Odin

"I have sacrificed much to achieve peace. So, too, must a new generation sacrifice to maintain that peace. Responsibility, duty, honor. These are not merely virtues to which we must aspire. They are essential to every soldier and to every King."

- Odin

Odin Borson was the King of Asgard, protector of the Nine Realms, father of Thor, adoptive father of Loki, and husband of Frigga. During the ancient times, he was worshiped as the god of wisdom by the inhabitants of Earth. Once the greatest warrior in all the Nine Realms, over the centuries he learned how to appreciate peace. When Thor almost provoked a war with the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, Odin stripped him of his powers and exiled him to Earth, leaving Loki to take the throne when Odin fell into the Odinsleep. When Thor returned and saved the Frost Giants from extinction at the hands of Loki, who seemingly lost his life during the conflict, Odin realized that Thor had proven that he would be worthy enough to take the throne of Asgard one day.

Loki was revealed to have survived his fall into the abyes and was captured by Thor after causing the Chitauri Invasion of Earth, causing Odin to sentence him to life in prison. When Odin's wife Frigga was killed at the hands of the Dark Elves' leader Malekith, Odin vowed revenge on them, no matter the cost, and putting him at odds with his son. Odin's sadness and age allowed Loki to take the throne away from him, using his illusions to look like Odin and trick the entire kingdom and ruling the lands.

Early Life
"When I'm king, I'll hunt the monsters down and slay them all, just as you did, father."

- Thor to Odin

Odin was born as the son of Bor, the then King of Asgard. He had several brothers, but they all died during the many wars the Asgardians had to fight to keep the Nine Realms safe. When Bor also died in battle, Odin took the throne of Asgard, continuing with his father's policy, ushering in a period of strife and eventual stability that Odin would later refer to as the "Great Beginning" during his son's coronation years later.

As Allfather, Odin had battled great beasts, invaded foreign realms, destroyed demons and monsters, devastated whole worlds, and laid waste to mighty kingdoms. Eventually, with all his power, he needed a period of time that he could rest and regain his strength. This deep sleep became known as the Odinsleep. For thousands of years Odin successfully led his kingdom, but when he felt that the burden of wearing the crown was too much for him alone, he married Frigga, because she was a strong partner and had a helpful ear. With the birth of their son, Thor, Odin felt that one day he would be able to pass his crown to a worthy successor.

War with the Frost Giants
"From a realm of cold and darkness came the Frost Giants, threatening to plunge the mortal world into a new ice age. But humanity would not face this threat alone. Our armies drove the Frost Giants back into the heart of their own world."

- Odin

In 965, King Laufey of Jotunheim invaded Midgard intending to enslave the humans and place the planet into a new Ice Age. Odin led his Asgardian army against Laufey and his horde of Frost Giants in the Asgard-Jotunheim War. During the furious battle, Odin lost his eye on Midgard, but the Asgardians came out victorious over the Frost Giants after Odin defeated Laufey in single combat. In exchange for his life, Laufey agreed to a peace treaty between Asgard and Jotunheim. After the battle, Odin took the Casket of Ancient Winters from one of Laufey's temples, Odin also discovered a baby Frost Giant, Loki, who was the son of Laufey. Loki was left to die because of his small stature for a Frost Giant. Odin and his wife, Frigga, already had a son, Thor, but they adopted Loki as Thor's brother and kept the truth of Loki's birth from both of them.

A King and A Father
"Only one of you can ascend to the throne, but both of you were born to be kings."

- Odin to Thor and Loki

Odin raised both Thor and Loki as brothers, attempting to never allow Loki to feel any different from his brother. He taught them about the responsibilities of being king of Asgard, the history of the Asgard's great wars and other lessons if they were ever to take the throne. Odin answered their questions happily and showed them both great love and care. Loki showed Odin many times that he would be a capable king; however, Odin had long since decided that Thor would be his heir, though he still told Loki he had what it took to become king.

Thor's Delayed Coronation
"Do you swear to cast aside your selfish ambition and to pledge yourself only to the good of the realms?" "I swear!" "And on this day, I Odin, All-Father, will proclaim you..."

- Odin and Thor

Many years later, Odin decided that it was time for him to retire as King of Asgard and make Thor King in his place. In the Great Hall, Odin was about to crown Thor as king when Frost Giants intruded in an attempt to retrieve the Casket of Ancient Winters. Odin released the Destroyer and it quickly subdued the Frost Giants. Odin, Thor and Loki travelled to Odin's Vault and found the remains of the Frost Giants and the Asgardian Guards. Thor was angered and demanded that Odin travel to Jotunheim to retaliate for the attack. Odin however insisted that the peace with Laufey was still in effect and the attack was not an act of war but an act of a few Frost Giant rebels doomed to fail. Seeing Thor's rage and war-hungry ways, Odin choose not to name him King yet, fearing he would cause another war with Jotunheim. Thor remained furious by this attack and with his friends, Sif, and the Warriors Three, and Loki, he went to Jotunheim.

