Kratos VS Asura

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Kratos VS Asura
Season	'25
Episode	1
Overall	192
Episode Link	YouTube
Air Date	February 2nd, 2025
Producers
Written by	Hershel Lousyton Joshua Kazemi Ben Singer
Animated by	DevilArtemis
Fight
Combatants
Winner	Kratos
Battle Score	"Reiði" by Therewolf Media ft. Donna Caruthers
Fight Length	6:14
Episode Guide
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just two dads being happy and calm... right?

—Tagline

Kratos VS Asura is the 192nd episode and '25 Premiere of Death Battle, featuring Kratos from the God of War series and Asura from the Asura's Wrath series in a battle between wrathful god-slaying video game fathers. Kratos was voiced by Hussein Mohammed and Asura was voiced by Christopher Guerrero.

Interlude

The episode opens with soundless tidbits of Kratos meditating in a cabin, Asura opening its door with fire behind him, and the two fighting in a temple playing in quick succession, the last of which pauses and grays out as Ringmaster shouts...

The screen then statics into playing the Death Battle intro.

Wiz & Boomstick by Brandon Yates

Wiz: Kratos versus Asura.

Boomstick: The Ghost of Sparta versus the wrathful destructor, 'cause sometimes, you just wanna punch a god in the face!

We cut to Wiz and Boomstick.

Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.

Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.

Kratos

Out Of The Darkness by Steve Buick

Popup: All official material related to a character is applied to analysis unless found contradictory to primary source material. Certain alternate media (e.g. B is for Boy) and creator statements are only applicable as far they are supported by the primary source.

Wiz: In the beginning, Primordials waged war across existence — a series of cosmic clashes that birthed the universe.

Boomstick: Boom! Now that's what I call a Big Bang!

Wiz: From Ceto's death, the oceans would flow. From Ouranos' strikes, the stars were spawned, and so forth.

Ottoman Empire by Kaptain

Wiz: Thus, the world itself was born... from violence.

Boomstick: Starting a whole messy cycle. Ouranos was overthrown by his Titan son, Cronos, who was overthrown by his Olympian son, Zeus, who battled his own son, Kratos.

Wiz: As a classic bastard child of Zeus, Kratos was left among Spartan mortals, far exceeding all among him. He became a fierce warrior, winning many a battle, until finally cornered by ruthless barbarians.

Boomstick: "Ares! Destroy these guys who are kicking my ass, and my life is yours!" A deal was made and Kratos was joined at the bone with the Blades of Chaos, a set of chain swords and basically a badass whirlwind of flame and steel.

Wiz: But Ares had a scheme; while doing work for his god, Kratos accidentally murdered his own family, permanently marked by the ashes of his wife and daughter. He was, forevermore, the Ghost of Sparta.

Boomstick: So, uh, he was kind of understandably REALLY pissed off. Time for a new God of War! The Gods were crapping their togas in fear as the new God of War took out his rage on all of them. And got some new gear out of it, too!

Wiz: With Poseidon's trident and Icarus' wings, Kratos dominated both sea and sky. He also has a tendency to carry powerful severed heads like Medusa's.

Boomstick: And the Claws of Hades could steal souls, even the soul of Hades himself. Should've thought that one through, man.

Wiz: Neither Perseus or Hercules were a match for Kratos, nor was Helios, the Sun god capable of moving stars and spreading light across the entire Underworld.

Fight Of The Elements by François Rousselot

Boomstick: He fought Atlas, the Titan of Strength, who broke the loadbearing Pillar of the Universe, so Kratos forced him to hold up the cosmos on his own instead!

Wiz: And he could do it with just one hand, according to the novelization.

Boomstick: Even his grandpappy Cronos failed to stop him. You know, the guy who overthrew the Primordial that punched the universe into existence?

Wiz: Causing shockwaves that moved over a quadrillion times faster than light, a frankly incomprehensible feat.

Boomstick: Then there's daddy Zeus.

Wiz: Who proved a serious challenge, until Kratos drew perhaps his ultimate weapon: the Blade of Olympus.

Boomstick: It can make tornadoes, lightning, force fields, oh, and it can stab the hell out of you. It siphons godly energy and can pull enough to even kill Zeus. Aw, like father, like son.

Popup: Kratos regained the Blade of Olympus in God of War: Valhalla, and was able to summon it afterward. Mimir described it as "a memory of your past made manifest."

Wiz: Even while Kratos ultimately released hope across the Greek world, he could only do so after annihilating EVERYTHING.

Boomstick: Like a badass! He was unstoppable, non-stop killing and sex and even more killing! And yet... he couldn't be any more depressed.

The Cronicles Of Truth by Gregor F. Narholz

Wiz: His wife and daughter were still gone... What was he to do?

Boomstick: He... didn’t know. He wandered aimlessly for years, somehow stumbling into Norse mythology where he met Faye, his second wife. Good start, buddy!

Wiz: Kratos had a new lease on life, but he could not escape his past mistakes.

Boomstick: There's a reason he hid his swords in a dingy basement. Even so, Faye insisted he could do better. So, he became a dad to a new "boy".

Wiz: Easily the toughest task he ever undertook, especially after Faye unfortunately died of a mysterious illness.

Boomstick: Damn it! Not again! But hey, it wasn't Kratos' fault this time, and Faye left the tools he'd need to keep the "boy" safe, including the Leviathan Axe.

Wiz: Far from the whirling rage of the Blades of Chaos, the Leviathan Axe was deliberate and mighty, said to rival Mjölnir itself.

Boomstick: Thor wishes Mjölnir was as cool as this axe! It's imbued with ice magic and a poison even the gods fear. It can be summoned to Kratos' hand from a distance, and it even shatters souls!

Wiz: Kratos may have once been a sword of vengeance, but with his new weapons and a new purpose, he stood as a shield against the godly Aesir.

Boomstick: Too bad he just can't help but get in trouble with gods. But now, he knew how to control his anger.

Wiz: Which is even more important than it sounds. Kratos' Spartan Rage summons an inner strength with magical properties.

Boomstick: He can even get so pissed off that he straight up heals himself! That... seems like the opposite of what should happen.

Wiz: Not all anger is problematic, and Kratos wields plenty of new weapons and relics to channel his rage through.

Boomstick: Like the Draupnir Ring, which can summon a bunch of wind spears. They can absorb all types of energy and blast it back. He even has relics and magic that can warp space and slow down time.

Wiz: Naturally, he contested with the strongest of the Norse gods, including the God of Thunder, Thor, who was powerful enough to fight the Fire Giant Surtr and the World Serpent Jörmungandr at the same time.

Boomstick: Oh, and that Fire Giant would be the cause of actual Ragnarök. "You can't defeat me, Thor!" "I know, but he can."

Glorious Hymns by Daniele Benati & Enrico Prandi

Wiz: Well, not exactly. Freyr, the Rain God, held off Ragnarök for a considerable time all on his own, and the sheer power of Ragnarök shook Yggdrasil down to its very roots.

Boomstick: That's the World Tree, which is like a literal tree that connects the whole universe.

