Vikings: Valhalla Season 3 Review - Destiny Has Never Looked So Good (2024)

Summary

Vikings: Valhalla season 3 concludes the saga of Harald, Leif, and Freydís, exploring their destinies after a 7-year time jump.
Relationships and characters evolve, offering opportunities for action and intrigue in the final season.
Vikings: Valhalla provides a fitting end for its main stories, answering most questions about the characters' fates while adding to the show's mythology.

Vikings: Valhalla season 3 brings a fateful conclusion to the saga of three beloved leads. After six seasons of the hit series Vikings, the franchise was expanded with Vikings: Valhalla, which pulls from a new page of history. Set around 100 years after the exploits of Vikings legends like Ragnar Lothbrok, Björn Ironside, Ivar the Boneless, and more, Vikings: Valhalla explores the expansion of Christianity and the battle between the followers of the Old Gods and the Christians. Vikings: Valhalla season 3 marks the final adventure with Harald Sigurdsson, Leif Eriksson, and Freydís Eiríksdóttir.

Vikings: Valhalla

TV-MA

Adventure

Drama

Action

Where to Watch

*Availability in US

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Cast: Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson , Bradley Freegard , David Oakes , Leo Suter , Laura Berlin , Frida Gustavsson , Caroline Henderson , Sam Corlett
Release Date: February 25, 2022
Streaming Service(s): Netflix
Writers: Jeb Stuart , Michael Hirst
Directors: Niels Arden Oplev
Showrunner: Jeb Stuart
Main Genre: Adventure

Vikings: Valhalla season 2 ended with Leif and Harald about to reach Constantinople. The series' final season reveals what the two brothers in arms have been up to since reaching their destination, with Harald's ultimate goal of becoming the King of Norway making itself known once again. As for Freydís, her role as the Keeper of the Faith puts her on a collision course with Christian Vikings one last time. With seven years between the end of season 2 and the start of Vikings: Valhalla season 3, we're dropped into a story with many changes.

If Vikings: Valhalla Season 3 Follows History, This Will Happen To Its 3 Main Characters

If Vikings: Valhalla chooses to follow history in its final season, its three main characters will have interesting and even surprising endings.

Vikings: Valhalla Season 3's Time Jump Is Great For The Series

Characters' motivations and dynamics are better for it

Instead of seeing Leif and Harald arrive at Constantinople, Vikings: Valhalla's decision to have a seven-year time jump means we have to slowly piece together what they have been up to in their journey with the Byzantine Empire and which members of their crew from season 2's boat plot have remained by their side. This offers plenty of opportunities to play around with characters' relationships and dynamics. It is clear from the start that Vikings: Valhalla season 3 is the final step of the journey for Leif, Harald, and Freydís.

Vikings: Valhalla season 3 makes it clear that the characters have evolved in both expected and surprising ways.

It's great for character development. Season 1 established the world of the series, season 2 separated the trio, and season 3 picks back up with Harald and Leif's action-packed adventures, as well as Freydís' role as the Keeper of the Faith in Jomsborg. All three characters started the show as very different people, having experienced love, laughter, pain, and heavy losses;Vikings: Valhalla season 3 makes it clear that the characters have evolved in both expected and surprising ways.

I had not watched Vikings before starting Vikings: Valhalla. While I'd heard enough about the series to recognize the names of major characters from the original show, who were always remembered as heroes in Valhalla, I entered this world with a fresh perspective. Since Vikings: Valhalla starts 100 years after the events of Vikings, I never felt lost and quickly grew to be engrossed by the world of the series and its characters. While season 3 is not the Netflix show's strongest season, its time jump and character work lead to another intriguing affair.

Vikings: Valhalla Gives A Fitting End For Its Main Stories

By the end of the series, most questions regarding its biggest characters' fates are answered. The final season is all about grappling with one's destiny, a consistent throughline for the series. With the finish line near, every episode of season 3 brings the characters closer to their historical fates, which includes some key changes to its main trio. Leo Suter is the star of season 3 as Harald, though Sam Corlett's Leif and Frida Gustavsson's Freydís are also great.

Vikings: Valhalla also finally sees the debut of Erik the Red in the show's final season, and it is interesting to see the man behind the myth.

Since the start of the show, Harald has had a clear mission: Fulfill his destiny as the new King of Norway. That even led him to part ways with Freydís — and his unborn son — in season 2. Harald then went on a major journey through distant lands to secure an army to get what he wanted. Vikings: Valhalla season 3 shows the next step in that mission, which leads to both the best action sequences of the season and some of its best character work.

Season 3 also presented the best look yet at King Canute's family, with his heirs playing a key role in the show's politics. With plenty of action, twists, and turns, season 3 nicely adds to the show's mythology. Vikings: Valhalla also sees the debut of Erik the Red, and it is interesting to see the man behind the myth. And though some supporting characters' fates could have been shown better, the series' leading trio meet their destinies to great effect.

All episodes of Vikings: Valhalla season 3 are now streaming on Netflix.

