The latest God of War has been out for a few months now, and while Santa Monica Studios has no plans for post-launch content, rumors already abound that they are starting work on God of War 5. Cory Barlog once said that fans wouldn’t have to wait so long for the next God of War; developing the latest title required a great deal of work creating code, engines, and so forth. That work won’t need to be done for the next installment.
God of War managed to tell an extremely strong story with a relatively small cast of characters; although it had fewer major boss-fights than some previous games, the core characters were more developed and interesting, on the whole. With that in mind, what are some of the characters from Norse myth would we like to see in God of War 5 as the cast begins to expand?
1. Freyr
An obvious first choice; the Vanir god Freyr was mentioned in passing in God of War but didn’t appear. According to notes in Alfheim, the Light Elves are in search of him, as he has gone missing. Freyr is the twin brother of Freyja, who at the end of the latest game is set on getting revenge upon Kratos and Atreus. However, as an enemy of the Aesir, it’s easy to imagine Freyr in the role of an enemy or an ally.
Freyr also owns a veritable treasure trove of magic artefacts; his magical sword Sumarbrandr was capable of swinging itself, and could make for an interesting character in its own right. (In myth, Freyr lost the sword and went into Ragnarok armed with a tree branch.) He also owned Skidbladnir, a magical ship that can fold up to fit in one’s pocket, and he rode upon Gullinbursti; a magic boar made by Brokk and Sindri whose bristles glowed in the dark. Freyr could easily fit into the story thus far thanks to his ties to Freyja, and he’s certainly one of the most extravagant characters in Norse myth.
2. Heimdallr
Thor and Odin have clearly been confirmed for the current Norse story arc. Indeed, Thor is almost guaranteed to appear in God of War 5; thus, there’s no great need to list them here. Instead, another major Aesir who could appear in God of War 5 is Heimdallr. The watchman who guards the Bifrost bridge, the entrance to Asgard; Heimdallr could well face Kratos as a boss who he must defeat to gain access to the Aesir stronghold.
Another important aspect of Heimdallr is that he carries the Gjallarhorn, the horn which will signal the start of Ragnarok. Given that God of War’s story strongly hinted at the impending start of Ragnarok, the horn could become a major plot device. Perhaps the most important part of Heimdallr’s potential inclusion, however, is the role he is foretold to play in Ragnarok; Heimdallr and Loki are said to kill each other during the apocalyptic battle. Given that Atreus was revealed to be Loki at the end of God of War, his fate could become intertwined with that of Asgard’s watchman.
3. Hodr
There are plenty of gods and giants in Norse myth with great strength or power. Hodr might not number among them, but he could nonetheless be a very interesting addition to God of War 5. This blind god is the son of Odin, and the twin brother of Baldur. In myth, Hodr was tricked into killing Baldur by Loki, who gave him a mistletoe arrow to shoot him with. Given the events of God of War, clearly that part of the myth never came to pass. As a result, Hodr is unlikely to be killed by Vali in revenge for the act, leaving him free to appear in God of War 5.
Santa Monica Studios tends to do an excellent job envisioning characters, even when there isn’t much recorded in myth to go on. While Hodr might not be the most powerful god in the original stories, the blind god could well come after Kratos and attempt to avenge his brother. Given how the developers envisioned Baldur, Hodr could receive just as impressive a re-imagining.
4. Kvasir
Once again, Kvasir isn’t necessarily a very powerful being in Norse myth. Like Mimir, however, his strength comes from wisdom. Kvasir was born from the saliva of the Aesir and Vanir, a mystical being who spread wisdom and knowledge wherever he traveled. Eventually, he was killed by two dwarves who turned his blood into the Mead of Poetry, which later came into the possession of Odin. Either Kvasir, or the Mead, could be an interesting character to appear in God of War 5, especially as a counter to Mimir assisting the Aesir.
Where Kvasir could well fit into the story is his involvement with Loki. In myth, when the gods discovered that Loki was responsible for the death of Baldur, they set out to catch and punish him. Ultimately, it was Kvasir who saw through Loki’s trickery and instructed the Aesir on how to catch him. Given that Loki (Atreus) was responsible for the death of Baldur, albeit indirectly, in God of War; Kvasir could well help Odin catch him once again.
5. Thrud
Two main characters in the most recent God of War were Magni and Modi, the sons of Thor. These two met their ends at the hands of Kratos and Atreus, and their father appeared to be coming for revenge in a hidden post-ending cut-scene. There is one other member of their family, however, who was briefly mentioned during the game. At one point, Mimir states that Thor has two sons; Magni and Modi, and a daughter, but he is cut off before he can name Thrud.
Thrud is the daughter of Thor and Sif, and in some myths, she may also have been a valkyrie. Very little else is known about her. However, as the daughter of Thor, it’s easy to imagine her as a powerful warrior or Norse-style shield-maiden. Santa Monica Studios did an excellent job depicting Magni and Modi; their vengeful sister could well be an interesting secondary antagonist in God of War 5.