There are a lot of great antagonists that God of War: Ragnarok players could fight against, including Odin, the final boss in the game's story. Odin, also known as the Allfather, has a very important role throughout the game and is quite an interesting main antagonist. In fact, many players may have even been shocked to discover that he would turn out to be the final boss, seeing as how there were times in the story that he didn't seem to be a threat at all, working with Atreus and declaring that he hoped he could find a way to not fight the heroes.
That all changed, however, towards the end of the game, when he attacked the heroes, starting an epic war between the Asgardians and Kratos' army. There are a lot of things that made Odin a great boss, such as his move set and the stakes of the fight.
Odin's Role in the Game Leading Up to the Boss Fight
Odin is introduced in the beginning of God of War: Ragnarok, declaring that he wants to avoid a war against Kratos and Atreus. He even invites Atreus to Asgard, hoping to work with him. Atreus refuses at first, but eventually learns of a prophecy that changes his mind. In the prophecy, he discovered that he would join forces with the Allfather, leaving Kratos to die. Upset by this, Atreus becomes determined to manipulate Odin and defy destiny.
When Atreus goes to Asgard, Odin reveals that he wants to find parts of a broken mask that could give him infinite knowledge and needs Atreus' help, as Atreus is able to translate the text on the mask that gives clues as to where the other pieces of it are. Odin has his relatives, Thor and Thrud, assist Atreus in his quest. However, when Atreus eventually obtains all of the mask's parts, he leaves Odin and returns to his family.
Earlier in the game, before Atreus goes to Asgard, he searches for Tyr, another God of War, to help him in his fight. Atreus and Kratos eventually find Tyr and befriend him. Tyr declares that he isn't much of a fighter anymore, however, and would rarely help the heroes in battle. Tyr seemed to be a side character throughout most of the story until Atreus leaves Odin with the mask. Upon revealing that he has it, the heroes talk about how they can finally defeat Odin, with Tyr taking the mask from Atreus and revealing that he knows a way to Asgard.
Brok grows suspicious of Tyr after hearing this, especially when the God of War addresses Atreus as "Loki," his other name, the one that Odin uses. Angered, Tyr kills Brok and reveals that the heroes hadn't actually been with the God of War this whole time, but rather the Allfather, who disguised himself as Tyr. Sindri, Brok's brother, is distraught by this and loses faith in the heroes he once considered friends. The rest of the group felt awful for the dwarf brothers and plan to avenge Brok. They split up into groups and gather forces from around the Nine Realms to fight against the Allfather and the Asgardians, beginning a series of epic battles for the players to fight in.
The First Phase of the Fight Against Odin
At the end of the game, players go to Asgard and fight hordes of enemies, leading up to a boss fight against Thor. Upon defeating the God of Thunder, Kratos decides not to kill him and the two gods have a conversation that the Allfather walks in on. Odin decides to kill his own son for not murdering Kratos, which he instructed him to do, resulting in the Allfather becoming the game's final boss.
Odin fights with his magical spear, using it to cast spells against the players and as a melee weapon. His strongest attack in the first phase of the fight allows him to attack the arena itself, striking Kratos wherever he is. This first part of the fight ends with Odin using his magic to bind both Kratos and Atreus to the ground. Luckily, Freya comes to their rescue and uses a similar spell on the Allfather, saving the heroes. In order to break free from her spell, Odin destroys the ground beneath him and his opponents, sending them into the arena of the fight's second phase, the Great Lodge's basement.
The Second Phase of the Fight Against Odin
Before the fight continues, Odin tries to convince Atreus to join forces with him one last time and use the mask to learn all the things he wants to know. Atreus refuses, however, and breaks the mask apart. Outraged, Odin becomes a much more powerful opponent for God of War: Ragnarok players to deal with.
In this phase, Odin can turn his spear into a whip to fight with. Players also have to look out for the Allfather's ravens that can temporarily hold Kratos in place. As the battle progresses, Odin grows more desperate and uses even stronger attacks, one of which makes it difficult for players to see their surroundings, leaving them to have to get near the Allfather to know what he is doing. Odin can also attack the arena like he did in the first phase, though it is easier to avoid getting hit, and can shoot fire from a far distance.
At the end of the battle, Odin blames Atreus for all the things that went wrong with his plan for infinite knowledge. Atreus attempts to convince the Allfather to learn from his mistakes and be better, but Odin refuses. Upon hearing this, Atreus traps Odin's soul into a marble. He, Kratos, and Freya are left unsure of what to do with him, causing Sindri to appear and break the marble himself, killing the Allfather once and for all. With Odin defeated and the Nine Realms saved, the heroes separate and go on their own quests. The battle against Odin was a thrilling way to end God of War: Ragnarok's story as he was a compelling antagonist that was fun to fight against.
God of War: Ragnarok is available on PS4 and PS5.
