The Shocking Secret of Hela: Did the Goddess of Death Really Wield Mjolnir in Thor: Ragnarok?

While Hela’s handling of Mjolnir in Thor: Ragnarok raises many questions, one oddly specific detail helps prove that she’s not worthy of wielding it.

While Thor: Ragnarok featured the shocking moment that Hela destroyed Thor’s treasured hammer, Mjolnir, one important detail established throughout the MCU suggests that she did not wield it. Thor: Ragnarok was crammed with wow moments, with Hela’s shocking arrival and destruction of Mjolnir being among the many highlights. It was following Mjolnir’s destruction that Thor’s MCU journey reached another milestone, as he embodied his true purpose as the God of Thunder – not the God of Hammers. Thankfully, Mjolnir wouldn’t be gone for long, as it later reappeared to be wielded by two more MCU characters.

That is not to say that Hela has never wielded Mjolnir, as it was also established in Thor: Ragnarok that the hammer once belonged to her during Asgard’s stymied subjugation of the Nine Realms. After her banishment, however, Odin saw fit to bestow it on his son and heir, Thor, who wielded it until his hubris caused Odin to alter the hammer in a particularly pivotal manner. Odin’s enchantment in Thor would preclude anyone from wielding Mjolnir who was not deemed “worthy.” This nebulous prerequisite has been hotly debated, but a strange detail pins Hela’s unworthiness to her hair color.

Everyone Who Wields Mjolnir Is Or Becomes Blonde Except Hela

Aside from their apparent worthiness, one common trait among everyone who has wielded or held Mjolnir after Odin’s enchantment was placed upon it is their hair color. The most notable instance is how Jane Foster’s hair color changes from brown to blonde when she wields Mjolnir. In the case of Steve Rogers, he is already blonde by the time Mjolnir flies into his hand in Avengers: Endgame. Vision is bald when he lifts Mjolnir but is also later shown to be blonde in his “human” form in WandaVision.

Odin’s hair is naturally brown, but it is impossible to know what color it turns beneath the white when he “wields” Mjolnir for the few seconds after placing the enchantment upon it. With that in mind, Hela is the only character whose hair color is unquestionably not blonde when “holding” the enchanted hammer but instead remains decidedly jet black. This oddly specific detail hints that while Hela is stronger than the hammer – strong enough to destroy it with ease – she is not worthy of wielding Mjolnir anymore.

Why Mjolnir Turns People Blonde In The MCU

One clue behind the hair color trend when it comes to Mjolnir-wielders is in the enchantment itself. After banishing Thor and condemning him to an educational stint on Midgard, Odin changes the very nature of Mjolnir by binding it directly to his son with the precise words, “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” Before this, Mjolnir was simply a powerful hammer; with the enchantment in place, it is additionally imbued with Thor’s very essence.

It, therefore, stands to reason that anyone considered worthy, upon being granted Thor’s godlike powers, should also take on a slight physical resemblance. Thor’s flowing golden locks are among his most defining characteristics, so it’s no surprise that a person imbued with his essence should take on a similar hair color if it weren’t already a match. This helps make sense of Jane Foster’s hair color change – and even helps prove that she wields Mjolnir because she is worthy and not purely because of Thor’s sub-enchantment that binds Mjolnir to her protection.

This transformation is akin to Thor’s comic book origins, wherein his human alter-ego, Donald Blake, would change appearance upon summoning Mjolnir, gaining Thor’s signature armor and long hair in place of his regular clothes and short hair.

Why Hela Is Not Worthy Of Wielding Mjolnir

Of the characters who have wielded Mjolnir, Hela is the biggest head-scratcher. Thor, Captain America, and Mighty Thor are all seen catching Mjolnir mid-flight. Yet when Hulk attempted to catch Mjolnir aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, the supposedly unstoppable Jade Giant was instead dragged along with it. The same did not happen to Hela as she outstretched her hand against Mjolnir in Tønsberg, suggesting that she is worthy of Mjolnir – but this is far from what all evidence suggests.

Whatever inner traits those who have wielded Mjolnir share to make them worthy, be they selflessness, valor, virtue, or all three, it is safe to say that Hela contrasts them all. Even the traits she tenuously shares with Thor, like bravery and ambition, were still present within him when he was deemed decidedly unworthy on Midgard. Instead, Hela’s success in halting Mjolnir’s trajectory is purely rooted in the sheer power she boasts, something only Destiny itself could curtail with the arrival of Thor: Ragnarok’s titular event.