Zeus (God of War)

"Even Now as you draw your last breath you continue to defy Me?"

- Zeus killing Kratos in God of War 2. "My Brothers. We were forged in victory. A victory that ended the Great War and brought forth the reign of Mt. Olympus. Born from the Depths of the Underworld. Rooted in the River of Souls Our Mountain emerged out of the Chaos. As it Grew, so too did the might of the Olympians. We created a world of peace, a world of prosperity, a world that lives in the shadow and safety of My Mountain. A Mountain that has come to be the absolute measure of Strength and Power. Now, on this Day, that power is to be tested. The Mortal, Kratos, seeks to destroy all that I have wrought. Brothers, put aside the petty grievances that have splintered us for so long. We will Unite. We will stand together. And I will wipe this Plague! Olympus Will Pevail!"

- Zeus in the opening of God of War 3. "Petulant child! I will tolerate your insolence no more!"

- Zeus "Your pawn has failed you Gaia. Perhaps you should've chosen the other one!"

- Zeus mentioning Deimos to Gaia.

Zeus is an antagonist in the God of War series of videogames. He started out as one of Kratos' allies so he could kill Ares, but after Kratos opened Pandora's Box, Zeus got scared and decided to kill Kratos, before Kratos could kill him. He became the true antagonist following the events of the original God of War storyline (Which were God of War II, and God of War III). He is the king of the Olympians and was originally a fair god by Olympian standards but grew to become one of Kratos' most powerful and merciless opponents as the series progressed.

Appearance
Zeus is a tall, muscular old man. he has long white hair and beard, and white eyes. He wears a white toga and wields a golden arm band and a golden leg bands. In God of War 3, Zeus has golden rings on his hair and carries a golden fleece on his left arm.

Zeus' Past
According to Gaia, Zeus was the son of Cronos, but Cronos was forewarned that his own children were going to turn against both him and the titans. So Cronos tried to prevent this by imprisoning all of his children in his stomach. When it was time for Zeus to be imprisoned, Zeus' mother; Rhea decided to trick her husband; Cronos, by summoning an eagle, in which the eagle carried baby Zeus to a place that Cronos couldn't see. She then used a rock to replace baby Zeus, and Cronos didn't expect a thing. Zeus was raised and cared for by his grandmother; Gaia, but as the years went by, Zeus became enraged and filled with hatred when he learned the truth. So when he was fully grown, Zeus seeked to rescue his 6 Brothers and Sisters, which started the Great War.

The Great War
When Kratos encountered Atlas for the second time, Atlas told Kratos about Zeus and the creation of the Blade of Olympus during the Great War. According to Atlas, bloodlust consumed Zeus, making him determined to rule all. He, along with his brothers, Hades and Poseidon, and the other Gods of Olympus, were fighting all the Titans with little to no effort. During the war, Hades manage to rip the soul out of Atlas and had him imprisoned in the darkest pits of Tartarus, binded by the Chains of Torment, forever. Determined to end the Great War, Zeus created a weapon made from the Heavens and the Earth; the Blade of Olympus. He processed to use the Blade by wiping them out, or banishing the living Titans to the deepest pits of tartarus, including his father, Cronos.

God of War
When Kratos encounters Zeus, Zeus gives Kratos Zeus' Fury, which granted Kratos to throw lightning at his enemies.

The Grave Digger
While Kratos was roaming around Athens he comes across a Grave Digger that seems to know about Kratos' goals. The Grave Digger kept on calling Kratos his son, and that he was digging Kratos' Grave. After Kratos was killed by Ares, apparently the Grave that the Grave Digger was digging was a portal from the underworld to Athens. When Kratos was about to ask him who he was, the Grave Digger dissappeared.

Opening Pandora's Box
When Kratos obtained the power of Pandora's Box in the original God Of War he opened the box in order to gain the power necessary to slay Ares and avenge his family. But when Kratos opened Pandora's box, Kratos thought all the powers in Pandora's Box would surge into him to slay a God, instead, he accidentily unleashes all the evils the Box had hidden within it, these evils swept across the land and infected the gods of Olympus, including Zeus - turning many of them insane, and corrupted by a current evil.

Zeus, as the king of the gods, was arguably corrupted the most by this event and became infected with the evil of Fear - he saw how Kratos had slain Ares (and possibly Persephone, and Thanatos) and feared that the Spartan could do the same to him, becoming convinced that Kratos would slay him just as Zeus had once slain his own father (Cronos): Zeus' paranoia grew into hatred for his mortal son and he devised a plan to kill him and thus ensure that his reign as king of Olympus could never be challenged.

God of War: Ghost of Sparta
After Kratos destroyed Atlantis, and caused it to sink to the bottom of the ocean, he comes across the Grave Digger again and looks beaten up (Probably the effects of Pandora's Box). He asks Kratos to stop searching for the other one, but Kratos refused and pressed onward.