Wiz: According to Freya, "the tree's very existence supports all of creation among its boughs, every strand, transcending time, transcending space. Everything comes back to the tree."

Boomstick: Sooo... it's kind of like Kratos lives in a really, really, REALLY big treehouse!

Wiz: In his quest to free the Norse World, Kratos reclaimed old weapons by reckoning with his past sins, even taking up the Blade of Olympus once again.

Boomstick: Even better, he actually got to be a decent dad! And now the "boy" is a man, and also a bear.

Wiz: Kratos made a lifetime of mistakes, but this future would be different. He'd be more than he was in the past; not just a God of War, but a leader, a father, and a defender. A God... of Hope.

Asura

Popup: All official material related to a character is applied to analysis unless found contradictory to prime source material. Certain alternate media (e.g. Asura's Wrath: Kai) and creator statements are only applicable as far as they are supported by the primary source.

Wiz: Long ago, a demigod fell from the heavens, only to rise from the depths of Naraka after 12,000 years.

Boomstick: "Ah, after 12,000 years, he's free!"

Fearless Warriors by Gabriel Saban & Bo Tian

Boomstick: ...to punch everything dumb enough to get in his way! He was the demigod of wrath: Asura.

Wiz: Alongside seven other demigod generals, Asura served as defender of humanity against the impure Gohma, dark spirit monsters infesting the world.

Boomstick: And the demigods battled the Gohma by wielding a mystic energy formed from human prayer: Mantra.

Wiz: By advancing technology with Mantra, the Guardian Generals became, essentially, hyper-powerful mystic cyborgs. They could each harness Mantra through a different emotional affinity. For Augus, it was greed; for Yasha, it was melancholy.

Boomstick: I'll give you one chance to guess what Asura's is!

Wiz: By tapping into his wrath, Asura can take many forms for battle, like the Six-Armed Vajra, a state powerful enough to subdue the embodiment of the planet's will and the source of the Gohma, Vlitra.

Boomstick: But, he wasn't angry enough to put Gohma Vlitra down for good, at least not yet. Of course, since he's literally powered by wrath, no enemy of Asura's would be stupid enough to do something that would make him even more mad, right?... Right?

Wiz: Funny you should say that.

Boomstick: Gaw, damnit!

Wiz: First off, Asura is not some one-dimensional anger machine. In myth, the asuras were powerful and aggressive beings, sure, but not inherently evil. Just like Asura himself; he's a warrior, but also a husband with a daughter, Mithra.

Boomstick: And Mithra has the unique power to supercharge Mantra energy.

Wiz: Which gave Asura's prideful commander, Deus, an idea: if he could weaponize Mithra, literally wiring her up to a superweapon, the Guardian Generals could maybe, finally end Gohma Vlitra for good.

Boomstick: Well, obviously Asura wasn't going to go along with that, so Deus framed Asura for killing the emperor, murdered his wife, kidnapped Mithra, and then just straight up killed him!... What a dick.

Wiz: But true to his nature, Asura was literally too angry to die.

Symphony No 9 In E Minor by Antonín Dvořák

Wiz: So long as a single part of his body remains and can possess Mantra, he can climb back out of Naraka — a sort of limbo underworld between life and death. Thanks to some coaxing from a strange golden spider, he did just that, with an all-new purpose in mind.

Boomstick: Make the Gods pay! Oh yeah, they're calling themselves "Gods" now. Turns out, they're all assholes who started sacrificing thousands of innocent people to try to power up. So Asura got really, really, REALLY pissed off.

Wiz: And through his rage, Asura's power exploded, rising enough to throw giants like ragdolls, shatter whole moons, and destroy a fellow deity, Wyzen.

Boomstick: Who could dwarf the planet and wreck it with just a finger. Look at this!

Wiz: Asura is so powerful, his soul cannot be manipulated by the Gohma or the Deities. He can propel himself with Mantra to fly, harden his fist to break steel, fire explosive energy blasts...

Boomstick: And headbutt you so hard, you wish you could die even faster! The dude literally stockpiles anger into a burst of energy that can one-shot even the toughest of foes, and when he goes Unlimited Mode, he can rapid-fire those super attacks without overheating.

Wiz: Asura's vengeance quest wasn't all shouting and explosions, though. I mean, it was a lot of that, but he also tried to protect people from the Gods, including a girl who very much reminded him of his own daughter.

Boomstick: Yeah, Asura is the kind of guy who wants to be a great dad, but all he knows how to do is punch anything that upsets his kid, like that one dad that knocks out a ref at a little league game.

Wiz: And then the gods killed that girl too, along with her whole village, sparking Asura to unleash his Berserker aura.

Boomstick: Y'know how the gods were sacrificing thousands of people to power up? Well, Asura got so frickin' angry that he built up enough Mantra to match 'em, even though they've been building up energy for thousands of years!

Jupiter Eclipse by David Luke Philip Walters & Aaron Gilbert

Boomstick: Seriously guys, you're pissing off the guy who literally gets more powerful the angrier he gets? What did you think was going to happen?!

Wiz: Yet even in Berserker mode, Asura never lost total control.

Boomstick: Berserker Asura adds even more extra arms, and they're big and glow-y now! The man can launch so much angry Mantra he wiped out the gods' whole space fleet in seconds!

Wiz: Asura's anger raised to levels so high even he couldn't contain it, scorching him into his Wrath form.

Boomstick: Even though it hurts Asura while he's in it, this form is still perfect for absolutely shit-stomping a snobby demigod's face in. It's okay though; his brother-in-law punched the edge outta him.

Wiz: Yasha saw the error of the deities' senseless sacrifices and teamed up with Asura for a coup against Deus.

Boomstick: Awesome, they're bros again! Just in time for Asura to hit his former boss with so much Mantra that he burst, then dive into the planet's core to obtain power equal to one-thousand arms: his Mantra form! Finally, a power capable of killing Vlitra in a big planet-busting blast!

Wiz: Deus was defeated, and Gaea was saved, yet Asura's wrath hadn't been quelled.

Boomstick: Title drop!

64 Palms Of Bagua by Wan Ying Chan

Wiz: It turns out, that spider that guided him was actually Chakravartin, the creator of Mantra and the entire universe.

Boomstick: And everyone's suffering was part of his plan to make Asura his heir. Chakra kidnapped Mithra, because of course he did, and tested Asura in the form of a massive golden Buddha statue. Check out the size of it! That thing can literally hold a galaxy in its palm! Naturally, Asura and the statue threw hands.

Wiz: Enter the Mantra Reactor. Capable of holding seven trillion souls, Asura instead used it as a vessel for a far greater power.

Popup: The Mantra Reactor focuses Asura's affinity with full control, bypassing any detrimental effects such as his Wrath form to ascend to far greater power.

Boomstick: His own unfiltered rage! At last, Asura could show the world his real colors.

Wiz: Everyone from the humans to the Seven Deities to Chakravartin saw Asura's anger as a weapon; a sword for tyranny, when that was never who he was. His rage was really a shield to protect humanity, and most of all... his daughter.

