How Did Hela Destroy Thor's Hammer In Ragnarok? - CBR

When director Taika Waititi took over the Thor franchise with Thor: Ragnarok, he put a unique spin on the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of the Norse apocalypse. The film was a cosmic epic, with Waititi focused on positioning Cate Blanchett's Hela as the most powerful being ever faced by Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

Early in Ragnarok, Hela materialized just after Odin's death and changed the very essence of the franchise by destroying Thor's enchanted hammer, Mjolnir. While that was Hela's most impressive feat, the movie never explains how it happened. However, there are a few possibilities.

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Hela Was Worthy Enough to Destroy Mjolnir

Many people other than Thor have wielded Mjolnir, including his sister Hela. But the impactful scene in Thor: Ragnarok depicts Hela catching Mjolnir in mid-air before then crushing it to pieces. Odin previously told Thor the power of the Uru metal had no equal. Clearly, however, that was an overstatement, considering Hela destroys the hammer with ease. One explanation could be that Hela was simply worthy of not only lifting but of destroying the weapon that once belonged to her.

As Odin's former general, Hela believes her rightful place isn't as queen of Hel but as queen of Asgard. She genuinely thinks the mantle is hers, which is why she undertakes this quest. In Hela's eyes, Odin wronged her -- and now she must claim what's rightfully hers:: the throne of Asgard. It stands to reason, then, that her just cause (however misguided) might imbue Hela with a sense of worthiness.

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Hela Understood Mjolnir's Power

When Hela helped Odin to conquer the Nine Realms, Mjolnir truly was an instrument of war. But recognizing the danger of his daughter's bloodlust, Odin banished Hela and later placed the enchantment on the hammer. That opens the possibility that Hela retained some hold over her former weapon, enabling her to shatter it.

We don't know if she bonded with Mjolnir through some sort of Asgardian mysticism, but she possessed the hammer for much longer than Thor did. Thus, Hela had plenty of time to figure out a self-destruct mechanism. She also could have imbued it with her essence -- or perhaps Mjolnir was otherwise connected to her energies. As its former owner, Hela understood best how it worked and, potentially, how to nullify it if it were ever used against her.

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Hela Is Simply More Powerful Than Mjolnir

We know Thor wasn't as powerful as the older and more experienced Hela, which is why Mjolnir still felt like it was superior to him. But Hela made the hammer seem inferior, suggesting she might have stopped Mjolnir, held it, and then shattered it with her raw strength. If Hela were indeed that powerful, it's easy to see Mjolnir being subservient to her after all these years.

Odin even said Hela was among the most powerful Asgardians, and she may have been stronger than the All-Father himself. Catching and destroying Mjolnir might have been only the first step to unleashing her power and demonstrating to Thor and Loki what she could really do.