Brunhilde

Brunhilde serves as both protagonist and de facto narrator in Record of Ragnarok.

Because each match highlights a different god and human hero as its “lead,” her role often shifts between strategist, commentator, and behind-the-scenes mastermind.

At the divine council where the gods unanimously vote for human extinction, she alone objects.

She provocatively proposes a one-on-one, 13-match tournament between gods and humans—Ragnarok—and forces the gods to accept her challenge.

Though a Valkyrie by origin, she was once stripped down to human form and later restored, making her a half-god, half-human being.

This experience gives her a deep affinity with humanity and fuels her opposition to the gods’ plan to annihilate mankind.

Brunhilde appears as a composed, elegant, and sharp-witted woman, with a dignified presence that rarely wavers in public.

Incubus describes her as “always strong and arrogant,” which fits the way she faces the gods without flinching.

She is one of the very few god-aligned beings who genuinely side with humanity, in stark contrast to the many gods who despise and look down on humans.

During the council, even as fear grips her, she suppresses it and speaks out firmly, provoking the gods with fearless taunts.

As the story progresses, her calm facade collapses more often, revealing a shockingly expressive “face-acting” side.

Whenever she gets truly angry or starts plotting something underhanded, her features twist into exaggerated expressions that would make a clown manga artist proud.

Brunhilde is overwhelmingly harsh toward the gods, and especially toward Zeus, whom she openly refers to as a sadistic, battle-obsessed pervert old man.

The nickname is surprisingly tolerated—if not outright accepted—among many gods.

Her cruelty is not limited to enemies: she is capable of subjecting both her beloved sisters and even a trusted ally like Heracles to ruthless gambits.

Her hatred toward the gods runs so deep that she is willing to gamble almost anything, even family, to achieve the goal of “killing the gods.”

Despite this, her core is deeply compassionate.

She suffers the deaths of fighters on both sides, suppressing tears in public but breaking down in private.

Brunhilde also has “normal” emotional reactions buried under the steel: when Thor first appears as the gods’ vanguard, she is genuinely terrified.

Her taste, however, is anything but normal—when stressed, she binge-eats an especially foul Nordic treat: salmiakki pie, devouring it messily while her face contorts in disgust.

In the Ragnarok tournament, Brunhilde handles the entire human side’s strategy and logistics.

She chooses which human fighters will enter each of the 13 matches and assigns each of them a Valkyrie partner for Volund, the weapon-fusion known as “Divine Armament Creation.”

During the battles, she appears cold to an almost frightening degree.

Even when her Valkyrie sisters vanish in battle (disappearing into Niflhel, complete annihilation), she does not show grief in front of others and continues to act with ruthless focus.

When her youngest sister Göll breaks down over the loss of Randgriz, Brunhilde berates her.

She snarls, essentially asking whether “that kind of soft sadness” can kill the gods, displaying a merciless expression without shedding a single tear.

However, when she is alone, Brunhilde quietly mourns her fallen sisters.

She carries their memory with her, crying in solitude while still pushing their sacrifices forward as necessary steps toward defeating the gods.

Even before Ragnarok was officially decided, Brunhilde had already begun her preparations.

She secretly went to Buddha to learn the concept and technique of “one shared fate,” further hinting at long-term plans unknown to most characters and readers.

Because of her extreme facial expressions, harsh language, and cold strategic decisions, some readers suspect she has a hidden agenda beyond protecting humanity.

Rumors and fan theories often revolve around the idea that she is plotting something darker behind the scenes.

Yet her true nature is revealed through quiet, private moments.

After the match between Heracles and Jack the Ripper, she clenches her fists so hard that they bleed, holding in her sorrow, anger, and guilt.

Later, in the room where portraits of fallen human fighters are displayed, she hangs Heracles’ portrait alongside them.

There she finally breaks down in floods of tears and speaks as if she intends to join them once everything is over, implying she plans to die after taking responsibility for sacrificing her sisters and Heracles.

Her strategy against Heracles showcases her complex morality.

Brunhilde pairs Heracles not with another noble hero but with Jack the Ripper—the man she personally despises more than anyone alive.

She does this because sending someone like Buddha or another hero to defeat Heracles would taint Heracles’ legacy.

If Heracles lost to a clearly human-loving fighter, the gods would brand him a traitor who threw the match, undermining both his name and his long-held ideals.

By making Heracles fall to the “worst” human, Jack the Ripper, she ensures that both humanity and Heracles’ honor can be protected in the cruelest, most paradoxical way.

Heracles realizes this by the end and ultimately entrusts the future of humanity to Brunhilde and the Valkyries.

Brunhilde’s burden is immense: she must remain strong as the leader of the Valkyries and the architect of humanity’s last stand, even as each victory and loss scars her emotionally.

Her occasional breakdowns, guilty monologues, and talk of joining the dead later underline that she is not heartless—she is simply someone who has decided to carry a monstrous responsibility to its end.