Boomstick: A shield larger than a planet! Unbound by his past limits, Asura's ultimate Destructor form effortlessly punched through asteroids larger than nebulas, dodged planet-sized lasers moving two quadrillion times the speed of light, and obliterated whole stars!

Wiz: Chakravartin was, understandably, impressed, and offered Asura a chance to take his place. Asura smiled at the offer, and extended his arm.

Boomstick: Right into Chakra's face! As if he was gonna let some god trample over more worlds! Instead, he literally beat the QTE's out of God, obliterating him and his plans in a cosmic explosion!

Wiz: But with Chakravartin dead, so was the concept of Mantra itself. Those who depended on it could not survive, including... Asura.

Boomstick: Hey, as long as Mithra was fine, it was worth it! Besides, he'll reincarnate millions of years later, still kicking ass! Ready to smack a random thug, a meteor, or Ryu... right in the balls!

Wiz: It's interesting. Despite the dangers of uncontrolled anger, Asura's... wrath gave him the power to save everything, all because of just one thing.

Boomstick: Some bastard made his daughter cry, so they had to pay! Now that's a god I can get behind!

Prelude

Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set. We've run the data through all possibilities.

Boomstick: IT'S TIME FOR A DAD BATTLEEE!!!

Death Battle

Reiði by Therewolf Media ft. Donna Caruthers

In a wooden cabin in Midgard, the Ghost of Sparta is seen kneeling near a bonfire in the middle of his cabin, with his discarded Blades of Chaos laying right next to him, soon beginning to glow.

KRATOS THE GOD OF WAR

Kratos' hand trembles until he clenches it in a fist to calm himself. At that moment, the door to his cabin opens showing a cloaked figure with glowing white eyes while being surrounded by flames. Kratos opens his eyes and looks back slightly to notice his new, powerful opponent, but when he turns around, he finds no one there. Suddenly, he is transported from his cabin to a temple, where he finds Mithra and a few soldiers of the Shinkoku Army. Later, Asura runs to the palace to find the soldiers defeated by Kratos.

Asura: It's true then, the God of War is on Gaea. But... not for long.

Wrathful Deity Asura

Asura's marking glows briefly with Mantra, clenching his fists. Taking notice of the sudden introduction, Kratos looks at Asura, his Leviathan Axe floating to his hand.

Kratos: Hm? You do not want this fight.

The Wrathful Deity yells out briefly before charging to punch Kratos, to which the Spartan responds by blocking with his shield.

Asura: RUN!

Taking note of her father's command, Mithra flees the temple. With the two alone, Kratos swings his axe twice at Asura, who dodges both swings. Kratos then throws the axe, but Asura leaps above it. With his Mantra glowing briefly, Asura drops down to hit Kratos but hits his shield instead. Kratos takes the chance to land two hits on Asura, but when he attempts a third, Asura counters with a punch combo, the markings lighting up with Mantra for every hit. Kratos then manages to grab one of Asura's fists during this, allowing him to disorient his opponent and kick him away.

As Asura skids against the temple's floor, Kratos starts to recover the Leviathan Axe from the ground. Seeing this, Asura responds by transforming into his Unlimited Mode and charging towards Kratos. Leaving the ground with marks of his speed, he fiercely punches Kratos before his axe can recall to his hand, knocking the former Spartan captain back.

Kratos skids to the temple's staircase, soon to be blocking a flurry of attacks from his opponent. As Kratos defends, he is able to match Asura's rage with his own Spartan Rage, knocking Asura away with his aura. With the two equaling, they rush at each other and clash, engaging in a clinch hold that causes the temple floors to shift apart and its exterior to crumble apart on them. Kratos pushes a piece of rubble off him, looking around for his opponent...

BURST

...only for Asura to land a three-armed punch on Kratos' cheek, revealing his new form.

Six Armed Vajra Asura

With the new form, Asura leaps to Kratos, only for the God of War to retaliate by swinging a piece of debris at him, whacking the demigod away. Flying through the air, Asura suddenly disappears and reappears behind Kratos, catching the Spartan off guard and punching him into the sky. The six-armed god follows this up with two kicks and dashes off higher into the sky behind Kratos, punching him straight down into the temple's remains, causing dust to fly upwards from the impact.

As the dust settles, Kratos gets up from an impact crater, now wielding his Blades of Chaos as he takes note of his opponent's rage.

Kratos: You let your wrath consume you, I have been down that road before.

As Kratos speaks, he reminisces about his past, with his younger self looking on from behind. However, Asura doesn't seem to care.

Asura: Shut up!

Hearing the message and with a face of resignation, Kratos simply responds with:

Kratos: Very well.

He then leaps forward and flings the Blades of Chaos into Asura's chest, causing him to grunt in pain. Kratos then swings the blades around to slam Asura down onto the opposing half of the temple grounds twice, with the second impact causing an explosion. He follows this up with the summoning of the Draupnir Spear, swinging more blasts at Asura, who recovers and begins a barrage with his arms, firing a volley of blasts at Kratos. Kratos then charges a wind-like blast and launches it at Asura, erupting in an explosion that cancels out the volley.

Asura leaps up from the explosion and spouts out more arms with one burst and even more with a second, with his original six enlarged in size. All the arms then launch an enormous volley of Mantra blasts at the God of War. As Kratos blocks, he builds up his Spartan Rage once more, and amidst the chaos, throws copies of the Draupnir Spear into Asura's sets of arms. With a tap on the ground from the original Draupnir Spear, the copies stabbed into the arms explode and siphon Asura of his current Mantra, leaving him armless as he falls into the chasm made from the fight.

As Asura falls further into the chasm, he looks up and sees his daughter from above, reaching out for him with tears in her eyes.

Mithra: Nooo!!!

With utter refusal to see Mithra sad, Asura's eyes light up. Kratos, having regained his Leviathan Axe, walks up to and looks down at the chasm, only for rays to suddenly burst out and cause an explosion as a golden light rushes into the sky. The light is then revealed to be Asura, now in his Berserker Form and holding Kratos with two hands as he charges up Mantra in one of his Mantra hands, telling the God of War he made a major mistake.

Asura: YOU MADE HER CRY!!!

Asura then fires the charged-up Mantra sphere at Kratos, causing an explosion that opens a hole in space-time, sending the two gods into it and onto an asteroid as Mithra watches from below. After he gets up and senses Wrath Asura landing behind him, Kratos grunts and draws out his Leviathan Axe, firing a beam of ice to freeze his opponent in place. However, a fiery aura surrounds a roaring Asura as he breaks out and subsequently charges toward Kratos, who also roars as he activates his Spartan Rage and delivers a powerful punch to Asura's face, sending him flying off the asteroid. However, a blinding light emits from behind it as Asura transforms once more with a booming proclamation.

Asura: THIS IS NOT MY END!!!

Kratos lowers his arm down and looks on in shock to where Asura emerges, now as a titanic figure that dwarfs the asteroid in size.

