| “ | I have taught you many ways to kill a mortal, Kratos. Flesh that burns, bones that break... But to break a man's spirit is to truly destroy him!
— Ares
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” |
Ares is the main antagonist of the hack-and-slash video game God of War. He is the titular Olympian god of war and the former master of the protagonist, the Spartan warrior Kratos.
When the Spartan army faced defeat at the hands of a barbarian horde, Kratos prayed to Ares, pledging unwavering service in exchange for victory. Ares answered and destroyed the barbarians. Bound to Ares by oath, Kratos became an unstoppable warrior under the war god's guidance. To eradicate Kratos's humanity and make him the ultimate killer, Ares placed Kratos's wife and daughter in a village being pillaged by the Spartans. Blinded by bloodlust, Kratos slaughtered his own family.
Wracked by guilt, Kratos broke his oath to Ares and swore vengeance upon the god. For a decade, Kratos toiled in the service of other gods. Meanwhile, fueled by jealousy and ambitions of overthrowing his father, Zeus, Ares unleashed his army upon the city of Athens, sacred to his sister Athena. Seeking salvation for her city, Athena enlisted Kratos to obtain the power of Pandora's Box and kill Ares.
Kratos recovered the box, only to be slain by Ares. Kratos escaped from the Underworld with the aid of Zeus and unleashed the power of Pandora's Box. Facing the empowered Kratos in battle, Ares stripped Kratos of his weapons and powers and tormented him with visions of his deceased family, but Kratos seized a sword-shaped bridge and used it to kill Ares. Kratos became the new god of war in Ares's stead.
Battle vs. Loki (Comics) (by CuchulainSetanta)[]
In the forests of Norway, Ares treads through, preparing to invade Asgard. Loki sees this and heads down, unwilling to allow another god to take over the realm he has his own ends for. Loki magically boosts himself to Ares' hight, surprising the god of war. Ares summons his sword and prepares for battle, while Loki charges up his magic.
Ares charges forward, blocking a magic bolt hurled at him by Loki. As Ares swings with his sword, Loki teleports behind him, blasting Ares in the head with another bolt. Ares extends his blades from his back, swinging at the god of mischief, but again, Loki teleports away.
Ares looks around, confused about where Loki has gone. Hearing something, Ares looks in the direction of the noise and sees Loki lifting a massive boulder to throw at him. Loki flings the boulder, but Ares easily ducks under it. Loki summons a spear, and leaps in to do battle. The two gods clash, until Ares starts getting the upper hand. He knocks Loki back, before unleashing a firestorm which burns Loki to cinders.
Ares laughs to himself as his enemy falls dead, but as the fire clears, "Loki" suddenly reverts to its true form: a boulder. Ares turns to look at the boulder from earlier, just in time to get stabbed through the neck by the true Loki. Ares falls to the ground and explodes, with Loki summoning a force field to protect himself. The smoke clears, and Loki sees Ares has been destroyed. Satisfied, Loki teleports away, cackling.
Winner: Loki
Expert's Opinion[]
Loki was able to defeat the Greek God of War because he could easily think circles around his foe, allowing him to take advantage of Ares' brutish thick-headed nature. Loki's brilliance, combined with his tricks and brutal lack of empathy allowed him to become victorious over his foe.