Freya was not only well written, but she was brought to life by masterful performances from Danielle Bissuti. To be able to stand toe to toe to Chris, Sunny, and Jeremy is a tall order, and she is absolutely brilliant in every scene..
The one thing I wish is that Freya got more hits in lol. I guess she chokes him a bit after phase one and she pulls him down with the fines and kills one of his birds but during that final sequence she gets one kick in. Sure she tags with Atreus I think twice but not the same.
yeah it's something everyone glosses over. they act like Odin was some weak punk compared to Zeus but, he was combating the god killer Kratos, a Loki coming into his powers and the goddess most skilled with magic after himself and former leader of the Valkyries his own elite force. Zeus got a one on one. Odin puit up a fight against 3 gods and Freya even used an item specifically capable of messing with him.
And don't forget that Kratos is WAY more powerful than he was in GOW2-3, and that Freya is confirmed his equal by the digital artbook and his and her own statements in Vanaheim after their fight.
as someone who has grown up with an extremely overbearing parent (still dealing with that) Freya’s reaction is unbelievably realistic. If my mother could perform the actions Freya could, I wouldn’t doubt this story to play itself. I genuinely can’t comprehend how someone can’t see these reactions as extremely realistic
@@JulianLopez-rt6kp guess I’m lucky, I never saw her reaction as unrealistic and my parents had many issues but I wouldn’t say being overbearing was one, didn’t really know too many who were
How do you even try to reconcile with a parent after that sort of relationship damage? Realizing that they put their own fears over the needs of the child? How do you even know if they're even aware of their mistake?
Freya's introduction is kinda funny, how she immediately gives Kratos orders and he goes "...yeah okay". Reminds me of that flashback with Faye, how she tells Kratos to carry a lot and calls him "good boy" afterwards.
@@SunsetEnvyhes a greek they were terrified of the prospect of a goddess of war having any kind of sexual power so much they made her ace. Makes sense.
A few things I'd like to add: 8:30 - The invulnerability spell also robbed Baldur of his ability to Smell or Taste anything. With the perpetual sensory deprivation Baldur was stuck living in, it's no wonder that he lost his mind 25:40 - When journeying through Vanaheim to locate the source of Odin's realm-binding curse, Freya says "I know Baldur wasn't perfect, but he was _mine_ ." If you missed it, that was probably because it was immediately before Kratos confided to Freya about the loss of his daughter, Calliope. 31:38 - Funny you should mention that. Earlier in the game, Mimir says that trapping Freya in Midgard was not the only curse Odin inflicted upon her; He also cursed her to be unable to fight, even in self-defense
They added the invulnerability spell to also take away sensation to be a nail in the coffin to his character, but even if it only made him invulnerable no drawbacks. Imagine being one of the strongest gods of a clan of warriors and conquerors, and everyone knows it's "due to mommy's magic spell" nothing more. It also robs Baldur of any real challenge, "dying is what we aesir live for" well you can't die. I think to control Baldur Odin could definitely insinuate that Baldur is a coward for also not killing his mother. It also doubles as symbolising overprotective parents and wanting to experience dangerous life yourself, when he finally broke free from his mother's protection he was unequipped to deal with real life too, having picked the fight with the most dangerous man(to god's). It's like if a rich kid doesn't have his bodyguard with him or something, no it is not going to go well for you, you are getting beaten if you act like you did before, recklessly.
Baldr's sensory deprivation also went against everything Old Norse culture was about: LIving life to the fullest, doing so with joy and finally dying in glorious battle. Freya did worse than rob Baldr of the joy of living and worse than simply killing him: She robbed him of his very reason to even exist beyond his godly duties. And he couldn't even end his own misery to escape it.
@@FiendMatadorSlayerOfNoobs You're right. The Helheim flashback of Baldur did say that the 3 main things Aesir did for fun (feasting, drinking, and sex) were all but meaningless to him
25:47 I think there is one actually. During a boat ride, Freya tells Kratos that Baldur was like Atreus back in the day, wanted to get more attention from his father and seeked comfort in his mother. Also, wanted to travel, if I remember correctly. Almost every time Freya speaks of Baldur, her train of thought ends with her or other characters' words like "but it's Odin". You can see she clearly loved Baldur, especially when he was younger. It was her invulnerability spell, overprotectiveness, Odin's manipulation after all, which drew a wall/hedge between them. In the end, I think Freya loves Baldur, but she doesn't excuse his actions, not forgetting to mention it was Odin who further poisoned him against her. But it would be a mistake if I forgot to mention, that Freya never really cared that Baldur almost killed a 12 y/o kid... So above all else, her son's life > (outweigh) her son's misdeeds and behavior.
I don't really remember a straight-up line, but I think she acknowledged that Baldur had flaws and was doing bad things, but, as you said, she thinks it wouldn't be that if not a spell and Odin. In GoW 2018 she was probably unaware of who her son actually had become (her exile) but in Ragnarok it seemed to me that she starts to recognize her son has been doing bad things and Kratos did what he had to. Overall she is a mother who knows that her son wasn't perfect but it doesn't change that she loves him. Probably she is a little excusing his behavior because of what he had gone through, but, as she said, it's highly possible that he could be a 'good god' if these things didn't happen to him. I am probably repeating what you just said xD
@@siubidubi5897 I think there are comments in this comment section quoting Freya: " I know Baldur wasn't *perfect* , but he was *mine* " which perfectly sums up her entire view of her son. She doesn't justify that he could be an A-hole, admits he could've done bad things, but he was *her son* , she *loved* him, it was *her choice* to sacrifice herself and Kratos took it away from her. So, while Freya isn't obviously a perfect parent, but she definitely treated Baldur like any adequate parent would, in a sense that she *loved* him and *cared* for him (albeit in a extreme way), unlike Odin, who treats his own family as disposable tools, who are better off dead than useless, which by itself is despicable.
12? Atreus looked a lot younger then that 8 or 10 but I guess it’s hard to see that through height cause kratos and most other gods are way taller then the few quote unquote mortals that appear near the beginning of the game
Freya does mention Baldur in Ragnorok: When she’s turned into an eagle to prevent herself being ripped from Vanaheim she says: “Baldur was far from perfect but HE WAS MINE!” Implying that Baldur was the only thing she felt actual joy and love and wholeness during her later years in Asgard. The only thing she ever felt she owned
That tracks. I always had the feeling that Freya saw him as the only good thing in her life after her marriage to Odin, which leads to why she became so controlling of him. She was terrified of losing the only good thing in her life at that time.... and then she did.
She also mentions that when Baldur was younger he did everything to get Odin's approval but Odin being who he was didn't care about Baldur and used Freya cursing him to send him after Faye by making him think a giant could break the curse.
When you mentioned how some players were confused of Freya's reaction and how she should have been grateful for her life being saved, it reminded me of a scene from the Incredibles. Mr. Incredible saved a man who tried to unalive himself just for the man to turn around and sue him for it. While Mr. Incredible argued on live television he saved him, the man yelled back "You didn't save my life, you ruined my death". While some players don't get her reaction, I wasn't neither confusing or surprising. People have different reactions when they are saved and it's just part of what makes everyone unique. She was ready to die, she was afraid of losing her son. And Kratos intervention made her face what she dreaded the most. Of course she would get angry at the one who made her face it. Hopefully those who got confused realizes that.
I always figured that the absolute root cause for her response was, as you said, being forced to accept her actions as unchangeable. From where I see it, for as long as Freya's son was alive, the whole situation was at a complete standstill, and Freya could continue thinking that there *might* be a chance that she could rebuild with Bauldr. That was, of course, never true to begin with. Being exiled and banished to a realm where she could not reach him to come to that conclusion on her own was what I believe made both of their reactions so explosive. Bauldr could never truly live his life, and the longer he lived, the more he suffered until he was long past the point of recovery. Freya never truly got to see the complete gravity of the curse she placed upon him until it was already way too late, but she had spent all that time hiding from that fact. So having it all come crashing down upon her in mere moments was far too much for her to handle, and so she swung the complete opposite direction.
