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"Be warned: I will honor my sworn oath to protect this realm as its gatekeeper."
―Heimdall[src]

Heimdall was the all-seeing and all-hearing Asgardian and former guard of Asgard's Bifrost Bridge. He could see and hear nearly everything that happens in the Nine Realms. Despite vowing to obey the orders of Odin, Heimdall was prepared to commit treason if it meant protecting the Realms, as he allowed the Warriors Three to return Thor from Midgard to defeat Loki.

When Asgard was attacked by the Dark Elves, Heimdall discovered his powers were blocked by the Elves so he was forced to once again commit treason to help Thor destroy Malekith and protect the Nine Realms. Under Loki's disguised regime over Asgard, Heimdall was banished from his position.

When Hela took control over Asgard, Heimdall hid the Asgardian citizens from her and with the help of Thor, he evacuated them from Asgard before Ragnarök. He then joined their new king Thor on their trip to Earth. On their way, the Statesman was attacked by Thanos and the Black Order, who overthrew the ship. Summoning a last shred of dark magic, Heimdall was able to channel the Bifrost and sent Hulk to the New York Sanctum on Earth before he was killed by Thanos.

Biography

Bifrost Guardian

Protector of the Realms

"I am bound by honor to our king."
―Heimdall[src]

Heimdall was an Asgardian blessed with sensory capabilities far beyond those of other Asgardians, letting him see nearly all things that happen in the Nine Realms. His near omniscience have been put to use placing Heimdall in the role of gatekeeper to Asgard at Himinbjorg on the Bifrost Bridge. Throughout his time as its guardian, Heimdall ensured that no enemies were able to get past his watch and enter Asgard, ensuring its safety throughout Odin's rule of King, whom Heimdall was fiercely loyal to.[1]

Frost Giants Attack

"Heimdall, may we pass?"
"Never has an enemy escaped my watch until this day. I want to know how it happened."
"And tell no one where we have gone until we return."
Thor and Heimdall[src]
The Gatekeeper of Asgard

Heimdall guards Asgard from its enemies

Despite his own phenomenal ability, however, Heimdall was unable to perceive an intrusion by several Frost Giants when they broke into Odin's Vault in an attempt to reclaim the Casket of Ancient Winters. Despite the Frost Giants being stopped by the Destroyer, Heimdall was mortified to have failed to foresee this attack. This intrusion also sparked the ire of Odin's son Thor, who came to Heimdall, seeking access to Jotunheim in order to gain answers from the Frost Giants.

Heimdall-opens-Bifrost-Bridge

Heimdall sends Thor into Jotunheim

Despite Loki attempting to trick him into allowing them to go past, Heimdall made it clear that he understood why they had come to him, causing Thor to step forward and demand access to the Bifrost Bridge. Heimdall agreed to let Thor and the Warriors Three pass and accepted their request that he keep their movements secret. While he activated the Bifrost using Hofund, Heimdall warned he may be forced to not reopen the Bifrost if it proved too great a risk.

OdinThrowsHeimdallHisSword

Heimdall follows all King Odin's direct orders

However, while Thor and the Warriors Three were still on Jotunheim, King Odin arrived in Himinbjorg and ordered him to open the Bifrost, saving Thor and his friends from Laufey's army of Frost Giants. Seeing that Fandral had been injured during the Attack on Jotunheim, Odin ordered Volstagg and Hogun to get him to the healing room along with Lady Sif while he confronted Thor over his actions which had restarted the war against Laufey.[1]

Loki Takes the Throne

HeimdallWatches image

Heimdall sees Thor's attempt to come home

"Did Odin ever fear you?"
"No."
"And why is that?"
"Because he is my king. And I'm sworn to obey him."
"He was your king. And you are sworn to obey me now. Yes?"
"Yes."
"Then you'll open the Bifrost to no one."
Loki and Heimdall[src]

Furious at his actions which endangered Asgard's people, Odin was forced to banish his son Thor onto Earth in an attempt to learn some new humbleness. With Thor gone, Odin later fell into the Odinsleep, which unnerved Heimdall. Hoping to see his friend, Heimdall stood on Himinbjorg and overlooked the Nine Realms, seeing Thor try and fail to lift up his own hammer Mjølnir, resulting in him failing to regain his former powers and return back home to Asgard.

