Sometimes the best surprises are the ones you never see coming. Just days ago, during PlayStation’s State of Play on February 12, 2026, Sony Santa Monica dropped what might be the most unexpected God of War announcement in the franchise’s 20-year history. God of War: Sons of Sparta – a 2D pixel art prequel about young Kratos and his brother Deimos , it wasn’t just announced. It was shadow dropped and made available immediately.
And here’s the kicker: they brought back TC Carson, the original voice of Kratos, for the first time in over a decade. If you’ve been following the series since the PS2 days, you know exactly how massive that is.
Whether you’re curious about who’s voicing young Kratos in this gorgeous retro throwback, wondering about the talented cast bringing this prequel to life, or just want to understand what makes this voice cast special, let me break it all down. This might be a 2D side-scroller, but the voice work? That’s pure AAA God of War quality.
TC Carson Returns as Narrator/Kratos
Let’s start with the big one. TC Carson, the man who was Kratos from 2005 to 2013, is back as the narrator and the voice of older Kratos recounting this tale. Carson’s deep, gravelly voice defined Kratos for three generations of PlayStation consoles. From “The gods of Olympus have abandoned me!” to countless brutal one-liners, his performance made the Ghost of Sparta iconic.
Having Carson return as narrator bridges the gap between the Greek era and the Norse saga beautifully. It’s a love letter to fans who grew up with the original trilogy while acknowledging that the franchise has evolved. You get that classic Kratos voice framing a story about who he was before rage and vengeance consumed him. Before Ares. Before the gods. Before everything went to hell.
Young Kratos: Antony Del Rio Takes on the Legend
Antony Del Rio voices young Kratos, and this is no small task. Del Rio has to capture the intensity and determination that will one day become TC Carson’s rage-filled god-killer, but without the decades of trauma that define adult Kratos. You might recognize Del Rio as Pit in Kid Icarus: Uprising and various Super Smash Bros. games, or as Ekko in League of Legends and Arcane.
Del Rio brings youthful fire to young Kratos a Spartan warrior in training, driven and fierce, but not yet broken by the gods’ manipulations. His performance shows us someone who could become the Ghost of Sparta, but isn’t there yet. It’s a brilliant piece of voice acting that walks the tightrope between intensity and innocence.
The Lost Brother: Scott Menville as Young Deimos
Scott Menville voices young Deimos, Kratos’ brother whose eventual abduction by the gods shapes so much of Kratos’ future pain. Menville is a voice acting veteran who’s been in the industry for decades, you definitely know him as Robin/Tim Drake from Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go!, and as Lloyd Garmadon in LEGO Ninjago.
Menville brings warmth and brotherhood to Deimos that makes their relationship feel genuine. These are two brothers training together at the Agoge, competing, bonding all the moments that made their eventual separation so devastating. Menville’s performance adds crucial emotional weight because we know Deimos’ tragic fate from God of War: Ghost of Sparta. Every moment of sibling camaraderie hits harder because Menville makes you care.
The Innocent Heart: Debi Derryberry as Calliope
Debi Derryberry voices Calliope, Kratos’ daughter whose presence in this story adds layers of tragic irony to the narrative. Derryberry is legendary in animation voice acting, she’s Jimmy Neutron from The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, and has voiced characters in everything from Rugrats to The Fairly OddParents.
Having Calliope appear in this prequel, with Derryberry’s talent for voicing innocent, hopeful children, creates heartbreaking dramatic irony. We know Calliope’s fate. We know what Ares will eventually force Kratos to do. Derryberry’s performance makes those future tragedies feel even more painful.
The Game’s Guest Stars: Recognizable Talent in GOW : Sons of Sparta
Jack Quaid as Eis
Yes, that Jack Quaid, Hughie from The Boys and the voice of Brad Boimler in Star Trek: Lower Decks – voices Eis. Having a rising Hollywood star join the cast shows the project’s prestige. Quaid brings his natural likability and earnestness to the role, adding genuine personality to the character.
Zehra Fazal as Circe
Zehra Fazal voices Circe, bringing the legendary sorceress to life with mystical authority. Fazal has an incredible anime and gaming resume she’s voiced characters in Demon Slayer, Genshin Impact, Apex Legends, and countless other projects. Her ability to play powerful, otherworldly characters makes her perfect for Greek mythology’s infamous enchantress.
