Before he became the iconic face of PlayStation’s God of War, Kratos was nearly known by a very different name. Over the last two decades, the name “Kratos” has grown synonymous with gaming history, but according to franchise creator David Jaffe, he was almost named something different.

In a recent video shared on his social media accounts, Jaffe revealed the protagonist’s original title, explaining how a name intended to convey strength was ultimately scrapped due to a joke related to a popular pizza franchise.

What Was God of War Kratos’s Original Name?

David Jaffe drew inspiration from Greek mythology to create a Spartan warrior thirsting for vengeance. He needed a name that captured the strength and indomitable spirit of this protagonist, who was destined to become an entertainment icon. After pondering for a long time, the developer finally found the right name, unaware that he would soon have to change it for an unexpected reason.

Originally, Kratos was going to be called Dominus, a name Jaffe felt “sounded brutal, violent, and dominant.” The word means “lord of the house,” derived from the Latin domus (house), and refers to a figure of power, exactly what the creator needed to convey with his character.

To name the protagonist, Jaffe requested an extensive list of male names used in ancient Greece. Interestingly, Kratos was among them, but the developer discarded it along with the rest. He thought Dominus was the most fitting, as it reflected the warrior’s power and ambition.

At one point, Dominus was the definitive name for the protagonist of God of War, but something changed overnight. Members of Santa Monica Studio began making jokes about it, and Jaffe became convinced it was best to change it before the release of the first game.

After a long search and a suggestion from Susan Panico, who was in charge of marketing for the first God of War, Jaffe settled on Kratos, a name of Greek origin meaning “power.” All of this happened because of a popular pizza chain.

Kratos pizza

Domino’s Pizza Changed Kratos’s Fate

“I loved that name. I thought it was great. But then something started to happen in the studio. People on the team started making Domino’s Pizza jokes. Every single time someone said Dominus, someone inevitably would yell out ’30 minutes or free’ or ‘Get the door! it’s Dominus!’” Jaffe explained in his video.

Part of the development team also compared Kratos to The Noid, the fast-food chain’s peculiar mascot, which annoyed and frustrated Jaffe. “After the 50th time, the writing was on the wall. Dominus was dead,” the developer added.

In the end, Jaffe decided to change the name to Kratos because otherwise, he ran the risk of his imposing character becoming a joke not only among his colleagues but also among all pizza-loving gamers.

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