God of War secrets and easter eggs hiding in plain sight

(Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)

There are God of War secrets and Easter eggs all throughout the game, but you'd be forgiven for missing them, as some are pretty deep references to previous instalments in the series. However, others require a reasonable academic knowledge of Norse mythology in order to fully appreciate, and some are just little story touches that can be easily overlooked if you're not aware of them. If you're keen to find out about these secrets, you're in luck as we've done the research to find and explain these God of War Easter eggs for you.

Obviously there's a ton of spoilers for God of War ahead, so proceed with caution or flee as appropriate. If you're still here and want to know all about the various God of War secrets and Easter eggs hidden within the game, then we've got you covered here.

Atreus’ sash is Kratos’ old loincloth

Before you visit Brok’s shop and buy Atreus a set of much-needed new clothes, take a close look at the ones he starts off with. Around his hips is tied a red-and-gold sash with a geometric pattern...otherwise known as the loincloth Kratos used to wear when he was rampaging around Greece. I don’t know if I can picture the emotionally-closed-off Kratos we saw at the beginning of God of War handing over the cloth to Atreus with gravitas, so it seems more likely that his mother Fey crafted it into a sash for her son. Aww.

Kratos has the red leather straps from when he was in Greece

While we’re on the topic of clothing, to find one of the best secrets all you have to do is switch your attention to Kratos you’ll see red leather straps under his leather waistcloth. With a golden stud at the end of each one, they’re left over from his costume in the previous God of War games when he wore a Spartan skirt underneath his loincloth. Guess he’s finding it pretty hard to let go of the past...either that or he didn’t see the point in throwing away perfectly good leather. Which sounds just as likely, to be honest.

Atreus’ real name was hidden in Kratos’ home all along

Kratos and Atreus in Jotunheim at the end of God of War

That’s right: if you were really eagle-eyed, you could have spotted this God of War secret right at the beginning. It took a while for players to find this one, though, so don’t feel bad about missing it. Look into each corner of Kratos’ home and you’ll see a rune etched into each of the four corners. String them all together and translate them into English and they spell out ‘Loki’. Atreus’ real name was there from the very start. Just let that sink in for a moment.

Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet makes an appearance

Avengers: Infinity War and the devastatingly-powerful gauntlet that it centers around has transcended movies to also appear in games, and Sony has joined Fortnite in paying tribute to Marvel’s mega-movie with this God of War Easter egg. Complete Sindri’s Family Business quest to get the Shattered Gauntlet of Ages, which has “fragments of its former strength scattered throughout the realms”. There are six special enchantments that can be affixed to the gauntlet, and if you fill all three slots the gauntlet can fire a purple beam. You know, just like Thanos. I bet that puts a smile on Kratos’ face.

Masks appear in Sindri and Brok’s shop when you sell them

Thankfully those exquisitely-carved masks don’t just disappear into the abyss when you sell them to Sindri or Brok, as if you keep an eye on their shelves you’ll see the artefacts proudly displayed in the background. The brothers did pay pretty good money for them, so it makes sense that they’d want to show ‘em off.

Boat captain treasure map references the captain that’s been featured in other games

Poor Boat Captain. This unlucky soul has been featured in all the God of War games so far, and Kratos has always been the subject of his hate. In the first game Kratos let him fall to his death; he killed the Captain after he was summoned to fight him in God of War 2; and in God of War 3 you find a furious note from him. The latest game is no different either, as one of the treasure maps references a the Boat Captain’s ruined ship as one of the nifty little God of War secrets. The poor guy just can’t catch a break, can he?

Atreus’ tattoos read ‘calm mind’ and ‘fast hand’

Nowadays you’d probably be fairly confused if you saw a young boy strolling down the street with tattoos on his arms and neck, but as Atreus’ is living through during the ancient Norse past it isn’t quite that unusual. The inscription on his hand reads ‘hrada hond’ in Icelandic, which means ‘fast hand’, or ‘hasten hand’ in English. Speedy fingers must be helpful for an archer, after all. Lettering on his neck translates into the Icelandic phrase ‘logr hugr’, meaning ‘calm mind’. Like many of us at a young age, Atreus is still learning how to control his emotions - something which Kratos or Fey knew he’d struggle with, judging by the fact that they felt the need to tattoo an invocation for serenity on his neck.

You (briefly) go into first-person just like in God of War 3

Kratos has some daddy issues, which really isn’t a surprise when you consider the fact that his father Zeus is a megalomaniac. When you’re on the boat out of Hel you see an illusion of Zeus and Kratos fighting, a direct replication of the final boss battle from God of War 3. The camera snaps into first person as you see Atreus recoil in horror at the sight. This is the only time during the game that first person is used, just like in God of War 3 when you see through Kratos’ eyes as he delivers his finishing blows to Zeus. Thank Odin Atreus is there this time to snap you out of it.

You see the secret Jotunheim mural when you’re fighting the Stranger the first time

When you’re fighting The Stranger at the beginning of the game, if you look at the rock you’re about to smash him into with a tree trunk, you’ll find it’s actually a bit of the secret mural from Jotunheim. Who knows how it got there. Although considering Fey’s gift for prophecy - as she definitely knew what was on the cards for Kratos and Atreus - she probably found a way to put it there.

Kratos is called Farbauti in Jotunheim mural

As we’re on the subject of Jotunheim and murals, translating the text beside Kratos gives you the name...Farbauti. In Norse mythology Farbauti is Loki’s father, which makes sense now that it’s been revealed that Atreus was going to be called Loki. The Jotunheim murals even explain why Fey called Kratos Farbauti: it means ‘cruel striker’. She obviously knew of his fame as a Greek god-killer thanks to her Jotun gift of foresight. Is there anything she didn’t see coming?

Fey is short for Laufey

Now that we’re on the subject of family, one of the sweetest God of War easter eggs is that Kratos has a nickname for his wife - Fey. Her full name is actually Laufey, who is Loki’s giantess mother in Norse myth. As Kratos is a Spartan, he could call Laufey ‘Fey’ for short to be more efficient with the words he uses, similarly to how he calls Atreus ‘Boy’. Or it could just be the closest he gets to a pet name. Either is quite sweet, really. Mimir also calls her Laufey in his later stories, so it really is just us who has no idea what Fey is short for.

Kratos looks like he’s missing an eye in the opening screen

Peer at the opening screen and you’ll see two wooden carvings of Kratos and Atreus. At first glance they look pretty ordinary, but look closer at Kratos and it almost seems like he has an eyepatch over his right eye...you know who else is missing an eye? Odin. Later on in the game Kratos also journeys around with Mimir’s head attached to his belt, who gives advice to the Spartan. Odin does exactly the same thing with Mimir’s head in Norse myth. Could Kratos and Odin be one and the same? If only Fey was around to tell us.

Atreus (inadvertently) references the Hulk

After you fight the trolls of ash and frost in Týr’s temple, Kratos says “I’ve beaten bigger” (he fought a Titan, so he’s 100% right to be a bit cocky). Atreus replies with “heh, puny troll”. Sounds familiar, right? That’s because it’s almost the same phrase the Hulk mutters in The Avengers after smashing Loki into the ground at Stark Tower. As Atreus is destined to become Loki, this little nod to the movie is nothing less than bloody brilliant.

The Frost and Fire trolls are called Grendel

Those two giant trolls that you fight in Týr’s temple are respectively named Grendel of the Frost, and Grendel of the Ashes. They're named after Grendel, the one-armed monster that Beowulf fought in the Old English poem named Beowulf. Like Kratos, Beowulf is an intimidating and incredibly powerful hero who takes on the beast Grendel to stop it from terrorising the king's mead hall.