Netflix unleashed the Vikings: Valhalla upon the world, and it’s filled with action-packed, bloody scenes. The upcoming Netflix series is from the same producers of Vikings which first aired on the History Channel in March 2013. Based on the trailer, Valhalla looks like it could outdo its predecessor when it comes to drama and violence.
It starts with Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett) sailing on a ship through an unforgiving storm. It then shows Freydis Eriksdotter (Frida Gustavsson), arriving in Kattegat looking for someone. The English king threatens the entire north, and Leif has to determine if this is his fight. As both sides prepare for war with strategy, ships, and weapon-making, there’s mounting fear for this Greenlander and the courage he possesses. As it turns out, they’re right to fear as the violence unfolds. Battle scenes with axes, swords, bows and arrows, and catapults are on full display, and the trailer ends with Leif yelling with all his might and holding two axes in his hands.
In the final season of Vikings from creator Michael Hirst, it finished the story of King Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons, answering the question of who was going to rule. The show was lauded for its writing and battle sequences, and it was a certified hit for the History Channel. It was so popular that its final season was put on Amazon Prime ahead of the episodes airing on the network, which is why it made sense that Netflix scooped up the following series before anyone else could claim it. There’s so much confidence in it that Valhalla creator Jeb Stuart is already planning a second and third season.
Vikings: Valhalla is set more than 150 years after the events of the previous Vikings series, taking place in the early 11th century. It follows the era’s notable figures in a time of uneasy transition. It’s Danish Vikings against the Anglo Saxon in a battle for land and power. William the Conqueror will have a major role in this story, as he was known as the first Norman King of England, and he led the Norman Conquest in 1066. William is also a direct descendent of Rollo of Normandy, who was the brother of Ragnar in Vikings, which shows just how connected these stories will be.
Vikings: Valhalla slashes its way onto Netflix Feb. 25, 2022.