Where to get the Cursed Empress Handles in God of War Ragnarok

During your journey throughout the Nine Realms in God of War Ragnarok, you’ll come across many different upgrades to the Blades of Chaos and the Leviathan Axe. One such upgrade for the Blades is called the Cursed Empress Handles, a powerful equip for the early game, but not one you’re likely to find if you don’t go off the beaten path and take on challenges you might not be immediately ready for. This guide covers where to find Cursed Empress Handles and what they do.

Related: Where to find the Fortified Frost Knob in God of War Ragnarok

Cursed Empress Handles location and effect — God of Ragnarok

You’ll have the chance to find the Cursed Empress Handles early in a playthrough of Ragnarok, as it’s in the Realm known as Svartaflheim, the land of the dwarves. On your way to meet Durlin, after encountering a dwarf playing a hurdy-gurdy who gives you a side quest called In Service to Asgard, you’ll head into the Bay of Bounty. In the center of the Bay is an area called the Watchtower that, if you climb to the highest platform, serves as home to a world boss called The Hateful. Defeating it and claiming the treasure it leaves behind gives you the Handles.

How to use Cursed Empress Handles in God of War Ragnarok

As one of the first Handle upgrades you receive in Ragnarok, you’d do well to equip these immediately. With them equipped, there is a small chance, based on your luck stat, that whenever you hit an enemy, you’ll get a blessing to both your Strength and Runic. Strength is straightforward enough: the more you have, the more damage you deal —runic increases both your Runic attacks and elemental damage.

Better yet, the effect can stack three times and lasts almost ten seconds, refreshing with each stack. If you happen to get this buff with all your Runic Attacks charged, you can launch all four in quick succession within the buff timer for some serious DPS.