The 10 Most Powerful Norse Gods and Goddesses

They were followers of Norse mythology, which involved hundreds of ancient gods, goddesses, giants, and various other creatures. Here are the ten most powerful of the Norse gods and goddesses who stood far above the rest.

Odin

You can’t have a list of powerful Norse gods and not include the King of the Aesir gods himself. Odin was one of three brothers that were responsible for taking down Ymir, a hermaphrodictic Giant and source of the Earth according to Norse mythology. This feat alone should be enough to earn him the status of being one of the most powerful Norse gods ever. On top of that, he was also one of the wisest of all Norse beings and father to the all-powerful god, Thor.

Thor

Speaking of the god of thunder, Thor is one of the most well-known Norse gods, which is largely due to the popularity of his character in the Marvel movies. Thor was tasked with guarding Asgard, the stronghold of the gods and goddesses. He also wielded one of the most powerful weapons in the universe, Mjölnir his unique hammer, which was capable of leveling mountains and slaying giants.

Balder

What made this god of light and purity so powerful was not only his status as the half-brother of Thor but also his ability to be impervious to everything on earth except for mistletoe. For much of his life, the god wandered around besting almost everyone and everything until he was unfortunately killed by his twin brother, Hodr, using the aforementioned mistletoe.

Loki

This famous trickster deity might not be viewed as traditionally powerful but was nonetheless powerful in many other ways. While he was not especially strong, he was directly or indirectly responsible for the death of numerous Norse gods and goddesses, including providing the deadly mistletoe that killed Balder, making him a very powerful force.

Hel

To be the ruler of the underworld, you have to be a pretty powerful and terrifying individual. That is exactly what the goddess Hel was. Being the daughter of Loki already made her very powerful. However, in her realm of the underworld, this half-decaying goddess was said to be even more powerful than Odin and many other Norse gods.

Tyr

Being the god of war requires you to be very powerful. Luckily, Tyr was widely known as an extremely powerful being. He managed to win countless battles, many of which occurred while he had only one arm. He lost the other one while trying to fight a giant wolf named Fenrir, who also happened to be the son of Loki.

Heimdall

While Thor may have been the one who fought off any major threats to Asgard, Heimdall was the one who kept a constant eye out for any approaching danger. He was able to do this and gain his title as one of the most powerful gods thanks to his ability to see for hundreds of miles away.

Vidar

Yet another one of Odin’s sons turns out to be an extremely powerful god. It is believed that Vidar was the strongest among all men or gods, except for Thor. He proved his power during Ragnarok when he killed Loki’s giant wolf-son, Fenrir.

Elli

This goddess of old age has a level of power that does not match her appearance. Although she takes the form of an old woman, her strength was undeniable as she was able to defeat Thor in a wrestling match orchestrated by Loki.

Vali

The other half-brother of Thor proved to be quite the warrior himself. Considering the fact that he was born solely to kill his brother Hodr, the god Vali needed quite a bit of strength. He ended up being so powerful that he managed to be one of the few Norse gods that actually survived Ragnarok.

Together these ten Norse gods and goddesses make up the most powerful beings in Norse mythology. There’s no better place to learn more about these Norse gods and goddesses than the land that they once ruled. If you are ready for a Viking Adventure in Norway, find out how to Go Viking in Norway here!