Cronos' Rage

Cronos' Rage was a power that was given to Kratos in God of War II by the great Titan, Cronos.

After he killed Theseus, Kratos obtained the Horse Keeper's Key that was needed to unlock a door on the Steeds of Time. Behind that door was a small shrine to Cronos, and, when activated, a hologram of the Titan appeared. Via that hologram, Cronos gave Kratos the last of his magic as the power of Cronos' Rage.

With that power, Kratos could create BlueOrbs of lightning that temporally electrocuted and stunned multiple enemies. One could then further level up that power to increase its damage. At Level 3, the "cores" of the orbs exploded at the end of the attack, which then did further damage to nearby enemies and usually knocked them back.

Cronos' Rage was one of the most effective ways to defeat or weaken a boss, as the lightning orb will stun the boss or enemy as long as it's electrocuted. Kratos could take advantage of that to escape from dangerous situations that involved groups of enemies or even attack stunned enemies to deal further damage. Certain enemies and bosses were immune to the stunning effect but still were electrocuted and harmed by the cores.

God of War II Novel

In the novelization, Cronos' Rage is revealed to have amplified Kratos' overall physical abilities and condition, similar to Zeus' Fury. In addition to that, it is explained how the transfer of power has forged a "hot spot" near his heart, a source of magical energy that channels the Rage of Cronos. Not long after gaining the Titan Lord's power, the Spartan came upon the Amulet of the Fates, which initial discovery provoked a tiny tickle from the magical hot spot within Kratos' chest. After taking possession of the Amulet, Kratos used its powers in conjuction with Cronos' Rage, as it fed the Amulet with temporal energy, the novel clarifying that the power of Cronos and the Fates were compatible. This, along with the Steeds of Time serves as another in-lore indication at the Titan's former status as the Lord of Time, back during his prime as the ruler of the world and before his downfall during the Great War.

Kratos relied on Cronos' Rage in many battles, however sometimes his innate "hot spot" and magical reservoir was not sufficiently charged to release large attacks, as was the case during the fight with Perseus. This differed from the Olympian divine gifts during Kratos last quest as the Champion of the Gods, such as Poseidon's Rage and Zeus' Fury which did not seem to have a limit in their release by Kratos. This could be explained by the fact that Cronos' Rage and Atlas Quake were the last magical powers of these banished and diminished Titans, in contrast to the Olympians who aided Kratos while themselves being at the height of their reign and power. During the final battle with Zeus, the King of the Heavens proved highly resistant to Cronos' Rage, with the Lord of Lightning having a large tolerance for enduring electrokinetic attacks, even if from his own father's power.

Attacks

Level 1

• Cronos' Rage - Create an Orb of Lightning that will target multiple enemies. Up to three Orbs can be placed. L2

• Cronos' Rage (Air) - While airborne, create an Orb of Lightning that will target multiple enemies. Up to three Orbs can be placed. L2

Level 2

• Increased Damage
• Strike Additional Enemies

Level 3

• Increased Damage
• Strike Additional Enemies
• Core Explodes - The sphere will explode in place and cause extra damage to enemies once its time has expired

Gallery

From the God of War II game manual.

Trivia

• Since those were the last remnants of Cronos' magic, he was never seen using those electric powers again in the Series against any of his enemies. Kratos has most certainly lost this power after his fall into the River Styx after being blasted off Mount Olympus by Zeus and being betrayed by Gaia. Prior to that, Kratos has kept his accumulated powers and equipment even despite time travel, as seen during his fight with Zeus at the Summit of Sacrifice.
• Like Cronos, Zeus and Poseidon used electric powers in the Series as well, probably because they were his sons. The only one of the Three Great Gods who never used any kind of electricity was Hades, who relied on the power to absorb and Summon Souls against his foes. It was unknown if Hades had that kind of power in the Series or not, since he never displayed it.
• By acquiring the Urn of Poseidon and activating it in the Bonus Play or the Arena of the Fates of God of War II, Crono's Rage was switched for Poseidon's Rage. It's also curious to note that both magics were very similar: both were Dark Blue electric powers that electrocuted all enemies who were close to Kratos at the same time. That supported the argument above about the sons of Cronos and their similar powers.
• In God of War II, that magic was the best way to make big and even infinite Combos. If it's used in the Arena of the Fates, for example, with infinite magic and enemies, Kratos was able to place as many cores and made as many combos as he wanted for an indefinite time.