Asura The Destructor

Now in his Destructor form, Asura rears back one of his fists and launches it towards Kratos, the sheer power of the attack breaking the sound barrier as it gets engulfed in heat by friction. Kratos, however, openly welcomes this attack, bracing himself by planting both of his feet down on the ground. With a smirk, he swings his arms outward challengingly at Asura's oncoming fist as he lets out a furious roar.

As Asura's fist plummets closer, Kratos readies himself; using every ounce of his god-like strength and Spartan Rage, he stops the fist from crushing him by holding it up with both hands. He then clenches one of his them into a fist, and with an almighty yell, he swings his it upwards and strikes Asura's own mountainous fist with enough force to send him reeling back.

Kratos: DEATH HAS NOT EARNED ME YET, TITAN!

Now engulfed in a golden aura, Kratos summons the Draupnir Spear again, spinning it momentarily before planting his foot down with an immense force that cracks the ground and launching the spear at Asura, piercing his chest. Countless amounts of duplicate spears are then rained down on Asura from several directions as Kratos brings out the Blades of Chaos once more.

Kratos: But you deserve a worthy end!!

Kratos launches the blades at two off-screen asteroids, using them to fling himself over to another asteroid. He then jumps to another distant slab of rock before jumping from one giant Draupnir Spear to the next as a bolt of lightning, stopping on an asteroid closest to Asura's face as he summons the Blade of Olympus to his hand. Prepared to finish things, Kratos runs and jumps toward Asura before plunging the Blade of Olympus down deep into his gigantic opponent's forehead. The power of the blade negates Asura's own divine energy as he reels back and screams in pain and a blinding white light engulfs everything.

As the camera fades back to the temple, a bluish-white light falls out of the rift created earlier by Berserker Asura and crashes into the ground. A close-up panning shot reveals it to be Asura's body, lacking his arms once again and with the Blade of Olympus lodged into his chest as Kratos kneels next to him, gripping the handle.

Kratos: You... are a monster no longer.

As Kratos releases his grip on the blade, Asura's eyes open one last time as he glances at his victorious opponent. In an act of defiance, he corrects Kratos with his dying breath.

Asura: I never was...

With his last words, Asura's Mantra dissipates as his orange markings dim, his body drained of life as his eyes close, dying peacefully. Kratos, still kneeling before Asura's body, silently mourns Asura's passing momentarily before standing up, the God of Wrath's death bringing him no sense of satisfaction or victory. Walking away, Kratos looks back one more time and sees Mithra mourning for her father. The scene brings a memory of when he saw the mural depicting his own son cradling his dead body. Remembering his own past, the Spartan pauses for a moment to reflect before resuming his departure, leaving the girl alone.

Results

Reiði by Therewolf Media ft. Donna Caruthers

Boomstick: Well... I guess Asura's wrath really is gone. But, are we sure this is how it would go? Even though Asura can blow up stars?

Wiz: Asura had some amazing displays of apocalyptic destruction, but the full scope of their speed, experience, versatility, and power sheds a surprising light.

SPEED

Boomstick: At first glance, speed seems like a shoe-in for Asura. Kratos is quick, but he never dodged a universe crossing laser.

Wiz: That doesn't mean he couldn't. Remember, as usual, we look at these characters at their peak, free from gameplay restrictions.

Boomstick: Yeah, we're looking at everything in canon, and Kratos fought and killed Helios, the sun god.

Popup: Kratos directly defeated Atlas in combat, who had just recently captured Helios, further supporting the notion that Kratos outspeeds Helios.

Wiz: From the moment he's introduced, Helios is emphasized to be immensely powerful. Without Helios, darkness would shroud everything. His light was fast enough to illuminate the entire underworld while Kratos sailed through it, taking a few hours at most.

Popup: If Asura were to destroy the planet Kratos was on, he could survive in outer space, as shown in his battle with Ares. This event is further substantiated as non-illusory in God of War 2 and its novelization.

Boomstick: So, kind of hard to quantify, but that's consistent with the shockwaves the Primordials caused that spawned the universe.

Wiz: Arguments could be made for which is faster; the Primordial shockwaves or Chakravartin's intergalactic lasers. Since it's so close, it's safest to assume their speeds are generally even.

EXPERIENCE

Boomstick: But what does speed matter if you don't know how to use it? Let's cover experience: Asura lived across centuries, obviously a lot longer than Kratos.

Wiz: And while Kratos eventually learned to control his rage, Asura pretty much always had that control.

VERSATILITY

Boomstick: So Asura easily takes experience. But when it comes to versatility, he couldn't match all the weapons and abilities Kratos had.

Wiz: Sure, Asura is quite skilled and a monster at martial arts, but his fighting style mostly relied on one thing.

Boomstick: A whole lotta punchin'!

Popup: Kratos's time slowing powers would enable a safer approach, gaining a significant edge. Chakravartin's own time manipulation affected Asura, indicating a vulnerability.

Wiz: Kratos' weapons, magic, runes, relics, and even his rage gave him far more options in combat: slowing down time, healing injuries, and most importantly, multiple weapons that could drain a variety of energies. Like Mantra.

Popup: In God of War: Ascension, Hades and his warriors empower themselves with souls represented as green orbs. The Blade of Olympus drained Kratos of his green orbs in God of War 2, supporting the notion it can absorb Mantra, a similar form of spiritual energy.

Boomstick: Yeah, when Asura loses all his Mantra energy, that's it for him. So the Draupnir Spears and the Blade of Olympus gave Kratos exactly what he needed: versatility. And multiple ways to finish this for good before Asura just comes crawling back out of the underworld.

Popup: Despite Asura's soul being resistant to manipulation, Mantra energy has been harnessed and forcibly controlled before, such as by the Mantra Reactor.

Wiz: If he could. Asura's resurrections take years or whole centuries. Days at best.

Popup: In the manga, Asura's rage is so immense that he's able to survive without his core and outpace Deus's absorption method, regenerating immediately. Kratos's multiple sources of absorption can drain beings stronger than Asura, suggesting Asura would eventually succumb. Keeping his body parts separated is also a viable counter in that continuity, which Kratos should be capable of.

POWER

Boomstick: But all this assumes Kratos could match Asura's crazy strength. All roads lead to power, which should go to Asura, right? Look at what he can do! If this came down to who made the bigger ka-boom he'd kick Kratos' ass in two seconds!

Wiz: But a closer examination of their feats reveals the truth.

Boomstick: At his peak, Asura overpowered Chakravartin, annihilating that cosmic golden god!

Wiz: By measuring the dimensions of Chakravartin's body and scaling it up to match the size of this galaxy-eclipsing statue, we can determine its volume. Add in the density of gold – for good measure assuming the form is solid throughout – and its mass far exceeds not just our galaxy, but our entire observable universe.

Boomstick: Destroying that big golden god would need energy on par with obliterating our universe 91,000 times!

Wiz: Extremely impressive and unfathomable. However, the same idea applies to Ragnarök shaking the roots of Yggdrasil.

Boomstick: Ragnarök is obviously a bit of a different beast than Kratos, but what really matters is what Freyr did.

