As far as video game trinkets and baubles go, there is a ton of variation between the usefulness of such equipment; from minorly helpful to outright broken depending on the title that one is currently enjoying. In God of War, the most recent game in the eponymous franchise, players can choose to equip Kratos with one of the game's Talismans for a powerful battle boon.
There are many Talismans to be found in this incredible game, though only six of them are above the Common level and are actually worth using. While they all possess useful effects and can be upgraded to be better still, there are some that simply outshine the others due to how powerful their effect can be against the enemies found in God of War.
Updated January 14, 2022, by Tom Bowen: God of War may have started life as a PS4 exclusive, but Santa Monica Studio's action-adventure masterpiece is now available on PC as well. This is great news for those who prefer not to game on consoles and will no doubt lead to a whole new audience being exposed to the long-running hack and slash franchise. Those hoping to tackle the game on the hardest difficulty settings are going to need to pay close attention to Kratos and Atreus' equipment. Talismans, in particular, can make a huge difference to combat, making choosing the right Talisman every bit as important as using the right armor set or weapon. Players looking to find the best Talismans in God of War have certainly come to the right place, as this guide contains everything they'll need to know about Talismans.
6 Amulet of Kvasir
As mentioned by the item description, this Talisman slows down time whenever the player performs a perfectly timed dodge (dodge at the last second during an incoming attack). This can be slightly helpful in combat, though only if one does not have any other Talismans to equip, for the effects of all the others are better than this slight time distortion that only lasts a couple of seconds.
With that said, players who are having a hard time keeping up with some faster foes will likely benefit from using this Talisman. Avoiding a few hits here and there with a passive effect that occurs when one would naturally be dodging is a low-effort way of allowing some players to ease into this digital world before trying out other Talismans.
Though it may not be the best Talisman in God of War, the Amulet of Kvasir is still pretty handy during some of the early parts of the game. This bodes well, as it's one of the first Talismans that players will be able to get their hands on and so will likely see plenty of use during a standard playthrough. Once players near the end of the game, however, it becomes far less useful.
Where to Find the Amulet of Kvasir
Players can find the Amulet of Kvasir in a Legendary chest in Alfheim. It's in a room with a giant gear in it, which can be used to move the three root nodes that are growing above the chest around. After spinning the gear as far as possible, players should take a couple of steps to their right and then have Kratos throw his ax when the three nodes are lined up. If done correctly, the roots will disintegrate and players will be able to open the chest and claim their prize.
5 Talisman of Betrayal
Like the Amulet of Kvasir, the Talisman of Betrayal is another trinket that can slow down time, though players can use this Talisman on command instead of needing to activate it passively when dodging. This allows the Talisman of Betrayal to be more useful in combat as players can use its effect on command, though, besides the damage buff to ranged attacks, there isn't much incentive to use this one.
Despite being below Legendary or Epic-tier, this Talisman can be the best to use against some of the toughest adversaries that can be encountered: Valkyries. These immensely powerful winged warriors can sometimes launch blindingly fast attacks that can be tricky to dodge, so having a way to slow time on command can understandably be helpful against them.
Much like the Amulet of Kvasir, the Talisman of Betrayal becomes less and less useful as the main story progresses. That's not to say that it isn't good enough for some of the game's earlier stages though, nor does it ever become completely useless either. In fact, its effectiveness against the end-game Valkyries can be a real game-changer, so it's definitely worth tracking down for that reason alone.
Where to Find the Talisman of Betrayal
Players will receive the Talisman of Betrayal for completing the Fafnir's Hoard favor for Sindri. It becomes available once players have completed the Light of Alfheim section of the story and returned to Midgard and has them exploring a location called Fafnir's Storeroom. By doing so, they'll receive a special dagger, which must then be given to Sindri to turn in the quest. After handing the dagger over, the dwarf will give Kratos the rare Talisman as a way of saying thanks.
4 Golden Talisman of Protection
As the one geared the most toward defense, the Golden Talisman of Protection can be very helpful to players who are having trouble taking down some particularly tough enemies. Immediately after being hit, the player can activate this Talisman's effect to recover health quickly and essentially neutralize some of the damage that was recently taken.
The Golden Talisman of Protection also makes the parry timing window wider; so players who are big fans of using Kratos' new shield should definitely consider using this Talisman as it is the best for defense. Furthermore, this golden trinket passively increases one's defense while blocking by a significant amount, which can make those difficult fights a bit more manageable.
One type of greater foe that the Golden Talisman of Protection can be helpful against are the Troll bosses that can be encountered in various areas of the world. These big brutes can hit pretty hard, so the added defense, as well as the quick healing, will make such battles much less dangerous.
