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In God of War Ragnarok you’ll be struggling for every scrap of your green health bar. Kratos might be a god, but he’s also a big bag of meat that’s going to get absolutely wrecked as you progress through the game. Enemies only get more numerous and difficult as you fight through the story. By certain points, you’ll be running low on health, struggling through each encounter. Every sliver of health is going to help — and that’s why you’ll want to permanently increase your health bar.
In God of War Ragnarok, the most straightforward way to increase your health is through Idunn Apples. These rare collectibles give a small increase to your maximum health. You can also equip gear, accessory enchantments, or find unique items that increase your Vitality. Kratos has stats like any other RPG and increasing your stats will give you a (very small) increase to your total health pool. Idunn Apples are more common and straightforward. Finding an Idunn Apple will immediately increase your health bar. At least, at the start of the game. Eventually you’ll have to find more.
Below we’ll explain how to increase your health bar, where to find Idunn Apples, and some of the first locations you’ll want to search for these upgrade items.
How To Increase Your Maximum Health
There are two ways to increase your health meter in God of War: Ragnarok — increasing your total Vitality stat, or by finding Idunn Apples. The Vitality stat can be increased by equipping certain gear or enchantments. You can also instantly increase Vitality +2 by finding Yggdrasil Dew of Vitality.
- Instantly Increase Vitality | Dew Location
- Yggdrasil Dew of Vitaliy: Permanently increases Vitality +2. Found past the fallen log near the Freyr’s Camp Mystic Gateway exit. Travel south and you won’t miss it.
Yggdrasil Dew are rare items found when exploring on a boat. While rafting, look for blue bulbs of dew growing from overhanging plants. Collecting dew will give you a permanent boost to your stats.
The only other way to increase maximum health is through Idunn Apples. Idunn Apples are unique collectibles that increase your total health bar. At first, you’ll only need one Apple to upgrade your maximum health. As you collect more, you’ll need 2 / 3 / 4 apples before upgrading.
- Idunn Apples: Rare upgrade items. Finding Idunn Apples will permanently increase Kratos’s health meter upon collection. The amount of Idunn Apples required to unlock the maximum health upgrade increases as more are collected.
- Idunn Apples drop from Nornir Chests. Nornir Chests are large treasure chests with three runes — to unlock the chests, you must solve a small puzzle involving the three runes.
Nornir Chests have multiple types of puzzles to solve. Depending on the type of device scattered around the area near the chest, you may have to complete the following mini-tasks.
- Nornir Chests | How To Solve
- Bells: There are three bells hidden around the area. You need to ring them in quick succession. Usually, ringing them in the order they’re displayed on the Nornir Chest will give you enough time to complete the challenge.
- Braziers: Braziers are fire pits — you need to find and light all three in any order. Fire Pits can be lit with explosives, the Blades of Chaos, or through other means like linking a fire to the brazier with Sigil Arrows.
- Rune Sliders: The last challenge is the easiest. Memorize the runes on the front of the Nornir Chest, then find three spinner devices in the environment. Throw your axe to turn the device, changing the rune that is displayed. You need to match the displayed runes with the three runes on the Nornir Chest.
- Seals: The final method is by breaking three seals. They can be broken in any order and are usually well-hidden.
Solving Nornir Chests can give you Idunn Apples or Horn of Blood Mead which increases your Rage Meter. Both of these upgrade items work the same way. To help you get started, here’s a quick rundown of Nornir Chest locations in the early part of the game.
Nornir Chest Locations | Idunn Apples Guide
The following locations have Idunn Apples. Check out our other collectible guides for more details on Nornir Chest solutions.
- Nornir Chest: Aurvangar Wetlands | Svartalfheim – At the giant wheel, Kratos will have to disembark his boat. Cross the geysers. There are three seals in the area you need to break.
- Nornir Chest: Radsvinn’s Rig | Svartalfheim – Climb up into the Mining Rig combat area and you’ll find this chest directly left on the ledge overlooking the bay. You need to use the Blades of Chaos and light these up in order.
- Nornir Chest: Dragon Beach | Svartalfheim – Next to the runes on the wooden strut. Find the three seals and break them in any order.
- Nornir Chest: The Strong | Alfheim – Early in the stage, Kratos will need to squeeze through a narrow passage. After squeezing through, drop down to the left.
- Nornir Chest: The Below | Alfheim – Exiting the cave, you’ll reach a canyon. Next, you’ll need to break three hive bulbs. To the right, you can drop down to find a Nornir Chest with three bells.
- Nornir Chest: The Southern Wilds | Vanaheim – On the main path. You’ll encounter flowers that shoot spores at you. Ahead, while Freya and Brok argue, you’ll encounter a chest. You need to flip the three runes to match the letters on the chest.
- Nornir Chest: Cliffside Ruins | Vanaheim – Across the river from the Blacksmith shop, hop across to the Nornir Chest in the back-right of the ruins area. You need to find three rune devices and flip them to match the chest.
- Nornir Chest: Goddess Falls | Vanaheim – At the top of the cliffs at Goddess Falls, you’ll find a Nornir Chest that requires three braziers to be lit.
- Nornir Chest: Raider Hideout | Midgar – Found in the Raider Hideout. Raiders will ambush Kratos as you enter. The Nornir Chest is in the back-left on the wall you can climb.
- Nornir Chest: The Oarsmen | Midgar – Entering the Oarsmen area, you’ll encounter a group of raiders. Clear them out and you’ll find the chest to the back-right.
There are many more Idunn Apples to find in God of War: Ragnarok, but this should give you a good start where to look. Check back soon for even more in-depth guides for God of War: Ragnarok.
