When Sony Santa Monica Studio’s new “God of War” game hacked and slashed into the scene in 2018, one thing became immediately apparent: Kratos does not know how to be a dad.

And can you blame him? Last time, he was tricked into killing his own family by Ares, the former god of war, so he is understandably a bit apprehensive in regards to being a parent again.

As you play through 2018’s “God of War,” you see the strained relationship of Kratos and his son, Atreus, blossom and grow. It is never in question whether Kratos loves his son; he just doesn’t know how to show it.

And as players, we grow with Kratos, learning along with him what a parent must do for their child in a harsh and uncompromising world. Those lessons continued in the sequel, 2022’s “God of War: Ragnarök,” with Kratos coming to terms with his son having to carve his own path.

I am not currently a father, but I would like to be a dad one day. So I figure the best thing I can do is learn the major points of fatherhood from Kratos.

Let your child make mistakes

Fairly often in “God of War,” Kratos lets Atreus take charge, and that often ends up with the duo fighting some large beast or an angry god. But if Kratos had stepped in and stopped Atreus, he never would have learned his lesson. What that lesson is might vary from “don’t just rush into situations” to “if a spirit asks you to collect his beloved’s bones from around the lake so he can resurrect her, promising that his beloved can reunite you with your dead mother, maybe don’t trust him.”

While Kratos lets Atreus make mistakes, it is important to note that Kratos never lets any harm happen to him – which leads very nicely into our next lesson, as a matter of fact.

Be proficient in melee combat

If you are going to let your child make mistakes, you need to be prepared to help them when they inevitably get in over their head. That can only mean one thing as far as I am concerned: I need to know how to fight, preferably with an axe.

Throughout “God of War” and “God of War: Ragnarök,” Kratos routinely dispatches a variety of enemies using his magical Leviathan Axe and his Blades of Chaos. However, I simply do not have access to such equipment, so a hatchet from my garage will have to suffice.

Rely on your friends

“It takes a village” is a phrase often used when describing raising a child, referring to the positive effects of a strong community. In the beginning of “God of War,” Kratos and Atreus lived an isolated life. However, the last wishes of Kratos’ late wife set the father and son duo on a journey throughout the realms, introducing them to a whole cast of characters of both friends and enemies.

It is safe to say that without the few new friends Kratos and his son make, their journey would have been much more difficult, and Atreus very likely would not have survived.

Be capable of incredible feats of strength

This really goes without saying: when they are young, every kid is amazed by how strong their dad is. Kratos pushes that further by impressing his son well into his teenage years.

Flipping entire temples? Check. Holding a dragon’s jaws apart while beating it senseless? Also check.

Obviously, I have a long way to go. But I think if I start training by fighting coyotes in the Yolo Causeway, by the time I have a kid, I’ll be more than capable of knocking out a dragon.

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Know when to let go

Kids grow up. They leave home. They go on their own path.

A major theme of “God of War: Ragnarök” is letting go. Throughout the game, Kratos sees his son finding his own place in the world and struggles to let him go. After all, Atreus is his last tangible link to his deceased wife.

In the end, Kratos watches his son head off into his own journey – one that I hope we will see in the next installment of the series.

Even if Kratos is no longer the focal point of the series going forward, there is still a part of him within Atreus that will be carried on. That is the best you can hope for as a parent; not only will your child learn from you and bring those lessons into their life, but that they will be better than you.