Odin may have also attempted to collect all six Infinity Gems in his early years of ruling Asgard, a brand new theory suggests. Thor: Ragnarok revealed the Allfather's previous life as a ruthless conqueror with the help of his first-born, Hela, by his side. But it didn't necessarily explain why he suddenly had a change of heart after taking over the Nine Realms. And this new claim suggests that it may have something to do with the sacrificial play needed to possess the Soul Stone.

The existence of Red Skull in Vormir as seen in Avengers: Infinity War established that Thanos wasn't really the first one to actively seek the magical stones. While it's unclear who else in the MCU has attempted to wield all six Infinity Gems, it's not outside the realm of possibility that Odin may have been tempted to do just. This new theory backs up the claim, and it's quite intriguing.

Coming from Reddit user bubonis is a theory suggesting that Odin may have wanted to covet the power of all six Infinity Gems once upon a time. Citing the former Asgardian King's possession of the Aether/Reality Stone and then the Space Stone which he used to easily conquer the Nine Realms with Hela by his side as pieces of evidence, it might even be the Allfather who commissioned the creation of first Infinity Gauntlet in Nidavellir, explaining the established design of the device. Unfortunately, by the time he learned about the Soul Stone and the sacrifice needed to get it, "he found he couldn't do it and in that moment Odin stopped being a conquerer and started being a king. Hela didn't understand this change of heart; she knew what the Infinity Stones were because Odin specifically told her that's why they were conquering all the realms, and Hela believed in that power more than anything else."


On top of offering an explanation to several unanswered plot mysteries in Ragnarok, the theory also ties Odin's previous ambitions in wielding the Infinity Gauntlet to the prophecy of Asgard's destruction. "Odin may have used the Space Stone to banish Hela to Hell, which may be considered unnatural since Hell isn't supposed to be for living beings. That being the case, Odin "tampered with natural law" and the bill came due by way of the Ragnarok prophecy. The destruction of Asgard may have been the universe's way of balancing itself out," the hypothesis added.

For the record, Hela's explanation about why she had a falling out with her father was because her ambition simply outgrew Odin's. While the theory posits that Hela may have an idea about the sacrifice needed for the Soul Stone, it's also possible that she didn't know the whole story as Odin still sounded anguished for having to banish his daughter despite the bitter history between them. Perhaps she only knew that Odin was actively seeking out all six Infinity Gems, so much so that she's aware that the gauntlet in his treasure room was fake.

Still, it's interesting to ponder on this theory because it adds so much emotional weight to Hela and Odin's relationship if it turns out to be true. It also illustrates how much stuff people don't know about the Goddess of Death and her life before getting thrown out of Asgard. Thor: Ragnarok glossed over her story, Thor may not even know what really happened to his sister other than what his father told him about her. Regardless, the fact of the matter is, Odin had some questionable decisions as a father. Fans have seen how he pitted Thor and Loki against each other, resulting in the latter developing an inferiority complex to his brother and basically turning him into an envious madman. Maybe there's still a chance to bring Hela back into the MCU fold especially since her death wasn't really confirmed when Asgard fell down.