Are There Valkyries in God of War Ragnarok?

In God of War 2018, players could face off against several "secret bosses" called Valkyries. These epic Norse warriors were some of the most difficult bosses in the game, and offered a challenge unlike anything else seen in the reboot of the popular franchise. However, in God of War Ragnarök, Valkyries are somewhat missing.

Sure, players do run into a few throughout the story, but overall, they lack the real bite that the Valkyries of God of War 2018 had. That's because those super difficult enemies have been replaced with new ones.

Where Valkyries were the most dangerous enemies in God of War 2018, God of War Ragnarök sees them replaced with what Ragnarök calls Berserker Souls. These special enemies can only be summoned by finding and interacting with Berserker Gravestones, which are hidden throughout the Nine Realms in God of War Ragnarök.

On top of replacing Valkyries, the Berserker Souls also offer a ton of challenges for players digging into God of War Ragnarok. Such a challenge, in fact, that it is highly recommended to complete the main game and completely level up your gear and armor before attempting to take them down. There are 12 bosses total spread across ten main battles with the Berserker Souls, and you will need to defeat them all to completely earn the Platinum trophy on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

Because Berserker Souls are so difficult, players will no doubt need to make the most of the parry mechanics and the stun mechanics, which allow them to avoid attacks and even counterattack with powerful hits. You'll also want to increase your health as much as possible, as you're going to take quite a few hits during these dangerous battles.

As noted above, though, Valkyries aren't completely absent from God of War: Ragnarök. They just don't seem to hold the same difficulty and challenge that they did in the original reboot of the series.

But that isn't a bad thing. Berserker Souls offer a refreshing new spin on the challenging format seen in the Valkyrie boss fights from God of War 2018. And, because you also must find them, you're going to get to explore the world even more in the process.

To find all of the Berserker Souls, you're going to need to travel to the different realms found in God of War Ragnarök. Luckily, most of these will unlock throughout the main storyline, but you can learn more about them for yourself as you play.