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Modi Thorson

Modi Thorson The God of Courage


Omega (God of War 2018)

This article contains lore based on real-life sources from Norse Mythology as introduced from the God of War Norse Era.


And where do you think you’re going? Oh No. Brother! The Little freak’s got a bow! What are we gonna do?”

–Modi

Modi (Old Norse: Móði, Nordic: ᛗᛟᛞᛁ) also known as Modi Thorson (Translation: Modi, Son of Thor) was the Norse God of Courage and Wrath. Son of Thor and presumably Sif, grandson of Odin and Fjörgyn, nephew of Baldur, the younger half-brother of Magni, and older brother of Thrúd. He is the secondary antagonist of God of War (2018). Modi and his half-brother both followed their uncle Baldur in his quest to find and kill Kratos and Atreus.

Codex Description[]

Modi is the younger son of Thor, and a relentless creep. He also can shoot lightning, and uses a mace and shield. He ran off after father killed his brother, Magni, but I bet we haven't seen the last of him. I'll kill him the next time I see him.

- Atreus

Norse Mythology[]

In Norse Mythology, Móði (anglicized Módi or Mothi) is the son of Thor. There are no mentioning of Modi's mother. Unlike Magni, Modi was never mentioned in many Norse texts and lore.

Modi and his brother Magni were mentioned among the few survivors of Ragnarök in the Poetic Edda Vafþrúðnismál. After Thor’s death at the hands of Jörmungandr, they inherit his hammer Mjörnir.

In the God of War Series[]

Modi was the son of Thor and possibly Sif. He is the grandson of Odin and Fjörgyn, the nephew of Baldur and the younger half-brother of Thor's first son, Magni. Modi, together with Magni, in their childhood, listened to their parents as they told stories to them by the fire and were given freshly-carved wooden horses. They would then would play and laugh until the sun went down and Modi and Magni would then sleep on their parents' laps.

Together in their youth, the two — no taller than shrubs — managed to rescue their father after he had accidentally got himself trapped underneath the corpse of the Stone Giant Hrungnir, shortly after he had killed him. However, while nobody was looking at the time, Magni and Modi succeeded where everyone else in Odin’s court had failed by effortlessly lifting Hrungnir’s body off of Thor. Unfortunately, the only one to witness the two was Odin’s advisor, Mimir. In the end, Magni was given all of the credit for the deed simply because he was noticed first since he was the blonder of the duo. Having failed to receive little-to-no praise for his accomplishment, Modi was left immensely bitter and resentful due to having been overshadowed by Magni.

Growing up, Magni would be regarded as Thor’s favourite son while Modi would be simply regarded as nothing more than Thor’s second son and Magni’s brother alone. In addition, due to Thor’s favouritism of Magni, Modi was treated little more than a lesser son by his father, causing him to develop an inferiority complex from living in Magni’s shadow. As a result, Modi strived to one day outdo his older brother and impress his father by proving himself worthy of inheriting Thor’s prized hammer Mjolnir.

During the Aesir-Vanir War, Magni along with his brother took part in a battle and together, they fought and killed the Vanir goddess Nerthus.

God of War (2018)[]

After their uncle is defeated in battle by a man suspected of being the Guardian, Magni and Modi are summoned by Baldur to aid him in his hunt for his target. The three travel to Midgard where they seek advice from the now-imprisoned Mimir. Mimir is shocked and amused that “the sons of Thor“ have graced him with their presence and mockingly asks if the two are still tripping over themselves “trying to impress daddy“. The three try to get answers out of Mimir on the whereabouts of Kratos and his young son Atreus, with Baldur even offering to speak to Odin himself on Mimir’s behalf and attempt to have Mimir released but Mimir, knowing too well Odin will never free him, refuses to help and simply orders Baldur to leave as well as take the “two worthless wankers” with him. Frustrated, Baldur leaves but not before Modi threatens to return later and steal Mimir's other eye. The two siblings‘ conversion subsequently annoys Baldur to the point he orders them to shut up and calls them “idiots“.

Shortly afterwards, Magni and Modi split up from their uncle in order to hunt Kratos and Atreus. Having witnessed the Frost Giant Thamur’s hammer suddenly fall for no apparent reason and destroy the entire frozen plain, the two decide to investigate the area; correctly assuming that their enemies are there too. Continuing to search the area, Modi brings up his distrust for his uncle by mentioning Baldur hasn’t seen straight in years but Magni states that since Thor trusts them, they must trust him as well. Modi sarcastically notes that they cannot disappoint their father, which Magni responds with an annoyed tone of voice.

