Vikings Valhalla. Sam Corlett as Leif Eriksson in episode 108 of Vikings Valhalla. Cr. Bernard Walsh/Netflix © 2023
The third and final season of Vikings: Valhalla is here. This character-driven, emotional rollercoaster and action-packed final season is fantastic. It wraps up the main story of the central trio — Harald Sigurdsson, Leif Eriksson and Freydis Eriksdotter — whilst also setting up the story for future spinoffs. How does it all draw to a conclusion? Allow us to explain the ending. Spoilers ahead!
Set 100 years after the ending of Vikings, season 1 of spinoff Vikings: Valhalla continues the saga with Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), his sister Freydis Eriksdotter (Frida Gustavsson), and Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter). In season 1, they each forge their paths in life. Leif and Freydis travel from Greenland to Norway, where they carve their own destinies. And Prince Harald strives to become the next King of Norway. The first season chronicles the raid of England, and the battle of London Bridge, as well as Freydis’ pilgrimage to the Norse Paganism stronghold of Uppsala.
By season 2, Harald and Leif travel to Constantinople; Harald wants to build an army to reclaim Norway, while Leif seeks knowledge of the world. Meanwhile, Freydis travels to the legendary Viking stronghold of Jomsborg, seeking to create a new Uppsala after its fall.
This brings us to season 3; the final season. The new season takes place 7 years after the conclusion of season 2. Now, Harald and Leif are leading figures under the rule of the Emperor of Byzantine, fighting his wars, most notably in Sicily. Leif continues his pursuit of knowledge in Byzantine city. He expresses his desires to sail west, to the fated “Golden Lands,” to secure his legacy as one of the greatest Vikings explorers in history. Harald, however, has much bigger ambitions in mind. Take a look at the trailer:
Harald and Leif
In the beginning of the season, Harald and Leif are well-respected commanders of the Byzantine army. They fight in Sicily, succeeding in their battle. But as it turns out, the foes come from their own camp. Look no further than Maniakes (Florian Munteanu), a Byzantine general.
Maniakes quickly becomes a foe of Harald, stitching him up and turning against him. Harald, coveted by the Emir and rewarded greatly for his work, gets caught up in his own feelings for Eleana — the wife of Emperor Romanos. It’s these feelings, and his action on them, that gets Harald unstuck. Moreover, he’s framed for the murder of Emperor Romans, and ultimately put on trial. Rather than deny the allegations, Harald pleads guilty to defend his friends, and is sentenced to execution.
But of course, this is Harald Sigurdsson; death does not come easily to him. He escapes imprisonment and confronts Maniakes, culminating in a fight to the death. Once Harald defeats Maniakes, he returns to Norway, determined to fulfil his destiny and take his rightful place as the King.
However, upon returning to Norway, Harald finds several others bent on seizing the throne for themselves. Firstly, with Canute deathly ill, and learning of the death of his father Forkbeard, he gathers his sons to decide who would succeed him. He names his youngest son Harthcanute the soon-to-be next King of Denmark, with Harefoot as his regent. Then he says Prince Edward and Alfred will return to Normandy. He also decrees that his wife Queen Emma would inherit the English crown, much to the distain of his sons. And then there’s Magnus, the son of Olaf, who self-proclaims himself King of Norway, following in his father’s footsteps.
Upon the death of Canute, both Harald and Magnus take themselves to Kattegat, where they pledge to become the next ruler. Magnus even kills Queen Ælfgifu, who had ruled in Kattegat for seven years. And that’s where the twist comes into play: It’s then deemed that both Magnus and Harald rule together. Naturally, this doesn’t last long. Magnus is a devoted christian and doesn’t take nicely to the fact that Harald has pagan sympathies, notably with Freydis. Therefore, he orders her death; an execution to which Harald shockingly obliges.
On the day of Freydis’ execution, Harald and Leif revolt, setting fire to Kattegat. And Harald takes his title of Harald Hardrada, sealing his destiny as the King of Norway.
Leif, on the other hand, sets sail to try and find the fated “Golden Land” to the west, using a ship and crew bestowed upon him by Canute himself.
Freydis
The other plot line in the series continues Freydis’ spiritual journey. In season 2, she enters Jormsborg with the hope of making it the next Uppsala, a spiritual stronghold for those who still believe in the Norse Gods. But when a plague of Ergot washes over the land, and Magnus (son of Olaf) returns to claim his father’s body, Jormsborg is abandoned, and Freydis returns to Greenland.
When in Greenland, we meet Erik the Red (Goran Višnjić), the father to Leif and Freydis. Erik is chieftain of his settlement in Greenland. Funnily enough, Erik was actually introduced in the original Vikings series, but Valhalla has reintroduced the character. A steadfast believer in the old ways, Erik and Freydis don’t see eye-to-eye and tension builds between them.
Before long, Erik loses his mind and goes on a murdering spree, killing the people of Jormsborg and seizing Harald, the son of Freydis and Harold Sigurdsson. This storyline is certainly darker and more sinister, and it helps flesh out Freydis and Harold’s pasts. Ultimately, Freydis returns to Kattegat, where she reunites with Leif and Harald. This marks the first time Harold has met Freydis since season 1. While we don’t see Harald meet his son, he is talked about. Despite this being the final season, it still feels like we’re just getting started. Is it time for another spinoff?
Vikings: Valhalla is over, but is this the end of Vikings?
Sure, Vikings: Valhalla is over, but the franchise doesn’t feel like it’s finished. There’s still so many pieces moving, and future story arcs have already been planned out. For instance, we’re introduced to William the Conquerer, albeit as a teenager. Plus, we know from history that Godwin’s child, Harold Godwinson, plays a huge role in history.
The final season of Valhalla puts all of the pieces in place to cover the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It’s the perfect setup for a spinoff. Whether it comes to fruition, we’ll have to wait and see. But the intention is clearly there.
Vikings: Valhalla season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.