Throughout God of War: Ragnarok, no fight is more satisfying than Kratos’ encounter with the Aesir God Heimdall. The God of War series thrives on its brutal boss fights with dragons, witches, and Valkyries. Some bosses, like Hrist and Mist, show off a spectacular celestial landscape, while others, like Gná, require intense focus to overcome. Yet across God of War: Ragnarok’s dozens of unique bosses, the more “human” opponents often satisfy the player most.
[Warning: This article contains story spoilers for God of War Ragnarok.]
Kratos’ fight with Heimdall engages the player by entwining the story with gameplay. Until this point, Kratos has been trying to prevent Ragnarok, AKA the end of the world. According to actual mythology that influenced GoW: Ragnarok, Heimdall is prophesied to herald Ragnarok using his war horn, Gjallarhorn. Therefore, Kratos’ first goal is to take Gjallarhorn. This motivation alone makes the Heimdall fight of critical importance to the main story… but the game doesn’t stop there.
Heimdall’s Pride Causes His Fall in God of War: Ragnarok
God of War: Ragnarok builds the battle’s emotional stakes by portraying Heimdall as a cocky slimeball. The player first meets Heimdall through Atreus’ eyes when he threatens to throw Atreus off a wall before ambushing him with the intent to kill – and all this while throwing jeering taunts such as “I suppose I should expect nothing less from half-breeds.” As one of the powerful gods in God of War: Ragnarok, Heimdall has the ability of precognition to see moments into the future. He wields this godly power in battle to bully those weaker than himself. As Atreus helplessly fights Heimdall, the player experiences first-hand the frustration of his arrogance.
The Heimdall fight takes this frustration and drives it towards a satisfying battle. Heimdall’s battle consists of three phases. In the first phase, he rides his mount Gulltoppr while throwing taunts from a distance. When Kratos kills Gulltoppr, Heimdall does not mourn his beloved pet: He instead kicks its corpse, deeming it useless. The sheer coldness of this act removes Heimdall’s last vestige of likeability. In the next phase, Heimdall dances around Kratos’ swings using his perceptive abilities. Again, his arrogance is on full display – but this time, it gets him into trouble. Kratos is equipped with the Draupnir spear, a new weapon in God of War: Ragnarok that overwhelms Heimdall’s precognition and dazes him. While it may seem silly that Heimdall falls for the same trick multiple times, it suits his character: He refuses to accept that he can be hurt. When Kratos finally lands a blow, Heimdall loses his cool and becomes vulnerable to attack.
Kratos is willing to spare Heimdall, but Heimdall can’t keep his mouth shut. When he threatens to gut Atreus, Kratos snaps and blows Heimdall’s arm off. The player roots for this moment: Heimdall deserves it. But Kratos is a changed man from the original God of War trilogy: He tries not to subsist on violence. In the third and final phase, both men fight wildly out of anger: Heimdall at being disrespected, and Kratos motivated to protect Atreus from his greatest nemesis in God of War: Ragnarok. With Heimdall in a frenzied state, all planning goes out the window, and Kratos easily brings him down. Even as Mimir warns Kratos not to revert to his old self, Kratos bashes Heimdall’s head into the pavement and strangles him to death. This brief regression shows a glimmer of the violent god sleeping inside Kratos, with Heimdall’s last word reflecting this: “Monster….”
By aligning the fight's mechanics with the game’s overarching narrative, God of War: Ragnarok achieves ludonarrative harmony. The mechanics back up the combatants’ emotions: Heimdall’s arrogance and Kratos’ pent-up rage. Short, tactically deployed cutscenes are then utilized to add extra detail to the gameplay. By capitalizing on storytelling, Heimdall arguably becomes the most satisfying boss encounter in God of War: Ragnarok.