Valkyrie: The Valkyries’ Massacre and Asgard’s Last Warrior

Before taking on the title of King of New Asgard, Valkyrie was first a survivor. Her story began long before her encounter with Thor on Sakaar: she belonged to an order of elite warriors, the Valkyries, whose mission was to protect Asgard and escort the souls of the brave who fell in battle to Valhalla. An order that was annihilated in a single battle by Odin's own daughter.

This account of the Valkyries' massacre is often overshadowed by the more spectacular scenes in Thor: Ragnarok, but it is nevertheless the key to understanding the character: her mistrust, cynicism, complicated relationship with alcohol, and ultimately her courage in taking up arms again. Let's delve into the complete story of the last of Asgard's Valkyries.

Who Is Valkyrie? The Origins of Brunnhilde

In both the comics and the MCU, Valkyrie bears the name Brunnhilde. Born in Asgard, she was trained in combat from a very young age by Odin himself, who wanted to create an entirely female elite guard capable of rivaling his finest warriors. Unlike Thor or Loki, she does not belong to the royal lineage: she rises through the ranks through merit and discipline, eventually becoming commander of the Order of the Valkyries.

The film Thor: Ragnarok (2017) introduced the character to the general public, portrayed by Tessa Thompson, but Valkyrie's origins date back to Marvel comics from the 1970s, where she first appeared as a mystical entity before being developed into a full-fledged Asgardian warrior in the following decades. The MCU chose to draw inspiration from this second version, which was more warlike and tragic, to shape the character's arc.

The Order of the Valkyries: An Elite Group of Asgardian Warriors

The Valkyries are not ordinary soldiers: they form an elite unit trained for the most perilous missions across the Nine Realms. Their role recalls that of the Valkyries in Norse mythology, figures tasked with choosing which fallen warriors deserve to join Valhalla.

Exceptional training

Each Valkyrie is skilled in sword combat, rides winged horses capable of traveling between realms, and possesses longevity and strength far greater than those of humans, like other Asgardians. Their distinctive armor, adorned with golden patterns on a dark background, made them immediately recognizable on the battlefields of the Nine Realms.

A strict hierarchy

Placed directly under Odin's authority, the Valkyries also followed Hela's orders when she served as the kingdom's executioner. This tragic proximity would seal their fate: those who had fought at her side would become her first victims on the day Odin chose to banish her.

The massacre: how Hela annihilated the Valkyries

The character's turning point comes in an instant, recounted in a flashback in Thor: Ragnarok. Hela, Odin's eldest daughter and former goddess of death, was imprisoned for centuries after her father judged her ambitions of conquest too dangerous for Asgard. Upon her release, she faces the entire Order of Valkyries sent to stop her.

The scene is brutal: Hela wipes out the entire unit in a matter of seconds, leaving her former sisters-in-arms no chance. Brunnhilde helplessly witnesses the deaths of all her fellow warriors. She is the sole survivor, saved by flight rather than victory—a fact that will haunt her for centuries. This defining trauma largely explains the character we later discover on Sakaar: cynical, distrustful, and deliberately avoiding anything that could bring her back to Asgard.

To fully understand the threat Hela posed, our article on Hela, the goddess of death who threatened Asgard details her rise and fall against Thor and Valkyrie united.

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The Last Survivor: Exile, Sakaar, and Alcoholism

After the massacre, Brunnhilde never returns to Asgard. She wanders through the Nine Realms before being drawn through a portal to Sakaar, the trash planet ruled by the Grandmaster where all the lost objects and beings in the universe end up. There, she becomes a bounty hunter, capturing fighters for the Grandmaster’s arenas in exchange for drink and oblivion.

This part of the story is essential: the MCU offers one of the few direct portrayals of addiction in a heroic character. Far from being merely a badass warrior, the Valkyrie Thor meets is broken, deliberately isolated, and categorically refuses to be called by her former title. It is precisely this rejection of her past that makes her redemption arc so powerful when she chooses, at the end of the film, to take up her armor and sword again to defend her people.

To put Sakaar and the Grandmaster’s role in this part of the story into context, the article The Marvel Multiverse Explained Simply helps explain how these remote worlds connect with Asgard and Earth.

Thor: Ragnarok, the Return to Battle

An Explosive Encounter

Thor arrives on Sakaar as a prisoner destined for the arenas, captured by Valkyrie herself. Their relationship therefore begins as a power struggle before developing into an alliance of convenience and then a genuine battle friendship. After learning about her past, Thor encourages her to take up arms against Hela, the same threat that destroyed everything she loved.

