This article contains lore based on real-life sources from Norse and Celtic Mythology as introduced in Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice.
| “ | ” |
| “ | The Northmen say that the defender of Muspell is called Surt, the foremost of the fire giants. His name means 'the black' one, because he is like something burnt. The Northmen believe that he sits at the border of Muspell with his flaming sword and at the end of the world he will leave his post, he will travel to Asgard and Midgard. Waging war against all the gods, he will be victorious and then burn the whole world with fire.
|
” |
Surtr, is a fire giant from the Norse world of Muspell and keeper of the Mark of Surtr. A towering beast that wields a sword doused in flame, he is one of two boss enemies that Senua must battle to open the gate to Helheim.
Appearance[]
Surtr's appearance is similar to the other illusion of the Northmen, though he is larger than standard enemies. He is a humanoid figure with a monstrous head--a burning pile of wicker that burrows into his skin and resembles a deer skull (much like the Warrior). The front of his bare torso is stained with blood dripping from his neck, and he wears a tunic around his waist. His weapon is a massive flaming sword, which he swings with one hand.
Gameplay[]
Surtr functions as a much tankier and resilient Warrior enemy, only utilising a handful of basic attacks at any given time:
- Overhead Slam: Surt swings his large sword over his head towards Senua. Blocking this will knock her to the ground.
- Three-Hit Combo: A set of three strikes that can be avoided, leaving Surt exposed.
- Fire Stomp: Surt will stomp forward, making fire appear in a small circle around him. Although the fire is damaging, it cannot stop Senua's movement.
- Grab: Surtr will reach out and try to grab Senua.
- Power Focus: Occasionally, Surtr wil pause and stab his sword into the ground to build up power. Attacking repeatedly will break him out of it; Focus can aid in breaking through his stance.
As the fight goes on, Surt's body will begin to char and burn the more damage Senua does to him, eventually igniting. While lit, Senua's attacks will hurt her instead. The only way to injure him is to Focus and douse the fire away.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice[]
Surt's path of destruction is foreshadowed in the numerous burned out husks of small settlements Senua must travel through, filled with burning bodies and charred corpses of raid victims and sacrifices to the fiery giant. Druth attests to witnessing some of these sacrifices himself during his captivity, admitting he could find no meaning or purpose in agony of the victims.
Norse mythology[]
Surt is foretold as being a major figure during the events of Ragnarök; carrying his flaming sword, he will go to battle against the Æsir, he will do battle with the god Freyr, and afterward the flames that he brings forth will engulf the Earth.
Surtr (Old Norse "black" "the swarthy one", Surtur in modern Icelandic), also sometimes written Surt in English, is a jötunn; he is the greatest of the fire giants, who serves as the guardian of Muspelheim which is along with Niflheim, the only two realms to exist before the beginning of time. Surtr is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In both sources, Surtr is foretold as being a major figure during the events of Ragnarök; carrying his bright sword, he will go to battle against the Æsir, he will battle the major god Freyr, and afterward the flames that he brings forth will engulf the Earth. In a book from the Prose Edda additional information is given about Surtr, including that he is stationed guarding the frontier of the fiery realm Múspell, that he will lead "Múspell's sons" to Ragnarök, and that he will defeat Freyr. Surtr has been the subject of place names and artistic depictions, and scholars have proposed theories regarding elements of Surtr's descriptions and his potential origins.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Immortality: Surtr, as a Fire Giant, is immortal, having lived for many millennia and coming from a land older than mankind. Only a sufficiently powerful weapon or an extremely powerful being like Senua can kill him.
- Superhuman Strenght: Surtr's strength surpasses that of any normal human. He was able to easily take Senua by the neck and throw her away.
- Superhuman Durability: Surtr is a powerful and resilient fire giant, capable of withstanding a significant amount of damage before being defeated. His body becomes more durable when he imbues it with muspell flames
- Supernatural Stamina: The fact that he never sleep in his life, Surtr must have limitless stamina as he constantly trains for centuries without any break, in order to prepare himself for Ragnarök. His stamina will allow him to stand against the full might of Asgard when Ragnarök comes.
- Pyrokinesis: As the God of fire, Surtr naturally possessed great power over his element.
- Fire Manipulation: Surtr was able to imbue his entire body and sword with flames.
- Darkness Manipulation: Surtr was able to imbue his entire body with darkness.
- Invulnerability: In this form, Surtr became immune to all of Senua's physical attacks.
Abilities[]
- Master Combatant: As a primordial Fire Giant, Surtr was a true warrior, having the ability to unleash extremely powerful attacks with his fiery sword.
- Sword Mastery: Surtr was able skillfully wield the Flaming sword.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Although the in game text refers to the giant's name as being Surt, the achievement for defeating him name him as Surtr. Surt is simple an alternative way of saying the name, according to the Old Norse language.