@@Kitty_kisses97 The tragedy is that, if given enough time (centuries perhaps) after regaining his sense of feeling, Baldur might've been able to somewhat recover mentally. If Kratos could came back from a similarly deep abyss after causing so much destruction, why couldn't Baldur?
@@concept5631 he also didn't have the benefit of having his own son to be better for. He literally has nothing besides his dad Odin and Thor. He can't even have sex or have kids since no feeling would prevent that. So she literally also took away his ability to have children himself. And still refused to apologize for it.
@@bluesh0es the reason say "unalive" is because some social medias censor posts that include words like suicide or "killing yourself", I have no idea why this has spread to TH-cam, where this does not happen
@@bluesh0es Hate is infectious. It feels powerful, it feels right. Freya hates Kratos for taking her son from her, for not allowing her what little bit of atonement letting Baldr kill her would have been. Given her characterization in GoW4, she is absolutely the kind of person to keep a deathgrip on an emotional decision far past the point of reason. Even after all the years of her exile, she hadn't really wrapped her mind around the damage she had done to Baldr by taking away his ability to touch things. She'd had way more than enough time for that to occur to her, but she likely avoided thinking about it. People can be surprisingly good at denying things they don't want to be true to avoid pain. It takes concerted effort to endure pain and change, and often we need to be given a good reason to do so.
I do love Freya as a character a lot. One thing that sticks out to me is that at any moment in Baldur's life and during their relationship she could have freed him from his anguish and despair. She knew the weakness of the spell and could have told Baldur as he had every right to know.
That's the issue, the core flaw that led her and Baldur down the path of tragedy. Despite knowing what she did was wrong, it still didn't matter. Ultimately, Freya wanted Baldur to be "safe" at any cost.
I Can't even put into words how much I agree with you, that whole scene especially when he says "I did this to him. Will you help Me?" Still gives me chills to this day
And imo the second best, or perhaps the second best scene is where he tells the spirit of Athena “but I am your monster no longer”. Or when he shares the wine with Atreus: that “ahhh” and the chuckle afterwards was absolutely hilarious and adorable
Something I find a bit sad is that even if Kratos hadn’t stepped in and stopped Baldur from killing his mother, the Norse God was still likely to die there by Kratos anyway. After killing his mother Baldur would have likely turned back to Kratos, just to get killed by the God Killer anyway, making Freya’s death meaningless in the end.
25:47 freya does say she loved him saying something along the lines of he had his flaws but he was mine. this adds to the fact that she lost her home her brother everyone dear to her and she loves him because he is the one person who shares blood with her. there is actually a parallel between the way she acts towards baldur and freyr thats because in many real life relationship mothers will treat their sons like husbands if the husband is absent. likewise she treats baldur like a brother because she had lost him . in every single other parent child relationship in gow and gowr theres an authoritative tone when the parent speaks to the child and a submissive one when the child speaks to the parent but baldur and freya dont have that. theres alot more bargaining and "im just gonna do me" this is reminiscent of a brother sister sibling relationship
25:47 I think the biggest thing that you made me realize is that, Freya's love of Baldur is an empty love. She loves the concept of him, the only 'good' thing to come from all of the hatred and pain she's suffered through. She doesn't talk about *him* because it isn't he who she loves, but merely the fact he exists. She developed a sort of stockholm syndrome to Baldur and by extension Odin because Baldur was the only thing distracting her from how miserable she was.
In God of War Ragnarok, after you defeat Gná and take her journal, you can see that Gná has some valid points about Freya, mainly her tendency to play the victim and refuse to own her part on her own misery.
I watched the game through TBSkyens videos and he points out that Fraya is a Goddess of Love and all that that entails. She loves her children, she loves her mortal subjects, she extends her love to those around her like Atreaus and Kratos when they meet. But not just the good sides of love but obsessive love, overprotective love and the fury of having the ones she loves hurt
Seeing Freya get the spotlight in a two part video brings me so much joy, and I'm not just saying that because she's Best Mom. She's a deep layer character with an interesting story arc; I'm really glad that the writers decided not to kill her off
Believe me - she is The Worst "mother". Worse even than alcoholics mothers that beat their children. She is such a monster that you would be Baldur which irl means suicide or mental institution, or prison and dead id you were to be lucky already if she was your mother. Reasons why are below. She makes Odin a fcking father of the year, as being her victim you'd wish for anyone to murder you. I always disliked Freya on some deep level not knowing why. Watching this character study made me realize why. 34;20 - this is why he kills her. She is his mother, abused him and says 2 things together that make him do it: 1. I have paid already for what I've done to you. 2. Kill me if it helps you - He is her victim, yet she positions herself as his savior even in this moment knowing what pain she caused him, she still thinks of herself as morally superior, and harms him again saying: kill me. That is why he does it, in that very moment there is nothing but hate and pain on the deepest level in him born from the fact that she yet again choses to torment him psychologically and indeed is unable to respect him and therefore love him truly, she only knows her selfish pathological all-devouring mother style of "love". Baldur would not do it if she simply said sorry, truly &sincerely apologized, shown shame and pain and any fcking empathy for this abuse and let him go free with at least shadow of respect - that is what he wanted, and she declined him all of that and continued the same behavior and thus abuse she has had already done before. He wanted a moment of his mother choosing his emotions and good over her own. To prove my point - she knows Kratos is not that kind of guy to just watch and he is literally behind Baldur and in front of her. She knew perfectly well what will follow - that was basicly lincesed murder - She, not Odin is the Master Manipulator, she tricked Kratos, and she tricked us. Fck "mothers" like that, they are molesting "fathers" counter-part from hell itself. And btw., no I did not go thru such abuse, I have great mother whom I love and respect greatly, but I saw victims of such manipulative monsters as Freya. She even gave me this vibe, I knew something was really wrong with her, but she is so well written with Odin distraction as "master but really medicore over the top manipulator", that I needed a character study to see true Freya.
Freya does talk about how he was a nice kid in Ragnarok during the side quest to destroy her marriage items and around the time she talks about Odin dropping his mask of lovingness
I never got confused by her response to Baldur's death. It made sense even if Kratos was doing the right thing. Losing your son in front of you brings out very potent emotion in you. Its like 10/10 worst feeling ever as a parent. The bond between mother and son(Even if theirs was damaged) is a no brainer to me. That and well despite someone else doing right thing sometimes people react incorrectly but when you're feeling intense emotions you don't think clearly. Its understandable.
That moment when freya cries and replied : He robbed me of everything... while holding Baldur's dead body. Dang the voice actress and the moment pierces my heart every goddamn time...
Its like kratos said in ragnarok when atreus says “why cant she let it go?we saved her life” kratos responds “i took her son there is no letting that go” kratos has learned a lot from freya mainly empathy and understanding for other peoples reasons and reactions to things its beautiful story writing freya is one of my favourite characters due to her depths and flaws its just amazing
25:40 well, I don't know if this counts, but after the final boss, I found the place where Baldur's dragon fell and Kratos tells her that Baldur tried to kidnap Atreus. Freya says something like "the things he put you through...". I think she says something else before Kratos says "This was Odin's doing" Other than that, I don't know if she says anything else, but I think that line of dialogue shows that deep down, she knows Baldur was a bad person. Maybe now that Odin's dead and she knows Kratos better, she can see how Baldur wasn't just her baby boy and all that
I found your channel randomly and I was impressed by the work you put in. The work you put in, and how you dissect/analyze a character. I hope you achieve your goals, FatBrett.
38:51 I think it’s fascinating that Freya’s response to Atreus saying “he saved your life,” (after Baldur has died) is to say “and robbed me of everything.” It’s somewhat poetic, I think, that only after Baldur has died can she understand the agony she put him through. Her action to make Baldur immortal, to “safe his life,” required robbing him of everything that made her life worth it. In some sense, the agony she feels now ,Ay have been mirrored by Baldur.
The voice acting for Kratos is world class man. Hearing him almost cry for Freya's help with his son. "Woman do you hear me" That line cut my heart apart. "Will you help me" Making these lines sound so painful but so masculine at the same time is incredible. He's literally begging a god for help. One of the best character arcs across a franchise ever.
