Odin - A Deconstruction of Villainy

Odin could have lived if he hadn't made that one mistake.

[@FirstLast-cg2nk]

The perfect description of Odin is what Mimir says right at the start: "If he tells you snow is white, he's lying". Even when he's telling you the truth, it's all to serve another lie he'll tell you later, or one he has already told you. Even his appearance is a lie, seeming like a frail, elderly man, in spite of being the strongest god of the Aesir and capable of effortlessly one-shotting Thor. Everything about him, from beginning to end, is about deception and manipulation.

[@spencerfoote6977]

I’m not sure how so many God of War fans didn’t understand why Kratos wouldn’t accept Odins deal. He made a deal before, which got his family killed, and all the stories he’s heard of Odin are “don’t trust him”

[@BoxcarPhill]

The way Odin talks about Baldur, calling him his best tracker, chaser, but never his son in his first scene was a great way to show us his true feelings. Despite being called The AllFather, Odin was anything but a father to his people.

[@piousaugustus84]

Sindri's transformation from germaphobe comic relief to a grieving, vengeful shell of his former self was heartbreaking.

[@dynasty310]

Before you ever meet Odin he’s set up as this cruel master manipulator. Then you meet him and he’s this kind friendly man. That’s how these type of people operate in the real world. Not a cartoonish villain, but a charming person who you can fall victim too despite everything. Amazing casting. Amazing game.

[@acuyra]

What strikes me about Odin killing Thor isn’t that he did, but that he did it so quick. No thought, no deliberation, no hesitance. Thor had one moment of defiance, just one, and that was enough for Odin to instantly want his own son dead.

[@thekingghidorah93]

I’m happy that they didn’t make Odin just another force of nature like Zeus was. He lived up to picture painted by Mimir’s stories in the first game.

[@SonicHedgehog1991]

I also love Odin's design, specifically his oversized cloak. Normally a cloak would be tailored to fit you to be comfortable but his cloak is a few sizes larger than his body, hinting that he's a lot stronger than he looks and the fact that he never actually wore it as a cloak but rather just a cape that rests on his shoulder just shows that he's confident enough to deceive you straight in your face.

[@andreamckenzie8598]

Let's never forget that Odin also had his "guest" spawn where:

[@caylasudie4475]

One thing I love about Odin's opening scene is how is contrasts so hard with Thor showing up. Kratos seems to respects Thor as a warrior: allowing him inside, placing the weapons on the table, and providing cups for the mead. He even lets Thor be the one to talk.

[@kevinscott3047]

Brok, being the one to see through Odin's disguise and pretty much guaranteeing his demise, followed by Sindri being the one to kill Odin, reminds me of Galadriel's words to Frodo in Fellowship of The Ring:

[@enby_kensei]

I found it funny when players initially didn't consider Odin to be particularly threatening or ominous as a villain. But to me, he was terrifying right out of the gate. He reminded me of every dictator and cult leader I've ever read about, and every abuser I've ever known. The way he was written, directed, and performed was nothing short of genius.

[@aaronfoster5680]

Odin doesn't kill Brok because the dwarf is annoying him; it's because Brok was about to blow his cover. No one knew it was Odin, obviously, but Brok at least noticed the idiosyncracies that showed "Tyr" was working against the entire group, not for them.

[@sarcastichamsandwich5413]

What gutted me most is how sympathetic Thor becomes. You watch him struggle to change for his wife and daughter, regretful of how Thrud is his last child and how he still struggles with his alcoholism, and how he bears the brunt of the abuse from his father. He is constantly ridiculed and made to feel small, and when he finally breaks out of Odin’s control to defend his family and forge a better path for them by Kratos’s (and in some way, Atreus’s) prompting, Odin kills him. I love Brok and I know that was supposed to be the emotional motivation to the characters and player to kill Odin, but Thor’s death just added to the fire. I wanted so badly to see Thor win at something finally. I was crushed when he died.

[@Paradoxikality]

Something that I think often gets overlooked is that it was Brok's reveal and subsequent death that was the turning point of Ragnarok towards Kratos' favor. However, remember that Brok doesn't have all of his soul parts and it's even shown that the Lady of the Forge cannot even perceive him due to this. Can it then not be inferred that the Giants and even the Norns also could not perceive him, and so their prophecies and predictions were going based off the assumption that he didn't exist? If Tyr(Odin) wasn't called out and discovered by Brok, and everyone just played right into his hands then I think the prophecies of Kratos dying and Atreus ending up being subjugated would have happened and Odin would have won. But since Brok did what he did, he pretty much single handedly caused a divergence in the threads of fate.

[@Brainflayer]

Something I noticed about Odin is that he is addicted to viewing himself as a Victim, a Victim of Fate, a Victim of Circumstance, no matter what he has to be the one wronged, that way he can justify his actions to himself. Its most prominently shown just before his death; he tries to blame Atreus for the destruction of his family and realm when his actions caused both, but what does he say in return? "It wasn't my fault, I had no choice." In a way he's so good at lying he lies even to himself.

[@bobafeo]

9:37

[@nickplays6420]

don't forget how odin's always got that 'I'm really very busy but I can make time for you' demeanor... as the all father he's observed just how much people seek/desire his time and attention. He's weaponized being an absentee father to his advantage.

[@Eric_Black134]

Can we talk about Odin's voice actor for a second? He does a DAMN good job making Odin seem like this likeable smooth talker, which contrasts beautifully with his hateable, deceitful personality.

[@Aerondise]

What makes Brok’s death even more heartbreaking is the compassion involved. Kratos’ kindness when he let him bless the spear, gave Brok the confidence to stand up to Odin and confide in his friends. Which is something that wouldn’t have happened if Brok was still angry with Sindri after discovering he was revived. Brok felt loved by those close to him and he ended up sacrificing his live to save them.