Valheim’s Bosses are a Dark Mirror of the Protagonist’s Lore

Valheim‘s progression is signposted by its bosses, each a deadly challenge that must be overcome for the next tier of play to be reached. However, Valheim‘s lore hints at how the player’s journey forges a narrative parallel to the menagerie of antagonists that must be slain.

Valheim‘s Ashlands update will be shaking up the hierarchy of progression with a new boss and miniboss. Outside those participating in the Ashlands’ public test, players can expect 6 bosses in a linear order. These enemies are especially brutal when compared to rank-and-file monsters, and with good reason; Valheim‘s lore, told in the game’s opening and through etchings in stone, calls these bosses foes of Odin. The tenth realm is not only a gauntlet to test the mettle of slain vikings, but a prison for the nemeses of the Allfather.

Valheim Has a Wealth of Potential NPCs Waiting in the Wings

Many warriors have walked in the paths of Valheim before the player character, and they present an intriguing NPC option for the developer.

Valheim’s Bosses Mirror The Player’s Story

The respective stories of the player and the Valheim‘s bosses run in parallel. Both the player and Valheim‘s bosses are in the tenth realm because of Odin. In addition, both parties are confined; the bosses can’t escape, and the player’s acceptance into Valhalla hinges on their success. The similarities run deeper and deeper the more the game is inspected, forcing fans to question the game’s progression, the monsters that safeguard it, and their own allegiances.

Similarities Between The Player And The Bosses

Both the player and Valheim‘s bosses are effectively trapped in the plane. Moreover, just as there are multiple bosses, there are multiple vikings—not only in terms of multiplayer, but in terms of the realm’s history. Vikings who have been tested before in the tenth realm are the ones leaving behind the runestones that impart some vital lore to the player, with these carvings attributed to names like Ulf, Harald, Astrid, and more. Since boss trophies like Eikthyr’s say lines such as ‘So you were my death?’ suggest that the foe was finally slain by the player, it would imply that those before have failed. However, the existence of runestones referring to progression post-Eikthyr implies that these bosses must have been slain before only to rise again, just as the player does.

The Tragedy of Valheim’s Bosses

Through this lense, it’s easy to see the tragedy surrounding some of Valheim‘s bosses. Many creatures and bosses found within Valheim are said to be in the prison plane for their pride—a sin that, in the eyes of the gods, warrants imprisonment within the tenth realm. Moreover, the game’s opening text crawl phrases the continued existence of Valheim with the line ‘But it did not die’, suggesting that Odin may have expected the realm to die often after it was unbound from the world tree. The implication that this imprisonment was meant to be an execution is exceptionally ruthless.

Valheim‘s first boss, Eikthyr, is the epitome of this tragedy. This stag’s name is similar to that of the mythological Eikthyrnir, who is said to be a stag from Valhalla. Eikthyr’s fall is also explicitly referenced in-game, with the in-game trophy menu noting him as being ‘Once the king of the forest’. When Eikthyr’s trophy is mounted, it will sometimes say ‘Tell Odin he may have broken this form, but the wilderness will never submit to his rules…’, which really puts the Allfather’s goals into question.

The bosses of Valheim fell to the tenth realm, while the player’s goal is to rise from it. However, both are struck there against their will. Considering how the seven bosses hinted at in runestones are already in the game (with Ashlands bringing the seventh), the final biome slated for the title may hold something different. Perhaps Valheim’s lore is priming the player for a confrontation with Odin or one of his agents.