Kratos, Atreus, and Freya each face their own trials throughout the main story of God of War: Ragnarök. Though Freya begins the game as an enemy, constantly on the heels of the father and son duo, it ultimately takes one man's schemes to bring the trio back together. That man is, of course, Odin. By the time fate brings these four gods together in Asgard, there is nothing left to do but fight until one side is dead.
Odin stands as the final boss encounter in the main story and proves to be a bigger challenge than his diminutive stature would suggest. He is a powerful god, the leader of a strong and prideful people, and perhaps more than anything else, a narcissistic madman. There is little doubt that this fight is one of the strongest in God of War: Ragnarök, and that is saying something. There may be harder bosses, but few can measure up to the awesome spectacle that is the final battle with Odin.
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Preparing to Fight Odin in God of War: Ragnarök
Odin's fight can be tough because Kratos will have no time to truly prepare for the fight. As soon as the battle with Thor comes to an end, the fight with Odin begins. With that in mind, follow these general guidelines:
- The fight with Odin takes place over two stages.
- There is no need to rush into the battle. It is far better to have properly leveled gear, especially at higher difficulties. Entering the fight with at least level 7 gear is recommended.
- Though it’s easier said than done, try to save a resurrection stone for the fight. This will require making it through the battle of Ragnarök and the second fight with Thor. It is not 100% necessary, but it will certainly give Kratos some breathing room.
- If Kratos completes a stage, he will not have to complete it again after dying, even on Give Me God of War.
What Gear Should Kratos Use to Fight Odin?
The question of gear in God of War: Ragnarök is heavily dependent on a player's specific play style. What works for one person might be completely useless for another. Be that as it may, there are certainly some key thoughts to keep in mind:
Amulet:
- Odin uses bifrost in many of his attacks. Chances are, Kratos will accumulate a significant amount of this status effect during the fight. Using Remedy of the Bifrost can help keep it under control.
- Because Odin also uses several attacks that inflict elemental status effects, Token of Elemental Evasion can be an extremely fast way to remove them.
- Muspelheim's Enchantment Set Perk increases melee damage when a weapon's special characteristic (i.e. Permafrost) is fully charged. The increase is based on Kratos' Runic level. Pairing this with at least one piece of the Undying Pyres armor set can be extremely powerful.
- Helheim's Enchantment Set Perk increases Kratos' melee damage when his health is below 50%. The increase is based on Kratos' Vitality level. This can be particularly for players that tend to spend fights on the back foot and their health below half-full.
There are nearly endless possibilities when it comes to amulet combinations. Use these suggestions as a starting point for experimentation. If Kratos doesn't have certain enchantments, try exploring until he possesses enough to experiment with.
Armor:
Again, this is very much based on preferred playstyle. Here are some general rules of thumb:
- Odin moves around the arena a lot, barely standing still long enough for a runic attack. With this in mind, it's better to focus on builds that allow for quick, powerful melee attacks. Look for perks that give buffs to strength, defense, and runic. Try the Fate Breaker armor set, which is given free from Lunda, or the Berserker set, if available.
- Increasing Luck can be a huge help with activating perks. Though it doesn't need to be the main focus, it should be considered.
- Consider using either the wrist or waist piece from the Radiance set. This will trigger a realm shift with every last-second dodge. When used properly, this can be extremely powerful. Try pairing with Emblem of the Nine Realms in the Amulet, which increases melee damage during realm shifts.
- Players having a hard time surviving can try focusing on Vitality. Look for armor that grants healing mist or health burst, like Cuirass of Raven Tears (Niðavellir's Finest Plackart only grants its perk on stun grabs, which is not often against Odin).
Weapons, Shield, Runic Attacks, and Rage
- In the context of this fight, weapon handles should be looked at similarly to armor. Try to match the perk with another of a similar type. If an armor piece increases charge rates for Permafrost, look for a handle that triggers its perk when Permafrost is achieved. This is just an example, but being smart about combining perks can make any fight significantly easier.
