Marvel’s Thor vs. Kratos: Who Would Win in a Fight? Here Is Our Analysis

Cory Barlog’s God of War has become one of the most popular and acclaimed video games of the modern era, with Kratos becoming a gaming icon. On the other hand, Marvel’s Thor is one of the most popular comic book superheroes and is also an icon in his own right. What would happen if the two would clash? Who would win?

Comparing the powers of Thor and Kratos

Firstly, let us see what Thor can do. Thor is a god; as such, he has many of the same powers his father, Odin, has. But he is still weaker than Odin. He is superhuman in most aspects (strength, durability, intelligence, longevity, etc.), but unlike Thanos, he is not immortal. He is practically invulnerable, but he ages and, like all the other Asgardian gods, will eventually die; it’ll just take him longer than your average bear.

The thin with Thor is that he has access to various unimaginable powers that stem from Asgard, the best-known being the powers of Mjolnir, the Stormbreaker, and the Odin Force. Thor can also use other forms of energy and blend with them, as he did with Power Cosmic. There’s also the forbidden Warrior’s Madness, which can turn Thor into an unstoppable beast and destroy his psyche, so Odin banned it.

As the son of the king of the gods, Kratos possesses immense physical strength on the level of those of the gods and the Titans, a speed overwhelming that of light from afar, a great resistance allowing him to withstand devastating attacks, overdeveloped senses, exceptional stamina, foolproof agility and skill, and powerful regenerative abilities, allowing him to heal himself in seconds.

During the battle, Kratos can use divine powers, including summoning lightning, changing his size at will, flight, improving strength and resistance, etc. This is because Kratos has a habit of tapping into the strength of the enemies he kills, and since his enemies are mostly gods, he can access divine powers. For example, he takes the boots of Hermes after killing him to increase his speed, and he takes the head of Medusa to petrify his problematic opponents.

Having killed most of the Olympian gods, he has their powers and can also use them. When he goes out and expels all his anger, he can unleash the Rage of Sparta, increasing his strength tenfold and making him nearly invulnerable.

He perfectly masters unarmed combat as well as a multitude of weapons, especially his swords. Having gone to the Underworld and having fought all kinds of creatures under all kinds of circumstances, Kratos can endure extreme conditions. The many artifacts he possesses after all his victories grant him diverse and incredible abilities ranging from skill amplification to the use of magic. He can also see and touch things that humans cannot see or touch, like the ghosts and specters he fought in hell.

Can Kratos lift Thor’s hammer?

To wield and use Mjolnir in Marvel’s universe, a person must be worthy, as prescribed by Odin. The Worthiness Enchantment is a powerful enchantment put on Mjolnir by Odin that prevents anyone who is deemed unworthy from even picking up the hammer, let alone using its powers. Regardless of their physical strength, an unworthy person cannot move the hammer from its place. The only exception to this rule is when the hammer floats in the vacuum of space – you can pick it up, but it remains unusable.

Even Thor, to whom the hammer was initially given, has to prove his worth, or he won’t be able to lift Mjolnir, which shows how much magic Odin put into the hammer. Odin is the only one who can change this rule and can give others the power to use it; Thor cannot change the magic, but if he is worthy, he can give that power to someone else.

Worthiness is not something that is explicitly defined, but it is assumed that one must have a good and noble heart, a strong will, and the determination to do what is necessary (even kill, perhaps) to save those he must protect. The sheer power is not an important factor, as well as each of the criteria individually – they must all be present for a person to be considered worthy. This is why some superheroes cannot lift it, mostly because they lack the determination to do anything necessary to save the day.

Considering all of these facts, we can deduce the following: Kratos certainly has a strong will and is determined to do what is necessary to achieve his goals. He is also powerful enough, but we know that power alone is unimportant for Marvel’s Mjolnir. The only thing that poses a problem here is his heart. Namely, Kratos committed many atrocities in Greece, both before he killed Ares and after becoming the god of war. In addition to that, he also killed the whole Greek pantheon before taking refuge in the Nordic lands.

One could argue that this eliminates him, but Kratos was driven by revenge, as he was tricked and manipulated by the gods, who saw in him a potential for their own games. He had a very close bond with his family, but his heart was corrupted by vindictive hatred.

In addition to this, Kratos has changed a lot in the Nordic realms. Sure, he is still ruthless, but has lost his bloodlust and wants to live normally. He was challenged by the gods of Valhalla, who sensed his presence and deemed him a potential danger, although he was not one. He also cared for Atreus throughout the last game, showing that he could have a family, however strange that family might be. Sure, he was not the father of the year, but he did his best under the circumstances.

Ultimately, we think that Kratos could lift Marvel’s Mjolnir. He has the necessary prerequisites, and we have explained why we think that his actions are redeemable to the point that Mjolnir would consider him worthy. So, in our opinion, Kratos could lift Thor’s hammer from the Marvel Universe.

Who wins, Thor or Kratos?

Based on their powers alone, Thor seems to be the stronger character, at least nominally. He has a much wider array of powers at his disposal, while Kratos is just a good fighter. Of course, he would approach Thor with the collected powers of the Greek gods, but even that wouldn’t be enough against Marvel’s God of Thunder. Why? Thor is much more experienced with his powers than Kratos, and he has dwelled in the depths of his powers much more than Kratos, who just utilized others’ powers for himself.

Thor has also fought an array of powerful characters and has defeated them; these are, on a general level, characters much stronger than Kratos’ regular opponents. On the other hand, Kratos has his Rage of Sparta, and that would certainly count for something, as that is a power that Thor hasn’t faced before.

There is one thing, though, that Kratos can count on in this battle that Thor cannot – Kratos’ track record. Namely, Kratos has, as we all know, killed the complete Greek pantheon, the Titans included. I don’t think anyone would dare say that these powerful deities are much weaker than Thor, especially since Kratos had to fight various powers to beat them all.

In this aspect, Kratos is comparable to Gorr the God Butcher. Neither of them is nominally stronger than Thor, but both actually are; Gorr has defeated him, and we honestly think that Kratos could do so. He has defeated Hades, Ares, Poseidon, Kronos, and Zeus, with the latter being a Greek version of Thor, only stronger. With such an amazing track record, Kratos would certainly be able to find an angle to defeat the Norse God of Thunder.

And what do you think about this clash? Let us know in the comments below!