With a new trailer from the recent PlayStation Showcase, players finally got another look at God of War: Ragnarök, which confirmed that severed head character Mimir, who played a significant role in the previous game, will also be making a return. After roughly a year of speculation following Ragnarök's announcement and initial teaser trailer, there is now some more information on where the second game, and final entry in God of War's Norse saga, is going.
The severed head, which is first seen in the trailer using its mouth to hold a sort of stylus for writing, is Mimir, the Norse god of knowledge or wisdom. Mimir is first encountered in God of War atop Midgard's tallest mountain while Kratos and Atreus are seeking the Nine Realms' highest peak in order to scatter Laufey's (Kratos' wife and Atreus' mother) ashes. There Mimir was tied to an unbreakable tree, imprisoned by Odin after being suspected of aiding the Giants against Odin's son Thor. Unable to free Mimir from the tree, Kratos opted to sever Mimir's head instead. After seeking out Freya to revive Mimir, the severed head became the third member of the main trio which players travel with throughout the Nine Realms.
Mimir is instrumental in both the main story of God of War and in the game's worldbuilding. As the god of wisdom, Mimir relays many tales to the player which fills in the backstory of the Aesir and Vanir gods, and helps Kratos navigate the Nine Realms. He spends most of the first game tied to Kratos' waist, and - after returning with Kratos and Atreus' to their home at the end of God of War - has apparently remained with the duo through Fimbulwinter, the period of protracted winter which is known to happen before Ragnarök.
Mimir In Ragnarök's Trailer Hints At Storytelling Consistency
Mimir being attached to Kratos' waist was integral to the game's mechanics, particularly storytelling. Kratos didn't have any history with the Norse gods prior to God of War like he did in the original, Greek mythology run. Mimir helps Kratos and the player get acquainted with the world and learn about the relationships of each character encountered. Ragnarök appears to continue pushing Kratos toward the unknown, and Mimir's head appearing in the trailer implies that much of the worldbuilding will be done in the same manner as the first game.
Mimir was also helpful in combat, though it was certainly a secondary role to him being a font of knowledge. The most recent God of War switched the combat to an over-the-shoulder perspective, but it still retained the hack-and-slash combos of previous games. With the limited perspective, enemies are liable to move out of view, and Mimir would occasionally warn Kratos when enemies approached from behind. According to the God of War: Ragnarök trailer, Mimir seems to have some knowledge on Tyr, who Kratos and Atreus are looking for, so it appears he will remain an important member of the main trio throughout the sequel.
God of War: Ragnarok is a PlayStation 4 and 5 exclusive and set to release at some point in 2022.