How to Open the Vanir Shrine Legendary Chest in God of War Ragnarok

God of War Ragnarök takes players on an epic Norse saga across the Nine Realms. Along the way, you’ll encounter challenging enemies, navigate treacherous landscapes, and uncover mythical rewards. One such prize is the legendary chest located in the Vanir Shrine – but opening it takes a bit of exploring. This guide will walk you through locating and unlocking the Vanir Shrine legendary chest in God of War Ragnarök.

Overview of God of War Ragnarök

Before we dive into the legendary chest, here’s a quick recap on God of War Ragnarök. This action-adventure game was developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2025. It‘s the sequel to 2018’s God of War and the ninth game in the iconic God of War series.

Ragnarök continues the Norse saga of Kratos and his son Atreus. Set three years after the last game, Fimbulwinter has enveloped the realms, leading Atreus to seek answers about the prophesied end-times. Kratos and Atreus must journey across the Nine Realms in search of answers as they face off against gods and monsters of Norse myth.

The game expands on its predecessor’s over-the-shoulder axe-throwing and melee combat with new abilities, weapons, enemies, and lands to explore. Players will wield the Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos, and Guardian Shield in combat against iconic figures like Thor, Odin, and Freya. The Nine Realms contain stunning and perilous environments to traverse, from the fiery Muspelheim to the grand halls of Asgard.

Locating the Vanir Shrine in God of War Ragnarök

The Vanir Shrine is located in Vanaheim, one of the main realms you can explore in God of War Ragnarök.

To get to the Vanir Shrine, you must first complete the quest “Forging Destiny” which takes you to the jungle region of Vanaheim. The Vanir Shrine is in an optional area of the jungle called the Abandoned Village.

Once in the Abandoned Village, make your way across the bridge and look for a ledge you can climb up on the right. Follow the path up the hill and through the doorway into the shrine area.

Opening the Legendary Chest

When you enter the Vanir Shrine area, you’ll spot the legendary chest on the bottom level behind a large Vanir style gate. To open this gate and claim your prize, you need to destroy the Hel’s Bramble barrier with the Blades of Chaos and hit the target with the Leviathan Axe.

Here are the steps:

After going through the doorway into the shrine, turn right and look for the Hel’s Bramble vines covering a slope leading down.
Equip the Blades of Chaos and use the Blazing Surge ability to ignite the blades and burn away the bramble.
Once it’s cleared, head down the slope to the gate barring the chest.
Switch to the Leviathan Axe and throw it at the target mechanism to the right of the gate. This will raise the gate so you can access the legendary chest.
Head down to the now open gate and loot the legendary chest!

What You’ll Find Inside

Opening the gate and legendary chest in the Vanir Shrine rewards you with a powerful Light Runic Attack for the Blades of Chaos called “Rampage of the Furies”.

This attack has Kratos rapidly slash around him in wide arcs and is excellent for hitting multiple enemies at once. The downside is it can end up leaving enemies behind Kratos due to the broad sweeping range.

Learning and equipping new runic attacks like Rampage of the Furies allows you to build up Kratos’ combat skills and vary up your approaches to battles. Make sure to test them out on some draugrs and return to the chest if you ever want to change your equipped runic attacks!

Tips for Combat & Exploration

Now that you’ve claimed your prize from the Vanir Shrine legendary chest, here are some tips to help you through the rest of your Norse adventure:

Master parrying – Get good at parrying enemy attacks with your shield by tapping L1 right before impact. This will put them in a stunned state so you can land free hits.
Throw your axe – The Leviathan Axe can be thrown at enemies from a distance then recalled to your hand. Use this to your advantage and combine with close-range attacks.
Utilize runic attacks – Runic attacks are powerful moves that have cooldown periods. Use them strategically in tough battles.
Search for artifacts – Keep an eye out for artifacts that provide stat bonuses and lore. Also look for Nornir chests to increase your health and rage.
Explore thoroughly – Vanaheim and the other realms contain many hidden areas off the main path with goodies. Investigate objects that seem like they can be interacted with.

More Legendary Chests to Find

The Vanir Shrine is just one of many legendary chests scattered throughout the Nine Realms. Here are guides to finding more of these lucrative loot sources:

So open those gates, smash those barrels, explore those caves – glorious loot awaits you across the realms! Hopefully this guide to unlocking the Vanir Shrine legendary chest in Vanaheim helps you uncover the epic armaments of God of War Ragnarök.