As of around volume 6 of the manga, Brunhilde’s direct combat abilities remain unknown.

Unlike her sisters, it is unclear whether she can perform Volund and become a weapon herself.

Since there are thirteen Valkyrie sisters and thirteen potential human fighters, readers speculate that Brunhilde may end up fighting alongside a human at some point.

However, Buddha fights on his own without a Valkyrie partner, leaving one Valkyrie “extra” and creating multiple possibilities, such as reusing surviving sisters or keeping Göll off the battlefield.

What is clear is Brunhilde’s formidable intelligence and knowledge.

She understands the history, powers, and psychology of both gods and human heroes, and often educates Göll about them, functioning as an in-universe guide.

Her greatest “ability” so far is strategic acumen: she knows how to match human fighters to gods in ways that maximize the chance of victory and often exploit moral or psychological weaknesses.

This includes sending the most monstrous human against the most virtuous god, or selecting an unexpected underdog when it seems like humanity has no hope.

Valkyrie Sisters

Brunhilde is the eldest of the thirteen Valkyries and carries a heavy sense of responsibility toward her sisters.

She must balance her love for them with a willingness to send them to their deaths for humanity’s sake.

Göll

Göll is the youngest of the thirteen sisters and spends much of the story at Brunhilde’s side.

She constantly questions and reacts to Brunhilde’s reckless and bold actions, acting as both emotional anchor and audience surrogate.

When Göll mourns their fallen sisters, Brunhilde often rebukes her, insisting that sentiment alone cannot kill gods.

However, after Thrud’s death, when Göll weeps over their shared memories, Brunhilde softens and tells her that her feelings are not wrong, acknowledging her sister’s humanity and kindness.

Randgriz

Randgriz is the fourth sister, whose name means “the one who breaks shields.”

In contrast to her powerful name, she has a gentle, mild personality.

She becomes the weapon of Lü Bu Fengxian by performing Volund with him, turning into his legendary halberd.

Her complete annihilation in battle is one of the early, painful losses Brunhilde and Göll must endure.

Reginleif

Reginleif is the seventh sister, with a name that means “the one left behind by the gods.”

She appears as a scholarly, bespectacled girl with blunt bangs and a prominent forehead.

Despite her intellectual appearance, her Volund form with Adam is surprisingly brutal: she becomes a set of brass knuckles.

This pairing emphasizes raw, close-quarters combat rather than the refined weapon one might expect.

Hrist

Hrist is the second sister, whose name carries two meanings: “the trembling one” and “the roaring one.”

She dresses like a sailor or captain and is even more voluptuous than Brunhilde.

True to her dual name, Hrist has two distinct personalities.

“The trembling one” is quiet, melancholic, and compassionate, gently comforting Göll when she grieves.

“The roaring one” is a raging avenger who calls gods “filth” and vows revenge for her fallen sisters.

Hrist often fills the emotional role that Brunhilde cannot, acting as an openly affectionate older sister to the others.

She performs Volund with Kojiro Sasaki, becoming the sword “Bizen Nagamitsu.”

When Hrist’s true power finally manifests in battle, Brunhilde’s explosive joy is a highlight, showing how deeply she roots for her sisters’ success even as she uses them as weapons.

Thrud

Thrud is the third sister, whose name means “the strong one.”

She is the tallest and most muscular among the sisters, a “muscle Amazon” with a surprisingly girlish, romantic side.

Despite her imposing build, she blushes and swoons at the flirtatious compliments of her partner, Raiden Tameemon.

Her death hits Göll particularly hard and exposes Brunhilde’s conflicted approach to grief and resolve.

Hlökk (often rendered as “Fleck” in this context)

Fleck is the eleventh sister, whose name means “the one who rattles weapons.”

Brunhilde chooses her as the partner for Jack the Ripper, believing her ability and temperament will fit his twisted nature.

Fleck, however, is repulsed by Jack’s history as humanity’s worst serial killer and strongly refuses the pairing at first.

When Jack forcibly triggers Volund and turns her into his weapon, Fleck cries out to Brunhilde for help.

Brunhilde merely watches in silence, showing no outward emotion while her sister is transformed into Jack’s weaponized gloves that can turn anything he touches into a weapon.

This moment encapsulates her ruthless resolve: she will not intervene even when her sister begs for rescue if it means sacrificing a necessary advantage.

Human Fighters

Brunhilde personally selects each human representative, often based on qualities only she truly appreciates or dares to exploit.

Her criteria go far beyond raw strength; she values mindset, symbolism, and the deeper impact each fighter can have.

Lü Bu Fengxian

Lü Bu is the first human fighter, dubbed the strongest warrior of the Three Kingdoms era.

Brunhilde calls him the most ferocious and most insane fighter she has ever “met” on the battlefield.

Because of his overwhelming power and savage nature, she decides early on that he should be humanity’s vanguard.