Wiz: Right, Freyr, a god comparable to Kratos, held back Ragnarök's power for a significant time.

Boomstick: So Kratos should be capable of the same level of power, or even more.

Wiz: Using an official map, and knowing the world tree's branches encompass all of existence, we can measure its size and volume.

Boomstick: And we know this map is accurate, 'cause it shows these two realms conjoined, which we see in-game.

Popup: Throughout the game, Kratos directly interacts with the tree and collects dew from its branches. In Norse myth, Yggdrasil is generally considered an ash tree. However, God of War: Cookbook of the Nine Realms describes it as a yew tree, which is slightly less dense than ash.

Wiz: Even if we assume the tree of the realms is 1% solid – a significant lowball that Kratos should easily scale above – shaking an incomprehensibly large structure would require enough force to destroy our universe's mass energy... 9 million times over.

Boomstick: That's almost a hundred times greater than Chakravartin's destruction. And this isn't some one-off outlier. I mean, a realm-shattering super giant doesn't sound too different from the other Titans and Olympians Kratos defeated.

Wiz: That's the thing, isn't it? It's easy to think that we never see Kratos do anything that matches Asura, but we do: Helios' speed matches Chakravartin, and Kratos outsped him; Atlas is strong enough to lift all of reality, and Kratos overpowered him; Cronos defeated the creator of the universe in a one-on-one fight, same as Asura, and Kratos killed Cronos. Add in the clear numerical comparison of Chakravartin, Ragnarök, and Yggdrasil, and Kratos takes the edge in power.

Boomstick: But hey, Capcom! If you give us Asura's Wrath 2, we'll try this again.

Wiz: That'd be pretty awesome.

Boomstick: Asur-as the sun rises, the god of wrath was Kra-toast.

We cut to the "Winner" card.

Wiz: The winner is Kratos.

The screen fades to black...

Alternate Ending

Boomstick: But... what if...?

The Last Stand by Alexander Pfeffer

As Kratos is about to leave the temple grounds, a burst of red light suddenly emerges from behind him. Turning around, he sees Asura standing back up, back from the dead, and in his Unlimited Mode once more. As the two glare at each other one last time, Kratos prepares for a attack, Asura charges at Kratos in a rage without name, charging his fist with all his Mantra, and punches Kratos square in the face. A button-mashing prompt then appears at the bottom of the screen as Asura exerts more power into his attack. Finally, he exerts all of it and sends Kratos flying, killing him in a single blow as the background fades to white and the God of War wakes up in the Elysium Fields.

There, he sees his daughter Calliope waiting for him with a smile as she holds out her hand. Initially reluctant as his guilt comes forth, Kratos eventually smiles at the sight of his daughter again after so many years, takes her hand, and gets up. The two then hug each other immediately after as the camera zooms out from them, only for everything to suddenly pause and gray out in static.

Boomstick: And that concludes my pitch for Asura's Wrath 2! The end!

Original Track

Reiði by Therewolf Media ft. Donna Caruthers

Composition

The track for this fight is "Reiði" by Therewolf Media featuring Donna Caruthers (who goes uncredited on the track cover but is credited as "Chicknamedd" in episode's description). It is a slow paced orchestral track with Icelandic lyrics and a somber tone reflecting the tone of both combatants. The climax features a mix of the low-pitched choir found in the Norse God of War games and intense orchestral reflecting the scope of the Asura's Wrath fights. Elements of the 2018 God of War theme, "Surge of Mantra", "In Your Belief", "Asura Unleashed" and "Call to Arms" can also be heard throughout the track.

Title

The title references a Norse/Icelandic word for "anger", as well as "wrath", referencing the combatants personalities, Kratos' Norse setting, and Asura's Wrath.

Cover Art

The cover art by John Mitchell depicts a giant shadowy version of Greek-era Kratos in space looming over the Earth, his hands clasped in prayer and red tattoos highlighted while four shadowy versions of Asura's Mantra arms are sprouted behind him, making Kratos resemble Chakravartin's Golden form. Surrounding Kratos are six orbs with the Old Norse runes for ᛏ (Tīwaz/Týr), ᚨ (Ansuz/Óss), ᚠ (Fehu/Fé), ᚱ (Raidō/Reið), ᛖ (Ehwaz/Eh), and ᚺ (Haglaz/Hagall) on them.

Lyrics

Icelandic English Reiði blæss Reiði vaknar Í tapt augnabliki orð duga Fornar syndir sorgin hríslast Vér kveikjum reiði himinn brennr Höggin þjóta goð rjúfa himinn Steinar hrynja Turnar falla Heimr splundrast Í hennar augum ljós svá hreint Vér kveikjum reiði himinn brennr Höggin þjóta goð rjúfa himinn Goð himinn In her eyes a love so pure A reason to endure Steinar hrynja Turnar falla Reiði gnýr ok hreggviðr kveðr Reiði Í fornar syndir (Fornar syndir sorgin hreiðrar) Sorgin hreiðrar sorgin hríslast Goð brotna heimr fellur Goð molna örlög rætast Goð brotna heimr fellur Goð molna örlög rætast Við kveikjum reiði himinn brennur Anger blows Anger awakens In a lost moment, words are enough Ancient sins the sorrow shrugs off We ignite anger the sky burns The blows rush and break the sky Stones crumble Towers fall The world shatters In her eyes a light so pure We ignite anger the sky burns The blows rush and break the sky Good heavens In her eyes a love so pure A reason to endure Stones crumble Towers fall Anger roars and the storm roars Anger at ancient sins (Ancient sins the sorrow nests) The sadness nestles the sadness shakes Gods broken world falls Good crumbling destiny comes true Gods broken world falls Good crumbling destiny comes true We ignite anger the sky burns

