Vikings: Valhalla is the sequel series to Vikings, and as it’s set over a century after the events of the original series, it follows new characters that will continue the legacy of Ragnar Lothbrok and company — here’s the Vikings: Valhalla cast and character guide for the series, along with how they looked in real life. One of the most popular historical dramas in recent years is Vikings, created by Michael Hirst (The Tudors) and which debuted on the History Channel in 2013. Vikings was initially planned to be a miniseries, but the first episodes were so successful that the series lived on for six seasons, coming to an end in 2020.
Vikings originally followed legendary Norse warrior Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and his travels and raids alongside his Viking brothers, among those his real brother, Rollo (Clive Standen), and his best friend and Kattegat’s best boat builder, Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård). As the series progressed, it shifted its focus to Ragnar’s sons – Björn, Ubbe, Hvitserk, Sigurd, and Ivar – who took the lead after Ragnar’s death in season 4 and until the series’ end. Vikings explored the early years of the Viking Age, beginning with the Lindisfarne raid. However, six seasons weren’t enough to tell the most notable stories from the Viking Age, and so a sequel series was announced in 2019.
Titled Vikings: Valhalla, the series is set over a century after the events of Vikings and follows a new generation of warriors, explorers, and royals. The main conflict in season 1 of Vikings: Valhalla is between the Vikings and the English royals, as the latter ordered the murder of all Danes in England during St. Brice’s Day, and the Vikings are ready for revenge. Just like Vikings, Valhalla is led by characters based on real-life people, but the series has already changed their stories a bit. This is the Vikings: Valhalla cast and character guide, including pictures of their real-life counterparts.
Sam Corlett as Leif Erikson
First up on the Vikings Valhalla cast list is Sam Corlett who plays Leif Erikson. Also known as Leif the Lucky, he a Norse explorer believed to have been the first European to have set foot on continental North America, way before Christopher Columbus. Leif Erikson is the son of Erik the Red, and joins Harald and Canute’s mission to avenge the Vikings killed at St. Brice’s Day massacre. Leif is a Pagan, but his beliefs will be challenged during his journey to England and back. Sam Corlett is best known for his role as Caliban in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Frida Gustavsson as Freydís Eiríksdóttir
Frida Gustavsson plays Freydís Eiríksdóttir, a Norse warrior and Leif’s sister. She was also an early colonist of Vinland, the area in coastal North America explored by the Vikings. In the series, Freydís is on a revenge mission against the Christians who raped her when she was young, and her journey will take her into a deeper exploration of her Pagan beliefs and her true destiny. Frida Gustavsson has mostly appeared in Swedish short films, movies, and TV shows, and she played Visenna (Geralt’s mother) in season 1 of The Witcher.
Leo Suter as Harald Sigurdsson
Next up on the Vikings: Valhalla cast list is Leo Suter, who plays Harald Sigurdsson. He is also known as Harald Hardrada, half-brother of Olaf Haraldsson and King of Norway from 1046 to 1066. In Vikings: Valhalla, he’s part of the revenge mission against the English for the murder of Vikings in England, among those his half-brother. Harald is a Christian Viking, but that isn’t much of an obstacle when getting close to Freydís, and forming a brother-relationship with Leif. Leo Suter has had minor roles in movies like Maleficent, Fallen, and TV shows like Victoria and Sanditon.
Bradley Freegard as King Canute
Bradley Freegard plays King Canute (or Cnut), also known as “The Great”, King of England, Denmark, and Norway. In Vikings: Valhalla, he leads to invasion of England in retaliation for the murder of Vikings as ordered by King Æthelred the Unready. Canute’s plans go beyond avenging the fallen Vikings, as he’s also eyeing the throne of England, taken by Æthelred’s young son, Edmund. Vikings: Valhalla's Bradley Freegard's most notable roles are Mei Huws in the TV series Gwaith/Cartref and Evan Howells in Keeping Faith.
Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Olaf Haraldsson
The Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson plays Olaf Haraldsson in the Vikings Valhalla cast, also known as “The Holy”, Harald’s half-brother and King of Norway. Olaf serves as an antagonistic figure in Vikings: Valhalla, as his strong Christian beliefs put him at odds with Canute, Harald, Leif, and the rest of the Pagan warriors, and lead him to commit truly horrific crimes. Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson played Yuti Bakhtin in Atomic Blonde, Nick Baris in Bloodshot, Lem Lemoncloak in Game of Thrones, Sverri in The Last Kingdom, and Cumber in Cursed.
