N / A? Have you completed God of War: Ragnarok yet? Prevented the end of the world, found all ravens, freed the two jellyfish, defeated all dragons, berserkers, and the nasty Valkyrie Queen? Congratulation! Then maybe we have something for you. Because God of War: Ragnarök is still full of exciting little details, Easter eggs, and secrets that are easy to overlook. Of course, the following pages contain one or two spoilers! If possible, you should already have completed the game before diving into this top 10.
10th place: Secret Dragon Boss on Dragon Beach
Did we just talk about defeating all dragons? Well, you're probably still missing this one. In God of War: Ragnarök you will encounter numerous optional bosses, including several dragons. But one is so well hidden that you most likely have not found it. You need the Mystical Heirloom relic to do this. Its description reveals that it doesn't seem to have any practical use in combat, but does "wake up something that's dormant." If you use this item on Dragon Beach right in front of the petrified dragon, it will come to life and face Kratos as a boss. It can also be used to awaken several troll statues in the game world.
9th place: Secrets about Thor
A few small, nice details concern the thunder god Thor, which we will briefly summarize here. First, there's the wound Kratos inflicts on him in the first boss fight between the two: he rams his ax into the Norse god's stomach (or rather, his plauze), which is clearly visible throughout the rest of the game. This also connects the two antagonists on a symbolic level, as Kratos also has a scar on his stomach since he rammed his sword into it at the end of God of War III in the boss fight against Zeus.
You have to look closely for the next detail in order not to miss it. Very, very accurate! In the same encounter between Kratos and Thor, Kratos knocks out a tooth of the Thunder God with his fist in a cutscene. If you look around after the boss fight in the area, you can actually discover the abandoned tooth tiny on the ground. And not only that: the tooth stays there for the rest of the game and can be examined at any time - wherever the frozen lightning bolt is located.
8th place: The little relatives of the giant tortoise Chaurli
If you've been paying close attention to the world of God of War: Ragnarök, you've probably noticed the whimsical turtles that can be found in various locations. A plant like a bonsai grows out of the shell in a bizarre way. What at first glance seems like a curious whim of nature is by no means a coincidence: those turtles are (much younger and therefore smaller) relatives of Chaurli, Freya's faithful companion. She had an impressive appearance, especially in the previous part. But you can also pay her a visit in Ragnarök if, after completing the game, you travel to Freya's hut south of the Lake of Nine with an Yggdrasil Seed. There you can not only admire the majestic turtle in all its glory,
7th place: Walking Dead and God of War composer Baer McCreary
Composer Bear McCreary is best known for his catchy theme tunes for shows like The Walking Dead, The Rings of Power, and Foundation, but he's also scored movies like Godzilla 2: King of Monsters and 10 Cloverfield Lane with his music. Especially among gamers, he has made a name for himself with his brutal soundtracks for Call of Duty: Vanguard and the last two God of War parts. That's why the developers of Ragnarök memorialized him with a cameo appearance: In Svartalfheim you meet the dwarf Raeb, who plays an ancient stringed instrument there. Not only does he look confusingly similar to Bear McCreary, but if you read his name Raeb backward, he also has the same name.
6th place: The captain's key
The side quest about Lyngbakr, the island floating like on a giant whale, is one of the most beautiful and original in Ragnarök. The accompanying description text speaks of a boat captain whom Kratos is said to have betrayed heartlessly a long time ago. This is one of the oldest running gags in the God of War saga. In the very first part of the series, Kratos stole his key from said captain in the legendary boss fight against the Hydra and then left him to die. Later in the same game, he again betrays the hapless captain as they escape from Hades together. Also in God of War 2, the boat captain had a reappearance in the boss fight against the barbarian Alrik, and in the last God of War from 2018 Kratos finally found his key again as part of a treasure hunt.
5th place: Kvasir's poems are allusions to other Playstation games
The numerous collectibles in God of War: Ragnarök include the Poems of Kvasir, which Kratos finds in various locations throughout the Nine Realms. They are subsequently kept on a bookshelf in Sindri's house. If you take a closer look at them there, you will notice that their covers are decorated with different symbols, all of which are references to other Playstation-exclusive games: the most obvious are the robot Clank, the hunter symbol from Bloodborne or the cute Astrobot with his blue shimmering eyes. Less immediately apparent are the USA map that alludes to Death Stranding, the samurai mask from Ghost of Tsushima, or the logo of the secret society from The Order: 1886. The titles of the books are also (especially in English) corruptions of the game titles dar, e.g
4th place: Another very special allusion to Playstation
There is another funny allusion to a Playstation title that you may not understand right away: While Kratos is traveling with Freya, he tells, as so often, some jokes from his eventful life. In one scene, Mimir asks him about a very special tournament in which Kratos is said to have fought, among other things, the undead, princesses, automatons, and the "greatest musician of all time". At least the latter should make you suspicious. The musician in question is Parapa the Rapper and the tournament described is not an event from an earlier God-of-War part, but a list of possible opponents in the Smash Bros. clone Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, in which a wide variety of Playstation characters compete against each other.
3rd place: The truth about Týr
It's one of the surprising story twists in God of War: Ragnarök when the true identity of Týr is revealed: the giant you free from his prison early in the game is actually the transformed Odin, who spies on Kratos and his companions in disguise. However, this twist is already subtly hinted at throughout the game, always clearly visible to everyone, but hardly noticeable: while Týr is always spelled correctly with an accent over the up in all descriptions and mentions, his name is used in the wrong Tyr in the subtitles apparently deliberately misspelled without this. With this small spelling mistake, the developers give you a subtle hint that something is wrong here. And just in case you missed it: You can find the real Týr in an optional area in Niflheim at the end of the game. There his name is written correctly in the subtitles.
2nd place: Secrets of Odin
Speaking of Odin in disguise, there's another scene early in the game where Kratos and Atreus meet the transformed Odin that you probably didn't notice - because it's impossible to notice. The developers first had to explain this Easter egg in an interview so that it was understood: It's about the scene in which Kratos and Atreus reach the city of the dwarves in their boat. They pass under a bridge, from which they are contemptuously spat at by a grumpy dwarf. According to the developer, this is the transformed Odin, who disapprovingly observes the doings of the Greek god of war.
And one more little secret about Odin that you might have missed: When he first appears in front of Kratos' hut, you can see his ravens transform into the tattoos on his forearms. This makes it clear: his tattoos are his ravens, so to speak. If you pay attention, you'll see Odin with or without tattoos throughout the game. This indicates that he is carrying his ravens with him or has sent them off to scout.
1st place: The future of the God of War series in Japan?
After Ragnarök, the God of War series' foray into Norse mythology is complete. So how's the series going? The developers hinted that there are hidden clues that once again have to do with the real Týr. After freeing him from his prison (see slot 3), you will meet him in different locations in the game world after completing the game in free mode. He sits or performs poses that are reminiscent of meditation and yoga and therefore do not seem to fit in with the current culture. As things stand, fans are therefore assuming that the next part of God of War could play in the Japanese mythical world with its countless deities, yokai, and demons. So far, fans had assumed Egypt to be the next obvious destination for Kratos' journey, since Sony Santa Monica Studio has already considered this in the past. Let us surprise!
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