Heimdall

Voiced by: Scott Porter (English)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hei.png

"I find the hues and shades of your shortcomings almost moving."

^{Click here to see his appearance in God of War (2018)}

"Real power, you see, does not need to flaunt. It emerges when the time is right. Don't you agree?"

The Norse God of Foresight and the vigilant watchman of the Aesir.

Serving as Odin's left-hand and the guardian of Asgard, Heimdall zealously assists the All-Father in whatever methods need execution. He also possesses the Gjallarhorn, the tool with which he is prophesized to herald the beginning of Ragnarök. His precognition abilities and prestigious title have long gone to his head, leading to a sadistic sense of entitlement and a cruel, spiteful personality.

Heimdall first appears in the flesh in God of War Ragnarök, meeting Atreus outside the walls of Asgard after the young Giant visits the realm to find answers. A virulent hatred quickly brews between the two, and though Odin is quick to take Atreus in, Heimdall's suspicions and intentions with the boy only worsen over time...

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#-D

0% Approval Rating: Combined with Hated by All, Heimdall is so arrogant that being around him just makes the other Aesir gods and all the citizens of Asgard want to knock his teeth out. When Kratos kills him, no one mourns his death—Sif only uses his death to try and get rid of Atreus, but doesn't actually care about him, while Atreus flat out tells Odin that no one liked Heimdall, to which Odin agrees.
Adaptational Villainy: In myth Heimdall is usually portrayed as one of the noblest and steadfast of the Aesir. Here he's a smug Jerkass who antagonizes literally everyone he meets.
Age Lift: While he doesn't get many physical descriptions in mythology, Heimdall as he is usually depicted looks a lot older due to his beard and muscles. Heimdall in the game looks more like a late teen or young adult by comparison.
Ain't Too Proud to Beg: Both played straight and subverted when when Kratos pins his arm to the wall with a spear and violently wrenches it upwards, Heimdall shrieks at the top of his lungs "OKAY, STOP, STOP!", his pride slipping for just a second as he experiences a pain and terror he's likely never felt before... until he reads Kratos through eye-contact and interprets his pity, getting so offended that he starts taunting the Spartan by threatening Atreus instead. He continues to goad Kratos into killing him against his own wishes out of spite, right up to the moment the light leaves his eyes.
Always Someone Better: Heimdall's resentment for Atreus and Thor stems from the fact that they are both closer to Odin than he is. Although Heimdall is Odin's left-hand man, he thinks he can do better than Thor at serving the all-father and has Gjallarhorn designed with rams to parallel the goat imagery on Thor's hammer. With Atreus, Heimdall hates how Atreus is getting special treatment from the all-father, voices his excitement over embarrassing Atreus in front of Odin for releasing Garm, bullies Atreus because he knows Atreus is weaker than him, and plans to kill Atreus out of spite towards Kratos as well as out of jealousy over the all-father's attention.
Animal Motif: Rams, Lunda compares him to a ram in the cosplay guide while examining Gjallarhorn and takes note of the ram imagery on the item. Like sheep, Heimdall is a conformist to Odin's ideas and is operating under the belief that he must protect Asgard from Atreus, who he sees destroying his home realm in his visions, like how a ram would protect its flock from danger. Lunda specifically notes that Heimdall is just as aggressive and stubborn as the animal.
Lunda: A ram - that tracks for being stubborn and aggressive.
Brok: Now don't be giving rams a bad name.
A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read: An optional conversation with Atreus reveals this aspect to him. His foresight abilities are a massive advantage to a fighter and a watchman that guards the realm from intruders, but Heimdall admits light envy towards Odin for being able to “see the best in people.” His powers enable him to see when people are lying to him, or when they're lying to themselves, leaving him overall contemptuous towards them, and especially those whom have hypocritical traits. This informs much of his condescending nature and tendency to verbally tear down those he interacts with, diagnosing their flaws and stripping away their comforting lies, whereas he himself makes no such pretentious about being anything less than what he is, even if that's a massive Jerkass. Ironically, Heimdall is still fiercely loyal to Odin regardless of this power, either because Odin's Compulsive Liar tendencies means that he honestly thinks of his actions and choices in the best light regardless of how heinous they are, or because Heimdall just doesn't give a crap.
An Arm and a Leg: Kratos stabs Heimdall in his right arm with his spear, which he later detonates after Heimdall threatened to gut Atreus. Heimdall then creates an Artificial Limb made out of Bifrost in order to continue his fight with Kratos.
Arch-Enemy: As in myth, to Atreus/Loki. Every conversation between the two is positively dripping with venom and contempt, and that's before Heimdall starts entertaining the idea of murdering the boy.
Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Like you wouldn't believe. Heimdall's arrogance is his defining character trait, and it is well earned for him; as the Foresight God he has prescience and the ability to read the minds of others that allows him to foresee and dodge or counter any attack thrown his way. As such, he has a massively inflated ego, believing himself to be far more powerful and important than he actually is because of both his role for Ragnarök and his seeming imperviousness. Like any good example of this trope, his Fatal Flaw is being pitied or perceived by others as helpless or weak. When Kratos manages to pin him to a wall during their fight he assumes that Kratos will simply kill him, but Kratos deciding to spare him instead sends him into a frothing fury at the idea of being pitied, and he manages to Turn Red by regrowing his freshly detached arm with Bifrost, but completely ignores his precognition in exchange for pure battle-rage, allowing Kratos to get the upper hand and ultimately strangle him to death.
Arrow Catch: As if simply dodging an arrow point blank is not enough, Heimdall easily catches arrows Atreus and Freya loose at him, with just one hand too. He also does it with the Draupnir Spear Kratos throws at him but this time it works against him as Kratos then detonates the spear right as Heimdall is holding it. It doesn't hurt him, but it contributes to weakening his precognitive abilities.
Asshole Victim: His sadism and overbearing narcissism combined with his planning to kill Atreus lend him little sympathy when Kratos rips him to pieces. Brok even derisively calls him "a prize-winning taint stain with a capital stank" if Kratos tells him of Heimdall's death.
