The new faces are Thor, Durlin, Tyr, and Angrboda. With God of War and God of War: Ragnarok drawing such heavy inspirations from Norse mythology, looking to said mythology can give fans key clues about these new faces. Moreso, some of these characters play a huge role in the events of Ragnarok, which suggests they might play large roles in God of War: Ragnarok.

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Thor

Though many know Thor for his depiction in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the God of Thunder in Norse mythology has a long and historied past. God of War: Ragnarok’s new depiction of Thor is making waves online. Odin’s hammer-weilding son is seen as the god of thunder, lightning, strength, and more. With the plot of God of War: Ragnarok presumably centering on the titular events of Ragnarok, Thor will likely play a large roll assuming Santa Monica Studio sticks close to the mythology surrounding the end of the world in Norse mythology. It is believed that Thor will die at Ragnarok, specifically as a result of poison from fighting Jormungandr, The World Serpent. While Thor strikes down The World Serpent, he ultimately succumbs to his wounds.

God of War sets an interesting precedent with its approach to Norse mythology, as in God of War the Front Giants were nowhere to be found once Kratos and Atreus reached Jotunheim. If the prophesy of Ragnarok is to be believed, the Jotnar will wage war at Ragnarok and be a part of the cataclysmic event that will bring about the death of many, including Odin himself. Before God of War, Odin attempted to steal the Front Giants’ knowledge of the future in an attempt to stop Ragnarok, which greatly displeased the Giants.

After Odin fled, the Giants asked Tyr to destroy the travel crystal so no one could travel to Jotunheim, and no Jotnar have been seen in Midgard since - with the exception of Laufey (and technically Atreus and Jormungandr). It’s likely the Giants are still out there, and Thor is often seen as the one who would strike them down, so this may be a major plot point in God of War: Ragnarok, especially since God of War: Ragnarok is the end of the Norse Saga.

Durlin

Durlin’s introduction is the least fleshed out. The literal name “Durlin” does not appear in Norse mythology, but there is a “Durinn” which also is sometimes written as “Dulinn” in other texts. If that is who this mysterious character is, then Durlin is the second dwarf to be created. He is also credited with the creation of the mythical sword Tyrfing alongside another dwarf named Dvalin. Not much is really known about this mysterious character, but it seems players will meet him at some point on their journey to rescue Tyr, who will have huge implications in God of War: Ragnarok’s story.

Tyr

Tyr was mentioned many times in God of War, but until recently he was thought to be dead. In Norse myth, Tyr is one of the sons of Odin, and is often referred to as a god of war - though admittedly several gods in the Norse pantheon have hands at play when it comes to war. Nevertheless, Tyr is regarded as being clever and brave. His most iconic and well-known tale is of when he lost his hand in order to bind the great beast Fenrir using the sink chain Gleipnir. In the trailer for God of War: Ragnarok, Tyr does have both of his hands, so the events with Fenrir may not occured.

In God of War, Tyr is a recurring character in passing. He was regarded as a pacifist, and the ender of wars rather than the one who started them. He stopped the infamous Aesir-Vanir War, and brought peace to the Aesir, Vanir, and Jotnar - though the peace with the Jotnar was short-lived because of Odin’s attempt to steal knowledge. Following Tyr’s plan to seal away the path to Jotunheim to stop Odin from invading, Odin sealed Tyr away and spread false rumors that he was killed, fooling everyone in the Nine Realms. While many on the Internet are having fun adding Tyr into memes, it’s clear he is going to be quite a big deal in the coming game.

Angrboda

The introduction of Angrboda is a huge deal, which one might not expect considering her friendly, young appearance in the trailer. Angrboda is an important figure in Ragnarok, as she is the wife of Loki and mother to their three children: Fenrir, Jormungandr, and Hel. Her name also translates roughly to the ominous “woman of grief.” With her introduction, and the fact that Atreus is Loki despite some key differences in their stories, there are some big questions about the events of God of War: Ragnarok, such as how Atreus and Angrboda meet or whether there will be a time skip to the point where they have their three kids.

Fenrir, Hel, and Jormungandr all play significant roles in Ragnarok, and while Jormungandr is in play thanks to some time travel shenanigans, Fenrir and Hel do not seem to be active players in the universe yet. Fenrir should be bound by Tyr until the time of Ragnarok, which presumably has not happened because Tyr still has his hand. Once Fenrir escapes, he will ultimately be the one to strike down Odin by eating him whole before being slain by one of Odin’s sons. Hel will hold dominion in Helheim until her army of the dead breaches Midgard. If God of War: Ragnarok is sticking close to the mythology, there will have to be some explanation of these two key figures, assuming there isn’t a time skip with Atreus and Angrboda. It will surely be explained as players follow Kratos and Atreus during their single-shot journey through the Nine Realms in God of War: Ragnarok.

God of War: Ragnarok is set to release in 2022 for PS4 and PS5.

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