godofwar
, a Midgardian Jötunn God talking to , a Midgardian mortal, the first king of Denmark

Loki, a Midgardian Jötunn God talking to Skjöldr, a Midgardian mortal, the first king of Denmark.

Midgardians, also known as Norsemen or Scandinavians, are the mortal inhabitants of Midgard, belonging to various Nordic clans. While mortal beings also exist in other realms such as Asgard and Vanaheim, they are not considered Midgardians; instead, they are referred to as Asgardian or Vanir mortals.

Midgardians are divided by conflict, warring among themselves over the worship of either the Aesir or Vanir gods. When a mortal falls in battle, their soul is guided by Valkyries or Shield Maidens to either Valhalla or Folkvangr, depending on which gods they served. Those who die outside of battle or without devotion to any Norse deity are consigned to Hel, where they become mindless Hel-Walkers. Mortals who refuse to accept death may rise again as Draugrs—restless, violent undead driven to fight until they are destroyed, allowing their souls to finally pass on. On rare occasions, a mortal may become trapped between the living world and the afterlife as an incorporeal spirit, often due to an improper or unnatural death without the guidance of a god to lead them onward.

The most renowned Midgardians are the seafaring Vikings, but their age has yet to truly begin, as the Viking Age is set after Ragnarök. Yet signs of this era are already stirring as Týr's legacy has inspired many Midgardians, like Loki and Skjöldr, to venture beyond the Nine Realms in search of new lands.

Norse Mythology

The mortals of Norse mythology usually gets involved with the Norse gods in various stories of being servants, heroes, warriors or cursed by magical items. As time passed, Norse mythology would later get intertwined with real Nordic history and tell mythological stories of legendary rulers who might or might not have existed such as the first rulers of Denmark (Skjöldungs) and Sweden (Ynglings).

In the God of War Series

The lifespan of Midgardians are short and inferior to the other races in the Nine Realms, with few ever reaching old age. Yet they do not fear death—in fact, they welcome it, seeking to fall gloriously in battle to avoid a bad afterlife. Many fight with savage fury until their final breath, some even setting themselves ablaze or using herbal drugs to enter a trance-like rage. When Midgardians do die, they join the undead and becomes much stronger then they were in their mortal life when serving their new realm in Asgard, Vanaheim or Helheim. Odin would also have The Eyes of Odin are scattered throughout all Nine Realms, except for Jötunheim, where his gaze cannot reach.

A Midgardian’s strength depends largely on the amount of magic they possess—a power that grows even greater after death. With enough time and relentless training, some mortals can even surpass the might of the gods themselves. Valkyries and Shield Maidens, for example, are positions of power attainable by both gods and mortals alike.

In God of War (2018), most of the Midgardians are in hiding or have been turned into the undead as the Nine Realms is out of sync.

In God of War: Ragnarök, Midgardians appear as both living mortals and the undead. It is later revealed that some mortals live in Asgard, secretly used as human shields in preparation for Ragnarök. When Ragnarök unfolds, the survivors, led by Skjöldr, manage to escape and return to Midgard. Under Skjöldr’s guidance and with the aid of Angrboda's wolves in gathering food, the remaining Midgardians continue to live in Midgard, steadfast in their worship of the Norse gods.

List of Midgardians

Midgard Giants

Mortals

Undead

Gallery

Concept art