One of the many changes 2018's God of War made to the franchise was giving Kratos a new signature weapon in the form of the Leviathan Axe, an enchanted war axe that always returns to Kratos' hand no matter the distance between them. Wielded by the Ghost of Sparta's second wife Faye, the Leviathan Axe has become synonymous with the Norse era of God of War, and the opening hours of God of War Ragnarök reinforce the weapon's importance through a boss battle between Kratos and Thor.
During the spectacular battle between Kratos and Thor, the Leviathan Axe manages to hold its own against Mjölnir. This feat not only serves as a hands-on demonstration of how powerful the weapon is, but it also confirms the many hints the previous game gave regarding its true purpose and adds a new layer of depth to Faye's decision to impart the weapon to her husband before her death.
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Kratos' Leviathan Axe Is an In-Universe Counter to Thor's Mjölnir
Much like its predecessor, God of War Ragnarök wastes little time thrusting Kratos into battle against a Norse god. Following a brief but brutal encounter with his friend-turned-enemy Freya and an emotionally-charged argument with his now-teenaged and shape-shifting son Atreus, Kratos finds himself having an awkward dinner with Thor and Odin. After Kratos refuses to accept the All-Father's condescending attempt to broker a truce between their families, Thor launches the Ghost of Sparta into the frozen Lake of Nine before engaging him in a brutal one-on-one dual, intent on avenging the deaths of his half-brother Baldur and his twin sons Magni and Modi.
During the boss battle that follows, the Leviathan Axe proves to be a worthy match for Mjölnir, clashing with the hammer without shattering and even freezing a massive bolt of lightning solid when it collides with Mjölnir in midair. After a wounded Thor retreats, Kratos' dwarf allies Brok and Sindri appear to help the Ghost of Sparta get back to Atreus as fast as possible by traveling through the World Tree's roots, with Brok commenting that he's glad to see that the weapon held its own against Mjölnir.
During Brok and Sindri's introductions in God of War, the estranged sibling blacksmiths freely admitted that they'd created the Leviathan Axe for Faye. While it initially seemed like the two had forged it purely because they saw Faye as a close friend, Kratos and Atreus later learned that Faye was one of the last living Giants, who'd been driven to the brink of extinction by Thor on Odin's orders. Having created Mjölnir for Thor in a misguided attempt to gain the Aesir's favor, Brok and Sindri crafted the Leviathan Axe to counter the hammer before giving it to Faye, who'd taken it upon herself to resist Odin's oppressive rule of the Nine Realms.
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The Leviathan Axe's True Purpose Connects to Kratos' Family
The Leviathan Axe shares many similarities with Mjölnir, being a one-handed weapon imbued with elemental magic through runes that always returns it to the wielder's hand. The fact that Brok confirms that the axe is a sort of "anti-Mjölnir" deliberately designed to counter Thor's weapon adds even more significance to Faye's decision to impart the axe to Kratos. Giants are known to have the ability to see into the future, so Faye likely knew that her husband would find himself facing off against Thor one day and gifted the axe to Kratos, giving him full access to its powers and allowing him to protect their son from the Aesir that massacred her people.
While the Leviathan Axe isn't based on any mythological weapon, the fact that it was crafted by the same dwarves who forged Mjölnir in traditional Norse mythology makes it an integral part of the alternate version of the mythos presented in God of War Ragnarök. Now that it's confirmed that the Leviathan Axe was forged for the sole purpose of countering the most powerful weapon in Norse mythology, its role as Kratos' primary weapon against the Norse gods and a reminder of the woman who made him feel at home in Midgard makes all the more sense.
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