2018’s God of War gave the franchise a soft-reboot that saw Kratos take on some of the gods of Norse mythology, having destroyed the Greek pantheon in the previous trilogy. As such, many fans are expecting Odin to be the final boss of the sequel, which promises that “Ragnarok is coming.”
However, unlike Zeus in God of War 3, there are some good reasons that Odin may not be the final boss of the next God of War at all. Here are some of the reasons Odin may be out of the picture earlier than expected, and some of the other characters who might step up for the next God of War’s final showdown.
Odin's Fate
In the original God of War trilogy, there is a prophecy that claims that a Marked Warrior will destroy the Hellenic gods of Olympus. In God of War 2, this prophecy, combined with the paranoia released from Pandora’s Box, causes Zeus to try to kill Kratos, ironically ultimately causing the doom of the Greek gods when Kratos survives and comes back for revenge.
Odin’s fate, however, is part of a very different prophecy. In Ragnarok, Odin is destined to be eaten by the giant wolf Fenrir, who will break free of the chain made to bind him.
The image of Odin being swallowed by the wolf is one of the most important moments in the destruction of the Norse gods, and Mimir makes reference to Fenrir in God of War 2018, which confirms the presence of the great wolf in the game’s universe.
While it’s likely that Odin will be involved in some of the boss fights in the next God of War, it’s also ultimately likely that he will still ultimately be eaten by Fenrir instead of killed by Kratos and Atreus. In one sense, there may still be a connection: Atreus is revealed to be Loki at the end of the last game, and in the myths, Fenrir is Loki’s child, which may be reworked in some way to fit the game’s timeline.
However, if Odin isn’t the last boss of God of War’s Ragnarok sequel, it begs the question of which character Santa Monica Studio will ultimately pick for the player to face down as the Twilight of the Gods engulfs the Nine Realms of Norse mythology.
Other Possible Final Bosses
It’s possible that Baldur himself will return. In some versions of the prophecy, Baldur is resurrected after Ragnarok. However, fans may be more interested to see other characters take center stage, and the deaths of Magni and Modi in the first game – who survive in the Ragnarok myth – suggests that God of War may not be setting up the same gods to survive Ragnarok as the mythology.
Thor is another possibility. He is the most famous of the Norse gods in popular culture, he appears in Atreus’ vision in God of War 2018’s secret ending, and his lightning powers are reminiscent of Zeus. However, Thor and the World Serpent are fated to mutually mortally wound each other during Ragnarok’s final battle.
The Jotunheim mural’s final panel at the end of God of War hints that perhaps the next game’s final battle could be between Kratos and Loki himself. The panel shows Atreus cradling what looks like the now unmarked body of Kratos, though this may suggest the cycle of familial violence that has dominated the story of God of War has finally been broken. Whoever the final boss of God of War’s Ragnarok sequel is, it could be far less predictable than Zeus’ role as the final antagonist in God of War 3.
The God of War sequel is in development.