departed wife along with the Leviathan Axe, which makes it both a working tool and a personal memento in a way none of the Greek shields ever were. It carries every feature the other Ragnarök shields can be read as modifications and trade-offs of. Early in the first act of Ragnarök it was terribly damaged in a fight against Thor, and Kratos was forced to leave it with the Dwarves for repair while he explored the alternatives.

After a successful parry with it, a light counterattack jab can be aimed at another target, a heavy ground slam launches smaller enemies into the air, and an incoming projectile can be fired straight back or redirected at someone else.

How does a shield work in combat?#

The shield holds a Guard against attacks coming from the direction it faces, absorbing damage that would otherwise eat into Kratos' health bar, though a Guard can only take so much punishment before it breaks. Timed against a landing hit, the same button becomes a Parry. A Shield Bash breaks an enemy's poise.

Enemy attacks come flagged. A yellow signal breaks a normal Guard immediately but can still be Parried, which is a genuine risk against reward call: a successful Parry usually leaves the enemy staggered, while a broken Guard leaves Kratos open to follow-ups and to strikes from anyone else in the area. Red signals cannot be Guarded or Parried and have to be avoided outright. Blue signals mark poised attacks that must be interrupted with a Shield Bash, and they tend to be hard to dodge and heavy on damage.

The Greek shields#

In Chains of Olympus the Sun Shield was the first tool of its kind in the series and the only shield in that game, upgradable with red orbs for new attacks. It belonged to Helios, not to Kratos. After Kratos obtained the Primordial Fire within the Caves of Olympus it also gained Helios Reflect, which returned projectiles, while Helios Reverse reflected attacks. Following a parry, Helios Flash countered with a quick strike that could take enemy heads off, each one dropping a small blue orb for magic, and Helios Offensive answered with a heavy overhead. Once Persephone was defeated and Kratos returned to Earth, Helios took his shield back.

Ghost of Sparta used the shield half of the Arms of Sparta, the spear and shield Kratos carried as a mortal general in the Spartan army, before he swore himself to Ares and became a god of war. Laconian Deflect parried, Laconian Strike countered. After rescuing Deimos from Thanatos, Kratos gave the Arms to his brother, who used them in the fight that killed Thanatos and died in it. Kratos then buried Deimos and left the Arms of Sparta standing as his grave.

Ascension took a different line. Shields there could be stripped from the enemies carrying them and used for defence, for melee, or thrown.

The Ragnarök shields#

Shields in Ragnarök are equipped through the menu the way armour pieces are. Each one shifts Kratos' attributes, all of them add Defence, all can be upgraded to push that bonus further, and each takes a single Rönd that adds to the boost and can grant an extra effect.

The Stone Wall Shield gives up immediate post-parry counters in exchange for tanking. Four bars circle the weapon icon and fill with absorbed kinetic energy, one segment for a normal attack and two for a yellow-prompt attack. It is the only shield that can Guard yellow-prompt attacks by default, and only while its bar is not full. The shield reddens and looks more scalded as the charge builds, and a double press discharges it as an area slam that still counts as a Shield Bash.

The Dauntless Shield trades a fragile Guard for parrying. It counterattacks parried opponents automatically and reflects ranged attacks, and successful parries store energy for a Shield Bash with more damage, more Stun and stronger pushback. Its charges do not stack across occasions and they fade when left alone. Timing decides the strength: a mildly timed parry gives a yellow charge, a very close one gives a red charge that hits considerably harder.

The Shatter Star Shield is built around Guarding. Kratos moves fastest with his Guard up while carrying it, and guarding builds energy that a double tap releases as damage and Stun to anything close in front of him. Releasing it at the moment a hit would land amplifies the discharge.

The Onslaught Shield turns its Shield Bash into a charge across distance, with Kratos Guarded throughout and deflecting guardable attacks as he goes. The further he travels before connecting, the harder the hit, up to a limit that throws smaller enemies into the air. Because the charge still counts as a Shield Bash, it breaks poised attacks, and it can close on a foe winding up an area attack faster than sprinting and bashing would.