Just as Kratos and Atreus arrive with the now severed head of Mimir to claim a piece of Thamur’s chisel, they are spotted by Magni and Modi and quickly ambushed. Magni orders the father and son to surrender but Kratos refuses to comply thereby starting a brawl between them and the sons of Thor. Modi introduces himself by jumping down from up above and blocking Atreus’ escape. Sadistically amused by the mere sight of Atreus, Modi takes advantage of the fight by proceeding to mercilessly mock Atreus constantly throughout the battle; taking immoral pleasure in insulting the young boy and trying to get a rise out of him. The fight, however, takes a drastic turn when Kratos manages to kill Magni by embedding his axe into Magni’s face. Visibly distraught by the death of his older half-brother having taken place right in front of him (as well as given by the fact the two believed themselves to be incapable of dying), a horrified Modi backs away from Kratos in fear while struggling to speak in terror and anger. After being shot with several arrows by Atreus, Modi turns tail and runs away; disappearing over the side of the cliff and into the bellows of the canyon.

With Magni now gone, Modi realizes that he will now receive Mjölnir simply by default and will forever be regarded as a joke by the Aesir. Refusing to let this fate come to pass, Modi tries to avenge his brother at Tyr's Temple. Ambushing Kratos and Atreus while they were preoccupied with trying to enter Tyr’s secret chambers, Modi summons a lightning bolt and disables the two. With the two down, Modi enters and begins to continuously electrocute Kratos with his mace while Atreus helplessly looks on. Modi furiously proclaims that Kratos ruined everything and disturbingly taunts Atreus by stating he will be his “new little brother“. Enraged, Atreus attempts to activate his inner rage to try and save his father only to suddenly fall unexpectedly into a coma, providing Kratos with the much-needed opportunity (and motivation) to overpower and disarm Modi, forcing the cowardly demigod to flee once again.

Following this, he flees to Asgard, where his father, Thor, believed that he left Magni to die and severely beats him for his cowardice.

Death[]

Thor... blamed me... ME...for what you did to Magni. My own father called me a coward...

–Modi to Kratos and Atreus after getting beaten by Thor

Broken both physically and mentally, Modi returns to Midgard in order to redeem himself. He attempts to confront Kratos and Atreus again while they were inside the mountain, but he is too badly injured to do anything. While Kratos saw no reason to kill him, Atreus begged to differ. Having been told by his father that he was a God, Atreus, in his arrogance wished to kill Modi out of revenge; remarking that as Gods, they could do whatever they wanted. With nothing left to live for, Modi proceeded to make one last particularly vulgar insult towards Faye, which resulted in Atreus stabbing him in the neck before kicking him into a chasm, presumably killing him before Kratos could intervene.

Aftermath[]

"This is for Modi!"
"You put him last, even in death."
"The fuck you say?"
"Modi sought us in fear of you. He died of the wounds you gave him."
"Oh. We got a MODEL FATHER here."

–Thor and Kratos battling one another

Atreus’ killing of Modi would go to serve as one of the major, if not, primarily catalyst for Atreus‘ growing hubris. Modi‘s death would particularly come to haunt Atreus after he and his father accidentally ended up in Helheim. While in the City of the Dead, Atreus was tortured with visions of his recent arrogance: him mercilessly killing Modi before callously kicking him into the abyss. Though while Modi may have given Atreus a reason to be so arrogant, Modi’s death also gave Atreus reason to become more humble and eventually reconcile with his father. After completing their journey, Atreus has a dream where at some point in the future, Thor attacks Kratos and Atreus at their home to avenge the deaths of his brother and sons.

Three years later during a fight against Thor, Kratos accuses the God of Thunder of not truly caring for Modi, proclaiming that the latter died because his own father had beaten him for his failures, and only sought Kratos and Atreus out of fear of what Thor would do if he did not. This, however was an insult towards Thor. In Muspelheim, he pins Atreus to a rock wall with Mjolnir, acknowledging that despite Modi's shortcomings, he was still his son and could never forgive Atreus for his death.

