You’ve spent hours clearing out Berserker Gravestones across the Nine Realms. You’ve dodged the fireballs, parried the relentless melee combos, and probably questioned your life choices more than once. Now, only one remains. God of War Ragnarok King Hrolf Kraki is the final wall standing between you and the "Holmgang" trophy, and honestly? He’s a total pain.
He isn’t just a boss. He’s a remix.
Think of King Hrolf as a "Best Of" compilation of every single Berserker you’ve fought previously. He uses their moves. He uses their elements. He has a health bar that seems to stretch into the next zip code. If you go into this fight thinking you can just R1 your way to victory, Hrolf will send you back to the checkpoint before you can even finish a runic attack.
Where to Find King Hrolf Kraki
Before you can even see the guy, you have to do the legwork. King Hrolf doesn't just show up because you're Kratos. You have to defeat all 12 of his Berserker underlings scattered throughout the realms. Once the final one falls, you need to head to King’s Grave in Midgard.
It’s a desolate, snowy arena. Sparse. Cold. Just a single gravestone waiting in the center of a circular clearing.
Once you interact with it, the fight starts immediately. No cutscene. No monologue. Just a giant armored ghost determined to turn you into a grease spot on the ice. Most players find him after finishing the main story, which is good, because you’re going to need every bit of endgame gear you can get your hands on.
Why This Fight Feels So Different
Hrolf is a technical fight. It’s not about raw power. It’s about memory.
Since he pulls moves from the entire Berserker roster, you’re dealing with Bifrost, fire, frost, and those annoying homing soul orbs all at once. One second he’s flying into the air to drop an area-of-effect (AoE) slam, and the next he’s dashing across the arena for an unblockable red-ring stab.
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The pacing is erratic. You might get a three-hit window of safety, followed by ten seconds of pure defensive survival. It’s exhausting. You have to be "on" the entire time. If your focus slips for even a second, a single combo can take 70% of your health bar.
The Gear You Actually Need
Don't show up in basic gear. Just don't.
For the armor, most high-level players swear by the Berserker Armor set, which makes sense given the source material. It rewards aggressive play by increasing soul explosion damage and reducing runic cooldowns. However, if you’re struggling with getting hit (which, let’s be real, we all are), the Steinbjorn Armor is a literal lifesaver. It has massive Defense stats and a lifesteal mechanic that triggers when you take damage.
The Shield Choice Matters:
The Onslaught Shield is great if you struggle with his long-range blue-ring attacks. It lets you charge across the arena to interrupt him. If you’re a parry god, stick with the Dauntless Shield. But honestly? The Stone Wall Shield is a trap here. Hrolf has too many guard-breaking attacks that will leave you staggered and vulnerable.
Runic Attacks:
Speed is king. You want fast, high-stun attacks.
- Leviathan Axe: Hel’s Touch. It’s instant. It interrupts him.
- Blades of Chaos: Hades Retribution.
- Draupnir Spear: Mountain Edge.
Breaking Down the Moveset
You’ve seen these moves before, but Hrolf does them faster.
The Elemental Jump: Hrolf leaps into the air and prepares a massive AoE attack (Fire, Frost, or Bifrost). You cannot block this. You have to look at the ground. There will be shifting circles indicating where the impact will hit. Roll out of them. Don't just roll once; roll until you’re in the "green" zone.
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The Homing Orbs: This is the run-ender. He’ll summon slow-moving elemental spheres that follow you. Do not ignore them. Switch to your Axe or Spear and throw it at the orbs immediately. If they hit you, they apply status effects that make his follow-up attacks lethal.
The Blue Ring Shield Bash: He’ll occasionally charge up a massive blast. You’ll see two blue rings. Double-tap L1. If you miss this, you lose a massive chunk of health and get staggered. This is the best time to deal damage, so stay close enough to punish him.
Bifrost Projectiles: He’ll fire small bolts. These are parryable. If you can time the parry, you send the damage back at him. If not, just hold block, but watch your Bifrost meter. If it fills up and he taps you with a physical hit, you’re toast.
The Mid-Fight Transition
When Hrolf gets to about half health, he gets desperate. He starts layering his attacks more aggressively. He might summon the orbs while also preparing a dive-bomb. This is where your Spartan Rage becomes a defensive tool rather than an offensive one.
A lot of people use Rage to try and burst him down. That’s a mistake.
Save your Rage (specifically Valor or Fury) for when you get trapped in a corner or when you’re about to take a hit you can't dodge. Activating Rage gives you a moment of invulnerability and can interrupt his flow. Think of it as a "get out of jail free" card.
Practical Strategies for Success
The most important thing to remember about God of War Ragnarok King Hrolf is that he is a marathon, not a sprint.
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Keep the Camera Centered:
Hrolf loves to dash behind you. If you lose track of him, you’re dead. Use the quick-turn button or keep your lock-on tight. If the screen indicators turn red behind you, dodge immediately, even if you don't see the attack yet.
Status Effects are Your Friend:
Use Freya’s arrows. Constantly. You want to build up the Hex or Sonic meters to maximize your own Runic damage. If you can proc a "Frozen" or "Burned" status on Hrolf, his animations slow down slightly, giving you a precious extra millisecond to react.
Don’t Greed:
This is the Golden Rule. If you see an opening, hit him three times and stop. If you try for a fourth hit, he will hyper-armor through your attack and punish you. It’s better to do 5% damage safely than to try for 10% and lose half your health.
The Reward for Victory
Once you finally deplete that massive health bar, you’ll be prompted to perform a finisher. It’s one of the most satisfying moments in the game.
What do you get for all that suffering?
- The Hilt of Skofnung: This is arguably the best Relic in the entire game. It summons a swarm of ghost swords that absolutely shred enemies. It makes the rest of the endgame content feel like a breeze.
- Berserker Virtue: An Amulet Enchantment that gives a massive boost to your stats.
- A sense of relief: Finally, the screams of the Berserkers are silenced.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Attempt
If you’re staring at the "You Are Dead" screen right now, take a breath.
- Check your Power Level: If you aren’t at least Level 8 (ideally Level 9), go do some side quests in Vanaheim or Muspelheim first. The level difference in God of War Ragnarok is no joke; if he's "purple" to you, he will one-shot you through blocks.
- Change your Relic: If you aren't using the Hilt of Hofud (the one that slows down time), put it on. It gives you a guaranteed window to heal or dump all your Runic attacks at once.
- Visit the Blacksmith: Make sure your weapons are upgraded to Level 9. The damage jump between 8 and 9 is significant enough to shorten the fight by several minutes.
- Resurrection Stones: Always carry a Superior Resurrection Stone. It brings you back with a full Rage meter, which can often be the difference between a win and a loss in the final phase.
Hrolf is the ultimate test of everything the game has taught you about combat. He’s fast, he’s cheap, and he’s incredibly tanky. But his patterns are consistent. Learn the rhythm, stop being greedy with your combos, and use your environment. You’ll have the Hilt of Skofnung in your inventory soon enough.