Trivia

Production

• The core connections between Kratos and Asura are that they are both video game protagonists who are demigods who served to protect the people with a group of warriors (Spartans and the Eight Guardian Generals, respectively), but were betrayed on a fateful day by the gods, leaving their family torn apart and their wife (Lysandra and Durga, respectively) dead, making them vow to take revenge and take the path of a wrathful war against the gods. Both are also fathers who try to be a good parent to their single child that they protect with everything they have (Atreus and Mithra, respectively) and iconic for their intense anger and rage, which they can harness as power increases (Spartan Rage and Wrath Mantra, respectively) and a way to routinely come back from the dead alongside their sheer will but are weary of the damage they have/could cause with it if they are not careful. In addition:
  • Both they and their worlds are based on mythologies (Greek and Norse for Kratos, and Hindu and Buddhist for Asura), with both sharing their namesakes with other mythological entities known for their immense strength and power (Kratos shares his Greek name with the Greek god of strength and his Norse name, Fárbauti, meaning "cruel striker", with the Jötunn of the same name, while Asura is named after a race of either power-seeking demons or demigods of varying moralities in Hindu and Buddhist mythology).
  • Both have fought against corrupted groups of gods (the Greek Gods and the Seven Deities, respectively), their former reigning gods (Zeus and Deus, respectively) and vengeful embodiments of the world (Gaia and Gohma Vlitra, respectively).
  • Both have been manipulated by scheming gods for their own ends (Athena and Chakravartin, respectively).
  • The deaths of their wives were orchestrated by an evil deity voiced by Steve Blum (Ares and Sergei, respectively).
  • Both were considered heirs to certain gods, whom they eventually killed before turning their backs on these roles (Kratos became the Greek God of War after Ares before becoming a god in the Nine Realms, while Asura was to be Chakravartin's heir to rule the universe but turned the position down).
  • Both had a rivalry with an electricity-wielding deity (Thor and Yasha, respectively).
  • Both would eventually get the chance to live new lives with new families, taking on the role of protectors in the process (Kratos by immigrating to the Nine Realms, marry Laufey, fathering Atreus and becoming the God of Hope and Asura by eventually being reincarnated along with his family, with the implication he'll awaken his past life's power).
• This episode was confirmed during the Save Death Battle Kickstarter, having been the $150,000 stretch goal reward alongside another unrevealed episode (Later revealed to be Ghost Rider VS Spawn).
  • When the Kickstarter was initially announced, DevilArtemis released a promotional video for it, in which he teased him animating this matchup by having Kermit hold up the Blades of Exile.
  • It was previously one of the options for both Season 10's Champion's Poll and Season 11's Tournament of Champions, but it lost in both.
    • In the 3D Champion's Poll, it was the runner-up but ultimately lost to Cole MacGrath VS Alex Mercer.
    • In the Tournament of Champions, it won Week 5 (beating Homer Simpson VS Peter Griffin, Jimmy Neutron VS Dexter, and Naruto VS Monkey D. Luffy) and the semi-finals in Week 10 (beating X VS Optimus Primal, Palpatine VS Xehanort, and Sans VS The Judge) before ultimately losing in the Final Week against Wile E. Coyote VS Tom Cat.
      • Ironically, despite losing to Wile E. Coyote VS Tom Cat, this episode would end up releasing first.
    • This makes it the second matchup that lost a fan poll to be made into an episode, after Among Us VS Fall Guys, and with the next three being Simon the Digger VS Kyle Rayner, Hulk VS Godzilla, and Gru VS Megamind.
      • This is the second losing Champion's Poll matchup to do so, after Among Us VS Fall Guys, and with the next one being Simon the Digger VS Kyle Rayner.
      • This is the first losing Tournament of Champions matchup to do so, with the next two being Hulk VS Godzilla and Gru VS Megamind.
    • It is the first (and so far only) matchup to make it to two different matchup polls.
    • It is the first (and so far only) matchup to have its thumbnail be the same one used in a poll.
• A teaser for this episode was shown off in the Save Death Battle Kickstarter livestream and later released by itself on DevilArtemis' YouTube channel and on Death Battle's Twitter, which was created before the episode had properly started production.
• This is the sixth episode to receive an alternate ending, after Shao Kahn VS M. Bison, Omni-Man VS Bardock, Joker VS Giorno, Bowser VS Eggman, and Among Us VS Fall Guys, and with the next one being Simon the Digger VS Kyle Rayner.
  • This is the second episode whose alternate ending is considered official, after Shao Kahn VS M. Bison.
    • This is the first episode in which said ending was officially realized during the episode itself.
• This is the first episode since Hercules VS Sun Wukong that did not have a Comparison Panel in the post-analysis.
• The episode's tagline was later removed from the YouTube video description for unknown reasons.
• Coincidentally, Kratos' first opponent would reappear in the next episode.
• The storyboards by John Mitchell reveal numerous differences and cut scenes compared to the final episode. In order, they are as follows:
  • Everything before Asura running into the temple and seeing Kratos surrounded by the defeated Doji is absent from the boards.
  • Asura originally yelled "DEATH TO ALL GODS!" as he charged at Kratos when the fight starts proper. This was removed in the final episode by DevilArtemis due to it going against Asura's character.
    • This line can still be heard in the episode's sneak peek trailer shown in the 403rd episode of DEATH BATTLE Cast.
  • Kratos fights with the Blades of Chaos more in the boards, using them to redirect some of Asura's Mantra attacks back at him while the Blades are impaled in his chest before piercing a few Doji bodies behind Kratos as he recalls them and throws the corpses at Asura, who swats them aside and grabs Kratos' head to push him to the ground before throwing him aside. Afterward, Kratos summons the Draupnir Spear like in the final episode, and the boards follow the fight from there until the next major deviation.
  • The scene immediately after Asura's arms explode from his Mantra being siphoned by the Draupnir Spears is extended in the boards:
    • Originally, Asura didn't immediately fall into the chasm created by his and Kratos' clinch hold from earlier in the fight, but instead onto the opposite side of the temple near the body and sword of a fallen Doji. As Kratos leaped toward him while recalling the Leviathan Axe to his hand, Asura used his mouth to grab the sword to attack Kratos with (referencing the ending of his battle with Augus), though Kratos blocked the attack with his arm just as he landed.
    • After getting his sword slash blocked, Asura immediately after let go of the sword and headbutted Kratos (referencing how he did the same thing to Yasha in a similar armless scenario at the end of their battle) before kicking him upward, with Kratos crashing into some debris/ceiling support before striking the temple grounds with the hilt of the Leviathan Axe, widening the chasm and causing Asura to fall inside.
  • The fight's climax after Asura falls into the chasm is entirely different in the boards; while it still has Asura transforming into his Destructor form and throwing a gigantic punch at Kratos, this happened while the two were still on Gaea instead of the separate dimension created by Berserker Asura earlier in the fight (the sequence for which is absent in the boards), and Asura originally followed the initial punch with a flurry of punches and one final punch that destroyed the other end of the planet, with Kratos telling Asura that he "[betrayed his] own planet" and "[is] lost" due to the act before stabbing his forehead with the Blade of Olympus. This was changed by DevilArtemis to the climax seen in the final episode due to this original climax completely going against Asura's character, similar to his previously mentioned "DEATH TO ALL GODS!" line.
  • Due to Reiði's use of Icelandic lyrics, this is the second episode to have its official track primarily use non-English lyrics throughout the song, after Hulk VS Broly, and with the next two being Shigaraki VS Mahito and Spider-Man VS Deku.
  • This is the second episode to be dubbed in more than one language, after Goku VS Superman (2023), and with the next five being Ghost Rider VS Spawn, Shigaraki VS Mahito, Spider-Man VS Deku, Wile E. Coyote VS Tom Cat, and Hulk VS Godzilla.
  • This episode has garnered notable criticism from some parts of the Death Battle community, namely with Asura's characterization throughout the fight even with the changes made to the storyboards and the quality of the animation being stiff and janky at points.
    • DevilArtemis responded to the criticisms aimed at the fight animation in a Reddit post during the lead-up to Master Chief VS Doom Slayer, in which he stated that he "bit off more than [he] could chew" with this episode, leading him to hire more animators to collaborate with for future 3D episodes.

