Kratos’s journey through Norse mythology may be over, but that doesn’t mean we have seen the last of the God of War franchise. Ragnarök left many plot threads open with the not-so-subtle suggestion that sequels could follow any of these. Whatever direction the series goes, it looks like Tyr will be returning in some form, if the actor who lends his voice to the Norse god is to be believed. What’s more, this tease may not just be confined to games.
Throughout God of War (2018), Tyr’s presence is keenly felt, though the character never actually appears in the flesh. So much of the story of Kratos and Atreus learning about the fate of the Giants is entwined with the past actions of the Norse god of war Tyr.
Ragnarök introduces the god in all his glory, a peaceful more somber deity in comparison to the rage that Kratos demonstrated during his short time in the same position while in Greece.
A major twist in Ragnarök is the reveal that Tyr is actually someone else. Though a post-game quest has Kratos tracking down and freeing the true Tyr, who moseys around the world catching up on what you have been up to. Tyr might as well be pondering the same thing players are at the end of Ragnarök: will he be making a reappearance in the franchise?
“I’ll say this. It isn’t the last you’ve seen of Tyr,” said Ben Prendergast, the voice of Tyr, during a PAX East panel as reported by Shark Games.
With just about five months having passed since the release of God of War Ragnarok, nobody expected to have a continuation of the franchise teased, let alone by a voice actor on a panel at PAX East. Though voice actors do seem to be having a moment right now when it comes to potential leaks about games they are in (cough cough, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Wolverine).
While an initial theory points to Tyr receiving his own DLC, director Eric Williams has stated that Ragnarök will not receive any DLC. However, during an IGN spoiler cast for the game, Williams teased that Tyr holds the secret to the next chapter in the series, specifically referring to the movements Tyr is seen doing in the postgame quest.
Fans have taken this to mean that Tyr holds some secret to the next location and pantheon that the series will focus on. Egypt has long been a desired and theorized next stop, but other possibilities include Celtic mythology or Japan. Granted, this is if the next chapter in this series follows Kratos. Tyr is known for building relationships with other pantheons and traveling across the world in the past, which would make him the perfect companion for Kraots to have in new lands as he leaves Atreus behind.
If the next chapter follows Atreus, which is heavily suggested by the ending of Ragnarök, then Tyr easily fills the shoes of the mentor figure Atreus would need. The game could expand on the fallout of Ragnarök's ending and how the Norse world moves on, as well as give some answers to Atreus’ unresolved questions about the Giants.
One final possibility is that Prendergast isn’t talking about the God of War games at all, but instead, the currently in-production TV adaptation helmed by Amazon. The production of God of War (2018) and Ragnarök was incredibly cinematic already, and the majority of the cast have a history of work in film and tv. There is no real need to replace so many of them. HBO’s The Last of Us saw some of the game’s original actors returning in old and new roles, which God of War could push even further by just keeping the cast entirely.
If Prendergast is working on the Amazon series it means that the show will attempt to adapt the entirety of the Norse saga. A multi-season approach tracks with how HBO is adapting The Last of Us, and gives more room for the God of War show to spend time with characters like Tyr in a season dedicated to Ragnarök. Until Sony comes out with official news on what's next for God of War we will just have to be content with this tease and keep our fingers crossed.