Ax-Crazy: After Kratos tries to spare him, Heimdall reads that he’s being pitied, flies into a psychotic rage and restarts the fight, spending the rest of the battle as a snarling lunatic.
Bad People Abuse Animals: Considers his mount, Gulltoppr, a status symbol of his ability to tame beasts, and treats it as nothing more than fodder to wear Kratos down and injure him in their fight, sarcastically pleading, "what did [he] ever do to you?!" when Kratos fights back. After the graðungr's throat is slit, Heimdall looks at it with disappointment before muttering "ah, well" and kicking its body.
Berserk Button: Being pitied or looked down on seems to be a huge one for him, as when Kratos tried to spare him out of pity, Heimdall flew off the rails and tried to kill him.
Big Bad Wannabe: Although he's the watchman of the Aesir, he leaves his post to fight Kratos in Vanaheim because he wants to prove himself to Odin. It's also implied by Sindri and by interactions with Thor that Heimdall is jealous of Thor and wants to be closer to Odin.
Blessed with Suck: Heimdall's powers will show him a person's intent but he can't switch it off and it's implied to have affected his ability to form close relationships with anyone in Asgard. He drops all pretences of amiability towards others because he believes he can see a person for who they really are and he hates how everyone lies to each other about what they really want, and refuses to believe that intentions can change over time.
Heimdall: You don't really know quite what you're doing here anymore. Sometimes I envy the All-Father. He always sees the best in people. While all I see is what people really are. Nobody ever says what they mean. Some lie to the world; some lie to themselves and don't even know it... And then there is you. You don't know what you want. You don't even know who you are. But I hope you do know this: I will be watching.
Blinded by Rage: In the final part of his boss fight, Heimdall is enraged about the fact that Kratos can not only hit him, but conclusively won the fight and tried to spare Heimdall's life. In this final phase, Heimdall's attacks thus become much faster and stronger, but also more wild and unfocused, losing his ability to dodge.
Braggart Boss: Because of Heimdall's abilities as the Foresight God, he is able to see incoming attacks to him long before they are even made. This manifests itself in the fight against him as Atreus, which is a Hopeless Boss Fight since Atreus can't land a single blow. However, Heimdall's attitude has evolved into arrogance — since he has never before been hit, Heimdall assumes he simply can't be hit. So once Kratos does hit him, Heimdall gets rightly worried because he has little else to fall back on.
Break the Haughty: Heimdall's entire fight with Kratos entails the Foresight God using his precognition abilities to dodge Kratos' attacks, only to have Kratos use the Draupnir Spear to overwhelm Heimdall's precognition and eventually outmaneuver Heimdall to finally punch him in the face. Once that happens, it starts the second phase of the boss fight, in which Heimdall becomes significantly easier to hit. The third phase of the fight breaks him further, with Heimdall becoming enraged that Kratos not only conclusively won the fight, but tried to spare Heimdall. In this form, Heimdall is Blinded by Rage, with his attacks being much stronger but losing his ability to dodge.
You... actually HIT ME!
Bright Is Not Good: Heimdall is associated with white and gold and is devoted to Odin. Heimdall is completely psychopathic as he bullies Thrud and Atreus and is willing to kill the latter out of jealousy.
Brilliant, but Lazy: Heimdall's foresight abilities do give him pinpoint observational skills up to the point where he knows what someone is going to do before they even do it. His capabilities in an actual fight, though, leave something to be desired. When Kratos dampens his foresight power just enough that Heimdall has to fight back instead of dodging and toying with Kratos forever, he is rather sloppy and barely uses his sword because he wasn't prepared for a situation where he can't rely on his foresight for a tactical advantage. One of his lines during the battle even says that he can't remember the last time he used his sword, implying he's inexperienced with a sword or was out of practice by the time he fought Kratos, although it might have been an attempt to massage his ego and reassert dominance.
The Bully: While Heimdall is legitimately a formidable warrior he predominantly feels comfortable targeting those beneath him. Tellingly he enjoys pushing Atreus and Thor's daughter Thrud around, who are at best young teenagers, but he quickly backs off when Thor threatens him and once he's up against Kratos he's rather swiftly torn apart.
Bullying a Dragon:
- Engages in this by proxy with his bullying of Atreus, and eventually he decides to take on Kratos himself, fully aware of his history, while not only repeatedly voicing his desire to brutalize Atreus after he’s done with him, but also having the gall to reject an attempt by a furious Kratos to spare him and resuming the battle. Heimdall continues running his mouth one time too many and loses an arm for it from Kratos using his exploding spear - and then he keeps going, landing him the resounding accomplishment of being the only enemy in the Norse Saga to bring out The Ghost of Sparta in Kratos, who promptly smacks Heimdall to the floor, tenderizes the ground with his face, then strangles him to death. Basically, he arrogantly made it so the only possible option Kratos had was killing him.
- He also likes to antagonize Thor, often mocking his drinking and brawling. However, it's clear that Heimdall only does this because he knows Odin won't let Thor actually kill him. The one time he attempts to square up to the Thunder God after he's stopped from harassing Atreus, Thor simply tells him to look into his eyes to see what he'll do if Heimdall keeps pushing his luck. Heimdall does so, calls him revolting, but ultimately backs off.
Cassandra Truth: Heimdall can see a person's intentions and partially see the future, however, his vision of the future is vague and non-specific. He claims that he sees cities burning when he looks at Atreus, not understanding what could cause these visions. Atreus does destroy Asgard, but he only did it to bring Odin to justice for killing Brok and the other things he's done.
Co-Dragons: To Odin, alongside Thor. Heimdall is mentioned in the codex as Odin's left hand, while Thor is mentioned as Odin's right hand earlier in the game.
Color Motif: White and gold, Heimdall is associated with the colors as shown by his outfit, his teeth, and Gulltoppr is a white beast with gold armor. These colors are to demonstrate Heimdall's ego as he believes he's untouchable because of his foresight and clairvoyance. White stains easily and shows grime, whereas, gold shines when it remains clean so his uniform is always clean and immaculate because he's never been struck or harmed in any form of conflict.