Heimdall-ConfrontingLoki-GoldArmor

Heimdall confronts Loki over all his secrets

With Odin still in his Odinsleep, Loki placed himself on the throne as regent with the support of Queen Frigga. As the King of Asgard, Loki demanded Heimdall's loyalty, which he grudgingly accepted while he did not trust Loki's intentions. Heimdall later caught Loki returning to Asgard from Jotunheim, with Heimdall noting he had somehow been unable to see him there, causing his fears to be confirmed, while Loki then ordered the Bifrost Bridge to be temporally shut down.

Heimdall-ConfrontingWarriorsThree

Heimdall makes a deal with the Warriors Three

Now ordered not to allow anyone to leave Asgard for the foreseeable future, Heimdall became convinced of Loki's sinister plans. Upon hearing that Lady Sif and the Warriors Three were intending to go to Earth and save Thor, Heimdall ordered a member of the Einherjar to bring them to Himinbjorg. Once confirming that they intended to go against Loki, Heimdall left and allowed them to go use the Bifrost without him, with Fandral calling him a complicated fellow.[1]

Fighting Loki

HeimdallObservatory

Heimdall is furiously threatened by King Loki

"I say, for your act of treason, you are relieved of your duties as gatekeeper, and no longer citizen of Asgard."
"Then I need no longer obey you."
Loki and Heimdall[src]

Enraged, Loki matched straight into Himinbjorg where Heimdall was waiting for him, as he questioned exactly how Loki had allowed the Frost Giants inside Asgard in the first place. Furious, Loki dismissed Heimdall as his subject, thus releasing the protector of the Bifrost Bridge from his vows. Heimdall responded with an immediate attack with Hofund, but Loki froze him in a block of ice with the Casket of Ancient Winters just before he could strike.

Thor-0850

Heimdall betrays and is frozen alive by Loki

While Heimdall remained frozen in place, Loki proceeded to bring a small army of the Frost Giants, which included King Laufey, through the Bifrost and into Asgard. Locked in his icy prison, Heimdall remained completely helpless to prevent Loki leading one of them into the city and towards King Odin who was still in his Odinsleep, but Heimdall was soon galvanized by the calls of Thor who was still trapped on Earth and was demanding Heimdall's assistance.

HeimdallBreakingIce

Heimdall breaks free and kills the Frost Giants

Seeking to aid his friends to stop Loki's plans and defeat Laufey, Heimdall began gathering all of his strength to break free of his icy prison. Barely able to move, Heimdall listened to Thor's calls for aid as the ice around him finally began to crack under the weight of Heimdall's determination. Smashing free, he quickly cut down the two Frost Giants who had been left to guard him with Hofund, even throwing one of the Frost Giants off the rainbow bridge.

Hofund

Heimdall helps to bring Thor back to Asgard

With what little strength he had remaining, Heimdall dragged himself back inside Himinbjorg where he managed to lift Hofund up and activated the Bifrost, allowing Thor and his allies to finally return back to Asgard. Severely weakened, Heimdall could assist the adventurers no further as he collapsed from his wounds and had to be carried by Lady Sif and the Warriors Three from Himinbjorg to seek some kind of aid while Thor then furiously left to confront Loki.[1]

Losing the Bifrost

Broken Bifrost

Heimdall and Thor at the broken Bifrost Bridge

"So Earth is lost to us..."
"No. There is always hope."
Thor and Heimdall[src]

Eventually Thor had successfully defeated Loki in a final duel, at the cost of the Bifrost Bridge. The destruction of the bridge created a portal that Loki to an unknown area within space. Heimdall returned following the destruction of Himinbjorg and when Thor asked if passage to Earth was lost for all time, he showed him the Bifrost regenerating and replied, "No. There is still hope." When Thor asked Heimdall if he could see Jane Foster, Heimdall chuckled and told him that she was still looking to be reunited back with him.[1]