After his brother Deimos was killed and Kratos killed Thanatos, the Grave Digger reappeared again, and actually dug up a spot for Deimos' grave. After the credits The Grave Digger had Kratos' mother in his hands and placed her in the second hole for her grave.

Bonus
In the Temple of Zeus, after Kratos unlocks all the objects, a secret room opens. When Kratos enters the secret room, he comes across the Grave Digger's shovel. When he picks it up, the Grave Digger becomes unlockable and can be used in the Combat Arena, but when you play as the Grave Digger, he shape-shifts into his true form; Zeus. Zeus fights with the Blade of Olympus and the Guantlet of Zeus.

God of War II
In the opening of God of War II Zeus sets the Colossus of Rhodes to battle Kratos. He did this by draining most of Kratos' godly powers and giving Kratos' Godly powers into the Colossus of Rhodes. He also managed to trick Kratos by stating that if he drained the rest of his godly powers into the Blade of Olympus, Kratos would become unstoppable. After Kratos drained his Godly Powers into the blade, and killed the Colossus of Rhodes, he ultimately is crushed by the hand of The Colossus nearly killing him.

Killing Kratos
Weakened and nearly dead, Kratos attempted to reach the Blade of Olympus so he could regain his Godly Powers. When close enough to reach the Blade, Zeus intercepted and took the blade. Zeus told Kratos that he must bow down before the King of Olympus and he woud spare his life. But Kratos refuses and tried to fight Zeus for the blade. Shortly after, Kratos is brutally impaled by Zeus with the Blade Of Olympus. During this scene Zeus shows his corruption as he accuses Kratos of plotting against him and mercilessly murders hundreds of Spartans out of apparent malice, he then casts Kratos into the pits of Hades.

However Kratos was not to die so easily, for the Titans decided to intervene and use him in their own quest for vengeance against Zeus and the gods - sending him on a quest to undo the actions of Zeus. When Kratos was revived by the titans, they sent him to the Sisters of Fate, so he could turn back time to the point when Zeus betrayed and killed him.

Destroying Sparta
While he was trying to reach the temple of the Fates, Kratos encountered the last Spartan. It turns out that Zeus wasn't finished with making Kratos suffer. After Kratos accidentily fatalily injuried the Last Spartan, he told Kratos that Sparta was destroyed by Zeus. He told Kratos that Zeus appeared under the cloak of darkness and wiped out nearly everyone in Sparta in a matter of seconds.

Fighting Kratos
After Kratos killed the Sisters of Fate, Kratos turned back time and prevented Zeus from killing him. Kratos manage to take back the Blade of Olympus and fought the God of Lightning. Zeus grew 50 feet and summoned some sirens. After killing some of the sirens, their screeches harmed Zeus. When Kratos stunned Zeus, he stabbed Zeus with the Blade of Olympus, shrinking Zeus down to his normal size. He constantly tries to take the Blade of Olympus away from Kratos and use it against him. However, Kratos takes the Blade back and attempted to stab Zeus with it's full power, twice. When Zeus grew to 50 feet, he attempted to electricute Kratos to death. Kratos shouted out that he surrendered and that he wanted to be released from this torment, but Zeus proclaimed that even though he would kill Kratos, his torment would not end. But it turns out that Kratos tricked Zeus, so he can lower his guard and try to kill Zeus with the final blow. But when he tried to stab Zeus for the second time, Athena intercepted and was stabed instead, killing her. Zeus retreated and warned Kratos that started a war, a war that he couldn't win. Before Athena died, she told Kratos that the reason that Zeus tried to kill Kratos was because of fear, a fear that drove Zeus to kill his own son, just like Cronos tried to kill Zeus. By the end of God Of War II Zeus called for a meeting with all the Gods of Olympus. He asked Hades, Poseidon, Helios, and Hermes to help kill the mortal Kratos. While this was going on, both Kratos, and his Titan allies had already began an assault on Olympus to take down the mad god.

God of War III
In God Of War III Zeus' madness intensified. He set his full wrath of Olympus down on Kratos by sending all the Gods, and some of the Demigods, of Olympus. He does this by sending many of the gods to their deaths, including Poseidon, Hades, Helios, Hermes, Hercules, and possibly Hera. When Kratos and Gaia reached the top of Mount Olympus, Zeus somehow managed to acquire the left Golden Fleece and decided to use the Fleece, so he could kill Kratos. Zeus couldn't tolerate Kratos any longer, so he struck down Gaia with a bolt of lightning nearly killing her as well as causing Kratos to fall into the underworld.

While Kratos tried to reach Zeus, he eventually found out that Kratos was after Pandora's Box again, Zeus tried to stop him by hindering Kratos' progress, and threating to kill Pandora.

