Jötnar | God of War Wiki | Fandom

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Powers and Abilities [ ]

The Jötnar are incredibly powerful and possess numerous magical abilities. Some of these abilities include:

Extended Longevity/Immortality: While most Jötnar are extremely long-lived, with some exceptions of them possessing biological immortality, such as Surtr , the first of the Fire Giants and the second being in existence to be born after Ymir , can be considered immortal, as Surtr lived for ages without deteriorating and can only be killed by the combined power of Odin and Thor, the most powerful of the Aesir Gods. Ymir himself also seemed to have immortality, as he lived long enough for Odin, Vili and Ve to be born, at which it took the combined might of the most powerful Norse Gods to kill him. According to Mimir, it was rare for Giants to die a natural death, as told in the legends. Supernatural Physical Abilities: Some of the Giants, especially the most powerful ones, are powerful enough to surpass even the mightiest of the Norse Gods and pose a challenge to many of the mightiest Aesir, as shown by Surtr's ability to fight against both Thor and Odin, Odin needing the aid of his brothers to kill Ymir, Laufey fighting Thor himself to a stalemate in single combat and Starkaðr being strong enough to challenge the might of the Aesir, Vanir and Midgard forces all at once. It was repeatedly implied that Thor's prevailing against the most formidable Jötnar adversaries were all narrow victories. Elemental Manipulation: Frost Giants, as their name suggests, have a degree of power over ice. The Jötunn Thamur had the ability to blow extremely cold air, with his last breath unwillingly freezing the village he fell upon. Likewise, Fire Giants seem to have power over flames and heat, since they can live without any hindrance in the Realm of Fire. It seems that the primordial giants have the highest level, as Surtr is noted to be capable of conjuring enough flames to burn down a realm as vast and powerful as Asgard and having birthed the suns and stars with his primordial fires. Parachronal Cognition: An ability most common among the Jötnar seem to be the power of precognition, which allowed them to see the future, a power Odin greatly envied and coveted for himself. It is thanks to such ability that the Giants could foresee many significant events, even in Realms that they are not presently at or native to. Shapeshifting: Jötnar seemingly possess shapeshifting abilities, as demonstrated by Laufey and Hrimthur, who took the form of mortals to hide their true identities, with the former maintaining her appearance even in death. Thiazi also has been mentioned capable of transforming into various animals to assist his daughter during their hunts. During the events of God of War: Ragnarök , it was seen that even Loki, a half-giant, developed shapeshifting abilities and can turn into a powerful wolf or bear. [ 1 ] Soul Manipulation: The Jötnar also possess some degree of soul manipulation abilities. Magic : Giants are known for possessing vast magical abilities ranging from concealment spells to defensive spells, their mastery over magic was as high as that of the Vanir. Bifröst Eye Bestowal : Unique to the giants, they have somehow perfected the ability to manipulate and shape Bifröst energy to the point of even imbuing so into the eyes of a person.

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Norse Mythology [ ]

Jötnar are a type of entity contrasted with Gods and other figures, such as Dwarves and Elves. The entities are themselves ambiguously defined, variously Jörmungandr referred to by several other terms, including eóten, risi, thurs, ogre and troll.
Old Norse jötunn (also jǫtunn ,) and Old English eóten developed from the Proto-Germanic masculine noun etunaz which has a connection with the Proto-Germanic etanan which was reconstructed from the words of Old Norse etall , meaning "consuming", Old English etol meaning "voracious, gluttonous", and Old High German filu-ezzal meaning "greedy".
Several terms are used specifically to refer to female entities that fall into this category, including íviðja (plural íviðjur ) and gýgr (plural gýgjar ).


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Background [ ]

Despite being called "Giants", not all Jötnar are large in size, as many members of the species depicted in their Shrines vary between human and giant sized. Not all were humanoid in shape either, since several Jötnar were depicted with animal heads in the aftermentioned Shrines. There are also some who take the form of large animals like Hræsvelgr. The Jötnar speak in an ancient language which only few can understand.
Hræsvelgr , Angrboda , Grýla , Sinmara and Sköll and Hati are presumably the last surviving Jötnar who are of pure blood, while Thor , Týr , Magni , Modi , Thrúd and Loki only have partial Jötunn blood. Jörmungandr is a Jötunn whose soul was transferred into a snake.