TheGod of Warfranchise has always had its fair share of Easter eggs and references, from the earliest days of the series where players could unlock hidden website URLs for fun behind-the-scenes clips to the most recent entries and their references to pop-culture staples likethe Marvel Cinematic Universe. But while some ofGod of War Ragnarok’s most memorable Easter eggs and references are its more obvious callbacks and shoutouts, one of its best is so subtle that players probably never realized it.
ThroughoutGod of War Ragnarok, players are frequently treated to a series of fun little Easter eggs and references. These will often refer to events from the previous games, other aspects of Greek and Norse mythology, or even other video game properties entirely, withthe Kvasir set of poemsbeing particularly memorable. However, there’s one Easter egg inGod of War Ragnarokthat’s hiding in plain sight, and it’s Atreus' Midgardian friend Skjoldr.
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God of War Ragnarok’s Skjoldr is a Subtle Reference to The Legend of Zelda
About a third of the way intoGod of War Ragnarok, players will take control of Atreus as he makes his way to Asgard, believing he can peacefully avoid the titular cataclysm if he can just reason with Odin. At the foot of Asgard’s monumentally high wall is a small village populated by Midgardian refugees who have been told toflee Midgard during Fimbulwinter. In this village, Atreus meets a young boy named Skjoldr.
Upon meetingGod of War Ragnarok’s Skjoldr, players probably won’t think twice about the character. He seems like a pretty normal kid, and his appearance seems pretty conventional for the setting. However, upon closer inspection, players may notice that Skjoldr bears a pretty striking resemblance to a legendary Hyrule hero. Skjoldr’s outfit sees him wearing a bright blue tunic, with white highlighting all around the neck and sleeves. Brown belts wrap around his hips and a white undershirt can be seen underneath the tunic.
Though it isn’t immediately obvious, Skjoldr seems to be wearing an outfit that’s heavily inspired byThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s Link. InBreath of the Wild, Link’s iconic front-cover outfit sees him wearing very similar clothes, with a bright blue tunic with markings on it, brown belts, and a dirty white undershirt. To top it off, both characters share long blond hair. While this could be just a fun coincidence, on a recent episode of Kinda Funny’s “PS I Love You” Spoilercast,God of War Ragnarok’s director Eric Williams hinted that Skjoldr’s appearance was in fact a reference toThe Legend of Zelda’s main hero. Specifically, he replied with “hey, I didn’t put him in those clothes” when asked about the reference.
God of War Ragnarok’sLegend of Zeldareference is one of the better references to the franchise out there, as it chooses to keep the tribute incredibly subtle. This stops the reference from getting in the way of any emotional or story beats, but also rewards those who are paying close attention to each of the game’s hidden details. Over the last few decades, many games have decided to reference the incredibly influentialZeldaseries, but it’s often a little too obvious, with countless Indie games parodying the “It’s dangerous to go alone, take this” line. Further, multipleAAA titles likeSkyrimjust overtly include weapons and armor items that are ripped straight from the iconic adventure series. Sometimes, the most rewarding Easter eggs are those that are the most subtle.
God of War Ragnarokis available on PS4 and PS5.
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