How to Defeat Thor (Second Fight)
Encountered during the seventeenth chapter, The Realms at War, Thor is the second last boss that you will face in God of War: Ragnarok. Featuring several unique phases and attacks, your battle with Thor will closely resemble your first encounter in Midgard. In this Boss Guide, you will learn all the best tips, tricks, and strategies you need to know to defeat Thor once and for all.
advertisement Tips and Strategies for Defeating Thor in Asgard
Refusing to back down, despite Kratos claiming to have not harmed Thrud, Thor will rage on, and the battle will begin. Now, this battle plays out much like your initial fight with Thor during the first quest, Surviving Fimblewinter, however, he does introduce some brand-new attacks and some slight variations.
It is important to remember that this battle does feature many unblockable attacks and QTE events, so you'll need to be on your toes, ready to react at a second's notice, as Thor will become increasingly faster throughout the battle.
Here are some tips and tricks you may find helpful during your encounter with Thor:
advertisement
If you’re running low on health, consider trying to parry Thor's incoming attacks, as there’s a chance you’ll receive a Healthstone.
Thor is highly susceptible to Shield Strikes after performing attacks, especially when struck with charged attacks from The Dauntless Shield. When unleashing a Shield Strike upon him, he’ll stagger backwards and be vulnerable to all incoming attacks for a brief moment. This is the perfect opportunity to unleash your Runic Attacks, as you won’t need to worry about him dodging your attacks or even taking damage.
The Leviathan Axe and Draupnir Spear are perfect for this encounter, as a charged Spear throw can significantly damage Thor's health, as the Axe will typically bounce off Thor when thrown from a distance.
Thor unleashes several close-range, unblockable attacks across all three phases, which is why we highly recommend you adopt a strategy that sees you retreating to the outskirts of the battle arena upon unleashing no more than three heavy melee strikes. advertisement
With all that said, here's a breakdown of what you can expect from Thor during the first phase.
Thor's Phase One Attacks
Here's what you can expect from Thor's attacks during phase one of the battle, as well as how to best counter and escape each incoming attack.
Hammer Toss Variations - Unblockable
Winding up his arm, Thor will quickly toss his hammer toward you. Unable to block the attack, you’ll need to be quick to sidestep out of the way to avoid taking damage. Another variation of this attack will see Thor’s hammer glowing blue before rising in the air, throwing the hammer toward you with heavy force. You’ll want to roll back to avoid this particular variation, as the hammer will cause a shockwave of electricity spread around in a half-circle-like shape.
Thunder Clap Shockwave
Standing close to Thor for too long will see him quickly clap his hands together to create a powerful, unblockable shockwave. Thus, you’ll need to ensure you’re standing well away from him to avoid damage.
Lightning Strike Attack
Slamming his hammer into the ground, three red rings will begin to appear. You’ll need to move quickly to avoid these red rings, as should you be struck by the incoming lightning, you’ll be left electrocuted and unable to move for a brief moment, leaving you susceptible to all incoming attacks. To avoid taking even more damage, mash Circle when prompted to escape before Thor reaches you to unleash a powerful strike toward you.
Charge Attack
Indicated by a red ring, Thor will clap his hands together before quickly charging toward you in an unblockable attack. You’ll need to dodge sideways at the very last moment to avoid taking damage, otherwise, he’ll grab ahold of you, slamming you into the ground.
Punch & Slam Combo
Walking toward you, Thor will begin unleashing a quick flurry of punches at you. While quick, these attacks can be blocked and parried, which, if you’re successful in parrying, will leave him temporarily stunned and vulnerable to damage. Just be warned, though, if you fail to parry the attack, he’ll finish off the punch combo with an unblock AoE slam attack. Despite the rather small AoE, this slam can be damaging, so be sure to back up, otherwise, you’ll be sent flying through the air.
