God of War Ragnarok follows the story of Kratos and Atreus, two god-like beings, on their quest to prevent Ragnarok, an apocalyptic event said to mark the end of life itself. On their journey to learn more about Ragnarok, they discover that the event can actually be prevented, so long as certain actions are avoided.
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The death of Heimdall was foretold to mark the beginning of Ragnarok, and though Kratos doesn't wish to face the Norse god in combat, he is left with no other choice. Defeating Heimdall in God of War Ragnarok can take some serious work to accomplish, but it isn't impossible once the player knows what to do.
Where To Find Heimdall
Players will come across Heimdall naturally in the story, but they won't be able to defeat him the first time they are forced to face him in combat. The real battle against Heimdall begins when Kratos encounters him in Vanaheim while searching for a way to rescue Freya's brother, Freyr.
Thankfully, the Draupnir Spear obtained during Chapter 10: Forging Destiny serves to even the playing field, but only if players use it when they should. While it can be tricky to get the hang of at first, the battle's premise isn't overly difficult to figure out after a few tries.
How To Defeat The Gulltoppr
Heimdall rudely interrupts Kratos' search for Freyr toward the climax of Chapter 13: Creatures of Prophecy. Before Kratos will face him head-on, however, the Gulltoppr on which Heimdall is perched must first be slain. The Gulltoppr goes down quite easily when compared to Heimdall, but it packs a serious punch nonetheless.
The Gulltoppr tends to frantically jump around on the ground from time to time. To negate the effects of this attack, Kratos should either parry the incoming blow with his shield or retreat a safe distance away from the blast's range. It's better to parry this attack if given the chance, as it allows for some easy damage to be dealt.
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Whenever it slashes its claws in Kratos' direction, a block with the shield will deflect the incoming damage. Once this attack ends, however, players should prepare to get out of the way, as the Gulltoppr will then surround itself with Bifrost. Once the Gulltoppr has finished attacking with its claws, Kratos should flee to a safe area to avoid getting struck by the incoming blast.
The Gulltoppr can also perform an unblockable red attack that Kratos must dodge. To improve his chances of avoiding getting hit by this move, Kratos should remain a decent distance away at all times, as doing so will give players time to move out of the way when the beast begins charging. After taking advantage of the Gulltoppr's openings, the beast will fall, allowing Heimdall to enter the fight.
How To Defeat Heimdall
Unlike most bosses in God of War Ragnarok, it's impossible to attack Heimdall directly. To leave him open to attack, Kratos must make use of the Draupnir Spear, a magical spear that Heimdall is unable to see coming.
The First Phase
Hurling the spear at Heimdall will cause him to grab it. To hurt him, Kratos must detonate the spear while Heimdall is holding it, which will stagger him for a brief moment. Sadly, it will be impossible to land any direct hits on Heimdall until his stagger meter has been filled, so players will need to repeat this process a few times.
Heimdall won't always grab the Draupnir Spear, so players will need to find a way to lure him into a trap. A great way to do this is to throw a few spears down at Kratos' feet. Eventually, Heimdall will get greedy and approach, permitting players to detonate the spear, further increasing the stagger meter.
He also tends to showcase his arrogance by pushing Kratos around. While this attack doesn't inflict too much damage if Kratos happens to get hit by it, it's better to dodge out of the way whenever Heimdall is preparing to unleash it.
Heimdall has a few unpredictable moves during this first phase, but most of them can be avoided with relative ease. Whenever he lunges toward Kratos with his sword outstretched, players should be ready to dodge, as it is impossible to block this attack.
Whenever Heimdall reaches for his horn, Gjallarhorn, Kratos can either block the incoming blow or dodge out of the way. While parrying the attack can be quite satisfying, it's better to dodge, as blocking won't leave him open.
So long as the player plays it safe during the first phase of the battle and focuses primarily on staggering Heimdall with the Draupnir Spear and attacking when he's vulnerable, Heimdall's health will deplete.
The Second Phase
Heimdall is vulnerable to physical attacks during the second phase of the battle, and though this sounds like a huge benefit to Kratos, landing hits on him becomes even more difficult thanks to his upgraded moveset. While his moves from the first phase remain the same, Heimdall has a few new attacks that should not be taken lightly.
Heimdall will summon a protective shield from time to time that will protect from normal melee attacks. It can take some time, but the best way to deplete the protective bar is to keep throwing Draupnir Spears in Heimdall's direction. Once the bar has been emptied, Kratos can return to attacking.
Whenever Heimdall slashes his sword at Kratos, a well-timed parry will leave him open. Like with his ground-slam attack, this move is quite easy to take advantage of, so long as Kratos is close enough to parry.
Heimdall can also slow down time thanks to his Realm Shift ability. Though it is possible to block this attack, dodging to either the left or the right is a much more reliable means of avoiding getting hit.
One of the easiest ways to dish out some damage to Heimdall is to dodge away from his unblockable ground-slam attack and take advantage of his brief opening. This is by far the most simple move to counter, so players should be ready to take advantage of it at all times. The same can also be done when he attempts to lunge his sword in Kratos' direction.
The second phase of this battle requires players to familiarize themselves with several new attacks, so it might require some serious patience. Once the player manages to take advantage of his new moves, however, they will eventually force Heimdall into his third phase.
The Third Phase
Though Heimdall's third phase is somewhat more fast-paced than the previous two, it can be quite difficult to keep up with everything going. Thankfully, depleting his health remains relatively straightforward to do, so long as players remember to use the Draupnir Spear as often as they can.
Heimdall will also slam his fist into the ground from time to time, coating the surrounding area in Bifrost. This attack can be parried to leave Heimdall open, but Kratos happens to be too far away when Heimdall begins the attack, so the best course of action would be to retreat to a safe region of the arena.
Like the Gulltoppr, Heimdall will now incorporate a charge attack into his moveset. This attack is unblockable and therefore must be dodged to avoid taking damage. If dodged successfully, Heimdall will be vulnerable for a brief moment.
Though he may not look incredibly strong, Heimdall can also hurl giant rocks at Kratos regularly during the battle. Thankfully, this move is quite easy to dodge, so long as Kratos isn't too close. Blocking will not prevent the boulder from striking, so players will need to dodge to either the right or the left if they hope to preserve Kratos' health.
Without his sword, Heimdall will be forced to rely on his fists to deal some close-quarter damage. While it is possible to block each of his swings, it can be hard to get the timing right, so it's better to dodge if the player isn't comfortable.
Like the previous two phases, the best way to leave Heimdall vulnerable is to surprise him with the Draupnir Spear. While the spear can also be used in close-quarter combat, players should ensure to make use of the Leviathan Axe and the Blades of Chaos whenever they see fit, as these weapons might be more powerful than the Draupnir Spear at this point in the game.
So long as the player ensures to keep Kratos at a safe distance and only attacks when Heimdall is vulnerable, the battle can be won relatively easily. If the player is struggling, they should make use of the Healthstones scattered around the arena to replenish Kratos' HP. The Spartan Rage ability can also be used to restore health, but players might not have access to it as frequently as they'd like.
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If players are still struggling, there is no shame in reducing God of War Ragnarok's difficulty level. Though Heimdall is one of the hardest bosses fought during the main story, he can easily be defeated with the right strategy.
God of War: Ragnarok is available now for PS4 and PS5.
