It looks like the "Dad of Boy" meme is dead in God of War Ragnarok

God of War Ragnarok
(Image credit: Sony)

God of War Ragnarok could see Kratos actually address his son by name. 

2018's God of War revitalised the hack 'n slash series with new gameplay and stunning graphics, all wrapped up in a rich setting steeped in Norse mythology. We also see a much more human side to Kratos, with the story primarily focusing on the relationship between him and his son. But Kratos isn't exactly the doting father type, and his insistence on calling Atreus "boy" every other minute throughout their adventure has given rise to the Dad of Boy meme. But sadly, it seems like the meme could be dead in God of War Ragnarok. 

A user on the God of War subreddit shared an image from the book God of War Lore and Legends, which retells the story through the eyes of Atreus. In the preface, he observes that Kratos doesn't call him "boy" anymore, saying, "I mean, I'm older, right? I'm not just a boy. At least, I don't feel like a boy. Father doesn't call me "boy" anymore, unless I complain about his stew."

sadly_the_meme_is_dead_in_ragnarok from r/GodofWar

With "boy" out the window, fans have been coming up with suggestions on what Kratos could call his offspring next. "Now get ready for 'SON'", says one Reddit user, while another chimes in with "I vote for 'TEENAGER'". Others are a little more 'upset' over the revelation, "That's it. I'm not buying it", says Jakeball400. Another jokingly outraged fan agrees, replying, "Literally unplayable!".

But user Burntout_Black_Cat gives us hope that the Dad of Boy meme will live on in the upcoming sequel, "First scene Atreus takes a bite of Kratos' stew, complains, and Kratos calls him 'boy' for the rest of the game." We can only hope.

After a long wait for a release date, Sony shared the good news that God of War Ragnarok will hit shelves on November 9. Recently, an utterly dreadful God of War ripoff appeared on the Xbox Store. It featured a character that looked exactly like Kratos battling through lacklustre enemies in an equally bland world. Unsurprisingly, this poor imitation was quickly removed from sale by Microsoft. 

Pass the time until God of War Ragnarok with these games like God of War.

Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and 12DOVE. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.