Einherjar
Odin's undead army of the honored dead
The Einherjar were the warriors of the Norse realms who had died an honorable death and been raised again by Odin in Valhalla. Created to prepare for Ragnarök, they served as the endless military force of Asgard, reborn each time they fell.
The Einherjar were the warriors of the Norse realms who had died an honorable death and been raised again to serve Odin. Their home was Valhalla in Asgard, to which they were forever bound, and they had been created by the All-father in preparation for Ragnarök. Marked by their pallid skin and the dark stains across their eyes that came of receiving Odin's blessing, they stood as the standing army of the Aesir and a hostile presence throughout the Nine Realms.
Creation and purpose#
To a warrior of Midgard, nothing was more desired than to fall in battle, for such a death promised passage to Valhalla, the hall where the honorable and the wretched alike were gathered. There Odin made his selection, choosing the best of the dead, granting them his blessing, and giving them another chance to die for him. So were the Einherjar made, an army of the slain bound to the will of the All-father and raised to prepare Asgard for the coming of Ragnarök. The design was a cruel one: by instilling enough devotion in a host of bloodthirsty dead, Odin guaranteed himself a near-endless supply of soldiers for his war.
An endless army#
The Einherjar served as the military force of Asgard and the Aesir, and they were an antagonistic presence across the Nine Realms. Their power lay not only in their numbers but in their persistence, for whenever one fell in battle it returned to Valhalla to be reborn, allowing the cycle to repeat without end. This rendered them fodder that could be spent and raised again, a host that no defeat could truly diminish. In life each warrior had borne his own chosen weapon, and the Einherjar manifested their arms according to the choices they had made before death, until Odin's later experiments stripped that custom away.
Marked by the All-father#
The Einherjar bore the visible signs of what they had become. Their skin was pale and bloodless, and dark marks lay over their eyes as a result of the blessings Odin had given them, while their gaze shone a violet hue. Some wore only scattered pieces of armor across the upper body, while others were clad in full suits with helmets that hid all but their eyes. They could be found drinking and feasting together when not at war, as in the Black Thunder pub, where a brawl once erupted among them, and they were trained in the art of combat by the Valkyries Hrist and Mist within Asgard itself.
Fate after Ragnarök#
When Ragnarök came, the Einherjar were thrown against the armies of the other realms, and most of them were destroyed. In the ruins of Asgard, Kratos felled many of those that remained, and freeing them from their eternal servitude to a cruel god felt right to the Spartan. Yet some survived the cataclysm. On the orders of Gná, the surviving Einherjar journeyed to Niflheim to guard a great prison there, the place where Týr had been imprisoned.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the Einherjar in God of War?
- The Einherjar were Norse warriors who had died an honorable death and were raised again by Odin in Valhalla. Created to prepare Asgard for Ragnarök, they formed the standing army of the Aesir and were a hostile presence throughout the Nine Realms.
- How did Odin create the Einherjar?
- A warrior of Midgard who fell in battle was promised passage to Valhalla, where the honorable and the wretched alike were sent. From among them Odin selected the best, gave them his blessing, and granted them another chance to die for him, reanimating them as the Einherjar.
- Why can the Einherjar not be permanently killed?
- Whenever an Einherjar fell in battle, it returned to Valhalla to be reborn, allowing the cycle to repeat without end. This gave the Aesir an effectively endless army to fight on their behalf, fodder that could be spent and raised again.
- What happened to the Einherjar after Ragnarök?
- Most of the Einherjar were destroyed by the armies of the other realms during Ragnarök, and Kratos freed many of those he defeated in the ruins of Asgard. Some survived, and on the orders of Gná they went to Niflheim to guard the great prison where Týr had been confined.
Sources
- WikiEinherjar — God of War Wiki entry
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
Related entries
Asgard
Asgard was the realm of the Aesir gods, perched in the crown of Yggdrasil and ruled by Odin from the hall of Gladsheim. Behind the great wall of Hrimthur it stood as a fortress against the prophesied doom of Ragnarok, until Kratos breached it and the realm fell.