Combat Clairvoyance: Heimdall's powers allow him to see what a person is about to do before they do it and he's gained infamy for being untouchable in battle.
Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: Serves as one to Baldur. Both are seemingly unbeatable, Lean and Mean servants of Odin who pursue Kratos and Atreus on behalf of their master, but that's about where their similarities end. Baldur was a messy, unkempt, drunken-sounding-and-looking bruiser who could tank all damage due to his invulnerablity to all threats, physical or magical, whereas Heimdall is a clean-shaven, well-dressed and groomed man who fights with precision and uses his precognition to dodge all incoming attacks. Both are ultimately undone by their emotional flaws (Baldur attacking his mother after Kratos told him not to and Heimdall having a Villainous Breakdown after getting hit), but while the critical hit on Baldur was pure chance and he puts up a strong fight as the Final Boss after his invulnerability breaks, Heimdall was hit because he got cocky and completely unraveled afterwards, turning into a mere Climax Boss. Finally, whilst Baldur was a dangerous foe he was ultimately too pitiable to truly hate whereas Heimdall is completely detes table.
Corrupted Character Copy: Of Loki from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is especially ironic considering who is the target of much of Heimdall's contempt. They are both arrogant yet insecure deities who desperately seek Odin's favor, and would viciously torment others weaker than them in order to assert their superiority. Like Loki, Heimdall stands out from the rest of the Aesir for his lean physique and propensity to wear ostentatious clothing, and his design even bears a vague resemblance to Loki's actor Tom Hiddleston. What sets them apart is that Heimdall lacks Loki's charm and charisma to balance out his unpleasant traits, leaving only an unlikeable and vindictive bully. And while Loki ultimately learns to become a better person after several humbling experiences, Heimdall remains the same detestable jerk even after he's beaten by Kratos. They even die in a similar manner — getting the life choked out of them. But while Loki dies a hero's death in defiance against his former master Thanos, Heimdall dies pitiably at Kratos's hands and only because of his own ego and suicidal bull-headedness refusing Kratos' mercy.
Curb-Stomp Battle:
- Atreus's first meeting with Heimdall results in a short, one-sided battle where Atreus can't land a single blow on him. Atreus only survives because Odin calls Heimdall off.
- When Thrud has enough of Heimdall's insults, she tries to shut him up. Like Atreus, she can’t land any blows on him either.
The Cynic: As a result of constantly seeing a person's intentions, he always assumes the worst and has major trust issues towards others. Which makes him one of the most hated members of the Aesir.
The Dandy: Compared to other members of the Aesir, Heimdall appears the most sophisticated and he's dressed the most sumptuously due to his white and gold attire.
''(Blocking a hit from Kratos) "Hey! Careful! These are new bracers!"
Deadpan Snarker: You can count on Heimdall to come up with a snide comment on almost anything any character says or does. It's usually delivered as Trash Talk or a devastating roast.
Death by Irony: Kratos had just decided he wasn't going to go hunt down and kill Heimdall... Only for Heimdall to attack Kratos anyway and then refuse Kratos' attempts to end the fight.
Defiant to the End: He refuses Kratos' pity by making it clear he will kill Atreus and when Kratos is strangling him he tries to do the same with his fading Bifrost arm. Played more pathetically than usual, as the implication is that he was only like that because his fragile ego couldn't stand the possibility of Kratos pitying him.
Desperately Craves Affection: It's implied that Heimdall's power has left him with major trust issues because he always sees a person's intentions. The reason Heimdall is so devoted to Odin is that Odin somehow managed to bypass Heimdall's powers and look like he's pure intentions for the realms.
Didn't See That Coming: While he has very good foresight abilities, he fails to account for a weapon that could endlessly multiply itself, such as the Draupnir Spear.
Didn't Think This Through: Heimdall's abilities allow him to see a person's intentions at first glance and he always acts on first impulse without thinking about the consequences of doing so. When he meets Atreus, he orchestrates an ambush because he sees Atreus destroying Asgard in his visions, not thinking about how Odin might feel about Heimdall killing his guest. This is what also leads to his own death and the destruction of Asgard, had Heimdall actually thought through the consequences of killing Atreus, Kratos wouldn't have felt the need to kill Heimdall to protect his son, which allows him to take Gjallarhorn from his body.
Odin: He's a lot. I know. Very perceptive, but sometimes he just forgets to think, you know?
Dirty Coward: Acts high and mighty whenever he has the advantage or goes against someone weaker than him but if the tide turns on him then he will pathetically beg for mercy such as when Kratos stabbed him with the spear. Subverted when he becomes enraged by perceiving Kratos’s warnings as “pity”; so much that he continues to engage in battle with animalistic fury; not caring that he might die.
Dies Differently in Adaptation: Funnily enough, not unlike his counterpart in actual mythology, he is "fated" to confront Loki and eventually kill him (although in actual myth, it ends up being a Mutual Kill between the two of them) as the Norns themselves declare to Kratos as the god's intent to do to Atreus to stop him from being a potential Spanner in the Works, however, by repeatedly triggering the Papa Wolf that is Kratos Heimdall instead never gets his intended fate and dies at the hands of the Ghost of Sparta after pushed into a blind rage.
Disproportionate Retribution: The reason Heimdall hates Atreus is that Odin is giving Atreus more attention and he visibly excited to shame Atreus in front of Odin when Garm is released.
Don't You Dare Pity Me!: After being impaled by his right arm against the wall, Kratos decides to walk away; enraging Heimdall thinking that he's no longer a direct threat to the Ghost of Sparta anymore.
Dope Slap: When dodging and toying with his foes, his primary attack is to just slap them upside the head.
Dragon with an Agenda: He's zealously devoted to Odin's plan to maintain control over the 9 realms but is not aware of Odin's cooperation with Atreus to repair a mask that would allow him to see into a dimensional rift. Because of this, Heimdall tries to kill Atreus because Heimdall's visions show Atreus destroying Asgard.
Drunk with Power: By the time we meet him, Heimdall has very clearly gotten high off of his own foresight abilities, becoming an insufferably arrogant bully because he believes he can see everything coming.

