God of War Ragnarök brings Kratos back to the forefront of the series, this time with his son Atreus grown up into a capable fighter alongside him. No doubt Kratos has instilled in him everything Atreus knows but definitely not everything Kratos himself knows. In Ragnarök, you get to customize Kratos’ skills by choosing your own build as you level him up in the process. Fighting enemies and gaining experience is the quickest way to do so.
When it comes to Kratos’ skills, all of them are useful and powerful in their own right. Some of them give him extended attacks to his existing combos, while others introduce unique and powerful skills that he did not possess before. These skills are divided by the weapons he uses: The Blades of Chaos and the Leviathan Axe. Each weapon possesses a unique skill tree that is further divided by playstyle, enabling each player to build Kratos the way they are most comfortable playing him.
While it is possible to level up all the skills eventually, there are a few good ones to start off with that should make your early game run a whole lot smoother. We will be listing the best skills you can pick up early in the game that will pay dividends as you play through the game and get better skills along the way.
Best early Leviathan Axe skills
Glacial Rake
Quite possibly the best option for your Axe in the early game. Kratos drags the Leviathan Axe on the ground, creating ice shards that fly out and hit all enemies in the direction of the attack. These shards also stagger all enemies that get caught in the area of effect of the skill. This skill can be used to break through defenses and set up more powerful follow-up attacks.
Permafrost
This ability is probably the best early-game buff skill you can get. Kratos infuses the Leviathan Axe with frost and can use it in combat to deal bonus damage. The buff persists as long as you don’t get hit and it can be used with lengthier combo attacks to deal bonus damage per hit.
Best early Blades of Chaos skills
Hyperion Grapple
The best early-game gap-closing skill. Kratos aims his Blades before firing it ahead, impaling an enemy. Once the attack latches on, he pulls himself toward the enemy along the chain, dealing additional damage and stunning the enemy. This attack can be used when the enemy is in the air as well to slam them back to the ground.
Immolation
This skill is the Blades’ version of Permafrost. Kratos imbues the Blades of Chaos with fire, dealing bonus damage per hit. The mechanic works exactly the same as Permafrost and it can be used in lengthy chain combos to deal even more damage.