War Between Realms

Rebuilding the Bifrost Bridge

Heimdall Armor DW

Heimdall continues guarding the Nine Realms

"The Marauders amass near Vanaheim. Thor's destruction of the Bifrost continues to shift the balance of power across the Nine Realms... and into the worlds beyond Yggdrasil."
―Heimdall[src]

With there being no way for the Asgardians to go to other Realms to help protect them, the Nine Realms fell into chaos. To keep all the Asgardian leaders updated, Heimdall summoned Odin and Thor and warned them about the attack.[1] Around two years after the Duel at the Rainbow Bridge left the Bifrost inactive, Odin was forced to use dark energy to send Thor after Loki. With the help of the Avengers, Thor was able to arrest Loki and take him back to Asgard along with the Tesseract. Thor entrusted the Tesseract to Heimdall to repair the Bifrost Bridge.[2]

End of the Marauders' War

Thor-TDW-Heimdall

Heimdall overlooks all of the peaceful realms

"The universe hasn’t seen this marvel since before my watch began. Few can sense, even fewer can see it. A world that’s infected can be dangerous. It is truly beautiful."
―Heimdall to Thor[src]

As Heimdall overlooked the Multiverse from Himinbjorg, he was joined by Thor, who had left the celebrations for his latest victories to speak with Heimdall. Together, they discussed the Convergence which once coming soon before they moved onto talk about Jane Foster, who Thor wanted to check on. However, to their shock, Heimdall had somehow lost track of her which was thought to be impossible, causing Thor to travel to London to check on her safety.

Heimdall4-TTDW

Heimdall welcomes Jane Foster to Asgard

Having discovered that Foster had now seemingly been somehow infected by the long lost Aether, causing her body to be consumed with uncontrollable power, Thor decided that now his best course of action was to bring Foster to Asgard where their own doctors could examine her and try to remove the Aether. When Thor and Foster had come across through the Bifrost Bridge, Heimdall greeted them both and welcomed the utterly amazed Foster to Asgard.

Algrim-arrives-in-Asgard

Heimdall brings more Marauders into Asgard

Continuing his role of Asgard's watchman, Heimdall later witnessed the return of both Fandral, Volstagg and the Einherjar, who had finally returned back home into Asgard having at last finished the fighting against the Marauders, bringing their captives with them to be taken into the Asgardian Dungeons to begin their sentence for their crimes against the Nine Realms. Among all the Marauders was Algrim who Heimdall watched as he was led towards the dungeons.[3]

Sacking of Asgard

HeimdallinObservatory image

Heimdall senses something passing him

"You're not in Odin’s war council?"
"The Bifrost is closed by your father’s orders. No one is to come or to go. We face an enemy that is invisible even to me. Of what use is a guardian such as that?"
Thor and Heimdall[src]

Simultaneously, as Algrim transformed into Kurse and conducted a prison break of the Asgardian Dungeons, Heimdall observed something strange and seemingly invisible flying past him while he stood at his post at Himinbjorg. Believing something was seriously wrong, Heimdall left his post on the Bifrost Bridge and chased it down, determined to discover the truth of what he was feeling.

Heimdall-DestroyingElfShip

Heimdall destroys the Dark Elves' attack ship

Discovering that it was the lead Dark Elf Harrow trying to invisibly pass him, Heimdall ran across the Bifrost Bridge, drawing two knives and leaped onto the side of the ship. Plunging his knives into the side of the ship, Heimdall managed to disable its cloaking capabilities, revealing the ship to the rest of Asgard. Heimdall then proceeded to throw a blade into the ship's engine, causing it to crashland while Heimdall was able to jump down to safety onto the bridge.

Heimdall-TTDW

Heimdall witnesses Malekith's sudden attack

Having destroyed the ship, Heimdall briefly believed the threat was over, only to turn around and see the arrival of the Ark and even more Harrows flying towards the city, following the orders of Malekith who was seeking revenge for Svartalfheim's destruction. As Heimdall had watched on in horror while unable to assist, Malekith's ships aided in the Sacking of Asgard as Asgard's forces under Odin's instructions fought back in their Asgardian Skiffs against the Harrows.

