There are many things in Valheim that aren’t directly explained to the player. One of them is the appearance of a mysterious figure wrapped in a hooded cloak. His arrival is often alarming, because at a distance, he appears to be the Grim Reaper himself. Who is this cloaked figure, and what does his arrival mean?
Who is the Cloaked Figure in Valheim? The Grim Reaper?
The mysterious cloaked figure that occasionally appears throughout Valheim is not the Grim Reaper. It’s Odin. He typically appears between dusk and dawn, watching over the player with a glowing blue eye. If you get too close, he’ll disappear into a puff of smoke.
While some fans have speculated that the mysterious hooded figure could be the merchant Haldor, that theory has since been disproved. Not only does this Grim Reaper lookalike appear with a long robe and cloak — same as Odin is described when wandering the old Nordic realms — he also notably only has one eye. According to the Norse myths, Odin offered one of his eyes to Mimir’s well before impaling himself on his spear and hanging upside down for nine days and nine nights to receive wisdom supreme.
Considering that Valheim is steeped in Norse mythology, this visual connection makes perfect sense. Plus, Odin’s son Thor also makes a special appearance in Valheim, occasionally streaking across the sky during powerful storms.
With all that said, there’s one fact that confirms the hooded stranger is not the Grim Reaper. Using console commands through the cheat menu, it’s possible to spawn the mysterious figure using the key word Odin. Of course, since spawned objects appear directly in front of the player, Odin will disappear immediately after he spawns. Still, in that split second, it’s possible to spot his hooded robe and signature blue glow.
Don’t be alarmed if you spot the mysterious cloaked figure in Valheim. It’s not the Grim Reaper; it’s simply Odin stopping by to watch your progress. Hopefully he’ll be pleased to see you’ve been taming animals and building an authentic Viking longhouse.
