A Spartan warrior giving up his daughter, a son scattering his father's ashes, and a god finally allowing himself to grieve. The God of War series is known for its brutal combat, but some of its most memorable moments come from heartbreak rather than violence.

Here are seven of the most emotional moments from the God of War video games.

Note: May contain spoilers

1) Leaving Calliope

In God of War: Chains of Olympus, Kratos finally reunites with his daughter, Calliope, in the underworld. However, the queen of the underworld, Persephone, has ulterior motives.

She only lets Kratos meet his daughter after stripping him of all his powers. She plans to destroy Olympus and the underworld with it.

This means that if Kratos stays with his daughter, his end is also guaranteed. The Ghost of Sparta must then abandon his child as players repeatedly press a button on the controller, pushing Calliope away when she tries to keep Kratos from leaving.

Fans on Reddit frequently rank this among the saddest moments in the series.

2) Pandora's Death

Pandora is the creation and daughter of Hephaestus in God of War III. She is essentially a living key to Pandora's Box, which has the power to defeat Zeus. After discovering this, Zeus kidnaps Pandora and hides the box in the Flame of Olympus.

In her final moments, Pandora throws herself into the Flame of Olympus to open the box as Kratos desperately tries to hold on to her.

Kratos had grown close to Pandora, and the game hinted at a warm parental relationship between the two. Unfortunately, Pandora's Box was empty all along. She passed only for Zeus to laugh and flee from Kratos.

3) A Farewell to Faye

After Faye passes away, Kratos and Atreus travel to the peak of Jotunheim to spread her ashes. This is one of the most emotionally charged moments in the game as the two learn that perhaps all giants are no more.

Atreus also learns of his original name, Loki. Kratos finds a mural foretelling his death. A moment of grief hits both characters, setting the tone for the rest of the franchise as God of War (2018) reboots the series.

4) Atreus Remains

After Odin is defeated, Atreus has a new journey ahead of him at the end of God of War Ragnarok. He decides to travel through all the realms in hopes of discovering any surviving giants. In a bittersweet and somber moment, Kratos has to let go of his son.

Right before he departs, a shivering Kratos utters the words: "Loki will go. Atreus . . . Atreus remains."

This is one of the few times players see the God of War tear up. It is a heartbreaking yet beautiful moment showcasing true character growth.

It solidifies Kratos' growth from the Ghost of Sparta to a father. It becomes even more emotional knowing that he has already lost so much family.

5) The Origins

Kratos once served the original Greek God of War, Ares. Under his command, Kratos raided a village of Athena's followers and began eliminating everyone recklessly.

Unbeknownst to him, Ares had snuck Kratos' wife and child into the village. In a fit of rage, he entered Athena's temple and killed everyone inside, including his family.

Once the rage wore off, Kratos realized he had been tricked by Ares. He had destroyed his own family with his own hands. The village's oracle cursed him to wear his family's ashes forever.

Thus, the Ghost of Sparta was born. His white, chalky complexion then became his visual identity throughout the games.

6) Kratos Confronts His Past Self

In the God of War Ragnarok Valhalla DLC, a matured Kratos finally confronts his younger, destructive self. The moment weighs heavily on the Ghost of Sparta, who sees nothing but regret.

However, there is more than just that. He looks at his younger self and speaks to himself, realizing that he is more than just a god who made mistakes.

He acknowledges his errors and faces his regrets head-on. Once he is done berating his younger self, he delivers a message of hope. The same Hope he unleashed into the world in the original games to bring peace back to a shattered Greece.

It's a moment of undeniable growth. This is where players see the God of War feel more human than perhaps ever before. He takes accountability for all his wrongs while acknowledging that he has the potential to do good.

7) Brok's Death

Finally, one of the hardest-hitting moments comes from God of War Ragnarok. Brok, who created the Leviathan Axe along with his brother Sindri, dies unexpectedly at the hands of Odin.

Odin was disguised as Tyr the whole time, and Brok realized that something was off. Odin finally reveals his true identity and attacks Brok. Sindri begs Freya to save him, but she fails to do so.

The brothers share one final heartfelt moment as Brok passes away in Sindri's arms. The emotional impact of the moment is impossible to ignore.

The action unfolds suddenly, and before fans have a moment to process it, Brok passes away. He was truly one of the greatest characters in the game, leading even the God of War to acknowledge him as a friend.

Which God of War moment hit you the hardest emotionally? Let us know in the comments below.

Read more at Gaming Community by Max Level!

Written by

Prit Chauhan