I know this video is about Freya but it's interesting that you mention that Baldur doesn't have any empathy. Really ties into the themes that he can't feel anything outside of himself
In my eyes, freya went from "oh shit...look, it's the boi's new stepmom" To all of a sudden top 3 characters.... super well written...and the fact she's a party member in GOWR...and travels with you???
Something crazy too is the fact that the speech Baldur has to Freya about the time he spent thinking about what he would say is almost equal to the speech Freya had to Odin in GOW Ragnarok, GOW has such insane writing.
There is a set of travel lines in Ragnarok, where Freya does say that when Baldur was a child, he had adored his father, and that she had been his confidante when he was frustrated about not being able to please Odin. I think she also says that there were a lot of similarities between Baldur and Atreus when he was Atreus's age.
These are essays of the likes of which you would need to pay to even get a glimpse of it, and you are making an entire catalog of which I have learned a lot from and am very inspired by. Thank you so much
something i never really thought about until recently is the fact that right from the beginning when she cast the spell on baldur she knew how it could be broken, not only did she cast it without his consent she lied to his face to convince him it was permanent when she could fix it in an hour, even though he wanted to kill her for it. even after a hundred years of exile knowing her son hates her, no matter how guilty she feels at his suffering and no matter how much she says she was wrong she still refuses to even consider the possibility of breaking the spell. the most disgusting thing about her is when she sees him again she doesn't apologise once, still doesn't reveal the spell can be broken, and just tries to convince him to forgive her coz she still believes she did the right thing and that if she could only persuade him to accept the spell he'll be her son forever. when they have their last confrontation her desperation gets even worse and she tries to salvage the relationship by placating him saying "you have what you want now". right until he dies she so selfishly wants her son that she would rather he spent centuries hating every second of his life than even have the slightest chance of being taken away from her permanently, and after he dies she never acknowledges her mistakes and only lets go of her vengeance because kratos apologised for 'murdering' baldur to stop him from killing her and harming innocent people
@@BeeTheTravler freya might be a b*tch but we all know the greatest crime was aldrich eating gwyndolin, followed closely by the aldrich faithful that "accidentally" hit you with chaos vestige in your last invasion
Freya was my favorite supporting character of the series. Every move, every word she says and hesitation is purposeful and realistic and says so much about her and her feelings.
While I've generally understood the narrative around these themes, even understood Freya's motivations, I honestly think I wasn't seeing the forest for the trees -as i possibly butcher that expression- You have an incredible knack for really dissecting these stories, picking them apart and showing off all their nuances and depth. I honestly don't think I've watched any of your god of war videos specifically without coming away with it with an appreciation for something I'd never considered deeply, even if I saw it. I'm very much looking forward to part 2 of this, but this was a very well written dive into 2018's side of Freya's story.
Freya does mention Baldur in Ragnorok, i remember one boat talk where she mentions that Baldur was much like Atreus when he was younger, mostly talking about how he adored his father. Thus we can probably infer that she sees some of Baldur in him, and that may have made her want to protect him more than she otherwise would have.
freya's line "i HAVE paid" as well as the delivery from the VA also highlights part of her flaw, invalidation of her son. Both in her denying him the right to face life and its dangers in the past when she placed a spell on him and now where she says she has paid which, while to us she has, she only serves to tell baldur that his perspective on her life and her decisions is less than her own. Right or wrong baldur is once again denied the choice of even making that statement on the situation. To baldur's rage filled mind she is once again denying him any freedoms and acting selfishly
19:00 easily one of my top 5 favorite Freya moments. I love her depth, loving nature, sense of respect, the fact that even when she's completely enraged the better parts of her can still reach the surface--but above all: the sass.
When she says "He robbed me of everything" I interpreted it as her seeing baldur as the only good thing that came from her marriage to Odin, from her having to leave her home, from being trapped in Midgard. He was everything to her.
When Kratos stepped in and killed Baldor and robbed Freya from her choice to die not only was is what Freya did to Baldor, but also what the Greek Gods did to Kratos. They stole his release from his pain and suffering when he threw himself off the mountain at the end of the first game and they wouldn't permit him to die (at least like that). Which is just another thing that sent Freya over the edge. Kratos stole her release. I just love the writing of the God of War franchise. The circular narrative. Gods killing their parents. What Kratos did to Freya here was actually what the Greek Gods did to him. All the while trying to break the cycle. You'll always be a monster. The cycle ends here ...the changing of ones nature. To be better. Write your own destiny. I love it. Thanks for the awesome video. Can't wait to continue with part 2
Looking forward to part 2. The sheer urgency in Kratos voice when he's begging for Freyas help just sells Judge's performance. Even if you're not a Dad you feel like one in this scene.
I can already tell this is gonna be GOAT. I have already gobbled up your other GOW videos and your stuff is superb. Thank you for the hard work! Have a great week!
About the part where you said we didnt get any lines where Freya says what she thinks about baldur, we do get a small line in Ragnarök where she says, "I know Bladur wasnt perfect but he was mine." This is said when Kratos is helping Freya break the curse, before he goes on to tell Freya about Calliope. Thought this might help. Great vid btw!
There is another snippet where Freya and Kratos see the remains of Baldur's dragon. Kratos describes what happened when Baldur kidnapped Atreus and what Kratos had to do to get him back. Freya then remarks something along the lines of "I can't believe the things he (Baldur) did to you..." (Or something along those lines). It's a small detail but I think it speaks to how Freya was becoming more disillusioned about what kind of person Baldur had become.
18:51 God damn Christopher Judge did a great job as Kratos in this scene. This is why I think the voice acting in this game is way better than in Ragnarok.
I'm addicted to your GoW character analysis essays. It just shows how deep and complex the writing and characters are. Keep up the great content, can wait for part 2!
In Ragnarok, she does acknowledge that Baldur was flawed but she loved him all the same. And there was some dialog saying that when younger Baldur always seemed the approval of his father Odin
40:22 Kratos knew Freya would hate him for it but also knew that even if Baldur killed her he'd keep going after him and Atreus unless he killed him because he couldn't be reasoned with. And Freya knew deep down and acknowledges in Ragnarok that Baldur's death was ultimately her fault but in her grief she took it out on Kratos just like Sindri took Brok being murdered by Odin out on everybody.
Awesome video! Freya is probably my favorite character in these games, And in Ragnarok the conversations between her an Kratos were my favorite story sections. This video does her absolute justice and I can't wait for more.
Actually during Ragnarok when they are on a side quest to break Freya's connections to Asgard and more specifically Odin. She asked Mimir if he knew why she left the day she did? To which he replied he had only a hunch. She explained that Odin asked for the secret of the invulnerability spell that she had cast on Baldur. She had said that "Seeing How It Drove Our Son Into Madness, I Refused Him" indicated to me that yes she had known just how damaging that spell really was for Baldur emotionally. This indicates that she also knew how the hatred was already beginning to consume him at that point.
I'm felt pity for Baldur. With a father like Odin and the spell... I don't think people understand how connected we are to our body. Not feeling anything meant he was completely isolated and incapable of sharing the human experience. I don't think it'd have been out of place if they further emphasized or exaggerated how insane her spell made him.
I think it's a compelling tie that every character in this series has something to do with "Control" Atreus wants to be seen as an equal in 2018 and in Ragnarok wants to be in control of his own destiny Kratos has lived almost his whole life trying to take control of it back from Gods who have used him and here he is still trying to control his son Brok lost control in his accident and has no control over Sindri bringing him back Sindri out of pure compassion and need, takes control of Brok's destiny and retakes ¾ths of his soul from the lake of souls Sindri and Freya are the same character. Fully compassionate yet deeply rooted control freaks who want to keep their loved ones safe no matter the cost. Difference being, at the end, Freya's arc is finally complete, whereas Sindri's is just getting started.
She's my favourite, her entire plot line is a continued tragedy, in the next game she doesn't even get to have her brother, how much loss can one person endure?
Ragnarök made GOW my favourite franchise of all time by far, especially the norse sage and i have to say your character essays elevate this even more. For me the analysis of Odin and Sindri were the most impressive, but this was of freya is also 10/10
Idk why but I kinda feel a dynamic like this irl, a overprotective mother doing something unjust just to protect their kid and not realizing until way later, my brother being the victim of the mother and now he resents her
36:30 Baldur is a character with no empathy, you're absolutely right. I think it's almost poetic, because he is unable to feel his own feelings, small wonder then that he can't feel anyone else's either.
