Gungnir | God of War Wiki | Fandom

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Power(s)

Shape shifting Levitation Terraformation Bifröst-imbued blade Bifröst blasts Bifröst shockwaves Ice jets Geokinesis


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Description [ ]

In its original form, Gungnir appears as a long spear - roughly 2 meters long - the body as well as the blade itself are seemingly made of ivory or bone. Gungnir is unlike any other weapon in the series, who are usually made of more conventional materials. As Odin magically bound Gungnir to his will: the spear is the very reflection of the All-Father's mood, and as such, it is assumed that only he can use it. Odin's powers tightly linked to the Bifröst (and by extension, Asgard ) made it an obvious choice to fuel Gungnir with this primordial element. This was not only in phase with the All-Father's fighting style  - which favors the use of magic, it also allowed him to channel his powers into the spear itself and thus, increase its powers with formidable efficiency.



The body of the spear itself is decorated with sumptuous patterns representing Norse runes. These are not only decorative, they in reality imbue a wide variety of battle enchantments with every shape. Gungnir is also embellished with an excessive amount of rope going through the body of the spear, which is a major component in Odin's magic: in battle, the rope glows with an intense purple aura. Such color is obviously associated with Bifröst , and the spearhead itself emits an impressive aura of dark magic. It is worth noticing that purple is also traditionally associated with magic and knowledge. By all regards, Gungnir should be considered as the antithesis of the Draupnir Spear , which has been forged with completely different materials and for a completely different purpose. Where Draupnir is a shining gold spear, symbol of justice and nobility, Gungnir is a spear of a cadaverous shade, symbol of witchcraft and treachery.



In its staff form, Gungnir appears identical to it's spear form with the exception of a concealed blade. The head of the staff has a simple shape. The head's top face has a slit, which is where the blade is concealed. Odin uses Gungnir's staff form as a retractable walking stick.


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Powers and Spells [ ]

Glettings bára : Gungnir's blade will quickly emerge from the spear, followed by Odin channeling Bifröst through the spear and slamming it into the ground swiftly in order to create an acute-angled shockwave. This attack may be blocked, and is cancellable.

Leiptra : Odin summons a singular purple Bifröst beam, which splits into 4 projectiles in a small cross shape before returning into a beam directed at Kratos, This attack may be parried.

Íssprengja (lit. "Iceblast"): Odin will begin to levitate and move away from Kratos while emitting a purple light. He will then summon a beam of frost from the tip of his spear and begin to bring it down. This attack deals Ice damage and is unparriable and uncancellable. It may be executed up to two times in a row (Three times in Odin's second phase) and can be avoided by moving to the side.

Brjóta (lit. "Break"): Brjóta is a scripted move. At 30% health Odin will move to the center of the arena, then levitate up before ramming the spear into the ground. This is followed by the spear being tilted, creating a shockwave which will send Kratos and Atreus back, alongside shattering the battlefield into multiple segments. This attack deals no damage.

Halda (lit. "Hold"): Once Odin is down to 90% health, attempting to finish off Odin will result in Kratos ramming the leviathan axe into Odin's left shoulder. Odin will retaliate and move upwards, before jamming the spear downwards onto the ground. This attack will send both Kratos and Atreus flying, before locking them in place. This attack is scripted and cannot be avoided.


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Other powers [ ]

Terrain shockwave : When below 30% health, several chunks of the shattered terrain will glow purple should odin use this attack. This attack can be avoided by simply moving to an unaffected platform. This attack may not be blocked, parried, or interrupted.

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Norse Mythology [ ]

Gungnir (Old Norse Gungnir , “Swaying;” pronounced “GUNG-neer”) is the name of the mighty spear that belongs to the god Odin. In the recorded Norse myths, Gungnir is the weapon most consistently and powerfully associated with Odin. Both poetry and visual art demonstrate that this connection is deep and long-standing. It goes back at least as far as the ninth century, when the poet Bragi Boddason referred to Odin as Gungnis váfaðr (“Gungnir’s shaker”). Pre-Christian Scandinavian visual art often depicts Odin bearing a spear; in fact, the spear is one of his most typical iconographic attributes. Such depictions are found from Viking Age runestones all the way back to Bronze Age rock carvings of a spear god, who very well may be Odin (though due to the very early date and lack of other distinguishing features, it's impossible to say for certain).
As expected of a God's personal weapon, Gungnir is no ordinary spear. It was created by the dwarves, the most skilled smiths in the cosmos, as is related in the tale of how the gods’ greatest treasures were made. Gungnir is said to have runes carved on its point, which presumably increase its aim and deadliness through magic. Archaeology confirms that the Norse and other Germanic peoples did in fact carve runes into some of their spears; perhaps this was done in imitation of the mythical model of Gungnir. Other aspects of Gungnir definitely did serve as mythical models for human actions. This is especially true with regard to the spear's role in human sacrifices offered to Odin.
In the war between the two tribes of gods, Odin led the Aesir gods into battle against the Vanir. He began the battle by hurling his spear over the enemy host and crying, “Óðinn á yðr alla!” (“Odin owns all of you!”). The historical Norse repeated this paradigmatic gesture, giving the opposing army as a gift to Odin in hopes that the god would return the favor by granting them victory. Likewise, when Odin sacrificed himself to himself in order to discover the runes, he simultaneously stabbed himself with Gungnir and hanged himself. It's fitting, therefore, that when the Norse sacrificed someone to Odin, whether a single individual or a large group of people, they typically did so by means of a spear, either by itself or in combination with hanging.
In the Viking Age, Odin was the chief of the gods, a role which in earlier times he had shared with the god Tyr. Just as Tyr's sword seems to have been a symbol of the power and authority of lordship (we can infer this from the number of Indo-European parallels), so Odin's spear probably was as well. Gungnir, the finest spear in the cosmos, would have served as a compelling image of the ferocious might, both magical and military, of the grim ruler of the gods.


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Backstory [ ]

Gungnir was forged by the dwarf Ivaldi, which is considered his masterwork. When given to Odin, the spear became infamous across the Nine Realms long before the events of the series, at the time Odin was waging wars and consolidating his power. His most incredible feat involving Gungnir would certainly be the slaying of the legendary primordial Giant Ymir , father of the Jötnar (though the detailed account of this fight remains unknown). The Spear  became the symbol of Odin's new power, and was used once more by the self-proclaimed All-Father when he fought during the everlasting Aesir-Vanir War , hurling his spear over the Vanir host. When peace was at last secured in the form of a marriage between Odin and Freya , the King of the Aesir would mostly be seen using Gungnir as a walking stick.