Moreover, Modi's death is what caused Sif to harbor a strong hatred for Atreus as whenever she would see him she would always act icy towards him, as she never forgave the young Jötunn for killing Modi. However, during and after Ragnarök, Sif had let go of her hatred upon seeing how Odin has been mistreating his family and practically sent her sons to die. Thrúd, Modi's sister, had stated that she and her family were better off without him, though she would later grip his shield in mourning, suggesting that she was simply hiding her grief.

God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla[]

While Kratos is in Valhalla, the hall takes advantage of Kratos' past battles and an illusion of Modi appears, who engages the former in combat. Unlike the real Modi, his illusionary version wields additional lightning abilities: this includes summoning lightning from the sky while banging on his shield, shooting lightning from his mace, which can incapacitate Kratos, making electric energy disperse from his shield by slamming it onto the ground, shooting lightning balls that can also incapacitate the Spartan, as well as warp into electric energy in order to move swiftly from one position to the next. After Kratos defeats him, Modi will fade away and then explode in a burst of electric energy.

After defeating both illusions of Magni and Modi, Kratos realizes that the reason Valhalla was summoning them in particular was due to Kratos understanding that if he had raised Atreus as he had been raised in Sparta, Atreus would have likely become no better than the sons of Thor. This causes Kratos to pity the two on how little chance of being decent Gods they truly had: beaten by their father, sent to die by their uncle and belittled in death by their grandfather, causing Kratos to realize that by giving their illusions a fair fight, he was giving them the honor in death that they never received in life.

When Kratos later told of his encounter with Magni and Modi to Sigrún, the Valkyrie assures that it is not really him as Valhalla takes advantage of the Spartan's past fights.

Description[]

Modi is tall and has a heavily muscular build much like other Aesir, he is seen being only slightly shorter to Kratos.

He looks much more like his father than Magni, having ice-blue eyes, red hair, and a beard that covers half of his face. He has two braids in his French Fork style beard, by his chin, like Magni. Modi wears brown fur-edged leather shoes, blue-colored pants with knee protectors, and an armored loincloth with belly armor held by two brown belts. On his upper body, he wears stick fur which cowers his back to waist added to nuclease-like holder around his neck while his chest is exposed and covered in an Elder Futhark tattoo. Modi also has armor on his shoulders that span to his forearms, along with several small leather bracelets.

Personality[]

Wow kid, your mother must have been some whore to lay with the likes of him.

–Modi taunting Atreus.

Modi was perpetually bitter about unfairly living in his brother's shadow, and like his fellow Aesir, was very cruel and sadistic, showcased when he and Magni threatened Mimir of returning "when no one is looking" and removing his remaining eye for not helping them locate Kratos and his son. He is also extremely rude, vulgar and impulsive, perhaps more so than his brother, constantly insulting Faye many times during his battle with Kratos and Atreus, much to the latter's infuriation. Even in his final moments, Modi held his immature personality to the end, as he continued to goad and taunt Atreus right before being stabbed in the neck.

He and his brother tended to bicker but were of course close to a point, specifically shown with Modi's anguish after witnessing Kratos killing his brother. However, it should be noted that he subsequently seemed to be more concerned over his own reputation following his brother's death, rather than Magni's actual demise. Despite their childishness, together in battle, the duo were a formidable force. Both brothers also had a reputation of apparently low intelligence, as they were constantly called idiots/fools by a number of characters, such as Baldur, Mimir, Kratos, and Sindri, the latter whom referred to them as "Thor's idiot sons" and called Modi a "dung heap".

Much like his brother, but far more so, Modi is utterly desperate to please and impress his father, the legendary Thor, and earn the right to wield his hammer, Mjölnir. As such, Modi is extremely insecure about proving himself the one to rightfully earn his father's hammer, specifically due to Thor's favouritism over Magni. As such, his rudeness and vulgarity could be seen as a result of this inferiority complex. When Kratos killed Magni, Modi believed that since his more favored brother was gone, he would only get the famed hammer by default, rather than proving himself worthy. As a result, Modi would think that everyone, particularly the Aesir, would see him as a joke, rather than as the worthy heir to Thor. With this result, Thor brutally beat and blamed Modi for letting Magni die, as well as brand Modi a coward.

Despite being loyal to Baldur, Modi still expressed a level of distrust towards him, citing that "Uncle hasn't seen straight in years".