- In the case of Odin, look for Runic Attacks that are fast and refresh quickly. Hel's Touch and Hades Retribution are perfect examples of this. Odin does not stand around, waiting for a Runic attack to fully wind up. Get in and attack before he can react.
- Wrath or Valor work best against Odin.
- Rond of Purification is an amazing tool against any enemy that relies on status effect attacks. Odin is a perfect candidate, as he uses them so often. Rond of Deflection is reliable for any player who has trouble parrying.
- The Guardian Shield is the best of all worlds and generally the best here. Try experimenting with other shields' unique abilities if the Guardian is not feeling like enough.
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How to Defeat Odin in God of War: Ragnarök
Stage One:
Attacks: Odin will use several attacks during this first stage. One of the most common will be a red-ring triple-bifrost chakra that must be dodged. He will also plunge his spear into the ground, creating a large AOE bifrost explosion.
Odin will float into the air and charge a massive red-ringed beam of ice which must be dodged. He will also charge at Kratos with the tip of his spear covered with bifrost. This attack is yellow-ringed at can be parried if perfectly timed.
A three-attack combo, first two normal, final attack yellow-ringed. All can be parried. If Kratos parries the final yellow-ring attack, Odin will be stunned for several seconds.
Fissures Created:
When Odin's health bar is approximately one-third to one-half drained, he will plant his spear in the ground and cause a massive explosion, creating large fissures in the ground.
This allows him to use a new AOE attack, turning an entire section of the ground blue. Kratos must jump to another section to avoid the attack. Nearly all of his attacks will become stronger or have extended durations. For example, the ice beam attack will now have two beams back-to-back.
With the large cracks in the ground, Odin will now use a red-ringed floating charge to cross areas.
Stage Two:
At the end of the Second stage, Kratos will stun-grab Odin, which leads to a rather long cutscene with Freya. Once that is finished, and everyone falls through the ground into Ymir's chamber, the second stage can begin in earnest.
Attacks: Odin will now begin to use far more of his elemental attacks, like this fireball he creates over his head. When he creates multiple fireballs, have Atreus use his arrows to burst them over Odin.
There are two raven-related attacks. Listen for Odin to shout, "Fly!" He will send a column of ravens into Kratos. This can be dodged but not blocked with a shield. If caught by the ravens, Kratos will have to quickly mash the circle button to escape. Both attacks work this way.
Odin will use the noose he tied to the end of his spear as a whip, lashing out at Kratos. A massive trail of bifrost will follow along the path of the attack. A second version of the attack will see large, sickle-shaped projectiles fired from the whip.
Make sure to shield-strike the blue-ring noose-whip attack. If Kratos does not make it in time, he will be pounded with a massive AOE attack, inflicting both bifrost accumulation and considerable damage. On higher difficulties, this attack can kill Kratos instantly.
Odin also has a red-ringed noose attack that must be dodged. As the stage progresses, Odin's attacks will grow more aggressive and increasingly more dangerous. Watch for more double attacks, as well as follow-up attacks.
The Book of Fire:
When he is down to roughly half of his remaining health, Odin will once again throw a fit. For the remainder of the fight, he will randomly apply elemental shields to his health, similar to certain base enemies. Kratos must use the appropriate weapon to remove the shield before Odin's health will be reduced.
Until the fire shield is removed with the Leviathan Axe, Odin will be encircled in flame. Watch out for large attacks that shoot projectiles, creating multiple status pools on the ground. Here, fire and poison pools are seen.
Odin will shoot massive streams of fire, usually when the multiple fireballs are over his head. Roll underneath the flame to avoid taking damage.
Finishing the Fight:
Once Odin's health bar is fully depleted, go in for the stun grab. This will trigger a series of QTEs that feature Kratos, Freya, and Atreus laying a beat down on old man Odin. It's not a pretty sight. The cutscene that follows will bring the fight to a close.
God of War: Ragnarök is available now for PS5 and PS4.
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