God of War Ragnarok Ending Explained - God of War Ragnarok Guide - IGN (2024)

Finished God of War Ragnarok and have questions regarding everything that took place during the final mission, The Realms at War? Well, this guide covers everything you need to know about the ending, including details about the meaning behind the shrines Faye painted over, Odin's death, the mystery surrounding the World Serpent, the discovery of the true Tap to Reveal and what could possibly be next for our resentful dwarven friend, Sindri.

Looking for something in particular? Click the links below to jump to...

• Ending Explained
• The Fate of the World Serpent
• True Ending Explained - What It Could Mean for the Future
• What Happened to Tyr - Discovering the True Tyr

God of War Ragnarok Ending Explained

Following a powerful speech to his group in Tyr's Temple, Kratos blows the mighty Gjallarhorn, signally the start of Ragnarok.

Arriving in Asgard shortly after, the group soon discovers that despite their efforts to band the realms together, Odin's defenses and Einherjar forces prove far too powerful, as the War Machines destroy the realm gates one by one.

Needing to act, Kratos and Freya set out toward the War Machines. When they arrive at the Svartalfheim gate, it's revealed that Sindri has come alone, as he won't allow any more dwarves to die for their cause, stating that Odin had forced them to build those War Machines and that he's here to tear them down.

And that's exactly what he does as he strikes his soundstone device, sending a ripple through the air, destroying the machinery in its path.

Upon destroying the machinery, it's revealed that Odin has been using the Midgardians to fight his war for him, showing no regard for their lives.

Distressed from Sindri's outburst and Odin's lack of care, Atreus will begin repeating the lines "close your heart to it." But, Kratos will stop Atreus and encourage him to open his heart to it instead, as he feels their pain because that is who he is, and he must never sacrifice that, not for anyone.

Calling the group together, Kratos informs everyone that their purpose for this war is not to sacrifice the innocent and that he and Atreus will take down Odin alone to avoid any more needless deaths.

Upon reaching the Flaw, Atreus is stopped by Thrud, who is convinced that he is there to kill everyone, not just Odin. However, before she can finish him off, Sif appears and shares that he is speaking the truth about Odin, saying that he'll sacrifice anyone at a problem in front of him.

Following the conversation, Sindri breaks open the large door with Atreus' help. Shortly after, Kratos arrives and heads toward The Great Lodge, hoping to encounter Odin. Unfortunately, along the way, Kratos is intercepted by Thor, prompting a long battle to take place.

However, instead of killing him, he'll spare Thor, stating that they are no longer destroyers and must change for their children's sake.

But before they can finish their conversation, Odin arrives, and when Thor disobeys his command to kill Kratos, Odin unleashes a devastating spear into Thor's chest, killing him instantly—this starts yet another lengthy battle.

Upon finally defeating him, Atreus confronts Odin, giving him the option to choose to be better; however, he refuses, leaving Atreus no choice but to capture his soul in one of his Giant Marbles.

With Odin not technically dead, as his soul is trapped inside Atreus' marble, Kratos hands it over to Freya, explaining that he would never rob her of the choice between life and death again, leaving Odin's fate in Freya's hands. No longer needing Odin's death to make her whole, she hands the marble back to Atreus.

However, before a decision can be made, Sindri arrives, hastily grabbing the marble from Atreus' hand, and quickly smashes it with his hammer, killing Odin once and for all. Before the group can react, Sindri disappears again and won't make another appearance until Brok's funeral during the favor, A Vikings Funeral.

Soon after, Freyr appears, informing the group that Ragnarok has arrived. Using his Vanir magic to keep Ragnarok at bay, the creature attempts to destroy Asgard as intended, but he's soon overcome by Ragnarok's strength and offers to stay behind, sacrificing himself so that Kratos, Atreus, Mimir, and Freya can escape through a surprisingly well-timed realm tear created by Angrboda and Fenrir.

Following the destruction of Asgard, Atreus awakens in Hoddmimis Holt to the sound of Eir's voices. As he makes his way up the winding staircase in search of his father, he encounters several of his friends along the way, including Sif and Thrud, Skjoldr, Lunda, Freya, Mimir, and Angrboda. All of them engage in short conversations about the events that occurred in Asgard.

After speaking with Angrboda and reuniting with his father, the pair will follow her to the top of the mountain, where she'll reveal a hidden Shrine.

Upon opening, the pair discover that Faye is responsible for destroying the shrine in Jotunheim. This indicates that she went against her own people, hiding the pair's fate to protect them and, instead, encouraging them to create their own path.

Following the revelation, Atreus opens up to his father in a touching moment. He shares that there are other Giants out there and feels that it's his responsibility to find them, but he must do this journey alone. Kratos responds to Atreus' request positively and grants his blessing, almost encouraging it, as he believes he is ready to take on such a responsibility.

