Christopher Judge made a name for himself by appearing in various television series and his most recent role in the God of War franchise earned him universal praise. Judge gave the beloved PlayStation mascot a breath of fresh air in this new soft reboot through his powerful line delivery and compelling performance during the Norse Saga. Directors Cory Barlog and Eric Williams had the privilege to watch Judge develop his character and make him the god he is today by being mindful of specific line deliveries.
Portraying a stern and powerful character is no minor feat. Judge had to dig deep into his physique to embody everything the retired god used to be and channel his maturity through his line delivery. Williams recalled how the actor would often catch the writers slacking about his dialogue and it was a rare privilege nowadays.
Christopher Judge Knew His Character Best and Director Eric Williams Applauds His Effort
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God of War: Ragnarok. Image Courtesy: Sony Interactive Entertainment.
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Voice acting and performance capture is a difficult task that is easily overlooked by many. Christopher had to channel his voice to and act out the scene with nothing but a suit with markers and allow his imagination to do the heavy lifting. The actor is protective of his craft and will not allow people to downplay him and his colleague’s artistic talent.
The recent games were a massive departure from the original trilogy featuring the deities of Greek mythology and Santa Monica Studio felt the need to find the perfect actor to bring Kratos to life and add another layer to his growth and development. Director Cory Barlog encountered Judge and the rest was history.
While working on Ragnarok, director Eric Williams was selected to carry on Barlog’s work and the director recalled his time collaborating with Judge to continue Kratos’ journey. Williams cited how this version of the character is stern and does not use contractions or often grunt as a response whenever a scene is being played out which is a testament to Judge’s knowledge and commitment to deliver a great portrayal.
He knew Kratos inside out. That’s the blessing of Chris.
Williams cited the lack of contractions whenever Kratos speaks, especially when he commands Atreus in combat scenarios.
Even when we would mess up. There’s this one thing and you probably don’t perceive it but Kratos never uses contractions. Ever. He won’t say don’t he’ll say do not, because it’s very stern.
The first part of the Norse Saga featured a small yet stellar cast and the developers realized they would need a massive ensemble to adapt Ragnarok authentically. Daniella Bisutti was locked in as Freya and poured her heart out in both entries alongside Judge. Santa Monica Studio knew these actors would absorb the characteristics of their roles and it worked beautifully.
If he says, “I don’t want to do that”, that’s hard even for Kratos to make it sound cool. Chris would catch it, like “Oh, you guys missed one!” He was so into the character.
Despite the most intense and dire situations, Kratos did not use contractions even in the boss fight against Nidhogg in Vanaheim with Freya. The retired god would speak plainly but sternly, it is one of his many endearing characteristics.
Then there’ll be other times like, “Okay, I could say this. Or I could just do the grunt.” And the writers are on set! So their words are just getting strikethroughed – and they’re cool with it.
Often, Kratos would grunt even when is not fighting. A simple grunt can convey plenty of emotions and is a sufficient response to simple conversations but Judge could make each grunt sound distinctively different with different interpretations or meanings.
People would think Kratos is not much of a conversationalist because he wouldn’t need to. Christopher Judge wanted to embody a great display of power and authority once his character was in a room with other people.
Kratos Is a Calm and Collected Person and Does Not Mind Saying His Sentences Fully
People who often use contractions while speaking may find this behavior odd and old school; however, the character was raised in Sparta and they are renowned for their language and culture. Kratos’ brevity speaks volumes about how he thinks and asserts himself in various situations.
Christopher Judge portrayed a mature and wise god who excelled. Although the game didn’t win Game of the Year 2022, Judge won Best Performance. Judge gave it his all in the latest entry, especially with his moving monologue in the Valhalla expansion where Kratos finally learned to forgive himself and serve mankind once more in earnest.
Santa Monica Studio was fortunate to have a talented actor like Judge carry the franchise. Hopefully, Kratos will stick around long enough for the developers to continue his growth and development in future sequels.
Christopher Judge was made for this role and he did not hold back. Perhaps other studios will offer him more opportunities down the line.
What are your thoughts about Kratos not using contractions in the recent games? Let us know in the comments section below!
