According to his description in Njal's saga, Brodir was tall and strong, with long black hair that he wore tucked in under his belt, and he was clad in a coat of mail "which no steel could bite".

Brodir was a key leader who fought on the opposite side to Brian Boru in the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. Njal's Saga names Brodir as the killer of Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland. Both Boru and Brodir died in the battle, although accounts differ as to who killed whom.

Njal's saga explains during the battle Brodir killed Brian and cried out: "Now let man tell man that Brodir felled Brian." at which two of Brian's followers, Ulf and Kerthialfad, returned to the king, and captured Brodir and the remainder of his men. According to the saga, Ulf the Quarrelsome cut open his belly, and led him round and round the trunk of a tree, and so wound all his entrails out of him," while Brodir's men were "slain to a man".

Brodir is supplied unpainted and may need some assembly a base is not supplied.