I find it interesting that Freya wants Baldur to forgive her, but she doesn’t actually show any remorse for the things she wants him to forgive her for. It’s just another “sacrifice” she’s making for Baldur.
You did miss that Freya acknowledges Baldur's flaws as a person, it was during God of War Ragnarok in Vanaheim: in the conversation where she is annoyed that everyone tries to comfort her and confronts Kratos as to whether HE knows anything about her pain (losing a child), only for him to reveal that he once had a daughter
At its very core GOW even the originals are about generational trauma and Generational torture, and I love how it doesn’t dissolve into some weird hate on either gender as both suck in this game On the matriarchal side we have Freya whose helicopter parentage leads to the death of her child while Faye is such a good mother and wife she still aids them after death And on the patriarchal side we have Odin a bastard who uses his kids as pawns and soldiers, vs kratos who would rather his kid just learn self defense nothing more
It’s not often I’m impressed how how articulate, and eloquent a youtuber is able to analyze complicated characters, but this man should be an inspiration to the rest of em. From your music choices, tempo of the video, tone of voice, and your interesting perspectives, the video is damn near educational for ppl trying to emulate an entertaining video essay. I’ve seen a few vids now, and you’ve been consistently reliable in terms of quality. Hope you get a million more subs, keep up the great work.
i just realised something i've never seen mentioned. when kratos apologises to freya for being an AH when learning who she was, it was her who said "no need to explain. not to me, not for that", which is the same thing he says to her in ragnarok when they finally reconcile. it's a really clever connection between those moments, because it was her willingness to put aside all of their conflict to help him save atreus that made him respect and care for her so much. to kratos she will always be that good person who forgave him and helped when he needed it, and just like how she understood and brushed off his distrust for gods he was totally understanding of her quest for revenge against him and that's why he so casually brushed off her trying to murder him
Dunno if I'm specially sensitive today, but I cried 3 times listening to this. Freya's story really gets framed with the Norns saying they can't change so they make their prophecies come true.
Can we just take a moment to appreciate the voice acting in this scene? You could hear the fear and desperation in kratos's voice as his son lay sick in his arms
25:00 to be fair, Freya hadn't seen Baldur in 100 years. She didn't know just how violent and cruel he had become, as she was trapped in Midgard for that time. She had no way of knowing just how bad he had gotten, only that he hated her and she loved him in spite it. It's not like Kratos and Co ever bring it up to her
after playing GOW 4 times and listening to thos video that same amount. It's just occured to me that when kratos' says "he made his choice", it may well in fact be the ONLY choice baldur ever made for himself in his life. Even after death, Freya is incapable of respecting her son's choices and letting him make mistakes, even if it's his final one
the most empathic people go the craziest, because they have so much compassion they can’t comprehend how someone could be such a monster in terms of understanding other people’s needs...plus they feel most wronged when life takes a shit on their way of living...that’s why freya and sindri go the craziest transition and it makes complete sense
The tragedy for freya and baulder is that it would have been so easy to fix Baulder so that he could feel again. All freya had to do was tell Baulder about the mistletoe. Given how mad she got when Atreus had those arrows she obviously knew that would do it.
Freya is also the 1 person, I'd say, that had kratos try to fix a mess up... We all know how he destroys things, and just leaves..kills ppl, and just goes about his business... This is the first time, I'd say, he actually had to go and fix a problem he made..
Freya is by far my favorite character in god of war. The fact that even when Kratos & her had a "falling out" because she was a god, yet still immediately helped Kratos when he screamed for help because of atreus being ill is such a nice touch. You can also notice her "mother" likeness when she cleans the dirt off atreus's face when she puts the protection spell on him.
I have always been fascinated by Freya as a character, and this video has only deepened my interest in her. The level of detail and research that went into this video is impressive, and I appreciate how it explores the nuances of Freya's character in a thoughtful and insightful way. As someone who has played both God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok, I have seen firsthand how complex and multifaceted Freya's character is. She is a goddess who is driven by her love for her son, Baldur, and her desire for revenge against Odin. Her motivations are often misunderstood by others, and her actions can be seen as both heroic and villainous. I loved how this video explored Freya's history and how it has influenced her character over time. From her marriage to Odin to her time spent living among the Vanir, every aspect of her past has helped shape the person she is today. I also appreciated how the video explored Freya's place in Norse mythology and how she compares to other powerful female figures, such as Odin's wife, Frigg. Overall, this video was a fascinating and insightful look into one of the most intriguing characters in Norse mythology. I can't wait to see what's in store for part two and to continue learning more about Freya's complex and compelling character. Thank you for creating such a thoughtful and well-researched video!
Her power comes from her face and body. She has the moral high ground, but that doesn't matter to him. She has the most powerful weapon ever wielded, the power of a sexy woman.
Freya's way of 'handling' Baldur brings back bad memories from my own past. My mother was overprotective yet looked away as my father bullied me. So yeah, I don't have a lot of sympathy.
i have an abiity to easily understand a character within my first playthrough or watchthrough of a show, game or movie. to see people agree with what i think makes me smile because it makes me feel like i get at least something right.
Freya's writing and tragedy was the main reason i thought GoW4 was such an absolute masterpiece of a story. I could not describe how worried i was in Rangarok that she would never grow past her hatred for Kratos or worse yet that they would just have her killed off instead of offering her character even more growth. It's crazy to me how (imo) between two games her character gets nearly as much growth and development as Kratos does throughout the entire series.
Also, some people don't realize why Baldur was like "no no no no no no no" after being smacked by Kratos. It's because he thought Kratos could cause him pain, but he was wrong. He still wanted the fight, because he at least feels joy in fighting.
I love how sassy she was.
“I’m still a god, go away.”
First replay in 1 yr huh
@@ThatDwag69second it 👍
When I saw the over 40 minute runtime and then the ‘Part One’ I screamed with joy
Me too!
On everything
Same reaction in here.
Yes. Same here. So Very Happy
Truly spoken!
Freya was not only well written, but she was brought to life by masterful performances from Danielle Bissuti. To be able to stand toe to toe to Chris, Sunny, and Jeremy is a tall order, and she is absolutely brilliant in every scene..
Sunny🤣
I agree. Danielle did a fantastic job.
About the Odin fight lasting "too little", he got jumped by Three gods and a very disgruntled Dwarf. Of course he lasted less.
The one thing I wish is that Freya got more hits in lol. I guess she chokes him a bit after phase one and she pulls him down with the fines and kills one of his birds but during that final sequence she gets one kick in. Sure she tags with Atreus I think twice but not the same.
yeah it's something everyone glosses over. they act like Odin was some weak punk compared to Zeus but, he was combating the god killer Kratos, a Loki coming into his powers and the goddess most skilled with magic after himself and former leader of the Valkyries his own elite force.
Zeus got a one on one. Odin puit up a fight against 3 gods and Freya even used an item specifically capable of messing with him.
And don't forget that Kratos is WAY more powerful than he was in GOW2-3, and that Freya is confirmed his equal by the digital artbook and his and her own statements in Vanaheim after their fight.
@DrunknHick he is physically more powerful then he was in gow 3 imagine if he still had his magic and was actually bloodlusted against odin
I mean, hell, Three gods is still fine... But the unrivaled power of rock and stone?
as someone who has grown up with an extremely overbearing parent (still dealing with that) Freya’s reaction is unbelievably realistic. If my mother could perform the actions Freya could, I wouldn’t doubt this story to play itself.
I genuinely can’t comprehend how someone can’t see these reactions as extremely realistic
For some people, if you don't see it happen in person, if you don't live through it, it can be hard to believe things like that are realistic.
@@JulianLopez-rt6kp guess I’m lucky, I never saw her reaction as unrealistic and my parents had many issues but I wouldn’t say being overbearing was one, didn’t really know too many who were
Her actions were actually very realistic.
How do you even try to reconcile with a parent after that sort of relationship damage? Realizing that they put their own fears over the needs of the child? How do you even know if they're even aware of their mistake?
Because most of us draw the line at letting our kids kill us.
