MAJOR SPOILERS AHEADGod of War Ragnarokmay be about the great war of the Norse realm, but it is also a story about family. Kratos and Atreus, Freya and Odin, Brok and Sindri - these are but a few relationships that keep the epic grounded and relatable to players. But while the relationships on Kratos' side are expected to be elaborated on in the sequel,God of War Ragnarokalso talks about Thor’s Asgardian family.
One of the main antagonists of the game,Thor quickly makes his presence knownby arriving at Kratos and Atreus’s house with his father Odin. Loyal to the All-father to a fault, Thor blindly follows his father’s orders without thinking for himself. But behind this loyal lapdog is a son who never to the approval of his father and a man who wants to do right by his own family.
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God of War: Ragnarok’s Thor Wants to Be a Family Man
Thor is thehusband of Sif and the father of three children: Magni, Modi, and Thrud. Magni and Modi were killed by Kratos and Atreus respectively in the first game, leaving Thrud the only surviving child of the god of thunder. Unlike her brothers, however, Thrud has a good head on her shoulders and is training to become a valkyrie despite her mother Sif’s wishes.
It is mentioned ina conversation between Mimir and Atrusthat both Thor and Sif weren’t always so parent-like. Both of them liked to get into fights just as much as they reveled in drinking each other under the table. This all changed once Sif had Thrud. She decided to forgo her rambunctious lifestyle to look after her daughter. And though she managed to get Thor to go sober for times on end, she wasn’t always successful.
Odin Leaves Thor Drowning in Misery
Due tohis strained relationship with Odin, Thor frequently falls back into his old ways and resumes drinking, much to the dismay of Sif and Thrud. This only gets worse after the deaths of Magni and Modi, as Thor blames not only Kratos and Atreus but himself as well (though he would never like to admit it). While Thor manages to stave off drinking for most ofGod of War Ragnarok, the constant insults from Odin and lack of gratitude for his deeds become too much that he eventually drowns his sorrows at the Black Thunder Asgardian pub.
It is here where Atreus and Thrud find Thor in a deeply inebriated state. The scenestrikes Thrud more than it does Atreus. Thrud knows that Thor is trying his best as a father to both train her and be there for her mother, but his lack of affirmation as a son by Odin is clearly getting in the way of him doing so in a regular manner. She is devastated that Thor had to fall back into his old ways and begs him to start anew and stay sober as soon as he finishes destroying the Black Thunder pub in a bar brawl.
Thrud understands thatOdin treated Thor badlybut knows that it isn’t an excuse for her father to start drinking again. The pain on her face when she explains to Thor that she and Sif are there and love him very deeply projects disappointment and sadness that only a child with an absentee parent would know. While Thor acknowledges Thrud’s disappointment, there is little he can do in his drunken state.
As much asGod of War Ragnarokdeals with the affairs of gods, it also portrays them in a very human-like manner with their issues. Atreus mentions to Thor howfinding him drunk in a pub hurt Thrudmore than it hurt him. He tries to get through to Thor on their mission succeeding the drunken episode and even manages to slightly get the son of Odin to see reason. Thor’s part in the story is best-experienced firsthand, but it is one of the better portrayals of the Norse god ever seen in a piece of media.
God of War Ragnarokis available on PS4 and PS5.