Only after his beloved, yet rival, brother is killed did he come to fear Kratos, and his cocky personality was soon tinged with cowardliness, immediately fleeing for his life after the shock of his brother's death. This was furthered after he successfully ambushed Kratos and Atreus in Tyr's Temple after his brother's death and then fleeing yet again when Kratos managed to overcome his lightning attack. As such, it is ironic that Modi's own name translates to "courage".

You call this a challenge? An old man and this stillborn lamb?

–Modi to Magni fighting against Kratos and Atreus.

Modi is largely a dishonorable sadist, as he takes enjoyment in tormenting Atreus about Faye and asks Magni if he can get "the kid" when they find him and Kratos. It's not entirely certain about Modi's intentions towards Atreus but it is likely that Modi prefers to fight those who are weaker or more vulnerable than himself, only participating in fights that guarantee his survival, unlike Magni who is confident in his abilities and likes a challenge. This is also shown with Mimir, as Modi stays behind to taunt him while he was stuck in the tree.

Relationships[]

Odin[]

Dying is what we Aesir live for. And let's be honest, they were kinda useless.

–Odin about Magni and Modi.

It is evident that Modi did not hold a significant place in Odin's regard for various reasons. Firstly, being the son of Thor did not particularly elevate Modi's status in Odin's eyes. The All-Father had never esteemed his eldest son highly, and this perception extended to his grandsons, Magni and Modi. Moreover, their reputation as lacking intelligence and relying solely on brute force across the Nine Realms did little to improve their standing with Odin.

Secondly, Odin was unimpressed by Modi's and Magni's lack of magical prowess and their reliance on physical strength alone. This reliance on brute force made them unreliable in Odin's eyes, especially when he sought individuals with determination and independence. Despite their destiny to inherit Mjölnir, Odin likely never deemed them worthy of wielding the powerful hammer. Consequently, Modi and Magni lived in the shadow of their uncle Thor, relegating them to the status of second-rate deities.

During an encounter in Midgard at Kratos' Cabin, Odin openly expressed his disdain for Magni and Modi, disparaging his son Thor in the process. This attitude likely contributed to turning Sif against him, as she never forgave Odin for the deaths of Modi and Magni. It is plausible that Odin held a similar lack of regard for his granddaughter, suggesting to Sif that she was capable of making her own mistakes, even if they could lead to her demise.

However, despite Odin's generally dismissive attitude towards his grandchildren, there were moments that hinted at a shred of care. For instance, when Thrúd attempted to avenge Thor, Odin chose to incapacitate her rather than outright killing her, suggesting that he still retained some level of concern for her well-being.

Thor[]

Listen, Modi had some problems, but he was my son. And the only reason you aren't mush right now is because of that broken piece of wood.

–Thor to Atreus

Modi's relationship with his father, Thor, was fraught with complexity, marked by a blend of admiration, competition, and disappointment. As the son of the renowned God of Thunder, Modi grew up in an environment saturated with violence, where combat prowess was highly valued and strength was paramount.

From the outset, Modi found himself overshadowed by his half-brother, Magni, in Thor's eyes. Despite Thor's initial hopes for Modi to embody courage, it became evident that Modi struggled with feelings of jealousy towards Magni and faltered in demonstrating the bravery expected of him. This led to Modi being held in low esteem by Thor and the other Aesir, a fact that brought embarrassment to Thor as the head of the family.

The tragic death of Magni at the hands of Kratos only served to exacerbate Modi's strained relationship with Thor. Thor's shock quickly gave way to anger, and he directed his fury towards Modi, blaming him for his brother's demise and viewing it as a reflection of Modi's cowardice and failure. Thor's disappointment in Modi's perceived weaknesses ignited his rage, culminating in a violent confrontation between father and son.

The loss of both sons took a toll on Thor, despite his outward stoicism. He grappled with feelings of guilt and responsibility for their fate, struggling to reconcile the fact that his sons had not lived up to the expectations placed upon them. The deaths of Magni and Modi also strained Thor's relationship with Sif, who began to question his loyalty to Odin in the face of such tragedy.

Despite Thor's harsh treatment of Modi and his tough exterior, his love for his sons remained unwavering. In private moments, Thor wrestled with his emotions, blaming himself for their failures and the consequences that ensued. Ultimately, beneath the thunderous exterior lay a father who deeply cared for his sons, even if he struggled to express it in a conventional manner.

