- "There, on an ancient battlefield, a man and a woman, a mortal and a goddess, the Ten Rings and the armies of Asgard forged an alliance and built an empire. An empire that would span the cosmos. An empire not of conquerors, but of liberators. Liberators whose campaign across the universe would forever prove even the darkest of hearts can come to know peace."
- ―The Watcher
What If... Hela Found the Ten Rings? is the seventh episode of the second season of What If...?.
Synopsis[]
Hela—stripped of her powers and banished to Earth—comes across a new source of power: the Ten Rings.
Plot[]
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The Watcher narrates that Odin sought to unite the Nine Realms under the Throne of Asgard and he fought alongside his executioner, Hela. One by one, the branches of the World Tree fell under their control, but Hela hungered for more. After telling Odin her ambitions, Odin said that there comes a time when a warrior must lay down his sword and give up the fight and that if Hela refused, she will be made to. While in the main reality, Odin had banished Hela to Hel, in this alternate reality, Hela's insolence inspired another idea. Odin tells her that no god should have dominion over death who has so little appreciation for life, and he casts her out to China on Earth.
Like the Ten Rings that fueled his power, Wenwu knew all too well that the most powerful forces on Earth often come from the beyond, and that he was about to discover someone far more intriguing that had fallen from the heavens. Hela, not amused about being sent to Earth, orders Wenwu's warriors to fetch Hela her crown before Wenwu appears and says that the only one who gives orders around these parts is him. Hela pokes fun at the Ten Rings, to which Wenwu claims that most people do well to fear him, and Hela agrees, but she then states that she is not "most people" and that she is the Goddess of Death. After their battle, Hela claims that if only she had her crown, Wenwu would kneel before her, to which he asks her to show him. She tries to grab her crown from the ground, but she is unable to, and pouts, to which Wenwu feels pity, and invites her to his headquarters.
At the Ten Rings Headquarters, Wenwu offers Hela an invitation to dinner and Hela accepts, saying that she's been subjected to worse forms of torture. When Wenwu sees her in her dress, he mentions that red is actually the color of good fortune and that brides even wear it on their wedding day. Hela spits out her drink and is not amused at the idea of marriage, saying he did not mention her "imprisonment would be a life sentence. Wenwu reassures her that he is not proposing marriage, but an alliance and that he sees a fighter in her. Hela said that Odin once saw the same fight and that he exploited and nurtured it and once her ambition outgrew his own, he called her a monster to which Wenwu replies that he's not Odin and that the Ten Rings were a gift bestowed upon him and a gift he gave back to the world in return. Wenwu then says that their world is plagued by dangerous forces, to which Hela asks if that was he took her for and Wenwu says that Odin may fear the fight in Hela, but he does not. Wenwu offers her to fight with him and that together, they can protect the world, before leaning in to kiss her. As they are about to kiss, Hela takes this opportunity to knock him unconscious, and says that he looks more handsome that way, before escaping.
After falling down in the horse stable and befriending Morris, Hela escapes and follows him into the forest and she admits that she is intrigued, but if Morris' joyride doesn't bear fruit, it would be his fault. Suddenly, the forest starts to close, and Morris warns Hela to run from the closing forest and she manages to survive, but Jiayi attacks her from out of nowhere, leading Hela to fall from Heimdall's view. After Hela comes to, Jiayi introduces herself, and that she speaks for the council of Ta Lo and they knew who Hela is and Morris filled them in. Hela said that she wasn't aware such magic still existed on Midgard and Jiayi said that their realm is a border protecting the people of Earth from the threats of the underworld, like Hela. Hela assured Jiayi that she means no harm and that her quarrel is with Wenwu, Odin and Frigga. Hela tried to take arms in her name, but failed and Jiayi said to Hela that one cannot fend off darkness with more darkness, only light. Hela asked Jiayi to teach her Ta Lo's practice and Shunyuan asked her why they would do that, and Hela repeated what Jiayi said earlier. Jiayi asked Hela to look at the sun and that when it reaches its zenith, her training will begin.
Meanwhile in Asgard, Heimdall asked Odin to forgive him and that wherever Hela is gone, he can no longer see her. Odin asked him if he thinks Hela dead, and Heimdall said that there is one who was in possession of a great power and the Ten Rings that could destroy a god. Odin said that if such power indeed exists on Midgard, there would be no telling what its people could be capable of and that their age of peace would be short-lived.
