How Many Valkyries Are In God Of War

God of War has numerous Valkyries that Kratos and Atreus can battle alongside the main questline, and they’re some of the toughest boss battles in the game, despite being side objectives. Kratos must utilize a mix of the Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos to defeat them. Battling Valkyries won’t be available at the start of the game, however, so players must progress well into the story before gaining access to the creatures’ lairs and other realms.

Valkyries have an important role in Norse mythology, and they took on a similar angle in God of War. They are angelic figures that bring defeated heroes to the afterlife, either Valhalla (Odin’s realm) or Folkvangr (Freya’s realm). In God of War, however, Odin has corrupted them for his own diabolical plan, which renders them unable to fulfill their original purpose. As a result, Helheim becomes overcrowded and causes many issues of instability between the Nine Realms. While this never happens in the actual Norse mythology stories, God of War puts an interesting spin on it all, making it a worthwhile adventure for Kratos and Atreus to free them of their corruption.

There are a total of nine Valkyries in God of War. Freeing them is as simple as showing up and defeating them, but there’s a lot more to it than just that; Kratos and Atreus need a magical item, and additionally, two sets of Chipher Pieces that unlock realms where some of Valkyries are located. Without these crucial parts, the Valkyries can’t be accessed or set free.

God of War’s Kratos Must Defeat Eight Valkyries Before Facing The Queen Sigrun

Gunnr, Geirdriful, Eir, Kara, Rota, and Olrun are the names of the first six Valkyries, and they’re located in unlockable hidden chambers across God of War’s Midgard set up by the Allfather himself. After Kratos and Atreus defeat Magni in the main story, Kratos takes a piece of the stonemason’s chisel, granting them access to the first six Valkyries. While they aren’t as strong as the last three – especially the queen – they give Kratos and Atreus a tough fight. Players will want to upgrade Kratos’ gear before taking them on, or it will be a frustrating process trying to bring the Valkyries down. Alongside the personal and storytelling aspects of each Valkyrie, each of them drops Kratos valuable rewards that can be used for future upgrades to defeat the other sisters, acting as building blocks for the more challenging Valkyrie fights.

Gondur and Hildr, the last of the eight initial Valkyries, are located outside of Midgard in two sperate God of War realm locations: Muspelheim and Niflheim. During the main questline, players will have to find all the chipher pieces in chests to gain access to both realms. In terms of a challenge, these two are a big jump from the first six, mainly because Kratos and Atreus have to go through multiple levels of fighting arenas before they even get to the Valkyries. It’s likely players will want to finish the main playthrough first before trying to fight Gondur and Hildr, as without at least level 6 equipment, it’ll be even more frustrating than the first six; plus, Kratos can’t get through the initial puzzle levels without highly upgraded gear anyway, and Santa Monica Studios set it up that way on purpose. However, once Kratos’ equipment is up to the proper level, Gondur and Hildr will fall with some concentration and well-developed tactics. Afterwards, Kratos can return all eight defeated Valkyrie helmets to the Council of Valkyries for the final boss fight.

The Valkyrie Queen Is Kratos’ Toughest Challenge In God of War

Sigrun is the queen of the Valkyries and the last foe that Kratos and Atreus must defeat to complete God of War’s best side quest. After returning the other eight Valkyries to their council chairs, Sigrun comes through a portal and begins attacking Kratos. It’s safe to say that she is the toughest Valkyire in the game – and the toughest enemy in the game as a whole. Kratos’ two fights with Baldur are nothing compared to his fight with Sigrun. Players will need to pair their best equipment stack with powerful combos in order to eventually defeat her. Most players will probably have to attempt fighting her multiple times before a victory is achieved. There’s also an option to begin a new game plus after completing the main story, where Kratos keeps his old gear and skills, making his battle with the Valkyrie queen more likely a success.

Defeating Sigrun is the most rewarding feeling in God of War. Completing the story is very rewarding too, as it’s an emotional journey, but it’s a different kind of feeling. Once Kratos takes down the queen of Valkyries, the game rewards players accordingly, with some of the best loot possible. Not only does Kratos receive the helm of Sigrun, he also receives an epic axe pommel, Asgardian steel, perfect Asgardian steel, and an epic enchantment – making Kratos’ incredible God of War powers even more impressive. If there are any battles left after defeating the Valkyrie queen, they’ll be a walk in the park for Kratos and Atreus to handle.

How The Valkyries Could Affect God of War Ragnarok

Aside from the optional quests, the Valkyrie curse had an important impact on God of War’s story. Most evidence supports the thought that Helheim was overcrowded due to Odin locking the Valkyries away. That reasoning also fits with the Hel-Walkers and Draugr spawning throughout Midgard in God of War, which shouldn’t have been happening. Even Kratos was unaware what the blue-looking creatures were at the beginning of the game. Given this, Hela might start Ragnarok with the Hel-Walkers. If the Valkyries weren’t in control, someone had to be.

However, because Kratos technically set the Valkyries free, they’ll be able pick their old job back up and help Kratos fight Odin in the upcoming God of WarRagnarok; the Valkyries won’t be happy with Odin and they’ll likely fight against him if the opportunity comes. It will be interesting to see if Ragnarok ends up with more side quests and objectives similar to those in God of War. Although there wasn’t any DLC for the 2018 game, there was still plenty of side content worth trying, in addition to the value of replaying the game, learning new information that was missed during previous playthroughs. God of War’s Valkyries were a crucial aspect of the game’s challenge and open nature, and they have some potential for the upcoming sequel.

About The Author

Preston Pearl
(52 Articles Published)

Preston Pearl is a contributing writer based out of the US. He publishes work for the Game Features sector of Screen Rant.

While being a Secondary English education major at Kentucky State University and educator in Frankfort, KY; he also spends time writing fictional short stories, gaming, weight lifting, and — most importantly — enjoying time with friends and family.

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