Fenrir or the Fenris Wolf in his standard design art in his Smite video game profile

(4) NORSE – VILLAIN: FENRIR / FENRIS WOLF

The other beast of Gotterdammerung in Norse mythology – the ultimate big bad wolf, outranking his father Loki as a figure of apocalyptic destruction.

And by big bad wolf, I mean the biggest and baddest – so big and bad that he was bound by the gods with magical bonds (made by the dwarves as everything magical in Norse mythology was) until the end of the world which cost the god of war Tyr a hand as he insisted upon Tyr to place it in his mouth as ransom in good faith for being bound.

So big that his two sons (Skoll and Hati) devour the Sun and Moon respectively – and he himself when he breaks his bonds to assault Asgard (with the Midgard Serpent) opens his mouth so wide that his upper jaw hits the sky.

And so bad that, well, his sons swallow the Sun and Moon, the breaking of his bonds ushers in Ragnarok, he assaults Asgard – and he swallows Odin whole, although he is then slain by Odin’s son.

He is also the ultimate big bad wolf as it is theorized that the other big bad wolves in Norse mythology – his sons that wolf down the Sun and Moon as well as the wolf Garm that slays the god of war Tyr – “were originally simply all Fenrir” or aspects of Fenrir.

Interestingly, Fenrir started as a good boy, a cute puppy raised by the gods until they bound him from fear of prophecy that he would kill Odin and unleash Ragnarok (or perhaps because he was just getting too big) – a self-fulfilling prophecy if ever there was one.

“John Lindow says that it is unclear why the gods decide to raise Fenrir as opposed to his siblings Hel and Jörmungandr…theorizing that it may be “because Odin had a connection with wolves? Because Loki was Odin’s blood brother?…He also points to Fenrir’s binding as part of a recurring theme of the bound monster, where an enemy of the gods is bound, but destined to break free at Ragnarok.”

Bound monster – or as per one of my favorite tropes on TV Tropes, sealed evil in a can.

ELDRITCH ABOMINATION RANKING

The abominable wolf – one of the most eldritch and abominable beasts in Norse mythology, arguably exceeded only by the Midgard Serpent. It’s not often you get an abomination in the shape of a dog.

FANTASY DARK LORD RANKING

Where the Midgard Serpent may outrank the Fenris Wolf, the Fenris Wolf outranks the Midgard Serpent for fantasy dark lord ranking – although it may be remembered for its bestial brutality, it had intelligence and even speech. And let’s not forget Sauron wolfed out as dark lord before The Lord of the Rings – literally assuming the guise of wolf or werewolf.

RATING:

A-TIER (TOP TIER)