The Final Battle Against Hela

The film’s climax sees Valkyrie face Hela once again, this time armed with Dragonfang, her legendary sword, and riding her recovered winged horse. Although the one-on-one fight is not enough to defeat Hela (Surtur’s intervention and the destruction of Asgard itself are required), Valkyrie proves that she has become the warrior she once was, this time without running away.

To learn everything about the realm she has sworn to protect, our comprehensive guide Asgard and the Nine Realms details the geography, politics, and major figures of this world.

Valkyrie Today: Endgame and Love and Thunder

After the destruction of Asgard and the founding of New Asgard in Norway, Valkyrie naturally becomes the protector of what remains of the Asgardian people. She survives Thanos's Snap and takes part in the final battle in Avengers: Endgame, alongside Thor and the rest of the surviving heroes.

In Thor: Love and Thunder, Thor officially entrusts the throne of New Asgard to Valkyrie before setting off on another adventure. She thus becomes King (she refuses the title of “Queen,” which she considers too restrictive) of a people she once fled. To explore this period of her reign and her personal evolution in greater depth, our article Valkyrie: Asgardian Warrior Turned Queen takes an in-depth look at this new chapter in her life.

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Valkyrie's Powers and Equipment

Valkyrie does not possess magical powers comparable to those of Thor or Hela. Her strength lies above all in her training, centuries of combat experience, and exceptional equipment passed down by the Valkyries.

Although less spectacular than Mjolnir or the Gauntlet, this arsenal was enough for Valkyrie to hold her own against cosmic threats. Indeed, debates about how she compares with other iconic warriors are common: our comparison Valkyrie vs. Okoye: Legendary Warriors Showdown puts her fighting style in perspective against the general of Wakanda.

Valkyrie in the comics vs. in the MCU

In the comics, the character of Valkyrie has had multiple incarnations, with Brunnhilde remaining the best known: a warrior merged with a mystical entity called “Valkyrie” that chose the souls destined for Valhalla. The MCU considerably simplified this mythology, turning her into a full-fledged Asgardian without a supernatural connection to death, while retaining the essentials: her status as a commander and her tragic link to the vanished Order.

Another notable difference is that in the comics, Valkyrie has often been associated with the Defenders rather than the Avengers, whereas the MCU integrates her directly into Thor’s orbit and the team. This adaptation creates a smoother narrative continuity with the rest of the Avengers saga and explains why the character takes on an increasingly central role as the franchise progresses.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Valkyrie immortal?

No, she is not immortal, but like all Asgardians, she benefits from an extremely long lifespan spanning several centuries, as well as physical resilience far greater than that of humans.

Why does Valkyrie refuse to be called “Queen”?

In Thor: Love and Thunder, she explains that she prefers the title “King,” which she considers more faithful to her role as a martial leader than to a purely symbolic or ceremonial position.

What Remains of the Valkyrie Order Today?

In the MCU, Brunnhilde is presented as the last known survivor of the Order. No other Valkyrie survived the massacre orchestrated by Hela, making her the sole guardian of this legacy.

Does Valkyrie Have Magical Powers?

No, unlike Thor or Hela, her abilities are based on her training, natural Asgardian strength, and equipment—especially her Dragonfang sword—rather than any kind of magic.

Will Valkyrie Appear in the Next Avengers Movies?

As the King of New Asgard and Thor's longtime ally, she remains a key character in the MCU's Asgardian universe, with the potential to return in upcoming phases focused on cosmic threats.

To Explore the Avengers Universe Further

• Thor: God of Thunder, Origins and Powers
• Mjolnir: Thor's Hammer, History and Powers of an Iconic Weapon
• The Bifrost: How Asgard's Rainbow Bridge Works
• Odin: King of Asgard and Thor's Father
• All Avengers Heroes: Complete Character Guide

Key Takeaways

Valkyrie is much more than a badass warrior encountered on Sakaar: she is a survivor marked by the loss of her entire order, whose path to redemption remains one of the strongest in the Thor saga. From the formation of the Valkyries to the throne of New Asgard, her story perfectly illustrates how the MCU can transform a secondary comics character into a central figure in its cinematic universe.

To continue exploring the Asgardian universe and complete your collection, head to our Avengers Figurines, Avengers Posters, and Avengers Replicas sections, as well as our All Avengers Heroes, Avengers Cosplay, and Avengers Lamps collections to light up your home in the colors of the Nine Realms.