E-I

Ear Notch: Lúnda theorizes that this is why he wears a highlight on only one ear; to hide an old wound.
Establishing Character Moment: When first introduced confronting Atreus while guarding the Wall, Heimdall seems very willing to let him fall to his death, and even taunts him with a dropping apple before deciding not to kill him on the chance that Odin might want to speak with him. On the ride there, he gives an insulting yet not totally inaccurate summation of Atreus's flaws, telling him to his face that he sees the destruction of Asgard in him, while repeatedly insulting and belittling him; he never misses a chance to boast of the Aesir's superiority, scoffs at the "revisionist tale" that Hrimthur built the Wall as if it's the first time he's hearing it, and says that Odin doesn't need to be "puff[ed] up like some mortal chieftain" before adding that the All-Father built the Great Lodge with his own hands. All of it shows Heimdall to be a smug, arrogant, cruel little pissant that takes great pride in his abilities and position, but doesn't have the perspective to recognize his own indoctrination, or the understanding to acknowledge the flaws in himself and his idols.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Like many other Norse Gods, Heimdall looks down upon the Greek concept of Last-Second Chance when he was offered one by Kratos.
Evil Counterpart: Heimdall is Atreus's evil counterpart and what would have happened if Atreus never had his ego reigned in by Kratos. Like Atreus during his arrogant state, Heimdall believes he's better than everyone else and uses his godly status to be a preening, arrogant sadist who thinks he's above everyone else and can do whatever he wants.
Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor: Heimdall mocks Atreus by comparing him to a goose, even going as far as to start honking.
Extreme Mêlée Revenge: Heimdall threatens Atreus one time too many, even after Kratos kept giving Heimdall a chance to walk away. When it's clear that this isn't going to end any other way, Kratos kills Heimdall by slugging him across the face, knocking him to the ground. Once Heimdall is down, he slams Heimdall's face into the rocks a few times before strangling him to death with his bare hands.
Facepalm Of Doom: During his third phase he gains an unblockable attack where he lunges at Kratos with his spectral arm. If it connects Heimdall grabs Kratos by the head and discharges a blast of bifrost energy into his face.
Fantastic Racism: He is bigoted towards giants and mixed-race people as he calls Atreus a half-breed multiple times due to Atreus' heritage.
Fatal Flaw:
- Pride. Heimdall's ego is massive, and while he's not incapable of backing up his boasts, any affront to his pride severely ticks him off. It's Kratos' attempt to spare Heimdall's life in the fight that convinces Heimdall to make a final, fatal attempt to kill him after interpreting the Spartan's goodwill gesture as a sign of pity. Even more present earlier in the boss fight, where Heimdall repeatedly foregoes more lethal attacks to merely lightly kick Kratos with his boot, or thwack him with the blunt sheath of his sword due to his Suicidal Overconfidence. If Heimdall simply had went for the kill before Kratos got the chance to use the Draupnir Spear, the fight could've gone much differently.
- Impulsiveness and lack of foresight. Ironically, Heimdall actually lacks any degree of foresight and, as Odin points out, doesn't think about the consequences of his actions. As a result of his mind-reading and clairvoyance, Heimdall always prejudges someone by evaluating them on their intentions rather than waiting to see the consequences of their actions. Because Heimdall can see a person's intentions, he assumes he knows better and will immediately do what's necessary to stop them if he thinks they're evil or chaotic.
  - For example, Heimdall's vision shows Atreus destroying Asgard; Heimdall tries to kill Atreus because it means Asgard's protection is absolute. However, Heimdall doesn't think about how people are going to react if Atreus is harmed or how Odin will react if Heimdall kills his guest.
  - While attacking Vanaheim, Heimdall breaks away to fight Kratos rather than assisting with the assault, which results in his death, Kratos receiving Gjallarhorn from his corpse, and indirectly leading to the destruction of Asgard. Had he left Gjallarhorn in Asgard and not overestimated himself, Kratos wouldn't have gotten such a prized possession of Odin's.
- Complacency. Heimdall was blessed with telepathy and clairvoyance and it's kept him safe for all his life because he's never been hit or struck. However, he's become so reliant on these powers that he's vastly unprepared for a situation where someone might actually kill him. During the fight against Kratos, Heimdall is overwhelmed with animalistic rage after Kratos bypasses his abilities by disorientating him and he only starts taking the fight seriously after Kratos tries to spare him after pinning him to wall.
First Injury Reaction: By the time the game proper starts, Heimdall has gotten so good with his precognition that he's begun to assume that he simply can't be hurt. And as shown by the battle against Atreus being one where Atreus can't land a single blow on Heimdall, this attitude isn't entirely unwarranted. So when Kratos actually does hit Heimdall during the boss battle against him, Heimdall completely loses his cool, trying to convince himself that Kratos landing a blow was just luck and attempting to play it off.
Five-Second Foreshadowing: Twice.
- In the cutscene after Atreus' fight against Heimdall, Atreus' arrow in the cutscene gets some mud flecks over Heimdall, causing him to lose his cool after a moment. This small moment can be easily missed but it already shows a way to beat Heimdall as he can see when Atreus is firing an arrow despite facing away from him but he can't see the consequences of catching said arrow.
- This is what Heimdall's powers are in a nutshell, he can only see things very briefly or as long as a person performs a specific action. He can see in his mind that Atreus will fire one of his arrows, but he can't see how he might get mud flecks on him from catching an arrow. He can see when Kratos is throwing a spear, but can't see how the duplicate will explode–only that Kratos will, for some reason, stomp the spear to the ground when Heimdall catches it.
Foil: To Thor. Both of them are Odin's top enforcers and are staunchly loyal to him. However, as Ragnarök reveals, while Thor secretly hates himself and feels awful about hurting others, desperately craving Odin's approval, Heimdall couldn't care less and thinks very highly of himself, and does what Odin asks without question. By the time of their deaths, Thor stood up to Odin and defied him, realizing how truly awful he was, while Heimdall remained loyal to Odin and believed he was just.
Gameplay and Story Integration: Once you hit him for the first time, his Stun bar is immediately filled and never depletes, showing how he wasn't able to recover enough from the shock of being made vulnerable- and correspondingly, he never recovers his ability to dodge all attacks.
The Ghost: He doesn't appear in the first game, but the "Horn of Heimdall" talisman is named in his honor. He later appears in the second as a really obnoxious antagonist.
Atreus: What are these?
Sindri: Braided mistletoe arrows. Straighter than Heimdall and perfectly weighted.
