Geirdriful
the Master of Arms
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.
The Master of Arms trained and armed Odin's Einherjar for the war he knew was coming. Then he cursed her along with eight of her sisters, and the Valkyrie queen shut her away in Midgard once the flesh had done its work on her mind. (God of War (2018))
Master of Arms#
Arming and drilling the Einherjar was Geirdriful's charge, which makes her one of the stranger casualties of Odin's curse. It bound all nine Valkyries into physical bodies that corrupted them by degrees into insanity; hers turned her skin an unhealthy pale blue. She wore an owl-themed golden helm, and her wings were enormous, red, plated in gold. (God of War (2018))
Fog and chakrams#
Once she was too dangerous to leave free the queen sealed her in Midgard, and there Kratos and Atreus found her. Geirdriful fought by misdirection. She filled the ground with fog and disappeared into it, then came out of it with heavy projectiles, her bladed wings, chakrams, and a scythe that threw waves of freezing energy. They beat her, and the spirit that came loose blessed them before it went to find her sisters. (God of War (2018))
Restored#
Freya brought the Valkyries back with Vanir Seidr magic. Geirdriful's skin returned to its natural colour and organic, birdlike wings replaced the metal ones. Free of the curse at last, she named Kratos her General and fought at Asgard during Ragnarok. (God of War Ragnarök)
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Geirdriful in God of War?
- Geirdriful was one of the nine Valkyries cursed by Odin to remain in a corrupting physical form that drove her toward madness. Known in legend as the Master of Arms, she was sealed away in Midgard until Kratos and Atreus defeated her body and freed her spirit.
- Why was Geirdriful imprisoned in Midgard?
- Odin cursed Geirdriful and the other Valkyries to remain in physical bodies, a fate that gradually corrupted them and drove them to insanity, turning her skin an unhealthy pale blue. As she grew too dangerous to be left free, the Valkyrie Queen sealed her away in Midgard.
- How did Kratos and Atreus defeat Geirdriful?
- Kratos and Atreus engaged Geirdriful's corrupted form, which fought as a master of misdirection, shrouding the field in fog before striking with projectiles, her bladed wings, chakrams, and a scythe whose energy waves carried freezing cold. After a hard fight they defeated her, and her freed spirit blessed them before vanishing to reunite with her sisters.
- What happened to Geirdriful after she was freed?
- After Freya restored the Valkyries with Vanir Seidr magic, Geirdriful returned as a Shield Maiden, her skin healed to its natural color and her mechanical wings replaced with more organic, birdlike ones. She acknowledged Kratos as her General and fought beside her freed sisters in the final assault on Asgard during Ragnarok.
- What was Geirdriful's role as the Master of Arms?
- In legend Geirdriful was the Master of Arms, charged with training and arming Odin's Einherjar for the coming war.
Gallery
Images via God of War Wiki
Sources
- GameGod of War (2018), Santa Monica Studio, 2018
- GameGod of War Ragnarök, Santa Monica Studio, 2022
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
Followed from this entry
Atreus (Loki): Kratos's Son and the Truth of His Name
Atreus was the son of Kratos and the Jotunn Faye, born in Midgard and given the hidden name Loki. Across two great journeys he grew from a sickly boy into the prophesied champion of the Giants, the god of mischief whose fate was bound to Ragnarok.
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.
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.
Einherjar: Odin's army that never dies
Warriors who died an honourable death were raised again in Valhalla. Odin built them into a standing army for Ragnarok, reborn each time they fell.
Freya
Freya was the Vanir goddess of love, war, and magic who married Odin to end the Aesir-Vanir War and was cursed to remain in Midgard. Once the Witch of the Woods, she aided Kratos and Atreus, swore vengeance after the death of her son Baldur, and at last turned her wrath on Odin himself.
Midgard: Kratos' home, shaped from Ymir
Odin shaped Midgard from the body of the giant Ymir. Kratos settled there after leaving Greece, and Fimbulwinter later froze the Lake of Nine.
Mentioned in1 entry
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.