Freya's introduction is kinda funny, how she immediately gives Kratos orders and he goes "...yeah okay". Reminds me of that flashback with Faye, how she tells Kratos to carry a lot and calls him "good boy" afterwards.
Kratos 100% has a mommy fetish
The fact she calls him Grumbles :')
Kratos is simply a simp
@@SunsetEnvyhes a greek they were terrified of the prospect of a goddess of war having any kind of sexual power so much they made her ace.
Makes sense.
Grow up kid or u will be forever alone@@SunsetEnvy
A few things I'd like to add:
8:30 - The invulnerability spell also robbed Baldur of his ability to Smell or Taste anything. With the perpetual sensory deprivation Baldur was stuck living in, it's no wonder that he lost his mind
25:40 - When journeying through Vanaheim to locate the source of Odin's realm-binding curse, Freya says "I know Baldur wasn't perfect, but he was _mine_ ." If you missed it, that was probably because it was immediately before Kratos confided to Freya about the loss of his daughter, Calliope.
31:38 - Funny you should mention that. Earlier in the game, Mimir says that trapping Freya in Midgard was not the only curse Odin inflicted upon her; He also cursed her to be unable to fight, even in self-defense
They added the invulnerability spell to also take away sensation to be a nail in the coffin to his character, but even if it only made him invulnerable no drawbacks. Imagine being one of the strongest gods of a clan of warriors and conquerors, and everyone knows it's "due to mommy's magic spell" nothing more. It also robs Baldur of any real challenge, "dying is what we aesir live for" well you can't die. I think to control Baldur Odin could definitely insinuate that Baldur is a coward for also not killing his mother. It also doubles as symbolising overprotective parents and wanting to experience dangerous life yourself, when he finally broke free from his mother's protection he was unequipped to deal with real life too, having picked the fight with the most dangerous man(to god's). It's like if a rich kid doesn't have his bodyguard with him or something, no it is not going to go well for you, you are getting beaten if you act like you did before, recklessly.
Baldr's sensory deprivation also went against everything Old Norse culture was about: LIving life to the fullest, doing so with joy and finally dying in glorious battle.
Freya did worse than rob Baldr of the joy of living and worse than simply killing him: She robbed him of his very reason to even exist beyond his godly duties. And he couldn't even end his own misery to escape it.
@@FiendMatadorSlayerOfNoobs You're right. The Helheim flashback of Baldur did say that the 3 main things Aesir did for fun (feasting, drinking, and sex) were all but meaningless to him
If so, how she was able to attack Kratos in the beggining of the "second" game?
@@nyblller9785 I believe she broke the curse between the events of the first and second game of the Norse series
25:47 I think there is one actually. During a boat ride, Freya tells Kratos that Baldur was like Atreus back in the day, wanted to get more attention from his father and seeked comfort in his mother. Also, wanted to travel, if I remember correctly. Almost every time Freya speaks of Baldur, her train of thought ends with her or other characters' words like "but it's Odin". You can see she clearly loved Baldur, especially when he was younger. It was her invulnerability spell, overprotectiveness, Odin's manipulation after all, which drew a wall/hedge between them. In the end, I think Freya loves Baldur, but she doesn't excuse his actions, not forgetting to mention it was Odin who further poisoned him against her. But it would be a mistake if I forgot to mention, that Freya never really cared that Baldur almost killed a 12 y/o kid... So above all else, her son's life > (outweigh) her son's misdeeds and behavior.
I don't really remember a straight-up line, but I think she acknowledged that Baldur had flaws and was doing bad things, but, as you said, she thinks it wouldn't be that if not a spell and Odin. In GoW 2018 she was probably unaware of who her son actually had become (her exile) but in Ragnarok it seemed to me that she starts to recognize her son has been doing bad things and Kratos did what he had to. Overall she is a mother who knows that her son wasn't perfect but it doesn't change that she loves him. Probably she is a little excusing his behavior because of what he had gone through, but, as she said, it's highly possible that he could be a 'good god' if these things didn't happen to him.
I am probably repeating what you just said xD
@@siubidubi5897 I think there are comments in this comment section quoting Freya: " I know Baldur wasn't *perfect* , but he was *mine* " which perfectly sums up her entire view of her son. She doesn't justify that he could be an A-hole, admits he could've done bad things, but he was *her son* , she *loved* him, it was *her choice* to sacrifice herself and Kratos took it away from her. So, while Freya isn't obviously a perfect parent, but she definitely treated Baldur like any adequate parent would, in a sense that she *loved* him and *cared* for him (albeit in a extreme way), unlike Odin, who treats his own family as disposable tools, who are better off dead than useless, which by itself is despicable.
@@ВладиславБулаев-л3э Perfectly said
12? Atreus looked a lot younger then that 8 or 10 but I guess it’s hard to see that through height cause kratos and most other gods are way taller then the few quote unquote mortals that appear near the beginning of the game
I honestly don't feel bad for Freya.
Freya does mention Baldur in Ragnorok:
When she’s turned into an eagle to prevent herself being ripped from Vanaheim she says:
“Baldur was far from perfect but HE WAS MINE!”
Implying that Baldur was the only thing she felt actual joy and love and wholeness during her later years in Asgard. The only thing she ever felt she owned
That tracks. I always had the feeling that Freya saw him as the only good thing in her life after her marriage to Odin, which leads to why she became so controlling of him. She was terrified of losing the only good thing in her life at that time.... and then she did.
She also mentions that when Baldur was younger he did everything to get Odin's approval but Odin being who he was didn't care about Baldur and used Freya cursing him to send him after Faye by making him think a giant could break the curse.
Yeah, but she doesn't own her child, which she seems to think. She's a shit person on top of being a shit parent.
@@Xehanort10Odin wasn’t wrong that a giant would break his curse however it was the method and item used that mattered
When you mentioned how some players were confused of Freya's reaction and how she should have been grateful for her life being saved, it reminded me of a scene from the Incredibles. Mr. Incredible saved a man who tried to unalive himself just for the man to turn around and sue him for it. While Mr. Incredible argued on live television he saved him, the man yelled back "You didn't save my life, you ruined my death". While some players don't get her reaction, I wasn't neither confusing or surprising. People have different reactions when they are saved and it's just part of what makes everyone unique. She was ready to die, she was afraid of losing her son. And Kratos intervention made her face what she dreaded the most. Of course she would get angry at the one who made her face it. Hopefully those who got confused realizes that.
I always figured that the absolute root cause for her response was, as you said, being forced to accept her actions as unchangeable. From where I see it, for as long as Freya's son was alive, the whole situation was at a complete standstill, and Freya could continue thinking that there *might* be a chance that she could rebuild with Bauldr. That was, of course, never true to begin with. Being exiled and banished to a realm where she could not reach him to come to that conclusion on her own was what I believe made both of their reactions so explosive. Bauldr could never truly live his life, and the longer he lived, the more he suffered until he was long past the point of recovery. Freya never truly got to see the complete gravity of the curse she placed upon him until it was already way too late, but she had spent all that time hiding from that fact. So having it all come crashing down upon her in mere moments was far too much for her to handle, and so she swung the complete opposite direction.
@@Kitty_kisses97 The tragedy is that, if given enough time (centuries perhaps) after regaining his sense of feeling, Baldur might've been able to somewhat recover mentally. If Kratos could came back from a similarly deep abyss after causing so much destruction, why couldn't Baldur?
@@concept5631 he also didn't have the benefit of having his own son to be better for. He literally has nothing besides his dad Odin and Thor. He can't even have sex or have kids since no feeling would prevent that. So she literally also took away his ability to have children himself. And still refused to apologize for it.
@@bluesh0es the reason say "unalive" is because some social medias censor posts that include words like suicide or "killing yourself", I have no idea why this has spread to TH-cam, where this does not happen
@@bluesh0es Hate is infectious. It feels powerful, it feels right. Freya hates Kratos for taking her son from her, for not allowing her what little bit of atonement letting Baldr kill her would have been. Given her characterization in GoW4, she is absolutely the kind of person to keep a deathgrip on an emotional decision far past the point of reason. Even after all the years of her exile, she hadn't really wrapped her mind around the damage she had done to Baldr by taking away his ability to touch things. She'd had way more than enough time for that to occur to her, but she likely avoided thinking about it. People can be surprisingly good at denying things they don't want to be true to avoid pain. It takes concerted effort to endure pain and change, and often we need to be given a good reason to do so.
