God of War Ragnarok’sissues with the question of Fenrir might be solved with the inclusion of Skoll and Hati. In Norse mythology andGod of WarRagnarok, Skoll and Hati are two giant wolves, similar to the well-known canine Fenrir. However, this is where the two stories separate, as in the Norse myths, Skoll and Hati are the sons of Fenrir, and the grandsons of Loki. Considering that Atreus AKALoki inGod of War Ragnarokis in his teenage years, it wouldn’t exactly make sense for him to be a grandfather.
So, instead inGod of War(2018), Mimir tells Atreus and Kratos that Skoll and Hati are still sons of the arch-wolf Fenrir, but doesn’t describe them as Loki’s grandsons. However, Fenrir still existed as an enemy of the Aesir inGod of War, and as sons of an enemy of the Norse gods, Odin imprisoned Skoll and Hati when they were pups to prevent them from being involved in Ragnarok. However, he then set them free in order to chase the sun and moon, resuming the cycle of days and nights. From the recentGod of Warstory trailer, Skoll and Hati appear to no longer be serving Odin, standing at the side of Kratos and Atreus.
RELATED:God of War Ragnarok Video Features All Gameplay Shown So Far
What Role Will Skoll and Hati Play in God of War Ragnarok?
Further on in the story trailer, Atreus shoots an arrow at the sun, letting Skoll chase the sun away and force the day to turn into night. While this doesn’t show the sun being consumed, which is one of the major events that takes place in the Ragnarok of Norse mythology, it does hint that Skoll and Hati could take over the role that some may have thought Fenrir would assume. Even while some of Loki’s children from Norse mythology have made appearances inGod of War(2018), such as theWorld Serpent Jormungandr, Sony Santa Monica has done everything it can to distance those characters away from its version of the trickster god.
This might mean that that Fenrir’s role, like Loki’s, is going to be changed massively. Fenrir in Norse mythology is the giant wolf that is prophesied to devour the sun and kill Odin. Even thoughFenrir appearing inGod of War Ragnarokin a major way seems inevitable, there is the potential for Skoll and Hati to take over a large portion of the arch-wolf’s role. The story trailer emphasizes this, showing Skoll chasing the sun away. This might mean Sony Santa Monica is setting up the wolves to catch their prey at some point and remove the sun from the sky instead of their father doing it.
If Skoll or Hati do eventually catch up with the sun and devour it, this could also mean that other aspects of Fenrir’s story wouldn’t make it toGod of War Ragnarok, such as the wolf’s fight with Odin. While not seeing a giant wolf do battle with Odin will be disappointing for some, it does seem that the emphasis is being taken away from the famous arch-wolf and placed on his sons. A lot of the promotional material for the title is instead placing emphasis on the pair of wolves that appear in the story. TheGod of War RagnarokDualSense controller, for example, features two wolves howling at the sky on its touchpad.
This isn’t to say that Fenrir won’t appear at all inGod of War Ragnarok, but his role might be lessened heavily to include more of a focus on Skoll and Hati.Mimir’s expositionon Skoll and Hati in the 2018God of Wargame doesn’t state whether Fenrir is still imprisoned or not. This leaves the door open for Fenrir to enter the game in a multitude of ways, and it could be the case that Atreus and Kratos find themselves joining forces with Skoll and Hati to free their arch-wolf father.
RELATED:Artist Shows Off Adorable God of War Ragnarok Family Portrait
What This Means for God of War Ragnarok’s Story
However, if Fenrir doesn’t appear in any large role inGod of War Ragnarok, and Skoll and Hati are the ones to devour the sun and bring about Ragnarok, this could have some big implications for the game’s story. It seems that Skoll and Hati will be joining Kratos and Atreus for at least some part of their journey, and from the story trailer it appears that Sony Santa Monica’s version of Loki will be the one directing the wolves, rather than his father. WithAtreus taking the lead inGod of War Ragnarok’snarrative, this could lead to him being the catalyst for a lot of events initiating Ragnarok.
Already, Atreus has hit Baldur with a mistletoe arrow, which caused the god to feel pain again and initiated the events of Ragnarok. InGod of War Ragnarok, Atreus could also order Skoll and Hati to chase the sun away for good or devour it. This means that Skoll and Hati’s role could also revolve around Atreus and the part he will play in the apocalyptic events of Ragnarok.
If Fenrir isn’t the one to kill Odin as well, this could leave the door open for another character to face down the leader of the Aesir gods.Odin is a mysterious character inGod of War Ragnarok, but if the events of the Norse apocalypse are to be completed by the end of the game, the All-Father will probably meet his end. Skoll and Hati could be the ones to bring Odin down, but if Fenrir’s role is changed, Sony Santa Monica could make some more adjustments to the Norse mythology, and fans could even see Kratos be the one to kill the leader of the Aesir.
Another minor detail explained by Skoll and Hati taking over the role of Fenrir is Tyr’s hands. In the Norse myths, Tyr only has one hand, as the other is bitten off by Fenrir shortly before Odin imprisons the wolf. With Fenrir possibly playing a lesser role, it makes sense thatTyr sees some similar changes inGod of War Ragnarok. Even if he is altered from his origin in Norse myth, plenty of fans are still hyped to see Tyr, especially as another god of war to compare with Kratos.
God of War Ragnarokis scheduled to release on November 9, on PS4 and PS5.
MORE:God of War: Ragnarok - How Kratos and Tyr Compare as Two Gods of War
