Ragnarok

Every millennium, the gods gather in a council presided over by Zeus to deliberate on the fate of humanity, voting for or against its extinction. In the most recent assembly, the decision was unanimous: humanity must be destroyed.

However, just before the verdict was made official, Brunhilde—leader of the Valkyries—intervened, defending humanity and suggesting the start of Ragnarök. The gods initially rejected the proposal, deeming it pointless, but the Valkyrie challenged them, mocking their cowardice by claiming they were afraid to face the human race. This provocation wounded the ego of Zeus and all the gods, who, in a fit of fury, immediately agreed to hold the tournament.

After securing the gods' agreement, Brunhilde set about finding the 13 most powerful humans in history to represent their species in the battle. Ragnarök consists of a tournament of one-on-one fights: thirteen gods against thirteen humans. The first side to achieve seven victories will be the winner, thus determining the fate of humanity.

Brunhilde has a secret plan: for each battle, one of her 13 Valkyrie sisters will perform the Völundr alongside the assigned human combatant. This is a sacred ritual where the soul of the Valkyrie and the human merge into a single entity, allowing the Valkyrie to transform into a weapon or divine object perfectly suited to the human's style and abilities. Once the Völundr is complete, the resulting instrument unlocks the human combatant's full potential.

This technique is based on Samavadhana, a concept created by Buddha that states that two souls united in struggle can overcome their own limitations. Furthermore, each Völundr possesses a special ability intrinsically linked to the valkyrie whose soul has merged with that of the human.

This list presents the humans chosen for Ragnarök—humanity's Einherjar—who fight before or after you, Brunhilde's chosen one. You can find them loitering in the coliseum's chambers in the moments before or after their battles:

Lü Bu A Chinese general and warlord during the later years of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. He was the first human to face Thor in Ragnarök, fighting him in the first round.

Adam The first man created by God according to the Abrahamic religions. He participated in the second round of the tournament, facing the king of the gods, Zeus.

Kojiro Sasaki A prominent Japanese swordsman born in Fukui Prefecture, who lived during the Sengoku and early Edo periods. He was the human combatant in the third round, defeating Poseidon.

Jack the Ripper Name attributed to an unidentified serial killer, responsible for at least five murders in the London borough of Whitechapel in 1888. He fought in the fourth round against Hercules.

Raiden Tameemon Japanese sumo wrestler considered the greatest rikishi in history. He participated in the fifth round, facing Shiva.

Buddha Prince of Kapilavastu and spiritual master of the 6th or 5th century BC, upon whose teachings Buddhism was founded. He was the combatant of the sixth round of Ragnarök.

Qin Shi Huang King of the Chinese state of Qin from 247 BC to 221 BC, who unified China, initiated the construction of the Great Wall, and commissioned the Terracotta Warriors. He fought in the seventh round against Hades.

Nikola Tesla Serbian inventor, electrical and mechanical engineer, known for his contributions to the design of alternating current electricity supply. He participated in the eighth round against Beelzebub.

King Leonidas I The 17th Agiad king of Sparta, who died defending Thermopylae against the Persian army of Xerxes I during the Second Persian War. He is one of the chosen Einherjar.

The rules of Ragnarök are clear and simple:

• Every fight pits a human against a god, without exception.
• The human combatant must perform the Völundr —a sacred ritual that merges his soul with that of a valkyrie, who will transform into his unique and indivisible divine weapon.
• It's a duel to the death: the only way to win is by ending the opponent's life.
• The fight takes place in a gigantic coliseum, where spectators from all over the cosmos attend: fundamental historical figures of humanity, powerful gods and divine beings of all beliefs, all eagerly awaiting the outcome of each confrontation.

Before your turn in the arena, you are free to explore Valhalla, the sanctuary of the warriors chosen for Ragnarök. There you will encounter other human combatants, each in their prime:

Sasaki Kojiro (in his old age): Sitting by a tree, sharpening a wooden sword "Ah, new companion. Here we all come with something to prove... or with accounts to settle with the gods."

Nostradamus (in his youth): Observing the stars from a balcony "The destiny of this tournament is already written in the firmament, but that does not mean that we cannot change each of its letters."

Jack the Ripper (at his peak): Adjusting his gloves with an enigmatic smile, "The gods think we are mere puppets... but they will soon discover that some strings can be cut."

Leonidas I (at the height of his strength): Training with his shield and spear "Come! If you want to be ready to face a god, you must first know the strength of your fellow humans. A practice fight never hurts."

