God of War game director David Jaffe recently declared that Kratos was a “raging bisexual.” However, he would quickly backtrack and indicate the whole thing was a lie and he was attempting to troll people upset over a Pride Month image using Kratos.
Jaffe made the announcement on Twitter noting that he wasn’t trying to pull a J.K. Rowling, who famously declared that Dumbledore was gay after she finished writing the main Harry Potter books.
Jaffe declared, “Oh, and one more thing: not to get all JK Rowling but when I was working on the origins of Kratos for the first games I knew he was a raging bi-sexual until he settled down with his wife.” So Kratos is officially bi.” He would also declare that the Oracle from the first God of War game is a lesbian, “Oh and the Oracle from GOW1? Lesbian, straight up! Boom!”
Oh, and one more thing: not to get all JK Rowling but when I was working on the origins of Kratos for the first games I knew he was a raging bi-sexual until he settled down with his wife. So Kratos is officially bi. Oh and the Oracle from GOW1? Lesbian, straight up! Boom! https://t.co/jXUZ0NXIfo
— David Jaffe (@davidscottjaffe) June 4, 2019
God of War lead animator, game director of God Of War II, God of War III, and 2018’s God of War Cory Barlog seemed to approve of Jaffe’s note that Kratos was a “raging bisexual” as he responded with a number of emojis.
✊🌈 ❤️
— Cory Barlog 🎮 #Raising Kratos (@corybarlog) June 4, 2019
Jaffe would send mixed messages just 15 minutes later. He would declare that his original Tweet was a lie “designed to just take the piss out of all the haters who are hating on that #PRIDE image of Kratos.” However, he would also indicate that if Kratos was bi all along that would be cool.
Sadly, that last tweet was a lie designed to just take the piss out of all the haters who are hating on that #PRIDE image of Kratos. I honestly never assumed Kratos was anything but straight BUT fuck it: if he was bi all along and we are just learning that now? Cool! Works4me!
— David Jaffe (@davidscottjaffe) June 4, 2019
Despite declaring his original Tweet a lie, Jaffe would continue to defend the idea that Kratos was a s bisexual.
“I know- it was worded poorly. I was saying he was a raging (i.e. very active) bi guy before he settled down. After he married he was monogamous to one person, who happened to me a woman. Doesn’t mean he was no longer bi; just not practicing :).”
I know- it was worded poorly. I was saying he was a raging (i.e. very active) bi guy before he settled down. After he married he was monogamous to one person, who happened to me a woman. Doesn’t mean he was no longer bi; just not practicing :).
— David Jaffe (@davidscottjaffe) June 5, 2019
In a separate Tweet that definitely appears to be more of a troll than anything else Jaffe would claim that the reason why they didn’t depict Kratos being bisexual in any of the games was they “couldn’t afford to animate bi-sexuals.”
That’s only because we couldn’t afford to animate bi-sexuals. We asked the AC team and they said the only thing harder than animating women is animating males who are into both genders. So we dropped subtle hints instead. https://t.co/ijHA1W5POB
— David Jaffe (@davidscottjaffe) June 4, 2019
Jaffe would then explain that his original post describing Kratos as a “raging bisexual” and subsequent posts were an elaborate troll job
He specifically notes he claimed Kratos was a “raging bisexual” because he was upset that fans didn’t like Kratos wearing rainbow colors and being used to support “Pride Month.”
Ok, let me make this clear cause some of y’all are clearly too dumb to understand when you are being trolled:
#1- Kratos is not bi or gay as far as I wrote him. He’s straight.
#2- I posted my tweet because I was upset that people were upset by the great image someone made
— David Jaffe (@davidscottjaffe) June 4, 2019
of Kratos supporting #PRIDE month. I was not ‘queer baiting’. How utterly ridiculous. Anyone who follows my social media knows I am a strong ally of the LGBT community and I honestly would have zero problem IF Kratos were BI. But as I write him, he’s not.
— David Jaffe (@davidscottjaffe) June 4, 2019
#3- Within 5 min I tweeted out that I was joking and was doing it to take the piss out of homophobes. Some people are offended I would do this because they think it’s ‘queer baiting’. Please fuck right off. I would not do that and fuck you for thinking I ever would.
— David Jaffe (@davidscottjaffe) June 4, 2019
Jaffe would continue to elaborate on why he had decided to claim that Kratos was a “raging bisexual.”
And please allow me to say this last thing on it (I promise!): I 100% can respect LGBT folks may feel bait and switched because I can imagine they have been waiting a long time to see great, heroic, and long-overdue representation in games. It was never my intention to suggest
— David Jaffe (@davidscottjaffe) June 4, 2019
that sort of needed representation would be a joke. I think it’s beyond time; it was time back in PONG days. So if you were offended by THAT part of my joke, I am sorry for that. Was not my intention. Happy #pride month to EVERYONE! 🙂
— David Jaffe (@davidscottjaffe) June 4, 2019
He would then explain just who he was calling “too dumb” and declared that video games “should have more LGBT characters 100%.”
I was talking to/addressing the people who were ANGRY BECAUSE they thought- for a moment- Kratos may have been bi. THOSE are the folks I was saying were too dumb to know they were being trolled. Never meant to imply anyone else was dumb; already tweeted I totally get why 1/2 https://t.co/UtHGWyGTy4
— David Jaffe (@davidscottjaffe) June 4, 2019
the gay/bi community would feel upset about being told a successful game character was gay/bi and then having that taken away. Never occurred to me they may feel that way, it was pointed out to me, and I apologized for that. The biz SHOULD have more LGBT characters 100%. 2/2
— David Jaffe (@davidscottjaffe) June 4, 2019
Nevertheless Jaffe would be roundly criticized for his “troll” and self-confessed lie that Kratos was a “raging bisexual.”
You are back peddling at a rate of knots after making such a piss poor attempt at “humour” using coming out as a punchline. In June. During Pride Month. I’m honestly far too tired of this kind of fuckery to be offended any more. Truly.
— Ric Freeman 🏳️🌈 (@ric_freeman) June 4, 2019
hey @corybarlog, you replied with a positive seeming tweet to the original ‘joke’, and a lot of people were really excited for an extremely rare yet ultimately harmless expression of solidarity… only to rip it away again in the same day
can you clarify what’s happened, here? https://t.co/lpBZ1VeQG6
— jessica a. m. 🌼🌼🌼 (@my2k) June 4, 2019
I don’t understand the logic behind making a joke at the expense of LGBT people, to spite others, and then snatch that away to wind up hurting LGBT people in the end.
you could’ve just let it lie. Nothing would’ve changed at all, but you would’ve changed a lot for these fans
— jessica a. m. 🌼🌼🌼 (@my2k) June 5, 2019
If you really believe we need more LGBTQ+ chars, there should be no issues with saying Kratos is bisexual.
You could’ve let the tweet stand and let him actually BE one of those queer chars you say are needed. That would *actually* be showing alliance instead of just claiming it
— 🏳️🌈Queer as Fuck⚧ (@mysicksadlife) June 4, 2019
What do you think of this entire event? What do you make of Jaffe’s claim that he was joking about Kratos being a “raging bisexual?” Do you think he was genuinely upset about people not liking the LGBT Kratos image or do you think he was virtue signalling? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!