Major spoilers ahead for God of War Ragnarok.
Reflexes
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God of War Ragnarok sets the stage for a move away from the Norse setting towards new mythological settings.
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Thrud, Thor’s daughter, may play a key role in future games, potentially opening the door for Thor to reappear in some form.
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The legacy of Thor and other Norse characters can continue through Thrud, offering a unique perspective on divinity and family relationships.
god of war ragnarok, despite being extremely similar to its predecessor in terms of presentation and gameplay, paved the way for a number of key changes to the franchise’s overall narrative. These changes followed the more fundamental changes that came along with the series’ reboot in 2018, which pushed Kratos into the world of Norse mythology, allowing God of War to experiment with new characters, settings and mythical concepts.
Many expect the series to abandon its current Norse setting, adopt a sort of anthology format, and visit other mythological settings. This could well be the case, as Atreus is embarking on his own journey, which could take him to any number of strange lands. Furthermore, the end of god of war ragnarok It was devastating for the Norse pantheon, as players saw the deaths of key figures such as Odin, Heimdall, and Thor. That said, the legacy of at least one of these characters can live on, as there are characters who can commemorate them and give players an alternate perspective, even after death.
As the daughter of Thor, Thrud is in an interesting position to provide a unique perspective, perhaps comparing or contrasting her own experience as the daughter of a god with that of Atreus.
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Kratos’ Shadow Might Be Too Big for an Atreus-Centric God of War
It’s entirely possible that Atreus will lead the next God of War story, but Kratos’ shadow looms large, and this could pose problems for this hypothetical game.
Why Thor from God of War Ragnarok may still appear in a future game
Thor may continue living through Thrud in the next God of War
Although Thor seems to be out of the picture, his daughter certainly isn’t. At the end of god of war ragnarok, Thrud can be seen searching for Mjolnir, Thor’s mythical hammer that Odin threw into the abyss during their final battle. While exploring the open world during the endgame, players can encounter Thrud in Alfheim, where she appears to have found the magic weapon. She lifts it without difficulty and rises into the sky, an image that suggests her rise to a powerful warrior, possibly a Valkyrie, wielding the hammer of her deceased father.
With Thrud’s new power, she may choose to join Atreus on his journey to search for the remaining Giants. This would be appropriate as, together with Angrboda, the three young men could form their own collective legacy, seeking adventure, glory and purpose beyond the limits of their ancestry. As Thor’s daughter, Thrud is in an interesting position to provide a unique perspective, perhaps comparing or contrasting her own experience as the daughter of a god with that of Atreus.
Through this examination of divinity, players could see Thor again, whether through flashbacks, visions, or spiritual encounters. Although the Norse games have seemingly moved away from this trope, death is not always permanent in God of War, with Kratos himself dying several times throughout the series, only to come back to life in one form or another. While a full resurrection of Thor seems unlikely, and would also be potentially disappointing, it wouldn’t be entirely implausible for Thrud to visit her father through some sort of magical means.
According to Norse mythology, Thor should currently be in Valhalla, since he died during the battle. There are numerous benefits to visiting Valhalla in the future. God of War title, one of which is the possibility of seeing Thor again. Thrud could get some closure, and players could perhaps see a different, more sensitive side to the god, which was glimpsed only briefly before his father killed him.
Thor’s death is a bit of a gray area and technically can’t be considered worthy of Valhalla, since he was caught off guard and wasn’t technically in the middle of a fight. In this case, Thor would be in Helheim.
It seems that God of War won’t completely leave the Norse era behind, as Kratos and other key characters are seemingly inextricable from it. Thrud is being teased as an important character for future releases, and since she is defined by her relationship with her father, she could be the vehicle through which Thor reappears.