The Berserkers are the greatest foes players can face in God of War Ragnarok, and defeating these optional bosses might not be worth the effort. 2018's God of War introduced the Valkyries, optional bosses that Kratos and Atreus could fight to unlock powerful upgrades and fascinating lore. God of War Ragnarok replaces the Valkyries with the spectral Berserker spirits, which pose a comparable challenge and grant similarly useful rewards.

During the sequel's main quest God of War Ragnarok takes players to the grave of King Hrolf Kraki, a ruthless Danish king who once wielded the sword Skofnung. After claiming the hilt of Skofnung players can visit Berserker gravestone locations across God of War Ragnarok, with the ancient relic awakening the powerful spirits bound there. Defeating the first 11 optional Berserkers unlocks King Hrolf as an ultimate endgame boss, but reaching this goal is no small feat. Each of the Berserkers tests the limits of Kratos' combat skills, requiring a tactical gear loadout and a mastery of the game's combat system to defeat.

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Defeating Berserkers Grants Powerful GoW Ragnarok Rewards

GoW Ragnarok Berserker Armor

While defeating the 12 Berserkers presents a challenge for even the greatest God of War Ragnarok players, besting these powerful foes does present worthy rewards. Some Berserkers drop pieces of the Berserker armor set, which grants perks that boost the power of Relics while causing powerful Soul Explosions upon hitting an enemy. This is some of the best armor in God of War Ragnarok, and it pairs nicely with the Hilt of Skofnung Relic obtained by beating King Hrolf. This useful tool summons spectral swords which can bolster Kratos' offense or push back foes to defend him. Certain Berserkers also drop weapon upgrade materials, like Chaos Flames and Frozen Flames.

Alongside the physical rewards obtained from the Berserkers, beating these optional bosses also progresses an interesting side story involving Mimir. The decapitated wiseman reveals that King Hrolf and his Berserkers once killed and deposed Aldis, ruler of the kingdom of Lejre, after Mimir had personally vouched for them. Regretful of his past actions, Mimir asks Kratos to help him achieve vengeance by defeating the Berserkers and King Hrolf himself from beyond the grave. This quest not only gives more evidence of Mimir's true identity in God of War Ragnarok, it also demonstrates how Kratos has learned to forgo vengeance in favor of a more righteous path.

Berserker Gear Is Useless In GoW Ragnarok

Kratos decapitating the spectral Berserker King Hrolf in God of War Ragnarok

While the gear earned by beating the Berserkers in God of War Ragnarok is impressively powerful, these rewards will be totally useless to most players. By the time the endgame bosses are all defeated, Kratos' epic journey will nearly be at an end. This means that the Berserker armor set and Hilt of Skofnung will find little use in combat, perhaps outside of the other endgame boss Valkyrie Queen Gná. While the addition of a New Game+ mode might make the Berserker rewards more useful in the future, for now God of War Ragnarok players are fighting for equipment they will barely use.

While one skilled GoW Ragnarok player beat King Hrolf in seconds, the optional Berserker King is typically the game's most challenging foe. Beating the 12 Berserkers will net players a list of useful rewards like upgrade materials, the Berserker armor set and the Hilt of Skofnung. Unfortunately, there will probably be few enemies to test this gear on by the time King Hrolf is laid to rest again. The addition of New Game+ to God of War Ragnarok might make fighting the Berserkers more worthwhile, but for now these endgame opponents drop little of value.

More: God of War Ragnarök: How to Defeat King Hrolf

Source: PlayStation/YouTube

  • God of War Ragnarok
    God of War Ragnarok
    Released:
    2022-11-09
    Developer:
    Santa Monica Studio
    Franchise:
    God of War
    Genre:
    Adventure, Action
    Platform:
    PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
    Publisher:
    Sony Interactive Entertainment
    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.
    Prequel:
    God of War
    How Long To Beat:
    26 Hours