A lot of these small details are hard to pick up even for veteran fans. However, for those who played the first game and have beaten God of War Ragnarok, returning to this scene is heartbreaking and impactful in many ways. It is, arguably, a master class in how a cutscene can introduce major character arcs, set up plot twists, and yet leave players none the wiser.
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Thor Doesn’t Drink the Mead
After entering Kratos’ hut, Thor will sit down and set Mjolnir on the table. Kratos will do the same with his Leviathan Axe. Atreus brings the two some cups, after which Thor pours them both some mead. Kratos clearly refuses to drink it, with Thor going to offer Atreus the mead before Kratos stops him. Noticeably, as Kratos asks why he’s here, Thor smells the cup of mead but does not drink it himself. It’s a powerful moment, one that may evoke suspicions of Thor’s intentions and what’s in the mead, but this is an important part of his character. As players later learn, Thor is a recovering alcoholic. This shows his restraint early in the game, but as the events of God of War Ragnarok proceed and he continues to be subjected to Odin’s abuses, Thor falls off the wagon.
This moment shows how much Thor is trying to change for Sif and his daughter Thrud, something that is likely hard after losing his sons, but something fans may not notice until they beat God of War Ragnarok.
Odin’s First Comment to Thor is an Insult
Once Odin enters the hut, he alludes to the events of God of War (2018) to discuss the deaths of Magni, Modi, and Baldur. But, he’s not so upset about the first two. Looking at Thor, he’s quick to call them useless and slams the cup of mead in front of Thor. Players have only known Thor as the monster he is described as being before this moment, so his looking away doesn’t really seem to add much, initially. However, players later learn how upset he was about the loss of Magni and Modi, meaning revisiting this scene makes it obvious that his mouth is twitching when he looks away. Odin has gotten under his skin, he’s holding his tongue, and he’s clearly upset. He wants to speak out, but is so used to Odin’s abuses that he won’t. Not to mention, Odin is aware of his struggles with alcohol and is openly teasing that, in conjunction with his sons’ deaths, by slamming the mead.
This scene also speaks to how Odin views and treats his family, but the reaction of Thor is silently heartbreaking. Shortly after, he looks to Thor, drinks the mead, and says, “you’re no fun anymore.” This somewhat hints at Thor’s feelings about his sons, but more importantly, is a clear reference once again to Thor’s alcoholism.
Dying is What We Aesir Live For
In the same breath, Odin spills his entire plot and connection to Ragnarok by calling the deaths of Magni and Modi as self-defense, adding “dying is what we Aesir live for.” As players know, Odin’s entire motivation throughout God of War Ragnarok is the mask, which he thinks can be used to see through the fabric of reality and understand what happens to Gods after death. It’s a subtle line, but one with renewed vigor on a second playthrough.
God of War Ragnarok’s Odin Alludes to Thor’s Death
When Kratos asks Odin what he wants, many players will no doubt be surprised when he responds “Peace.” Of course, Odin’s understanding of “peace” and control is explored throughout God of War Ragnarok, but following this, he asks, “how about we just don’t kill each other?” Odin speaks this as he gets up and approaches Thor’s side, foreshadowing how near the end of the game, Odin will kill Thor. This may be reading into it a bit much, but Odin is on Thor’s side when he says this. He stabs Thor from the front when he is killed, but in the conversation leading up to it, Odin is mostly at Thor’s side. From a symbolic perspective, it shows how little Odin cares to stand side by side with anyone.
Kratos is Ready to Protect Atreus, Odin Sets Them Up on The Search for Tyr
One of Odin’s demands for said peace is that Atreus quit his search for Tyr, an important moment in and of itself, but the moment Odin points a finger at Atreus, Kratos grabs his axe. It’s a slight, few seconds, but one that reiterates how far Kratos is willing to go to protect Atreus.
This is also the first mention of Tyr in God of War Ragnarok, with the accent. The fact that it is spoken by Odin cannot be understated, as Odin assumes Tyr’s identity throughout the game. However, every time Odin (as Tyr speaks), there is no accent. It’s a small detail that was hidden in plain sight, differentiating the real Tyr of God of War Ragnarok from Odin’s false identity.
The First “Boy” of God of War Ragnarok
The “word” boy is important in God of War, but many noticed how few times “Boy” is spoken in GoW Ragnarok. In fact, the only time Kratos calls Atreus a “boy” in the game is when he runs away to Asgard. This speaks to how Kratos accepts Atreus’ growth from a boy into a suitable warrior himself, but the first “boy” in GoW Ragnarok comes from Odin. To sweeten the deal of peace, he promises to keep Freya off Kratos’ back and to “keep your boy safe,” showing how much Odin underestimates Atreus vs. how much Kratos has come to respect his son.
The First Battle with Thor Has as Many Small Details
At the end of this cutscene, fans finally get the long-awaited fight between Kratos and Thor. While it itself is a ton of fun and easy to get lost in, it comes with as many small details as the preceding cinematic. Multiple references to Magni, Modi, and Baldur are mentioned, with it being clear how upset Thor genuinely is at the loss of his sons. The blood payment he demands is a piece of Kratos for what he took from Thor’s family after all, going so far as to say that Kratos spits on their memories by holding back in the fight. It clearly stings Thor when Kratos says “Modi died of the wounds you gave him. He sought us in fear of you,” which symbolizes Thor’s life and death too.
During this fight, Kratos will eventually wound Thor and that will remain throughout the entire game. God of War Ragnarok doesn’t explicitly explain why Thor’s wound never heals, but the answer is there. In God of War (2018), Kratos axe is swallowed by the world serpent and spit back out, being infused with his Eitr or venom. This is one of few things in the franchise that can permanently wound or kill an Aesir, and Kratos’ axe remains infused with it as of this fight.
There are other references that many fans picked up on, like the Ghost of Sparta reference, but two major ones won’t stand out until plays beat God of War Ragnarok. The first is when Thor says “you should be better than this” and “you’re a destroyer like me.” Both are repeated, in different ways, in the final boss fight between Kratos and Thor. In that final fight, Thor expresses that both of them are destroyers, but Kratos retorts that they must be better for their children - a common refrain throughout the game. The second is how the frozen lightning “feels familiar” to Thor, which players later learn is what happened when he fought Kratos’ wife Faye in the Vanaheim Crater.
It should be noted that Kratos also knocks a tooth loose from Thor, who spits it on the ground. That tooth can be found in God of War Ragnarok. A tooth is a small detail, one not as important as many of these, but if nothing else, all of this goes to show the amount of detail that made Odin and Thor’s introductions to Kratos so memorable.
God of War Ragnarok is available now for PS4 and PS5.
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