After a flashback of Hela's past and a training montage, she saw Odin coming for her, so she grabs the Dragon Scale Armor to face him and Jiayi asked her if she is leaving so soon and that her training was far from complete. Hela said that Odin terrorizes the countryside in her name and he must be stopped. Jiayi said that the Ta Lo are guardians, not fighters and Hela guessed that that was the difference between her and Jiayi and that without a fight, she is no one. Jiayi warns Hela that if she chooses that path, she must walk it alone and Hela said that Odin chose her path a long time ago and that if she ever wish to be free to choose her own, then she must face him with or without Jiayi.
Back at the Ten Rings Headquarters, they found themselves under attack by Odin's forces and Wenwu told his men to fall back behind the gate. When Hela appeared and helps him fight, Wenwu said that he personally misses the dress, and after fighting some of Odin's soldiers, Odin himself appeared and told Hela that when she fell out of Heimdall's view, they feared the worst and he also told her that he has come far to avenge her name, leaving Hela skeptical by asking if he has come for the Ten Rings. Odin said that the Ten Rings doesn't belong in primitive hands, and he also want Hela to return to his side so they can bring Midgard under their protection, and she declined. Hela ordered Odin to leave and never return and after Odin demanded that she obey him, Hela said that he had his throne, threw away his sword and forgot that she was his own daughter and that she would no longer be party to his conquest. Odin said that he stripped her of her crown and that without it, she is nothing and Hela said that she is not alone, and she told Wenwu that they need to separate from Gungnir. After blocking its blast, Odin asked what's this and Hela said that Jiayi taught her that darkness cannot fend off darkness and that only light can and Wenwu said that they are here to prove her right.
Just when Odin was about to finish her, Hela's powers were acquired back and she defeated Odin. Odin said that he sent Hela to China to grow and learn and in the end, she eclipsed not only his wildest expectations, but she eclipsed him. Odin also said that the throne is hers and that she earned it and Hela said that only there can she unmake his empire and that it'll take time, even eons, but when she is finished, the Nine Realms will know freedom and the cosmos as well. Odin asked Hela what has happened, and she said that she gave peace a chance. The Watcher narrated that Hela united the Asgardian army with the Ten Rings, fighting against the injustices in the Nine Realms.
Cast[]
Starring Cast
- Jeffrey Wright as Uatu/The Watcher
- Cate Blanchett as Hela / Hela
- Liv Zamora as Young Hela
- Jeff Bergman as King Odin
- Feodor Chin as Xu Wenwu
- Lauren Tom as Jiayi
- Idris Elba as Heimdall
- Michael Hagiwara as Shunyuan
Guest Stars
- Vic Chao as Additional Voices
- David Collins as Additional Voices
- Terri Douglas as Additional Voices
- Karen Huie as Additional Voices
- Paul Kwo as Additional Voices
- James Taku Leung as Additional Voices
- Michael Ralph as Additional Voices
- Fred Tatasciore as Additional Voices
- Matthew Wood as Additional Voices
Non-Speaking Characters
Appearances[]
Locations[]
- Nine Realms
- Earth
- Moon
- Sun
- Ta Lo
- Zen-Whoberi
- Yggdrasil (mentioned)
Events[]
- Capture of Hela
- Escape from the Ten Rings Headquarters
- Battle for the Ten Rings
- Deliverance of the Nine Realms
- Subjugation of the Nine Realms (depiction)
- Subjugation of the Nine Realms (indirectly mentioned)
Items[]
- Asgard Fresco
- Ten Rings
- Uru
- Hela's Crown
- Asgardian Armor
- Hofund
- Dragon Scale
- Hooked-Swords
- Thanos' Armor
- Necroswords (art)
Concepts[]
Vehicles[]
To be added
Sentient Species[]
Creatures[]
Organizations[]
Mentioned[]
Videos[]
Clips[]
Trivia[]
- The episode was conceived during the creation of the Season One episode What If... Thor Were an Only Child? While trying to find a way to incorporate Hela in the Party on Midgard, Matthew Chauncey said that Hela deserved her own episode if Cate Blanchett was willing to return.[1]
- The episode was written before Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings had finished production, so the writers were unable to use information from the present day events of the movie since they did not know what happened in it. Even as they focused in the past, they were regularly making adjustments to the episode to match the movie.[2]
References[]
External Links[]
What If... Hela Found the Ten Rings? on Wikipedia- What If... Hela Found the Ten Rings? on Marvel Database
- What If... Hela Found the Ten Rings? on IMDb
- What If... Hela Found the Ten Rings? on Disney+
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