The story is told mostly in flashback, after being framed with a scene from the present wherein Kratos, standing atop the tallest cliff in Greece, laments how the gods have abandoned him and tosses himself into the waters below.

While the player starts the game three weeks prior to this event, Kratos' background is told by the Narrator during the game (revealed to be the Titan Gaia in God of War II). Kratos was a fearsome Spartan warrior, and grew his fifty-man squad into an army of thousands via strategy, tactics, ferocity and conquest. However, in a battle against a barbarian horde, his army was massacred, and, in a desperate measure, Kratos offered his life and service to Ares, the God of War, in exchange for Ares defeating the Barbarians. Ares, sensing enormous power in Kratos, accepted his offer and destroyed the Barbarians. He also granted Kratos the Blades of Chaos, curved blades forged in the pits of Hades that were attached to long chains which were fused to Kratos' arms.

Kratos then became Ares' servant, leading his Spartan army in conquering much of Greece. In one battle, they came across a village that worshiped Athena and put the residents to the sword, and their homes to the flame. There, Ares put Kratos into a blood lust driven rage and it made him kill anyone standing in his way. Despite his own foreboding feelings and the warnings of the local oracle, Kratos entered the village's temple and slaughtered all within. Unfortunately, after his blood-lust cleared, he realized that his two last victims had been his own wife and daughter; Ares explained that this village had been a test of Kratos' power, severing the last of his humanity. The village Oracle cursed Kratos, binding the ashes of his dead family to his skin; this new pale coating gave rise to Kratos' new title, "the Ghost of Sparta." and it made everyone in Greece fear him. Kratos renounced his service to Ares and began to wander the Earth, lamenting his deeds, while serving the other gods of Olympus for ten years.

The player becomes involved in Kratos' story as he is approaching Athena's city, Athens, under siege by Ares' army. While in the Aegean Sea, Kratos's ship is attacked by Ares's forces. After impaling the massive heads of the fearsome Hydra, Kratos is approached by Athena, who wants him to stop Ares and save her city. Kratos agrees on one condition; that the gods relieve him of the nightmarish memories of his past crimes, as well as allowing him a chance at redemption. Kratos fights his way through the attacking forces to find the Oracle of Athens, and learns from her that only Pandora's Box can give a mortal the power to kill a god. Unfortunately, due to the gods' fear of this power, the box is locked deep within Pandora's Temple, constructed on the back of the Titan Cronos, whom Zeus cursed to wander the Desert of Lost Souls until the sands rip the flesh from his bones.

Kratos makes his way to the Temple, defeating many foes and evading the many traps built into the Temple by its crazed architect, Pathos Verdes III. He recovers Pandora's Box, but Ares senses his success, and throws a pillar from Athens to the Temple, impaling Kratos on a wall and killing him. As Kratos was pinned to the wall dying, Ares steals Pandora's box and Kratos is sent to the Underworld. However, Kratos is able to escape the Underworld with help from a mysterious grave digger, who refers to Kratos as "my child". He returns to Athens, regains Pandora's Box, and confronts Ares.

When Kratos proves that he isn't just a mortal after all, Ares makes a desperate attempt to drive Kratos mad by making him relive the death of his family. Opening a portal, Ares traps Kratos in an illusion. Ares recreates the temple where Kratos slew his wife and child, along with images of Kratos's Family. Ares then creates copies of Kratos which attack his wife and child. After this fails, Ares strips the Blades of Chaos from Kratos' arms, taking back the weapons he had given him, and impales Kratos' family with them with Kratos watching in horror. Freed from his own mind but without weaponry, Kratos is at the mercy of Ares until he spots a very large metal sword, which was formerly used as an ornamental bridge inside Athens. With it, he engages, defeats and kills his former master, the God of War.

After receiving the congratulations from the gods, Kratos asks Athena to remove the nightmares of his past. Athena explains that the gods can only forgive him for his sins; the nightmares, unfortunately, are permanent. Feeling abandoned by the gods, Kratos climbs back to the bluffs overlooking the Aegean Sea and, as the game comes full circle, tosses himself over the edge. However, as he breaks the waves below, he is pulled out by Athena. He has served the gods well, she explains, and there is a throne waiting for him that currently has no occupant: the throne of the God of War.

