| “ | He could have saved me. He held my life in his hand, and still he let go. I may have been just a mere boat captain, but he treated me as if I was nothing! He is to blame for my torment here! I hope he suffers in Hades as I have. Damn that Ghost of Sparta! | ” |
―Boat Captain. | ||
| “ | To perform an act so heartless and to put it out of one's mind, to never speak of it... It reminds me of a captain I wronged long ago. He too was robbed of his freedom and suffered because of who I was and the choices I made. Perhaps there is a measure of monster inside us all. | ” |
―Kratos. | ||
The Captain was the leading sailor of a fleet of ships that once sailed the Aegean Sea during the events of God of War, when Kratos was tasked with killing the Hydra King as part of his service to the Gods of Olympus. However, despite being momentarily saved from falling into the Hydra's stomach by Kratos, the warrior only did so to obtain the key he had on him before letting him fall to his death inside the creature's carcass.
He is a minor but recurring character in the series where he is usually seen as a resident of the Underworld or simply mentioned as he laments his death at Kratos' hands. Even many years after his death, Kratos still remembers how he wronged the man and shows regret at his selfish and unsympathetic personality back in his younger days.
Quick Answers
Who was the Captain in the God of War series?
What was the Captain's role in the events of God of War?
How did the Captain meet his end in God of War?
What was the significance of the Captain's key in God of War?
What kind of ship did the Captain command in the Aegean Sea?
In God of War Series
God of War: Ascension
An artifact called Boat Captain's Idol is present in the game, although the Captain himself is not. It is a statue of Poseidon the Captain had to protect him in the seas. Ironically, it is in the Grotto, an underwater tunnel near the Harbor of Kirra, lying on a destroyed sunken ship. The way it is found insinuates another unpleasant situation in the Captain's life. This is the only humiliating moment of his life which, apparently, Kratos was not the one responsible for.
God of War
During his time as captain, while sailing on the Aegean Sea, he saw his ship cornered by the Hydra Heads, and was swallowed by the Hydra King. The Captain and his men attempted to fight off the Hydra's many heads, but ended up being devoured. After Kratos killed the Hydra King, the Spartan travelled into its throat, to retrieve the Captain's key. Originally, the Captain was relieved, praising the Ghost of Sparta for coming back to rescue him, but then, to his horror, Kratos had purposefully let the Captain fall down the beast's throat, stating "I didn't come back for you."
The novelization of the game reveals that the Boat Captain was a slave trader fleeing from Kratos across the seas, after an attempt to trade with his fleet and catching a glimpse of the White Warrior whom he recognized as the dreaded Ghost of Sparta. On the long chase, he proved himself a worthy captain, knowing tricks and manuevers that surprised even Kratos, but the former Fist of Ares has directed him ever closer to the Grave of Ships in the Aegean Sea, where a large and terrible Hydra dwelt.
He kept two supremely beautiful and infact very life-threatening daughters of Aphrodite, Zora and Lora in a room with a powerful magical lock, that even the Blades of Chaos couldnt break, only yielding to the power of Poseidon's Rage. Besides the two twins, he had his own concubines in his private quarters.
Later in the game, after Kratos' death by Ares, and his descent into the depths of the Underworld, Kratos managed to halt his freefall by grabbing the Captain's legs. The Captain was also attempting to prevent his fall into the River Styx below. Using him as leverage back onto solid ground, Kratos stabbed the captain and stated there was work for him up above and he would complete it. The captain grabbed his leg, before the two recognized each other and the captain was not pleased to encounter the Ghost of Sparta yet again and once up, Kratos kicked the surprised Captain into the river with impunity.
God of War II
During Kratos' fight with the Barbarian King, the Captain was summoned as another soul to fight Kratos. Surprised to run into Kratos yet again, the Captain started running around the arena, rather than facing him but he was killed by Kratos again before being able to flee the scene of battle. The way he killed him is similar as he killed the Rhodes Soldiers, where he stabbed them multiple times in the chest, or slammed them in the ground.
God of War III
A scribbled note written by him can be found in the Underworld, saying:
"He could have saved me. He held my life in his hand, and still he let go. I may have been just a mere boat captain, but he treated me as if I was nothing! He is to blame for my torment here! I hope he suffers in Hades as I have. Damn that Ghost of Sparta!"
In the Pool of Blood, where Kratos encountered his own fears, the Captain was heard shouting "Oh no, not you again!"
At the end of the game, the Captain could have escaped from the Underworld along with the other tormented souls because of Hades' death.
God of War (2018)
The Captain is once again mentioned in one of the treasure maps. After his death inside the Hydra King, his key and ship were acquired by a member of his crew. Somehow, the ship ended up in the Norse World, where it eventually sank in the Lake of Nine.
God of War Ragnarök
The Captain is mentioned in the Lyngbakr's entry on Kratos' Journal, where he regretfully states that the Captain lost his freedom and suffered because of the person Kratos was and the things he did.
God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla
Whilst he was traversing Valhalla, Kratos would recount the story of the captain to Mimir after he came across the key that he retrieved from him during the battle against the Hydra, which the realm had materialized to test the god of war. Kratos confessed to his advisor to greatly regret his actions against the captain, citing that he could have saved him but chose not to, and that he acted as more of a monster to him than the Hydra.
Gallery
Trivia
- Save for the destruction of one of the Captain's ships in a period before God of War: Ascension, Kratos was the cause of all the other painful moments in the Captain's life. It is possible, however, that in earlier moments of his life, Kratos had caused the destruction of the ship indirectly, although this is never revealed.
- The ship, along with the rest of the Village of Kirra, may have been destroyed by the General of Rise of the Warrior. In this case, it'd be the first time that Kratos had nothing to do with the suffering of the Captain.
- The Captain has been present or mentioned in all the games of the Series for PlayStation 2 (God of War and God of War II), PlayStation 3 (God of War III and Ascension) and PlayStation 4/5 (God of War (2018) and God of War: Ragnarök), however he's not present nor mentioned in any game for PlayStation Portable (Chains of Olympus or Ghost of Sparta, or any game for mobile (Betrayal).
- Though it is never explained the reasons Kratos left the Captain to die in the bowel of the Hydra King, it is speculated that when he first encounters the Captain, the latter flees in terror from the Hydra, leaving his crewmen behind at the mercy of the monster. This would most likely earn Kratos's contempt as any true Spartans despise cowardice and selfishness, thus purposely leaving the Captain to his own demise.
- This reasoning became more complicated as of the release of Valhalla, as during roaming dialogue, Kratos reminisced of the moment he let the Captain to his death and clearly stated he did so simply because "his life meant nothing" to him and was only casually cruel toward him, never once bringing up his contempt within Spartan values as a rationale, but at the same time, it must be noted that in the previous game, Kratos showed true respect to the spirit of the Boat Captain he encountered who was nothing like this one, because he inspired loyalty in his men, took personal responsibility for their fates, and was determined to fix it, meaning it was clear that he really did hold true to the values of the Spartan. As such, it's likely that Kratos's self-loathing was at work and he made himself look more monstrous, or alternatively, he realized that the Captain might have been a coward but believed that he was still too cruel to him.