The second part of the glorious story of Kratos and Atreus manages to be at least as good as the first. God of War Ragnarok is a great sequel, and it owes that to a lot of new dynamics. One of them (and easily overlooked by new players) is Relics. Let us take a look at how to use relics in God of War Ragnarok, which you should definitely use against some tough bosses.
We can simply define these relics as special powers that you can use with Kratos. These powers, which have a destructive power, have their own special animations. Using them is very simple: hold L1 and then press Circle.
For more guides on God of War Ragnarok, check out how to get Divine Ashes or how to get Smoldering Embers because a more challenging adventure than ever awaits you in this game.
How to get relics in God of War Ragnarok
On average, it takes 20 hours to finish GoW Ragnarok. If you complete all the side quests or play the game on the hardest mode, it can take a lot longer than that. In this case, you'll have enough time to acquire 14 different relics that you can collect during the game.
For some of them, you will have to follow the story, for others you will have to do side quests or find certain locations. Here you'll find all the relics and their locations in God of War Ragnarok:
Spoiler alert! Some of the locations below contain spoilers for the game.
Hilts
Hilt of Dainsleif: Collect Svefnthorn during Lost Treasure. Then you can craft this relic in the workshop of the awesome duo Hudra Brothers.
Hilt of Skofnung: Go to King's Grave and defeat the boss of the region, King Hrolf Kraki. Then you will get this awesome relic.
Hilt of Gram: Go to Temple of Light, one of the most beautiful locations in the game. You can get this relic while in Groa's Secret here.
Hilt of Ridill: Find the raider hideouts during the Animal Instincts Favor, one of the most entertaining side quests. Defeat Olaf Nautson, the chief of the raiders, while you are here. Afterwards, you'll be able to craft this relic with Crackle of Bilskirnir.
Hilt of Hofud: To get this powerful relic, you must defeat one of the most important figures in Norse mythology. Defeat Heimdall in Vanaheim.
Hilt of Angrvadall: Find and defeat the not-so-cute Gravel Belly in the Desert Door Favor. You can then craft this relic using Skirnir's Gambanteinn.
Hilt of Tyrfing: Defeat angry wolf Blatonn while in the Abandoned Village and then craft using the Nar's Cup.
Hilt of Forsbrandr: To unlock this relic, you have to defeat the Raven Keeper that you will come across while doing the Eyes of Odin side quest.
Hilt of Hrotti: This is one of the hardest relics to get. Because you have to go to Plains in Vanaheim first, and then defeat the second and third Oath Guard bosses. But it's definitely worth the effort.
Other relics:
Talisman of Meign: You will find this relic in the first hours of the game. Collect it from a creature that has entered the wall just before you find Tyr in Quest for Tyr.
Glaive of Dodher: You will receive this relic after defeating Fiske, one of the first bosses of the game. Just continue the Reckoning quest.
Huldra Project: This is the only relic you can get without completing a special quest. Just craft it for 10,000 Hacksilver in the blacksmith.
Mystical Heirloom: When you have reached Midgard, it is time to find this relic. Just go to the Lake of Nine area and break through the ice wall with your spear. Ta-da!
Motsognir’s Call: Head to Niflheim after completing the Old Friends quest. This wonderful relic will greet you on the top floor of the Aesir Prison Wreckage at this location.
That's all about how to use relics in God of War for now. Do not forget to choose them according to your own play style. You can find more guides to the great adventure of Kratos and Atreus on our God of War Ragnarok page.