Gna
the last Queen of the Valkyries
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.
Gna was the Vanir goddess of swift travel and once the close handmaiden of Freya. After the wars between the gods she pledged her loyalty to Odin and rose to become the last Queen of the Valkyries. Her devotion to Asgard and her hatred of her former friend carried her to a final stand against Kratos and Freya. (God of War Ragnarök)
Handmaiden of Freya#
Gna was a Vanir goddess of swift travel who long served Freya in Vanaheim. When the Aesir-Vanir War broke out between Asgard and Vanaheim, Gna fought bitterly at Freya's side, and when the war ended in Freya's marriage to Odin to bring peace to the Nine Realms, Gna followed her friend to Asgard. There she pledged her loyalty to the All-Father and sought to serve him by joining the Valkyries, while Freya herself became their queen. (God of War Ragnarök)
Betrayal and hatred#
Gna's bond with Freya did not survive the peace. When Freya abruptly ended her marriage to Odin, Gna felt personally betrayed by a choice she could neither understand nor accept. Worse followed when Odin cursed and banished Freya to Midgard and then turned his fury on Vanaheim, using Freya's exile as cause to subdue it for good and leave it occupied by the Einherjar. From that time Gna was consumed by hatred for the queen she felt had abandoned both her and her people. She and her sisters then served under Sigrun, who had been chosen as the new Valkyrie Queen in Freya's place. (God of War Ragnarök)
Queen of the Valkyries#
When Sigrun regained her freedom after her defeat at the hands of Kratos and Atreus, and shortly before Fimbulwinter when she defected, Odin needed a new queen, and only Gna would do. Her unyielding commitment to Asgard was rewarded, though much of the work fell to her alone, for most of the Valkyries were gone. Carrying out Odin's will with zeal, she trained the surviving Einherjar alongside her sisters Hrist and Mist with a fist of steel, readying them for the final war. (God of War Ragnarök)
Ragnarok and the last stand#
Gna led the Einherjar during Ragnarok, fighting to protect what she had sworn to serve until death. Early in the battle on the shores of Ifing she engaged the Shield Maiden Olrun, tearing the wings from her before flying away, and it was then that Freya saw that her former friend had become the new Valkyrie Queen. While pursuing Fenrir and Angrboda, Gna accidentally entered a Realm Tear opened by the giant wolf, which carried her out of Asgard midway through the battle. She survived, but Ragnarok ended in crushing defeat for Asgard, with Odin slain and Asgard in ruins. (God of War Ragnarök)
As the highest-ranking survivor, Gna took charge of the remaining Einherjar to fight on in Asgard's honor. Kratos and Freya found her at last in Muspelheim, where in a blind rage over Odin's death she engaged them in ferocious combat. After a long battle they gained the upper hand and subdued her, Kratos holding her down while Freya pleaded with her to let go of her hatred. Gna refused, insisting that Freya finish what she had started, and with no other choice Freya agreed. Released and ready, Gna allowed her former friend to behead her. When Kratos and Freya brought word of her death to the Shield Maidens Sigrun, Eir, and Gunnr, Kratos told them only that her end had been swift and just. (God of War Ragnarök)
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Gna in God of War?
- Gna was the Vanir goddess of swift travel and once the close handmaiden of Freya. After the wars between the gods she pledged her loyalty to Odin and rose to become the last Queen of the Valkyries.
- Why did Gna come to hate Freya?
- When Freya ended her marriage to Odin, Gna felt personally betrayed by a choice she could not accept. Odin then cursed and banished Freya to Midgard and subdued Vanaheim, leaving it occupied by the Einherjar, and from that time Gna was consumed by hatred for the queen she felt had abandoned both her and her people.
- How did Gna become Queen of the Valkyries?
- After the Valkyrie Queen Sigrun defected, Odin needed a new queen, and only Gna would do. Her unyielding commitment to Asgard was rewarded, and she trained the surviving Einherjar alongside her sisters Hrist and Mist, readying them for the final war.
- What did Gna do during Ragnarok?
- Gna led the Einherjar during Ragnarok and, early in the battle on the shores of Ifing, engaged the Shield Maiden Olrun and tore the wings from her before flying away. While pursuing Fenrir and Angrboda, she accidentally entered a realm tear opened by the giant wolf, which carried her out of Asgard midway through the battle.
- How did Gna die?
- As the highest-ranking survivor of Asgard's fall, Gna made her last stand in Muspelheim, where Kratos and Freya found her. After a long battle they subdued her, but unable to release her hatred, Gna insisted that Freya finish what she had started and allowed her former friend to behead her.
Sources
- 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

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.

Odin
Odin was the King of the Aesir and ruler of the Nine Realms, the All-Father who slew the first giant Ymir to found Asgard. Obsessed with knowledge and terrified of his own prophesied death, he waged war across the realms and orchestrated the events that brought Ragnarok to his doorstep.

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.

Angrboda: the last giantess of Ironwood
Angrboda grew up almost alone in Ironwood, painting the prophecy of Ragnarok. She gave Atreus the soul marbles of the lost Giants and made him their keeper.

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.

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.
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