Why is Freya an enemy in God of War Ragnarok?

God of War Ragnarok has received a ton of praise for its introduction of various new characters, many of which were only mentioned in passing in the previous game. Additionally, the title also includes a plethora of new enemies, bosses, and other side characters. This goes to show that the God of War team at Sony Santa Monica has addressed the issue of repetitive enemies prevalent in the previous game.

Freya is a returning character and a goddess from Vanaheim. The Vanir deity was listed as one of the two primary antagonists in God of War Ragnarok, the second being Thor. Considering the fact that she was an ally in the previous game, many players might be confused as to why she switched sides in God of War Ragnarok. Such individuals can find the answers to their questions below.

Disclaimer: This article contains major story spoilers for God of War Ragnarok, including video clips.

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God of War Ragnarok: Does wrath still drive the Witch of the Woods?

Before talking about why Freya is hostile towards Kratos and Atreus in God of War Ragnarok, players must understand why she’s furious in the first place. As mentioned earlier, Freya was an ally in God of War (2018). However, during the events of the game, her son, Baldur, engaged in a fight with Kratos and Atreus. This led to the Greek God of War snapping Baldur’s neck, leaving Freya childless.

Promising to rain down “every violation imaginable” on Kratos, the Witch of the Woods left with the body of her son. Since then, the ally-turned-foe has been seeking revenge against the duo — or trio, if one counts Mimir as a member of their team.

God of War Ragnarok’s story takes place three years after all of that, with Fimbulwinter in full effect and Freya still out for vengeance. She is more powerful now, having reclaimed a huge chunk of her power and getting back her “warrior spirit,” which can be defined as her ability to defend herself and attack others. Players must remember that at the end of the last game, Freya was bound by a spell that prevented her from attacking anyone and even defending herself.

The anger of the Vanir goddess is apparent in the game’s opening sequence, where Freya can be seen going after Kratos and stabbing him with her sword. She hunts the duo down for the first few hours in the game and ends up attacking them in full Valkyrie armor. At this point, the title displays her name as Vanadis. This is one of Freya’s alternative names in Norse Mythology.

However, once Kratos realizes that the Valkyrie is Freya, he stops Atreus from attacking her, a move that proves to be immensely effective in securing a tiny portion of her trust and getting her back as a potential ally. Sure enough, Freya then puts her weapons away and asks Kratos to accompany him to Vanaheim, where the source of the magic that binds her to Midgard is located.

During their travels in Vanaheim, Kratos and Freya get to know each other a lot, as the former opens up about his past and tells her about his previous child, Calliope, and his brother Deimos. After helping Freya free herself from the bonds that Odin put over her, she sets aside her hostility towards him, and the two become allies once more.

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In a nutshell, the reason Freya doesn't take kindly to Kratos and his son in the initial stages of the game is that the God of War was responsible for brutally murdering her son.