Grindl or Grendel was the son of the Valkyrie Grinhilda. Grinhilda was pregnant when she was transformed into a monster by putting on the Rheingold Ring. Grindl was born after Xena trapped Grinhilda in an abandoned mine. He lived there for about 35 years with his mother – the curse of the Ring had afflicted him in utero and he was thus born a hideous monster. He learned to forsake love and was able to harness the power of the Ring, enabling him to escape and slaughter many people before Xena, with the help of Gabrielle, Beowulf and Brunhilda, was able to kill him. While examining his corpse, however, Xena, who had assumed Grinhilda has simply broken free, realized the truth, and warned the others that something worse was coming.