PLEASE NOTE: This article contains MASSIVE Spoilers for God of War Ragnarok. Proceed at your own risk.In the years that have led up to God of War Ragnarok's release, there has been plenty of time for fans to get excited by Thor's promised appearance. Teased at the end of God of War 2018, Thor was a certainty for the sequel, and though fans didn't have much to go on, the hype was real, with god boss battles being some of the highlights of the first game. While fans were expecting huge spectacle fights with the God of Thunder, they probably weren't expecting God of War Ragnarok's Thor to be such a sympathetic villain.

After a brief introductory chase sequence, God of War Ragnarok hits the ground running, introducing Thor and his threatening father Odin within the first 30 minutes. After a brutal boss fight, Thor takes his leave, claiming that he's collected his blood repayment for Kratos killing his sons. Over the course of the next 25 or so hours, players will learn that there's a lot more to Thor than meets the eye, and the character may actually be the game's most sympathetic villain, even beating out fan-favorite character Freya.

RELATED: God of War Ragnarok’s Combat Arenas Make Each Encounter Dynamic

God of War Ragnarok's Freya is a Sympathetic Villain

Freya hugs her brother in God of War Ragnarok

First things first, it's important to state that Freya is a very sympathetic character. In God of War 2018, it's revealed that Freya is a Vanir god who, to stop the war between her people and Aesir gods, agreed to marry Odin. Despite promising to keep the peace, Odin wages war with the Vanir gods regardless, slaughtering many and keeping Freya captive. Freya eventually gives birth to Baldur, a son who she casts a protective spell on. Unfortunately, this protective spell does make Baldur invulnerable, but it also means that he can't feel anything, leading him to resent his mother.

After trying to kill Kratos and Atreus repeatedly, Baldur confronts his mother, who is helping them. Kratos and Atreus engage him in combat, and his protective barrier is broken by Atreus' Mistletoe arrow. Baldur attempts to strangle Freya, and despite her pleads to Kratos to not intervene, the former God of War does, snapping Baldur's neck. Set three years later, God of War Ragnarok begins with Freya hunting down Kratos, trying to enact revenge for killing her son.

While Freya's struggle is a sympathetic one, she's not completely in the right. Though she loved her son deeply, it was her selfish actions that lead to her son being unable to feel, which caused a tremendous amount of emotional turmoil for Baldur. And though Kratos did kill her son, he did so solely to protect Freya, with no ulterior, sinister motive.

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

God of War Ragnarok's Thor May Be The Most Sympathetic Character in the Game

God of War: Ragnarok Kratos fighting Thor

On the other hand, God of War Ragnarok's Thor is an incredibly sympathetic character. Though his first appearance in the game would lead players to believe that he's simply a brutish lapdog of Odin's, the more players see of Thor, the more tragic his tale gets. When Atreus arrives in Asgard, he spends quite a bit of time with Thor and his daughter Thrud. During this time, it's clear that Thor isn't respected by his peers, and he's seen as little more than just a hammer that Odin throws at all of his problems. Throughout the game, the player sees just how poorly Thor is treated by his own father, being repeatedly told that he's worthless and that he's incapable of having his own thoughts. Thor is also degraded publicly by his father, with a prime example being when Odin remarks that he prefers Thor when he's drunk.

While these comments don't seem to immediately affect Thor, it becomes evident that his father's behavior and his current position in life are making him feel depressed. In one pivotal moment of God of War Ragnarok, Atreus and Thrud find Thor drinking in an Asgardian tavern. It's immediately clear that he's being heavily affected by everything happening and is drinking to ignore those problems. The scene only gets more tragic when Thrud exclaims that she can't believe he's doing this again, implying that her father has severe alcohol issues that have affected her and the rest of the family.

After Thrud pleads with her father and reminds him that his family is there for him, he has a moment of clarity, realizing the helplessness of his situation and realizing that he's lost his sons and is pushing away the rest of his family. So while Freya is certainly a sympathetic villain, God of War Ragnarok's Thor may just be the most sympathetic character in the game, with complex issues that aren't a result of his own actions.

The final cherry on the sympathetic Thor cake is how this character's story ends. During the final battle of God of War Ragnarok, Thor faces off against Kratos once again, but this time it's to protect his daughter, who he doesn't know is actually helping Atreus and his father. After a brutal battle, Kratos finally incapacitates Thor, stabbing him in the hand with Faye's knife. Still infuriated and in the heat of battle, Thor screams at Kratos to finish the job, but Kratos refuses, saying that for the sake of their children they must "be better." Right then, Odin appears, asking Thor why he hasn't killed Kratos. Finally standing up for himself, his family, and for what's right, Thor throws down Mjolnir, after which Odin stabs him in the chest, killing the God of Thunder, and giving him a truly tragic end.

God of War Ragnarok is available on PS4 and PS5

MORE: God of War Ragnarok: Every Realm (& How to Unlock Them)