Hope is the Most Powerful Weapon in the World
The Power of Hope and a positive mindset is often mocked in popular western media. So much so, that is can be considered the equivalent to the “Power of Friendship” trope often found in Japanese anime.
But, what if the desire to hope for a better situation, and in turn future – were really within your own grasp?
And all you had to do was believe, in order to recieve what you truly envisioned as the best possible outcomes in your life?
The Power of Hope in God of War 3
At the end of God of War 3, the Goddess Athena reveals herself to be the true power behind Kratos’ ascension into Godhood. In an attempt to manipulate him one last time, Athena reveals that she placed a weapon powerful enough to kill Zeus in Pandora’s Box.
When the evils of the world were released and consumed the gods with (even more) negative emotions and feelings like grief, paranoia, and doubt – the ultimate weapon of hope was nestled gently alongside those makers of chaos.
Kratos, believing the box to be empty – tells Athena that he did not find hope. Athena later reveals that hope was with Kratos the entire time during his journey of vengeance against the gods.
Upon hearing this, Kratos has a moment of introspection and realizes that he unlocked this ultimate power with the death of Pandora – a young woman who reminded him of his late daughter, Calliope.
Realizing what he must do to stop the cycle and tyranny of the Greek Pantheon of the God’s, Kratos sacrifices himself – thus releasing the power of hope back into their ruined world, and motivating the desire to rebuild within people’s hearts.
It is said that the people used this power of hope to rebuild the world in an image where they no longer rely on the gods. This makes me wonder whether or not this take is a brief reflection of our own world today, and our unique abilities that can sometimes even supercede the old gods of myth and legend.
Sustaining Hope in God of War: Ragnarok
Wandering aimlessly for a time (possibly centuries) before his future wife the Giantess Faye quite literally pulls Kratos into the Norse Realm to interact with the gods of that dominion.
Settling down from his aggressive past, Kratos leaves his anger behind and “cools off” in this icy realm. Things remain quiet until the inciting incident of his wife’s death and the clue to what her life path foretold spurs Kratos to take up his mantle once more in an effort to save his BOY Atreus from the wrath of the Norse gods and their megalomaniac all-father, Odin.
Once the realm is freed from its chaos and the real Tyr is discovered and released from his captivity, Kratos learns that he indeed did return the power of hope to the Norse realms, as well as (a ruined) Greece.
Despite his sacrifice atop the mountains I’m Greece, hope stayed with Kratos and guided Kratos’ actions the entire time – even if it wasn’t apparent in that current moment in his life.
Once Kratos discovers his life purpose mapped out by the giants and aided by Faye, Kratos decides (just like Tyr) to be reborn from a God of War to a God of Peace, or rather the new God of Hope beloved and worshipped by the people of that realm.
Lord Morpheus Finds Hope in Hell
After a century and five years stuck in captivity alone with his own thoughts, Dream Lord Onieros ventures into the depths of hell to reclaim his helm which was traded to the demon Choronzon for the Amulet of Protection by Roderick Burgess’ mistress Ethel Cripps.
Upon entering their dominion, Dream is challenged to a visualization duel by Lucifer Morningstar, upon which the manifestations conjured can injure the user greatly. The two battle for a time – one portrays a direwolf, the other portrays a Hunter, then an asp, and so forth until both parties reach cosmic portions in their manifestations.
Dream imagines that he is a universe, all encompassing and symbolic of life. Lucifer imagined themselves to be a supernova – a being or force with the strong energy of anti-life and anti-creation, completely shadowing Dreams created world in darkness.
After a pep talk with his new bird and helper Matthew the Raven, Dream decides to propose a radical embodiment when faced with Lucifer’s callous taunts of what defeats the anti-life, by using the power of hope.
Saying this takes Lucifer aback, as a soft golden light bathes both parties in its embrace. Dream then wins the match and his helm back, as Lucifer – the most powerful fallen angel in our world – cannot figure out what is more powerful than hope.
Hope and Destiny in Avatar the Last Airbender
“You know, Prince Zuko, destiny is a funny thing. You never know how things are going to work out. But if you keep an open mind and an open heart, I promise you will find your own destiny someday.”- Uncle Iroh, Avatar the Last Airbender.
The theme of hope when all else seems lost remains a prevalent theme in Nickelodeon’s Avatar: the Last Airbender. There is even an ongoing joke within the fandom that through Katara’s “hopebending” she became a master waterbender and helped Aang defeat the firelord in her own right.
Uncle Iroh is another character that embodies hope. Often giving great advice and making even better tea (which carries over in The Legend of Korra) Iroh often gives characters like Zuko, Toph, and even Avatar Aang inspiration and hope.
When searching for Zuko and Katara when the pair were kidnapped by Dai Li agents in Ba Sing Se, Iroh remarks to Aang that sometimes, life can seem like the dark path the two were traveling on.
But if one keeps an open mind and continues on, they often arrive at a better place.
Aang is also specifically given hope while escorting a refugee family through The Serpent’s Pass in route to Ba Sing Se with the Kyoshi Warrior Suki.
The pregnant woman of the group delivers her baby and decides to name her baby “hope” after Avatar Aang expresses his joy at witnessing the birth of new life after the upset of having his flying sky bison Appa stolen by sandbenders.
The Etymology of the Word Hope
A word of unknown origin, etymology online cites hope as “a wish”, a “desire” that things or discrepancies in life will often work themselves out one way or another, as long as you have faith and the positive mindset required alongside it to make the manifestation happen.
While seeming insignificant and weak, time and time again popular media, legends, and strange tales have all championed hope as the strongest weapon humanity possesses. Not only that, but the importance of simply believing that things can get better, and remaining positive can quite literally change your reality from one of chaos to peace.
So, what are you waiting for?
What can you visualize today that will make you more hopeful for the future tomorrow?
Are there any tv shows, movies, or video games that you can think of that inspired you to “hope” when it felt like all was lost?
Let me know your thoughts, leave them in the comment section below! And follow us for more entries into The War in Heaven series on the blog and over on YouTube!
Until next time : ~
“This world is a shadow of the real one”.
❂ Stories From the New World