The Gadfly: Heimdall is insufferably smug and loves provoking people so he can get a reaction from them. In a conversation with Atreus, Heimdall reveals that the reason he taunts people is that his powers allow him to a person's intentions, something they themselves may not know about. Because Heimdall can see a person's intentions, he believes everyone is lying to themselves and lying to each other about what they want and so he chooses to speak without a filter because it means he's the only one being honest about who he is.
"I can feel your frustration! It is IMMENSELY satisfying!"
Give Me a Reason: Right from first meeting him he's willing to sadistically drop Atreus off the top of the great wall and is demonstrably unhappy that being Odin's guest means he's under his protection and thus he can't kill him. He cautions Odin several times that having Atreus around is a bad idea, and he'd be better off killing the young giant before he causes them great harm via spying or sabotage. This antagonisment of Atreus is why the Norns predict that he's 'fated' to ultimately kill him, despite The Reveal that everybody has free will — Heimdall just really, really wants to kill him, and won't be dissuaded from it by persuasion or violent beatings by Kratos' hands. In fact, Kratos' attempts to spare him just make him double down on his desire to kill him no matter what out of spite for both father and son.
Gold and White Are Divine: A villainous example, Heimdall's outfit is decorated white and gold to reflect his abilities and he's the most outwardly mystical as his clairvoyance always gave him an advantage over his opponents.
Good Cop/Bad Cop: He essentially (if unwittingly) plays the Bad Cop to Odin's Good Cop, as he repeatedly threatens to kill Atreus while Odin welcomes him as a guest and rebukes Heimdall. Knowing how manipulative Odin is, it's quite likely that he was deliberately stationed there so Atreus would meet Heimdall first, allowing Odin to make a good first impression by swooping in to save him.
Green-Eyed Monster: Implied, it appears that one of the reasons Heimdall hates Atreus is because Atreus is getting special treatment from the All-Father and Heimdall feels begrudged and pulled down by Atreus. Heimdall is more than eager to point out Atreus's flaws and overexcited about seeing Atreus explain to Odin how he and Thrud released Garm. The fact that he doesn't think about killing Atreus until he's pinned to the wall can paint the idea that he was more focused on proving himself to the All-Father than killing Atreus.
Hated by All: There's not a single person alive who can tolerate Heimdall for more than a single word for his arrogant, cocksure behavior. Case in point? Even Odin, who isn't exactly loved himself by his own tendencies doesn't refute that he had his own death coming, and is more concerned about losing Gjallarhorn than he is losing Heimdall. When listing his attributes ("never loses" and "sees everything coming"), Sindri adds "unpopular at parties". Atreus straight up points out to Odin when he asks who killed him that Heimdall was disliked by basically everyone. Odin doesn't refute this.
Hate Sink: This portrayal of Heimdall is depicted as a snobbish and bigoted jerk who likes to bully others and call everyone he meets cruel names. His behavior towards people like Atreus is what makes this version extremely despicable and he can quickly get on a lot of players' nerves. Thor and Baldur were ultimately tragic figures, Odin has a Faux Affably Evil charm to him, and even Magni and Modi got some pity for their wretched upbringing. Heimdall? Heimdall just sucks.
Haughty Help: Although he's devoted to Odin, he's incredibly arrogant and patronizing to everyone else as he outright bullies Thrud and Atreus.
His Own Worst Enemy: He's basically a case study in how people create their own dooms with their choices. Heimdall's clairvoyance means the only way to beat him is to taunt him into doing something stupid... and, due to his fragile ego, that's remarkably easy. He even ultimately forces his own death because he'll never betray Odin, never stop pursuing Atreus, and never allow himself to be defeated non-lethally; Kratos tries, but Heimdall then proceeds to attack him again and threaten to kill both Kratos and Atreus, resulting in Kratos strangling him.
Hobbes Was Right: During a conversation with Atreus, Heimdall says that he only sees the worst in people because his powers always show their intentions and he believes people aren't being honest with each other. Despite this, he's completely devoted to Odin despite the threat Odin imposes on the rest of the realms. Either Odin managed to bypass Heimdall's foresight or Heimdall is so cynical and loyal to Odin that he genuinely believes that Odin's rule is best for everyone.
Hopeless Boss Fight: When Atreus faces Heimdall, the fight is unwinnable because Heimdall will dodge or parry any attacks against him.
Horrible Judge of Character: As proud as Heimdall may be of his ability to read people's true intentions and inner selves, he, out of all the Aesir, is the most zealously devoted to Odin, a transparently selfish man who makes little secret of the fact that he sees everyone around him as pawns. It's implied that this is either due to Heimdall not truly caring about whether or not Odin's intentions are for the betterment of all, or if Odin's tendency to think of everything he does in the best terms possible, no matter the reality, means that ironically his extreme perceptiveness actually renders him more vulnerable to Odin's manipulations than others, because he can see Odin's 'true' thoughts.
Hypercompetent Sidekick: Although he isn't as smart as Odin, his clairvoyance makes him untouchable because he can always foresee his opponent's next move.
Hypocrite:
- He mocks Atreus for what he sees as "flaunt[ing]" his abilities, and states that true power lies hidden until the time is right. Not only does he fail to see just how egotistical he and many of the Aesir are, and never misses a chance to brag about what he can do or is doing at the moment, but he even projects this supposed arrogance onto Kratos, a stoic and reserved warrior who fits that description of power to a tee.
- He dismisses Baldur taming a dragon due to his invincibility, considering it "unfair". Despite not being invulnerable himself, Heimdall's own foresight and swiftness still gave him an absurd edge in breaking Gulltoppr.
Ignored Expert: Due to his foresight abilities, he could see Atreus's intentions immediately and tried to have him killed in an ambush. Afterward, Odin dismisses his warnings and insists that he already knows that Atreus is planning to betray him.
Inferiority Superiority Complex: He shows hints of this beneath his seemingly self-assured and smug facade.
- When Atreus is impressed by the sight of Heimdall's tamed battle mount Gulltoppr he notes it's almost as impressive as Baldur's dragon. Heimdall immediately snaps that Baldur could only tame such a beast because he was invulnerable, whereas he had to do so "fair and square".
- When Thor stares him down during their confrontation it's made clear that Heimdall ultimately isn't willing to take his chances in combat with the God of Thunder, and he backs down. When he later pushes Thrud around he makes a point of specifically denying that he's scared of her father.
- During his fight with Kratos, once the Spartan starts actually hitting him Heimdall desperately tries to downplay whats happening even as the battle spirals out of his control, claiming that pain isn't as bad as he remembers anyway and that him being struck is nothing but pure luck.
- What makes him completely lose it is the notion that Kratos is trying to spare his life out of pity, implying he is Not Worth Killing.

