The thing about fanfic that really nails Kratos’ growth for me is seeing him in quiet moments you'd never get in a game. Canon gives us the big, bloody beats of change, but fanfic lives in the spaces between—the awkward silence while teaching Atreus to hunt, the way he might flinch at a memory triggered by a campfire story. A lot of writers frame it through Atreus’ eyes, which is smart; a kid noticing his dad’s rage doesn’t erupt as fast anymore says more than a monologue.
I’ve read some pieces that almost feel like character studies, throwing him into domestic scenarios that would have been impossible in Greece. Fixing a roof, bargaining at a market, dealing with a sick kid. The tension isn’t from monsters, but from his own muscle memory screaming for violence while he consciously chooses patience. That internal fight is where you see the real scars, not the external ones. It makes the growth feel earned, fragile, and honestly, more impressive than killing another god.
My favorite take was a crossover-ish idea where he mentors a younger, angry character from another universe. Seeing him recognize his own past failings in someone else and trying to guide them away from that path was a brilliant mirror to hold up to his development.