Heimdall - Activating the Asgardian Shield

Heimdall activates all Asgard's main defences

Seeking to end Malekith's attack before the royal family could then be endangered, Heimdall used Hofund to activate the shield around Asgard, causing several Harrows to crash and be destroyed by the defences. Despite Heimdall's efforts to protect the Royal Palace of Valaskjalf, the generator for the shield was found by Kurse who processed to destroy it, allowing for Malekith's own ship to enter the palace as all the Dark Elves began fighting the Einherjar inside the palace.

Heimdall-FriggasFuneral

Heimdall attends Queen Frigga's funeral

In the wake of the battle, Heimdall was informed that Malekith had killed Queen Frigga while attempting to gain the Aether from Jane Foster. Sadden by the loss of his own Queen, Heimdall watched her funeral from Himinbjorg, seeing that King Odin and Thor were in attendance along with the Warriors Three and Sif. As Frigga's body was turned into pure light and sent up into the Multiverse, Heimdall bowed his head in sadness and respect for his Queen.[3]

Committing Treason

Thor Heimdall

Heimdall and Thor discuss Malekith's attack

"You called me here on an urgent matter. What is it?"
"Treason, my lord."
"Whose?"
"Mine."
Odin and Heimdall[src]

In the wake of Frigga's funeral, Heimdall was ordered by Odin that the Bifrost Bridge was to be shut down, and nobody was allowed to enter or leave Asgard for the foreseeable future. Now not needing to guard his post, Heimdall went to console Thor, who was sat inside an Asgardian bar. Thor noted that Malekith and his army of Dark Elves would return and attack Asgard for a second time, noting that Odin was blinded by his grief since Frigga's death, which Heimdall did not argue with.

HeimdalldarkWorld

Heimdall agrees to help with Thor's mission

While they spoke, Thor quietly asked Heimdall to side with him on his mission to secretly hide Jane Foster, who was carrying the Aether in her body and was therefore Malekith's target. Heimdall insisted that he could not go against the orders of Odin, but Thor insisted that he did not have to directly disobey his King. Knowing that if he were to return, Malekith would undoubtedly destroy Asgard, Heimdall then reluctantly agreed to help with Thor's secret mission.

Thor-SecretWarriorsMeeting

Heimdall stands behind Thor in the meeting

Joining Thor for a secret meeting with those who also desired to help him, Heimdall explained that there were other ways off Asgard beside the Bifrost Bridge, which Loki was now the only one who could show them due to his previous journeys to Jotunheim, much to the horror of Volstagg. Heimdall listened while Fandral insisted that Loki would betray them if freed, but Thor insisted it was the only way, ordering Lady Sif to free Foster while the others aided in their escape.

Heimdall again

Heimdall surrenders himself over to King Odin

Seeking to distract him while the others could successfully break Loki out of the Asgardian Dungeons to make their escape, Heimdall called Odin to Himinbjorg, claiming he needed to discuss an urgent matter with his King. When Odin arrived, Heimdall confessed to treason and offered over Hofund. When Odin was told by Tyr that Foster was missing, Odin looked disappointingly at Heimdall before ordering the Einherjar to take Heimdall into their custody.[3]

Observation

"We do not trust Kree. That is why I am here. When Heimdall saw that one landed on your world, Odin charged me with retrieving him."
Sif to Phil Coulson[src]

Heimdall saw a Kree arrive on Earth and, because of the enmity between the races, alerted the King. Heimdall opened the Bifrost Bridge and Sif was sent to investigate. After her assignment was completed, Sif called Heimdall to reopen the Bifrost so that she and the Kree Vin-Tak could return to Asgard and Hala respectively.[4]

Ragnarök

Banished from Asgard

"Odin charged Heimdall with negligence of duty, but he disappeared before the trial. Hard to catch a guy who can see everything in the universe."
Skurge[src]

While Loki ruled Asgard behind the façade of his father Odin, Heimdall was exiled from the city for supposedly neglecting his duty of protecting Asgard, though it was most likely that Loki realized that with his abilities, Heimdall would see past the disguise and promptly had Heimdall banished. As a result, Heimdall was replaced with Skurge as Gatekeeper.[5]

