You've just finished the main story. Kratos has finally stopped yelling at Atreus for five minutes, the credits rolled, and you're staring at the massive, snowy expanse of the Nine Realms wondering what the hell to do with all this leftover gear. Then you see it. You need tempered remnants in God of War Ragnarok to max out your favorite pommels or shields, but your inventory is looking depressingly empty. It's frustrating. Honestly, it’s one of those end-game hurdles that catches people off guard because, during the main path, the game basically showers you with loot, but suddenly the well runs dry.
Finding these things isn't about luck. It's about cleaning up Odin’s mess.
Basically, once the All-Father is out of the picture, his loyal Einherjar didn't just disappear into a cloud of gold dust. They’re scattered. They are angry. And they are holding onto the specific crafting components you need to hit Level 9. If you're looking to turn the Leviathan Axe or the Blades of Chaos into actual god-slaying instruments of destruction that can handle Gna or the Berserker King, you have to hunt these remnants down.
The Remnants of Asgard: Where the Loot is Hiding
So, here is the deal. You won't find a single piece of a tempered remnant until you've reached the post-game. You have to beat the main story quest, "The Father of All." Once the world opens up in the "Beyond Ragnarok" phase, you’ll trigger a favor called The Remnants of Asgard. This is your primary source.
There are ten specific locations across the realms where Asgardian wreckage has fallen. You go there, you kill a wave of high-level Einherjar, and you open a red chest. That's it. But "that's it" is a bit of an understatement when you're fighting Level 8 or 9 enemies who can two-shot you if you aren't careful.
Don't expect a standardized drop rate. It’s a bit chaotic. Some chests give you Tempered Remnants, others give you Fortified Remnants, and the really lucky ones might give you a Sovereign Coal. If you're hitting the camps in Aurvangar Wetlands or the Barrens in Alfheim, you’re on the right track.
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I’ve seen players get turned around in Vanaheim specifically. The remnant camp near Freyr's Camp is tucked away in a spot that’s easy to miss if you’re just fast-traveling between gateways. You actually have to put in the legwork. Svartalfheim has a few juicy spots too, particularly near the Alberich Hollow. If you haven't cleared those out, your gear is going to stay stuck at Level 7 or 8 forever.
Why Your Level 9 Build Depends on These
You might be asking if it's even worth the headache. Yes. It is.
Tempered remnants in God of War Ragnarok are the literal gatekeepers for high-end weapon attachments. We aren't just talking about a tiny stat bump here. When you take a grip or a pommel from Level 8 to Level 9 using these materials, the perks often get a significant scaling boost.
Take the Luminous Recovery Handles for the Blades. At max level, the cooldown reduction on your flame whiplash is night and day compared to the mid-game version. If you’re a player who relies on Runic attacks to cheese through the harder difficulty settings like Give Me God of War, you cannot afford to skip these upgrades. The math just doesn't work in your favor otherwise.
There's a common misconception that you can just farm these by killing random enemies in the Muspelheim trials. You can't. Muspelheim is great for Smoldering Embers and Divine Ashes, but for the Asgardian stuff? You have to do the specific "Remnants of Asgard" encounters. Once those ten camps are gone, that's the bulk of your supply.
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Survival Tactics for the Remnant Camps
These fights are different from the standard encounters you faced in the first 30 hours of the game. The Einherjar in these camps often come with Bifrost capability. One wrong move and half your health bar is purple and ticking away.
- Prioritize the Captains: Look for the enemies with the bigger health bars first. They buff the smaller grunts.
- Shield Choice Matters: If you’re struggling with the timing, swap to the Onslaught Shield. It helps close the distance when those pesky Einherjar archers start sniping you from the back of the wreckage.
- Check the Red Chests: The materials aren't dropped by the enemies themselves; they are inside the chest that unlocks once the area is "Cleanse." If you walk away after the kill without opening the box, you’ve wasted your time.
It’s also worth noting that the difficulty of these camps scales. If you go to the one in the Well of Urd (Midgard) immediately after the story, it might feel manageable. But if you save the Vanaheim or harder Alfheim camps for last, be prepared for a slog. The game expects you to be upgrading as you go.
The Hard Truth About Limited Resources
Here is the thing about tempered remnants in God of War Ragnarok—they are a finite resource in a single playthrough. While you get enough to upgrade several sets of gear, you probably won't be able to max out every single attachment in the game on your first run. This forces you to actually make a choice.
Are you a Spear main? Focus on the Hind of the Nine Realms. Do you prefer the Axe? Prioritize the Stonecutter's Knob.
If you're a completionist aiming for the Platinum trophy, you're going to need to clear all ten camps anyway. The "Collector" trophy doesn't specifically require every level 9 upgrade, but the "Holier than Thou" trophy (for defeating Gna) basically demands that you’ve used your remnants wisely. Gna is a nightmare. She doesn't care about your feelings. She will punish a Level 8 Kratos with zero mercy.
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Looking Toward New Game Plus
If you’ve already spent all your remnants and realized you hate the build you made, don’t panic. New Game Plus (NG+) changes the economy entirely. In NG+, you'll start seeing Primal Flames and other materials, and the remnants become a bit easier to come by because you can sometimes trade for materials at the Huldra Brothers' shop (or what's left of it).
But for that initial run? Those ten camps are your lifeblood.
Most people get stuck because they think they can find these in the Crater in Vanaheim. While the Crater is the best place for crystalline shards and fragments, it's not the primary source for tempered remnants. Keep your Asgardian hunting to the specific wreckage sites marked on your map after the story ends.
Actionable Next Steps for the End-Game
To get your gear to the absolute limit, follow this sequence. First, ensure you have completed the main story quest "The Father of All." This is the non-negotiable trigger for the remnants to even exist in the world. Next, open your map and look for the "Remnants of Asgard" icons—they look like small, jagged Asgardian towers.
Start with the Midgard location near the Well of Urd; it’s generally considered one of the more straightforward encounters. Once you've cleared it, check your "Resources" tab in the inventory to see exactly how many Tempered vs. Fortified remnants you’ve pulled. From there, head to the Huldra Brothers' shop and look at your weapon attachments.
Don't spend them on the first thing you see. Compare the Level 9 stats of your favorite grips. If the perk doesn't suit your playstyle—like a luck-based perk when you have low Luck stats—save those remnants for a piece of gear that scales with your actual build. Finally, once you've hit Level 9 on your primary weapons, you’re officially ready to take on the Berserker Gravestones and the Valkyrie Queen. Without those upgrades, you're just making the fight harder on yourself for no reason.