God of War Ragnarok: All Story Bosses You’ll Face

God of War Ragnarök is packed with unforgettable boss fights, from massive beasts and magical phantoms to iconic gods like Thor and Odin. Some encounters serve as tutorials, easing you into new mechanics, while others push your skills to the limit with fast-paced duels or cinematic showdowns.
This guide breaks down every major boss and story-related mini-boss in the game, giving you an overview of what to expect, how each fight works, and why they stand out. Whether it’s a towering Ancient, a lightning-charged Dreki, or the All-Father himself, each battle has its own flavour and challenge.

1. Bjorn

The first boss fight sets the stage, and thankfully, it’s not too punishing. Bjorn’s slow, heavy swings make him more of a tutorial than an actual threat. This battle is all about teaching you the basics: block, parry, dodge, repeat.
Still, it’s a jaw-dropper in terms of story. Facing off against Atreus in complete bear form packs way more emotional weight than you’d expect from an “intro” fight. And just so you know, Bjorn isn’t some special title. It literally just means “bear.”

Quest: Surviving Fimbulwinter

Reward: 250 Kratos XP

2. Thor

The second boss fight pits you against none other than Thor, the God of Thunder. In terms of gameplay, it’s not the most demanding; you’re still early in the game, with only a handful of abilities unlocked, so the fight is tuned to be manageable.
But what it lacks in difficulty, it makes up for in spectacle. The clash with Thor is dripping with cinematic weight, highlighted by a shocking scripted moment where he literally kills Kratos, only to bring him back so the battle can continue. It’s less about testing your skills and more about showing you just how terrifyingly powerful Thor really is.

Quest: Surviving Fimbulwinter

Reward: 500 Kratos XP

3. The Huntress

The Huntress is one of the first real boss encounters you’ll face, and she makes a strong impression. This towering Stalker isn’t just about brute force. She tests your aim and timing right from the start.
Her weak point is her antlers, which glow during the fight. To deal real damage, you’ll need to target them with ranged attacks, making good use of your Leviathan Axe. She mixes in plenty of sweeping melee strikes and stomps to punish you if you get too close, so spacing and precision are key.
While she isn’t too difficult once you understand the mechanics, The Huntress is a great early-game boss that forces you to balance ranged combat and positioning. She sets the tone for what’s to come, showing that even the “smaller” fights in Ragnarök have personality and style.

Quest: Surviving Fimbulwinter

Reward: 250 Kratos XP, 372 Atreus XP, Winter’s Bite (Light Runic Attack), Frozen Flame (Weapon Upgrade)

4. Dreki

This electric lizard-dragon hybrid is one of the first “wow” bosses in the game, giving you a proper taste of how wild the fights can get in Ragnarök. The Dreki is fast, aggressive, and has a wide range of attacks, from heavy tail swipes and lunges to devastating lightning blasts.
The key is to stay mobile. His wide swings can punish you if you get greedy, and his electric breath forces you to dodge out of range quickly. Watch out for his unblockable bite attacks, too. They hit hard if you mistime your evasions.
The fight is challenging but fair, and it feels like a step up in scale compared to earlier bosses. It’s also a great introduction to how creative and cinematic the mid-game battles will get.

Quest: The Quest for Tyr

Reward: 500 Kratos XP, 500 Atreus XP, Flames of Anguish (Light Runic Attack), Chaos Flame (Weapon Upgrade)

5. Alva

Light Elves are already formidable enemies in Ragnarok, combining speed and strength to keep you on edge. Now imagine all of that cranked up into one boss fight; that’s Alva. She takes everything you’ve learned from battling regular Light Elves and pushes it to the limit.
Alva loves her unblockable attacks, so you’ll need sharp reflexes to dodge at the right moments. On top of that, several of her moves can only be countered with your shield, which means you’ll have to stay close to her to land those crucial interrupts. Managing your distance is key; if you’re too far, you can’t stop her, and if you’re too close, you risk eating a combo. It’s a fast, aggressive fight, but very satisfying once you get her rhythm down.