Stealing Hofund

File:Thor-ragnarok-idris-elba-1.jpg

Heimdall steals Hofund from Himinbjorg

"Sorry about that. These bloody things are everywhere. Come on. You'll be safe here."
―Heimdall[src]

Heimdall made a swift return to Asgard when he discovered the realm had been taken over by Hela. His first act in securing the safety of Asgard, as well as potentially the rest of the galaxy, was stealing Hofund before Hela could use the Bifrost Bridge to access other planets. Heimdall successfully stole the sword without Skurge realizing.[5]

Providing Safe Passage

HeimdallSavingAsgardians

Heimdall protects Asgardians from Berserkers

"You're talking about evacuating Asgard?"
"We won't last long if we stay. She draws her power from Asgard and grows stronger every day. Come on. Hela is ravenous. If I let her leave, she'll consume Nine Realms and all the Cosmos."
Thor and Heimdall[src]

As Hela tightened her rule on Asgard, Heimdall began to protect his fellow Asgardians. In the wilderness beyond the city, he established a refuge in an ancient Asgardian stronghold and began gathering refugees fleeing the city. While on one such mission, Heimdall was contacted by Thor who was imprisoned on Sakaar. Thor sought to see what was transpiring on Asgard, and Heimdall used his powers to allow Thor to see what was happening.

HeimdallContactedByThor-TR

Heimdall communicates with Thor on Asgard

Seeing Thor in front of him, Heimdall expressed his sight despite knowing that he is too far away. In an utterly dire situation, Heimdall was being forced to evacuate the Asgardians before Hela to imprison or execute them, having already slaughtered the Warriors Three while Thor had been gone. While Thor expressed his desire to return to Asgard, stop Hela, and keep the people safe, Heimdall further explained that Hela was planning to use her newly regained power to consume all the Nine Realms.

HeimdallThor-DiscussingEvacuation

Heimdall telling Thor how to get out of Sakaar

Suggesting that Thor could possibly be able to get out of Sakaar, Heimdall tells him that he needs to go through the many of the gateways that littered the sky. As Heimdall drew Hofund due to being attacked by Hela's Berserkers, Thor questioned which one of the holes to use to escape, saying he was on a world surrounded by gateways, and he needed to take the largest one to get back to Asgard.[5]

Fighting Hela

HeimdallSensesHelasArrival

Heimdall senses Hela's arrival

"Asgard. She's here."
―Heimdall to Asgardians[src]

Eventually, Hela learned of Heimdall's refugees and set out to deal with them. Sensing her approach, Heimdall informed them that she was coming. He then began evacuating the Asgardians from the Hidden Stronghold with the intention of sending them across the Bifrost Bridge so they could flee Asgard. As he led them across the bridge, they were confronted by Fenris and the Berserkers.

HeimdallBlockedByFenris

Heimdall leads the Asgardians to safety

As Fenris charged towards them, Heimdall attempted to retreat, but he found his way blocked by Skurge and more Berserkers. Skurge called out to Heimdall and ordered him to hand over Hofund in exchange for the safety of the Asgardians. Knowing that Hela would have access to the Nine Realms if he relinquished Hofund, Heimdall began fighting against the Berserkers. As Fenris lunges towards the Asgardians, Heimdall, armed with Hofund, prepared to fight back.

Heimdall vs

Heimdall prepares to battle against Fenris

Before he could attack Fenris, Bruce Banner hit the bridge in front of him, which made Fenris pause and sniff at Banner's unmoving body to see if he was dead or alive. Showing no signs of it, she continued lunging towards the rest of the Asgardians as Heimdall officially prepared himself to attack the wolf. Before he could attack, Heimdall and the rest of the Asgardians were suddenly saved by Hulk, who dragged Fenris back by her tail to prevent her from attacking.

HeimdallSavedByKorg

Heimdall is saved by Korg

Heimdall continued fighting against the Berserkers in the Battle of the Rainbow Bridge with Hofund while Hulk fought against Fenris. Heimdall was eventually pinned down by the Berserkers and almost killed by one until he was suddenly saved by Korg. Korg and Miek then introduced themselves to Heimdall before pointing him in the direction of the Statesman, which was being piloted by Loki and the Sakaaran Rebellion, which would evacuate them off Asgard.

