One of the most anticipated upcoming PlayStation titles is God of War Ragnarok, the sequel to the highly successful God of War (2018). Although there has been very little information revealed about God of War Ragnarok, the ending of 2018's God of War has Freya cursing Kratos after he kills her son, Baldur. It has since been revealed that Freya and Thor will be the main antagonists that Kratos and his son Atreus will be going up against next.
Although Freya may stand in Kratos's path, there is reason to believe that the game will not set out to depict her as an irredeemable villain. Freya is a fierce woman who possesses an awesome amount of power. However, she is also someone that has had a lifetime of suffering and mistakes. God of War has been a franchise willing to offer a sympathetic portrayal of a character as brutish as Kratos, so it's fair to expect Freya may receive a similar treatment.
Freya in God of War
In 2018's God of War, Freya is initially introduced as a strange yet helpful companion. The first time she appears, she is portrayed as a protector of nature, rushing to the care of a boar that was just injured by Atreus. Sensing her kind nature, Atreus instantly takes a liking to her, while Kratos remains cautious. However, it becomes apparent that Freya means no harm. Instead of attacking Kratos, she instead warns him that he ought to tell his son that he is a descendent of the gods. Stubbornly, Kratos refuses to heed her advice.
As Kratos and Atreus continue their journey to scatter Faye's ashes at the highest peak of the nine realms, they occasionally cross paths with Freya who assists them. She is especially useful to the duo when Atreus falls ill. She tells Kratos where to find the ingredients to make a cure for Atreus. Kratos, who is brave enough to travel to the icy depths of Helheim, retrieves the ingredients and hands them to Freya, who makes a cure for Atreus and saves his life.
The relationship between Kratos and Freya grows sour thanks to Baldur. In a desperate attempt to protect her child, Freya had cast a curse on Baldur that protects him from needless deaths, while preventing him from feeling all physical sensations. Instead of gratitude, Baldur experiences rage towards his mother for robbing him of his ability to feel. He is overcome by a murderous desire to seek vengeance against his mother. Realizing that Baldur will not control his rage and resentment, Kratos and Atreus battle it out with Baldur, eventually killing him in front of Freya.
Freya is far from grateful that Kratos saved her life. She loves her son so much that she prefers to die than to see him suffer. Hence, in her eyes, Kratos is nothing but a violent brute who has killed her son. It seems God of War: Ragnarok will see this new feud continue.
Is Freya God of War's Main Villain?
There is a good argument to be made that Freya has been the main villain all along. Her attempt to make Baldur invincible is a classic attempt at overprotective parenting. Much like in real life, though the intentions may have been good, such an approach invariably leads to more harm than good. Freya may have shielded Baldur from some dangers, but she had also created a monster who knows no boundaries, and would've stopped at nothing to get what he wants.
Weaknesses in her parenting are also apparent when one analyzes how much bad behavior she enables from Baldur. Her love for her son blinds her to his faults, to the point where Freya is willing to allow Baldur to kill her if it will satisfy his trivial lust for revenge. In doing so, Freya continually communicates to Baldur that resorting to violence to solve all his problems is permissible.
Although she has many flaws, it is not easy to entirely write Freya off as a wholly evil villain. She is presented as a complex character capable of displaying both kindness and cruelty. She helps Kratos and Atreus several times, expecting nothing in return. Her love for nature is genuine, and she is wise.
Most importantly, when Freya curses Kratos and vows revenge against him, it is obvious that she is doing so because her heart is filled with pain and grief over the loss of her son. She saw Kratos kill Baldur with his bare hands, and so he is simply the easiest person to blame and direct her anger towards. Though this may not absolve her of all wrongdoing, it certainly does help to put her actions into context.
Will Freya Find Redemption in God of War: Ragnarok?
Though it may not appear so on the surface, there are plenty of similarities between Freya and Kratos. Both Freya and Kratos hide a huge secret from their children: Kratos does not tell Atreus that he is a descendent of the gods. Similarly, Freya does not tell Baldur that the cure for his invulnerability is mistletoe. Both characters do so out of love for their children, however despite their best intentions, their deceit has negative consequences.
Kratos, though he has made many mistakes, is given a redemption story. Through Kratos's relationship with Atreus, he learns that a tight fist is not the solution to all problems. Becoming a father to Atreus turns him from a rage-filled warrior to a measured man who understands the errors of his past. He discovers how to control his murderous rage and stop the cycle of patricide that has haunted the gods for generations through becoming a father.
If Kratos, despite all his evil deeds, is allowed a redemption arc, why not Freya? Though Freya has made many mistakes, God of War has gone out of its way to make her a relatable character whose actions can always be understood from a human perspective. Though it is possible to criticize her actions, it is also equally possible to understand how a mother would want to do everything in her power to protect her son. While it is true that Kratos was protecting Freya when he killed Baldur, one can understand why Freya would still feel resentment towards Kratos.
A lot of time was spent crafting Freya into an emotionally complex character. It would be a pity to build so much empathy between players and a character just to have her used as a typical villain in the sequel. Whatever God of War: Ragnarok brings, it is likely that Kratos and Freya will be crossing paths frequently. Hopefully, that will allow them to see eye to eye and finally look past their differences. If not, here's hoping Kratos comes out on top.
God of War: Ragnarok is scheduled to release on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in 2022.