Easter Eggs

• In Kratos' "Background" slide, the last thing listed in his dislikes is Sackboy, referencing this Robot Chicken sketch made to advertise PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, where Kratos and Nathan Drake regretfully reminisce about being simultaneously defeated by Sackboy.
  • The smaller text in parentheses next to Sackboy's name, "doesn't want to talk about it", is also a reference to this conversation in God of War: Ragnarök between Kratos and Mimir, where the former shuts down the latter when he asks about his experience in the game.
• Boomstick naturally references Kratos' desperate offer of "Destroy my enemies, and my life is yours!" to Ares from the original God of War in the former's analysis, which became a viral meme in 2022 and within the Death Battle community leading up to this episode's release.
• Boomstick refers to Atreus as "boy" three times in Kratos' analysis, referencing its memetic status as a nickname for Atreus due to Kratos frequently referring to him as such.
• In Asura's "Background" slide:
  • The last thing listed in his likes is "Hot Spring QTEs", referencing this moment from the start of Episode 10 of Asura's Wrath.
  • The last thing listed is "Put him in Marvel vs. Capcom!", referencing the major fan demand for him to become a playable character in the series.
• When Boomstick sarcastically jokes about how "since he's literally powered by wrath, no enemy of Asura's would be stupid enough to do something that would make him even more mad, right?... Right?" in his analysis, footage of this scene from Attack of the Clones plays as he finishes in reference to the "For the Better, Right?" meme.
• In Asura's analysis, Boomstick describing Asura as "that one dad that knocks out a ref at a little league game" is accompanied by this clip from Hoodwinked Too!: Hood VS. Evil, which has become a meme.
• The opening of the fight is similar to the openings of God of War (2018) and God of War: Ragnarök, where Kratos is approached at his home by a powerful Norse God (Baldur and Thor, respectively) who proceed to battle him shortly afterward.
  • Additionally, Asura's cloaked appearance in this scene is reminiscent of Thor.
• The epithets that appear in the animations are based on the same ones seen in both God of War 3 and Asura's Wrath, complete with the fonts to represent both series.
• The way Kratos knocks Asura away by swinging a boulder at him is very similar to how Kratos hit Baldur with a tree during the opening of God of War (2018).
• Kratos impaling Draupnir Spears into Asura is a reference to how Asura had spears impaled in his back near the beginning of his Game.
• Asura's line of "YOU MADE HER CRY!" references the ending line of his final speech when finishing off Chakravartin.
  • This moment was also referenced at the end of Asura's list of dislikes in his "Background" slide and by Boomstick at the end of his analysis.
• Kratos' clinch hold with Asura causing the temple floors to shift and crumble apart is similar to when Kratos and Baldur grappling caused the terrain beneath them to split apart and collapse during the beginning of God of War (2018).
• Asura transforming into his Destructor Form and Kratos stopping his giant fist is a reenactment of Gongen Wyzen's final stage, which was previously brought up in Asura's analysis.
  • The scene where Kratos hops from boulder to boulder toward Asura is a reference to how Asura does the same thing against Wyzen, followed by Kratos stabbing the Blade of Olympus into Asura's forehead, a culmination of referencing Asura punching into the Chakravartin Statue forehead and a call-back to Kratos killing Cronos in God of War III.
    • The scene of Kratos roaring in defiance towards Asura's incoming fist beforehand might also be a nod to the track cover for "Wrath of the Gods", the "What If?" fan-commission track Brandon Yates made for the matchup before the episode's release, which references the same thing Asura does in response to Wyzen's attack.
• Kratos' line of "DEATH HAS NOT EARNED ME YET, TITAN!" references his similar line of "Death can have me, when it earns me..." from God of War: Ragnarök.
• The ending with Kratos and Asura falling to the ground with the Blade of Olympus in Asura's chest is a reference to the ending of Asura's battle with Augus.
• Kratos' final line after defeating Asura, "You... are a monster no longer," is a reference to the line he says towards the visage of Athena when he confronts his past by retrieving the Blades of Chaos in God of War (2018): "I know. But I am your monster no longer."
  • Furthermore, Asura left dead next to the lifeless Blade of Olympus, recently pulled out of his chest, is just like Kratos' fate in the ending of God Of War 3.
• Asura fatally punching Kratos in the alternate ending is a direct reference to the final blow he delivered against Deus & Chakravaratin.

Errors

• The first pop-up box at the start of Kratos' analysis states "creator statements are only applicable as far they are supported by the primary source", and is missing a second "as" in between "far" and "they", unlike the first popup box at the start of Asura's analysis.
• In Kratos' analysis, when Boomstick jokes about how Thor can't beat Kratos but Surtr can, the memetic scene from Thor: Ragnarok plays, with Thor and Kratos' heads edited over Hela and MCU Thor respectively in response to Boomstick's lines. However, with the way the scene is edited (as God of War Thor's head is over Hela's with Kratos' over Thor's), it makes it appear as though Thor is saying "You can't defeat me, Thor!", which makes no logical sense; the point of the gag is that is presents the idea that Thor stands no chance against who he's pitted against (in this case, Kratos), but with Kratos' head overlayed over MCU Thor, his quote of "I know, but he can" suggests he stands no chance against God of War Thor, when that is not the case given Wiz's prior statement to the joke.
• The Burst pop-up that Asura uses on Kratos to reveal his Six-Armed Vajra form has a chroma keyer pink screen edit error, as the pop-up itself not only has a noticeable pink outline around it, but also a pink square in one frame.

