Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Twilight of the Gods.
Twilight of the Gods, Zack Snyder’s new animated Netflix show, was loosely based on Norse mythology, and while many liberties were taken, these 10 aspects of the show were accurate. There were severalNorse gods inTwilight of the Gods, among them some of the most well-known, including Odin, Loki Laufeyson, and Thor Odinson. Each of these gods, though Thor in particular, was integral to the plot of the show.
In the short 8-episode run,Twilight of the Godsfocused on the story of Sigrid, an original character who is a half-giant woman returning to her home to be married to a mortal man, Leif. Tragically, her wedding day turns into an absolute bloodbath, during which Thor slaughters every last giant but Sigrid. From there, Sigrid goes on a quest to kill Thor, accompanied by a band of unlikely heroes and ‘helped’ by Loki.What ensues is a hyper-violent exploration of the dynamics between the gods, giants, and humans in Norse mythology—and these 10 things were actually accurate.
10Freya (Or Freyja) Really Rode A Chariot Pulled By Cats
The Depiction Of Freya In Twilight Of The Gods Was Fairly Accurate
Freya was one of the Norse gods to appear inTwilight of the Gods, and her character seems to have stayed fairly true to Norse mythology. Freya, also spelled Freyja at times, was the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, although she also represented war. InTwilight of the Gods, Freya proved to be a complex character, helping Sigrid and her group in their quest to kill Thor, although she was also technically on Thor’s ‘side’ of the battle.
One of the aspects of Norse mythologyTwilight of the Godsgot right was thatFreya rode in a chariot pulled by two large cats. In Norse mythology, the cats—at times referred to as Bygul and Trjegul, although the names do vary between sources—formed an incredible bond with Freya. Some sources also indicate that the cats were a gift from Thor, adding to the complexity of their relationship.
9Odin Was Thor’s Father
Thor ‘Odinson,’ Along With Several Other Gods, Was Odin’s True Son
As the surname ‘Odinson’ makes clear,Odin was Thor’s father, both in Norse mythology and inTwilight of the Gods. Odin also had a number of other children, including Heimdall and Baldr, who also appeared in the show. InTwilight of the Gods, Thor and Odin don’t have a particularly close relationship, which became evident when Thor went into a rage after learning that his father was trying to keep him away from Sigrid.
Thor, furious that Odin evidently perceived Sigrid as a genuine threat to him, didn’t hesitate to undercut his father’s wishes, throwing himself into the line of fire multiple times by confronting Sigrid. This dynamic between Thor and Odin also seems to have been fairly accurate inTwilight of the Gods. Unlike in other stories of Odin and Thor, such as the MCU, father and son didn’t seem to have a particularly close relationship. Of course, there are a great manydifferences between Thor in the MCU and in mythology, and some are much more jarring than this one.
Twilight Of The Gods Voice Cast & Character Guide
Twilight of the Gods is the newest venture between Zack Snyder and Netflix, an animated series versed in Norse mythology with a talented voice cast.
8Sif And Thor Were Married
Sif is portrayed as a golden-haired beautiful woman inTwilight of the Gods, but she spends most of the show looking rather somber because her husband, Thor, is both cruel to her and constantly has affairs with other women. Sif even makes comments about hoping Sigrid is successful in her mission to kill Thor to his face because, as she puts it, it would be better to be a widow than to continue living her life with Thor. Yet again,Twilight of the Godsbased this story on some facts, asSif and Thor were married in Norse mythology.
In mythology, however, Sif and Thor were much happier with one another.
In mythology, however, Sif and Thor were much happier with one another. Rather than antagonistic and bitter, Thor was said to have great admiration and respect for Sif. Sif’s reaction to Thor’s infidelity in the show also wasn’t quite accurate, as both Thor and Sif had extramarital affairs. This is in part becausethe notion of monogamy as it’s understood in the modern day didn’t really apply to the gods.
7The Giants And The Gods Really Did Hate Each Other
As In Twilight Of The Gods, The Gods And The Giants Often Battled
IfTwilight of the Godscommunicated one thing very clearly, it was that the gods and the giants absolutely hated one another. This was in many ways the cause of everything that took place in the show, as Thor’s brutal massacre at Sigrid’s wedding targeted the giants specifically. It was also clear that the feeling was mutual long before this attack, asthe phrase"I fear no gods"was repeated by giants throughout the show.
This tension inTwilight of the Godshad considerable truth to it. In Norse mythology, giants and gods were often adversaries, and Thor in particular was known for killing gods.Twilight of the Godschanged the dynamic quite a bit, though. InTwilight of the Gods, the giants (at least in Sigrid’s family) seem to only want peace and to be left alone. In mythology, giants were just as antagonistic as the gods, if not more so.
6Only Those Who Died In Battle Could Go To Valhalla
Twilight Of The Gods Confirmed That Entering Valhalla Is Not Easy
One of the major plot points inTwilight of the Godsinvolves the path to an afterlife in Valhalla. As in Norse mythology,Valhalla is the afterlife for warriors who have fallen in battle, and it is only by dying on the battlefield that one can go there. Initially, Hervor, one of the members of Sigrid’s team, is the one who longs to go to Valhalla, as her sons have all died and been taken there. She sees Valhalla as an opportunity to be with her sons again, and she doesn’t fear death whatsoever for that reason.