Caroline Henderson as Jarl Haakon
Caroline Henderson plays Jarl Haakon, a gender-swapped version of Haakon Ericsson, Earl of Lade and governor of Norway as a vassal under King Canute. His mother may have been the half-sister of Canute, and he’s believed to have died in a shipwreck in the Pentland Firth in late 1029 or early 1030. Vikings: Valhalla turned Ericsson into Jarl Haakon, the leader of Kattegat and a mentor figure to Freydís. Caroline Henderson is best known for her career as a pop and jazz singer.
Laura Berlin as Emma of Normandy
Laura Berlin plays Emma of Normandy, the English, Danish, and Norwegian queen through her marriages to Æthelred the Unready and Canute. In Vikings: Valhalla, she serves as the mastermind behind the plans of the English with the help of Earl Godwin, as she doesn’t trust her stepson, Edmund, who takes the throne after Æthelred’s death. Laura Berlin has appeared in various German movies and TV shows.
Louis Davison as Prince Edmund
Louis Davison plays Prince Edmund, also known as Edmund Ironside, son of Æthelred the Unready and Ælfgifu of York. In Vikings: Valhalla, Edmund has to take the throne somewhat unexpectedly after his father’s death, and he has to deal with the Vikings’ invasion right away. Louis Davison's most notable roles are Victor in Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children, Geoffrey Charles in the TV series Poldark, and Simon in Find Me In Paris.
Vikings: Valhalla Supporting Cast & Characters
The Vikings Valhalla cast wouldn't be complete without mentioning the series' outstanding supporting players. In movies and television, there's no such thing as a small part. Each supporting character is integral to the plotline, and everyone matters when it comes to the story. So, here are Vikings: Valhalla's supporting cast members.
David Oakes as Earl Godwin
David Oakes plays Earl Godwin, who is Edmund and Emma’s advisor. David Oakes appeared in the TV shows The Pillars of the Earth, The Borgias, and Victoria.
Bosco Hogan as Aethelred II
Veteran actor Bosco Hogan is in the Vikings Vallhalla cast as Aethelred II, Edmund’s father. Bosco Hogan played Edward Ferrars in the TV miniseries Sense and Sensibility in 1981, Bishop Fisher in The Tudors, Cardinal Piccolomini in The Borgias, and Lord Abbot in one episode of Vikings.
Gavin Drea as Eadric Streona
Actor Gavin Drea is in Vikings: Valhalla as Eadric Streona, Ealdorman of Mercia. Gavin Drea played Luke in the TV series Love/Hate and Michael Collins in Resistance.
Asbjørn Krogh as Jarl Kåre
The formidable Asbjørn Krogh joins the Vikings Valhalla cast as Jarl Kåre, a Christian Berserker. Asbjørn Krogh played by Morten in The Bridge and Kopi-Allen in Try Hard.
Søren Pilmark as Sweyn Forkbeard
Søren Pilmark portrays the important role of Sweyn Forkbeard in the Vikings spinoff, and he's Canute’s father: Søren Pilmark’s acting credits include The Befallen, At World’s End, Vikings (two episodes, as Stender), Ø, and The Kingdom.
Pollyanna McIntosh as Queen Ælfgifu
Pollyanna McIntosh plays the role of Queen Ælfgifu of Denmark, Canute’s wife. Pollyanna McIntosh has been in the movies Filth, Tales of Halloween, and the TV shows M.I. High, The Walking Dead (Jadis/Anne), and Lodge 49.
How Historically Accurate Is Vikings Valhalla?
The Vikings Valhalla cast sure makes it look like the show stays true to history — however, it definitively doesn't. While it sticks closer to the Viking legends and sagas than Vikings did, there are still some notable changes made to history designed keep the narrative fresh. First, Freydís Eiríksdóttir's story is different than legend. While she's believed to be a real person, there are two separate accounts that chronicle her story. One of them shows that she went to Vinland without Leif, which ended in major bloodshed on her part. The other story states that she was pregnant while traveling to Vinland with her brother.
The events of the fall of London Bridge go down differently in history than they do in the show. In fact, Leif Erikson wasn't involved in the event at all. Jarl Haakon, ruler of Kattegat, isn't a real person — but she's based on Haakon Ericsson. Ericsson ruled as a Danish vassal from 1012 to 1015. Finally, Leif Erikson's beliefs don't necessarily track in the series when put up against history. Leif traveled to Greenland to spread Christianity, but his ship was blown off course and he landed in Vinland instead.
Vikings: Valhalla season 2 is on the way, and there's no doubt that the series will continue with Leif's story while still taking some historical liberties. Vikings: Valhalla season 1 ended with Freydís and Harald still caught in the throes of romance despite their differing religious beliefs. Finally, Leif lost control in season 1's ending, so people will likely see a darker and angrier side of the character going forward.