So, you’re rowing around Midgard. The water is freezing, the World Serpent is taking up half the horizon, and you’re probably wondering why on earth you can’t find that last legendary chest Lake of Nine says is missing from your map completion. It’s frustrating. Truly. You see a gold-trimmed box in the distance, but the water levels are too high, or maybe you’ve lowered them twice and now the path you used before is just… gone.
The Lake of Nine isn't just a hub. It’s a giant, shifting puzzle box that Sony Santa Monica designed to mess with your sense of direction. If you played the 2018 God of War, you know the drill: the water drops, new islands emerge, and old areas get deeper. But if you’re looking for those legendary chests to snag the Muspelheim ciphers or those sweet Runic attacks like the White Bear Charge, you have to realize that "Lake of Nine" is a broad term. Some chests are on the docks, while others are tucked inside sub-regions like the Stone Falls or the Veithurgard pass.
Most people get stuck because they expect the chests to be sitting out in the open. They aren't. They’re behind shattered crystals, hidden under floorboards, or tucked behind light-elf puzzles that require a degree in geometry to solve.
The Water Level Problem
Timing is everything. Honestly, if you try to 100% the Lake of Nine the moment you get the boat, you’re going to have a bad time. You physically cannot reach most of the legendary chest Lake of Nine locations until the Serpent moves for the second time.
Take the chest at the Lookout Tower, for example. Initially, it’s just a tiny spit of land. You hit some paddles to retract spikes, and you think you’re done. Wrong. You have to wait for the second drop to even see the climbing path that leads to the real loot. This isn't just "padding" the game; it’s a deliberate design choice to make the world feel like it's breathing. Or sinking. Depends on how you look at it.
Why the Muspelheim Ciphers Matter Early
You need these. Seriously. Two of the legendary chests scattered around the lake contain pieces of the Muspelheim language cipher. If you miss these, you can’t go to the fire realm to grind for Smoldering Embers, which means your armor is going to stay mediocre for a lot longer than it needs to. One is typically found at the Forgotten Caverns, and another is over by the Cliffs of the Raven.
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The Cliffs of the Raven chest is a classic "Atreus, go do the thing" puzzle. You have to smash some wooden boards, boost the kid up a hole, and wait for him to drop a chain. It sounds simple, but in the heat of exploration, a lot of players just row right past it because the dock looks "unimportant." Don't be that guy.
Breaking Down the Hardest Chests to Find
Let’s talk about the Isle of Death. This place is a vertical nightmare. You’ve got these oil jars that you need to explode to clear rubble. If you don’t hit the right jar from the right angle, the legendary chest stays buried. It’s hidden behind a massive rock pile on the western side of the island.
Then there’s the Light Elf Outpost. This is arguably the most complex "mini-dungeon" in the Lake of Nine area. You’re toggling light bridges on and off, carrying crystals around, and fighting off those annoying speed-demon Elves. The legendary chest here contains a heavy runic attack, but getting to it requires you to leave a bridge off so you can drop down to a lower level you previously ignored. It’s counterintuitive. Most games teach you that "bridge equals progress." Here, "no bridge" often equals "hidden loot."
- Stone Falls: Home to a chest that often requires you to manipulate a water wheel.
- Buri’s Storeroom: You’ll need to rotate a massive sand-bowl mechanism and align the gates. It’s a short walk from the Tyr’s Temple bridge, but easy to skip.
- The Mason’s Channel: This one is tricky because it’s technically the gateway to the northern part of the map, but a chest sits right behind the two massive statues.
Misconceptions About Map Completion
A big mistake? Thinking every chest on the "Lake of Nine" checklist is actually on the lake. The game's UI is a bit finicky. Sometimes a chest in the Volunder Mines or Konunsgard might feel like it should count for the hub, but it doesn't.
However, the "Legendary Chests" stat for the Lake specifically refers to the islands and the various docks circling the Temple of Tyr. If your counter says 0/1, and you’re standing in a cave, check your map. You might be in a different sub-region entirely.
