King Hrólf Kraki
the strongest of the Berserkers
King Hrólf Kraki was a Midgardian warrior who seized the kingdom of Lejre with a band of twelve Berserkers, bound in death to the cursed blade Skofnung. The mightiest of all the Berserkers, he was hunted down and slain by Kratos so that Mimir might at last be avenged.
King Hrólf Kraki was a Midgardian warrior who rose to become the strongest of the Berserkers, undead spirits bound to the cursed blade Skofnung. With a band of twelve Berserkers he murdered his way to the throne of the kingdom of Lejre, a betrayal that Mimir had unwittingly enabled and long regretted. Long after his death his spirit lingered, until Kratos hunted him down and slew him so that Mimir might be avenged.
A warrior's betrayal#
Hrólf Kraki was once a lowly warrior in the Midgardian kingdom of Lejre. The royal advisor Mimir vouched for him, and that recommendation placed Hrólf in the court of King Aldis. The trust was repaid with treachery. Hrólf and his band of twelve Berserkers immediately killed and deposed Aldis, allowing Hrólf to seize power and crown himself King of Lejre, laying waste to the kingdom in the process.
Mimir came to bitterly regret the part he had played, his shame perhaps planting in him a repressed thirst for vengeance, something that, as Kratos observed, not even Odin had managed to draw out of the god of knowledge during his long captivity. Hrólf and his Berserkers eventually died, but death did not end them; their souls lingered on, bound within Hrólf's sword, the cursed blade Skofnung.
The hunt for vengeance#
Years later, Kratos and Mimir recovered the Hilt of Skofnung, and with it Mimir was at last given the chance to avenge Aldis and undo the mistake that had haunted him. The blade gave Kratos the means to face the Berserkers whose spirits it held. He hunted and slew them one by one, working his way through their ranks until only their king remained.
Hrólf Kraki was the strongest and most powerful of all the Berserkers, a foe Kratos compared to Sigrún among the Valkyries. The Spartan confronted him and, after a hard fight, struck him down. With Hrólf's defeat the long debt was paid, and Mimir found a measure of peace. Kratos took Hrólf's sword for his own, a weapon that had once been a symbol of betrayal, and turned it instead to ridding the realms of the king and his followers.
Frequently asked questions
- Who was King Hrólf Kraki in God of War?
- King Hrólf Kraki was a Midgardian warrior who became the most powerful of the Berserkers, undead spirits bound to the cursed blade Skofnung. Once a lowly warrior, he usurped the throne of Lejre with a band of twelve Berserkers and was later hunted down by Kratos.
- How did Hrólf Kraki become King of Lejre?
- Hrólf Kraki was a lowly warrior vouched for by the royal advisor Mimir, which placed him in the court of King Aldis. Hrólf and his twelve Berserkers immediately killed and deposed Aldis, allowing Hrólf to usurp the throne and crown himself King of Lejre, a betrayal Mimir came to deeply regret.
- How was King Hrólf Kraki defeated?
- Years after his death, Hrólf and his Berserkers lingered as spirits bound to his sword Skofnung. When Kratos and Mimir found the Hilt of Skofnung, Kratos hunted down and slew all the Berserkers, then confronted and killed Hrólf himself, giving Mimir the peace of having undone his old mistake.
Sources
- WikiKing Hrólf Kraki, God of War Wiki entry
- WikiMimir, God of War Wiki entry
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
Followed from this entry
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.
Mimir
Mimir was a Celtic fae who rose to become Odin's advisor and the ambassador of the Aesir before the All-Father imprisoned him for over a century. Freed and reanimated as a disembodied head by Kratos and Atreus, he became their guide, conscience, and friend across the Nine Realms.
Sigrun: the Valkyrie Queen Kratos freed
Odin's curse drove the Valkyrie Queen mad, so Sigrun imprisoned her eight sisters and then herself. Kratos and Atreus beat her and freed her spirit.
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.
Also in Norse Era
Bergelmir: the Beloved King of the Giants
Bergelmir was a Frost Giant who, with his wife Nal, alone survived the flood of Ymir's blood that drowned the rest of his race. He found a new land, named it Jotunheim, and repopulated the Jotnar as its king, refusing all vengeance against Odin. He died of old age surrounded by his kin and was remembered ever after as Bergelmir the Beloved.
Byggvir: the Light Elf of Freyr's resistance
Byggvir was a Light Elf of Alfheim who was imprisoned for seeking the forbidden history of his people and fell in love with his fellow captive, the Dark Elf warrior Beyla. The two abandoned the elven war over the Light and joined Freyr's resistance in Vanaheim, where Byggvir fought beside Kratos in the war against Asgard and survived it.
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.