Heimdall & Loki (Ragnarok)

Heimdall is reunited with Loki

Heimdall then reunited with Loki as he noted that he had seen him coming to Asgard. Standing alongside Loki, Korg, Miek, and the rest of the Sakaaran Rebellion, they then began fighting against the Berserkers as the Asgardians were evacuated to the Statesman, and they eventually found themselves being overwhelmed until suddenly, Heimdall witnessed a massive lightning blast destroy much of the Royal Palace of Valaskjalf.

Bifröst battle

Heimdall fights alongside his allies

Much to the surprise of Heimdall, out of the lightning came Thor, who charged through the Berserkers army and aided his allies, all while Hulk fought with Fenris, giving Heimdall and the others a clear advantage. After battling against the Berserkers, Heimdall began evacuating the Asgardians onboard the Statesman while Thor, Loki, and Valkyrie prepared to confront Hela, in which the Goddess of Death still managed to subdue the two Asgardians.[5]

Destruction of Asgard

HeimdallWatchesAsgardsDestruction

Heimdall witnesses Asgard's destruction

"What have I done?"
"You saved us from extinction. Asgard is not a place... It's a people."
Thor and Heimdall[src]

To defeat Hela, Thor directed Loki to unleash Ragnarök by reuniting Surtur's crown with the Eternal Flame. While Thor and Valkyrie fought against Hela, Thor told Heimdall to go ahead and board the Statesman with the rest of the Asgardian refugees. Before they could take off, however, Hela launched several massive Necroswords out from the water which pierced the underside of the Statesman.

Thor Ragnarok-ThorSittingintheThrone

Heimdall stands by Thor's side on the Statesman

This ended up preventing them from escaping as it caused the ship to be unable to leave as even more Berserkers then began attacking. They were all then saved by Skurge, who began gunning down the Berserkers and destroying the Necrosword, allowing Heimdall and the people to successfully escape Asgard before being killed by Hela. Thor, Hulk, and Valkyrie successfully managed to board the Statesman as Heimdall then watched as Surtur fulfilled Ragnarök and destroyed Asgard, killing Hela.

Heimdall-KingThor-Ragnarok

Heimdall asks Thor where they should go

Some time later, Thor officially became the King of Asgard aboard the Statesman, and he was given a throne. Heimdall then asked Thor where their next destination was. Initially, Thor thought of the Asgardians settling in Miek's home world, who was believed to have been dead by Korg. After Miek regained his consciousness, Thor announced that the New Asgard would be Earth. Heimdall stood by his King's side.[5]

Infinity War

Encounter with Thanos

Avengers Infinity War 12

Heimdall asking to be given the dark magic

"Allfathers, let the dark magic flow through me one last time."
―Heimdall[src]

In his quest to obtain the Infinity Stones, Thanos and the Black Order attacked the Statesman to acquire the Space Stone, which was in the possession of Loki, months following Hela's defeat in Ragnarök. Heimdall was incapacitated during the assault, and his sword, Hofund, broken and unusable as a weapon, and Thor was tortured with the Power Stone by the Mad Titan to lure Loki into relinquishing the Tesseract, which he stole from Odin's Vault prior to the Destruction of Asgard.

Heimdall's Last Act (Bifrost Bridge)

Heimdall uses the Bifrost Bridge to save Hulk

With Thor restrained and Thanos in possession of the Space Stone, Heimdall witnessed Thanos defeat Hulk in a fight, throwing him onto the ground. In order to save Hulk's life, Heimdall asked the Allfathers to bestow upon him dark magic to harness the Bifrost Bridge one last time, which he used to send Hulk to Earth, specifically to the New York Sanctum. This heroic action saved Hulk and allowed him to warn Earth of Thanos' conquest.