Sif[]

Modi's relationship with his mother, Sif, was characterized by a mix of affection, disappointment, and eventual defiance. As a caring mother, Sif deeply loved Modi and his brother Magni, despite not being Magni's biological mother, and treated Magni as her own just like she did with her biological son Modi. She cherished the moments spent with her sons, telling them stories by the fire until they fell asleep in her lap.

However, tragedy struck with the deaths of Magni and Modi, leading to a significant shift in Sif's feelings towards Odin, Thor's father, and the Aesir's patriarch. Sif blamed Odin for sending her sons on a mission that ended in their demise, feeling betrayed by his indifference to their fate. This loss deeply affected Sif, causing her to question the toxic parenting styles inherited from Odin and leading her to adopt a gentler approach with her daughter Thrúd.

Sif's grief over Modi's death transformed into defiance against Odin's authority. She began to challenge Odin's decisions and priorities, advocating for the protection of her family over appeasing the All-Father. Despite facing resistance, particularly from Thor, Sif remained steadfast in her determination to shield her loved ones from Odin's influence.

Additionally, Sif initially harbored resentment towards Atreus, blaming him for the deaths of her sons and the dangers he posed to the Aesir. However, as she came to recognize the true extent of Odin's manipulation and cruelty, she softened her stance towards Atreus, viewing him as an ally in their struggle against Odin's tyranny.

Throughout these trials, Sif's love for Modi remained unwavering, driving her to challenge the gods and protect her family, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

Týr[]

There isn't much information available about Modi's relationship with his Týr. However, given Týr's known affinities with the Jötnar, traditional enemies of the Aesir, it's likely that this aspect of his character didn't sit well with Modi and his brother Magni. Týr's alignment with those whom the Aesir have historically opposed might have caused some tension or distrust between them.

Heimdall[]

Given their reputation as perfect idiots across the Nine Realms, it's probable that Heimdall, the God of Foresight, held a similarly low opinion of Thor's sons, including Modi. While there's limited information about their specific interactions in the series, the widespread perception of Magni and Modi as lacking intelligence suggests that Heimdall may not have had much respect for them. Additionally, Odin's negative opinion of Magni and Modi likely influenced Heimdall's perspective, as Odin's leniency compared to Heimdall's typically stern demeanor suggests that Heimdall may have been even more critical of the brothers.

Baldur[]

Baldur doesn't mince words when it comes to his assessment of his nephews, Magni and Modi, whom he readily labels as "idiots," despite their strength and skill. Despite this, he still utilizes them as his lackeys, suggesting a somewhat utilitarian approach to their abilities.

While Magni remains loyal to Baldur, likely due to Thor's trust in him, Modi openly expresses skepticism about his uncle's mental state, noting that Baldur hasn't been sane for years. Despite his reservations, Modi still follows Baldur's orders, showing a sense of loyalty akin to his brother Magni.

Baldur, Magni and Modi

Modi and his brother Magni, with their uncle Baldur, interrogating Mimir looking for Kratos and Atreus

Magni[]

You ruined everything. I earned that fucking hammer, but now everyone's gonna think I only got it 'cause Magni's gone. I'll be a joke. But if I kill you no one's gonna laugh at me.

–Modi to Kratos

Magni's relationship with his younger half-brother, Modi, is a complex one, shaped by the harsh upbringing they endured within the flawed legacy of the Aesir. Raised together amidst neglect and physical abuse, both brothers received the same training, but Modi gradually came to realize that Magni was favored over him. Regardless of their collective efforts, Magni consistently received all the credit, fueling Modi's growing bitterness and jealousy towards his older half-brother.

The realization that only one of them could inherit their father's legendary hammer, Mjölnir, further intensified Modi's feelings of resentment and fueled his erratic behavior. Despite these jealousies, there remained an underlying love for his brother within Modi. This love was evident when he witnessed Magni's brutal death firsthand, experiencing fear and horror at the loss. In that moment, Modi knew he would likely be blamed for his brother's death, yet he still grappled with the reality of losing his sibling and the looming prospect of inheriting their father's hammer.

Despite his misguided concerns and the complexities of their relationship, there is no denying that Modi harbored a genuine love for his brother, even amidst the bitterness and jealousy that colored their interactions.

