>>718376018
Baldur went to fight Kratos because he was crazy and itching to pick a fight. He didn't expect Kratos to do him in.
Ragnarok says that Odin send Baldur to hunt Faye and that Baldur mistook Kratos for Faye (as in her role as a Guardian) but in the first game Baldur is confused who Kratos is and goes to ask Mimir about him.
Ragnarok says Odin tricked Baldur by saying the Guardian holds the secret to lifting Baldur's curse but in the final fight in the first game Baldur is genuinely surprised when his curse is lifted and thanks Kratos for it before resuming the fight. That's not the reaction of someone who was tasked by Odin to hunt down someone specifically for the curse's cure (which is according to Ragnarok what Odin told Baldur).
Also when Kratos finally beats Baldur and snaps his neck Baldur is confused why didn't Kratos just leave since their mutual beef was over. Doesn't sound like someone on a mission from Odin specifically to capture them.
The pretty obvious reading of the first game is that Gods attract one another. Baldur stumbled upon Kratos by accident looking for something else and FAFOd.
Ragnarok changes this to Odin's elaborate plan because otherwise the entire first game is Freya's fault and Baldur naturally went crazy from his curse. But Ragnarok is all like nah it's Odin who told Baldur to do all these things it's totally not Freya's fault for cursing her son she dindu nuffin!