For those who’ve completed God of War’s main story campaign and are looking for something else to do, the game definitely has you covered. There are countless collectibles, realm tears, and side quests to track down as well as some of the hardest fights in the game: the Valkyries. There are nine of them in total, with each providing its own unique challenge as well as some of the best rewards in the game.
With the exception of Sigrun, they can be tackled in any order although it’s perhaps best to prioritize the three that drop Valkyrie armor as this will make subsequent fights a lot easier. Most of them are locked away in Odin’s hidden chambers though and so players will need to have obtained the magical chisel as part of the main storyline before they can gain access.
Updated on May 23, 2023, by Axel Bosso: Some gamers might prefer fighting against the valkyries rather than with the Berserkers in Ragnarok, so we have decided to update our guide keeping it fresh in style and formatting. Check out how to find and defeat the God of War Valkyries.
What Armor Should I Use For The Valkyrie Fights?
When it comes to armor, it should go without saying that players should equip the best at their disposal. Prior to tackling their first Valkyrie, this will probably be the Mist armor, although by taking on Hildr, Gondul, and Olrun early on, you can obtain the Valkyrie armor ahead of the final six Valkyrie fights.
You should also be sure to light all of the braziers around the Lake of the Nine as this will reward you with the Valkyrie’s Bane enchantment, which reduces damage taken from Valkyries by five percent. This may not seem like all that much, but when up against enemies that can decimate Kratos in a matter of seconds, every little really does help.
General Tips for Beating Valkyries In God Of War
While each Valkyrie has its own unique attack patterns (and thus requires a slightly different strategy), there are a few things that remain constant throughout all nine fights. For starters, you should always enter the battle with a full spartan rage meter and save it for a point when you are close to death in order to fully benefit from its curative properties.
Likewise, all three runic meters should be full at the beginning of the battle and used as often as possible once things get going. The first eight fights also begin with a three or four-second window during which the Valkyries are inactive, so this is a great chance to get in some bonus damage with a heavy runic attack.
Aside from this moment, the best time to attack a Valkyrie is typically immediately after they’ve finished one of their moves or combos, although you will usually only have around two or three seconds to do so before the next attack begins. A lot of their air attacks can also be canceled by hitting them with arrows, so it’s a good idea not to spam arrows while the Valkyries are on the ground.
Finally, you should be sure to enter each fight with a resurrection stone in your possession. Some opt for the Superior stone, although the Berserker’s stone is arguably the better choice. If used immediately after reviving, the Spartan Rage that it grants can not only refill the your health a little, but also deal a decent amount of damage.
Which God Of War Valkyrie Is The Easiest?
Though none of the Valkyries in God of War can really be described as “easy,” some are definitely a little less challenging than others. This can, to a certain extent, depend on the equipment that you have equipped, though, generally speaking, Gunnr is probably the best place to start. Her attacks are considerably easier to block and counter than some of the other Valkyries, so YOU should be able to defeat her without too much trouble.
Alternatively, YOU can bite the bullet and start out with Olrun instead. She’s considerably harder to beat than Gunnr, but, once you have managed it, you’ll get their hands on the Waist Guard of the Valkyrie, which will make the next seven Valkyrie fights a lot easier.
If go down this last route, you’ll probably want to tackle Hildr and Gondul after you’ve bested Olrun.
Gunnr (Thamur’s Corpse)
Several of Gunnr’s moves can be blocked or parried, making her a little less intimidating than some of her sisters. She has five main attacks, with her stab attack being the most dangerous. If she uses it, youshould dodge it as it can’t be blocked.
If she flies into the air, have Atreus let off a few arrows to cancel her dive. Even if she’s able to perform the move it can be parried by double-tapping L1. The only other attack to watch out for is her spinning wings attack, although this too can be blocked.
Reward(s): Gunnr’s Helmet, Etched Relic of Resilience, Feathers of the Fallen Servant, and Asgardian Steel.
Geirdriful is a lot less forgiving than Gunnr when it comes to attacks that can be blocked or parried. As a result, it’s essential to have Atreus ready to let off some arrows whenever she flies into the air and be ready to dodge in the event that her move is not canceled. Hanging back while she’s up there can provide more time to react and it’s generally better to roll sideways rather than backward.
All of her other attacks can be blocked, with the exception of the yellow energy waves.
Reward(s): Geirdriful’s Helmet, Heart of Vanaheim, and Asgardian Steel.
Eir (The Mountain)
Eir only has two unblockable attacks and one of these can usually be canceled by hitting her with a few arrows while she’s up in the air.
As always though, just be prepared to roll out of the way in case the arrows don’t have the desired effect.