HeimdallDeath

Heimdall is stabbed in the heart by Thanos

Noticing the Bifrost whisking Hulk to safety, an angered Thanos made his way to Heimdall. Taking Corvus Glaive's glaive, Thanos informed Heimdall that his actions were a mistake and proceeded to stab Heimdall in the heart for saving Hulk. With one final look at his king who was in anguish after having witnessed the fall of Asgard and the slaughter of his people, Heimdall took his last breath and died.[6]

Legacy

Thor's Vengeance

"Best friend?"
"Stabbed through the heart."
Rocket Raccoon and Thor[src]

As Heimdall was Thor's good friend, the Asgardian King took his death the hardest out of the deaths of the Asgardians, surpassed only by the grief he felt for Loki, who died soon after Heimdall. Thor even vowed to kill Thanos after the latter killed Heimdall, despite having been incapacitated. Loki and Heimdall, would lead Thor to forge Stormbreaker to kill Thanos, coming quite close to succeeding but ultimately failed due to Thor wanting to gloat to Thanos first that he got vengeance for the deaths of the Asgardians, resulting in Thanos not being killed. Having retained enough strength to snap his Gauntlet hand's fingers, the Mad Titan was able to wipe out half of the universe before Thor could stop him.[6]

Heimdall was finally avenged when Thor killed Thanos in 2018, then when Iron Man killed Thanos and his army in the Battle of Earth.[7]

Personality

"You would defy the commands of Loki, our king? Break every oath you have taken as warriors, and commit treason to bring Thor back?"
"Yes."
"Good."
―Heimdall and Sif[src]

Heimdall is a strong and loyal warrior, with a high sense of honor. Although being extremely powerful, even for an Asgardian, he loyally serves Odin, having swore an oath of faith to his king. However, his true loyalty lies with the throne of Asgard, rather than Odin personally, as such when during Loki's reign, he did not personally let Sif and the Warriors Three pass onto Earth, but he secretly gave them his blessing. Then after Loki found out, he announced Heimdall as a traitor and no longer a citizen of Asgard. As a result, Heimdall attacked Loki, no longer bound to serve him. He was loyal enough to confess his disobedience (although he called it treachery) to Odin and surrendered.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

"You have great power, Heimdall."
Loki[src]
  • Asgardian Physiology: As an Asgardian, Heimdall has superhuman abilities.
    • Superhuman Strength: Like all Asgardians, Heimdall is superhumanly strong and possesses greater physical strength than the average Asgardian male. He was able to break out from being frozen by Loki with the Casket of Ancient Winters, to lift a Frost Giant with his sword, to destroy a Dark Elf Harrow using only his sword, and to defeat several Berserkers with his sword. However, Heimdall was still no match for Fenris, with the former showing visible signs of fear when cornered by the massive beast on the Rainbow Bridge.
    • Superhuman Durability: Heimdall's body is much denser and much more resistant to physical harm than the body of a human being. He was capable of being frozen by Loki and showing no signs of injuries afterward.
    • Superhuman Speed: Heimdall can move at extreme speeds, with him thus managing to chase a flying Dark Elf Harrow, and quickly destroy it.
    • Superhuman Stamina: His musculature produces considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of humans.
    • Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite his superhuman durability, Heimdall can be injured. However, his physiology allows him to heal at an accelerated rate.
    • Longevity: Like all Asgardians, Heimdall ages at a rate that is much slower than that of a human being. Even though he is over one thousand years old, he still looks like a young man by Earth standards.
"It's said the Gatekeeper can see a single drop of dew fall from a blade of grass a thousand worlds away."
Volstagg[src]
HeimdallEyes