God Of War Characters ...

 Kratos: The protagonist. A former Captain of Sparta's army, a demigod and the God of War after Ares. Eventually betrayed by Zeus and stripped of godhood, Kratos seeks to destroy Olympus.

Zeus: The main antagonist. The King of Olympus, brother to Hades
and Poseidon, and Kratos' father. Zeus created the Blade of Olympus to win the Great War against the Titans. Although initially Kratos' ally, Zeus betrays Kratos once he became infected with fear after the Spartan opened Pandora's Box; he fears a perpetuation of the son-killing-father cycle (as he himself imprisoned his father Cronos)

 Gaia: Embodiment of Earth and the Titans. Initially aids Kratos but ultimately wishes for the Titans to kill Zeus and destroy Olympus.

 Athena: The Goddess of Wisdom. Athena was Kratos' ally and mentor for many years and died to save Zeus from Kratos. Resurrected in a more evolved form, Athena again aids Kratos, but for personal motives.

 Pandora: A creation of Hephaestus, Pandora is the key to quelling the Flame of Olympus, thereby allowing Kratos to once again open Pandora's Box.

 Hephaestus: The Smith God who has fallen from the grace of Olympus. He is the husband of Aphrodite and creator of Pandora's Box and Pandora herself. Hephaestus is banished to the underworld by Zeus for Kratos being able to conquer Pandora's Temple, open the Box, and for Hephaestus hiding Pandora (whom he came to regard as a daughter) from Zeus.

 Aphrodite: The Goddess of Love and wife of Hephaestus. Aphrodite is indifferent to Kratos' war on Olympus and as such is spared by the Spartan.

 Cronos: A Titan and father of Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon. Banished to the underworld by Zeus as Kratos successfully penetrated the temple chained to the Titan's back and retrieved Pandora's box.

Daedalus: The constructor of the Labyrinth in which Pandora (and he himself) is imprisoned. Daedelus built the Labyrinth as Zeus promised to reunite him with his son Icarus.

Hercules: A demigod and half-brother to Kratos. Hercules' wish is to claim the throne of "God of War" after performing a thirteenth unofficial labour: the murder of Kratos.

Helios: The God of the Sun. Despite having once been saved by Kratos, the Olympian now opposes the Titans and Kratos himself.

Kratos Weapons ...

Blade Of Olympus

The Blade of Olympus is a powerful weapon seen in God of War: Ghost of Sparta, God of War II and God of War III. It is a large sword with a bluish light in its blade. It was created by Zeus, forged of the Heavens and the Earth during the Great War to banish the Titans to Tartarus and end the war once and for all.

This weapon was first used in Rhodes, when Zeus sent it down for Kratos to use to destroy the Colossus of Rhodes. Unknown to Kratos, Zeus tricked him into draining all of his godly powers into it, supposedly giving Kratos the "strength to destroy all who oppose the gods." But as the collapsing Colossus of Rhodes' hand crashed down on Kratos, it appeared he was severely weakened by giving his power to the blade. Bloodied and beaten, Kratos tried to regain the sword, only for Zeus to arrive and retrieve it, thus preventing Kratos from regaining his powers. Zeus then shoved the blade into Kratos's abdomen, bringing him to the verge of death, and sending him to the Underworld.
Later, Kratos regained the Blade of Olympus after he went back through time and with it, he fought and nearly killed Zeus on the Summit of Sacrifice. Kratos, intending to thrust the blade through Zeus' chest, invoked Athena's interference, having Kratos end up killing her, instead of Zeus.

When starting another game on Bonus Play, the blade can then be used for the entire game.
From there you can level it up to increase its power and to gain new abilities for it.

It also appears in God of War III, as part of the magic ability of Blades of Athena (Divine Reckoning). Kratos planted the sword on top of Gaia's back during the Titans' siege of Olympus. When both he and Gaia were thrown off of Olympus, Kratos wedged into Gaia in an attempt to hold on but both he and the blade fell into the Underworld. Later, when Kratos retrieved the Blade from a statue of Pandora in the depths of Hades, he was able to use it as a part of the Rage of Sparta. The Rage of Sparta is then the only means by which he may use the Blade of Olympus. Nonetheless, the Blade proved quite useful and strong in defeating some of the major opponents encountered over the course of the game. It was used to slay Cronos and Perses as Kratos journeyed through the Underworld and Olympus, and in the final battle, it was used to kill both Zeus and Gaia. In the very end, Kratos ultimately used the blade to kill himself, thus releasing the power of Hope that dwelt within him, as well as the power within the Blade itself.

