Dead gods that Faye should meet in God Of War Laufey's afterlife

The shock announcement at Sony's June State of Play (one of many, to be fair) was unmistakable God of War Laufey. It runs in parallel with God of War A Norse saga, this spin-off title moves away from Kratos as the protagonist, instead following Faye, also known as Laufey the Fair, a Jotunn warrior and Kratos' deceased wife as she navigates the afterlife following her cremation. The lengthy gameplay demo showed off a lot of new features, including a more mobile combat system, some really unusual supporting characters, and a pair of pantheon gods we haven't seen before in the franchise.

God of War Laufey release date narrowed down by reliable source

Another entry in the popular God of War franchise, God of War Laufey has had its release date narrowed down by a reliable insider.

While these two gods are certainly fascinating, God of War Laufey takes place in the Everywhen, an afterlife where (seemingly) all the gods converge upon their deaths. So it's not a stretch to assume that we'll see some familiar faces during the campaign, probably faces that Kratos has smashed before. Of course, we're excited to see what's up against them dead gods they'll play as, but we're even more excited about the possibilities they bring to the narrative. After all, many of these gods are untrustworthy at best, downright murderous at worst, and some even have a hostile history with the Faye to draw upon.

Spoilers ahead God of War series.

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Odin

The master manipulator has a deep connection with Atreus

Appears in: God of War Ragnarok

Odin he hunted Faye for a long time. Her efforts (and Tyr's) to hide the Tower of the Realm in Jotunheim caused both Odin and Thor much frustration in their efforts to “unify” the Nine Realms through force and subjugation. This is also why she and Kratos made their home in the Savage Forest, in an attempt to hide from the Allfather's ravens.

But Odin probably has a much bigger bone to pick with Faye now. After all, her son, Atreus, cast a spell that trapped Odin's soul in marble. Since Faye is clairvoyant (a common trait of the Jotnar), she likely knew that Kratos and Arteo's journey would lead to the demise of the Allfather. However, we don't know if she was aware that her son would beat him outright. Although Sindri broke the marble that technical means that Odin's soul would not make it to the afterlife, this is a very cunning god we are talking about. If anyone can find a way around the Everywhen rules, it's Odin.

Thor

The God of Thunder has a contentious history with Laufey

Appears in: God of War (2018), God of War Ragnarok

Faye a Thor go way back. The Genocide of the Nine Realms by the God of Thunder is what prompted Faye to hide Jotunheim and banish herself from the land of giants, all to keep her people safe. Even before that, however, she and Thor had clashed swords in what seemed to be a battle for the ages. Both Kratos and Mimir waxed poetic about Faye's fighting abilities, with Kratos claiming that she “fought beautifully” and these abilities were clearly seen in her fight against the God of Thunder.

God of War Laufey's true Big Bad is hiding in plain sight

God of War Laufey has already shown off a few threats that Faye will face, but the biggest one could be lurking just around the corner.

Faye's battle with Thor eventually ended in a stalemate (much like Kratos' fight with Thor) when Mjolnir and the Leviathan Ax collided, causing the destruction of a settlement in a nearby valley. Although moments before his death Thor had a change of heart and turned to Odin (largely due to his relationship with Atreus and Atreus' relationship with Thor's daughter Thrud), the thunder god's history with Faye could prevent him from being an immediate ally if they met in the afterlife.

Baldur

Baldur's hunt for Faye consumed him

Appears in: God of War (2018), God of War Ragnarok)

Cursed by his mother with immortality to fend off a prophecy of his “useless death”, Baldur he was desperate to break free from his inability to feel anything: be it pain, pleasure or even temperature. Odin, presumably for no other reason than to manipulate his son, convinces Baldur that finding Faye is the key to breaking his curse. Therefore, Baldur arrives at Krato's cabin in the Wildwood. Before he knew it, Faye was already dead.

Through much strife and pain, Kratos eventually manages to kill Baldur with Freya's help after the God of Light nearly goes insane. Between his tenuous grasp of reality, his obsessive pursuit of Faye to remove his curse, and his vendetta against Kratos for killing him, it stands to reason that if Baldur encountered Faye in the afterlife, he'd probably have to snap a bone. He would also be an excellent candidate to form an uneasy alliance with Faye against some of the more powerful gods found in any era.

Zeus

Kratos and his father did not get along

Appears in: God of War, God of War 2, God of War 3, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, God of War: Ascension, God of War (2018)

While initially presented as a benevolent v God of War (2005), Zeus he quickly changed his tune, placing a curse on Callisto that would turn her into a monster if she revealed his relationship to Kratos, and torturing Deimos, believing Kratos' brother to be the prophesied “marked warrior”. Ironically, Kratos ended up being the Marked Warrior that Zeus feared would kill him and claim his throne.

When Kratos opened Pandora's Box to gain the upper hand in his fight against Ares, he unleashed the Evils of the Titanomachy, which possessed all the gods of Olympus, including Zeus. These Evils made Zeus paranoid, causing him to betray Kratos and repeatedly attempt to kill him. However at the end god of war 3, when Kratos banishes Evil from Zeus, the Lord of Olympus ceases to resist his son. Kratos still brutally murders his father, fulfilling the prophecy that had terrified Zeus for so long, but Zeus seemed to accept his fate. This creates an interesting opportunity God of War Laufey. While Zeus could absolutely act as a (very strong) threat to Faye's progress, he could also see her efforts to help Kratos and Atreus as an opportunity to redeem herself. It all depends on which version of Zeus we get.

Ares

The Greek God of War offers a unique perspective on Faye's husband

Appears in: God of War, God of War 2, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, God of War: Ascension,

It's been a hot minute since we saw it Ares, the original Greek god of war (unless you count seeing his statues in the background God of War: Sons of Sparta). His death at the hands of Kratos while holding the Blade of the Gods marked a turning point for all of Olympus. Ares planned to kill Zeus and take his throne, which is why Zeus supported Kratus God of War (2005). After defeating Ares and earning himself the title of God of War, Kratos left Ares' soul in a jar in his throne room.

Every God confirmed to be Laufey in God of War

In God of War Laufey, several gods are expected to appear and face off against Faye, and here are all who are on the list so far.

Here is the interesting part. After being betrayed by Zeus and cast into Hades, Kratos never returned to his original throne room except in illusions. As such, we don't know what happened to Ares' soul. Maybe he's still there, trapped forever, or he's been released on Everywhen. While we know that Kratos told Faye about his past, we also know that with Atreus he left some parts intentionally vague, including many details surrounding his pact with Ares. Did he do the same with Faye? If so, then there is an opportunity God of War Laufey for Faye to come face to face with the hard and ugly truth about the husband she fights so hard to protect.