If we revisit Calliope, I think one of the most heartbreaking revelations will be that Lysandra most likely was armed with some kind of weapon by the time Kratos got to her and Calliope. She was 100% ready to die defending her daughter. She just never expected her husband to be the one slaughtering them.
One of the reasons I’m most excited for an Atreus spin off are all possible buddies he could get. Like, we got Angrboda, Thrúd, and Skjöldr making it a four friend group, but we gotta get that fifth member (and maybe sixth).
An alternative name for Hel that could tie her to Faye is Nal. In Norse mythology, Nal is another name for Laufey, but in GoW Nal is the wife of Bergelmir, one of the only survivors of Odin's first attempt to kill the Giants, and the first Queen of Jötunheim. Nal most likely died of old age surrounded by her many loved ones, which was sadly a rare feat for a Giant.
Not only would it tie to Hel's future as a queen, but I think it'd symbolize what her birth means for the Giants, and ultimately, Atreus and Angrboda's hopes for her: that her story is a happy one.
You know, I joked about Judas being about cancel culture as a joke but it's actually real. It's just BioShock: Not Elizabeth gets Cancelled On Twitter.com. I'm so excited.
Honestly, when Hel's born, I think that:
A.) The wolves would sense her birth and congregate together like the beginning of The Lion King.
B.) Atreus and Angrboda would absolutely present her like baby Simba to them.
"Kratos, Mimir, and Angrboda are going to leave Midgard because Atreus will need their help against enemy gods-" okay, but consider that Kratos, Mimir, and Angrboda are gonna leave Midgard to seek out Atreus because they need his help.
Think about what Kratos said before Atreus left: "we survived today because your choices. Who to trust. Who to call friend. Son, you are ready."
I'm not saying that Kratos saving Atreus from the next Big Bad wouldn't be a good story, but it just feels too predictable and not what SSM is setting up. Kratos sees his son as an equal now. By the time Atreus comes back, he's going to be a young adult. Atreus immediately getting captured by the next pantheon (mostly seen this with the Egyptian pantheon which... the series has established they're not really like that) and needing his dad to go rescue him just feels kinda lame. It also kinda proves Kratos' old viewpoint right.
I think it'd be a perfect bookend for their relationship if it was Kratos coming to Atreus for help, especially when their whole tension in Ragnarök was about Atreus wanting to protect Kratos (and them both hiding the truth from each other). I think when Kratos is inevitably at his lowest point, he's going to need Atreus to raise him up. Everyone will need the hope and light Atreus brings.
And I think that lowest point is going to be Tyr dying. Listen, I love him, but Valhalla gave him so many subtle death flags: him wanting Kratos to take his position as God of War, him helping Kratos find peace and enlightenment, the overall Jesus vibes... I think he's going to heroically sacrifice himself when fighting the next Big Bad and ascend to the Higher Plane of Existence.
I don’t even need Greek remasters, I’d pay full price for a Lion King 1 1/2 style cutscene compilation of Helios’ POV of the Greek saga with added commentary from Mimir and Tyr.
Sindri's line "leave it to the Dwarves to fix the Giants' mess" is such a low blow when he helped make the weapon that nearly killed the Jötnar off. He said it to hurt Atreus, but even words in grief can't be unsaid. Even Freya, as angry as she was, treated Calliope's death with nothing but respect when she could've used it to really hurt Kratos.
Sindri is on the precipice of going down a dangerous path. He doesn't even blink when it comes to hurting innocent Midgardians. I don't think he's going to be a villain, but I do think he's going to help the future main villain before getting a brutal reality check. Maybe the next villain will just be like him- lost in grief and taking out their self hatred on the world- and they enable the absolute worst in each other until it all finally comes to a head.
Him seeing the absolute disappointment and devastation in Atreus' eyes... Faye's eyes as he's finally confronted with what he helped take part in. And for once, he's relieved Brok is dead and can't see how far he's fallen.
Hel being in the center of Iði's medal is definitely a hint that she's going to be the most powerful of the 'siblings.' She has the potential to be one of the most powerful gods in the series. Fenrir and Jörmungandr seem to be even facing her in reverence. The granddaughter of The Last Guardian of the Jotnar and Ghost of Sparta, the daughter of the God of Chaos and Mother of Wolves, the future Queen of the Dead.
You just know that Angrboda calls Fenrir "Fenny-Fen-Fen."