OH MY GOD I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO LOWKEY SHIPPED HILDISVÍNI AND SIF!!! The whole mending ties between the nations and realizing that they like each other as time goes on is so 😋

they’re great very slow slowburn material :D

This makes the two of us, then ;) Because admittedly, I wholeheartedly assumed it's my unapologetically pro-romance, "more girly interests and less male power fantasies in the media" self that invests in the potential of these two having a romantic relationship. On a serious note, a romantic arc with these characters opens innumerable possibilities for development and would serve as an excellent continuation of GowR message of moving on from toxic past and forging a better future of free will (first concept was the foundation of Freya's arc - especially Freya's missing peace side quest. Whereas the second one reflects Kratos and Atreus's journey - "so much to rebuild", Atreus embarking on his quest to find remaining giants; with Angrboda, yet again, honoring his decision and letting him go despite how difficult it was for her to part with him while also giving him the option to seek her out if he wanted to; hence gifting him her marble like he did his before).

Hildisvini is shown as a mentor type. He fulfilled a definite fatherly role for Freya and Freyr whereas with Atreus he didn't at all hold it against him that the latter mortally wounded him in his boar form (although that wound still gave Hildisvini trouble in his human form). Furthermore, he didn't baby or infantilize Atreus but rather saw him for a skilled young warrior with a lot of potential which he encouraged Atreus to use and treated him like an equal partner (another perfect mentor trait).

However, Hildisvini could benefit from abandoning the mentor role for a change and trying a different one, where he would have a partner-opponent whom he could have healthy and constructive arguments with and who would challenge him. Sif, showing her willingness to work with Hildisvini in the end in order to "rebuild" and create a better future, would, for her part, have the chance to partner with a self reliant and mentally independent man. A drastic change from her marriage to a passionate but spineless, easily manipulated late husband Thor. Who was never able break free from the toxic influence of his own father, even when he and Sif lost both sons because of Odin and were confronted with the risk of potentially losing their daughter. Who, despite being different and less self destructive than Magni and Modi, still absorbed her grandfather's problematic thinking and fell for his manipulations (such as when Thrud referred to Freya as Odin's "treacherous ex wife"). In that vein, Hildisvini's possible interactions with Thrud and an inevitable conflict would make for an interesting and necessary development for Thrud (as @stupidrant accurately pointed out in our recent exchange).

You're absolutely right about Hildisvini and Sif being a perfect slow burn material in a way that would logically fit into their story and characters as opposed to being a needlessly stretched out drama. Atreus and Angrboda, for instance, are more about open self expression and an unfolding in real time budding romance - the first such arc in Gow universe so far if I'm not mistaken (I've still yet to familiarize myself with the Greek saga), especially where first real and substantial feeling is concerned. Kratos and Faye were a classic "relationship of the past that the characters can never get back" (because - which is also a classical trope - one half of the pair has passed away) and that the leading character and the main story arc are fundamentally influenced by.

Sif and Hildisvini could provide a different but no less enticing type of romantic build up where two characters with rich personal history realize their attraction and feelings through active communication for the sake of the common cause.

from gathering little pieces of information in gow through dialogues and character interactions: freya and freyr's father njörd was often on journeys around the world and therefore not very present in their lives. when freyr reminisces about this i could hear a certain bitterness in his voice, which could mean that njörd being an absent father did affect the two siblings a lot (that's putting it lightly but ykwim). oh and freyr was venting about this to hildisvini right before you go to war with asgard. hildisvini adresss freyr as son 😭 the elves beyla and byggvir commented something about how hildisvini taught freyr everything he knows. basically hildisvini is so very important as a character AND in freya and freyr's lives & i wish people talked about him more!

shit i'd go ahead and say that he is more of a parent than njörd ever was!

BEST FATHER HILDISVINI 🥺🥺🥺😖 they need to expand more on this!!