With the reveal of God of War: Ragnarok last week during the PlayStation Showcase, we’ve been given a glimpse of the god of thunder himself, Thor. However, the gaming community at large seems to be kicking off about his appearance. He’s a big dude, and he’s nothing like Kratos. While the protagonist is lean and muscular, with muscles bulging out everywhere, Thor is chubby, a huge belly is his main focal point. However, he’s still massive, and looks like he could grind Kratos into dust with very little effort. If you don’t like how he looks, then you’re grossly mistaken about who this guy is.
A lot of the confusion here lies in the fact that Chris Hemsworth has popularised a particular version of Thor. That Thor, the Marvel Cinematic Universe version, is lean but has absolutely massive muscles. That’s fine, it’s the vision Hemsworth was going for with Thor, and it definitely has its place. This is God of War though, and Thor adheres more to his stereotypical origins. He likes to feast and drink, and that doesn’t breed a lean look. However, wielding a huge hammer and being a god does mean that he’s incredibly strong, and when you combine an unhealthy diet with lots of heavy lifting and hard labor, you end up with someone who has a tonne of muscle underneath their fat.
Looking at this interpretation of Thor, you can tell right away that his stomach isn’t where his muscle is, it’s his arms. He could end Kratos with a single swing of his hammer, and probably throw him a decent distance too. This version of Thor is realistic, and I like it. Kratos has to live off the land, hunting for every meal he eats. Thor gets food given to him and is a notoriously idle god. He likes to sit around while people do things for him, it’s part of why he’s fat. He’s not hunting deer so he can eat, he’s eating what others hunt.
I actually think Hemsworth has done more harm than good with his interpretation of Thor, leading to too many people feeling pressured into being super lean. If you’re chasing pure strength, you don’t need to be lean, and Thor will prove this in the game.