Quest: Groa’s Secret

Reward: 500 Kratos XP, 332 Atreus XP, Frozen Flame (Weapon Upgrade), Rond of Expedition (Shield Attachment)

6. Gryla

While this fight still lands on the easier side, it stands out for being more unique in how you approach it. You can’t damage the boss directly. Instead, your real target is her cauldron.
Because of her massive size, you’ll want to stay defensive whenever she closes the gap, keeping your focus on openings to strike the cauldron. The arena itself plays a significant role here, too, forcing you to use the environment to your advantage. It’s not the toughest encounter, but it’s definitely one of the more memorable and creative battles in the game.

Quest: The Lost Sanctuary

Reward: None

7. Vanadis

All those Valkyrie warm-ups clearly prepared us for this fight, or maybe the Queen herself wasn’t fully committed to finishing us off. Either way, her sudden attack doesn’t feel overwhelming. She’s quicker than the bosses before her, but her patterns are easy enough to read.
Most of her strikes can be blocked or parried without much trouble, and she leaves plenty of openings for you to play aggressively. It’s a straightforward battle, light on difficulty but still enjoyable thanks to the cinematic flair of facing a Valkyrie Queen.

Quest: After Main Quest – The Lost Sanctuary

Reward: None

8. Forest Ancient

Ancients make a return in Ragnarok, and the Forest Ancient brings back their signature mix of size, power, and patience-testing mechanics. Just like in the previous game, you can’t damage it directly. Instead, you’ll need to attack the glowing weak spots on its chest, then pick up the fragments it drops to hurl back at it for real damage.

The Forest Ancient can feel a bit tanky since its attacks are slow but heavy-hitting, forcing you to stay alert. It loves to blast energy beams and slam the ground with wide shockwaves, so dodging at the right time is key.

Once you’ve got the pattern down, the fight is more about endurance than raw difficulty. It’s a familiar but fun encounter, serving as a reminder that even the forest itself can be a deadly foe in Ragnarok.

Quest: The Reckoning

Reward: 500 Kratos XP, Chaos Flame (Weapon Upgrade)

9. Fiske

Fiske is a loyal soldier of Asgard and one of the early boss encounters that feels like an actual duel. Unlike the towering monsters you’ve faced so far, Fiske is a humanoid opponent, which means the fight is faster, tighter, and more personal.
Armed with his halberd, Fiske mixes quick combos with heavy-reaching strikes, forcing you to stay on guard. He also throws out several unblockable attacks, so dodging at the right moment is critical. Compared to some of the larger, slower bosses, Fiske demands sharper reflexes and punishes sloppy timing.
The fight isn’t too long, but it’s a significant change of pace, a skill-based battle that rewards smart blocking, parrying, and counterattacks. A solid warm-up for the more brutal warrior encounters to come.

Quest: The Reckoning

Reward: 500 Kratos XP, Glaive of Dodher (Relic)

10. Nidhogg

This battle is intense, lengthy, and easily one of the best boss fights in the game. It carries a similar energy to Hræzlyr, the dragon showdown from God of War (2018), mixing spectacle with strategy.
To succeed, you’ll need to use specific weapons to break through her defenses while carefully dodging a barrage of unblockable attacks and the dangerous Bifrost effect. The fight keeps you on your toes the whole way through.
What makes it even more memorable is the teamwork between Kratos and Freya. Not only does it add cinematic flair to the battle, but it also represents a turning point in their relationship, closing the chapter on her vengeance against him.

Quest: The Reckoning

Reward: 2000 Kratos XP, Frozen Flame (Weapon Upgrade), Amulet of Yggdrasil

11. Frost Phantom

The Frost Phantom is one of those fights that initially seem overwhelming but quickly turn into a puzzle once you figure out the trick. Like other Phantoms in the game, it can’t be damaged in the usual way. Your real target is the glowing purple runic pillars scattered around the arena.
The Phantom itself hits hard, with icy slams, sweeping arms, and unblockable charges that keep you moving. The real challenge lies in balancing survival with the need to destroy the pillars before they regenerate too much health quickly. Once the pillars are gone, you can unleash big damage and finally bring it down.
It’s a fight that rewards awareness and precision more than brute force. Not the hardest boss, but definitely one of the more unique encounters thanks to its mechanic-focused design.