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Modi and his brother Magni

Thrúd[]

"Relax. You've got some pretty small shoes to fill. We're better off without him, Loki."

–Thrúd about Modi to Atreus

Modi's relationship with his sister Thrúd, is marked by ambiguity and potential conflict. While not explicitly detailed, it's hinted that Thrúd may have had a strained relationship with Modi, possibly involving instances of bullying when they were younger. Despite this, Thrúd is shown to be saddened by the loss of both Modi and Magni, albeit with a belief that their absence ultimately improved the family dynamic.

Forseti[]

T.B.A.

Powers & Abilities[]

As a son of Thor, Modi was a powerful Norse God, though only regarded as a minor Aesir by Mimir. As such, he is still surpassed by his grandfather Odin, father Thor, uncle Baldur, as well as his own brother Magni.

Powers[]

  • Superhuman Strength: As the son of Thor, Modi possesses godly strength, though not to the same extent as his half-brother, uncles, father or grandfather. It was said by Mimir that when Thor was trapped beneath Hrungnir's corpse, none could lift the giant off of him, until Magni and Modi, as mere children, easily hurled the stone giant off of Thor.
  • Superhuman Durability: Modi is extremely durable, taking harsh punishment from Kratos and Atreus' attacks. He was able to withstand a beating from his own father Thor, although he was left weakened and bruised.
  • Immortality: As an Aesir God, Modi was immortal and impervious to aging. However, he could still be killed by sufficient injury. Atreus was able to kill him with a simple knife only after Modi had been beaten to the brink of death by Thor.
  • Electrokinesis: Due to being a son of Thor, Modi has an affinity with lightning and electricity, as he is able to generate electricity from his body, thus allowing him to send strong electrical shocks through his mace and others on contact. Since Modi is not as strong as his brother Magni, Modi is more skillful in using lightning, as he can use it more effectively than his brother such as throwing a ball of lightning that explodes upon physical contact to the ground or the opponent, or shooting a ray of lightning to the opponent that saps their life away. Modi can combine his power with Magni's to perform more powerful moves such as a lightning slam that covers a large radius. The power of his lightning is enough to stun Kratos and drop him to his knees for a few moments, though the effect was short-lived after Kratos gave into his rage.

Abilities[]

  • Master Combatant: Modi, much like his brother, is a highly skilled and experienced warrior with decades of training and battles and was able to give Kratos and Atreus a challenge yet due to his cowardice, he prefers to refrain from fights that he deems too dangerous or prefers to fight with opponents weaker than him, as he mostly tries to fight with Atreus instead of Kratos but will assist his brother when having a chance.
    • Mace Mastery: Modi is incredibly skilled with his mace, being able to strike hard and surprisingly fast, which he can further strengthen with his lightning and can use it for a long-range strike.

Weapons[]

  • Mace and Shield: Modi carries both a one-handed medieval mace and a square metal shield. As such, Modi is skilled in offense and defense when in combat. When used in conjunction with his electrokinesis, Modi is able to charge either the mace or the shield with lightning and wield them with great effect such as charging with the shield or throwing electrical orbs from the mace. He can also shoot lightning from the mace as well, as demonstrated when he continuously electrocuted Kratos inside Týr's Temple. In addition, the mace also allows Modi to summon a "snowblind" together with his brother. His weapons were declared knockoffs of Mjölnir that was crafted by Brok and Sindri for Thor.
  • Dagger: Modi carries a small dagger in a blue sheath on his lower back.

Appearances[]

Gallery[]

Concept Art[]

Trivia[]

