Odin BorsonOdin

The All-Father

In his youth, Odin’s father King Bor led Asgard against the Dark Elves. Sometime between then and the subjugation of the Frost Giants, Odin became king, married his love Frigga, and welcomed three children into his home: Hela, Thor, and Loki. During his reign, he put aside his warlike ways and did his best to work for peace and respect between Asgard and the other realms.

By Odin’s Beard

Like other Asgardians, Odin is a proven warrior, and has survived and won many wars against the enemies of Asgard. As the King of Asgard, Odin draws his power from that incredible place where his attributes are far superior to those possessed by the other members of his race.

The Odinforce allows Odin to manipulate magical energy, such as stripping Thor of his godlike powers, enchanting mythical artifacts like the hammer Mjolnir, reading minds across dimensions, and transporting individuals without the Bifrost.

Do Not Dishonor Your King or Father

For some millennia, Odin saw every realm as an enemy of Asgard to be conquered and subjugated, if not killed. He warred against the Frost Giants, nearly destroying their entire civilization, and took King Laufey's baby son as his own.

His efforts to keep peace turned both Hela and Thor against him, but to different degrees. When Loki found out about his Frost Giant roots, he nearly killed his father before taking over the throne.

All the King’s Men

All of Asgard respects their king Odin, including warriors Heimdall, Sif, Volstagg, Hogun, Fandral, and the Valkyrie. Odin and his wife Frigga have built a relationship on respect that not only brought Thor into the world, but also welcomed Loki in.

A King’s Legacy

Odin ruled Asgard, one of the Nine Realms that all exist as part of Yggdrasil, the World Tree. Though they seem like gods, Asgardians benefit from incredibly long lifespans and a more durable physicality that makes them very strong.

Odin, son of Bor, took on his father’s throne in his youth. He married his love, Frigga, who would take his side as Queen. She gave him his first child—a daughter named Hela. With his daughter, his Executioner, at his side, the All-Father led Asgardian warriors through the other realms killing those who stood in their way and conquered those who remained.

After the birth of his son Thor, Odin ended his constant warlike ways and began to work towards peace under his tutelage. When Hela rebelled against this change, Odin imprisoned her outside of Asgard, as he could not bring himself to kill his daughter. He used his powers to keep her at bay and had to once travel to Hel during one of her near escapes that led to the death of nearly all the Valkyrie at Hela’s hands.

In 965 A.D., Odin led the forces of Asgard against the Frost Giants on Midgard, otherwise known as Earth. The Asgardians forced their enemies back to their home realm of Jotunheim. There, Odin fought King Laufey and lost an eye to his foe, but won the battle. Before leaving, Odin had his soldiers bring the source of the Frost Giants' power, the Casket of Ancient Winters, as well as a baby belonging to Laufey.

Odin and Frigga took this child, Loki, in and raised him as their own. They agreed to not reveal Loki’s true origins to him, raising Thor and the new boy together. From a young age, Odin instilled his sons with lessons he himself learned over the course of his life. He hoped to prepare at least one of his sons to eventually take his place as King of Asgard. He strongly believed a leader should never seek out war, but always be ready for it.

When he came of age and proved himself worthy, Thor, the God of Thunder, kneeled before Odin in front of all the people of Asgard and vowed to defend the Nine Realms, preserve peace, and cast aside selfish ambitions. As Odin was to crown his son king, he sensed the Frost Giants had entered the Weapons Vault to take back the Casket of Ancient Winters. With the tap of his staff, he unleashed the Destroyer, vaporizing the intruders.

Against his father’s orders, fueled by rage and his brother’s manipulations, Thor, with Loki, Sif, and the Warriors Three by his side, sought to bring war to Jotunheim against the Frost Giants. For this rebellion, Laufey had reason to break his truce with Odin and declare war on Asgard. On this realm, Odin attempted to reason with the King of the Frost Giants, but Laufey would not be appeased. Avoiding the attack, the All-Father dispatched his foe and called down the Bifrost Bridge to take the Asgardians back home. For his transgressions against his king and leading Asgard into war, Odin stripped Thor of his powers, armor, and title. Cast out from Asgard, Thor and his Mjolnir were sent to Midgard. With the power of the Odinforce, only he who is worthy could lift Mjolnir.

While on Jotunheim, Loki realized his skin did not freeze at the Frost Giants’ touch and began questioning his heritage. Confronted, Odin revealed his son’s true origins. Enraged that he was used as a pawn to establish peace between two realms, Loki lashed out as his adoptive father who collapsed and fell into the Odin Sleep.

With Odin unconscious, Frigga refusing to leave his side, and Thor banished on Midgard, Loki assumed the throne. Manipulating the situation in his favor, Loki appeared to Thor on Earth stating their father had died and Thor could not return home to Asgard, as it would break the new peace truce with Jotunheim. Thor understood and thanked his brother for coming.

