Norse Mythology Tells Us What’s Coming for God of War

Currently, many fans have completed the Midgard expedition with Kratos and Atreus and they are wondering what will happen next. God Of War follows Norse mythology very closely, and this article will give everyone a good understanding of Norse mythology as well as what you can expect in the next God of War games.

But first, this article will talk about the events that take place at the end of the game, so if you still haven’t finished God of War, go back to Midgard and complete this quest. This is one of the best games of the year, so we don’t want to be ‘spoiled’ at all.

Atreus and Loki

At the end of the game, we learn that Faye wanted to name Atreus Loki. Thanks to Marvel, a lot of people already know the god of Selection, but this character plays a more important role in Norse lore. Loki is the son of the giant Laufey (Faye). Loki is also the father of three characters: Hel, Fenrir, and Jörmungandr (aka World Serpent). If true to the myth, Atreus is the father of the World Serpent.

While this information has not been officially confirmed in the world of God of War, the team at Sony Santa Monica are currently still very loyal to Norse mythology. According to Mimir, the World Serpent was sent back in time during the Ragnarok event to return to the time in the game. Jörmungandr said Atreus was quite familiar with him, but the World Serpent did not say that the relationship was father and son.

We also need to note that Fenrir is not yet available. Fenrir is a giant werewolf, son of Loki, who is said to grow large enough to swallow his face. Fenrir is an important character in Ragnarok, as he is the one who will kill Odin. We don’t know if Fenrir has a connection yet, or if the character hasn’t been born yet – that would confirm Jörmungandr’s time travel. However, mythology shows that Fenrir is the father of Sköll and Hati, two characters present in the legends of God of War. Let’s wait and see if this giant wolf will appear when Atreus becomes old.

Hel hasn’t shown up either, or at least we haven’t seen her yet. Helheim and Helwalker are both present, but since the goddess and the area are named the same, it confuses us a bit. Assuming that if Hel hadn’t been born yet, she would have played a big part in the downfall of the gods.

Thor and Odin

If you’ve returned home after scattering Faye’s ashes, you’ve probably found the game’s secret ending – Thor appears years after the events of the game. Kratos and Atreus could face the thunder god in the sequel. Mimir briefly talks about how Jörmungandr and Thor will fight and kill each other during the events of Ragnarok, but Mimir also mentions that the battle became so intense that it destroyed part of Yggdrasil and brought Jörmungandr back too past before the character was born. The question is: will Kratos kill Thor, or will Jörmungandr do it? Perhaps the battle between Jörmungandr and Thor will send the Midgard Serpent back in time, leaving Kratos or Atreus to finish the job. Modi and Magni are known to survive Ragnarok and inherit Mjolnir. We know that Magni is dead, and we also assume Modi is dead – however, we don’t have information to confirm this yet.

Odin, the supreme god, is discussed a lot in the events of God of War, but we have never seen this character. Odin is depicted as in myth. Odin is a man who always wants knowledge and power, who will go to any lengths to get what he wants. Odin achieved it by lying, conspiring, and deceiving those he felt needed. However, Odin still hasn’t removed his intellectual eye in God of War, Mimir mentions that Odin sacrificed himself for self in the Yggdrasil tree to gain magical power.

Overall, Odin is the Norse god of war – along with Tyr, the god of justice. Odin is the god who rules over the gods, and all fight for him. Odin foresaw the events of Ragnarok. However, despite knowing how things would turn out, he continued his role to make the event happen, including banishing Hel and binding Fenrir. Kratos will no doubt confront the ruling godÆsir soon, possibly in the land of Asgard.

Ragnarok

In Norse mythology, Baldur’s death marks the beginning of the fear of the end. With the arrival of Fimbulwinter (frozen winter), it means that the disaster of Ragnarok is near. Ragnarok marks the end of all things, including many gods. If you’ve heard Mimir and Atreus talk, or if you’ve found the right lore markers, you’ll have heard mentions of some horrible event. It was a disaster, when death rose, the fallen gods and Surtr rose from Musppelheim to pour fire on the world. If you’ve been to Muspelheim, you’ve seen Surtr’s sword, and Astreus will hear Surtr speak. If you go with Mimir, he also tells you about Surtr’s fire which cleanses the world to start a new one.

According to the mythology of the God of War game, Baldur will once again come to life in Ragnarok, and will be one of the surviving gods. Freya is predicted to also survive, so perhaps Kratos and Freya will not confront each other – or at least kill each other – despite her threats after her son’s death. If the God of War sequel takes place in Ragnarok, it’s bound to be chaotic. The gods were forced to confront the fire giant Surtr, the World Serpent, Hel’s army, and Loki himself. It was understandable if Atreus led the army against Æsir, especially since Atreus was the father of the World Serpent, Hel and Fenrir.

Prophecy to decipher

At the end of God of War, Kratos and Atreus travel to Jötunheim to scatter Faye’s ashes. While there, the two discover a prophecy that tells the story of Atreus. Hidden behind the rug is an image of Atreus embracing Kratos (or looking like Kratos), with Norse runes.

When the runes are translated (temporary translation), the final part is about the transfer of power (snake-like tubes connecting Atreus and Kratos). It also refers to the sacrifice to evolution, perhaps Kratos dying and giving his power to Atreus, so that he can have the power of a god. Kratos also mentions, after his battle with Baldur, that he allowed Atreus to kill Kratos if it helped him survive. They completely matched what the runes combined. Perhaps Atreus will continue the God of War series if Kratos dies in one of the sequels.

Norse myths are very vivid. God of War players heard each story through Mimir and lore markers. But given Midgard’s bleak future, Norse mythology has plenty of hints for us to predict what will happen to Kratos and Atreus in the future.

Source: gamerant