Banishing Thor
"Thor Odinson... you have betrayed the express command of your king. Through your arrogance and stupidity, you've opened these peaceful realms and innocent lives to the horror and desolation of war! You are unworthy of these realms, you're unworthy of your title, you're unworthy... of the loved ones you have betrayed! I now take from you your power! In the name of my father and his father before, I, Odin Allfather, cast you out!"

- Odin

Odin later rescued Thor and his friends from Jotunheim riding aboard Sleipnir, his eight-legged steed, after Thor went there seeking answers regarding the intrusion. He tried in vain to rebuild the peace between Asgard and Jotunheim, but Laufey would have none of it, and declaired war between their worlds. Laufey tried to stab Odin in the back but Odin was able to throw Laufey away and escape. Back on Asgard Odin berated Thor for his arrogance and stupidity in starting a new war, putting millions of innocent lives in harms way. He told Thor he was no unworthy of his title and of his family. Seeing no other alternative, Odin stripped Thor of his powers and banished him to Earth for his arrogance. He placed an enchantment on Mjølnir that allowed only the worthy to wield it. He then sent Mjølnir to Earth as well.

Telling Loki the Truth
"You were an innocent child." "No. You took me for a purpose. What was it?... TELL ME!" "I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day. Bring about an alliance, bring about permanent peace... through you."

- Odin and Loki

Loki, witnessing his hand turning blue when he was at Jotunheim, confronted Odin about his origins. Odin revealed that he not only stole the Casket of Ancient Winters, but Laufey's son who was left there to die. Odin revealed that he wanted to gain peace between the two realms by having Loki rule Jotunheim. Overwhelmed by Loki's furious accusations, he fell into the Odinsleep.

Losing Loki
"You'll be a wise King." "There will never be a wiser king than you. Or a better father. I have much to learn. I know that now. But some day, perhaps, I will make you proud." "You've already made me proud."

- Odin and Thor

While he slumbered, Loki took the throne for himself. Frigga spent much of her time sitting by his bedside, waiting for him to awaken. While living on Earth, Thor proved himself worthy and regained his powers as Loki carried out his plans to destroy Jotunheim.

The two brothers battled and eventually caused the destruction of the Bifrost Bridge. As they were falling off the bridge, Odin, awoken from his Odinsleep, grabbed Thor's leg just before he fell. As they hung on the edge of the world, Loki desperately tried to explain to Odin that he did everything for his family, Odin could not accept Loki's ideals and simply told him no. Loki, devastated by the rejection, allowed himself to fall into an abyss created in the wake of the Bifrost Bridge's destruction. Odin watched helplessly as his adopted son fell to his presumed death. Asgard then had a mighty feast, to celebrate the end of the war and the return of Thor. Odin however did not attend, instead he looked out into the nine realms, mourning his lost son. Thor joined his father and told him that he now understood why he had been banished and knew he still had much to learn. Odin told Thor that he had already made him very proud and he would make a fine leader someday.

Sending Thor back to Earth
"How much dark energy did the All-father have to muster to conjure you here?"

- Loki to Thor

With the Bifrost Bridge destroyed, the Asgardians could not maintain peace in the universe. A group of rag-tag invaders called the Marauders started to attack several of the Nine Realms. At the same time, Frigga discovered that Loki was alive and that he intended to conquer Earth. Odin sent Thor down to Earth to retrieve Loki. He used dark magic to send Thor on Earth, at the cost of his own and Thor's health, since the Bifrost Bridge was destroyed. However, there was an amount of time for Thor to get back to Asgard with Loki. Odin watched Thor's confrontation with Loki through the eyes of Hugin and Munin.

The Trial of Loki
"If I'm for the axe, then for mercy's sake just swing it. It's not that I don't love our little talks, it's just...I don't love them." "Frigga is why you still live, but this was the last time you will ever see her again. Spend the rest of your wicked days in the dungeons."

- Loki and Odin

When Thor returned to Asgard with the captured Loki and the Tesseract, Odin decided to speak with the prisoner. Though Loki tried to justify his actions on Earth claiming that it was his birthright to be a King, Odin openly told him that he would spare his life only because of Frigga's love for him. Odin then condemned Loki to an eternal imprisonment inside the Asgardian Dungeons.