J-R

Jerkass Has a Point: Unbearable to be around for more than a minute? Absolutely. But he's also absolutely right when he says letting Atreus into Asgard is a very bad idea, since it eventually leads to Odin's death.
- In general, his foresight abilities mean that he's incredibly perceptive towards those around him, capable of accurately diagnosing the unflattering truths about them that not even they're aware of, and unafraid to rub this in their faces. It's just that his attitude means that his good points and opinions about them are only used to further his enjoyment of mocking them. One example would be him calling out Atreus for picking up some hacksilver once he's invited inside Asgard's walls to meet Odin, calling him out for stealing anything not nailed down despite being a guest, but in a tone that makes it clear he just wants to needle him without really caring about it.
- When he returns to Atreus and Thrúd in Helheim, he actually seems to be seething with anger as he realizes the two freed Garm, asking if the two had any idea who Garm is and what he's capable of.
Jerkass to One: While he is generally hated by everyone in Asgard, something even Odin can't deny, he has a special hatred for Atreus. His reasons range from Atreus being a jotunn, Atreus planning to betray Odin, and possibly some jealousy as Odin gives Atreus special treatment and Heimdall is overly eager to see Atreus explain how he and Thrud released Garm and he's quick to belittle Atreus while having a drink.
Just Toying with Them: Since Heimdall is so confident no enemy could ever strike him, he allows them to attack him while weaving around their attacks. He uses his sword more frequently to block attacks than strike his enemies. Once Kratos finally does hit him, Heimdall gets more serious but still has an attack where he mockingly strikes Kratos with his sword still sheathed. After losing his arm, he stops messing around.
Karmic Death: After his constant torment of Atreus, it’s fitting that Heimdall gets beaten by his archenemy’s father, followed by Kratos choking the life out of Heimdall. Bonus points for Kratos pummeling Heimdall’s face into the ground, repeatedly, the same way Heimdall threatened to do to Atreus.
Kick the Dog: Literally. After Kratos kills his steed Gulltoppr, Heimdall's only response is slightly punting the corpse in disappointment before getting back to Kratos.
Knight Templar: All sins aside, Heimdall genuinely believes he's defending Asgard from external threats and sees Atreus as a "twisted little soul" and a threat to Asgard, something that's dismissed by Odin and actively ignored. Heimdall even sounds horrified as he describes his visions to Atreus.
Heimdall: You are chaos in a spiffy Archer suit. I watch your mouth move and see cities burning.
Know When to Fold 'Em: As arrogant as Heimdall is even he knows better then to pick a fight with Thor, backing down pretty quickly when he gets between him and Atreus.
Lack of Empathy: Unless you're Odin, then he doesn't give a damn about your wellbeing.
Laughably Evil: Justifiably loathsome as he is, the sheer ham he puts into his dickishness combined with his Boss Banter ultimately make for a deliciously entertaining antagonist who will have players laughing and hating him in equal measure.
Heimdall: Did you know your son sounds like a goose when he gets hurt?
[Makes goose noises]
Light 'em Up: Has the power to manipulate Bifrost energy, which he can use to attack and create armor. In the final phase of the fight, he also uses it to create a replacement for his lost arm.
Locked Out of the Loop: He's not aware of what Odin has planned for Atreus as he is immediately distrustful of Atreus at their first meeting.
Logical Weakness:
- Just because Heimdall can see what's coming does not mean he can react in time. The longer the boss fight against him wears on, Kratos starts to throw quicker and tighter punches, giving Heimdall less time and room to dodge properly; as Heimdall blocks one jab with his arm and dodges upward, Kratos is already turning his own body into the next blow, and gives Heimdall a punch that connects enough to cut him across the cheek.
- His Foresight seems to work based upon the intentions of the target, which allows him to dodge attacks because he can tell where they are aimed. Draupnir works around this by having the spears explode after they are thrown, as while Heimdall can sense the intention for Kratos to detonate them, Heimdall can't see the potential blast radius.
  - Foreshadowed at the end of his fight with Atreus. If you watch closely, when he pulls an Arrow Catch right before Thor shows up, his face is slightly spattered with mud. He even fails to notice for a few seconds before ceasing his laughter at Atreus and turning to attack him only to be stopped by Thor.
- His dodging abilities are dependent on him having the state of mind necessary to properly avoid the attack, fitting with his usual modus operandi of using the bare minimum effort to expertly avoid whatever comes his way. After becoming enraged at what he saw as Kratos attempting to spare his life out of pity, Heimdall abandons dodging entirely in favor of relentless aggression, and so can be hit by any weapon.
- Fitting as a weakness to his foresight powers and Super-Senses, Heimdall is also vulnerable to Sensory Overload. As Brok puts it, Kratos will have to overpopulate his senses. As seen during his boss fight with Kratos, who needs to utilise the Draupnir spear's Bottomless Magazines to attack Heimdall with multiple attacks from different angles.
Magic Knight: After his foresight power his biggest asset is his control of bifrost magic. He would probably be better just keeping his distance and using his magic and even gets some good hits in on Kratos, but his cockiness makes him get close and physical instead.
Narcissist: Loves to flaunt his god abilities and thinks he is the strongest warrior of the Aesir, arrogantly thinking that because of his own mind reading powers that he is unstoppable.
Nazi Nobleman: Implied. In the cosplay guide, Lunda says that Mimir described the tunic symbol as "reserved for the High House of powered aesir". This suggests that Heimdall may be of high social standing and is possibly wealthy due to his clothing and fixation on clothing.
The Nicknamer: Has a penchant for giving sardonic, insulting nicknames to people. Refers to Kratos as "Sunshine", Atreus as "half-breed", Freya as "Queen Mistletoe", Mimir as "old goat", Freyr as "Sizzles", and Thrúd as "Guppy".
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Kratos delivers an absolutely brutal but satisfying one to Heimdall, smacking him down to the ground before subsequently smashing his face to a pulp then choking the remaining life out of him.
Nonchalant Dodge: He is able to dodge any attacks coming his way with frightening ease, doing nothing but the bare minimum to step out of the way. Atreus and Thrud can't do anything to hit him, and even Kratos has to work to connect a single blow before he uses the Draupnir Spear, which is mandatory to defeat him. However, the fact that he's so used to coming close to getting hit rather than keeping a safe distance means that once he slows down and Kratos adapts to his movements, it becomes easier to repeatedly hurt him because Heimdall doesn't put enough distance between them, and he's no longer capable of accurately predicting how to fully dodge Kratos' swings with his senses overpopulated.
Oh, Crap!: When Kratos finally lands a hit on him during their battle, Heimdall's expression quickly goes from his overconfident smirk to confusion to realization as he comprehends that he's actually been struck. He quickly tries to play it off with Boss Banter like "I don't remember the last time anyone hit me!" and "You know... pain is not as bad as I remember!" during his second phase, but the tone in Heimdall's voice makes it clear that he's starting to panic.
Heimdall: You... ACTUALLY HIT ME!
Older Than They Look: The Aesir don't age in the same ways as mortals, which was shown by how Baldur was over 100 years old despite looking 30+ years old. That being said, Heimdall looks like a late teen or young adult in comparison and behaves like a boy who's trying to prove himself a man by groveling to his elders. Since he doesn't have a beard (he does have a noticeable five o'clock shadow though), he may have just aged more gracefully and taken better care of his personal grooming.
Only Sane Man: Yes, him. He's the only one to realize that allowing Atreus into Asgard is a bad idea, while Odin is smart enough to realize it but blinded by the possibility of Atreus helping him with the mask.
Pick on Someone Your Own Size: Despite his ego, he knows well enough to not challenge Thor to a fight but he's more than happy to assert dominance over Atreus and Thrúd, both of whom are teenagers and the latter being his niece.
Power Incontinence: An interaction with Atreus suggests that the reason why Heimdall is so cruel to everyone is that his powers prevent him from forming any close relationships. He always knows a person's intentions and can see if they are a threat in some way, which puts Heimdall on edge because he's the only one who can see these visions and he hates it when that person lies to him about their intentions.
Powerful, but Incompetent: His foresight is a big Superpower Lottery win and makes him one of the most powerful Aesir. The reason he's not the most powerful Aesir is that he's also an arrogant little twit who rests on his laurels, unlike Odin and Thor (or Kratos, for that matter) who pair overwhelming power with the training to make good use of it and the desire to constantly improve themselves. Heimdall is an average fighter at best (made worse by rarely ever fighting seriously), and when put against someone (Kratos) who can neutralize his one trick, he quickly freaks out and loses what technique he had.
Professional Butt-Kisser: He's so loyal to Odin that he's actually jealous of Atreus and Thor because of their closer relationship to Odin, even though Odin only cares about himself.
Properly Paranoid: He's naturally distrustful of Atreus because he's able to read the boy and understand that he's in Asgard on his own agenda. Odin himself acknowledges this and states that he plans to win Atreus' trust. Heimdall is later surprised during an optional conversation with Atreus when his powers let him know that this is actually working despite his distrust of Atreus, noting that he envies Odin for being able to 'see the best in people when his powers mean he instead sees the opposite.
Psycho Pink: According to the cosplay guide, his eyes turn pink when he uses his clairvoyance abilities, coinciding with his brutal and fanatical attitude.
Psychopathic Manchild: He's an older relative of Thrúd's but is immature enough to bully her and Atreus and acts like an arrogant teenager. When Kratos manages to bypass his precognitive powers and give him a taste of his own medicine, his indignant and furious reaction is reminiscent of a spoiled child finally being told “No” for once in his life.
Puzzle Boss: He's this in the first phase - Kratos cannot harm him normally as Heimdall just dodges everything. Instead you need to throw your spear at him and detonate it when he catches it, stunning him and opening him up for an attack. He still dodges the first close-up assault though and wisens up, no longer catching your spears, so instead you need to throw them at the ground and detonate when he's next to those.
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Within minutes of meeting Atreus he casually dissects his flaws, pointing out that among other things he's stifling under the presence of an overbearing father figure, disrespectful, entitled, impulsive and selfish. Atreus is deeply unnerved by how well he nails him.
The Resenter: Heimdall really hates Atreus for getting more attention from Odin than him and is particularly giddy with excitement when he tells Atreus that he's going to tell Odin how Atreus has released Garm.
The Rival: To Atreus, Heimdall is jealous of Atreus getting special attention from the all-father and takes every opportunity he can to assert his power over the young god.