Vikings: Valhalla Season 3 Review - Destiny Has Never Looked So Good (4)

Set over a thousand years ago in the early 11th century, Vikings: Valhalla chronicles the heroic adventures of some of the most famous Vikings ever chronicled. As tensions between the Vikings and the English royals reach a bloody breaking point and as the Vikings themselves clash over their conflicting Christian and pagan beliefs, these three Vikings begin an epic journey that will take them across oceans and through battlefields, from Kattegat to England and beyond, as they fight for survival and glory.

Pros

Characters evolve in unexpected ways
Harald's quest to be the King of Norway is gripping
Leif and Freydís get meaningful endings

Cons

Some characters' fates are not fully explained or shown

Vikings: Valhalla (2022)

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FAQs

Vikings: Valhalla Season 3 Review - Destiny Has Never Looked So Good? ›

Vikings: Valhalla season 3 shows the next step in that mission, which leads to both the best action sequences of the season and some of its best character work. Season 3 also presented the best look yet at King Canute's family, with his heirs playing a key role in the show's politics.

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Why did they cancel Vikings: Valhalla? ›

Reason for Conclusion

He acknowledged the richness of the historical figures' lives but felt it was time to wrap up their voyages. "It was time for Leif, Freydis, and Harald's voyages to end," Stuart stated, adding that he was excited for fans to see how the series concludes this chapter of history.

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Do Freydis and Harald reunite? ›

Harald and Freydis Finally Reunite (But Not For Long)

Their interaction is swift and bittersweet as they argue once more about their conflicting worldviews—she wants justice for the Jomspeople Magnus killed, Harald wants to keep the peace as king—and she finally tells him about the son he's never met.

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How historically accurate is Vikings: Valhalla on Netflix? ›

The Big Picture. Freydis, Leif, and Harald are based on historical figures, but they never actually met in real life. Leif Erikson was a real explorer and the first European to set foot in North America around 1000 CE.

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Is anyone from Vikings mentioned in Vikings: Valhalla? ›

Major Vikings characters like Ragnar Lothbrok, Björn, and Ivar are referenced in Valhalla to connect both series. Significant locations like Kattegat and Uppsala's temple link Vikings and Valhalla, enhancing world-building and continuity.

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Will there be a Valhalla season 4? ›

The answer is no, Vikings: Valhalla will not have a Season 4 on Netflix. The third installment was planned as the spinoff's final season, even though the original Vikings series had six seasons in total. Series showrunner Jeb Stuart confirmed the cancellation of Vikings: Valhalla after Season 3 in October 2023.

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Why did the Vikings decline? ›

They may also have been pushed to leave their homeland by overpopulation, lack of good farmland, and political strife arising from the unification of Norway. The aggressive expansion of the Carolingian Empire and forced conversion of the neighbouring Saxons to Christianity may also have been a factor.

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What do the runes on Freydis Sword say? ›

What do the rune engravings on Freydís' sword mean? It says: “Keeper of the Faith.” But of course the sword is fictitious.

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Was Freydis a real person? ›

The real-life Freydis is mentioned in the two Vinland sagas written during the medieval time period: the Saga of the Greenlanders and the Saga of Erik the Red. Freydis was the daughter of Erik the Red, but there is some conflicting information regarding whether she was Leif's full sister or half-sister.

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Why was Vikings season 7 cancelled? ›

Why Vikings Season 7 Didn't Happen. Though many Vikings fans felt that the show wasn't as engaging after Ragnar died, the series wasn't canceled due to a drop in ratings or interest. Rather, showrunner Michael Hirst said that bringing the story to a close in Vikings season 6 was a creative decision.

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Does Ragnar's Bloodline still exist? ›

Yes, really. Lothbrok's line became kings of Denmark. It died out on the male side in the 12th century, but a daughter of the last of the Volsung Kings moved to Sweden and married into the nobility; she was probably seen as a bit of a catch since her children would have a sort of legitimate claim to the Danish throne.

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Did Vikings actually believe in Valhalla? ›

Vikings were given courage in battle by their belief in a glorious afterlife. They thought brave warriors had a good chance of reaching Valhalla, a great hall presided over by the god Odin, the treacherous god of battle and poetry. Here they would enjoy a long age of fighting and feasting.

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Is Leif Erikson related to Ragnar Lothbrok? ›

Answer and Explanation: No, if Ragnar Lodbrok was real person, he lived during the 9th century. Leif Erikson died sometime around the year 1020. There is no known connection between these two men, except for the fact that they were both Vikings.

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Is Vikings: Valhalla ending? ›

There will be no Vikings: Valhalla season 4, but we can look to the real history to surmise what would have happened next. The chaos in England created by the death of cnu*t continued.

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Was Freydis real? ›

Freydis Was Erik The Red's Daughter In Real Life

Freydis was the daughter of Erik the Red, but there is some conflicting information regarding whether she was Leif's full sister or half-sister.

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Why is Ragnar not in Vikings: Valhalla? ›

Ragnar died when he was thrown into a pit of snakes, which some argue wasn't enough to grant him entrance to Valhalla as he didn't die in battle, but as Ragnar didn't scream while he died, he was welcomed into Valhalla.