Who Are the Valkyries Hrist and Mist in 'God of War: Ragnarok'? Details on the New Antagonists

Spoiler alert: This article may contain spoilers for God of War: Ragnarok on PlayStation 4 and 5.

The wrath of the gods once again descends on Kratos and his son Atreus in God of War: Ragnarok. The highly anticipated sequel continues the Spartan god's battle against the pantheon of Norse gods — all while the end of the world closes in on him. Kratos and Atreus embark on another quest to try and prevent Ragnarok from occurring, all while Atreus tries to uncover secrets about his own godhood as Loki. Naturally, their journey brings them face-to-face with Norse warriors.

Among their many foes, there are the Valkyries, Hrist and Mist. Like Magnus and Modi from the 2018 game, they are two warriors sent down by the All-Father Odin to stop Kratos and Atreus by any means necessary. Who are Hrist and Mist, and what threat do they pose to our two heroes? Keep reading to find out more about these new Valkyries.

Anyone with even a passing knowledge of Norse mythology (or who's seen a Thor movie in the past few years) will know who the Valkyries are as a whole. In common lore, they are an army of female warriors who are typically tasked with guiding the souls of the dead up to the warriors' afterlife of Valhalla.

Kratos and Atreus have encountered Valkyries before. In the 2018 title, players can fight them on a sidequest to free the Valkyries from a curse that Odin placed on them.

While they were an optional encounter in the first God of War reboot installment, two new Valkyries take on Kratos and Atreus head-on in Ragnarok. They come in the from of Hrist and Mist in the new game.

In the original mythology, Hrist and Mist are typical Valkyrie warriors who serve at Odin's side. Hrist's name (pronounced as "rist") roughly translates to "the quaking one." Meanwhile, the name "Mist" is exactly what it sounds like, referring to a mist or cloud.

In God of War: Ragnarok, they take on a more active role. Both Valkyries are sent down by Odin to capture Kratos and Atreus so that they do not interfere in the occurrence of Ragnarok.

They essentially fulfill the same role as Magnus and Modi in the 2018 game as two warrior siblings who carry out the All-Father's will.

Kratos and Atreus certainly have their work cut out for them in the sequel. Along with Hrist and Mist, they must take on Freya who seeks revenge after Kratos kills her son in the first game. They must also hunt down Tyr, the Norse god of war who was believed to be dead up until now.

God of War: Ragnarok comes out on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on Nov. 9.