Heimdall overlooking all of the Nine Realms

  • Omni-Senses: Heimdall possesses tremendous sensory capabilities far beyond that of any Asgardians, which made Odin appoint him the Gatekeeper to Asgard. His sight itself extends to all of the Nine Realms, and his hearing is so sharp and precise that he heard the Warriors Three and Lady Sif conspiring against Loki from his post. Heimdall is able to hear other Asgardians calling him from other world and realms, such as Midgard, Jotunheim, Vanaheim, or Sakaar. When he uses his incredible perception, his eyes turn bright orange. Indeed, Heimdall himself claimed to see 10 trillion souls from Asgard,[3] and Volstagg has stated that the former is able to see a single drop of dew fall from a blade of grass a thousand worlds away, followed by Fandral satirizing that he is able to hear a cricket's flatulence in Niflheim; under his breath, Volstagg assured Heimdall his friend meant no offense. Despite his phenomenal ability, however, his senses have been deceived to a degree by Loki and the Dark Elves, as he was unable to see into Svartalfheim.
    • Transdimensional Communication: When Heimdall was called upon by Thor from Sakaar, he was able to allow Thor to temporarily see his own surroundings on Asgard, and to thus communicate with him as if they were in the same place. When doing so, Thor's eyes turned orange like Heimdall's.
  • Dark Magic: Heimdall possesses dark magic which allows him to channel an esoteric energy to summon the Bifrost and transport others across the universe, which he used to teleport Hulk to Earth when confronted by Thanos and the Black Order in order to have him warn Earth due to the Rainbow Bridge being destroyed.

Abilities

  • Master Combatant: Heimdall is a very capable combatant, having received training in swordsmanship. While normally using his sword to open the Bifrost Bridge, when using it in combat, Heimdall is powerful enough to defeat two Frost Giants when in a weakened state, an entire Dark Elf Harrow with relative ease when at his prime, as well as a horde of Berserkers.
  • Sword Mastery: Heimdall is a superior swordsman, capable of taking down multiple Frost Giants and Berserkers.

Equipment

Weapons

Thor Ragnarok Teaser 38

Heimdall wielding Hofund

  • Hofund: Heimdall mainly uses his sword for opening the Bifrost Bridge, but the sword is also powerful enough to pierce the skin of a Frost Giant and the hull of a Dark Elven ship. During Hela's return, Heimdall absconded with Hofund while Skurge was occupied.

Other Equipment

  • Helmet: Heimdall wore a helmet during his service as Asgard's Gatekeeper, desgined to resemble an immovable bull. He stopped wearing the helmet after he was relieved of his duty.
  • Gjallerhorn: Heimdall used a horn used to rally the army of Asgard. When the Frost Giants invaded Asgard, Thor managed to defeat the Jotuns and release the Gjallerhorn. He then gave a sharp blast of the horn to call Asgard's warriors to arms. The Frost Giants used this tactic again when Mangog opened portals allowing them and the Fire Demons to attack Asgard. Heimdall alerted Thor, who once again defeated them and rallied Asgard's forces.
  • Asgardian Armor
    • First Set: Heimdall's original armor was a gold metal chest plate that extended into shoulder guards over ox leather clothing. He also had a golden horned helmet. He wore black pants and gold boots and arm-bracers.
    • Second Set: Heimdall's second armor was far more ornate with an illustration of Yggdrasil on his chest plate. His sleeves are gold and brown leather. He wore a gold and brown skirt over brown pants and detailed golden boots. Heimdall still wears a helmet that is the same shape as the first one but with patterns etched onto it.
    • Third Set: Heimdall's third armor was a more clothing accessory compared to his previous armor, having brown pants and red sleeveless shirt while wearing a brown leather cape.

Vehicles

Facilities

Relationships

Allies

Enemies

Appearances

Appearances for Heimdall

In chronological order:

Trivia

  • In the comics, Heimdall and Sif are brother and sister, and members of the Vanir. Although this relationship has not been explored in the movies, concept art exists portraying Sif as black, confirming that this relationship was originally propped for Thor.[8]
  • In Norse mythology, Heimdall guarded the Bifrost, which the Vikings believed rainbows came from. Heimdall was predicted to kill and be killed by Loki during the doomsday scenario of Ragnarök.
  • In Norse mythology, Heimdall has golden teeth. In the movies, he has golden eyes. Heimdall is also known as the whitest of gods, with the title 'The White God' yet the actor that plays him has dark skin.
  • Heimdall’s armor design in Thor: The Dark World is meant to represent his watch over the Nine Realms. The tree represents Yggdrasil and the amber jewel, being the same color of his eyes, represents him looking over the realms.[9]

Behind the Scenes

References

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Heimdall.
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The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of quotes related to Heimdall.
Preceded by:
-
Guardian of the Bifrost Bridge
Heimdall
- Before 2017
Succeeded by:
Skurge

External Links

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