The ending of God of War Ragnarok leaves the whereabouts of the Giants a mystery, and their fate may lie in a different mythology entirely. The recently released sequel brings an end to the franchise’s Norse saga, with Kratos and Atreus going head-to-head with Odin the All-Father and his Aesir followers. God of War Ragnarok ends with Atreus searching for the last remaining Giants, who supposedly fled Midgard to parts unknown.
[Warning: the following article contains spoilers for God of War Ragnarok.]After the conclusion of its main story, God of War Ragnarok’s ending sees Atreus part ways with his father Kratos to search for the lost Giants. Many of the Giants locked their souls into small relics to escape Odin’s wrath, but some apparently chose to flee the Norse world entirely. While the game never specifies where these lost members of the artisan race may have gone to, earlier in the game Angrboda tells Atreus that they left Midgard completely. Considering the presence of multiple mythological realms in the God of War universe, it seems likely that the Giants fled to another mythic realm entirely.
God Of War’s Giants May Be The Irish Fomorians
2018’s God of War and God of War Ragnarok frequently reference Celtic mythology through the inclusion of symbols and certain creatures. God of War Ragnarok reveals Mimir’s true identity as the Puck of English folklore, for example, and the wise decapitated head is also suggested to hail from Denmark’s capital city of Lejre. Given these connections, it would seem natural for future God of War games to incorporate the Fomorians of Irish folklore into the narrative. The supernatural beings are depicted as monstrous seafaring invaders who often war with the noble Tuatha Dé Danann race of deities.
The depiction of Fomorians in Irish folklore is similar to the depiction of the Giants in Norse myth, creating a natural connection between the two races. Perhaps in the God of War universe the surviving Giants fled Midgard via boat, only to be regarded as hostile invaders when they arrived in the realm of Celtic myth. This would be similar to the way Kratos got from Greek to Norse mythology, with the Ghost of Sparta traveling physically rather than magically. Atreus’ search for the surviving Giants may therefore take him to Ireland, where his people are once again being ostracized despite their peaceful nature and have been renamed the Fomorians.
The British Gogmagog May Be A Norse Giant In God Of War
While the Irish Fomorians seem like a perfect analog to the Norse Giants, Atreus’ lost race also could’ve would up in ancient Wales or Britain. A popular English folktale involves Gogmagog, a giant who was supposedly the last inhuman inhabitant of the ancient land Albion. While God of War Ragnarok demonstrates that not all Giants are actually large, some members of the species like the boss Gryla are certainly massive. A future entry in the series could reveal that Gogmagog was actually a member of the Jotnar race, before being wrestled off a cliff by the legendary British warrior Corineus.
God Of War’s Egyptian Gods Could Be Jotnar
Many fans are expecting to see God of War sequels explore Egyptian mythology, and the fate of the Giants could easily tie into this concept. The Giants are closely associated with animals, with Atreus shapeshifting into various creatures and Angrboda speaking to animals like Jalla and Eisa. The Egyptian gods are also closely associated with animals, with deities like Ra and Set possessing humanoid bodies and animalistic heads. The God of War series could perhaps adapt the Egyptian gods as former Norse Jotnar who can assume the forms of specific animals just like Atreus.
God of War Ragnarok ties up many loose ends, but the game also leaves the fate of the Jotnar unresolved. Atreus ventures outside of Midgard to find his lost people, and this quest may take him to a totally different mythological realm. Irish, English and Egyptian folklore all feature giants or animalistic deities who could fit the depiction of the lost Jotnar from God of War Ragnarok.
Source: PlayStation/YouTube
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God of War RagnarokFranchise: God of War
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Released: 2022-11-09
Developer: Santa Monica Studio
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre: Adventure, Action
ESRB: M
Summary: Ragnarok has arrived in God of War Ragnarok, the sequel to the 2018 game of the year released on PlayStation 4. Three years have passed since Kratos and his son, Atreus, completed their quest across the realms while facing a small handful of Norse gods. However, their actions come with consequences. The Allfather, Odin, is ready for vengeance, and his son, Thor, leads the charge. Atreus, looking to find more answers about his lineage on his mother’s side, embarks on another quest with his father to discover the truth while contending with the wrath of Odin’s realm in this conclusion to the Norse God of War Saga.
How Long To Beat: 26 Hours
Prequel: God of War
God of War Ragnarok