Vikings: Valhalla is set many, many years after the events of Vikings, but it can still properly end Rollo’s story, which was left open in the main series – and here’s how it can do it. Historical dramas have gained force in recent years, and one of the most popular ones is Vikings, created by Michael Hirst. Vikings premiered on the History Channel in 2013, and while it was originally planned to be a miniseries, it lived on for a total of six seasons, coming to an end in December 2020 – however, the Vikings universe isn’t over yet, and it will continue with the sequel series Vikings: Valhalla.
Vikings explored the early years of the Viking Age, beginning with the Lindisfarne raid as depicted in season 1. The series was initially led by legendary Norse figure Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), but as the series progressed, it shifted its focus to his sons – Björn, Ubbe, Hvitserk, Sigurd, and Ivar – and their journeys and battles. Although Vikings introduced some notable figures from the Viking Age and its legends (as not all characters are confirmed to have existed), there are many others who haven’t been introduced and many more stories to explore, and that’s when Vikings: Valhalla kicks in.
Set a century after the events of Vikings, Vikings: Valhalla reportedly begins after the death of King Edward the Confessor, when three lords make claim to the English throne. Meanwhile, Leif Erikson (Sam Corlett) leads Greenlanders across the North Atlantic, and his half-sister, Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson), has become an anti-Christian following a traumatic event involving Christian Vikings and becomes the leader of the Old Norse religion against rising Christianity in Scandinavia, and starts looking for a new home for her people. However, she’s drawn into a relationship with Torsen, a Christian Viking from a royal family who is part of a battalion assembled by King Harald Hardrada (Leo Suter) to avenge the massacre. While Valhalla will be all about new characters, it will bring closure to Rollo’s (Clive Standen) arc thanks to two characters: William the Conqueror and Emma of Normandy.
Valhalla’s showrunner Jeb Stuart told EW it was important for the series to not have any “connective tissue” to Vikings, but it will tie some loose ends with Rollo through William and Emma. The last time viewers saw Rollo he arrived in Kattegat to support Ivar and King Harald in the Kattegat Civil War, with his only condition being that Björn’s life was spared. He then approached Lagertha and Björn and told them he’s the biological father of Björn, which the latter denied. Lagertha and Björn declined his offer of safe passage into Frankia, as he was already established as the ruler of Normandy, so Rollo returned to Ivar and gave him Björn and Lagertha's location for a big price, made Ivar and Hvitserk swear on their arm rings to come to his aid if ever attacked, and left. The real Rollo of Normandy continued to reign over that land until around 928 and is believed to have died in 930, at age 70. Now, William the Conqueror and Emma of Normandy are direct descendants of Rollo, so Rollo’s legacy will inevitably be explored through them, without Rollo having to appear in the series.
For context on William and Emma, Valhalla will have to take a look at their family background, thus answering some of the questions Vikings left about Rollo’s story after season 5 and showing the impact and legacy of his time as ruler of Normandy. Vikings: Valhalla is a continuation of Vikings but at the same time it’s a standalone series, but given the links of some of its characters to those of the main series, it will have to address the stories of these at some point, even if just for context.