Please Note: This article contains MAJOR Spoilers for God of War Ragnarok.

Proceed at your own risk.God of War Ragnarok marks the end of the Norse saga for Kratos and Atreus, and while the series' future remains undecided, fans were glad to get such a stellar and fitting ending. Throughout the first game, there were hints thrown at the great wolves who would assist the father-son duo against Odin and his forces; however, one that remained in the shadows was the mighty wolf Fenrir. Fenrir plays a vital role in mythology, being the reason for Odin’s ultimate death, but his role is greatly reduced in God of War Ragnarok, mainly to allow the final battle to be fought by Kratos and Atreus.

In mythology, Fenrir is the child of Loki and Angrboda, and prior to the events of Ragnarok, he is bound by Odin and the other Aesir out of fear. Once Ragnarok starts, Fenrir is destined to break free of his chains and follow Loki during the assault on Asgard, ultimately swallowing Odin and ending the All-Father’s reign. In God of War Ragnarok, however, Fenrir is one of the wolves being looked after by Kratos and Atreus who dies at the start of the game, but is ultimately saved when Atreus uses a Jotnar spell to bind his soul, first to his dagger, and then into another great wolf, Garm.

RELATED: God of War Ragnarok's Companions Have One Huge Drawback

Fenrir in Mythology

Tyr and fenrir

As the son of Loki and the giantess Angrboda, Fenrir is actually the brother of the world serpent Jormungand and the Goddess of the Norse underworld, Hel. After discovering him, all the Aesir gods promised to raise the wolf alongside Loki in an effort to prevent the wolf from wreaking havoc across all nine realms. Eventually, as Fenrir continued to grow, both in size and threat, he was bound by special chains created by the dwarves, during which time he bit off Tyr’s hand and remained locked away until the onset of Ragnarok.

When Ragnarok begins, Midgard breaks, and from these ruptures emerges a freed Fenrir who begins to rampage across the Nine Realms, seeking out the Aesir that chained him up. He eventually joins Loki and the Jotnar as they begin their onslaught on Asgard where he swallows Odin during the battle. Fenrir is eventually killed by one of Odin’s sons, Vidarr, who tears the wolf apart from his mouth to his tail and the death of the great wolf marks the end of Ragnarok.

Fenrir in God of War Ragnarok

Kratos and Atreus meet Fenrir again in God of War Ragnarok

Fenrir is introduced to the player at the start of the game where he is first spoken about as being extremely sick after Kratos and Atreus escape Freya. When Atreus reaches him, Kratos notices that Fenrir is about to die and Atreus unknowingly binds a part of his soul to his dagger. Later in the game, when Kratos and Atreus are in Hel attempting to stop Garm who is ripping up the nine realms and unleashing Hel’s army into every realm, Atreus binds Fenrir’s soul to Garm’s body.

Following this, Fenrir disappears for much of the game and does not even join the pair as they begin the battle against Asgard. He eventually arrives in Asgard with Angrboda to rescue Kratos, Atreus, and their allies as Ragnarok begins the ultimate destruction of Asgard following the death of Odin. At the end of the game, that Fenrir goes to Ironwood, the Jotnar’s hideaway, with Angrboda.

While Fenrir’s role is greatly reduced in God of War Ragnarok, his importance in mythology should not be belittled. Being one of the three children of Loki and Angrboda, biting off Tyr’s hand, killing the All-Father, and eventually marking the end of Ragnarok are all vital events that shaped the history of mythology. While there has not been any confirmation of future games, many fans hope to see the mighty wolf once more in a God of War Ragnarok spin-off starring Atreus as he begins his quest to find any surviving Jotnar.

God of War Ragnarok is available now for PS4 and PS5.

MORE: Every God of War Game, Ranked