After seeing Atreus off, Kratos searches the room, discovering yet another hidden Shrine painted over by Faye, revealing the most shocking revelation yet. This shrine depicts Kratos' arrival in the Norse lands, as he's still wearing his Greek garb from his time in the pantheon, and he even spreads Faye's ashes in Jotunheim.

But that's not all, as Kratos spots something that leaves him speechless and overcome by emotion as it's revealed that the mural that depicted Kratos' death at the hands of Thor was painted over with a new prediction for his future, one in which people revere Kratos; something he never imagined would ever be a possibility.

Following the discovery, Kratos meets with Freya and Mimir, who asks what he has seen, to which he responds with "A path. One I had never imagined."

So, here begins the path of Kratos the Rebuilder, rather than Kratos the Destroyer of Worlds, as he sets out to help rebuild the nine realms with the help of Freya and Mimir.

Now that the Norse saga has concluded, we're left wondering where the story might go next. Are we looking at future sequels focused on Egyptian, Mayan, Celtic, or even Shinto mythology? Well, we're not entirely sure, but we're excited to see where the story takes us next, whether that's a dive straight into a new mythology or even DLC focused around Atreus' journey to discover the remaining Giants. But I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Secret Ending Explained - What It Could Mean for the Future

After completing the side quest favor, A Vikings Funeral, the game fades to black and rolls the second set of credits, signifying the true ending to the game. So, you're probably wondering what this all means and why this quest is the one that truly ends the game's story.

While it's all just speculation at this point, as nothing has been officially confirmed, we can only assume that given the heavy focus on Sindri's disdain towards both Kratos and Atreus, all the way down to the final scene of the story, it is fair to assume that Sindri's resentment for the pair and apparent blame for Brok's death could fuel a major plot point in the future of the series.

Throughout Ragnarok, we've seen Sindri slowly turn from a caring, brother-like figure to Atreus into a broken, resent-filled man struggling to deal with the grief of losing his brother. Factor in that Brok's death came at the hands of a man that Atreus pushed to find and that he never got to confront Brok and share his reasoning for bringing him back from the dead – despite its consequences – it's clear that this was Santa Monica Studios' plan all along.

Sindri's downfall is further seen throughout the game, particularly toward the end, as we witness firsthand the difference in his physical appearance. Not only is he visually much less put together and tired-looking, but his germaphobe nature seems to disappear as he is still seen wearing the same outfit covered with Brok's blood.

Furthermore, Durlin teases Sindri's downfall and possible future at Sverd Sands, telling Lunda that "Loss can do something to a man." Mimir also confirms this after the funeral scene, where he states, "A hole... Gets bigger the more you take away."

Now, if this weren't a direction they intended to go, we would think it's safe to assume they would close out Sindri's story with a better conclusion – whether that's implying that he'd forgive the pair as time passes or that he at least doesn't blame them for Brok's death.

With that said, this isn't the first time that Santa Monica Studios has led us astray, as heading into Ragnarok, we were led to believe that the game would focus on Freya's hatred for Kratos, with her ultimately playing a significant villainous role. However, that plot point didn't play out as we assumed and was quickly cleared up in the story's early chapters.

Whether or not we're simply thinking too deeply into Sindri's emotions, we feel that his story is far from over and feels quite different from Freya's hatred, especially given how close Sindri was to Atreus and Kratos. While we don't believe he'll play the part of the big bad, he could take on a more villainous or reckless role as he lets his grief cloud his judgment.

What Happened to Tyr - Discovering the True Tyr

After you've completed the story, you may still have one loose end on your mind: The Fate of Tyr. As it turns out, a big reveal awaits you in the Epiliogue's Post-Game exploration.

When you return to Niflheim and head towards the Raven Tree, you'll find Asgardian debris has rained down to the side, creating a new path to the ruins of a prison used by Odin and still guarded by Aesir fighters. Make your way through the complex by delving down to the bottom floor.

Here you'll find a startling revelation—Tyr is still alive and was imprisoned in Asgard the whole time. Miraculously, the destruction of the realm threw him across the realms and into Niflheim (though he is still confined to his cell).

Fun Fact: If you're playing with subtitles on, you'll notice that Odin's version of Tyr does not feature a diacritical mark above the "ý," whereas the real Týr found in the Niflheim prison does.

Although initially wary, Kratos will set him free, and Tyr will ask for space as he stretches his legs and goes on a Realm Tour to different locations. See our complete guide on finding all Tyr's post-game locations .

Following the discovery of the true Týr, the group begins to hypothesize why Odin may have kept Tyr alive. As Mimir and Freya explain, they believe Odin used this Asgardian prison to house those he impersonated, as the magic he used likely required the person to be alive in order to assume their body.

This theory is further proved when searching the prison, where you discover the body of the dwarf Odin had impersonated during your initial visit to Svartalfheim. The game director revealed during IGN's Beyond Spoiler Cast that the dwarf seen spitting on Kratos and Atreus upon entering Nidavellir was, in fact, Odin.

In the comments section below, let us know your thoughts on the endings and what they could ultimately mean for the series going forward.