I do love Freya as a character a lot. One thing that sticks out to me is that at any moment in Baldur's life and during their relationship she could have freed him from his anguish and despair. She knew the weakness of the spell and could have told Baldur as he had every right to know.
That's the issue, the core flaw that led her and Baldur down the path of tragedy. Despite knowing what she did was wrong, it still didn't matter. Ultimately, Freya wanted Baldur to be "safe" at any cost.
THey shouldve sticked with "mistletoe kills Baldur". Yet they changed it to: "reverses the spell".
18:45 Kratos' saddest and best voice acting bar none. The amount of worry and desperation he sinks into to restore his son
I Can't even put into words how much I agree with you, that whole scene especially when he says "I did this to him. Will you help Me?" Still gives me chills to this day
And imo the second best, or perhaps the second best scene is where he tells the spirit of Athena “but I am your monster no longer”. Or when he shares the wine with Atreus: that “ahhh” and the chuckle afterwards was absolutely hilarious and adorable
Something I find a bit sad is that even if Kratos hadn’t stepped in and stopped Baldur from killing his mother, the Norse God was still likely to die there by Kratos anyway. After killing his mother Baldur would have likely turned back to Kratos, just to get killed by the God Killer anyway, making Freya’s death meaningless in the end.
Exactly since that spell freya cast on him was broken by mistletoe strap on the Atreus’ quiver
25:47 freya does say she loved him saying something along the lines of he had his flaws but he was mine. this adds to the fact that she lost her home her brother everyone dear to her and she loves him because he is the one person who shares blood with her. there is actually a parallel between the way she acts towards baldur and freyr thats because in many real life relationship mothers will treat their sons like husbands if the husband is absent. likewise she treats baldur like a brother because she had lost him . in every single other parent child relationship in gow and gowr theres an authoritative tone when the parent speaks to the child and a submissive one when the child speaks to the parent but baldur and freya dont have that. theres alot more bargaining and "im just gonna do me"
this is reminiscent of a brother sister sibling relationship
Ah, ya beat me to it. Just commented about it 😅
25:47 I think the biggest thing that you made me realize is that, Freya's love of Baldur is an empty love. She loves the concept of him, the only 'good' thing to come from all of the hatred and pain she's suffered through. She doesn't talk about *him* because it isn't he who she loves, but merely the fact he exists. She developed a sort of stockholm syndrome to Baldur and by extension Odin because Baldur was the only thing distracting her from how miserable she was.
In God of War Ragnarok, after you defeat Gná and take her journal, you can see that Gná has some valid points about Freya, mainly her tendency to play the victim and refuse to own her part on her own misery.
Writing this down
I watched the game through TBSkyens videos and he points out that Fraya is a Goddess of Love and all that that entails. She loves her children, she loves her mortal subjects, she extends her love to those around her like Atreaus and Kratos when they meet. But not just the good sides of love but obsessive love, overprotective love and the fury of having the ones she loves hurt
Seeing Freya get the spotlight in a two part video brings me so much joy, and I'm not just saying that because she's Best Mom.
She's a deep layer character with an interesting story arc; I'm really glad that the writers decided not to kill her off
Believe me - she is The Worst "mother". Worse even than alcoholics mothers that beat their children. She is such a monster that you would be Baldur which irl means suicide or mental institution, or prison and dead id you were to be lucky already if she was your mother. Reasons why are below. She makes Odin a fcking father of the year, as being her victim you'd wish for anyone to murder you.
I always disliked Freya on some deep level not knowing why. Watching this character study made me realize why.
34;20 - this is why he kills her. She is his mother, abused him and says 2 things together that make him do it: 1. I have paid already for what I've done to you. 2. Kill me if it helps you - He is her victim, yet she positions herself as his savior even in this moment knowing what pain she caused him, she still thinks of herself as morally superior, and harms him again saying: kill me. That is why he does it, in that very moment there is nothing but hate and pain on the deepest level in him born from the fact that she yet again choses to torment him psychologically and indeed is unable to respect him and therefore love him truly, she only knows her selfish pathological all-devouring mother style of "love".
Baldur would not do it if she simply said sorry, truly &sincerely apologized, shown shame and pain and any fcking empathy for this abuse and let him go free with at least shadow of respect - that is what he wanted, and she declined him all of that and continued the same behavior and thus abuse she has had already done before. He wanted a moment of his mother choosing his emotions and good over her own.
To prove my point - she knows Kratos is not that kind of guy to just watch and he is literally behind Baldur and in front of her. She knew perfectly well what will follow - that was basicly lincesed murder - She, not Odin is the Master Manipulator, she tricked Kratos, and she tricked us. Fck "mothers" like that, they are molesting "fathers" counter-part from hell itself.
And btw., no I did not go thru such abuse, I have great mother whom I love and respect greatly, but I saw victims of such manipulative monsters as Freya. She even gave me this vibe, I knew something was really wrong with her, but she is so well written with Odin distraction as "master but really medicore over the top manipulator", that I needed a character study to see true Freya.
Well, she's not exactly the best mother.....
Calling Freya best mom is, uh… yeah, Baulder
And she could get it.
@@ericmiller93the most important part
Freya does talk about how he was a nice kid in Ragnarok during the side quest to destroy her marriage items and around the time she talks about Odin dropping his mask of lovingness
Who are you talking about Atreus or Odin?
@A_Strange_Man667 Baldur
I never got confused by her response to Baldur's death. It made sense even if Kratos was doing the right thing. Losing your son in front of you brings out very potent emotion in you. Its like 10/10 worst feeling ever as a parent. The bond between mother and son(Even if theirs was damaged) is a no brainer to me. That and well despite someone else doing right thing sometimes people react incorrectly but when you're feeling intense emotions you don't think clearly. Its understandable.
The way Baldur says "Snow" before dying is so unbelievably tragic it's masterful.
That moment when freya cries and replied : He robbed me of everything... while holding Baldur's dead body. Dang the voice actress and the moment pierces my heart every goddamn time...
The voice actress was fantastic. She definitely gave it her all. You can hear her pain.
Its like kratos said in ragnarok when atreus says “why cant she let it go?we saved her life” kratos responds “i took her son there is no letting that go” kratos has learned a lot from freya mainly empathy and understanding for other peoples reasons and reactions to things its beautiful story writing freya is one of my favourite characters due to her depths and flaws its just amazing
25:40 well, I don't know if this counts, but after the final boss, I found the place where Baldur's dragon fell and Kratos tells her that Baldur tried to kidnap Atreus. Freya says something like "the things he put you through...". I think she says something else before Kratos says "This was Odin's doing"
Other than that, I don't know if she says anything else, but I think that line of dialogue shows that deep down, she knows Baldur was a bad person. Maybe now that Odin's dead and she knows Kratos better, she can see how Baldur wasn't just her baby boy and all that
I found your channel randomly and I was impressed by the work you put in. The work you put in, and how you dissect/analyze a character. I hope you achieve your goals, FatBrett.
They really are some of the best videos on the whole site in this category
38:51 I think it’s fascinating that Freya’s response to Atreus saying “he saved your life,” (after Baldur has died) is to say “and robbed me of everything.” It’s somewhat poetic, I think, that only after Baldur has died can she understand the agony she put him through. Her action to make Baldur immortal, to “safe his life,” required robbing him of everything that made her life worth it. In some sense, the agony she feels now ,Ay have been mirrored by Baldur.
The voice acting for Kratos is world class man.
Hearing him almost cry for Freya's help with his son.
"Woman do you hear me"
That line cut my heart apart.
"Will you help me"
Making these lines sound so painful but so masculine at the same time is incredible.
He's literally begging a god for help.
One of the best character arcs across a franchise ever.
I know this video is about Freya but it's interesting that you mention that Baldur doesn't have any empathy. Really ties into the themes that he can't feel anything outside of himself
Someone: "Ow! Baldur, that hurt!"
