In Norse mythology’s Ragnarok, the god Freyr fights the fire giant Surtr and dies.
Freyr is a major god of fertility, peace, prosperity, sunshine, and rain. He belongs to the Vanir, a group of gods who later live among the Æsir after the Æsir–Vanir conflict. His most famous weapon is a sword that can fight by itself.
Before Ragnarok, Freyr gives away that sword, leaving him without it when Surtr arrives. The sources describe Surtr as carrying a flaming sword and leading the forces of fire. Freyr fights him anyway but is killed in the encounter.
This detail is sometimes lost in modern summaries that focus only on Thor, Odin, and Loki. Freyr’s death also explains why the earlier gift of his sword matters: a decision made before the apocalypse directly shapes his fate during the final battle.