Leviathan Axe: the frost axe made to answer Mjolnir
the frost weapon of the Ghost of Sparta
Brok and Sindri forged the Leviathan Axe to answer Mjolnir, the hammer they had made for Thor. Laufey carried it first and left it to Kratos. It returns to his hand from any distance, but its frost cannot harm the dead of Helheim.
The Leviathan Axe was the principal weapon carried by Kratos through his years in the Nine Realms. Forged by the dwarven smiths Brok and Sindri, it was made to oppose the power of Mjolnir, the hammer the same brothers had crafted for Thor. The axe was granted to Laufey, the last guardian of the giants in Midgard, who passed it to her husband Kratos before her death. Where Kratos had once carried the Blades of Chaos as instruments of slaughter, the Leviathan Axe was the weapon of a man who fought to defend rather than to destroy. (God of War (2018); God of War Ragnarök)
Forging and origin#
The axe was made by the Huldra Brothers, Sindri and Brok, the same smiths who had forged Thor's hammer Mjolnir. After watching the devastation Thor brought upon the giants with their hammer, the brothers felt responsible and set out to create a weapon capable of opposing that power. Inspired by the immense size of Jormungandr, the World Serpent, Brok suggested they name the weapon Leviathan. According to Sindri, the weapon was infused with the echoing screams of roughly twenty frost trolls. It was made for Laufey, who carried it before passing it to her husband Kratos prior to her death. (God of War (2018); God of War Ragnarök)
The blade carried several inscribed runes that granted it different powers, chief among them command over ice and the ability to be recalled to the wielder's hand from any distance, an echo of how Thor's hammer returned to him. (God of War (2018))
Frost and limits#
The Leviathan Axe drew its strength from frost magic, and its strikes carried cold rather than fire. This made it a deadly weapon across the living realms, but it had a clear weakness. Its power could not harm the dead, and the Hel-walkers of Helheim proved nearly invulnerable to its blows. For that reason Kratos was forced to take up the Blades of Chaos once more when his path led him into the land of the dead, since their flame could burn where the axe's cold could not. (God of War (2018))
Through the Norse realms#
Kratos used the axe constantly while he traveled to spread the ashes of his wife Faye and in preparing himself for Ragnarok. As he traveled, he encountered Brok and Sindri, who restored and strengthened the weapon, improving its magic and its cutting power. Brought a Frozen Flame, the axe could be further enhanced, its blade growing larger and gaining ornate gold detailing along the head and handle. (God of War (2018))
The axe's biggest test came against Thor. In their clashes Kratos relied on it to counter the offensive force of Mjolnir, the two weapons matched against one another as their wielders were. Each clash set the axe's frost against the hammer's lightning, and a Kratos trying to be better against a Thor who killed for pleasure. (God of War Ragnarök)
Fimbulwinter and restoration#
By the time Ragnarok drew near, the long Fimbulwinter had caused the Leviathan Axe, along with the Blades of Chaos, to revert to its original, plainer form. As before, Brok and Sindri, and later the smith Lunda, were able to restore it with the use of Frozen Flames. The fully restored axe differed from its earlier appearance: in place of the runes along the blade's edge an ornate pattern appeared, and a gold design resembling Jormungandr wound up the handle, its head pointing toward the top. Lunda regarded the axe as the Huldra Brothers' greatest work. (God of War Ragnarök)
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Leviathan Axe?
- The Leviathan Axe was a frost-imbued axe and the principal weapon Kratos carried through his years in the Nine Realms. It was forged by the dwarven smiths Brok and Sindri to oppose the power of Mjolnir, the hammer the same brothers had crafted for Thor.
- Who forged the Leviathan Axe and why?
- The Huldra Brothers, Sindri and Brok, forged the axe after watching the devastation Thor brought upon the giants with Mjolnir, feeling responsible and setting out to create a weapon capable of opposing that power. Brok suggested the name Leviathan, inspired by the immense size of the World Serpent Jormungandr.
- How did Kratos get the Leviathan Axe?
- The axe was made for Laufey, the last guardian of the giants in Midgard, who carried it before passing it to her husband Kratos prior to her death. He then carried it across the realms while spreading Faye's ashes and preparing for Ragnarok.
- What is the Leviathan Axe's weakness?
- The axe drew its strength from frost magic, but its power could not harm the dead, and the Hel-walkers of Helheim proved nearly invulnerable to its blows. For that reason Kratos was forced to take up the Blades of Chaos again when his path led him into the land of the dead, since their flame could burn where the axe's cold could not.
- What happened to the Leviathan Axe during Fimbulwinter?
- By the time Ragnarok drew near, the long, magic-weakening Fimbulwinter had caused the axe, along with the Blades of Chaos, to revert to its original, plainer form. Brok and Sindri, and later the smith Lunda, restored it with the use of Frozen Flames, with Lunda regarding the axe as the Huldra Brothers' greatest work.
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.
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