Thor’s worst mistake in Avengers: Infinity War is explained by Hela’s destruction of Mjölnir in Thor: Ragnarok. Much has been said about the reasons for the Avengers’ defeat at the hands of Thanos in the 2018 Joe and Anthony Russo blockbuster. While several characters commit catastrophic crimes that contribute to their defeat, the God of Thunder is usually pinpointed as the one hero who commits the worst blunders. Thor’s decision to gloat and take time to kill Thanos at the end of the battle in Wakanda may be Thor’s most prominent error, but it actually isn’t the most detrimental.

Prior to the events of Avengers: Infinity War, the God of Thunder already underwent a massive transformation in Thor: Ragnarok. In the 2017 Taika Waititi film, Thor experienced another hero’s journey, resulting in a revamped character. Marvel Studios’ big gamble paid off as the movie renewed the public’s interest in the original Avengers member. Thor’s overhaul included the loss of his magical hammer, leading to him realizing some harsh truths about himself and his family history in the Nine Realms. The experience taught him valuable lessons, but it also scarred him in a particular way.

Hela’s Mjolnir Destruction Perfectly Explains Thor’s Infinity War Plot

After Thanos murdered half of his people, the fight became personal for Thor. Instead of going straight to Earth and reuniting with his fellow Avengers, the Asgardian Prince decided to go on a side quest to Nidavellir with Rocket Raccoon and Teenage Groot to acquire Stormbreaker. While the battle-ax was supposed to be powerful enough to kill Thanos, Thor’s first course of action should have been to reconvene with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to come up with a good plan. One of the biggest differences between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame was the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ unity. That being said, considering his experience in Thor: Ragnarok, Thor’s action is understandable.

While Thor was forced to move on quickly from the loss of Mjölnir, seeing Hela easily crush it would have been devastating to him. As he moved on to face the most formidable villain that he had ever encountered, it shouldn’t be surprising that the God of Thunder’s priority was to find a new and more powerful weapon to replace his broken hammer. Without knowing what he had been through in Thor: Ragnarok, however, it’s easy to dismiss Thor’s decision as a major lapse of judgment. In his mind, however, he believed that it was the right call.

Why Thor Trying To Create Stormbreaker Was The Right Plan

One can only imagine how the Avengers Infinity War ending would have changed if Thor came straight back to Earth. In hindsight, however, separating from the majority of heroes and ensuring that he was equipped with Stormbreaker was a better plan to take on Thanos, especially considering how powerful the purple villain was. The God of Thunder had the right mindset with his trip to Nidavellir as the battle-ax easily took care of the Titan’s minions. The weapon also proved to be capable of killing Thanos; unfortunately, Thor dropped the ball in his Avengers: Infinity War execution.