Quest: The Word of Fate

Reward: 1400 Kratos XP, 500 Freya XP, Chaos Flame (Weapon Upgrade), Jewel of Yggdrasil (Amulet Upgrade)

12. Garm

Things get fiery in Helheim when you square off against the giant wolf. Yes, that wolf from Norse mythology. The fight looks intimidating at first, but his massive size actually works in your favour. His attacks are big and easy to read, giving you plenty of time to prepare for what’s coming.
The challenge comes from the sheer range of his swings and slams, which can make dodging a little tricky. Still, as long as you stay sharp and use your blocks wisely, the fight is manageable overall.

Quest: Reunion

Reward: 2500 Kratos XP, 1250 Atreus XP

13. Double Dreki

If one Dreki wasn’t enough of a challenge, this fight throws two at you at once. The arena erupts into chaos as both beasts leap, lunge, and blast lightning across the battlefield. Their speed and aggression can easily overwhelm you if you’re not careful.
The key here is to focus on one Dreki at a time. Since they share the same arena, spreading your damage makes the fight drag on, while concentrating on a single target lets you thin the herd faster. Keep moving, watch out for their unblockable bites, and don’t get cornered—it’s easy to get sandwiched between their wide attacks.
This encounter is definitely tougher than the solo Dreki, but with patience, clever dodging, and controlled focus, it turns into one of the more exciting mid-game challenges.

Quest: Creatures of Prophecy

Reward: 500 Kratos XP, 350 Atreus XP, Artillery of the Ancients (Heavy Runic Attack), Chaos Flame (Weapon Upgrade)

14. Gulltoppr / Heimdall

All the buildup to this fight, including forging an entirely new weapon, makes it feel like it’s going to be a huge challenge. In practice, though, it lands somewhere in the middle: not too easy, but not overwhelmingly hard either.
The real trick comes after you take down his mount. At that point, you’ll need to rely on the Draupnir Spear to make him vulnerable, which pushes you to get creative with how you use your new weapon. Early on, he’ll pick it up and throw it back at you, but as the fight goes on, the difficulty ramps up.
Once you’ve mastered that phase, the rest of the encounter turns into a more straightforward brawl. Taking him down feels satisfying, and the fight is an excellent showcase of why the Draupnir Spear was worth all the preparation.

Quest: Creatures of Prophecy

Reward: 3000 Kratos XP, Hilt of Hofud (Relic), Emblem of the Nine Realms (Amulet Enchantment)

15. Frost Ancient

The Frost Ancient is another throwback-style fight that works just like the Forest Ancient, but with an icy twist. You can’t just hack away at it. Instead, you’ll need to target the glowing core on its chest. Once you knock loose fragments, please pick them up and throw them back to deal real damage.
Its attacks are slow but punishing, with ice beams, wide shockwaves, and heavy stomps that can chip away at your health if you mistime your dodges. The main challenge comes from patience: waiting for the right openings to strike, rather than rushing in.
While it isn’t the most difficult fight, the Frost Ancient is a solid test of focus and positioning, and it’s always satisfying to bring one of these towering enemies down piece by piece.

Quest: Unlocking the Mask

Reward: 500 Atreus XP

16. Flame Phantom

The Flame Phantom works much like its icy cousin, the Frost Phantom, but with fiery flair. At first glance, it looks unstoppable—its blazing form shrugs off your regular attacks. The trick, once again, is to target the glowing purple runic pillars around the arena. Destroy those, and you’ll be able to unleash big damage when the Phantom becomes vulnerable.
Its move set is aggressive, featuring fiery shockwaves, heavy ground slams, and unblockable charges that can quickly deplete your health bar if you get sloppy. The fight pushes you to stay mobile, manage the arena, and prioritize the pillars while keeping the Phantom in check.
It’s not the hardest encounter once you understand the mechanic, but the Flame Phantom stands out as another clever “puzzle boss” that forces you to think differently rather than swing your weapons nonstop.