Beelzebub Originally recognized as a demon, in Christian tradition he is identified with Satan. In other traditions, he is considered one of the seven princes or demons of Hell, commonly associated with lust or greed.

Loki Norse god of mischief, trickery, and transformation. He is a complex figure, an ally and rival of other gods such as Odin and Thor, and is one of the warriors of Ragnarök.

Apollo Olympian deity of Greek and Roman religion and mythology. Son of Zeus and Leto, and twin of Artemis. He is associated with multiple domains: the arts (especially music and poetry), the bow and arrow, healing, the sun, and the light of truth.

Susano'o no Mikoto One of the principal deities of the Japanese pantheon. Son of the god Izanagi, brother of the sun goddess Amaterasu and the moon god Tsukuyomi. He is associated with storms, the sea, and war, but also with fertility and the protection of crops.

Anubis An Egyptian god, guardian of tombs, master of the Necropolis, and patron of embalmers. In the form of a man with the head of a jackal, he was responsible for weighing the hearts of the dead on the scales of justice to determine their passage to the afterlife.

Odin A central figure in Norse mythology and the principal god of Viking religion. Known as the "Father of all the gods," he is the father of Thor and other important deities. He is associated with wisdom, war, death, magic, and poets.

Thor God of thunder and strength in Norse and Germanic mythologies, with influences spanning multiple areas: weather, harvests, protection, consecration, justice, competitions, travel, and battles. He is one of the most powerful gods in his pantheon, known for his hammer Mjölnir.

Zeus One of the central figures in Greek mythology and king of the Olympian gods. He rules the sky and thunder, being the son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. He survived the war against the Titans and led the founding of Olympus. In Record of Ragnarok, he serves as president of the council of gods, who initially decided to wipe out humanity.

Poseidon The Greek god of the seas, also associated with earthquakes. Son of Cronus and Rhea, brother of Zeus and Hades, he despises humans and other gods, considering them inferior. His signature weapon is the trident, with which he controls the waters and can cause natural disasters.

Hercules (Heracles) God of strength and representative of the gods in the fourth round of Ragnarök. In Greek mythology, he is one of the most revered heroes: son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmena, he completed the twelve labors that earned him immortality and his ascension to the rank of god.

Shiva A Hindu god of creation and destruction, one of the principal deities of the Hindu trinity alongside Brahma and Vishnu. He represented the gods in the fifth round of Ragnarök. He is depicted with multiple arms, a third eye on his forehead, and is associated with meditation, creativity, dance, and rebirth.

Zerofuku God of warriors' well-being and good fortune. In the animated adaptation of Record of Ragnarok, he voluntarily split himself into seven deities to avoid harming humanity, sharing his sufferings instead of accumulating them.

Hajun A powerful entity born from the convergence of light and shadow, which took possession of Zerofuku's body. It is a primitive and ruthless being, driven by a desire for destruction and domination.

1. Brunhilde The eldest and one of the most powerful of the 13 Valkyries. She possesses an exceptional level of cunning and manipulation, demonstrated by her convincing the gods to accept the Ragnarök proposal instead of directly wiping out humanity. Her true intentions remain hidden beneath her actions in Record of Ragnarok.

2. Hrist She possesses a unique ability among the Valkyries: two opposing personalities (one aggressive and one passive). This power was fundamental to her victory alongside Kojiro Sasaki, with whom she performed the Völundr during the third round of Ragnarök.

3. Thrud The third Valkyrie was notable for her love affair with Raiden Tameemon. Despite her strength and merging with him into a Völundr, she did not survive their battle at Ragnarök.

4. Randgriz A sister obedient to Brunhilde, she merged with Lü Bu during the first round of the tournament, facing Thor. She transformed into his weapon, the "Sky Piercer," but both succumbed to the power of the thunder god. She was one of the Valkyries who died most quickly in history.

5 and 6. Unknown No information has yet been revealed about these two valkyries in the Ragnarök story.

7. Regnlelf She always supported Brunhilde's idea and participated in the second round, performing the Völundr to become the knuckle of Adam's right hand, who faced Zeus. The combat proved exhausting and concluded with the death of both the human fighter and the valkyrie.

8. Unknown No details have been revealed about this valkyrie so far.

9. Gondul He hasn't appeared in the anime yet, but in the manga he participated in the eighth round of Ragnarök, using Völundr with Nikola Tesla. His power allows him to transform into the ideal weapon for his fighting partner. Together they faced Beelzebub.

10. Alvitr The tenth Valkyrie participated in the seventh round, merging with Qin Shi Huang into a Völundr to face Hades.