He is huge. I mean, truly, incomprehensibly massive. When you first row that little wooden boat out into the Lake of Nine in 2018’s God of War, you expect a boss fight, or maybe a set piece. Instead, you get a conversation. The World Serpent God of War fans have come to obsess over isn't just a monster; he’s a time-traveling, bridge-moving, world-ending titan who happens to be Kratos' grandson. Sorta.
It’s weird.
If you haven’t brushed up on your Norse mythology or finished the 2022 sequel, Ragnarök, the family tree looks more like a spiderweb that someone set on fire. Jörmungandr, the Midgard Serpent, is a cornerstone of Santa Monica Studio’s reimagining of these myths. But he isn't just there for scale. He represents the cyclical nature of the series. He is the physical embodiment of "fate" being punched in the mouth.
The Time Travel Headache That Actually Makes Sense
Most people get confused about where the serpent came from. In actual Norse myth, Jörmungandr is the child of Loki and the giantess Angrboda. In the games, that stays true, but the timeline is a mess. When Kratos and Atreus (who is Loki, obviously) meet the serpent in the first game, he’s already thousands of years old. Atreus is just a kid. How?
Basically, during the final battle of Ragnarök, the hammer-blow from Thor was so powerful it literally splintered the World Tree, Yggdrasil. This sent the World Serpent back in time, long before his own birth.
Think about that for a second.
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When the Serpent stares at Atreus and says he looks "familiar," he’s looking at a younger version of his own father. It’s a tragic, beautiful loop. The serpent has been waiting in the lake for centuries, growing, watching, and waiting for the moment he can finally get a rematch with the God of Thunder.
Why the World Serpent God of War Design Works
Visual scale in games is hard. Usually, if something is too big, the camera breaks or the textures look like mush. Santa Monica Studio handled Jörmungandr by making him part of the geography. His body literally forms the boundaries of the map.
His design draws heavily from the Prose Edda, but with a grittier, more "ancient" feel. He has those mossy, stone-like scales and eyes that look like pale moons. He doesn't speak a language humans can understand—at least not without Mimir’s help. The sound design is the real hero here. The team used a mix of whale vocalizations and low-frequency growls that actually shake your controller. It feels heavy. It feels old.
The Serpent and the Ghost of Sparta
Kratos is a man who hates gods. He’s spent his entire life killing them. Yet, with Jörmungandr, there’s this weird mutual respect. Maybe it’s because they both have a grudge against the Aesir. Or maybe it’s because Kratos, on some primal level, recognizes the burden the serpent carries.
The serpent isn't a "god" in the way Zeus was. He’s a Jotunn. In this universe, the Giants are the keepers of truth and the victims of Odin's paranoia. By helping the World Serpent God of War players unlock the path to Jötunheim, they aren't just progressing the plot; they are restoring the balance of a world Odin broke.
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Ironwood and the Birth of a Legend
In God of War Ragnarök, we finally see the "birth" of the serpent, and it’s not what anyone expected. It’s one of the most emotional beats in the game. Atreus and Angrboda find a soulless husk of a giant snake in the depths of Ironwood. Using the soul-magic he’s been struggling to control, Atreus slips the soul of a deceased Giant into the snake.
It grows. Fast.
This is the "young" serpent. This is the one that eventually fights Thor while the "old" serpent (the one from the first game) is off doing... well, whatever giant world-circling snakes do during their retirement. It’s a brilliant way to handle a paradox. You have two versions of the same being existing at once. One is a grumpy old man who hates Thor; the other is a confused newborn destined to become the guardian of Midgard.
The Thor Rivalry: More Than Just a Grudge
If you look at the historical texts, like the Hymiskviða, Thor and Jörmungandr are destined to kill each other. Thor kills the snake, takes nine steps, and dies from the venom.
The game handles this with a bit more nuance.
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Thor isn't just a villain; he’s a mirror to Kratos. He’s a "destroyer" who is trapped by his father’s will. The World Serpent represents the inevitability of Thor’s failure. Every time Thor looks at that lake, he sees the thing that is supposed to end him. It’s psychological warfare on a cosmic scale. When they finally clash in the background of the Ragnarök battle, it isn't just a fight—it’s the closing of a circle that started before the first game even began.
Breaking Down the "World Serpent God of War" Lore Gaps
Honestly, there are still things we don't know. The game leaves enough breadcrumbs to keep the wiki editors busy for decades.
The Horn: In the 2018 game, someone blows the horn to call the Serpent while Kratos is carrying a sick Atreus to Freya. Who was it? Baldur? A time-traveling Kratos? Cory Barlog, the director, has teased this for years. While Ragnarök gave us answers to most things, this one remains a bit of a "wait and see" mystery.
The Tongue: There’s a specific dialect the Serpent speaks. It’s an ancient version of the Giant tongue. The fact that Atreus can speak it naturally is the first real hint we get that he isn't just a Greek demi-god, but something much more tied to the roots of the world.
Size Discrepancies: Fans love to argue about how big he actually is. In the first game, he looks big enough to wrap around the world. In the sequel’s final battle, he looks slightly smaller. Some say it's just gameplay scaling. Others argue it’s because we’re seeing the "younger" version who hasn't had centuries to grow in the lake.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re looking to truly master the lore of the World Serpent God of War fans love, don't just play the games. Dive into the source material to see where the devs took liberties. It makes the experience much richer.
- Read the Poetic Edda: Specifically the sections on the Lay of Hymir. You’ll see the original story of Thor fishing for the serpent using a bull’s head as bait. It puts the "statue eating" scene in the game into a whole new context.
- Replay the 2018 Intro: Now that you know Atreus is the Serpent’s "father," watch the first interaction again. Notice the way the Serpent looks at the boy. The subtle animations are incredible when you have the full picture.
- Check the Shrines: Spend time looking at the Jotnar Shrines scattered throughout both games. They literally spoil the ending of the series if you know how to read them, including the Serpent’s role in the final hours.
The World Serpent isn't just a cool monster. He’s the bridge between the old Kratos—the one who destroyed worlds—and the new Kratos—the one who tries to save them. He is proof that even in a world governed by prophecy, you can still choose who you want to be. Even if you're a giant snake.