An absolute fan-favorite god of Norse Mythology is Loki. This Norse Mythology based character has seen many depictions in different media, including perhaps the most famous of them all with the MCU’s Loki. However, God of War: Ragnarok holds a different fate for Loki, and what it means to be the last giant fated by the Jotun people to bring forth Ragnarok in the nine realms, and witness the death of his father.
There are many things that God of War: Ragnarok get right about Norse Mythology, and other things that Santa Monica Studios use for their creative control. There’s a surprising amount of intelligent writing on how Loki’s role differs from Norse Mythology to his depiction in God of War: Ragnarok.
1 Blood Pact With Odin
Although Odin is Aesir and Loki is Jotun, the two initially do not care about their rivalry over blood, and instead, form a blood pact with each other. The two become blood brothers, and this has them share companionship and trust to the degree in Odin invites Loki to live in Asgard amongst the Aesir gods as one of them.
Loki in God of War: Ragnarok never indulges in a blood pact with Odin, and is instead invited to Asgard to help Odin with his eternal quest for knowledge. The two work together to locate the mysterious mask and attempt to unlock the origins of the Aesir’s purpose.
2 Fate With Heimdall
It is fated in Norse Mythology that Loki and Heimdall will be locked into battle, in which both gods will mortally wound one another and die. Their fated death at the hands of each other is long prophecized and continues to be one of the many deaths associated with Ragnarok, the Norse prophecy for the end of the world.
Kratos is a character in God of War: Ragnarok who has had a long and tiresome history with fate. When he learns from the Norns that Heimdall is foreseen to kill Loki, Kratos will do anything to kill Heimdall to save his son. As such, he does just that and kills Heimdall before he has a chance to get close to Loki.
3 Son Of Kratos
Before his inclusion into the tribe of gods with the Aesir, Loki was a Jotun, with his father being a giant called Farbauti. There’s not a lot known about Loki’s parents, other than their names of Laufey and Farbauti, but it’s safe to say that Loki’s father was certainly not an ashen god from Greece with red tattoos over his face and body.
Considering Kratos is Loki’s father in God of War: Ragnarok, there’s quite a difference in tone for how the games continue their Norse Mythology. The fact that Loki, someone so heavily involved in Ragnarok, is the son of the character that wiped out the Greek God Pantheon, is something that the Norse gods fear incredibly.
4 Children Of Loki
In Norse Mythology, Loki has had a fair few children. He has produced the goddess of death, Hel, who rules over Helheim. He has had the child Jormungand, the serpent that is so large it surrounds the entire world. Fenrir, the wolf, is prophecized to kill Odin during Ragnarok. Loki has also given birth to an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir, which serves as Odin’s steed.
It would be strange, to say the least, if audiences watched Atreus give birth to a horse in God of War: Ragnarok. Thankfully, the talented writing team had creative ways of making these characters children of Loki. The souls of giants are placed within the soulless Garm and a soulless serpent, which makes them grow astronomically into Jormungand and Fenrir. However, Loki’s other children are not referenced nor are they hinted at.
5 Creation Of Mjolnir
The famed hammer of the thunder god, Thor, was a gift. In Norse Mythology, Thor’s hammer was forged by dwarves under the trickery of Loki. Loki hired master blacksmith dwarves to create a hammer for Thor. However, Loki shapeshifted into a fly to pester the dwarves, which made the dwarves accidentally shorten the handle of Mjolnir in frustration. Loki took the gift to Thor himself.
Loki had no part in the creation of Mjolnir, as by the time audiences see Loki in God of War: Ragnarok, the Aesir gods have been wreaking havoc with Mjolnir for decades. The hammer was created by Brok and Sindri, the two dwarven brothers that were not pestered by Atreus as a fly all those years ago.
6 Tortured Fate
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Due to the Aesir gods being so sick of Loki’s antics in Asgard, Loki was given a torturous fate that prevented his freedom to battle in Ragnarok. Loki was caught by the Aesir gods, and imprisoned in an unknown cave, bound to three rocks with his own son’s entrails to bind him. From here, a poisonous snake drips venom on him constantly. Many Nordic beliefs state that Loki is still bound to this day.
Loki’s fate in God of War: Ragnarok is undetermined, and he is bound to no prophecy after Ragnarok. It is unknown where Loki’s journey will go, but it is without Kratos. Loki’s story remains to be seen in a future entry past God of War: Ragnarok, but it’s safe to say that he will not be bound in a cave considering the Aesir and Asgard are destroyed.
7 Mischief With Sif
Sif is important to Aesir and Thor, considering she is his wife. She is most notable for her golden locks of hair, which Loki finds irresistible to involve with some trickery. Loki cuts off Sif’s hair when he found himself in one of his mischievous moods. In doing so, he evoked the wrath of Thor, who threatened to kill Loki unless he found a replacement, and fast. As such, Loki commissioned the dwarves to make a new set of golden hair.
Loki and Sif certainly do not get along in God of War: Ragnarok, but not because Loki cut off Sif’s hair. The reason the two are on bad terms is that Loki played a hand in killing her sons, Magni and Modi. In doing so, Sif hates Loki and despises the fact that he is in Asgard, free of consequence.
8 Deal With The Dwarves
Loki always seems to get into mischief in Norse Mythology, and one of his most notable accounts is when the entire Aesir gods wanted him dead for what he did to Sif. However, he made a deal with the dwarf sons of Ivaldi to create new hair for Sith, and other gifts for the gods. However, the payment for such great gifts was his head, one that Loki failed to pay. As such, they sew Loki’s mouth shut.
No such deal is made in God of War: Ragnarok, but the characters Brok and Sindri play a huge part in Loki’s life. These same dwarves helped forge Mjolnir and the other Aesir gifts. However, Loki does indeed take things too far with Brok and Sindri and demands everything of them, which costs one of them their life.
God of War: Ragnarok is available now on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5