Hammer Toss + Electrical Shockwave Combo
Tossing his hammer toward you, you’ll need to sidestep the attack to avoid taking damage. But be sure not to stop moving, as he’ll quickly recall his hammer before unleashing a powerful shockwave of electricity toward you upon swiping his hammer along the ground. Again, neither of these attacks can be blocked, so your best option is continually moving about, dodging sideways when he performs the attack.
Upon depleting three health bars, Thor will charge at you, where you’ll then enter a cutscene. When prompted, press R1 and R2 to inflict damaging strikes upon Thor.
advertisement
Breaking free of Kratos' hold, he'll then attempt to use his Blades of Chaos on Thor. But, unfortunately, Thor will grab ahold of the chains, sending a pulse of electricity through them, electrocuting Kratos – you’ll need to mash Circle to escape.
Defeat Thor - Phase Two
Severing as a checkpoint, the second phase of the battle with Thor will mostly be the same, but there are some new attacks that you'll need to be wary of, as when caught off guard, you'll be dealt significant damage.
With that said, though, given that Thor is now enraged, his attacks and combinations will be slightly quicker, and you'll find that some attacks have slight variations, so that's important to keep in mind.
Thor's Phase Two Attacks
Here's what you can expect from Thor's attacks during phase two of the battle, as well as how to best counter and escape each incoming attack.
Charged Shockwave
Charging up a ball of electricity, Thor briefly rises into the air before unleashing a devastating blast of electricity. While charging up the attack, you’ll have the chance to Shield Strike him to interrupt the attack. If you fail to interrupt it, you’ll be sent flying back through the air.
Lightning Strike Attack
Performing the same Lightning Strike Attack as before, the strike zones will remain on the ground for several moments before disappearing, so you’ll need to stay clear to avoid taking damage.
Teleporting Attack
Increasing his speed, Thor performs three teleports which see him zipping around the battleground before reappearing and sending an unblockable shockwave of electricity your way. Unfortunately, there is no way to block this attack, so you'll be forced to watch his moves very closely to ensure that you can dodge his incoming lightning attack when he reappears.
Upon depleting three more bars of health, Thor will grab ahold of Kratos, which you'll need to mash Circle to escape his grasp.
advertisement
During the scuffle, he'll pull out his Draupnir Spear and send it into Thor's Shoulder and later his stomach, enraging him even more.
Defeat Thor - Phase Three
Entering the third and final battle phase, you'll need to whittle down Thor's health again, but this time, it'll be a little more challenging, as Thor's attack speed and overall strength will reach an all-time high.
This point of the battle will also act as another checkpoint.
advertisement Thor's Phase Three Attacks
Here's what you can expect from Thor's attacks during phase three of the battle, as well as how to best counter and escape each incoming attack.
Constant Lightning Strikes
Performing the same lightning strike attack as the past two phases, this attack will have evolved again, as he'll constantly spawn waves of lightning strikes across the map. So, the key to dodging these is always to be on the move. The only catch is that after each wave of strikes, Thor will shoot up into the sky before crashing down on the large red circle that will have appeared on the ground. You'll need to stay alert while avoiding the marked zone at all costs, as standing too close will see you dealt large amounts of damage. Thor will remain crouched on the ground for several short moments when crashing down, so you'll want to ensure you're always nearby. This moment provides an excellent opportunity to unleash melee attacks undisturbed.
Upon depleting Thor's health bar, you'll be prompted to press R3 to land the finishing blow.
Then, entering a cutscene, you'll need to press R1 or R2 to fend off Thor's incoming attacks. After another short cutscene, Thor agrees to side with Kratos and then refuses Odin's request to kill Kratos, which has severe consequences.
To continue following our walkthrough, see our The Realms at War guide for more.
Looking for even more God of War Ragnarok Guides? Why not check out.
Complete Walkthrough Guide Essential Combat and Exploration Tips and Tricks The Best Skills and Armor to Get First Berserker Gravestones - Boss Battle Guides "
