Companions

MITHOS YGGDRASIL: Kratos ends up being a teacher to Mithos, even though he claims he had no intention of ever doing so. He agreed to help Mithos because he saw him as a new hope for reforming the world after losing confidence in the government he was supposed to protect as a knight. Mithos can hardly believe Kratos would throw away his status and comfort to help him, but is ultimately overjoyed. It’s quite obvious from Tales of Fandom 2 that Mithos looked up to him very much, and was incredibly happy to have him accompany him and his sister on their journey. I believe Kratos was happy to reach out and teach Mithos even though he had no intention to, as well as be with someone brimming with positive energy and hope like him. He put his faith in Mithos, and was chased out of his own country for him. Mithos was an important friend to him, and he feels incredibly guilty that he couldn’t stop his rampage after Martel’s death. He had plenty of opportunities to strike Mithos down and stop his useless massacres, but he never did because he couldn’t kill Mithos with his own hands. How could he kill the Mithos that Martel entrusted him before her death? On the same token, Mithos still allows Kratos to live and stay by his side even after he betrayed him once for Anna, and is obviously starting to bend backwards for Lloyd. In a way, I think Mithos still looks up to him and wants him around as his friend. When Kratos arrives to save everyone, Mithos looks a mix of annoyed and hurt, exclaiming, “you betray me…again?!” Mithos is affected by Kratos’ actions, because despite his ridiculous behavior and ideals, all he really wanted was to change the world for half-elves with Martel, Yuan and Kratos. Kratos, however, doesn’t want to call it betrayal, because that is not what he means to do. He wishes more than anything that he could have stopped Mithos sooner, but they were all despairing for the future and didn’t realize until it was too late. Kratos takes it upon himself to help Lloyd defeat Mithos, as he feels it is his responsibility to do so. Overall, Mithos was another very important person to Kratos, and he really wished things had played out differently for the two of them.

MARTEL YGGDRASIL: Kratos and Martel seem to have a mutual respect for each other. He trusts her skills as a healer and for support in battle, and she is amazed at his strength, claiming he didn’t even need her if he chooses to take her with him to find fandalia flowers in Tales of Fandom 2. Martel asks Kratos to take care of Mithos and watch out for him when she starts to feel ill, most likely because she knew she wouldn’t be around for much longer. She probably trusted him the most because she knows how important Kratos is to Mithos. Kratos is able to read her face easily, which makes Martel laugh because she’s noticed he’s always watching people from afar to make sure they are okay without actually saying anything. However, she points out that it’s been bothering her that he may actually be the one that needs the helping hand from someone. He disregards it and shows concern that she looks awfully pale, so I believe the two also care about each other as friends and companions. I don’t think that either of them had any romantic interest in each other, as Kratos is aware Yuan is in love with Martel anyway, but he definitely thought of her as a close friend. Part of the reason Kratos was so blind to Mithos going down a path of destruction was because he was also taking part in despairing with Yuan and Mithos, so she was most likely an important person to him as well. He feels guilty even considering killing Mithos after he promised her to look out for him, which shows he respects her words and feelings as well.

YUAN KA-FAI: Kratos and Yuan were part of the knighthood of two opposing countries. Yuan used to really hate Kratos because even though they faced each other numerous times on the battlefield, Kratos never took an interest in him. It bothered Yuan that Kratos was always pretending to be so apathetic towards other people. Though Yuan didn’t hate Kratos after they traveled together for a while (he claims that Kratos has changed a little), he still seems to want to compete with Kratos. When sensing an enemy, he asks if Kratos has sensed it, to which he responds “of course.” The two of them have an “interesting” relationship while traveling together, but their bond is broken for quite some time after Martel’s death. Both Yuan and Kratos did nothing to stop Mithos’ rampage, and they both joined Cruxis with him, but Yuan eventually started to act on his own. Seeing Kratos as a threat, he tried to kill him numerous times and even used Lloyd as blackmail for Kratos to release Origin’s seal. Ultimately, Yuan displays that he still cares for Kratos as a friend, because when Kratos plans to die after fighting Lloyd, Kate doesn’t have to ask Yuan twice to save him. He claims that he can’t afford to let Kratos look cool all by himself (their weird competition…) and will not let him die without a fight. Yuan risks his own life to save Kratos by giving him some of his body’s mana, so their relationship has come a long way from hatred at the enemy line. Even after Kratos goes to Derris-Kharlan, never to come back to Sylvarant or Tethe’alla, he remains in contact with Yuan and they exchange information. When Derris-Kharlan gets to the point where Kratos can no longer make contact with Yuan, they both say farewell, calling the other “my friend.”

NOISHE: Kratos finds Noishe injured while traveling with Mithos, Martel and Yuan, and has tried to look out for him since then. Lloyd notices that Noishe seems to have taken a liking to Kratos, as his kind behavior is oddly strange since he doesn’t normally like strangers. Noishe remembers Kratos from the past and is happy to be reunited with his old friend again. He even worries for Kratos when they are in the desert, making noises to show he was distressed that Kratos hadn’t had any water the whole time they were walking. Noishe is another relationship that Kratos feels guilty about, because he doesn’t want to make him lonely. Lloyd often finds him sneaking out of the inn at night to talk to Noishe, usually about looking after Lloyd (though he doesn’t know that). At one point he apologizes to him, saying he’ll evolve again, but he may not be at his side. Kratos made him lonely in the past by disappearing when he thought Lloyd was dead, and he doesn’t want to do that again so he entrusts him to Lloyd. He knows that his son will always be with Noishe and protect him in his place, so he asks Noishe to keep looking out for him. Though Noishe isn’t human and Kratos shows no signs of actually understanding him, he still treats him as one of his dear friends and companions.

b a c k   .   c l e a r   .   f o r w a r d    Count the Stars and its contents are © Samantha, however Kratos and Tales of Symphonia are © NAMCO. Count the Stars is a part of AFTER-DEATH.ORG.