God of War Ragnarok: How to defeat Bodvar and Starolfr

God of War Ragnarok features several brutal challenges for players to partake in, both post-game and mid-game. Unsurprisingly, Kratos must be sufficiently leveled up to face these bosses.

One such challenge involves the Berserker boss battles, which are among the toughest side quests players can enjoy, akin to the Valkyrie mini-boss battles in 2018’s much-acclaimed God of War.

This guide will detail how to defeat both the Berserkers named Bodvar The Fierce and Starolfr the Troublesome.

Note: This guide contains minor spoilers for God of War Ragnarok.

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How to defeat Bodvar The Fierce and Starolfr the Troublesome in God of War Ragnarok

Starting this fight will summon both Berserkers immediately, so players must be extra careful here as this is a very tough battle.

• Bödvar The Fierce wields two shields while Starolfr has two swords on him, both requiring very different strategies.
• Pick one of the two as your target first, and move on to the second one after dealing with the first.
• Bodvar is the easier of the two, and it is recommended to deal with him first. Simply attack him till his HP drops to zero.
• Be wary of his Flash Light attack, as it can pierce through your shield. Dodge to avoid getting hit.
• Additionally, Bodvar can teleport around the arena. Be sure to tail him down and not give him a chance to regain his stamina.
• Starolfr is more durable than Bodvar and is way more aggressive.
• Avoid getting counterattacked by him, as he will deal massive damage when he gets the chance to do so.
• Starolfr can use the move Dagger Barrage to throw a bunch of glowing daggers at you. This attack is very lethal and it is recommended not to tank it.
• He also uses a ground slam to great effect.
• Deal with the Berserkers one after the other to finish the fight, using the R3 prompt to execute them in a gory fashion.

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Loot dropped from killing Bodvar The Fierce and Starolfr the Troublesome

Defeating this Berserker duo will drop the following rewards for Kratos:

• Tempered Remnants x5: These are items used to craft weapons and armor.
• Bonded Leathers x80: This item can be used to improve both Kratos and Atreus’s armors by up to three levels.
• Shattered Runes x75: These can be used for various runic upgrades.
• Gale Flame x1: This is used to upgrade the Draupnir Spear.
• Hind of The Nine Realms x1: This can be used to upgrade the Leviathan Axe.

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Where can players find Bodvar The Fierce and Starolfr the Troublesome in God of War Ragnarok?

In God of War Ragnarok, players must find and defeat the 12 Berserkers to complete the Favor, ‘Fit For a King’.

The quest can be started when players reach chapter 9, ‘Word of Fate’. They will have to make their way through the main campaign to arrive at the King’s Grave North-East in the Lake of Nine.

Subsequently, gamers will obtain the mysterious 'Inert Hilt of Skofnung’ from an ominous gravestone that will summon a wall of ice. Upon getting the Hilt, one can insert it into any gravestone to begin the challenge.

Both Bodvar and Starolfr can be found near the gravestone in Svartalfheim, in the region between the Jarnsmida Pitmines and Applecore.

God of War Ragnarok was developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, and PlayStation 5 lineup of consoles. A sequel to 2018's God of War, Ragnarok was released worldwide on November 9, 2022.