Baldur: "NOT EVERYTHING'S ABOUT YOU, KAREN!!!"
I’d probably lose my empathy as well if I lost all feeling other than sight and hearing
In my eyes, freya went from "oh shit...look, it's the boi's new stepmom"
To all of a sudden top 3 characters.... super well written...and the fact she's a party member in GOWR...and travels with you???
Something crazy too is the fact that the speech Baldur has to Freya about the time he spent thinking about what he would say is almost equal to the speech Freya had to Odin in GOW Ragnarok, GOW has such insane writing.
There is a set of travel lines in Ragnarok, where Freya does say that when Baldur was a child, he had adored his father, and that she had been his confidante when he was frustrated about not being able to please Odin.
I think she also says that there were a lot of similarities between Baldur and Atreus when he was Atreus's age.
Man, this man’s videos are so in depth I enjoy them so much. Never stop, dude
These are essays of the likes of which you would need to pay to even get a glimpse of it, and you are making an entire catalog of which I have learned a lot from and am very inspired by. Thank you so much
something i never really thought about until recently is the fact that right from the beginning when she cast the spell on baldur she knew how it could be broken, not only did she cast it without his consent she lied to his face to convince him it was permanent when she could fix it in an hour, even though he wanted to kill her for it. even after a hundred years of exile knowing her son hates her, no matter how guilty she feels at his suffering and no matter how much she says she was wrong she still refuses to even consider the possibility of breaking the spell. the most disgusting thing about her is when she sees him again she doesn't apologise once, still doesn't reveal the spell can be broken, and just tries to convince him to forgive her coz she still believes she did the right thing and that if she could only persuade him to accept the spell he'll be her son forever. when they have their last confrontation her desperation gets even worse and she tries to salvage the relationship by placating him saying "you have what you want now". right until he dies she so selfishly wants her son that she would rather he spent centuries hating every second of his life than even have the slightest chance of being taken away from her permanently, and after he dies she never acknowledges her mistakes and only lets go of her vengeance because kratos apologised for 'murdering' baldur to stop him from killing her and harming innocent people
Gwyndolin mentioned
@@BeeTheTravler freya might be a b*tch but we all know the greatest crime was aldrich eating gwyndolin, followed closely by the aldrich faithful that "accidentally" hit you with chaos vestige in your last invasion
her voice actor did such an amazing job, both in 2018 and in ragnarock
that line 'You are just an animal!' god, that shit hurts
Christopher Judges performance just gets me everytime.
Freya was my favorite supporting character of the series. Every move, every word she says and hesitation is purposeful and realistic and says so much about her and her feelings.
While I've generally understood the narrative around these themes, even understood Freya's motivations, I honestly think I wasn't seeing the forest for the trees -as i possibly butcher that expression-
You have an incredible knack for really dissecting these stories, picking them apart and showing off all their nuances and depth. I honestly don't think I've watched any of your god of war videos specifically without coming away with it with an appreciation for something I'd never considered deeply, even if I saw it. I'm very much looking forward to part 2 of this, but this was a very well written dive into 2018's side of Freya's story.
This is a pure treat, Freya was my favorite character in the latest duo GOW games :)
Freya does mention Baldur in Ragnorok, i remember one boat talk where she mentions that Baldur was much like Atreus when he was younger, mostly talking about how he adored his father. Thus we can probably infer that she sees some of Baldur in him, and that may have made her want to protect him more than she otherwise would have.
freya's line "i HAVE paid" as well as the delivery from the VA also highlights part of her flaw, invalidation of her son. Both in her denying him the right to face life and its dangers in the past when she placed a spell on him and now where she says she has paid which, while to us she has, she only serves to tell baldur that his perspective on her life and her decisions is less than her own. Right or wrong baldur is once again denied the choice of even making that statement on the situation. To baldur's rage filled mind she is once again denying him any freedoms and acting selfishly
19:00 easily one of my top 5 favorite Freya moments. I love her depth, loving nature, sense of respect, the fact that even when she's completely enraged the better parts of her can still reach the surface--but above all: the sass.
When she says "He robbed me of everything" I interpreted it as her seeing baldur as the only good thing that came from her marriage to Odin, from her having to leave her home, from being trapped in Midgard. He was everything to her.
Off screen "NOOO" will always crack me up
When Kratos stepped in and killed Baldor and robbed Freya from her choice to die not only was is what Freya did to Baldor, but also what the Greek Gods did to Kratos. They stole his release from his pain and suffering when he threw himself off the mountain at the end of the first game and they wouldn't permit him to die (at least like that). Which is just another thing that sent Freya over the edge. Kratos stole her release. I just love the writing of the God of War franchise. The circular narrative. Gods killing their parents. What Kratos did to Freya here was actually what the Greek Gods did to him. All the while trying to break the cycle. You'll always be a monster. The cycle ends here ...the changing of ones nature. To be better. Write your own destiny. I love it.
Thanks for the awesome video. Can't wait to continue with part 2
Looking forward to part 2. The sheer urgency in Kratos voice when he's begging for Freyas help just sells Judge's performance. Even if you're not a Dad you feel like one in this scene.
For me her actions are completely logical for a mother, but to extreme. A true mother will do anything for their children.
I can already tell this is gonna be GOAT. I have already gobbled up your other GOW videos and your stuff is superb. Thank you for the hard work! Have a great week!
About the part where you said we didnt get any lines where Freya says what she thinks about baldur, we do get a small line in Ragnarök where she says, "I know Bladur wasnt perfect but he was mine." This is said when Kratos is helping Freya break the curse, before he goes on to tell Freya about Calliope. Thought this might help. Great vid btw!
There is another snippet where Freya and Kratos see the remains of Baldur's dragon. Kratos describes what happened when Baldur kidnapped Atreus and what Kratos had to do to get him back.
Freya then remarks something along the lines of "I can't believe the things he (Baldur) did to you..." (Or something along those lines). It's a small detail but I think it speaks to how Freya was becoming more disillusioned about what kind of person Baldur had become.
Good job. You have made the 2 games even much more a masterpiece than they are already
18:51 God damn Christopher Judge did a great job as Kratos in this scene. This is why I think the voice acting in this game is way better than in Ragnarok.
I'm addicted to your GoW character analysis essays. It just shows how deep and complex the writing and characters are. Keep up the great content, can wait for part 2!
I love Freya. Her story and performance by Danielle are truly magnificent.
Long live the Vanir Goddess 🪴
In Ragnarok, she does acknowledge that Baldur was flawed but she loved him all the same. And there was some dialog saying that when younger Baldur always seemed the approval of his father Odin
40:22 Kratos knew Freya would hate him for it but also knew that even if Baldur killed her he'd keep going after him and Atreus unless he killed him because he couldn't be reasoned with. And Freya knew deep down and acknowledges in Ragnarok that Baldur's death was ultimately her fault but in her grief she took it out on Kratos just like Sindri took Brok being murdered by Odin out on everybody.
Awesome video!
Freya is probably my favorite character in these games, And in Ragnarok the conversations between her an Kratos were my favorite story sections.
This video does her absolute justice and I can't wait for more.
Actually during Ragnarok when they are on a side quest to break Freya's connections to Asgard and more specifically Odin. She asked Mimir if he knew why she left the day she did? To which he replied he had only a hunch. She explained that Odin asked for the secret of the invulnerability spell that she had cast on Baldur. She had said that "Seeing How It Drove Our Son Into Madness, I Refused Him" indicated to me that yes she had known just how damaging that spell really was for Baldur emotionally. This indicates that she also knew how the hatred was already beginning to consume him at that point.
I'm felt pity for Baldur. With a father like Odin and the spell...
I don't think people understand how connected we are to our body. Not feeling anything meant he was completely isolated and incapable of sharing the human experience. I don't think it'd have been out of place if they further emphasized or exaggerated how insane her spell made him.
I think it's a compelling tie that every character in this series has something to do with "Control"
Atreus wants to be seen as an equal in 2018 and in Ragnarok wants to be in control of his own destiny
Kratos has lived almost his whole life trying to take control of it back from Gods who have used him and here he is still trying to control his son
Brok lost control in his accident and has no control over Sindri bringing him back
Sindri out of pure compassion and need, takes control of Brok's destiny and retakes ¾ths of his soul from the lake of souls
Sindri and Freya are the same character. Fully compassionate yet deeply rooted control freaks who want to keep their loved ones safe no matter the cost. Difference being, at the end, Freya's arc is finally complete, whereas Sindri's is just getting started.