The other move to watch out for is her slide attack, which has two phases. Both are unblockable, so the moment she begins to slide forwards, you should perform two sideways rolls to get out of the way.
Reward(s): Eir’s Helmet, Eye of the Winged Chosen, Valkyrie’s Might, and Asgardian Steel.
Kara (The River Pass)
Kara is able to summon additional enemies to the battle, which can be incredibly annoying if left unchecked. Thankfully, it’s possible to knock them off the edge of the map, speeding things up a little.
She also has two air-based attacks, although neither should provide too much trouble. The first is a scythe attack, which can either be parried or blocked, while the other is a projectile-based attack. As with her ground projectile move, it’s possible to block this although she will occasionally hurl a single, larger projectile which must be dodged instead.
Her wing attack can also be blocked and provides a great chance to get in a few hits after she finishes spinning.
Reward(s): Kara’s Helmet, Talisman of the Realms, Heart of Midgard, and Asgardian Steel.
Rota (Helheim)
Rota is probably the most deadly Valkyrie other than Sigrun and has plenty of unblockable attacks. The worst is her head-stomp move where she will spring up into the air and then come down directly on top of Kratos. If she ever jumps up like this, you should begin rolling and continue to do so until she stops.
She also has a pretty powerful dive attack, which repeats several times, although this can be fairly easily dodged by rolling. Her only blockable attacks are the yellow projectiles and her wing strikes – the latter is usually followed immediately by an unblockable hit.
Reward(s): Rota’s Helmet, Asgard’s Shard of Existence, Grips of the Valkyrie, Asgardian Steel, and Perfect Asgardian Steel*.
*Perfect Asgardian Steel is dropped by the final five Valkyries that you defeat and depending on the order that you tackle the first eight, these drops may be a little different.
Olrun (Alfheim)
Olrun also has a stomp attack, but thankfully she doesn’t use it quite as often as Rota. To avoid it, you should again roll to the side the moment she springs upwards. Her dash attacks are also unblockable, so it’s another case of rolling around until they subside.
Thankfully, all of her wing attacks can be blocked, with the exception of the final hit. The black projectiles can also be blocked and offer a few seconds of respite during which you can pick up health or move in a little closer.
Reward(s): Olrun’s Helmet, Ivaldi’s Corrupted Mind, Waist Guard of the Valkyrie, Asgardian Steel, and Perfect Asgardian Steel*.
Gondul (Muspelheim)
Gondul has a few different projectile attacks, but the fireballs are particularly deadly. You should dodge these as best they can and be sure to fire off arrows if she begins to hover, as this will lead to a huge fireball that can be very difficult to avoid.
The knife projectiles can thankfully be blocked, as can her wing attacks. She also has a stomp attack, so be ready to roll away if she suddenly jumps directly upwards.
Reward(s): Gondul’s Helmet, Leviathan’s Eye, Raging Inferno of Muspelheim, Gauntlets of the Valkyrie, Asgardian Steel, and Perfect Asgardian Steel*.
Hildr (Niflheim)
Due to the battle taking place in Ivaldi’s Maze, it’s best to tackle this one wearing Myst armor to minimize the effects of the fog.
Finding Hildr is actually fairly straightforward though and can be accomplished by hugging the left wall of the maze. It’s probably best to run past any enemies encountered along the way just to minimize damage.
Hildr has a few different ground dash attacks which can be parried, so be sure to make the most of this and get in some good damage whenever she uses them. Her ice projectiles can be blocked with the exception of the last one which must be dodged. The yellow projectile attack can’t be blocked at all.
If she begins to hover, let off some arrows and be prepared to roll left or right just in case they don’t do their job.
Reward(s): Hildr’s Helmet, Heart of the Valkyrie, Cuirass of the Valkyrie, Wing of the Valkyrie, Asgardian Steel, and Perfect Asgardian Steel*.
Sigrun
Sigrun is the Queen of the Valkyries and can only be tackled once the other eight have been defeated. Head to the Council of Valkyries and place the eight helmets on their respective seats. A realm tear will appear in the center of the circle and interacting with it will immediately begin the battle.
She uses a wide range of attacks that mirror some of those used by the other Valkyries, so you should use what they’ve learned to dodge, block, and parry them as required. The window for you to attack is considerably shorter in this fight and so it definitely pays to hold back a little.
Atreus’ Bitter Squirrel runic summon can also be incredibly useful here as it can provide health and rage orbs throughout the fight. You should be careful when collecting these though, as taking one’s eyes off of Sigrun for even a second can be fatal.
Reward(s): Njord’s Temporal Stone, Retribution, Asgardian Steel, and Perfect Asgardian Steel.