S-Z

Sadist: Loves to bully Atreus and Thrud, and even taunts Kratos about wanting to torture and murder Atreus in the most brutal fashion. In the past, he even branded Durlin.
Sanity Slippage: Heimdall loses his mind after having his arm blown off by Kratos and attacks viciously in the final stage because he refuses to be pitied and spared by an enemy.
Seer: He has the ability to see the future and see a person's intentions, however, his powers have left him deeply cynical and mistrusting.
Smug Snake: He thinks very highly of himself and sees himself as untouchable but often cowers when confronted by someone stronger than him.
Smug Super: He's unbearably condescending but deservingly so as, thanks to his precognitive abilities, he's virtually untouchable. In fact, said smugness is primarily the reason Kratos can work around his foresight abilities, as rather than pragmatically dodging any projectiles shot at him, Heimdall goes the extra mile to demonstrate his superiority and always catches the missile to taunt his opponents. When said projectile is the Draupnir Spear, however, it allows Kratos to quite literally blow this tactic up in his face to get the drop on him. When Kratos finally manages to get the upper hand on him, he does not take it well.
Sour Grapes: After Kratos lands a hit, he keeps trash-talking to try and massage his ego, even though it's clear he's rattled that he couldn't match his opponent and is facing the first true challenge of his skills — let alone threat — in ages.
"You know? Pain is not as bad as I remember!"
[Panicked] "LUCK! THAT'S ALL THIS IS!"
Story-Breaker Power: His foresight abilities mean that whilst he's not the strongest god around, he's technically the hardest to beat because he can anticipate any of his opponent's attacks. It proves to be a Deconstructed Trope however, since it is practically all he has going for himself and the only reason he has any standing among the higher Aesir. Plus, having spent so long relying on his power and the swell head he got from it, Heimdall vastly overestimates himself, believing himself capable of taking on anyone he's not personally familiar with. He has also long since fallen into Crippling Overspecialisation, so he can't properly compensate when his foresight fails him against the Draupnir Spear, or against Kratos gauging him with a series of attacks. Too used to fighting casually, he uses basically no technique, or restraint for that matter, so easily gives in to self-sabotaging anger. Furthermore, the fact that his power is so infamous, and thus so well known, is what gives Kratos and his allies plenty of time to actually make the Draupnir Spear needed to beat him in the first place. Every aspect of Heimdall's unbeatable power ironically proved his undoing.
Stupid Evil: Heimdall relies too much on his foresight abilities and, as Odin points out to Atreus, doesn't always think through his actions. He tries to kill Atreus despite being told that Odin is expecting him and he chooses to toy with Kratos in the first stage of their duel instead of outright killing him.
Subordinate Excuse: Heimdall is described as a "true believer" by Mimir and speaks very highly of Odin. Heimdall will fulfill any order given to him by Odin and it's implied by both the game and the Cosplay guide that he wants to have a closer relationship with Odin. He believes he can serve Odin better than Thor and it's also suggested that he's jealous of Atreus for having a closer working relationship with Odin than him.
Suicidal Overconfidence: Downplayed. Heimdall's initial confidence in his ability to beat Kratos (the Destroyer Deity known for killing off his entire original pantheon) actually is pretty justified, given that Kratos has to get a new magic weapon forged by a mermaid from the blood of a god and one of Odin's treasures to even hope to land a hit on him. Continuing to be smug and still toying with Kratos (like hitting him with his sheathed blade) after Kratos has proven himself able to overcome his foresight, on the other hand, is very much this trope. If he'd taken Kratos seriously from the start, he might not have lost.
Super-Senses: In myths, he can hear and see everything in the world. While it's not confirmed that he can do the same here, he can see into peoples' minds and predict the future to an extent.
Super-Strength: Par the course for an Aesir god (but nowhere near Thor or Baldur). He is able to push Thrud off balance with a light tap on her shoulder and knock the wind out of her with a single punch to her gut, despite her visibly possessing physical strength and durability at the very least near to her brother Magni. During Heimdall's fight with Kratos, a punch from his left non-Bifrost arm will send Kratos flying across the arena into the nearest wall if it is not blocked/parried.
Super-Speed: When Heimdall isn't lazily dodging attacks mere millimeters from his face/body, he will dash at superhuman speeds to either put some distance between him and his opponent, or dash towards them if they themselves are moving too far away from him.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Heimdall possesses an arrogant boastful personality along with Super-Speed that makes him similar to Hermes from God of War III. Both Gods wind up losing at least one of their limbs to Kratos when they try to fight him. Also like Hermes, Heimdall is a merely average fighter who heavily relies on an extremely overpowered ability (foresight for Heimdall, Super-Speed for Hermes) and ends up getting decimated in a fight once Kratos figures out how to counter it.
Technicolor Eyes: His eyes are weird with dark sclera and irises that actually change colour with time or depending on the angle you're looking at them, varying between red, violet and purple hues.
Thin-Skinned Bully: Heimdall always toys with his enemies before killing them and goes as far as to slap them instead of using a sword. He's happy to bully Atreus and Thrud but quickly backs off when Thor turns up and begs for mercy when Kratos has him pinned to a wall.
Time Master: Mild case from the second phase onward - Heimdall occasionally slows down time (while moving at a normal speed himself) to open up Kratos for an attack. It's still possible to dodge them because of how slow and telegraphed those attacks are, and afterwards Heimdall is wide open too.
Token Evil Teammate: Heimdall is basically the only Aesir not portrayed with any positive or humanizing light. Baldur and Thor are both given Freudian Excuses for how they turned out, and Thor is given several moments to redeem himself. Even Odin is given a measure of humanization - Atreus is clearly saddened at having to kill him and his acts are explained by his obsession with fate. Meanwhile Heimdall is just a sadistic asshole even to his own allies and is only kept in check by his respect for Odin and some outright threats by Thor.
Too Dumb to Live: After being pitied by Kratos after literally begging him to stop, he thinks it was a good idea to continually taunt Kratos about murdering Atreus which causes Kratos to completely lose his temper and kill him with no mercy.
Triple Shifter: He almost never leaves his post.
Troll: He abuses his precog abilities by provoking those he deems inferior to him (basically everyone except Odin) to anger; and when they react, he immediately incapacitates them - all to bask in how much of an advantage he has over them.
