Kratos has wielded many powerful and legendary weapons throughout the God of War series, and now some fans are debating if he will add Thor’s hammer Mjölnir to that list in God of War: Ragnarök. After his teased appearance in a prophetic dream at the end of 2018’s God Of War reboot, the Nordic God of Thunder was confirmed to appear in the upcoming sequel God of War Ragnarok, with fans fantasizing about Thor’s inevitable battle with Kratos in the years leading up to Ragnarok’s highly anticipated release next year.
As shown in God of War Ragnarok’s reveal trailer during the PlayStation Showcase September 2021 livestream and the game's subsequent promotional art, Sony Santa Monica’s take on Thor will be vastly different from what mainstream audiences are used to - especially in contrast to the version depicted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unlike Chris Hemsworth’s well-muscled and well-meaning portrayal of the God of Thunder, God of War Ragnarok’s Thor is a vengeful brute looking to kill Kratos and his son Atreus after the pair caused the deaths of his sons Magni and Modi - and his half-brother Baldur - during the events of God of War (2018). Even though Thor himself wasn’t shown until the very end of the previous game, a statue vaguely depicting his likeness can be seen during Kratos and Atreus’s travels across the Nine Realms, and Mimir occasionally spoke of the Thunder God’s pettiness and cruelty. However, one factor remains in God of War’s version of Thor: his might hammer Mjölnir, which allows him to conjure powerful blasts of lighting and command the wind itself.
Yesterday, Reddit user 94reis asked fans if they think Kratos will lift and claim Mjölnir as his own if and when he defeats Thor in battle during God Of War Ragnarok. Some fans seem to think so, pointing out that, unlike the Marvel version of Mjölnir - which requires the person in question to be “worthy” of wielding its immense power - the original version of Norse Mythology simply requires immense strength and a special belt and pair of gauntlets; all of which the Ghost of Sparta can easily take from a beaten Thor. Others aren’t so sure, stating that Kratos has a similar weapon, his Leviathan Axe; and some added Kratos' past tendency to steal weapons from fallen bosses was overplayed in the original God Of War trilogy.
Thor is just one of the many enemies Kratos will face in God of War Ragnarok, which will see him and Atreus working to uncover the truth behind an ancient prophecy that foretells the end of the world - and the truth behind Atreus’s destiny as the god Loki. Sony Santa Monica has confirmed that God of War Ragnarok will mark the end of Kratos’s journey through the realms of Nordic mythology, leading many fans to wonder if the game will end in Kratos’s death.
Kratos won’t be going down without a fight though, and he and Atreus might need all the magic and weapons they can get in their quest to prevent the titular Ragnarök. Mjölnir could be a valuable tool in that arsenal, provided Sony Santa Monica can make the hammer feel and play differently than the weapons Kratos already possesses - all while utilizing its legendary powers in a fulfilling way. Of course, Kratos will likely have to defeat Thor to get his hands on Mjölnir, and players will get to see which God is the strongest when God Of War Ragnarok launches on PlayStation sometime next year.
Source: 94reis/Reddit