Magni
the Son of Thor, God of Strength
Magni was the eldest son of Thor and the favored grandson of Odin, a towering warrior who joined his uncle Baldur in hunting Kratos and Atreus across Midgard. His confidence proved his undoing when Kratos killed him at the foot of Thamur's corpse.
Magni, also known as Magni Thorson, was the eldest son of Thor and the giantess Jarnsaxa, and a grandson of Odin. The older half-brother of Modi and Thrud, he was a towering warrior favored by his father above his other children. Together with Modi, he joined his uncle Baldur in the hunt for Kratos and Atreus, intending to bring them to Asgard.
Early life and rivalry with Modi#
Magni was the son of Thor and the giantess Jarnsaxa, raised by his stepmother Sif alongside his half-brother Modi. In their childhood the brothers listened to stories by the fire and played with carved wooden horses, but they grew up in the abusive household of the Aesir, where discipline was beaten into them as it had been beaten into Thor by Odin before him.
While still children no taller than shrubs, Magni and Modi were the only Aesir mighty enough to free their father from beneath the corpse of the stone giant Hrungnir. All the credit for the rescue went to Magni, which Mimir attributed simply to his being the blonder of the two. Magni came to be regarded as Thor's favorite, and Modi's resentment of him grew over the years. During the Aesir-Vanir War the brothers fought together and killed the Vanir goddess Nerthus, the mother of Freya and Freyr.
The hunt and death#
After Baldur's first failed encounter with Kratos, Odin summoned Magni and Modi to aid the hunt. The brothers visited the imprisoned Mimir seeking the location of their quarry, but he refused to help them. Splitting from Baldur, the two tracked Kratos and Atreus to the frozen plain around Thamur's corpse, noting that the giant's fallen hammer "didn't fall on its own."
Magni found his targets while battling an ogre, casting the beast aside and ordering Kratos and Atreus to surrender. Kratos refused, and a long, grueling battle followed. Confident he could easily defeat the Spartan, Magni taunted his opponent throughout, but his boastful overconfidence proved fatal. Kratos overpowered him and buried his axe deep in Magni's skull, killing him instantly. Modi, horrified at witnessing his brother's death, fled the battle.
Aftermath#
Though Magni was only a minor Aesir, Mimir warned that his death would not be taken lightly in Asgard. Thor was furious to learn of his favored son's death and turned his rage on the surviving Modi, beating him within an inch of his life for supposedly abandoning his brother, wounds that would later contribute to Modi's own death. Magni's death also caused his stepmother Sif to harbor a lasting grudge against Kratos and Atreus. Odin, despite Magni having died serving his will, showed no remorse, dismissing his grandsons as "kind of useless."
Long after, while exploring Valhalla, Kratos encountered a version of Magni manifested from his own memories and defeated him again. Reflecting on the grim dynamics of the Aesir family, Kratos came to pity Magni and Modi, recognizing that their abusive upbringing had left them little chance of becoming decent people, and felt that by fighting them fairly he was honoring them in a way they had never been honored in life.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Magni?
- Magni, also known as Magni Thorson, was the eldest son of Thor and the giantess Jarnsaxa, and a grandson of Odin. The older half-brother of Modi and Thrud, he was a towering warrior favored by his father above his other children.
- Why did Modi resent Magni?
- While still children, Magni and Modi were the only Aesir strong enough to free their father from beneath the corpse of the stone giant Hrungnir, but all the credit went to Magni. Mimir attributed this simply to Magni being the blonder of the two, and Modi's resentment grew over the years.
- Why did Magni hunt Kratos and Atreus?
- After Baldur's first failed encounter with Kratos, Odin summoned Magni and Modi to aid the hunt and bring the pair to Asgard. The brothers tracked Kratos and Atreus to the frozen plain around Thamur's corpse.
- How did Magni die?
- Magni confronted Kratos and ordered him to surrender, and when Kratos refused a long, grueling battle followed. Confident he could win, Magni taunted his opponent throughout, but Kratos overpowered him and buried his axe deep in Magni's skull, killing him instantly.
- What happened after Magni's death?
- Thor was furious to learn of his favored son's death and beat the surviving Modi within an inch of his life for supposedly abandoning his brother. The death also caused Sif to harbor a lasting grudge against Kratos and Atreus, while Odin showed no remorse, dismissing his grandsons as kind of useless.
Gallery
Images via God of War Wiki
Sources
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
Related entries
Baldur
Baldur was the Norse God of Light, made invulnerable by his mother Freya and driven mad by a curse that robbed him of all sensation. Sent by Odin to hunt a giant, he crossed paths with Kratos instead, and his death at the foot of Thamur's corpse set Fimbulwinter and Ragnarok in motion.
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.
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.
Modi
Modi was the younger son of Thor, a demigod who lived in the shadow of his favored brother Magni. After Magni's death he was beaten by his own father and broken in body and spirit, meeting his end at the hands of a vengeful Atreus.
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.
Thor
Thor was the Norse God of Thunder and the mightiest of Odin's sons, wielder of the hammer Mjolnir and the All-Father's chief enforcer. Raised to hate giants and broken to obedience, he carried out the genocide of the Jotnar before turning at last against his father, a defiance that cost him his life.
Mentioned in25 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.
Atreus
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.
Baldur
Baldur was the Norse God of Light, made invulnerable by his mother Freya and driven mad by a curse that robbed him of all sensation. Sent by Odin to hunt a giant, he crossed paths with Kratos instead, and his death at the foot of Thamur's corpse set Fimbulwinter and Ragnarok in motion.
Demigod: the mortal children of the gods
Demigods were the offspring of a god and a mortal, half-human and half-divine. Mortal yet possessed of superhuman strength and the fighting prowess of a god, the worthiest among them could rise to godhood. Kratos himself was one such demigod before he claimed the throne of war.
Forseti
Forseti was the Norse god of justice and reconciliation, son of Baldur and a member of the Aesir royal family. Paranoid and watchful, he uncovered the truth of Heimdall's death and set the Valkyries after Atreus.
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.
Heimdall
Heimdall was the Norse God of Foresight, the all-seeing watchman of Asgard and bearer of the Gjallarhorn destined to sound at Ragnarok. His unmatched intuition made him untouchable until his arrogance led him to a brutal death at the hands of Kratos.
Hrungnir
Hrungnir was a Jotunn born without head or heart, his body completed with stone, who became a drunken plaything in Odin's court before Thor crushed his skull with Mjolnir. His true story showed how myth was made from ugly truth.
Járnsaxa: the giantess mother of Magni
Járnsaxa was a Jotunn, the lover of Thor and the mother of his eldest son Magni. Spoken of only in passing as part of a sordid story, she was long dead by the time Kratos came to the Norse realms.
Magni's Death
The death of Magni, eldest son of Thor, came at the hands of Kratos upon the frozen plain of Thamur's corpse. Though Magni was only a minor Aesir, his fall kindled the lasting hatred of Thor and Sif and set the gods of Asgard against Kratos and Atreus.
Máttugr Helson: the Bridge Keeper of Helheim
Máttugr Helson, the Bridge Keeper, was a being of troll and Jötunn blood born and raised in Helheim and set to guard the Bridge of the Damned. Kratos slew him to claim his heart, the one ingredient that could cure the ailing Atreus.
Modi
Modi was the younger son of Thor, a demigod who lived in the shadow of his favored brother Magni. After Magni's death he was beaten by his own father and broken in body and spirit, meeting his end at the hands of a vengeful Atreus.
+ 13 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.