Top 10 Bosses in God of War Ragnarok

Given Kratos’s history of fighting larger-than-life bosses, we didn’t expect the first boss encounter in the game to be so grounded. While searching for Atreus, Kratos finds evidence of a bear attack and given its proximity to their homestead, seeks to put an end to the creature’s rampage. The bear is unreasonably aggressive and even has the aging God of War against the ropes. Never one to back down from a fight however, Kratos eventually bests the bear, but before delivering the killing blow, the bear transforms into Atreus, revealing one of the young god’s new powers neither he nor Kratos was aware of. Although it’s just a tutorial boss fight, the battle with Bjorn lets players know that nothing going forward will be as it first appears.

Upon returning to their home, the father and son are ambushed by a Valkyrie. Despite Atreus reminding this new Valkyrie that they helped release her sisters from Odin’s curse, his pleas fall of deaf ears as the Valkyrie unleashes her onslaught on the pair, seemingly targeting Kratos in particular. Her aggression and ferocity are unmatched, presenting arguably the first real challenge in the game thus far. Just as the battle seems to be at its end, Kratos’s guard falls as he realizes the Valkyrie is Freya and she immediately takes advantage of this moment of vulnerability. It’s only Atreus’s involuntary transformation into the Bear and Kratos sparing her the boy’s wrath that gives her pause and a truce is brokered.

Beyond the discovery that Atreus is NOT the last giant in the Nine Realms comes the revelation that Angrboda’s grandmother is still alive as well, but she is far from okay. To prevent her from stealing the souls of the remaining animals in Jotunheim, the pair travel to her house where they are ambushed by the giantess and must destroy her cauldron to save what remains of the wildlife in the realm. Atreus isn’t able to attack Gryla directly - it’s Angrboda’s grandmother after all - but that doesn’t stop the elder from causing harm to the young Jotens. By playing hopscotch around the arena and choosing his shots, Atreus and Angrboda finally shatter the cauldron and seemingly Gryla’s mind as well.

Everyone makes mistakes. Not everyone’s mistakes unleash a realm-devouring wolf… but still. After unknowingly releasing Garm, the wolf begins ripping apart the very fabric of the realms and it’s up to Kratos and Atreus to stop him. After unsuccessfully attempting to calm the beast, Atreus is left with no choice but to follow Kratos’s plan and end the threat for good. However, just when they thought the worst was over, and since nothing stays dead in Helheim, Garm returns pursuing the pair until they’re forced to battle him once again. There is however a happy ending for this unfortunate pup as Atreus is able to replace Garm’s restless spirit with that of his beloved wolf Fenrir whom he lost at the start of their journey.

Freya’s freedom from Odin’s curse was always going to be an uphill battle, but not even Freya could have predicted just how challenging it would be to break her shackles. With the roots of the World Tree binding her curse, Freya’s attempts to release herself are interrupted by the Nidhogg, protector of the Yggdrasil roots, and she takes her job very seriously. With powerful cosmic abilities, the Nidhogg’s attacks are unpredictable, and once she’s free from her realm-tear, she’s even more vicious. The Nidhogg is an unfortunate casualty of Odin’s callousness but one that is necessary to free one of Kratos’s greatest allies.

While some of the best things come in twos, a fight against a pair of Valkyries is not one of them. While attempting to initiate Ragnarok, Kratos and Atreus are beset upon by two of Odin’s Valkyries, Hrist and Mist. Anyone familiar with the optional encounters in God of War 2018 know the type of fight they’re in for, but there’s something chaotic about dealing with two incredibly powerful warriors at once that would make any gamer’s palms sweaty. Even when you think the fight is over, they call upon the All-Father’s might and are reinvigorated to continue the battle with even more malice. Thankfully, Atreus is a far more skilled fighter this time around and the pair are able to clip these Valkyries’ wings.

#4: Gna

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The 10 HARDEST God of War Ragnarok Bosses

We know we said in the beginning we wouldn’t be focusing necessarily on the hardest bosses in the game, but considering the legacy created by Sigrun in God of War 2018, we’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention her replacement, Gna. Even with Odin gone, her servitude is unending and her revenge for the All-Father fuels her rage towards Kratos and Freya. Gna is more than qualified to fill Sigrun’s wings and in some ways surpasses her predecessor with her barrage of elemental and bifrost attacks that are still nothing compared to when she gets up close and personal. Freya pleads with her to let go of her anger, but instead of heeding her queen’s words, she simply asks Freya to “Finish it.”

This is the battle fans had been waiting for since the stinger at the end of the 2018 game, and boy it did not disappoint. The climactic clash between Kratos and Thor sends ripples across the Lake of Nine, and their bout is so powerful, it even breaks the fourth wall. Wanting to battle the “real” God of War, Thor promises their fight isn’t over. With Ragnarok literally on the horizon, the two have their final showdown and while not as devastating as their first encounter, it still packs a punch both physically and emotionally. Thor thoroughly proves why he is so feared within the Nine Realms, unleashing wave after wave of unrelenting attacks, but even the almighty God of Thunder is no match for the “real” God of War.

From the moment you meet Heimdall, you just can’t wait to wipe that smug smirk off his punchable face. However, given his gift of sight, this seems like a near impossibility and no matter how hard we tried as Atreus, we couldn’t even land a hit. Thankfully, with the Draupnir Spear firmly in hard, Kratos is able to circumvent Heimdall’s sight and give the cocky Aesir the ass whooping he’s been deserving for so long. However, even in defeat, Heimdall’s ego knows no bounds and he refuses to back down, even regrowing his own arm to continue the fight. This battle is both satisfying for finally silencing Heimdall once and for all, but heartbreaking knowing how hard Kratos had attempted to avoid this exact outcome.

The All-Father and master manipulator, Atreus and even the player’s guards are brought down by the Aesir god’s charm and grandfather-like demeanor. However, once the veil is lifted and Odin’s true nature is revealed, even Kratos lets go of his reservations and joins everyone in their quest for revenge. The battle with Odin is one of the biggest spectacles in the game and the buildup to this fight is palpable. With nearly every magic attack at his disposal, Odin unleashes his fury on all those who came to his doorstep seeking revenge. In the end, Atreus attempts to break the cycle of vengeance and give Odin a merciful end, but Sindri understandably is having none of that and ends the All-Father’s reign with a single strike of his hammer.