Unrelated in the Adaptation: Although a son of Odin in Norse mythology, Heimdall is never addressed as a son of Odin or a brother of Thor and Baldur. He's simply referred to as Odin's most trusted ally and a "high house" aesir in the Official Cosplay Guide.
Unskilled, but Strong: Although his foresight abilities make him a force to be reckoned with, Heimdall never actually learned how to fight an opponent who could bypass his abilities or prepare himself in the event that he can't rely on his abilities. In the fight against Kratos, he's not taking the fight seriously and is more focused on toying with Kratos than actually killing him. He's slow to strike, retreats to the back of the arena, and needlessly makes the fight a spectacle instead of a duel. In the final phase of his boss battle, Heimdall loses his arm and fights wildly because he can't comprehend that someone beat him and was ashamed of the fact that Kratos would spare him.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: He's only the Herald of Ragnarok in the sense that he inadvertently gets the ball rolling by running off like a dumbass to challenge Kratos and getting himself killed. Sif confronting Odin over his death at the absolute worst possible time ultimately leads to Odin losing any chance he had at gaining the mask legitimately, which leads to him trying to get it through trickery as Tyr, which led to him killing Brok when the dwarf called him out, which ultimately pissed off Kratos and company enough to actively move to start Ragnarok.
Vague Age: He appears as one of the youngest Aesir and looks like an older teenager/young adult compared to Thor, Týr, and Baldur. Granted, he possesses a light stubble and the Aesir don't age in the same way as a mortal, as Baldur was well over 100 years old by the time he fought Kratos. At the same time, however, Heimdall is only slightly taller than Atreus and Thrud, and he acts like a spoiled and violent teenager.
Villain-Beating Artifact: Sindri and Brok adapt the Draupnir Ring, a joke gift that endlessly duplicates, into a Spear, and harness its duplicative power to Kratos's command. It still handily is stowed in its original Ring form. With it, Kratos can spawn so many throwable spears and detonate them to overwhelm Heimdall's precognitive abilities.
Villain Cred: Implied, Heimdall is hated by pretty much everyone, even by his fellow Aesir for his arrogance. According to Mimir, Heimdall is the one who branded Durlin as punishment for an attempted coup.
Villain Has a Point: He may be an asshole. but Heimdall's antagonism towards Atreus is in large part because his precognitive abilities have shown him destroying Asgard, and he thinks Odin isn't taking the threat seriously and inviting disaster to their doorstep by letting Atreus roam Asgard. And he's ultimately right that inviting Atreus into Asgard leads to its destruction; if he hadn't helped Odin with the mask he wouldn't have taken it with him when escaping Thor, and Odin wouldn't have exposed himself as Tyr and killed Brok, which was what made Kratos and Atreus fully commit themselves to Ragnarok.
Heimdall: You are here to help yourself. To manipulate and lie to whoever you have to to get what you want...You are chaos in a spiffy archer suit. I watch your mouth move and I see cities burning. Nothing good is going to come from you being in Asgard.
Villainous Breakdown: His duel with Kratos is a drawn-out one, with his phases reflecting what stage he's in. Initially, Heimdall is still the Smug Super he was as before, and a Puzzle Boss who must be hit by luring him over Draupnir traps. Once Kratos manages to land a solid hit, Heimdall's health bar depletes conventionally with Spear attacks since he's rattled by Kratos's punch connecting and drawing blood. Heimdall is still trying to keep composed in this second phase, but the tone in his voice shows that he's starting to panic. In his final phase, Heimdall completely loses it, becoming far more aggressive but also ignoring his precognitive powers, allowing Kratos to strike with any of his weapons.
Heimdall: You think you get to just walk away?! No. That is not how this works. (Creates an artificial arm out of Bifrost) You do not get to decide my fate!
Villainous Gold Tooth: He is a smug Jerkass who antagonizes literally everyone he meets. There's not a single person alive who can tolerate him for more than a single word. His teeth are solid gold, which is both accurate to the little description he has in the original myths and also reflects his haughty, bragging nature.
White Hair, Black Heart: Dirty blonde and, personality-wise, the biggest asshole among the cast.
White Is Pure: Heimdall is famous in the pantheon for never being hit or struck due to his foresight abilities. He wears white and gold to reflect his divinity and it also reflects his abilities. White makes stains easier to spot and gold is reflective when clean, so it shows that his clothes have never been dirty or stained because of how untouchable he is.
Why Are You Not My Son?: Inverted, it's implied through the cosplay guide that Heimdall thinks so highly of Odin that he's trying to emulate and supplant Thor as evidenced by the ram imagery on Gjallerhorn. In the game, Heimdall has an inflated sense of self-importance because Odin trusts him with the Gjallarhorn and relies on him for security, decisions that were made out of pragmatism not favoritism as Heimdall thinks. Although Heimdall thinks the world of Odin, Odin couldn't care less and treats his death as if Kratos broke a treasured possession and he feels the need to break Kratos's prized possession to even it out.
Sindri: (while examining Gjallarhorn in the cosplay guide) Similar to Thor's ram motif, coincidence?
Wicked Cultured: He knows Asgard's history off by heart and expresses patriotism while escorting Atreus to Odin's cabin.
You Fight Like a Cow: Incessantly throws taunts of this caliber at both Atreus and Kratos in their respective fights with him, though only Atreus humors him in retorting back. With Kratos, one of these potential insults is literally almost the trope name, word for word ("You strike like a sloppy cow!").
You Have to Believe Me!: His foresight abilities always a show person's intentions and this is the reason why he's the watchman of the aesir. When Atreus arrives in Asgard, Heimdall knows that his presence signifies the destruction of Asgard and he sets up an ambush to kill Atreus before he fulfills his vision. When Odin arrives, Heimdall confidently tells him that Atreus plans to betray him but is quickly dismissed by Odin, who tells Heimdall he already knows that Atreus intends to betray him at the first opportunity and intends to win him over instead. In the end, he's right that Atreus's presence in Asgard means its end, but it isn't actually Atreus's fault; in fact, Heimdall himself is as much to blame, as it's Heimdall's death that prompts Sif to convince Thor to attack Atreus, and Atreus's escape from Thor with the completed mask ultimately leads to Brok's death, and Kratos and Atreus committing to Ragnarok.
You Monster!: His final word is calling Kratos a monster as he strangles Heimdall to death. Since his eyes are glowing pink when he says this, it's implied that his clairvoyance is showing him Kratos as the Ghost of Sparta.

Characters / God Of War Series - Heimdall

Heimdall

Voiced by: Scott Porter (English)

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Characters / God Of War Series - Heimdall

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Heimdall

Voiced by: Scott Porter (English)

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