God of War's Kratos Was Almost Named Dominus Due to Pizza Jokes, Creator Shares

Kratos, the legendary protagonist of God of War, could have had a different name altogether if it weren't for a series of humorous references to a popular pizza chain. David Jaffe, who directed the original trilogy, recently discussed the amusing backstory behind the name change in a video. Initially, Jaffe favored the name "Dominus" for Kratos, believing it conveyed strength and authority. However, the name quickly became the punchline for jokes reminiscent of a pizza franchise. "Every time someone mentioned Dominus, it would spark a flurry of Domino’s jokes," Jaffe recounted. "Someone would inevitably shout something like, '30 minutes or free!' or 'Get the door, it’s Dominus.' Eventually, after hearing it for the 50th time, it became clear that Dominus was not the right choice, and we needed to find a new name for our hero." In search of alternatives, a team member compiled a list of Ancient Greek baby names, and Jaffe began sifting through them with a yellow highlighter. "The names I marked didn’t quite resonate," he explained, citing examples like Julius, Parthenius, and Maksym. "Nothing felt quite right until our marketing lead, Susan Panico, suggested the name Kratos. We embraced it immediately, and it became the name we know today." Last year, Jaffe rediscovered the list of baby names in his old design documents and noticed that Kratos had been included among the unhighlighted options. "We had the name of Sony’s biggest franchise hero right under our noses the whole time, and we didn’t even realize it," he noted. "It really highlights how much of success in the gaming industry can be attributed to luck, timing, and, in this case, marketing." While Jaffe has previously mentioned the name Dominus and the origin of Kratos, he had not delved into the specifics of the humorous anecdotes until now. The first installment of God of War launched in 2005 on the PS2 and became a massive success, leading to a franchise that has thrived over the last two decades. The upcoming title, God of War: Laufey, is set to release on PS5 in February 2027. Additionally, Cory Barlog, the head of creative at Santa Monica Studio, has confirmed that a new untitled God of War game featuring Kratos is also in the works.