Look, if you’re looking for the Zeus Armor in God of War Ragnarok because you want to feel like an untouchable god, you’re only half right. It’s easily the most polarizing gear set in the entire game. You’ve probably seen clips of Kratos absolutely shredding health bars in seconds, making even the toughest bosses look like basic mobs. That’s the "Glass Cannon" lifestyle. It’s intoxicating. But there’s a massive catch that most people don't realize until they're staring at the "You Are Dead" screen for the tenth time in a row.
Actually getting your hands on this set isn't a straightforward "go here, open a chest" situation. Santa Monica Studio decided to gatekeep this power behind the hardest content the game has to offer. You can't just stumble upon it during your first playthrough. Honestly, if you haven't finished the main story yet, you shouldn't even be worrying about how to get Zeus armor God of War Ragnarok just yet. It literally doesn't exist for you until the credits roll and you step into the endgame territory of New Game Plus (NG+).
The Brutal Reality of the Zeus Set
Before we dive into the "how," let’s talk about the "what." The Zeus Armor consists of the Breastplate, Gauntlets, and War Belt of Zeus. Its primary perk is Power of Zeal. This increases your melee and runic damage by a massive percentage. The trade-off? You take significantly more damage. On Give Me God of War difficulty, a single stray hit from a stray Draugr can end your run. It’s terrifying. It’s also the most fun you’ll have with the combat system because it forces you to be perfect.
You aren't just playing a hack-and-slash anymore. You're playing a rhythm game where one wrong note means death. If you're the type of player who relies on the Spartan Rage (Valor) to heal through mistakes, this armor will punish you. But if you've mastered the parry timing and the realm shift mechanics? You're going to feel like a literal deity.
Step One: The New Game Plus Gate
You cannot get this armor in a standard New Game. Period. I’ve seen some confusion online where people think it's a reward for the Berserker King in the base game. It isn't. To even start your quest for the Zeus set, you must finish the main story path (The Path) and then start a New Game Plus save from the main menu.
Everything carries over, which is nice. Your skills, your current level, and your gear stay with you. Once you’re in NG+, the world resets, but the rewards change. This is where the Zeus Armor enters the loot pool. But don't expect it to be handed to you by Brok or Sindri at the first shop you find. You have to earn it by defeating the two most difficult optional bosses in the game and completing a specific endgame challenge.
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Taking Down Gná: The Queen of the Valkyries
The first piece you’re likely going to hunt for is the Zeus Gauntlets. These are dropped by Gná. She is the Valkyrie Queen who replaced Sigrun from the 2018 game, and in Ragnarok, she is a total nightmare. You'll find her in Muspelheim, specifically in the area called The Crucible.
You don't need to do all the trials to find her; there’s a little crawl-space off to the side of the main arena that leads to her boss fight arena. In NG+, she is faster, hits harder, and has a few new tricks up her sleeve.
Tips for Gná:
- Don't get greedy. She has very short windows for punishment.
- Watch the "For Asgard!" shout. When she jumps into the air, you have a split second to dodge or get stomped into the dirt.
- Use the Spear. Draupnir is great for keeping pressure on her from a distance when she’s charging up her bifrost attacks.
Once she falls, the Gauntlets are yours. They provide a massive boost to your Strength and Runic stats, and even just wearing one piece of the set starts the "increased damage dealt/increased damage taken" trade-off.
The Berserker King and the War Belt
Next up is the War Belt of Zeus. To get this, you have to defeat King Hrólf Kraki. He’s the boss of the Berserker gravestones. If you thought the individual Berserkers were a pain, Hrólf is a mash-up of all of them. He uses every element, every weapon type, and every annoying projectile in the game.
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You find him in King's Grave in Midgard, but only after you've cleared all the other Berserker gravestones across the realms. In NG+, he’s an absolute unit. Honestly, defeating him is a badge of honor. When he dies, he drops the belt. By now, if you're wearing the Gauntlets and the Belt, you’ll notice your damage output is getting ridiculous. You’re likely hitting for numbers you didn’t think were possible in a God of War game. But remember: your health bar is now essentially decorative. If you get hit, you're dead.
The Final Piece: Remnants of Asgard
The Breastplate of Zeus is the centerpiece. Unlike the other two, this one isn't tied to a specific "named" boss like Gná or Hrólf. Instead, you have to deal with the Remnants of Asgard. After Odin is defeated, pieces of the shattered realm fall across the maps. You’ve probably seen them—those red-colored encounters with Einherjar soldiers.
In NG+, you need to clear the specific Remnant encounter located in the Barrens (Alfheim). Specifically, you're looking for the one near the giant skeleton of the beast. Once you clear out the waves of enemies and loot the chest that appears, the Breastplate is yours.
Is the Zeus Armor Actually Worth It?
That depends on how much you trust your thumbs. If you’re the kind of player who likes to tank hits and trade damage, stay far away from this set. Use the Steinbjorn armor instead; it's the polar opposite of Zeus and turns Kratos into a walking tank.
But if you want the "canonical" power of a God of War? There is nothing better.
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The Zeus set allows for builds that can one-shot certain elite enemies. When paired with the Amulet of Kvasir (which triggers a Realm Shift on a perfect dodge), you can slow down time and then unleash a Runic attack that deletes 40% of a boss's health bar. It's high-octane. It’s stressful. It’s arguably the most rewarding way to play the endgame.
Optimization Strategy
To truly make the Zeus set shine, don't just slap it on and call it a day. You need to build around it.
- Enchantments: Focus on anything that rewards dodging. Since you can't afford to get hit, perks that trigger on "Near Misses" or "Last Second Dodges" are your best friends.
- Relics: Use the Hilt of Hofud. This creates a distortion in space-time (a Realm Shift). It gives you a safe window to dump all your high-damage attacks without the fear of a counter-attack.
- Weapon Attachments: Look for grips that increase Strength or Luck. Luck is surprisingly good here because it can trigger "Blessing of Runic" or "Blessing of Strength" more often, stacking even more damage on top of the Zeus multiplier.
Summary of Locations
- Gauntlets of Zeus: Defeat Gná in Muspelheim (NG+ only).
- War Belt of Zeus: Defeat King Hrólf Kraki in Midgard (NG+ only).
- Breastplate of Zeus: Clear the Remnants of Asgard in Alfheim's Barrens (NG+ only).
Once you have the full set, you'll need a significant amount of Skap Slag and Hacksilver to upgrade it to Level 9 and beyond (Level 10 is the cap in NG+). Skap Slag is found in chests and as rewards for trials in New Game Plus, so you'll naturally accumulate it as you play through the story again.
Actionable Next Steps
If you're ready to hunt this set down, start by preparing your base-game save. Max out your current favorite armor—the Berserker or Dragon Scaled sets are great transitions—before jumping into NG+. Once you start the new journey, prioritize the Alfheim Remnants first to get the Breastplate early. It’ll give you a taste of the power before you have to face the mechanical nightmare that is Gná or the relentless onslaught of King Hrólf. Practice your parries on the lower-level Grims in Svartalfheim. You're going to need that muscle memory when the stakes get higher.