Quest: The Summoning

Reward: 500 Kratos XP, 500 Atreus XP, Frozen Flame (Weapon Upgrade), Vindsvalr’s Windstorm (Heavy Runic Attack)

17. Double Soul Eater

If a single Ancient-style fight wasn’t enough, this encounter doubles the trouble by throwing two Soul Eaters at you at once. Just like the Forest and Frost Ancients, you can’t damage them directly. You’ll need to attack the glowing core on their chests, then hurl the fragments back at them to deal real damage.
The real challenge here isn’t figuring out the mechanic, but managing two of these lumbering giants in the same arena. Their beam attacks and shockwaves can overlap, leaving you with little room to breathe if you don’t keep moving. Staying mobile and picking your openings is crucial.
Focus on one Soul Eater at a time instead of splitting damage; it shortens the chaos and makes the fight much more manageable. Once you’ve got the rhythm down, it’s more of an endurance test than an outright difficulty spike, but still a memorable battle thanks to its scale.

Quest: The Summoning

Reward: 500 Kratos XP, 500 Atreus XP, Chaos Flame (Weapon Upgrade), Boon of Fury (Amulet Enchantment)

18. Hrist and Mist

Missed the Valkyries? They make their return here, but thankfully, they’re nowhere near as punishing as they were in the previous game. Still, please don’t get too comfortable, because this fight has its own tricks.
You’ll be up against two Valkyries at once, and while they share a single health bar, they restore it twice during the battle, meaning you’ll effectively need to burn through three health bars in total. Their blistering speed makes the fight especially tough, so mastering your timing for blocks, dodges, and parries is crucial.
It’s not quite the nightmare that the Valkyrie Queen used to be, but this dual fight still stands out as one of the more demanding encounters in the story.

Quest: The Summoning

Reward: 5000 Kratos XP, 2500 Atreus XP, Gale Flame (Weapon Upgrade)

19. Thor

It’s finally payback time, and this rematch with Thor is everything you’d hope for. By this point in the game, you’ve unlocked stronger weapons, abilities, and armor, which makes the fight feel like an actual test of everything you’ve learned.
Thor doesn’t hold back here. His attacks are stronger, faster, and cover large portions of the arena, forcing you to stay sharp. Keeping your distance won’t save you either, since some of his most devastating moves can only be stopped with well-timed shield counters.
Beyond the gameplay, the encounter shines as a story moment. After all the bloodshed, Kratos makes a rare choice: to show mercy. It’s a powerful payoff, proving how far he’s come since his days as the Ghost of Sparta.

Quest: The Realms at War

Reward: None

20. Odin

The final showdown with Odin is everything you’d expect from the main villain of the saga. Challenging, cinematic, and packed with story weight. This is also the only boss fight in the game where you have two companions fighting alongside you, which really adds to the sense of scale.
Unlike Thor, Odin isn’t a brute-force brawler. Instead, his mastery of magic makes him dangerous in a completely different way. He throws out a variety of ranged and elemental attacks, forcing you to stay on your toes and use every tool you’ve picked up throughout the game. At one point, the fight even mixes in some light platforming, keeping things dynamic and varied.
Eventually, the battle transitions into his study, where all the spectacle falls away, and it becomes a raw, old-school brawl. Just you, Odin, and a room big enough to settle things the classic way. It’s a fitting climax, both mechanically and narratively, to Krato’s journey through the Norse saga.

Quest: The Realms at War

Reward: None

That wraps up every boss fight in God of War Ragnarök. From the early skirmishes against Bjorn and The Huntress to the climactic showdown with Odin, the game constantly finds new ways to keep combat fresh and cinematic. Even the mini-bosses like the Phantoms, Ancients, and Drekis add variety and spectacle along the way.
What makes these encounters special isn’t just the mechanics, but the story weight behind them. Each fight feels like a step forward in Kratos and Atreus’ journey, blending gameplay and narrative into something epic.
No matter which boss gave you the toughest time, one thing’s for sure: Ragnarök delivers some of the most memorable battles in the God of War series.