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The Niflheim and Muspelheim Factor
It is a fact that some legendary chests change their contents based on what you’ve already opened. If you’ve already found all the ciphers, these chests will start spitting out high-level enchantments or rare materials like Glacial Catalyst. This is why some players swear they found a "different" chest than what a guide says. They didn't. The game just scaled the loot because the player was already ahead of the curve.
How to Actually Get 100%
Stop rowing aimlessly. That’s the first step. You need to use the "Compass" at the top of the screen, but more importantly, you need to listen to Mimir. The smartest man alive isn't just there for the stories; he often drops hints about areas you haven't fully explored.
If you’re looking for the legendary chest Lake of Nine completionists obsess over, it’s usually the one at Iron Cove. Iron Cove is a nightmare of fire pots and poison totems. You have to clear the Mist of Hel to even stand still long enough to solve the gear puzzle. You’ll need to hit three spinning seals in quick succession to open the door. If you’re too slow, they reset. It’s one of the few "skill-based" chest locks rather than just a navigation puzzle.
- Lower the water twice. Don't even bother deep-diving for chests until the story takes you past the second interaction with Jörmungandr.
- Look for the gold. Legendary chests have a distinct gold glow. If you see a blue glow, that’s a Cipher chest (which counts as legendary) or a standard chest.
- Clear the corruption. Many chests are locked behind that red, pulsing vine stuff. You won't be able to clear those until you get a specific mid-game weapon. If you see red vines, leave a map marker and move on.
The Secret of the Towers
Each of the realm towers surrounding the lake (Heimdall, Helheim, etc.) has secrets. While not all of them house a "Legendary Chest" in the traditional sense, they are essential for the "Lake of Nine" completion. Some require you to take an elevator from the back side, accessible only from specific docks like the Tower of Light.
Honestly, the most "hidden" chest isn't even behind a puzzle. It’s behind a breakable wall in the Forgotten Caverns. You have to climb a chain, turn 180 degrees, and jump across a gap that looks like a death pit. It’s not. There’s a ledge there. Most people just keep climbing up toward the raven and completely miss the chest tucked into the cliffside.
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Actionable Strategy for Completion
If you're stuck at 98% and that one chest is haunting your dreams, here is exactly what you need to do.
First, check the Council of Valkyries area. Even if you aren't ready to fight the bosses, there is a chest tucked near the entrance that often gets overlooked because players are too intimidated by the giant thrones.
Second, head to Buri's Storeroom. This island is tiny, but the puzzle involving the gate and the boat dock is notoriously confusing. You have to dock on one side, pull a lever, get back in your boat, and row to the other side of the island before the gate closes. It's a bit of a "pro-gamer move" for a game that usually lets you take your time.
Finally, make sure you have the Chisel. You can't get into certain chambers without it. If you're missing a chest, it's highly likely it's behind a locked door that requires the Chisel minigame to open.
Go back to the Tyr's Temple center hub and walk the entire perimeter of the bridge. Sometimes, as the water level drops, new rooms open up in the base of the temple itself. There is one chest there that only appears after the second drop, containing the "Weightless Grip" or similar high-tier gear.
The Lake of Nine is a masterpiece of level design because it rewards the "what if I go over there" mentality. Don't just follow the waypoint. Look up. Look for those hanging buckets you can drop. Look for the explosive jars hidden behind pillars. The loot is there; you just have to stop looking at the map and start looking at the world.
To wrap this up, your focus should be on the docks you haven't visited in a while. Travel to the Lookout Tower and work your way clockwise around the lake. Every time you hit a dock, check the "Region Summary" on the map screen. If it says 0/1 Legendary Chests, you don't leave that island until you find it. Most of them are within 50 feet of where you tie up your boat. Keep your eyes peeled for the gold trim and the red vines. You'll have that 100% completion badge in no time.