In God of War Ragnarok, Atreus also known as Loki is a young man of around 14 years old. You may not wait for God of War Ragnarok, the sequel to God of War (2018). The possibility of Ragnarok is intriguing not just because of the end of the world it would usher in, but also because it would allow us to see the characters as they have evolved into the future. Atreus in particular has sparked the interest of many viewers, with some even going so far as to create artwork guessing about the character’s appearance as he ages over the Ragnarok-based sequel.
As of the events of God of War: Ragnarok, how old is Atreus?
If you played God of War when Atreus was 11, then God of War Ragnarok takes place around three years after the first game. This is because Mimir in the game confirms the three-year duration of Fimbulwinter in Norse mythology before Ragnarok. Since the game’s story starts shortly before Ragnarok, Atreus must be about 14 years old.
So, who exactly is this Atreus character?
Kratos relocated to ancient Scandinavia, to the Norse realm of Midgard, after the events of God of War 3. Approximately 30 years after the first meeting, he married Laufey the Just, sometimes known as Faye, and the two finally had a kid. Faye had wanted to call their kid Loki, but Kratos successfully persuaded her to change the name to Atreus, in honor of a Spartan warrior he adored.
In God of War (2018), we learn that Laufey was a Frost Giant from Jötunheim, and that Atreus is a quarter mortal, a quarter god, and a half frost-giant.
In the God of War sequel, Ragnarok, how old is Kratos?
Age estimates for Atreus are quite straightforward, but for Kratos, it’s a much more involved process. Although the events of God of War (2018) take place almost a millennium after those of God of War 3, the Greek war god Kratos seems to be in his early 50s in the game. The temple of Tyr is claimed to have been dormant for almost 150 years, and inside its walls lies a relic commemorating Kratos’ tenure as the Greek God of War.
So, Kratos might be anywhere from 200 to over a thousand years old. That’s consistent with the character’s backstory because his demi-godhood and time spent as God slow down the aging process. The fact that he harbors the spirits of Hades, Zeus, and Ares may also help him age more slowly than the average person.
The next God of War will likely debut with Sunny Suljic, who plays Atreus, in his early 20s.
The Norse story of God of War seems to finish on a cliffhanger, leaving the door open for a potential sequel set in the same universe. However, because Atreus has been busy trying to track down more Jotnar Giants in far-flung locations, it seems unlikely that he would participate in such a game.
By considering his age, it may be some time before Suljic reaches the unnamed countries he has chosen to explore. Suljic was 13 when God of War was released, and 17 when God of War: Ragnarok came out. Suljic will likely be in his early 20s by the time the next God of War game is released.
Given that Atreus’ actor will be maturing at a faster rate than the period between each game’s storyline, there won’t be much room for Atreus’ character to experience events slowly. Since an actor need not be the same age as the character he portrays, Suljic might easily play the part of someone younger than himself. It’s easy to see that Suljic’s voice has deepened in God of War Ragnarok; Brok doesn’t recognize Atreus once he sees how much he’s changed. The actor’s age may be less apparent in the transition from his or her teenage years to his or her early twenties.
Santa Monica may have preferred that Atreus stay a teenager for the whole of God of War’s Norse saga.
The passage of time between God of War 2018 and God of War Ragnarok explains Atreus’s advanced age, but Santa Monica may have anticipated how Suljic would mature over the course of the decade required to produce all three games, leading to their decision to take advantage of Atreus’s youth. A decade is a long time to invest in any actor or game design choice, thus it may be in Santa Monica’s best interest to avoid staying in any one mythos for too long in the future.
Conclusion
Of course, Atreus can still do a lot in the game, despite being just 14 years old. God of War: Ragnarök’s nine worlds are packed with content, and players will likely spend significant time farming for Hacksilver and mastering the parry system in order to withstand the game’s most challenging combat situations for longer.