Inthe finale ofTwilight of the Gods, that happy ending is tragically taken away from Hervor because she is barred from going to Valhalla after using cursed weapons. Instead, Sigrid is the one who ends up in Valhalla after Loki shockingly stabs her to death, giving her one last chance to kill Thor. For the most part,Twilight of the Godsseems to have maintained the mythology of Valhalla and how one arrives there.
5The Valkyrie Chose Who Was Worthy Of Valhalla
Valkyrie Took Heroes From The Battlefield On Odin’s Behalf
Along with the rules and features of Valhalla remaining largely true to Norse mythology,Twilight of the Godsfairly accurately represents the Valkyries' role in this process. In both mythology andTwilight of the Gods, the Valkyrie are tasked with visiting the battlefield, removing the bodies of those who have died honorably in battle, and taking them to Valhalla. In mythology, the Valkyrie specifically served Odin, identifying who was truly worthy of Valhalla on his behalf.
InTwilight of the Gods, the Valkyrie fulfill this role, but they are otherwise silent and primarily absent figures. Although unsettling when Sigrid is crying for them to take Hervor to Valhalla, this makes sense given the part the Valkyrie play. They are meant to be impartial judges, so while it is a bit eery to see them silently observing the battlefield from the sky, this seems in line with Norse mythology.
4Loki Was The God Of Mischief
Loki Created Chaos Throughout Twilight Of The Gods
Loki is easily one of the most well-known gods to appear inTwilight of the Gods, in no small part due to the character’s prominence in the MCU franchise. As in the MCU and in Norse mythology,inTwilight of the Gods, Loki is the God of Mischief. In the show, this is presented with an impressive level of complexity. Loki is no doubt a troublemaker, butTwilight of the Godsalso complicates Loki in a number of ways, including by referring to him as a"scapegoat god."
TheTwilight of the Godsrepresentation of Loki and his role as the God of Mischief seems to be largely in keeping with Norse mythology. In mythology, Loki was a trickster, but he wasn’t seen as ‘evil’ (nor was he seen as ‘good’). This binary way of thinking was in fact rarely applied to the gods, and while that wasn’t necessarily true for every god inTwilight of the Gods, it was true of Loki.
Loki was a trickster, but he wasn’t seen as ‘evil.’
3Thor Was Easily Angered And Incredibly Violent
Thor Was Not The Jovial God He Is Shown To Be In Other Shows And Movies
Thor was the main antagonist inTwilight of the Gods, and his behavior was truly shocking and disturbing throughout the show. Not only did Thor massacre Sigrid’s entire family and seem to thoroughly enjoy doing it, but he also took pleasure in belittling everyone around him, including his own wife, whom he spoke to with jarringly foul language. While Zack Snyder’s Thor certainly took this to a different level,there was some truth to Thor’s more violent nature based on Norse mythology.
In mythology, Thor was known to have a short temper and bouts of violence. As mentioned, the tensions between gods and giants led to Thor being known as a giant slayer. However,Twilight of the Godsdidn’t get this entirely right. Thor’s violence wasn’t as random and masochistic in Norse mythology as it was in the show. Thor was even thought of as being a protector of humankind in mythology, which was absolutely not the case inTwilight of the Gods.
2Hel, Fenrir, And Jörmungandr Really Were Loki’s Children
Loki’s Children Were Key To The Story In Twilight Of The Gods
In addition to the many well-known gods who appear inTwilight of the Gods, Loki’s children, Hel, Fenrir, and Jörmungandr, also play a role. All three characters represent actual figures in Norse mythology, and many of their features remain the same. In both mythology andTwilight of the Gods, Fenrir is the wolf son of Loki, and Jörmungandr is his serpent child.Twilight of the Godsdid make a slight change here, as Jörmungandr was depicted as a young woman; in mythology, Jörmungandr is one of Loki’s sons.
None of Loki’s children is technically a god, as their mother was the giantess Angrboda. Each is therefore a demigod at most. Even so, Hel is often referred to as the goddess of death, and because of her role overseeing the underworld, she is often treated more like a god than her siblings are, both in mythology and inTwilight of the Gods.
1Ragnarök Was The Death Of The Gods
Ragnarök Was Loki’s Plan All Along
Twilight of the Gods’finale revealed that the massive battle between the gods, the giants, and the humans was the beginning of Ragnarök, the death of the gods in Norse mythology. Loki had specifically orchestrated many of the events of the show to bring about Ragnarök, using Sigrid’s grief against her so that she went along with Loki’s plan. While the battle did see the death of several gods, Thor’s beloved brother Baldr and the god Tiwaz (who was created for the show) among them, this battle was only the beginning.
Ragnarök has yet to be fulfilled, although that could be explored in a potential season 2 ofTwilight of the Gods. No second season has been confirmed so far, but the show proved to be quite popular, and there is certainly more story to tell if the show were renewed. For now, though, the existence of Ragnarök inTwilight of the Godsis consistent with the event of the same name in Norse mythology, reflecting yet another aspect of mythology the show got right.
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.
