Is Kratos a hero or a villain?

[kakuzu]

Hey . For the members who know about God of War : Is Kratos a hero or a villan ?

 

[Orcnet]

Kratos is an Anti-Hero.

 

[WhiteFang]

I don't think he is either.He is more neutral to me.He does what he wants and doesn't care much about it

 

[Ardenian]

I totally agree with Orcnet, I also think he is an Anti-hero.

Spoiler

He is not a hero as he kills many many people, gods, monsters whatever and let dark emotions control him, and not to forget he let the world be devastated ( or similar), but he is not a villain as you can see at the end of GoW III, there was something with giving humanity a thing, but I forgot about it...

 

[TheKurt009]

well to be fair, the gods were tainted at the end of gow 1.
he is anti-hero.

 

[Celaquil]

He certainly isn't an antihero.

He's got courage, and to a minimal degree, morality. Both of which are lacking in
the antihero archetype. Personally, I find Kratos more like a man driven by hatred.

He's neither hero nor villain, he's Kratos.

 

[Orcnet]

Anti-heroism too derives in the characteristics of madness, hate, and murder where such individual(s) can and will undertake a brutish factor in order to save lives(or just a few) by killing many, this includes protagonists and antagonists being getting involved along the way.

he's Kratos.

You only titled his name and the arc of his misfortune, but not the character's essentials of his primary personal figure.

Also mister Watchmojo says it all:

 

[Celaquil]

Anti-heroism too derives in the characteristics of madness, hate, and murder where such individual(s) can and will undertake a brutish factor in order to save lives(or just a few) by killing many, this includes protagonists and antagonists being getting involved along the way.

Could you please provide me the link to something that backs that definition?
I did with mine, not saying wikipedia is the answer to everything, but going by
Wiki, he's not an anti-hero.

And yes, I titled him Kratos, because I don't think there's any other good description
for what he is, he's basically defined his own characteristic way of being, that can't be
labelled by any conventional terms.

 

[Orcnet]

Why would I send a link in such virtual reference-able manner when I have and understood the definition very so? if explaining it to you is not enough, referring such benefits I should consider you reading this little sample of anti-hero based upon literature: link

Defining the Anti-Hero

The definition of an anti-hero can be subjective. He is usually the protagonist or a key character. Generally, an anti-hero will have the following qualities:

it is clear that he has human frailties; he has flaws

he is more accessible to readers because he is more "gritty"

he is often disillusioned with society, or increasingly becomes so

he often seeks for redemption or revenge for his own satisfaction, and sometimes for the greater good of society

unlike the classical tragic hero, he doesn't always think about what the right, moral thing to do - he often thinks about what's right for him

he is often misunderstood by others in his society

he could perhaps be called a noble criminal or a vigilante

qualities normally belonging to villains - such as amorality, greed and violent tendencies - are tempered with more human, identifiable and even noble traits

their noble motives are pursued by breaking the law; a.k.a. "the ends justify the means"

increased moral complexity and rejection of traditional values

I don't think there's any other good description
for what he is, he's basically defined his own characteristic way of being, that can't be
labelled by any conventional terms.

That is quite presumptuous to identify basic character role behind their said background, if I were to add a similar fictional "anti-hero" let's say The Punisher from Marvel Comics (e.g family killed by mobs, almost died, revenge by killing every mob boss and junkies around town etc.). His misfortune is quite similar to a degree his "courage" took him to urge on to continue hunting down every drudge hooligans by killing them.

Would I just say he's the Punisher alone? No, I would either call him a crazy human-taxidermist arsenal joe, or something more casual. An Anti-Hero.

 

[Celaquil]

Why would I send a link in such virtual reference-able manner when I have and understood the definition very so?

Because in a civilized debate, it's not enough to simply state "I know this better than you,"
to someone who disagrees with you, that's called making a logical fallacy.

Now, further on, the link you posted doesn't have any source-material, and seems to
me highly doubtable. Especially with this phrase:

The definition of an anti-hero can be subjective.

A term isn't "subjective." A term very much has an objective meaning, unless we're
appealing to pop-culture, who often use words and terms incorrectly, I'm just
assuming we're not. However, the wiki link does have source-material, I'll link
some:

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/anti-hero

https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=Antihero

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/anti-hero

Most of those kind of contradict your statement, saying that an anti-hero lacks "heroic"
attributes, like courage and idealism. Well, Kratos has courage, for certain, and his
"idealism" is sprouted from hate, and the fact that he has a personal vendetta with the
gods. So, I still stand firm, he is not an anti-hero.

 

[Orcnet]

Because in a civilized debate, it's not enough to simply state "I know this better than you,"
to someone who disagrees with you, that's called making a logical fallacy.

With good respect sir, I wouldn't push myself to bask with arrogance during an engaging topic, much more to humiliate my stood ground over a fallacy, I understood the meaning of Anti-Hero but I did not express my words by dominating the person I am currently debating with, if that's how you've eyed me I'm sorry I'm not, I keep my arguments clean and healthy.

As to further do, what I understood when it comes to Anti-Hero is that it has the opposite of most of the traditional attributes of a hero. They may be bewildered, ineffectual, deluded, or merely apathetic. More often an amoral misfit.

There are just as many variations on Anti-Heroes nowadays that they often be the deconstructions of traditionally heroic genres. Still, with this there would always be a contradiction.

I also got to check Wikipedia upon what they listed as Anti-Heroes based on video-games: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_antiheroes#Video_games. I would not say everyone working on a wiki has the same logic to improvise every description that would steadily keep all forms in line, I say perhaps, neutral.

I would gladly continue to press on this fascinating debate but as I have foreseen, not all people will accept Kratos as an Anti-Hero, surely most will see him a villain, a brute, or as you've said: Kratos is Kratos. I seem to think you're pointing him as "Indifferent", yet it feels insatiable for me that is the right word to pronounce his status. You may say he's not an Anti-Hero, I'd still stick to my understanding he is an Anti-Hero.

 

[Celaquil]

Curious, one wiki article contradicts the other.

And well, I might have been a little strict on my interpretation of the meaning of the word,
as I see it, if we're going to be that strict, then nothing is an anti-hero, except pure
villains, which is simply silly.

I might be inclined to respect your opinion to name him an anti-hero, but I still think
he's something... Else.

 

[StarGreen]

I figure he commits acts of vigilante justice; though hes very evil indeed evidence of his actions. Hes driven by a sense of morality and thus is his characteristics. Which would lead me to presume; he believes what he is doing is not only Just, moral and righteous. So with that knowledge he is heroic, but he defies law an order by being judge and jury so hes chaotic, he kills the gods as a demigod thus claiming the kingdom.

So it looks to me like hes a heroic villain.

He doesn't really go out and save lives though. Just pretty much kicks ass because hes upset. Definite villain

 

[N.Knight]

..... I still think he's something... Else.

you are right, he is a potato. At the end of the day, they all are.

 

[WhiteFang]

you are right, he is a potato. At the end of the day, they all are.

Sometimes they are lettuce