She's my favourite, her entire plot line is a continued tragedy, in the next game she doesn't even get to have her brother, how much loss can one person endure?
i love how baldurs death was LITEARLLY an ironic mirroring of how freya was "saving his life" against his will
This game has some fucking incredible side characters.
Ragnarök made GOW my favourite franchise of all time by far, especially the norse sage and i have to say your character essays elevate this even more. For me the analysis of Odin and Sindri were the most impressive, but this was of freya is also 10/10
Idk why but I kinda feel a dynamic like this irl, a overprotective mother doing something unjust just to protect their kid and not realizing until way later, my brother being the victim of the mother and now he resents her
This guy deserves so much more praise for his breakdowns and essays. Amazingly put my man!!!!
36:30 Baldur is a character with no empathy, you're absolutely right. I think it's almost poetic, because he is unable to feel his own feelings, small wonder then that he can't feel anyone else's either.
Freya is an exceptionally well written character.
I find it interesting that Freya wants Baldur to forgive her, but she doesn’t actually show any remorse for the things she wants him to forgive her for. It’s just another “sacrifice” she’s making for Baldur.
You did miss that Freya acknowledges Baldur's flaws as a person, it was during God of War Ragnarok in Vanaheim: in the conversation where she is annoyed that everyone tries to comfort her and confronts Kratos as to whether HE knows anything about her pain (losing a child), only for him to reveal that he once had a daughter
At its very core GOW even the originals are about generational trauma and Generational torture, and I love how it doesn’t dissolve into some weird hate on either gender as both suck in this game
On the matriarchal side we have Freya whose helicopter parentage leads to the death of her child while Faye is such a good mother and wife she still aids them after death
And on the patriarchal side we have Odin a bastard who uses his kids as pawns and soldiers, vs kratos who would rather his kid just learn self defense nothing more
It’s not often I’m impressed how how articulate, and eloquent a youtuber is able to analyze complicated characters, but this man should be an inspiration to the rest of em.
From your music choices, tempo of the video, tone of voice, and your interesting perspectives, the video is damn near educational for ppl trying to emulate an entertaining video essay.
I’ve seen a few vids now, and you’ve been consistently reliable in terms of quality.
Hope you get a million more subs, keep up the great work.
She got so mad at the miscletoe Arrow because Kratos + atreus with the Arrow is literally the recipe for her Sons death. The perfect recipe.
It's the same for me with my Dad. He 100% loves me. But he's like a bull in a china shop shouting "I'M HELPING!! I'M HELPING!!"
i just realised something i've never seen mentioned. when kratos apologises to freya for being an AH when learning who she was, it was her who said "no need to explain. not to me, not for that", which is the same thing he says to her in ragnarok when they finally reconcile. it's a really clever connection between those moments, because it was her willingness to put aside all of their conflict to help him save atreus that made him respect and care for her so much. to kratos she will always be that good person who forgave him and helped when he needed it, and just like how she understood and brushed off his distrust for gods he was totally understanding of her quest for revenge against him and that's why he so casually brushed off her trying to murder him
You just made me understand Freya even more as a character. Keep up the great summery videos man! I'm excited see part 2 of this someday
Love this double essay on Freya and baldur
'Not to me, not for that'
I'd forgotten she said this.
Please never stop making these vidoes
The work, care and dedication you put into these videos, compliment the amazing experience that is this game tremendously. Thank you for doing this
Dunno if I'm specially sensitive today, but I cried 3 times listening to this. Freya's story really gets framed with the Norns saying they can't change so they make their prophecies come true.
Can we just take a moment to appreciate the voice acting in this scene? You could hear the fear and desperation in kratos's voice as his son lay sick in his arms
25:00 to be fair, Freya hadn't seen Baldur in 100 years. She didn't know just how violent and cruel he had become, as she was trapped in Midgard for that time. She had no way of knowing just how bad he had gotten, only that he hated her and she loved him in spite it. It's not like Kratos and Co ever bring it up to her
after playing GOW 4 times and listening to thos video that same amount. It's just occured to me that when kratos' says "he made his choice", it may well in fact be the ONLY choice baldur ever made for himself in his life. Even after death, Freya is incapable of respecting her son's choices and letting him make mistakes, even if it's his final one
the most empathic people go the craziest, because they have so much compassion they can’t comprehend how someone could be such a monster in terms of understanding other people’s needs...plus they feel most wronged when life takes a shit on their way of living...that’s why freya and sindri go the craziest transition and it makes complete sense
Santa Monica Studio's outstanding progress in character writing ability since Kratos' Greece days is embodied in Freya between the two games.
The tragedy for freya and baulder is that it would have been so easy to fix Baulder so that he could feel again. All freya had to do was tell Baulder about the mistletoe. Given how mad she got when Atreus had those arrows she obviously knew that would do it.
I love Freya so much. She's such a great character and excellent foil to Kratos. I was so happy we managed to make up with her.
Love your videos and your thoughts on the games, pretty concise and well thought out. Keep up the good work dude!
Freya is also the 1 person, I'd say, that had kratos try to fix a mess up...
We all know how he destroys things, and just leaves..kills ppl, and just goes about his business...
This is the first time, I'd say, he actually had to go and fix a problem he made..
Freya is by far my favorite character in god of war. The fact that even when Kratos & her had a "falling out" because she was a god, yet still immediately helped Kratos when he screamed for help because of atreus being ill is such a nice touch. You can also notice her "mother" likeness when she cleans the dirt off atreus's face when she puts the protection spell on him.
Beautiful!!!! She’s my favorite character, thank you for doing her justice!!!!
I have always been fascinated by Freya as a character, and this video has only deepened my interest in her. The level of detail and research that went into this video is impressive, and I appreciate how it explores the nuances of Freya's character in a thoughtful and insightful way.
As someone who has played both God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok, I have seen firsthand how complex and multifaceted Freya's character is. She is a goddess who is driven by her love for her son, Baldur, and her desire for revenge against Odin. Her motivations are often misunderstood by others, and her actions can be seen as both heroic and villainous.
I loved how this video explored Freya's history and how it has influenced her character over time. From her marriage to Odin to her time spent living among the Vanir, every aspect of her past has helped shape the person she is today. I also appreciated how the video explored Freya's place in Norse mythology and how she compares to other powerful female figures, such as Odin's wife, Frigg.
Overall, this video was a fascinating and insightful look into one of the most intriguing characters in Norse mythology. I can't wait to see what's in store for part two and to continue learning more about Freya's complex and compelling character. Thank you for creating such a thoughtful and well-researched video!
Her power comes from her face and body. She has the moral high ground, but that doesn't matter to him. She has the most powerful weapon ever wielded, the power of a sexy woman.
I understood why she was so angry with kratos the second he became vulnerable, and I somewhat regret finishing that fight
“I’m still a god, go away.” SKSGKSKGKG
Freya's way of 'handling' Baldur brings back bad memories from my own past. My mother was overprotective yet looked away as my father bullied me. So yeah, I don't have a lot of sympathy.
Another gem of a video. You captured the essence of Freya wonderfully. Looking forward to part 2
i have an abiity to easily understand a character within my first playthrough or watchthrough of a show, game or movie. to see people agree with what i think makes me smile because it makes me feel like i get at least something right.
Freya's writing and tragedy was the main reason i thought GoW4 was such an absolute masterpiece of a story. I could not describe how worried i was in Rangarok that she would never grow past her hatred for Kratos or worse yet that they would just have her killed off instead of offering her character even more growth. It's crazy to me how (imo) between two games her character gets nearly as much growth and development as Kratos does throughout the entire series.
Also, some people don't realize why Baldur was like "no no no no no no no" after being smacked by Kratos. It's because he thought Kratos could cause him pain, but he was wrong. He still wanted the fight, because he at least feels joy in fighting.
When Freya said "I know how you feel" to Baldur, I was just like, "Very poor choice of words."