The War
"Some believe that before the universe, there was nothing. They're wrong. There was darkness... and it has survived."

- Odin

Approximately a year after Thor helped the mortals in saving Earth from Loki and his army of the Chitauri, the Marauders were still pillaging the peaceful inhabitants of the Nine Realms, and Odin had to send Thor to lead the armies of Asgard against them. Once Thor had secured peace, Odin then discussed a pressing matter with his son; his infatuation with Jane Foster, recommending that Thor seek a romantic relationship with an Asgardian rather than a human, suggesting Lady Sif for Thor's affections. Knowing that Thor would not listen, Odin suggested that he at least try to enjoy his victory over the Marauders. Thor eventually brought Foster to Asgard, much to Odin's disapproval, but when it was discovered that Foster was carrying the Aether, Odin decided to keep her protected. But another threat soon arose. The Dark Elves, a race of creatures that was believed to be extinct for thousands of years, suddenly returned to plunge the entire universe into darkness. Led by Malekith the Accursed, they launched an attack on Asgard. The Elves flew their ships into Asgard, destroying many of Asgard's defences before crash landing inside the Great Hall and engaging a battle with Asgard's soldiers.

Sacking of Asgard
"After all I have survived, my Queen still worries." "It's because I worry that you survive."

- Odin and Frigga

Odin meanwhile had led a troop to put down the rebellion in the Asgardian Dungeons. Along the way he came across Frigga and Jane Foster; he assured Frigga that there was nothing to fear and smiled as she showed her fear for his safety. Odin said that even after he had survived so many previous battles, his wife still worries for him; she reminded him that it was due to her worrying that he had survived. This would be the final time Odin would ever speak to his wife. When he returned to the upper chambers, he found that Dark Elves had invaded the palace and killed dozens of Asgardian soldiers. Once he had dispatched a fleeing Dark Elf, Odin realized that the Dark Elves would likely attack Frigga and Jane Foster. He went to their aid but was too late; Frigga had been killed by Malekith and Kurse. Although Thor arrived, he was unable to kill the Dark Elf leader, instead severely burning his face. Upon discovering her body, Odin fell to his knees and cradled his beloved wife. Odin arranged for a ceremonial funeral for Frigga and the soldiers who died in the attack. Odin wore an all black armour and oversaw the ceremony where his wife's body was placed into a ship and transformed into stars in the universe. Odin remained silent during the ceremony, silently mourning his beloved wife. Every resident of Asgard showed their respect for Frigga and the soldiers.

Seeking Revenge
"If and when he comes, his men will fall on ten thousand Asgardian blades." "And how many of our men will fall on theirs?" "As many as are needed! We will fight! To the last Asgardian breath, to the last drop of Asgardian blood."

- Odin and Thor

Thor tried to convince his father to leave Asgard with Jane Foster and draw Malekith away, but Odin declined, stating that he was powerful enough to defeat Malekith himself, and insisted they simply wait. Odin said he was willing to sacrifice every soldier needed to defeat Malekith and avenge Frigga. Thor defied his orders and enlisted Heimdall in helping him, Foster and Loki escape Asgard. Heimdall then sent for Odin and confessed his disobedience. A slightly surprised Odin simply ordered his guards to stop Thor, but they were too late. With Thor now gone with Foster and Loki, Odin sent an Einherjar Guard to Svartalfheim to check on the battle against Malekith. When the guard returned, he approached Odin with news that they had discovered Loki's body. The guard, however, was actually Loki himself in disguise. Some time later, the throne of Asgard was usurped by Loki who had disguised himself as the All-father. Odin's current status and whereabouts are unknown.

Deception
The appearance of Odin was used by Loki to rule the Asgardians. Sif traveled to Earth twice, thinking that Odin gave her the order when it was truly Loki; once to apprehend Lorelei, and again to investigate the presence of a Kree on Earth.

Personality
Odin is a patient, just, and wise king. He strives to maintain the peace between the Nine Realms and is thoughtful of the lives of the innocent. Despite his enemies warring against him, he is compassionate enough to not seek the obliteration of the innocents of the opposing force. He even adopted Loki, the abandoned son of his old foe, and raised and loved him as his own son. Nevertheless, Odin is firm in his rule and does not hesitate to mete justice on those who threaten the peace; even if it is his own sons.

While he is a good king who cares about the peace of the realms, he was willing to sacrifice as many Asgardians as necessary if Malekith had attacked again, showing to be just as ruthless as Malekith at the time, as Thor noted, due to the intense grief, rage, and need for revenge coursing through him after Frigga's death.