Gna
Gna was the Vanir goddess of swift travel and Freya's former handmaiden, who pledged herself to Odin and rose to become the final Queen of the Valkyries. Loyal to Asgard until death, she fell at last to Freya's blade in Muspelheim.
Hrist
Hrist was one of the last Valkyries who stayed loyal to Odin after her sisters were freed. With her sister Mist she served as an enforcer of Asgard, and the two died together at the Spark of the World.
Kratos
Kratos was the demigod son of Zeus who rose from a Spartan general to the Greek God of War, destroyed the pantheon of Olympus in a quest for vengeance, and then began again in the Norse realms as a father seeking to leave his bloody past behind.
Midgard
Midgard was the realm of mortals, shaped by Odin from the body of the giant Ymir and set between Asgard and Helheim. It was the home Kratos chose after leaving Greece, the land where Atreus was born, and the realm where the great winter of Fimbulwinter fell.
Mist
Mist was one of the last Valkyries loyal to Odin after her sisters were freed. With her sister Hrist she enforced the All-Father's will, and the two died together in battle at the Spark of the World.
Mentioned in28 entries
Aesir-Vanir War
The Aesir-Vanir War was the long and brutal conflict between the two tribes of Norse gods, fought ages before Kratos came to the Northlands. It ended in an uneasy peace sealed by the marriage of Odin and Freya, only for Odin's treachery to reignite it.
Asgard
Asgard was the realm of the Aesir gods, perched in the crown of Yggdrasil and ruled by Odin from the hall of Gladsheim. Behind the great wall of Hrimthur it stood as a fortress against the prophesied doom of Ragnarok, until Kratos breached it and the realm fell.
Birgir
Birgir was a Midgardian warrior and former Traveler who discovered that the Path he served was a lie of Odin, and forsook his brethren to fight for the Vanir. Branded a heretic, he became a loyal ally of Freyr in the resistance against Asgard.
Dark Elves
The Dark Elves, or Dokkalfar, were one of the two elven peoples of Alfheim, insectoid beings who dwelt in darkness and waged an endless war against the Light Elves for control of the Light. Their conflict ended only in the days of Ragnarok.
Dwarves
The Dwarves were a race of short humanoids native to Svartalfheim, renowned across the Nine Realms as peerless smiths, builders, and alchemists. Their craft was sought by mortals and gods alike, though their service to Odin came at a bitter cost.
Eir
Eir was a mortal healer who became a Valkyrie, gentle and skilled in both herbal and magical medicine. Cursed by Odin and sealed in Midgard, she was freed by Kratos and Atreus and reborn by Freya as a Shield Maiden.
Freyr
Freyr was the Vanir god of fertility and prosperity, twin brother of Freya, and leader of the Vanir resistance against Odin. He gave his life blocking the fire giant Ragnarok long enough for his allies to escape Asgard.
Geirdriful
Geirdriful was one of the nine Valkyries cursed by Odin into a corrupting physical form. Sealed away in Midgard until Kratos and Atreus freed her, she later returned restored as a Shield Maiden in the war on Asgard.
Gladsheim: the hall of Odin
Gladsheim was the great hall and central settlement of Asgard, the heart of Odin's power. Sheltered behind the wall of Hrimthur, it was the seat of the Aesir and the place where Odin met his end during Ragnarok.
Gna
Gna was the Vanir goddess of swift travel and Freya's former handmaiden, who pledged herself to Odin and rose to become the final Queen of the Valkyries. Loyal to Asgard until death, she fell at last to Freya's blade in Muspelheim.
Gulltoppr
Gulltoppr was the personal mount of the god Heimdall, a great horned beast of Asgard the watchman tamed and prized above all other creatures. He fell in battle against Kratos in the war that came to Vanaheim.
Hildisvini
Hildisvini was a Vanir god, master archer, and advisor to Freya. Exiled to Midgard in the form of a boar, he was first encountered as Freya's wounded companion before later returning to his human shape to join the resistance against Odin.
+ 16 more
Get new articles in your inbox
No spam. New lore drops, canon conflicts, and deep dives only when they’re worth reading.
Some links on Lore Fortress are affiliate links. If you buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.