On Jotunheim, Loki met with Laufey, revealing he was the one who let the Frost Giants in to Asgard to disrupt Thor’s coronation. This time, Loki offered a new proposition: he’d open another secret pathway into Asgard for Laufey and his guards to sneak in, kill Odin, and reclaim the Casket of Ancient Winters.

Back on Midgard, Thor proved himself worthy in combat against the Destroyer, thus regaining Mjolnir and his powers. He, Sif, and the Warriors Three returned to Asgard in time to dispatch Laufey before he could stab Odin in his chambers.

In an effort to destroy the realm of his birth, Loki aimed the Bifrost’s full power at Jodunheim. To stop the blast, Thor smashed the Rainbow Bridge with Mjolnir; its impact woke Odin from his slumber. The All-Father appeared in time to save both sons from falling off the destroyed conveyance. However, Loki let go and tumbled into the void. In light of these events, Odin admitted to Thor that he believes his son will be a great king, though he still had much to learn.

Following Loki’s attempt to take over Midgard, the son of Laufey was brought before Odin. Despite his claims that he wanted to rule as a benevolent god, Odin reminded Loki that they are not gods, and sentenced him to life in the Asgardian dungeon.

After stopping a band of Marauders on Vanaheim, Thor urged his father that the battles would end much quicker if they fought side by side. Odin found it more important for the Nine Realms to respect Thor and see that he stood as their guardian when need be, to prove himself worthy of eventually becoming the King of Asgard.

When Thor brought Jane to Asgard following her contact with the Aether, Odin demanded she be sent back home. However, when he witnessed the Aether defend Jane from his own guards, he took her and Thor to see the Book of Yggdrasil and learn about the Aether, Malekith, and the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, whom he thought his father Bor had destroyed.

Not long after, Malekith sent his soldier Kurse into Asgardian custody so that he could kickstart a breakout in the dungeon. In the chaos, Dark Elf Harrows landed in Asgard including one where Malekith marched out into the castle and destroyed Odin’s throne. When Odin returned, it would be too late. Malekith killed the All-Mother while she protected Jane Foster with her magic. Despite Odin and Thor’s arrival, the Dark Elves managed to escape.

After overseeing his beloved wife Frigga’s funeral rites, Odin ordered that Jane Foster be taken into protective custody. In his sorrow and anger, he intended to enact revenge and destroy all of the Dark Elves. However, the God of Thunder had a different plan—he wanted to take Jane to Svartalfheim, drawing Malekith out, so they could destroy him and his weapon. Odin remained concerned that this would simply put the weapon right in Malekith’s hands.

Disregarding his father’s orders, Thor recruited Heimdall, Sif, and the Warriors Three to help get Jane, break Loki out of prison, and use of his secret pathways between realms to get to the devastated land of Dark Elves. As it happened, both Thor and Odin proved correct. Thor separated the Aether and seemingly destroyed it, but the Infinity Stone reconstituted itself and took Malekith as its new host. During the confrontation, Loki seemed to die at the hands of Kurse.

While Thor and Jane traveled to Earth to save it from the Dark Elves, Odin received word that Loki had been killed. However, the messenger who brought the news was none other than Loki himself. He used his sorcery to separate Odin from his powers, removed his memories, and placed him in the Shady Acres Care Home on Earth. Loki assumed Odin’s identity on Asgard, while Thor, Jane Foster, and their friends figured out how to stop Malekith on Midgard.

Like the rest of Asgard, Thor found himself duped by Loki’s impersonation of the All-Father. While the captive of Surtur, Thor learned from the fire demon that Odin did not currently reside on Asgard, but on Earth. Thor returned to Asgard to force Loki to admit his deception in front of their people, and to reveal where he hid their father. With the aid of the Master of the Mystic Arts, Doctor Strange, they found Odin in Norway, but learned he wished to remain in exile.

Odin divulged it took him a while to shake off Loki’s enchantments, but he had found peace in this place. He could no longer ignore Frigga’s calls to him despite Ragnarok’s imminent approach. He warned his sons about their sister, his only daughter, Hela, the Goddess of Death, who would return to Asgard where her power would grow exponentially until she could not be stopped. Telling his sons he loved them one last time, Odin dissolved into golden lights as his spirit ascended to Valhalla.

As predicted, Odin’s passing allowed Hela to be free from banishment, destroy Mjolnir, and immediately begin her mission to take over Asgard. Twice, Odin appeared to Thor in a vision and guided him to understand his powers within him. He did not need his hammer to summon lightning; Mjolnir only helped him focus his power. Odin also reminded his son that Asgard is wherever their people stand, not necessarily the place they currently inhabit. In his last moments of this stage of his journey, Odin managed to save not only his sons, but also his people by reminding them of who they really are.