Dragon Ball's Goku and God of War's Kratos couldn’t seem like two more different characters. However, one thing connects them between the gaming and anime fandoms: power. Both Kratos and Goku are two of the strongest protagonists in popular fiction, and that being the case, it was only a matter of time before they fought it out to test the limits of one another’s strength.
However, unlike many battles that both of these warriors get into, a match between Goku and Kratos doesn’t have a clear victor at the outset. Both of these characters have matched, and even surpassed, the strength of the gods in their respect universes, so perhaps there's no better match up for each of them than another warrior that has dared to test the limits of the gods.
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Kratos' Feats and Abilities in God of War
Kratos is well-known for slaying the gods of the Greek Pantheon. God-killing is essentially what Kratos does best. As a result, looking at the achievements of some of the gods in his series can give greater insight into the level of Kratos’ power. However, only the abilities shown in the game series can be used, because even though the gods he faces are based on those of the Greeks, they also hold characteristics that seem to differentiate them. Thus, Kratos can’t be said to be slaying the actual Greek gods of mythology.
Nevertheless, the gods of Kratos’ version of Greece are no joke. Kratos' physical strength can be measured relative to Atlas, one of the primordial Titans. In God of War, Atlas literally carries the weight of the world on his back, and Kratos was able to push back Atlas' fingers to prevent himself from being crushed by the giant. In terms of speed, because Kratos defeated Hermes, he is obviously faster than the speed of light. This is because Hermes dodged the light of Helios, and Kratos is able to dodge and counter Hermes' attacks. In regard to Kratos' durability, while he is not Immortal, he has returned from the dead multiple times. Even when he was killed, Kratos was able to fight his way out of the Underworld itself.
The gods of Kratos' world can be said to be immortal, but Kratos utilizes what may be his most OP ability, the power of Hope, to bypass their immortality and kill the gods themselves. By opening Pandora's Box, Kratos absorbed the power of Hope which Athena had enclosed there in fear of it being abused. Hope essentially allows Kratos to transcend fate itself and defeat beings who would otherwise have full control over all mortal circ*mstances.
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Goku's Feats and Special Abilities in Dragon Ball
Goku doesn't quite kill the gods for a living like Kratos, but he is already far beyond the strength of many of the deities of his respective universe. Gods like Kami and the Kais can only look on in wonder at the levels of power Goku achieves. Additionally, his fight with Beerus, the God of Destruction, has informed some of his greatest feats yet. For example, the two fighters caused the infinite expanse of space to shake as a result of their clash. This was said by the Kai's to have the potential to destroy the entire universe in the process. Beerus himself is so powerful that he sneezed and destroyed a star, so for Goku to match an opponent like that blow for blow hints at the extent of his own strength. Considering how Goku has since grown far stronger than he was during that battle with his latest Ultra Instinct form, the Saiyan warrior is undoubtedly in a league of his own.
In terms of speed, Goku can travel instantaneously extremely long distances using his instant transmission ability. Additionally, not only did Goku surpass Hit's time-skip, but he later was able to easily dodge Jiren's attacks, who completely dominated Hit in battle. Being that Hit's time skip allows him to freeze time, that essentially means that Goku is able to move fast enough to transcend time manipulation.
While Goku isn't immortal, he has come back from the afterlife numerous times throughout the Dragon Ball series. During his fight with Beerus, Goku was also shown with the ability to heal himself of a near fatal wound, although this doesn't seem to be an ability he often utilizes and may have even been done subconsciously. Not only that, but as a Saiyan, Goku often receives Zenkai boosts which offer him even greater power after being in a near-death situation. In any case, Goku is extremely durable and difficult to kill, and even killing him does not guarantee that he won’t be back for a rematch.
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How Goku and Kratos Match Up
Both Goku and Kratos are extremely inconsistent with their displays of strength and power. On one hand, Kratos can kill gods. On the other hand, Kratos famously has difficulty opening regular treasure chests. Similarly, Goku can fight with the God of Destruction, but looks noticeably shaken after Krillin hits him in the head with a small rock. These inconsistencies seem to serve as giving them more humanizing characteristics so that people can relate to them (or enjoy playing the game in Kratos' case). Still, in terms of pure feats of physical strength, Kratos seems to have the advantage. However, that mostly has to do with Goku's lack of lifting feats in comparison to Kratos. When looking at who's more powerful overall though, things get more complicated.
Goku is technically a god after reaching the Super Saiyan God form, but that means little for Kratos considering his experience with killing gods. However, Kratos' experience has little bearing on Goku either, especially since their worlds seem to scale very differently. Goku might not have the power of Hope, but he does have some of the greatest plot armor in anime history. In an all-out fight, it's hard to presume that anyone could defeat Goku, although Kratos may be one of the few that comes close.
Ultimately, in a battle between the two, deciding the winner would likely come down to whose universe the fight takes place. If Goku came to Kratos' World, it's almost certain that Kratos would inevitably find a way to take Goku's head as he does any other God. Of course, Kratos is essentially a changed man now and would likely prefer to avoid that outcome if necessary. On the other hand, If Kratos were to threaten Goku's Earth, there's no way the Saiyan would let it slide. If Goku's prior history is any indication though, after the fighting's all said and done, he and Kratos would likely become allies.