Powers
Odin possesses all of the various superhuman attributes common among the Asgardians. Odin possesses superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, durability, and is extremely long-lived. However, as the King of Asgard, these attributes are significantly superior to those possessed by the other members of his race.
 * Asgardian Physiology: As an Asgardian, Odin has superhuman abilities.
 * Superhuman Strength: Like all Asgardians, Odin is superhumanly strong and possesses greater physical strength than the average Asgardian male. When he was younger, he was able to battle multiple Frost Giants on his own and lift one with his spear. He was also able to catch and hold both of his sons Thor and Loki as they were sent flying, in his advanced age.
 * Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite his body's resistance, Odin can be injured like any other Asgardian. However, his metabolism enables him to rapidly regenerate damaged bodily tissue with greater speed and efficiency than a human being is capable of. He isn't able to grow back missing organs though, as he lost his right eye during the Asgard-Jotunheim War and it has not been healed back since.
 * Longevity: Like all Asgardians, Odin ages at a rate that is much slower than that of a human being. Even though he is thousands of years old, he still in very good health, greatly belying his appearance.
 * Odinforce: Odin is capable of manipulating vast amounts of energy for a number of purposes. With this immense power, Odin is capable of feats such as projecting force blasts through Gungnir that enabled him to destroy hordes of Frost Giants and Dark Elves. Odin is highly skilled in the use of his powers during combat situations, and was able to casually take down and kill Frost Giants with ease during the war. Odin is also capable of placing multiple permanent enchantments on items, as he did for Mjølnir when he exiled Thor to Earth. He had to tap into some form of dark energy to send Thor to Earth when the Bifrost was still destroyed, although, at the cost of his own and Thor's health.

Abilities
As King of Asgard and recognized in mythology as the God of Wisdom, Odin possesses vast knowledge of ancient and arcane wisdom, considered to be his most powerful weapon.
 * Leadership: Odin is the all-powerful ruler of Asgard and the guardian of the Nine Realms. As such, he is wise and honorable. He is dedicated to using his power for keeping the peace between the Nine Realms. He believes in being responsible (in terms of being careful and responsible for your actions), duty (in terms of the protection of and keeping the peace between the Nine Realms) and honor (always being a man of his word). However, when angered or upset, he can be very stern to the point of ruthlessness when necessary. As Frigga stated, "everything he does, he does with a purpose." He loves Thor but when Thor went to Jotunheim and nearly started a war in the process, he exiled Thor to Earth, to teach him what it means to a good warrior and a hero.
 * Master Combatant: Odin is a master hand-to-hand combatant and close-quarters combatant. During multiple battles against Frost Giants, he casually killed multiple of the race with relative ease.
 * Master Tactician: His thousands of years of experience resulted in him becoming a master tactician. He has led the Armies of Asgard into battle for countless years in wars over all the Nine Realms.

Equipment

 * Gungnir: A powerful magical spear used by the rulers of Asgard and serves as a symbol of power.

Family

 * Buri † - Grandfather
 * Bor † - Father
 * Siblings †
 * Frigga † - Wife
 * Thor - Son
 * Loki - Adopted Son turned Enemy

Allies

 * Heimdall
 * Sif
 * Warriors Three
 * Fandral
 * Hogun
 * Volstagg
 * Einherjar - Subordinates
 * Tyr
 * Jane Foster
 * Hugin and Munin - Familiars
 * Sleipnir - Steed

Enemies

 * Frost Giants
 * Laufey †
 * Dark Elves
 * Malekith †
 * Algrim/Kurse †

Video Game Only

 * Surtur
 * Mangog - Creation

Trivia

 * In the comics, Odin sacrificed his right eye in order to obtain the knowledge to stop Ragnarök from occurring.

Behind the Scenes

 * Odin was portrayed by Anthony Hopkins in Thor. Hopkins reprised his role in Thor: The Dark World. Tom Kane voiced Odin in the video game Thor: God of Thunder, as did Scott Rayow in Thor: The Dark World - The Official Game.
 * With the whereabouts of Odin at the end of Thor: The Dark World unconfirmed, Anthony Hopkins expressed disinterest to return to the franchise while both he and Alan Taylor confirmed he was dead as a twist for the end. Kevin Feige however said "like all of our plans at Marvel Studios, we know where we would like to go if given the opportunity. We have very good ideas whether the All-Father is with us or not", giving the possibility of his return.
 * was offered the part of Odin, but turned it down.