Freyr was only mentioned a handful of times in God of War, and never actually made an appearance. Although a seemingly minor figure, his role in future installments could be very important as his twin sister, Freyja, is a major character. His fate is also intertwined with the events of Ragnarok.
(The following article includes discussion of spoilers for God of War’s story. Proceed at your own risk.)
The Lord of Alfheim
Freyr is one of the Vanir, long-time enemies of the Aesir in God of War. His father is Njord and his twin sister is Freyja, who married Odin to end the Aesir-Vanir War and who is encountered by Kratos and Atreus living in exile in Midgard. Freyr himself is only mentioned a few times in the game, so it’s unknown what his relationship with Freyja is like. Freyja mentions being viewed (perhaps unjustly) as a traitor by the Vanir, and is cursed to remain in Midgard so that she cannot set things right.
Freyr is strongly associated with the realm of Alfheim. In myth, he was gifted Alfheim as a teething present, and Mimir mentions that he has a long history with the Light Elves, who call him “Lord Freyr”. In Alfheim, you can find a note in Freyr’s temple which was left by the elves; it states that Freyr has gone missing, and that they’ve set out in search of him. The note mentions Freyr sending the “sword of legend” to help them, but it hasn’t arrived.
This could be an important point indeed if the sword Sumarbrandr is lost somewhere in the nine realms. Some of the Light Elves think that Freyr returned to Vanaheim. Others believe that he is a prisoner in Asgard. If Freyr is a prisoner of Odin, it’s possible that he could use Freyr’s life as leverage to control Freyja, though she could attempt to rejoin the Aesir anyway so as to get revenge on Kratos for the death of Baldur.
The Treasures of Freyr
Freyr has a number of magical treasures in Norse mythology. The first of these is the ship Skidbladnir, said to be the finest ship ever built. It was built by Brok and Sindri, and is said to be big enough for all the gods to travel upon, but can be folded up so small as to fit into the owner’s pocket. Freyr also rode upon a magic boar.
In myth, Loki bet his own head with Brok and Sindri that they couldn’t make items to match Skidbladnir, Sif’s hair, and Odin’s spear Gungnir. Together, the dwarves made Gullinbursti; a boar whose bristles glowed in the dark. Legend says that Freyr rode Gullinbursti at Baldur’s funeral. The most fateful treasure owned by Freyr, however, was his magic sword Sumarbrandr. This sword could fight on its own so long as the wielder knew how to control it. In myth, Freyr gave Sumarbrandr up to marry the giantess Gerdr.
Freyr’s Role in Ragnarok
Although Freyr once slew the giant Beli with nothing but an antler, giving away his sword will prove to be his undoing. When Ragnarok begins, the Lord of Alfheim will face Surtr, the lord of the fire giants of Muspelheim. Without Sumarbrandr, Freyr is doomed to die, and Surtr will engulf the world in fire. God of War ended with the beginning of Fimbulwinter, the three-year-long winter that precedes Ragnarok. As such, Freyr is quite likely to feature in the next installment. Perhaps Kratos and Atreus will discover Sumarbrandr somewhere in the realms, or become entangled in Freyr’s impending conflict with Surtr.