She expects him to make a brutal, explosive first impression against the gods.

Adam

Adam is the second human fighter and the progenitor of all humankind.

Brunhilde acknowledges him as possessing “the greatest heart,” a supreme mental and spiritual strength.

She initially assumes Adam bears deep hatred toward the gods.

Her expectations and his actual feelings about godhood and humanity become key emotional beats in his battle.

Kojiro Sasaki

Kojiro is the third human fighter, known as “humanity’s strongest loser.”

Brunhilde struggles intensely to choose the third representative, stressed to her limit.

In the middle of her indecision, Kojiro steps forward and volunteers.

When he catches a falling milk jug midair with his long sword without spilling a drop, Brunhilde immediately recognizes his mastery and entrusts him with the third match.

Jack the Ripper

Jack is the fourth human fighter and is described as “humanity’s most monstrous killer.”

Brunhilde absolutely loathes him more than any other human, calling him the worst of the worst in increasingly creative insults.

Despite this, she deliberately chooses him to fight Heracles.

She believes that the bottomless malice embodied by Jack can pierce even the purest, strongest god.

Her choice is strategic: sending a noble hero might force Heracles into a situation where he appears to betray the gods.

By pitting him against someone irredeemably evil, she ensures that a victory for humanity still preserves Heracles’ reputation as a god who fought seriously to protect his beliefs.

Gods

Brunhilde’s relationships with the gods are defined by hostility, contempt, and occasionally complicated affection.

She is openly insulting toward most of them, especially those in power.

Thor

Thor is the gods’ first fighter and a fellow figure from Norse myth, making him a kind of “countryman” to Brunhilde.

He casually crushes Incubus, who was pestering Brunhilde, with a single blow and warns her to make Ragnarok entertaining or die.

His overwhelming presence and power terrify both Göll and Brunhilde.

Even Brunhilde, who usually stands tall against any god, cannot fully suppress her fear when he appears.

Zeus

Zeus becomes the second fighter for the gods, largely by his own selfish decision, catching Brunhilde off guard.

She calls him a battle-mad, perverted old man, and he seems to enjoy the nickname fully.

Zeus revels in Ragnarok and treats Brunhilde’s provocations as entertainment.

Their exchanges are often sharp, comedic, and laced with mutual disdain.

Poseidon

Poseidon is the gods’ third fighter, a merciless tyrant of the sea.

Though Brunhilde has no direct on-page conversation with him early on, she knows his ruthlessness very well.

She is also fully informed about the grim incidents involving Poseidon and his brothers, events so dreadful that most gods avoid even speaking about them.

This knowledge underlines her deep understanding of divine history and internal politics.

Heracles

Heracles is the fourth fighter for the gods, but he is originally a human who became a god after death.

Both Brunhilde and Göll affectionately call him “big brother,” highlighting their close bond.

Because he became a god to protect humanity and intends to use a flawless victory to argue for human salvation, Brunhilde sees him as a rare ally among the gods.

When her strategy results in Heracles’ fall, her grief and guilt run incredibly deep.

Heracles ultimately understands Brunhilde’s reasoning.

He realizes that she sacrificed his life not out of malice but to protect both humanity and his own honor, and he entrusts the future to the Valkyries.

Loki

Loki displays a twisted, almost affectionate obsession with Brunhilde.

When she directly asks him to fight in the eleventh match, he immediately senses that she plans to kill him there.

Loki gives her a pained, sad expression, revealing that he knows her intentions.

Brunhilde, in turn, shows a brief, troubled look, suggesting she may harbor complex feelings about him even as she plots his downfall.

Brunhilde is surrounded by many unresolved mysteries.

From the very first chapter, Thor asks her what she is plotting, and she pointedly evades the question.

Her conversation before Heracles’ portrait, where she says she will join him “when everything is over,” strongly suggests she expects to die and be dragged into Niflhel.

Buddha’s cryptic remarks to her throughout the series further emphasize that she is hiding something significant from everyone, including the audience.

Her backstory is particularly obscure.

The reasons she was cast down from goddess to human, and how she later regained a semi-divine existence, remain completely unexplained in current material.

Structurally, the tournament also leaves room for speculation.

There are up to thirteen matches and thirteen Valkyries, but with Buddha fighting on his own, one Valkyrie is effectively “extra.”

If Brunhilde refuses to send Göll into battle, she may have no choice but to enter the battlefield herself.

Alternatively, a human may betray humanity, a surviving Valkyrie may be reused, or entirely new twists could emerge, keeping Brunhilde’s ultimate role in the later matches an open question.

Within Record of Ragnarok, her name is simply Brunhilde.

However, searching for “Brunhilde” alone can return many unrelated characters from other works based on the same mythic figure.

To find information specifically about this version of Brunhilde, it is recommended to search using both her name and the series title “Record of Ragnarok” together.