Laufey sits at the heart of the Norse God of War saga even though she dies before the 2018 game even begins. Better known by her nickname Faye, she is the person whose choices set Kratos and Atreus on their entire journey across the Nine Realms.
Who Faye is in God of War
Faye is a legendary Jötunn warrior, a giant whose reputation reached across all Nine Realms. Among her own people she was called Laufey the Just, a title earned by defending the weak and standing against Odin's rule. She spent her life resisting the cruelty of the Aesir and acting as the last protector of the Jötnar.
By the time players meet Kratos in the 2018 game, Faye has already passed away. Her final wish drives the whole story. Kratos and Atreus carry her ashes to scatter them from the highest peak in the realms, and that path leads them to discoveries about her true nature and Atreus's hidden identity as Loki.
Mimir describes her as a figure feared by gods and respected by giants. She is the bridge that connects a Spartan outsider to the Norse pantheon, and almost every major beat of the Norse arc traces back to her planning.
Laufey in Norse mythology vs. the God of War version
The name comes straight from Norse legend, but Santa Monica Studio reshaped the character into something far larger than her mythological role. The differences are worth laying out side by side.
| Detail | Norse mythology | God of War |
|---|---|---|
| Other names | Sometimes called Nál | Faye; Laufey the Just |
| Best known as | Mother of Loki, partner of Fárbauti | Kratos's second wife, mother of Atreus |
| Role | A minor giantess referenced briefly in the Eddas | A legendary Jötunn warrior and protector of the Jötnar |
| Notable link | Loki is called Laufeyjarson, meaning "Laufey's son" | Atreus is later revealed to be Loki |
In the old texts, Laufey appears mostly as Loki's mother, which is why Loki carries the name Laufeyjarson. The game keeps that thread but rebuilds her as a fighter with a long history of opposing Odin, rather than a background figure.
The Leviathan Axe connection
One of the most important facts about Faye is that the Leviathan Axe originally belonged to her. The Huldra brothers, Brok and Sindri, forged the weapon specifically for her. When Kratos wields it, he is carrying his late wife's signature weapon. The Talon Bow that Atreus uses is also tied to her.
How Faye died in God of War
The exact cause of her death is never spelled out, but the signs point to a passing she expected. Faye spoke openly with Kratos about her own mortality and prepared for the end well in advance.
She marked the trees that would be needed for her cremation and arranged her funeral pyre herself. She also laid out the journey Kratos and Atreus would take, instructing them to scatter her ashes at the highest peak in all the realms. That destination was no accident. It guided the pair to Jötunheim, where they would uncover her giant heritage, Atreus's identity as Loki, and the murals depicting the future she had foreseen.
Everything reads as a deliberate plan tied to prophecy and her own foresight, carried out so the father and son would learn the truth at the right moment.
God of War Laufey: Faye takes the lead
The newly announced God of War Laufey finally places Faye at the center of her own story rather than Kratos. Shown during the most recent PlayStation State of Play, the game opens right after her funeral.
Faye awakens in a strange realm called Everywhen, described as an afterlife of gods where mythological beings gather. There she discovers that the plan she built to protect Kratos and Atreus may be in danger, which pushes her to fight through these unfamiliar lands while searching for a way home.
No official release date and time has been confirmed yet, so the wait for more concrete launch details continues. What is clear is that the series is using this project to answer a question fans have carried for years, which is what happened to Faye after death, and why she went to such lengths to set her family on their path.