  • According to Sindri, Magni and Modi have a sister but he is cut off by Kratos so he can get useful and relevant information about Magni and Modi.
  • In Norse Mythology, Magni and Modi are mentioned among the survivors of Ragnarök.
  • Modi is the second God in God of War (2018) to be killed, not by Kratos, but his son Atreus.
  • Modi (Móði) ironically means “Courage“. In reality, Modi is a coward who prefers to fight weaker opponents i.e., children, e.g., Atreus and flees when the tables are turned and the odds aren't in his favor anymore such as when Kratos killed his older brother.
    • Coincidentally; in Norse Mythology, Magni and Modi were deliberately named as such because they were meant to embody their father's features. Even more ironically, his own father Thor called Modi a coward and consequently severely beat him for running away and failing to save his older brother and Thor’s favored son. 
  • During the course battle, the pair of them will shout "ÓÐR BRÓÐIR BLINDR!" ÓÐR means mental faculties or voice in Old Norse. BRÓÐIR is obviously brother, and BLINDR means blind. So, it could mean "brother's voice of blinding" or "brother's blinding voice". As Magni and Modi are brothers, this makes sense, as well as the fact it blinds the target.
    • "ÓÐR" often translates to "frenzy" or "fury" when used as an adjective. With this in mind, the chant can mean "brother's blind frenzy" or "brother's blind fury". The snowblind acts as a divide and conquer strategy. Where you'd separate your enemies to prevent cooperation and pick them off individually. Or create enough dissent between your enemies to create self-destructive paranoia. In this case, the brothers wanted to separate Kratos and Atreus so they can kill them off individually while they were disorientated by the storm.
  • Modi is voiced by Nolan North, the voice of Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series. Magni is instead voiced by Troy Baker, who also voiced Nate's brother, Sam Drake in Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. North had appeared in the God of War franchise previously, having voiced Hades in God of War.
    • Modi being the younger brother of the two is somewhat ironic, as Nolan North (born 1970) is actually six years older than Troy Baker (born 1976).
    • Modi's mother, Sif is voiced by Emily Rose the voice of Elena Fisher in the Uncharted series who is Nathan's wife and Sam’s sister in law.
  • Sindri expresses a particular disliking for Modi, saying he would rather lick a rat than shake his hand. The exact reason for why he detests Modi in particular to such a degree is unknown, though this may simply due to Modi's barbarous nature.
  • It is implied that Modi is not favored by the Aesir, with feats of strength and bravery being attributed solely to Magni alone.
  • While bickering with his brother, he asks Magni that if they find them, he can keep Atreus to himself, to which Magni replies in disgust, "What is the matter with you?". After the first fight, Atreus writes in the Codex that he's a "creep". In the battle, he also tells Atreus, "Jealous? Want me all to yourself?" and "Got big plans for you, kid."
    • While trying to kill Kratos, he tells Atreus that he will be his "new brother" after he completes in doing so. This seems to suggest that he desires to feel superior as a "big brother", as all his life he is overshadowed by Magni.
  • Oddly, Modi's weapon is a medieval weapon. While simple clubs have been used throughout antiquity, what Modi uses did not get developed until well after the period in which he lives. His shield design (an overall square shape) was not used by any culture at any point in history and is largely fictitious.
    • The closest real-life square-shaped shield is the roman's Scutum. And even then, it's shape is rounded square and it's much larger than Modi's.
  • In Norse Mythology it is unclear what race Modi's mother was, given that she is not mentioned anywhere in mythology. Some scholars believe Sif is his mother, but it's unclear given the lack of lore around Modi.
  • Interestingly, Modi's design invokes Berserker imagery due to his armour being made from bear fur. In Viking mythology, Berserkers wore bear hide to grant themselves courage in the battlefield.
  • If Kratos fails to activate his Spartan Rage during the Quick Time Event, Modi yells "The halls of Asgard will sing with my name!".
  • Sindri's comment about Modi's mace suggests that Brok and Sindri had ceased all trading with the Aesir. It also amplifies how little Thor thought of Modi, as Thor might have approached the dwarves to make a weapon as reliable as Mjolnir for Magni and not for Modi.
  • The symbol on Modi's shield resembles the Ægishjálmur (Helm of Awe), a magical stave that surrounds the wearer with a tremendous power to terrify and subdue one's enemies. The power was said to be concentrated between the eyes and is associated with the power of serpents to paralyse their prey. This symbol is included in the Völsunga saga, as Sigurd takes the Ægishjálmur from Fafnir's horde after slaying him. In God of War, Fafnir is still alive and if Modi's shield is the Ægishjálmur from the legend then it's uncertain how Modi acquired it.
  • On the third part of the mural depicting Skoll and Hati, what appears to be Modi is seen alongside a man with a sword (possibly Freyr) and the giants opposing the Aesir.
  • A tweet from Santa Monica studios implied that Modi was responsible for the creation of Magni's sword even though they did not elaborate on whether or not Modi made the sword for Magni or was the one who gave the sword its magical properties, as Sindri described it as being "hardened by cyclonic thunder". The way Sindri comments on Modi's equipment indicates that he crafted his own weapons and based his mace on Mjölnir.


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