You finally did it. You spent hours tracking down eight terrifying, winged warriors across the realms of Midgard, Alfheim, Helheim, and Muspelheim. You’ve learned their patterns, survived their "Valhalla!" stomps, and collected their helmets. You feel like a literal god. Then, you step into the Council of Valkyries, place the helmets on the thrones, and a rift opens. Out pops Sigrun, the God of War Valkyrie Queen, and within approximately four seconds, she has folded Kratos like a piece of laundry.
It’s a humbling experience.
Honestly, even years after the 2018 reboot launched, Sigrun remains a benchmark for boss design. She isn't hard because of some cheap "bullet sponge" mechanic or a broken one-shot move that you can't see coming. She’s hard because she is a final exam. She possesses nearly every single move used by the previous eight Valkyries, but she hits harder, moves faster, and has a health pool that feels mountainous when you're down to your last sliver of Spartan Rage.
What Actually Makes Sigrun So Brutal?
Most bosses have a "gimmick." Maybe they summon adds, or maybe the floor turns into lava. Sigrun doesn’t bother with that. Her gimmick is simply being better than you. She has a pool of about 20 to 25 distinct attacks. If you haven't mastered the muscle memory for Eir’s defensive wing-shield or Gondul’s fire drops, Sigrun will exploit that gap in your knowledge immediately.
One minute she’s soaring into the air for a blinding light attack that requires you to quickly throw the Leviathan Axe or turn your camera away. The next, she’s dashing across the arena for an unblockable wing-stab. The variety is what kills most players. You can't just "zone out" and mash R1. You have to read the tilt of her head, the spread of her wings, and the specific shout she gives before an attack. If she yells "Valhalla," you better be ready to dodge-roll with frame-perfect timing, or her boot is going directly into your neck.
It’s personal. It feels personal.
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Many players struggle with the "blinding" move. This is the one where she hovers and spins her mace, creating a flash that leaves you vulnerable. In the heat of the moment, it’s easy to forget that simply flicking the d-pad to do a quick turn (the 180-degree spin) or hitting her with a well-timed axe throw cancels the animation. If you miss that window? You're basically dead on Give Me God of War difficulty.
The Gear Reality Most People Ignore
You can be the most skilled player in the world, but if you walk into that arena with level 6 gear, you are making life unnecessarily miserable for yourself. The God of War Valkyrie Queen fight is effectively a gear check.
Ideally, you want to be at least Level 8, but Level 9 is where the fight starts to feel "fair." This usually means grinding through Niflheim’s mists to get the Ivaldi’s Deadly Mist set or finishing the Muspelheim trials for the Smoldering Brimstone armor. The stat boosts to Strength and Defense are vital, but it’s the Cooldown stat that actually wins the fight. You need your Runic attacks to be available as often as possible to stun her and chip away at that massive health bar.
The Talisman of Realms is a fan favorite for a reason. Being able to slow down time for a few seconds allows you to dump both your light and heavy Runic attacks from both the Axe and the Blades of Chaos. It's essentially a free 10% of her health bar if you time it right. Also, don't sleep on the "Bitter Squirrel" Atreus summons if you need health, though most high-level players prefer the "Ratatoskr" or "Murder of Crows" for the sheer crowd control and stun damage.
The Moves That End Runs
- The Wing Jab: This is the silent killer. She lunges forward with a right-wing thrust. It’s unblockable (red ring). You must dodge to the right. If you dodge left, you’re dodging into the hitbox.
- The Ice Shards: She fires a barrage of small ice chunks followed by one large unblockable one. You can block the small ones, but you have to sidestep the big one.
- The "Valhalla" Stomp: In the air, she disappears and slams down on you. On "Give Me God of War" difficulty, she might do this three or four times in a row. It’s a rhythmic test of your nerves.
Why Sigrun is More Than Just a Boss
The lore behind the Valkyrie Queen is actually pretty tragic. If you’ve been paying attention to the dialogue Kratos and Mimir share, you know that the Valkyries were corrupted by Odin. Sigrun wasn't always the "Queen" in the traditional sense; she took the mantle after Freya was stripped of her wings and her warrior spirit by Odin's curse.
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Sigrun spent centuries trying to keep the sisterhood together while Odin’s influence rotted them from the inside out. When you fight her, you aren't just "killing a monster." You are performing an exorcism through combat. This adds a layer of weight to the fight that most "super bosses" in games lack. You're freeing her.
That final animation, where Kratos rips the wings off—it’s not an act of cruelty. It’s a release. Seeing her spirit finally manifest and thank you is one of the most rewarding moments in the entire franchise. It's why people keep coming back to this fight even in the age of God of War Ragnarök. Speaking of which, while Gná in the sequel is a powerhouse, many purists still argue that Sigrun’s arena and pacing make her the superior encounter.
A Quick Reality Check on Difficulty
If you're playing on "Give Me a Challenge" or "Give Me God of War," Sigrun is a 10-minute marathon of perfection. On "Give Me a Story," she’s still a threat, but you can actually survive a few mistakes.
The biggest mistake? Greed.
I've seen so many players get her down to one bar of health, get excited, and start spamming attacks. That is exactly when she uses her area-of-effect fire slam or her wing-shield. You cannot rush Sigrun. You have to respect her until the very last frame. Treat it like a dance where she leads, and you react. If you try to lead, she will trip you and then stomp on your chest.
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Actionable Steps for Your Next Attempt
If you are currently stuck or planning to take her on, here is the specific checklist that actually works.
- Max out the Shattered Gauntlet of Ages. If you have the right enchantments (like Andvari’s Soul or Ivaldi’s Corrupted Mind), this talisman becomes a powerful projectile that mimics the Infinity Gauntlet. It hits like a truck.
- Use Berserker’s Resurrection Stone. Don't use the ones that give you a little health. Use the one that gives you a full bar of Rage. When you die, come back, immediately pop Rage, and use it to regain health while dealing damage.
- Focus on "Hel’s Touch" (Axe) and "Blast of Hephaestus" (Blades). These are fast Runic attacks with low cooldowns. They are great for interrupting her animations without committing you to a long, locked-in animation where she can counter you.
- Watch her movements, not her health. Seriously. Stop looking at the bar at the bottom. Look at her shoulders. If she dodges to your right, she’s likely going for the wing-stab. If she dodges to your left, she’s doing the circular wing-swipe.
Sigrun is the ultimate test of everything the game taught you. She requires patience, gear optimization, and a cool head. Once you beat her, everything else in the game feels like a walk in the park. You've earned the "Chooser of the Slain" trophy, but more importantly, you’ve mastered the combat system in a way few other games ever demand.
Keep your distance, time your parries, and for the love of the All-Father, watch out for the boots.
Next Steps for Players:
To prepare for the fight, head to Niflheim and farm Aesir Bane and Haze Weave to fully upgrade your Ivaldi armor. Ensure your Axe and Blades are at Level 5 and 6 respectively. Once your gear is at Level 8, equip the "Symbol of Shadows" enchantment to increase your dodge distance, which is a literal lifesaver during her aerial dives.