Blade Of Athena

The Blades of Athena were chained weapons bestowed by Athena that function similar to the Blades of Chaos. They are the second pair of blades Kratos wields in the God of War series.

Kratos' Equipment: Chains of Olympus

Weapons :
Blades of Chaos: Powerful blades Given to Kratos by Ares when he pledged his alliegance to him. They're a pair of large curved blades that are attached to Kratos' arms via chains. He can swing them about to strike enemies.
Gauntlet of Zeus: A gigantic gauntlet forged by Hepheastus, and used by Zeus to chain the mighty Titans in the depths of Tartarus. It was given to the Jailer of Tartarus to protect, and only he had the key to the Temple of Zeus

Magic:
Efreet: Kratos obtains the ability to use the fiery Djinn after defeating the Persian King during the seige of Attica. When used, it unleashes the fire spirit which attacks all surrounding enemies.
Light of Dawn: After obtaining the Primordial Fire within the Caves of Olympus, Kratos is able to summon orbs of bright light and hurl them at his enemies.
Charon's Wrath: When Kratos battles Charon, the ferryman has the ability to blast green, ravenous flames at the Spartan warrior, via the golden mask he wears. Kratos gains this power after confronting Charon the second time.

Relics:
Sun Shield: The Sun Shield is an object of the Gods used to block attacks and return projectiles. Kratos obtained the Shield within the Temple of Helios
Triton's Lance: Triton's Lance is a spear-like item that Kratos finds in the Caves of Olympus. It allows him to breath underwater, much like Poseidon's Trident.

Blades of Exile

The Blades of Exile are the third and latest set of chained blades wielded by Kratos, given to him by the ghost of Athena in the beginning of God of War III. The blades replaced the Blades of Athena as his primary weapons, as the latter, which he received upon his rise to God of War, were completley ruined by his fall into the River Styx. The new blades also have a slightly different design, but their model does not change as they level up except for the amount of "flames" the blades emit when used.
The blades have attacks similar to their predecessors, the Blades of Chaos and Blades of Athena, but with a distinctly different design, featuring horned demon faces on the hilts, pronounced hooks on their lower edges, and an intricate pattern of orange stripes on the flat sides of the blades, which emit fire. These blades grant Kratos the magic power, Army of Sparta, as well as the ability to grapple enemies.

Blades of Chaos

The Blades of Chaos were a pair of chained blades fashioned by the God of War, Ares. Ares had these blades made for a servant that would prove worthy of the blades. These blades were the first pair of chained blades that Kratos used in the God Of War series.

Nemean Cestus

The Nemean Cestus is a weapon seen in God of War III. It is a pair of large metal gauntlets, each forged to resemble a snarling lion's head, that greatly increases the strength of its wielder when worn. The Cestus was apparently given to its original owner, Hercules, after he slew the Nemean Lion as one of his Labours, but their relation to the beast itself is unknown. In Greek Mythology, this was also used by Helios and Hermes.

Claws of Hades

The Claws of Hades was a chained weapon formerly utilized by the God of the Underworld, Hades. It was later procured by Kratos after the former owner's death.

Nemesis Whip

The Nemesis Whip is a new weapon in God of War III. It consists of a pair of chains, each ending in three claw-like daggers that give off a teal colored aura. It was crafted for Kratos by Hephaestus after he brought him the Omphalos Stone, a decoy that Cronos originally mistook for baby Zeus and swallowed many years ago. Initially, Hephaestus intended to use them as a conduit for his own powers in order to kill Kratos, but the Spartan threw off the attack and turned the Whip against its creator, killing the smith god in short order.
This weapon attacks in a similar fashion to the Blades of Exile, but faster and weaker, with a focus on multiple hits instead of single, powerful blows. The Nemesis Whip has the power to conduct electricity and electrocute whomever stands in Kratos’ way. The blades are useful when levelled up to recharge your Rage of Sparta while fighting.

Fighting and Ending Scene

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