Humanity began hundreds of thousands of years ago in what we now call Africa before spreading out to different parts of the world, adapting to new environments with changes to our skin tone, eye shape, and genetic build, as well as some less evolutionarily useful changes like hair colour and freckles. This is common knowledge, so why do some of you act like Black people are a fucking psyop put here on Earth in the last decade with the single-minded goal of pushing the woke agenda? God of War Ragnarok was officially unveiled at the PlayStation Showcase last night, and the gameplay footage contained a lot of interesting features like improved combat, new modes of exploration, Thor, and a cool piece of Loki symbolism that saw Atreus carrying deer horns on his head. It also included a Black woman, and so of course a certain corner of the internet wet the bed almost immediately. You know the ones I mean.
It's almost not worth giving them the energy. If the mere sight of a Black woman is enough to set them off, there really is no hope. Having seen both Forspoken and Deathloop in the same showcase, and having only recently digested the 'newly woke, but actually always woke' Saints Row reboot too, this corner is as apoplectic as it is irrelevant. However, in their rage and their wit - they're calling it God of Woke! Whatever will they think of next, those hateful little scamps - they have highlighted an important issue. Angrboda, an appropriate name since she angers all these bodies, looks to be a fascinating character who will add some much-needed depth to Atreus' journey - not to mention the way she's designed is goddamn gorgeous.
In circles of the internet that are actually worth paying attention to, a lot of discussion is already swirling around Angrboda's hair. Black hair seems to be pretty difficult for games to get right. It may be because Black hair is thicker and has more texture, or it may be that most games still consist predominantly of white characters who have had sufficient time and money dedicated to their design, leaving just enough left in the bank to give Black people shaved heads, thin lines of cornrows, or a big round circle like a cartoon afro. Who can say?
This trend is improving - Miles Morales goes from a generic buzz cut to a textured fade between Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales - but to see Angrboda's locs so well defined, so layered, thick, and real, so Black, is of huge significance. I've already seen Black cosplayers overjoyed that they can play this character while keeping their hair in locs and not get shit from the God of Woke crowd for having the audacity to be Black while not playing one of the other many, many, many Black women in games. Like, her... you know, from the thing? Or the woman who dies after two scenes in The Last of Us. See, there's loads of 'em.
It's not just because of Angrboda's hair that she's interesting, however. I know praising her locs makes me Wokey Henley or Stacey Wokely or Wokey Wokely of TheWoker - seriously guys, great material - but Angrboda could change God of War's dynamic significantly. Atreus learns of his own godhood late in the original game, and has clearly grown in Ragnarok, ready for new responsibilities and to delve further into his heritage. Angrboda is one of Loki's many (many, many) lovers in mythology, and providing Atreus with a love interest offers a significant and crucial change to his relationship with his father, especially if the three of them end up teaming up for some of the journey. This seems especially likely given that just like Laufey - Kratos’ late wife and mother to Atreus - Angrboda is a jotunn, or in layman’s terms, a giantess.
Of course, mythology will not be followed completely - Jörmungandr, the World Serpent we meet in the first game, is Angrboda and Loki's child, as are Fenrir and Hel. That means Jörmungandr is probably not their child in this version of the story, but the general plot - that Atreus and Angrboda will be lovers - is pretty obviously what that game is going to be about, at least in some way. We've seen Kratos as a father already, with this new, more world-weary version of the iconic character being what made the 2018 title so compelling. This is another major struggle for him to overcome as a dad - what will he do when his boy starts dating? Not only is Atreus now a teenager, and now aware of his power and position in the world - he's got a girlfriend too? Kratos has faced down all the horrors several different realms can throw at him, and this still feels like his worst nightmare. That might be the one, single thing that Kratos and the chuds have in common - Angrboda terrifies them.