Zack Snyder’s new animated Netflix showTwilight of the Godswas loosely based on Norse mythology, drawing particular inspiration from the stories of the gods—here are all 9 Norse gods who appeared in the show. The Netflix series proved to be shockingly bloody and violent, althoughTwilight of the Gods’Rotten Tomatoes scoressuggest that largely worked for the audience. In truth, this hyper-violence was also in keeping with much of Norse mythology.
Unlike shows and movies from the MCU and other franchises suggest, Norse gods were rather brutal in mythology. There are in particular majordifferences between Thor in the MCU and mythology, which became very evident throughoutTwilight of the Gods. While still not entirely accurate,Twilight of the Godsrevealed the darker side of Norse mythology, depicting the more complex natures of these 9 Norse gods.
9Sandraudiga
Sandraudiga, Also Known As Defeat, Was The Goddess Of Tracks Grim Crimson
Of all the gods inTwilight of the Gods, Sandraudiga is one of the most obscure. Little is known about Sandraudiga in mythology, as her story was evidently only ever told on one stone in Latin. This makes Sandraudiga quite distinct from most of the other gods in the show, who have considerable histories and cultural significance.
InTwilight of the Gods, Sandraudiga is also called Defeat, and she fights on the side of Thor in the bloody battle that takes place inTwilight of the Gods’ending. Sandraudiga also carries on an affair with Thor in the latter half of the show, much to the devastation of Thor’s wife, Sif. This also leads to some unfortunate and disturbing language Thor uses to compare the two women, although that has more to do with Thor than with Sandraudiga, who continues to play a fairly minimal role through the season 1 finale.
8Heimdall
Heimdall Fought By Thor’s Side In The Battle
Heimdall was yet another Norse god depicted inTwilight of the Gods, although he has quite a bit more backstory in mythology than Sandraudiga.In Norse mythology, Heimdall was the watchman of the gods, and he was specifically tasked with protecting the gods during Ragnarök, which became important inTwilight of the Gods. Ragnarökrefers to the death of the gods in Norse mythology, and the show ultimately reveals that bringing about Ragnarök was Loki’s larger plan.
InTwilight of the Gods, Heimdall doesn’t play too major a role, only appearing in the last few episodes of the show. However, he is a part of the final battle between the giants, the humans, and the gods. One of Heimdall’s key moments comes when Sigrid, the protagonist of the show, launches her spear at Thor, but the god Baldr steps in between the two, taking her spear to the chest. As Baldr dies, Heimdall runs over to him, but it is far too late for anyone to save him.
7Sif
The Norse goddess of fertility, Sif, played an interesting role inTwilight of the Gods. As in mythology, Sif was Thor’s wife in the show, but the two were far from happy. ThroughoutTwilight of the Gods, Sif seemed incredibly sad, often watching Thor quietly with a look of either pain or anger on her face. It wasn’t all that difficult to identify why Sif was depicted this way—Thor clearly carried on multiple affairs, and he made belittling comments to his wife, even when she seemed to be far from doing him wrong in any way.
It also seemed Sif was resigned to her fate, as she openly acknowledged Thor’s infidelity, calling out his affair with Sandraudiga. One of Sif’s more shocking moments took place just before the battle of the gods, when she stated that she hoped Sigrid was successful in her plot to kill Thor. It was a genuinely sad moment in the show when Sif expressed that she would rather be a widow than continue to be Thor’s wife.
6Baldr
As mentioned, Baldr is one of several characters who die inTwilight of the Gods, although his death is particularly interesting. Throughout the show, Baldr was positioned as one of the few gods with some redeeming qualities, especially because he knew that Sigrid and her husband-to-be, Leif, had not died in Thor’s brutal massacre of the giants, but he told Thor they were dead so that they had a chance to survive. It seems this goodness extended both ways, though, as Baldr sacrificed his life to save Thor.
What makes Baldr’s death much more interesting is Thor’s reaction to it, though. As in Norse mythology, inTwilight of the Gods, Baldr is Thor’s brother. It is perhaps for that reason that when Baldr dies in the show, Thor begins openly weeping—the very first time inTwilight of the Godsthat Thor shows any real emotion other than unbridled rage and hatred. Thor is so distraught, in fact, that this is why he leaves the battle; Freya appears before him and removes him from the battlefield, taking him to Valhalla to mourn more privately.
