God of War: Who Voiced Kratos Better? Terrence Carson and Christopher Judge Compared
God of War has two legendary actors who gave their voices to the iconic protagonist of the game, but who did it better is the question.
- The God of War series began with Terrence Carson being Kratos.
- Later Christopher Judge took the role in 2018.
- However, the comparison between these two voice actors isn't at all justified.
God of War can’t be God of War without Kratos. The powerful portrayal of Kratos is what gives these games sky-touching popularity. The journey of this Spartan God from a ruthless slayer to a responsible and loving father defines the evolution of this series and the character of the protagonist.
The appearance of Kratos is a remarkable one, but there’s something that impresses players even more, and that’s his voice. The gravity and power of his voice make this Spartan hero more convincing. Throughout the years, a few voice artists have voiced this legendary character, but none ever came even closer to Terrence Carson and Christopher Judge. Their voice made Kratos a living character, and not an in-game one.
Terrence Carson as Kratos
In 2005, for the first time when Kratos appeared on screen, the voice that impressed the entire gaming world was Terrence Carson’s. With his voice and speech-throwing, he established the style of this Spartan hero that was unexpectedly distinct from what players expected. Since then, this 65-year-old American actor has voiced this powerful heroic character for years, until God of War: Ascension was released in 2013.
Aside from the God of War games, Carson had voiced this iconic slayer until 2013 everywhere he appeared. For example, when this iconic hero was a downloadable character in Everybody’s Golf 5, Mortal Kombat, etc., he was voiced by Carson.
Despite Carson being generally regarded as the original voice of Kratos, he was replaced for the 2018 entry as Christopher Judge fit more in stature than Carson.
Christopher Judge as Kratos
The God of War series was redesigned for the 2018 installment. Previously, Carson used to give his voice to this iconic character, but the mocap process was done by someone else. To streamline this process, Sony decided to include Judge, who fits the character of Kratos in stature and voice.
Initially, it was a bit uncertain how fans would react, but the responses were overwhelmingly positive. In God of War Ragnarok, as well, Judge portrayed this Spartan hero, and not only that, he received the Game Award for best performance.
The popularity of Judge as Kratos has reached a peak, and at this point, even for the Prime’s Secret Level anthology, fans want this 60-year-old actor to play Kratos. Despite several potential contenders being in the race, Judge received the most votes from fans.
Terrence Carson vs. Christopher Judge: Who Portrayed God of War Better?
This argument should not have a definite answer, as both of these voice artists have contributed equally to portraying this legendary hero. While Carson established his powerful presence through dialogue throwing, Judge has shown the softer side of this character as Atreus’ father. These two voice artists have drawn Krtaos during different eras; therefore, the comparison is not really valid.
If we dig a little deeper, we will see that when the series initially started, Kratos was young, and his murderous rage was kind of uncontrollable. In those games, he used to slay whoever stood in his path. There was no distinction between friends and enemies for him during his early years. Carson has illustrated the state of mind and motivation of young Kratos incredibly well.
Next, when the story progresses and Atrus comes into his life, Kratos becomes more responsible. In the later games, the Kratos we see is much wiser and more composed. He has controlled his rage, and his experiences have taught him to handle situations without losing his calm. Aside from that, he is now an affectionate father who wants to protect his son from all the dangers.
Therefore, when Judge came to sketch this character, it was different than Carson’s one. The calm but serious throwing of words illustrated the changes of Kratos more prominently. These two actors portrayed two different versions of this iconic character, and both have done their jobs equally impressively. Honestly saying, Carson and Judge portrayed the ‘God of War’ perfectly at different stages of his life.