Other

• This is the 17th Anti-Heroes-themed episode, after Kratos VS Spawn, Vegeta VS Shadow, Ragna VS Sol Badguy, Wolverine VS Raiden, Dante VS Bayonetta, Mewtwo VS Shadow, Wario VS King Dedede, Ghost Rider VS Lobo, Sasuke VS Hiei, Deadpool VS Mask, Winter Soldier VS Red Hood, Venom VS Crona, Hulk VS Broly, Shadow VS Ryuko, Guts VS Dimitri, and Omni-Man VS Bardock, and with the next two being Ghost Rider VS Spawn and Hulk VS Godzilla.
• This is the 13th Video Game VS Anime/Manga-themed episode, after Vegeta VS Shadow, Pikachu VS Blanka, Ryu Hayabusa VS Strider Hiryu, Kirby VS Majin Buu, Guts VS Nightmare, Hercule Satan VS Dan Hibiki, Mega Man VS Astro Boy, Pokémon VS Digimon, Lucario VS Renamon, Shadow VS Ryuko, Guts VS Dimitri, and Joker VS Giorno.
  • This is the seventh time that the Video Game character wins, after Pikachu VS Blanka, Kirby VS Majin Buu, Lucario VS Renamon, Shadow VS Ryuko, Guts VS Dimitri, and Joker VS Giorno.
• This is the 36th episode to feature a returning combatant, after Zitz VS Leonardo, Batman VS Captain America, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), Goku VS Superman 2, Pokémon VS Digimon, Mewtwo VS Shadow, Deadpool VS Pinkie Pie, Metal Sonic VS Zero, Thor VS Wonder Woman, Black Panther VS Batman, Ryu VS Jin, Mario VS Sonic (2018), Mega Man Battle Royale, Captain Marvel VS Shazam, Dragonzord VS Mechagodzilla, Ganondorf VS Dracula, Deadpool VS Mask, Leonardo VS Red Ranger Jason, She-Ra VS Wonder Woman, Venom VS Crona, Hulk VS Broly, Shadow VS Ryuko, Lex Luthor VS Doctor Doom, Link VS Cloud (2021), Batman VS Iron Man, Akuma VS Shao Kahn, Thor VS Vegeta, Boba Fett VS Predator, Excalibur VS Raiden, Darth Vader VS Obito Uchiha, Phoenix VS Raven, Guts VS Dimitri, Goku VS Superman (2023), Omni-Man VS Bardock, and Bowser VS Eggman, and with the next six being Ghost Rider VS Spawn, Master Chief VS Doom Slayer, Spider-Man VS Deku, Hulk VS Godzilla, Aang VS Traveler, and Ash VS Yugi.
  • This is the 25th episode to feature a returning loser, after Batman VS Captain America, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), Goku VS Superman 2, Pokémon VS Digimon, Mewtwo VS Shadow, Thor VS Wonder Woman, Black Panther VS Batman, Ryu VS Jin, Mario VS Sonic (2018), Mega Man Battle Royale, Captain Marvel VS Shazam, Dragonzord VS Mechagodzilla, Leonardo VS Red Ranger Jason, She-Ra VS Wonder Woman, Hulk VS Broly, Shadow VS Ryuko, Lex Luthor VS Doctor Doom, Link VS Cloud (2021), Batman VS Iron Man, Thor VS Vegeta, Boba Fett VS Predator, Darth Vader VS Obito Uchiha, Goku VS Superman (2023), and Bowser VS Eggman, and with the next four being Master Chief VS Doom Slayer, Spider-Man VS Deku, Hulk VS Godzilla, and Ash VS Yugi.
    • This is the 12th time that the returning loser wins, after Batman VS Captain America, Thor VS Wonder Woman, Ryu VS Jin, Mario VS Sonic (2018), Leonardo VS Red Ranger Jason, She-Ra VS Wonder Woman, Shadow VS Ryuko, Link VS Cloud (2021), Thor VS Vegeta, Boba Fett VS Predator, and Bowser VS Eggman, and with the next two being Master Chief VS Doom Slayer and Spider-Man VS Deku.
• This is the third Premiere episode to feature a returning combatant, after Black Panther VS Batman and Omni-Man VS Bardock.
• Prior to this episode, Brandon Yates made a track for this matchup called "Wrath Of The Gods" as part of his "What If?" commission tracks.
  • This makes it the 11th episode that received its own commission track before its release, after Blake VS Mikasa, Goku Black VS Reverse-Flash, Jason Voorhees VS Michael Myers, Guts VS Dimitri, Bill Cipher VS Discord, Frieza VS Megatron, Gojo VS Makima, Galactus VS Unicron, Joker VS Giorno, and Bowser VS Eggman, and with the next five being Master Chief VS Doom Slayer, Simon the Digger VS Kyle Rayner, Spider-Man VS Deku, Ruby Rose VS Maka Albarn, and Ash VS Yugi.
    • This is the 10th one to be done by Brandon Yates, after Blake VS Mikasa, Goku Black VS Reverse-Flash, Jason Voorhees VS Michael Myers, Guts VS Dimitri, Bill Cipher VS Discord, Frieza VS Megatron, Galactus VS Unicron, Joker VS Giorno, and Bowser VS Eggman, and with the next five being Master Chief VS Doom Slayer, Simon the Digger VS Kyle Rayner, Spider-Man VS Deku, Ruby Rose VS Maka Albarn, and Ash VS Yugi.
      • This is the second episode with a prior Brandon commission track where Brandon himself didn't work on the official track for the actual episode, after Jason Voorhees VS Michael Myers.
  • This is the fourth episode with a commission track that features Therewolf Media as a guest artist, after Ruby Rose VS Maka Albarn, Dante VS Bayonetta, and Yang VS Tifa.
• Kratos and Asura's analysis previews reached #34 and #46 on Trending for Gaming in the two weeks prior to this episode's release.
  • This is the sixth episode in which a combatant's preview reached the Trending page, after Thor VS Vegeta, Frieza VS Megatron, Goku VS Superman (2023), Bowser VS Eggman, and Among US VS Fall Guys.
    • This is the second to have happened for both combatant's analysis previews, after Among US VS Fall Guys.
  • This is the third episode to do so on one of the Trending page's sub-categories (in this case, Gaming) instead of the main Trending page itself, after Bowser VS Eggman and Among US VS Fall Guys.
• The episode reached #3 on YouTube's Trending page for Gaming.
  • This is the second episode to do so on one of the Trending page's sub-categories (in this case, Gaming) instead of the main Trending page itself, after Bowser VS Eggman, and with the next one being Master Chief VS Doom Slayer.
  • This is the second Premiere to reach Trending, after Omni-Man VS Bardock.
    • It is the first to do so on one of the Trending page's sub-categories (in this case, Gaming) instead of the main Trending page itself.
• This is the fourth episode whose sneak peek on the DEATH BATTLE Cast was a trailer instead of a clip at the start of the fight, after Goku VS Superman (2023), Galactus VS Unicron, and Bowser VS Eggman, and with the next one being Ghost Rider VS Spawn.
• This is the 28th episode where Boomstick yells a variation of his pre-fight catchphrase (via saying "IT'S TIME FOR A DAD BATTLEEE!!!"), after Akuma VS Shang Tsung, Rogue VS Wonder Woman, Felicia VS Taokaka, Eggman VS Wily, Terminator VS RoboCop, Pokémon Battle Royale, Fulgore VS Sektor, Tigerzord VS Gundam Epyon, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), Guts VS Nightmare, Solid Snake VS Sam Fisher, Hercule Satan VS Dan Hibiki, Bowser VS Ganon, Joker VS Sweet Tooth, Meta VS Carolina, Mega Man Battle Royale, Dragonzord VS Mechagodzilla, Scarlet Witch VS Zatanna, James Bond VS John Wick, Trunks VS Silver, SpongeBob VS Aquaman, Jason Voorhees VS Michael Myers, Sauron VS Lich King, Gogeta VS Vegito, Phoenix VS Raven, Scooby-Doo VS Courage the Cowardly Dog, and Galactus VS Unicron, and with the next one being Ghost Rider VS Spawn.
• This is the 12th episode in which the winner shows respect for their fallen opponent (via Kratos kneeling before Asura's body and telling him he's a monster no longer), after Goku VS Superman 2, All Might VS Might Guy, Korra VS Storm, Tanjiro VS Jonathan Joestar, Magneto VS Tetsuo, SpongeBob VS Aquaman, Gogeta VS Vegito, Darth Vader VS Obito Uchiha, Guts VS Dimitri, Martian Manhunter VS Silver Surfer and Goku VS Superman (2023), and with the next two being Simon the Digger VS Kyle Rayner and Spider-Man VS Deku.