Film guide · 2017

Thor: RagnarokComplete Guide

The parts that are hard to follow from the film alone, explained with a story summary, a character map and key terms.

Released
2017
Runtime
130 min
Set in
2017

Good to know before watchingNo spoilers

Thor's third film

It follows Thor and The Dark World, picking up from Loki posing as Odin at the end of the last film.

Where the Hulk went

It reveals where the Hulk ended up after flying off alone at the end of Age of Ultron.

Lots of laughs

It's much funnier and lighter than the earlier Thor films.

There are scenes during and after the credits

The mid-credits scene leads straight into the next big battle.

Character mapSpoilers

Who's who in Thor: Ragnarok (2017), with Thor at the center. Asgard is top left, the junk planet Sakaar on the right, and enemies bottom left.

Because of copyright, we can't use stills, posters or any other images of the characters as they appear in the film. All face photos are freely licensed photos of the actors themselves (non-human characters are original illustrations made for this site; people without a photo are shown with initials).

Drag to move, pinch (or scroll on a computer) to zoom. Tap a person to read about them.

All characters

About the images

Face photos are freely licensed photos of the actors from Wikimedia Commons, cropped to a square and resized. Non-human characters are original illustrations made for this site, and people without a photo are shown with a placeholder (initials).

StorySpoilers

Read the story (spoilers up to the ending)

1. Fighting Surtur

Thor takes the crown of the fire demon Surtur and returns to Asgard, where he unmasks Loki posing as Odin.

2. Odin's farewell

With Doctor Strange's help, they find Odin on Earth. He warns that his death will free his firstborn, Hela, then fades into light.

3. The hammer shatters

Hela appears and crushes Thor's hammer with one hand. Fleeing on the Bifrost, Thor and Loki are knocked out into space.

4. The junk planet

Thor crash-lands on Sakaar, is captured by a former Asgardian warrior, and is sold to the Grandmaster. His opponent in the arena: the Hulk.

5. Escaping Sakaar

Thor teams up with the Hulk, Valkyrie, Loki and the rock warrior Korg, steals a ship and escapes Sakaar.

6. God of Thunder

Back in Asgard, Hela is tormenting the people. Without his hammer, Thor discovers the thunder was in him all along.

7. Ragnarok

Unable to beat Hela, Thor has Loki unleash Surtur. Asgard burns, but Thor says Asgard is its people, not a place, and gets everyone onto a ship.

8. The new king

Now king, Thor sets course for Earth with his people aboard the ship.

Read the detailed scene-by-scene story

Key terms

Ragnarok
The prophecy of Asgard's destruction, in which the fire demon Surtur burns it to the ground.
Hela
The goddess of death, Odin's firstborn and Thor's older sister, imprisoned for ages.
Sakaar
A planet where junk and people from across the universe wash up. The Grandmaster rules it.
The Contest of Champions
Gladiator fights staged on Sakaar, the Grandmaster's favorite entertainment.
The Valkyries
An elite force of women warriors from Asgard's past.
The Eternal Flame
The fire that restores Surtur to full power, kept in Asgard's vault.

Confusing parts, explainedSpoilers

Contains spoilers about the ending.

Why is Hela so powerful?

She draws her power from Asgard itself. As long as she's there, she's nearly unbeatable, so Thor chooses to destroy Asgard.

Why was the Hulk on Sakaar for two years?

He stayed as the Hulk and became the star of the arena. Bruce never got to come back out.

What happened to Thor's eye?

He loses it fighting Hela, leaving him one-eyed like his father.

What was Heimdall doing?

He refused to serve Hela and hid Asgard's people in a secret refuge.

Easy-to-miss details

Loki's play

In Asgard, Loki has staged a play about his own heroics. Look closely at the actors.

Korg's voice

The rock warrior Korg is played by the film's director, Taika Waititi.

Stan Lee's cameo

Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee appears as the barber who cuts Thor's hair on Sakaar.

The battle music

Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" plays in the big fight scenes.

The ending and post-creditsSpoilers

After the end credits

Mid-credits: Thanos's ship appears in front of the Asgardian ship. Post-credits: a Grandmaster gag.

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