PLEASE NOTE: This article contains MINOR Spoilers forGod of War Ragnarok. Proceed at your own risk.In the weeks and months leading toGod of War Ragnarok’s release, fans were busy speculating wildly about plot details and character theories. Everything from Odin’s role and involvement to Kratos' eventual fate was considered, with many feeling the weary protagonist was destined to meet his end during the game’s climax. Kratos' late wife Faye, one ofGod of War’s last remaining mysteries following events in the 2018 game, was speculated on too. Some fans felt she could in fact be another character that had already been introduced, or perhaps she was evil, with bad intentions for Kratos and her son.God of War Ragnarokwas able to solve this mystery once and for all, and Faye’s actual identity and personality have proved many fans wrong.
Throughout bothGod of Warand its sequel, Kratos and Atreus' father-and-son relationship is tested, and they face many challenges both individually and together. Faye, already deceased by the time the first game starts, still plays a major part in both characters' motivations and thought processes. Her character may be dead, but her presence is heavily felt throughout the journey, something which left many gamers making various assumptions about her persona.
RELATED:God of War Ragnarok: How Thor Compares to His MCU Counterpart
Faye’s Character is Not So Mysterious After All
Sometimes, the simplest solution is the correct one. While it would undoubtedly be fun and exciting to have her be some kind of evil force out to trick Kratos and/or Atreus, it would ultimately be detrimental to the story Santa Monica Studios was trying to tell. It makes a lot more sense to have Faye as the unseen, guiding force forKratos and his son, with her love for both her husband and Atreus leading them through some extremely testing and challenging times. And so, when Faye is finally revealed to the player through multiple flashbacks throughoutRagnarok, this proved to be the case.
Faye turned out to be just as kind, caring, and benevolent as Kratos had described to his son all along. Although she lived as a mortal, Faye had concealed her true identity,Laufey The Just, a Jotunnwho constantly tried to help the weak and needy, protecting them from some of the cruel Aesir gods such as Odin and Thor. She was a fierce warrior in her own right, teaching Atreus how to use a bow masterfully, and Kratos discovers that she even held her own in an epic duel with Thor in the Vanaheim realm.
Flashbacks of Kratos' time with Fayereveal her to be a calming influence on him, providing logical, balanced advice to her battle-hardened husband on numerous occasions. Her scenes with her husband each hold significant importance, from having just given birth to Atreus to marking trees with Kratos that would ultimately be used for her funeral pyre. It’s never made clear exactly how Faye meets her end, that much is left to interpretation, but her death is the event that kicks off Kratos' journey. That definitely doesn’t feel like a coincidence. With Faye’s power of foresight, she may well have known this from the beginning.
With some new characters in God of WarRagnarokbeing villainous, such as the arrogant Heimdall anddevious Odin, who was brought to life brilliantly by Richard Schiff, Faye proved herself to be one of the truly good-natured characters in the saga, alongside Freya, who many expected to be among the game’s main antagonists but actually ended up being a powerful ally. Even though she was only seen in small flashbacks and dream sequences, Faye made enough of an impression for gamers to rest easy knowing that Kratos' beloved deceased wife was a character worth making this epic journey for.
God of War Ragnarokis available now for PS4 and PS5.
MORE:God of War Ragnarok Loses its Best Piece of Gear in the First Five Minutes