Battle 1
Ultimately Zeus would wage battle with Kratos four times. The first time is when Kratos and Zeus was right near Pandora's box. After Kratos emerged victorous, Kratos witnessed Pandora attempting to scarificed herself, so Kratos can use Pandora's Box. Zeus tried to convince Kratos not to let her into the flame, and even called his life useless and pathetic. But Kratos decided sacrifice Pandora's life so he can kill Zeus. After Kratos opened the Box, the box was empty. Before Kratos could fight Zeus, Zeus retreated toward the Battle Arena. When Kratos caught up with Zeus, Zeus was watching the whole world in utter chaos, and proclaiming that he has a lot to do after he kills his own son.

Battle 2 and 3
The second time is at the peak of Mount Olympus, while Gaia is climbing the top of Olympus. The fight was interrupted when Gaia attempted to kill both Kratos and Zeus. But before she attempted Zeus told her that her pawn has failed and that she should've choosen the other one. The third time is inside Gaia, right near her heart. While Kratos and Zeus were trying to kill each other, Zeus absorb some energy out of Gaia's Heart, which granted him the ability to multiply up to 10 clones of himself. Zeus attempted to steal, the Blade of Olympus away from Kratos and attempted to use the Blade to kill Kratos. But Kratos managed to out-strength Zeus, and stabbed both him and Gaia's Heart, killing Gaia and presumibly Zeus.

Final Battle
It seemed that Kratos killed Zeus after he killed Gaia, but the fourth and final time is when an astral projection of Zeus emerged out of him, destroyed most of Kratos' weapons, and tried to strangle and used fear to kill Kratos. After Kratos completed his inner-psyche, he managed to break free from Zeus' Graspe, and used to Blades of Exile to cut Zeus' astal projection to pieces. Ultimately, Zeus and fall at the hands of his son, just as he had feared - as Kratos beats Zeus to death with his own bare hands the world was cast into chaos as the king of the gods finally died - however with his passing, Kratos was able to finally make the sacrifice required to give humanity the one weapon even the gods could not rival: that of Hope..

Personality
In God of War 2, Zeus seemed to be a sophisticated and calm, but when Gaia told Zeus' story that when she was taking care of Zeus, anger and rage consumed him toward the Titans. And as the 3rd game progressed, Zeus started to become an arrogant, ruthless and careless monster determinded to kill Kratos before he becomes too powerful, and Olympus falls. Fear drove him to become more and more ruthless, because of this, he destroy Sparta, badly injured Hephaestus, abused Pandora simply she wasn't an actual living being, imprisoned and killed the Titans, tortured Prometheus toward the end of time and a bunch of other cruel unforgivable deeds. Zeus also seems to be a bit cowardly. And both God of War 2 God of War 3 shows it. After Kratos was killed by Zeus, Zeus decided to destroy Sparta and cause more misery towards Kratos, even in "death". And in God of War 3, instead of fighting Kratos himself, he sends his own brothers, Hades, and Poseidon, and other Gods of Olympus such as Hermes, Helios, and Hercules to do his dirty work and watching them die.

Powers and Skills
Zeus is known as the God of Lightning so he can generate lightning, as well as create a spear made out of lightning. He has super human strength, and can grow up to be as 50 feet. He can multiply, regenerate most of his wounds, fly, teleport, and shape-shift into a White Eagle. In God of War 2, Zues also has the ability to summon three Sirens. Zeus is also skilled with the Blade of Olympius. During the end of God of War 3, Zeus' spirit came out as a dark version of himself which appears to have the ability to induce fear, and drain the health out of Kratos. And like all Gods of Olympus, Zeus is immortal, so he can't be killed by age or diseases.

Trivia

 * Zeus is voice by Paul Eiding in God of War, Fred Tatasciore in God of War: Ghost of Sparta, and Corey Burton in both God of War 2 and God of War 3.
 * Zeus is technically the youngest of the three brothers but his physical appearance makes him look like he's the oldest.
 * It's been confirmed that the Grave Digger that Kratos encounters in the original God of War, and God of War: Ghost of Sparta is really Zeus in disguise.
 * Zeus made an appearance in every God of War games, except for God of War: Chains of Olympus, There were only statues of himself that appeared, and he was only mentioned several times.

Videos
thumb|left|300px|Zeus kills Kratos (God of War 2)thumb|300px|right|Zeus' Pastthumb|left|300px|Zeus during the great warthumb|right|300px|Kratos vs. Zeus (God of War 2, final battle)thumb|left|300px|Zeus opening God of War 3thumb|right|300px|Kratos vs Zeus (God of War 3, 1st boss battle) thumb|left|300px|Kratos vs. Zeus (God of War 3, 2nd boss battle)thumb|right|300px|Kratos vs Zeus (God of War 3, Final battle, with part of the 2nd battle)