Kimberly Brooks as The Oracle
Kimberly Brooks provides The Oracle‘s voice with appropriate gravitas. Brooks is a voice acting powerhouse she’s Ashley Williams in the Mass Effect trilogy, Jasper in Steven Universe, and has appeared in virtually every major animated series and video game over the past two decades. Her Oracle carries the weight of prophecy and doom that defines these mythological figures.
The Supporting Cast That Brings Sparta to Life
Bryan Dechart as Agon, the Pit of Agonies
Bryan Dechart ,Connor from Detroit: Become Human – voices Agon, the Pit of Agonies. Dechart’s performance in Detroit showed his incredible range and emotional depth, and bringing that talent to Sons of Sparta adds serious dramatic weight to the character.
Jim Pirri as Brasidas
Jim Pirri voices Brasidas with the authority of a Spartan warrior. Pirri has extensive voice acting credits including roles in The Last of Us Part II, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Call of Duty games. His deep voice and military bearing make him perfect for portraying legendary Spartan warriors.
David Errigo Jr. as Brontes
David Errigo Jr. – who voices Finn the Human in later Adventure Time content and Chihiro in Chihiro’s Travels brings youthful energy to Brontes. Having talent from one of animation’s most beloved franchises adds quality to even supporting roles.
Shelby Young as Amara
Shelby Young voices Amara with emotional authenticity. Young has appeared in everything from Days of Our Lives to The Social Network, and has voiced characters in numerous video games including Mortal Kombat 11 and Star Wars projects.
The Mythological Characters
Alexa Rose as Lyra
Alexa Rose brings Lyra to life with her voice acting talents. Rose’s ability to convey emotion through performance ensures that even supporting mythological characters feel meaningful to the narrative.
Misty Lee as Adrasteia
Misty Lee voices Adrasteia with appropriate mythological gravitas. Lee is not only a voice actress but also a magician, and she’s lent her voice to countless video games and animated projects. Her work in the Halo franchise and various Disney projects shows her versatility.
The Ensemble Excellence
James Mathis III returns to the God of War universe as Konstantinos. Mathis previously appeared in God of War (2018), and his return creates continuity with the recent titles.
Evanne Friedmann voices Pheme The Lexicon with mystical quality, Shi Ne Nielson provides the haunting Somber Whispers, and Amelia Rose Blaire Pam from True Blood voices Eleonora with dramatic intensity.
AJ LoCascio (famous as Marty McFly in Back to the Future: The Game) voices Petros, Michael Johnston provides Theophilos’ voice, Chris Ansell voices Tiberios, Keith Ferguson (Reaper in Overwatch, Bloo in Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends) plays The Deckhand, and Bridger Zadina voices The Devoted One.
Adam Shapiro is recognizable from Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us Part II , voices Passalus, while Allen Covert Adam Sandler’s frequent collaborator provides the voice of Acmon, adding some Hollywood comedy talent to the mix.
Why This Cast Elevates a 2D Game
Here’s something interesting about Sons of Sparta being 2D: it actually puts more pressure on the voice work, not less. In a fully 3D game with motion capture and detailed facial animations, you can convey emotion through character models. Players can see microexpressions, body language, the works.
In a 2D pixel art game? You don’t have that luxury. The voice acting has to carry more of the emotional weight because the pixel sprites, gorgeous as they are, can’t show the same level of detail. Every line reading matters more. Every inflection has to do the work that facial animation might handle in God of War Ragnarök.
This is actually similar to the challenge voice actors face in animation. The best Pixar performances are so good precisely because the actors can’t rely on their physical presence. It’s all voice. Sons of Sparta operates on the same principle, and having a cast this talented ensures those pixel art characters feel fully realized.
The Legacy Factor
Sons of Sparta releases during God of War‘s anniversary period, and that context matters for understanding the voice work. This isn’t just another game, it’s a celebration of the franchise that defined PlayStation.
TC Carson’s return is the most obvious acknowledgment of that legacy, but having talent like Antony Del Rio, Scott Menville, and Debi Derryberry, all legends in their own right shows respect for what God of War represents. Mixing Hollywood talent like Jack Quaid and Allen Covert with gaming voice acting stalwarts like Kimberly Brooks and Jim Pirri creates a cast that honors both the game’s roots and its mainstream appeal.
