Valheim Grim Reaper spotted lurking in-game is a nod to Norse mythology

A mysterious hooded figure, dubbed the Valheim Grim Reaper, has been spotted by players of the Viking-survival sim.

Valheim is currently taking Steam by storm, racking up huge sales numbers as part of a meteoric rise which shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. As more and more people jump into the game, more and more details are being uncovered. The latest discovery is the appearance of a Grim Reaper-looking character who seems to be stalking players through certain Valheim biomes.

This mysterious character has been seen by several players and is slowly becoming well-documented on Reddit, and they seem to do nothing but observe players as they explore the huge map. This hooded figure also appears to be holding some form of staff or cane, but if you approach them they will quickly disappear leaving no trace behind.

As you might expect, this has sent players into a frenzy to try and figure out exactly who this figure is. Some players are calling it the Valheim Grim Reaper, saying that its eyes were glowing red and it was holding a scythe, akin to those classic depictions of Death.

Weird robed figure from r/valheim

Considering, however, that this game is based around Norse mythology, it stands to reason that this hooded creeper would be none other than everyone's favourite All-Father Odin just casually paying players a visit, albeit in an incredibly spooky manner.

This does seem like it would be the most likely answer, considering how the Norse mythology version of Death is embodied as Hel, pointedly different in appearance to the classic visage of the reaper with their robes, pale horse and large scythe.

Odin paid us homage after defeating the third boss from r/valheim

Your player character in Valheim is basically the souls of Vikings who have been killed. This further backs up the Odin claim as it would make sense for them to come and check on you in some form.

Reddit users are sharing plenty of images of this, with some calling attention to the fact that the hooded figure doesn't, in fact, have two glowing eyes but just one. For all of your Norse mythology buffs out there, you probably know that Odin, according to the legends, famously has one eye because he plucked it out and offered it to Mimir's Well during a ritual sacrifice to gain more knowledge. Given that the All-Father was also known to appear to mortals in the guise of a traveller with a staff and hooded cloak, it seems safe to assume that this figure is more likely to be the Norse god than the Reaper.

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