Where to Find the Golden Talisman of Protection
Players will be able to get their hands on the Golden Talisman of Protection almost immediately after reaching the Lake of Nine. They'll need to hop into a boat and make their way to a location called Stone Falls, which is on the northeastern side of the lake. Once there, they'll need to clear the area of enemies and then lower the bridge by throwing Kratos' ax at the mechanism in the distance. From there, they'll need to raise and lower the gates to gain access to an area with two chests, the larger of which contains the Golden Talisman of Protection.
3 Horn of Heimdall
Bearing the name of a notable mythical gatekeeper from Asgard, the Horn of Heimdall possesses a great effect for those of an offensively-geared mindset. Players can use it to unleash a powerful shockwave that does sizable stun damage to every enemy caught in the blast. Not only does this look cool, but it can also be incredibly useful as well.
Stun damage, when applied repeatedly using Kratos' better shield and unarmed attacks, can be more effective at taking down some kinds of foes than hacking away at their health bar with the Leviathan Axe or the Blades of Chaos. This is due to the fact that gamers can instantly kill adversaries who have a full stun meter, regardless of how much health they have left.
It is also worth noting that the Horm of Heimdall has a handy passive effect that decreases the cooldown of its stunning shockwave ability each time that Kratos performs successful blocks and parries, so those seeking to make the best use of this Talisman and stun tactics should focus on using their shield as much as possible for streamlined and deadly combos.
Where to Find the Horn of Heimdall
The Horn of Heimdall is dropped by Daudi Hammar; a fire troll found in the heart of Veithurgard Castle. This is an optional area on the northeastern shore of the Lake of Nine and can only be accessed by spinning the large wheel near the Wayward Spirit at Stone Falls. After opening the gate, players should continue on to the castle's keep, where they'll find the fire toll locked up in a pit in the ground. Kratos will need to turn the lever to release it and then take it down to claim their reward.
2 Sinmara's Cinder
Appropriate for a Legendary Talisman acquired in Muspelheim, the realm of fire, Sinmara's Cinder allows Kratos to send out a flaming blast around his body that deals regular and burning damage to all foes caught in the flaming eruption. Despite being a great offensive tactic, there's more to this maneuver than simply scorching enemies.
After cloaking himself in fire, Kratos will take less damage from incoming attacks, though, his own become nearly impossible for foes to interrupt due to the infusion of fire. Unlike a large majority of other Talisman effects, this one lasts much longer than usual at around 8 seconds, making it far more usable than the others in most situations.
Players can make use of these inflaming effects to sunder hordes of enemies in quick succession, such as the gauntlets of foes that will swarm Kratos in certain situations. When one needs to lay waste to a ton of regular enemies with reckless abandon, Sinmara's Cinder is the best Talisman which gives gamers the power to become burning berserkers.
Where to Find Sinmara's Cinder
Players can craft Sinmara's Cinder by visiting Brok or Sindri at one of their workshops. To do so, they'll need 17,500 Hacksilver and 14 Smoldering Embers, the latter of which can only be obtained by completing trials in the optional realm of Muspelheim. Before players can visit the fire realm though, they'll first need to find 4 Muspelheimlanguage ciphers, which are hidden away in purple chests throughout Midgard.
1 Talisman Of Cursed Power
The Talisman of Cursed Powe is arguably one of the most difficult Talismans to acquire and upgrade, but it's definitely worth the effort. When its effect is used, it releases a debilitating fog similar to the one found in Niflheim, though this self-emitted smog only affects enemies. This toxic cloud doesn't actually hurt them, but it does significantly weaken all nearby adversaries by decreasing their stats.
This may not sound all that impressive on paper, but the effect is actually immensely powerful as God of War's combat system revolves around the passive stats granted of the player and the enemies' overall level. Dropping an enemy's stats below that of Kratos has the same effect as if the player were to tread through an early part of the game with endgame gear: granting a devastatingly disproportionate power advantage.
In this manner, the Talisman of Cursed Power is best used against all enemies short of bosses in pretty much every situation that one will encounter during regular gameplay. It's even helpful during combat challenges such as those found in Muspelheim or the deadly maze of Niflheim, however, there would be little point in spending more time in the latter's toxin-filled maze after acquiring this powerful Talisman.
Where to Find the Talisman Of Cursed Power
Those hoping to get their hands on the Talisman Of Cursed Power will need to brave the toxic-gas-filled monstrosity that is Ivaldi's workshop. It can be found in the optional realm of Niflheim and is the only place that players can find the materials needed to craft and upgrade the talisman. After emerging from the maze with at least 2,000 Mist Echoes and five pieces of Niflheim Alloy, players will be able to craft the item by speaking to Brok and Sindri and paying the two brothers 32,000 Hacksilver.