God of War Ragnarok: Every Spartan Rage, Ranked

God of War didn't invent power-ups in hack & slash games, although the series is why many of them use L3+R3 to activate them. Each game introduced a different approach to this state of rage, whether it was Rage of the Gods from the original game, GoW2Rage of the Titans enhanced or GoW3the wrath of Sparta. Then 2018 God of War The game has changed everything from the Nordic setting to the new close combat.

All Kratos had left in the new game was Spartan Rage, where he saw red and punched anything in front of him. It was fun and handy, but it could have ended with an expansion. God of War Ragnarok now allows players to choose between 3 different types of Spartan Rage, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Players have found different uses for each, though some are better suited to general combat than others. So here's every Spartan Rage, ranked by their overall versatility.

4 Inheritance

Driven by the wrath of Sparta

• Appears in: Valhalla – Homecoming.
• Allows Kratos to use the Blade of Olympus in battle.
• Does not cure status ailments upon activation.

Inheritance appears in the Chamber of Sacrifice during the Valhalla DLC. As such, it can only be used in the main campaign in New Game+. It also doesn't come with its own enchantment, unlike Valuables, Wrath, and Fury. But it allows Kratos to use the Blade of Olympus, the giant sword that Zeus used to banish the Titans to Tartarus and the one Kratos used to kill several gods and Titans himself. It was the basis for Wrath of Sparta in GoW3so it was fitting to bring it back as a new form of rage here.

The Blade's slow and slow attacks are compensated by its power, as it has more base power than Kratos' regular weapons. It also lasts the longest of all Rages, slowly draining the meter while in use. It will also heal Kratos a bit with each successful parry and charged attack; this is good as this is the only way it will grant health as unlike the other Rages it will not give a health boost on activation nor dispel status ailments.

Blade seems more like Kratos getting a weapon that costs rage to use, rather than a rage state and one with limited use. Since it can only be used in NG+ after you beat Valhalla, it will likely be weaker than Kratos' upgraded weapons by then, let alone the other Rage. However, it will at least give players something to spend their remaining ingredients and silver on after they're done powering everything up.

3 Value

Save amateurs and reward expertise

• Appears in: Chapter 5 – The Lost Sanctuary.
• Trades rage for health and can parry enemy attacks for more health and strength boosts.
• Heals status ailments upon activation.

Value appears mid-game when Vanadis interrupts Kratos' reunion with Atreus after his trip to Jotunheim. It allows the player to spend a bit of rage to regain some health, and if used right before the enemy's attack is about to hit, it will negate the attack's damage, stagger the enemy, gain more health, and give the player a short power bonus. attacks as well. It can be very useful when Kratos is low on health or to avoid harsh punishments if he blows an attack.

However, its power and healing benefits only appear if the player activates them at the right time. If they get the timing wrong, they will get nothing for their efforts. It also works best with some enchantments, though they can increase the risk as well as the reward. For example, the Boon of Valor increases the strength buff and allows Kratos to steal health from his enemies for a while, but reduces the healing ability of Valor instead.

New players can use it as a quick heal during or after fights with groups of enemies. However, only experienced players will get the most out of it due to its tight timing-based boosts and risky charm.

2 Mania

A big burst of anger

• Appears in: Chapter 11 – Unleashing Hel.
• Spend Fury on a big attack with Kratos' equipped weapon.
• Heals status ailments on activation and doubles damage dealt to enchanted enemies.

Mania is the latest Rage to appear in the base game, appearing after Kratos must protect Sindri's home from Hel-Walkers after Atreus wreaks havoc in Helheim. It's also the easiest, as it allows Kratos to spend his Fury on a big advance attack with his equipped weapon. If Valor is about careful defense, Wrath is about blatant offense, increasing the weapon's effects as well as its damage (eg extra freeze with Leviathan Axe, burning with Blades of Chaos, etc.).

It will even restore half of Kratos' rage meter if the player misses the attack, and Boon of Wrath will double its damage on enemies with status ailments. The activation shockwave will practically absorb their afflictions to make Wrath's attack more powerful. That said, Wrath only really works on one enemy at a time, so it's not too great in group encounters. Not unless he has a certain enemy that gives Kratos more trouble than the others, like the Nokken and their healing songs.

With careful use, it can effectively break the boss's health bar, especially if the player has some strengthened weapons. Although, since it's all about offense, it won't do much for Kratos' health. The best it can do for this is remove status ailments like the other Rage. So if players prefer to go all out on their enemies, Wrath will fit them like a glove.

1 Anger

Brutality with bare hands

• Appears in: Chapter 1 – Surviving Fimbulwinter.
• It allows the player to attack with the Trigger & Bumper buttons in a constant barrage.
• Heals status ailments upon activation.

The other Rages tried to reinvent the wheel, but couldn't replace the old, trusty one Anger. It's the base form of Kratos' Rage starts with and, as in GoW 2018, lets Kratos put away his guns in favor of defeating his enemies with his fists. Each hit allows her to heal a bit of health, and upgrades help lower the amount of rage each hit costs, letting her last longer.

It's the go-to option, giving decent health and dealing decent damage to enemies, which can be enough on its own. For example, it negates the disadvantages of the Berserker Revival Stone (which revives Kratos with more rage than health), as its activation can let Kratos hit the opponent enough times to restore his health back to green.

It doesn't require careful timing like Valor and it doesn't end with a heavy hit like Wrath. Beginners and veterans alike can fire it up and push buttons until they burn out; though they can partially turn it off if they want to save the anger for later. Players can experiment with Valor and Wrath and find the right builds that make the most of them, but Rage will see players in practically every encounter.