Please Note: This article contains MAJOR spoilers for God of War Ragnarok. Proceed at your own risk.God of War Ragnarok introduces many new faces in the Norse saga, including many allies that eventually help Kratos and Atreus defeat Odin’s forces in Asgard. One of the most memorable of these characters is Thrud, the daughter of Thor and Sif, who helps Atreus when he first arrives at Asgard and following a few bumps turns into one of his most trusted allies. While God of War Ragnarok’s portrayal of Thrud is well executed, her role in mythology is very different.
Being the daughter of Thor, Thrud possess a lot of the same powers as her father including the ability to control lightning and his godly strength. Throughout the game, she plays the role of a daughter that simply wants her father to be released from the clutches of Odin and focus more of his attention on her and her mother. Her relationship with her father is one of the few things that finally convinces Thor to turn against Odin during the final battle in God of War Ragnarok.
Thrud in Mythology
In mythology, Thrud is regarded as a gentle goddess who possesses the strength of her father, Thor, along with a kind nature. She is worshiped as the goddess of willows, trees, flowers, and grass and has many unique abilities such as time travel, reading dreams, and telling fortunes, making her a formidable warrior. Like in God of War, she yearns to be a Valkyrie and is one of the gods that survive the events of Ragnarok, helping rebuild the nine realms and bring about a new age for mankind.
Thrud is often overlooked in mythology partly due to the fact that she does not play a vital role in Ragnarok and partly because she is overshadowed by her father. Her ideals and nature make her a Valkyrie that does not simply lash out at souls, rather she carries the souls to the afterlife peacefully. While there are few stories of Thrud in mythology, she was still regarded as an important goddess, especially to women, and was often used as a role model of what a great warrior should be.
Thrud in God of War Ragnarok
In God of War Ragnarok, Thrud is first seen in Asgard after Atreus arrives, and the two quickly become friends, with Thrud even sharing her goal of becoming a Valkyrie. Thrud is equipped with two blades that she can infuse with lightning to deal tremendous amounts of damage to her foes. She also acts as a companion to Atreus when the pair travel to Helheim in search of a piece of the mask that Odin is desperate to make whole in order to prevent Ragnarok.
Following their mission in Helheim, Thrud distances herself from Atreus and vows to continue to serve the All-Father in the hopes that it will fix her relationship with Thor. However, during the scene where Thor starts drinking once more, she reveals her true self, a caring and loving daughter, who is willing to do whatever is necessary for her family. After the death of her father, Thrud mentions that she will start looking for something, which is later revealed to be Mjolnir that was thrown away by Odin after he killed Thor.
Both in mythology and God of War Ragnarok, Thrud is a lovable character that uses her kind nature and her undying spirit to help her family in any way possible. Her relationship with Thor shows what Kratos and Atreus’ relationship could have been like had the two not reconciled and accepted everything that happened in 2018’s God of War. While her presence in a potential future game is unlikely, having her return in a God of War game with Atreus as the main character would be welcomed by fans.
God of War Ragnarok is available now on PS4 and PS5.