If you've been down in the dumps ever since it was revealed in January 2019 that the 6th
season of History's drama series "Vikings" would be its last, it's time to pick yourself
back up.
A new "Vikings" spin-off series has been announced — "Vikings: Valhalla" — and it will be
streaming on Netflix.
The flagship "Vikings" series kicked off back in 2013 and quickly established itself as
one of the History channel's most successful s hows while also blazing a new trail for
the network as its first scripted fiction project.
Though billed as a historical drama, "Vikings" has a largely invented narrative that inserts
real and legendary figures from Norse culture into actual historical events, having them
interact in ways that historians deem unlikely.
In the early seasons, the series followed Ragnar Lothbrok, a historically-debatable
figure and folk hero of Scandinavia, and his wife Lagertha, a legendary ruler whose historicity
is also debated.
Later seasons of "Vikings" focused more on the offspring of Ragnar, most notably Bjorn
Ironside and Ivar the Boneless.
Throughout its run, "Vikings" has chronicled, well, the Viking way of life, the Norse peoples'
first forays into England and France, and the constant power struggles and political
machinations that went on in Europe during the eighth and ninth centuries.
So with a lot of ground covered through six seasons, what's left to explore on "Vikings:
Valhalla?"
Here's everything we know about the spin-off series so far.
Spoilers for "Vikings" ahead!
Before you start scrolling through Netflix's thousands of offerings looking for "Vikings:
Valhalla," know this: The series is set to premiere on Netflix on February 25th, 2022.
Considering "Vikings" concluded on December 30th, 2020, audiences have had to wait a while
before the next iteration of "Vikings" begins streaming into their living rooms, but they
should find comfort in knowing that Netflix has already ponied up for a massive series
order.
In a rare turn of events, Netflix committed to a 24-episode package of “Valhalla".
Eight of those episodes are already reserved for the first season, and it's unclear how
many episodes subsequent seasons will be.
Either way, the sheer size of the order speaks volumes about the company's belief in the
series, which is a smart play considering the original series had a six-season run that
spanned 89 episodes.
If there's one thing that "Vikings" has been great at doing, it's killing off its main
characters.
Season 3 saw the deaths of Earl Haraldson's widow/Rollo's girlfriend Siggy and the priest/Ragnar's
BFF Athelstan.
"Vikings" Season 4 knocked off Ragnar's second wife Aslaug, his friend and rival King Ecbert,
and most shockingly of all, Ragnar himself, who up until that point had been the series'
main protagonist.
In Season 5, as more characters were added, the bodies continued to pile up.
It has been confirmed that the new series will take place around 100 years after the
current show, so even the youngest "Vikings" character will be dead and gone by then.
Naturally, "Vikings: Valhalla" will feature all-new characters based on even more historical
figures from Norse legend.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, some of the main characters of "Vikings: Valhalla" will be
Leif Eriksson, Freydís Eiríksdóttir, Harald Sigurdsson, Emma of Normandy, and King Canute
"the Great”.
Leif Erikson is arguably the most famous of the lot.
He has a pretty big claim to fame, as he's believed to be the first European to discover
North America (rather than Christopher Columbus).
Not only that, but Leif Erikson is said to have done so a whole half-millennium before
Columbus sailed the ocean blue, setting foot in a land he dubbed "Vinland" back in the
11th century.
Then there's Freydis, Leif's sister, who is also said to have taken part in the Vinland
voyage.
Though her historical record is spotty, she's always portrayed as a fierce warrior.
"Vikings: Valhalla" will almost certainly include the siblings' trip to the new world
in its plot.
Next is Harald Hardrada.
Born about 45 years after Leif Erikson, he's regarded as the last great Viking leader (per
History), having fought for control of Norway and Denmark before meeting his end during
an invasion of England.
His successor, in some respects, was his contemporary — the Norman King William the Conqueror,
who wasn't a Viking but claimed Viking ancestry as a descendent of the one-and-only Rollo.
William conquered England following Harald Hardrada's defeat, becoming its king.
The pair's respective battles will almost certainly factor into the plot of "Vikings:
Valhalla."
All the same, Netflix released the show's first trailer, which is, in a word, riveting.
Naturally, the trailer kicks off with the Vikings at sea during a rip-roaring storm.
And if the rest of the footage is any indication, there will be a plethora of battle scenes,
which is likely what fans of "Vikings" ordered up in their dreams.
With "Valhalla" set to premiere Friday, February 25th on Netflix, audience members still have
time to watch the original series.
All the same, be prepared to travel the hair-raising seas and charge the bloody battlefields with
Viking legends.
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