5Hel
Loki’s Daughter and The Underworld Share The Same Name
Hel is one of the more complicated gods inTwilight of the Gods, asit remains highly contested whether she is truly a god at all. Hel is one of Loki’s children, both in mythology and in the show, but unlike her siblings Fenrir the wolf and the serpent Jörmungandr, Hel is often referred to as a goddess. Specifically, Hel is largely considered the goddess of death, and she shares a name with the underworld, Hel.
Hel is largely considered the goddess of death, and she shares a name with the underworld, Hel.
Despite how commonplace it is for Hel to be referred to as a goddess, she would really be a demigod at most. Her father, Loki, is a god, but her mother was the jötunn woman Angrboða. Even so, she seems to be much more god than giant inTwilight of the Gods, particularly because of her role overseeing the underworld. She is also a character seen throughout the show, unlike many of the other gods who appear only in the final battle.
4Odin
Odin, Also Known As The All-Father, Was King Of The Gods
Odin is one of the most well-known gods to appear inTwilight of the Gods. Odin is notably Thor’s father (although he is also the father of several other gods, Baldr and Heimdall included) in both Norse mythology and the show. He is also called the All-Father, although accounts vary in mythology to a certain degree when it comes to Odin’s role; while some sources indicate that Odin was the ruler of all gods, others suggest he only ruled the specific Æsir group of gods.
Like many of the Norse gods, Odin is often represented in popular culture as a more jovial figure than he was in Norse mythology.Twilight of the Godscertainly didn’t shy away from a darker representation of the deity, though. During the final battle, Odin brutally kills Seid-Kona, cutting her open and leaving her insides quite literally spilling out of her. He is also a genuinely terrifying figure in the show even outside that scene, as are many of the other gods.
3Freya
Freya’s Allegiances Shifted Throughout The Show
Freya is easily one of the most likable gods inTwilight of the Gods, and unlike several of the others, she is depicted as beautiful rather than scary (or horrifying, in some cases). Freya is based on a true Norse goddess, although the name in Norse mythology is sometimes spelled Freyja rather than Freya, a slight deviation. In mythology, Freyja is the goddess of many things, among them love and beauty, which explains her disposition and appearance inTwilight of the Gods.
Her role in the show is also rather interesting, as it’s clear she’s close with Thor—she’s the one who removes him from the battlefield following Baldr’s death, after all—but she also helps Sigrid and her team attempt to kill him. Adding to this complication is the fact that Thor murders her brother, Tiwaz, a character who is a god inTwilight of the Godsbut is not a Norse god. While Freya’s motivations in the show may be a bit elusive, she is nevertheless one of the most prominent gods to appear inTwilight of the Gods.
2Loki Laufeyson
The God Of Mischief Was A Main Character Of The Show
Loki Laufeyson, along with Thor and Odin, is easily one of the most well-known gods included inTwilight of the Gods. As he is in Norse mythology, in the show, Loki is the God of Mischief. While that might be played in more lighthearted ways in other shows and movies, inTwilight of the Gods, it meant that Loki was as violent and cruel as many of the others.
Although Loki works with Sigrid to kill Thor, when she fails to end his life on the battlefield, Loki stabs her to death and explains that in Valhalla she can try once more to kill him. Despite the sadistic behavior of the gods throughout the show, this twist came as a genuine surprise because Loki and Sigrid had been working as allies for so long. While tragic and shocking,this is yet another example ofTwilight of the Godsfairly accurately representing the behavior of some Norse gods, as Loki was known to commit violent acts.
1Thor Odinson
Thor Was The Hyper-Violent Antagonist Of Twilight Of The Gods
Thor’s behavior throughoutTwilight of the Godswas easily the most disturbing, in more ways than one. While violence was shown throughout the show, no character could compete with the level of bloodthirsty brutality Thor demonstrated. Not only would he slaughter countless characters, children included, without a second thought, but he also seemed to delight in doing so.
Yet, Thor’s rage and violence seem to be in keeping with the Norse mythology about the god. One major distinction would be that, in Norse mythology, Thor was also seen as a protector of mortals in Midgard. This was certainly not true of Thor inTwilight of the Gods. WhileTwilight of the Godsdid capture many true aspects of these 9 Norse gods, it’s also clear that Zack Snyder took a number of liberties in his Netflix series.
Twilight of the Gods
Cast
Twilight of the Gods is an animated series inspired by Norse mythology. It follows characters such as Thor, Loki, and Odin in a rich narrative that delves into their legendary conflicts and alliances. Directed by Jay Oliva, the series features voice talents including John Bradley, Jamie Chung, and Patton Oswalt, bringing the epic mythological tales to life.
