History Channel's saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons has come up to an finish with the Vikings season vi finale - but that'southward not the end of the story. While Vikings season vii isn't in the cards, fans can look forward to a return to Kattegat in the upcoming sequel/spinoff serial Vikings: Valhalla , which will option up more than 100 years subsequently the events of the original evidence.

Loosely based on the Norse and Icelandic sagas, Vikings began effectually the year 793 and explored a period of several decades thereafter. Initially focusing on the legendary Viking ruler Ragnar Lothbrok, the focus shifted to Ragnar'southward sons afterwards he was killed off in flavor 4. In Vikings season 6, Ragnar's first-born son Bjorn Ironside campaigned to become King of Norway and fought off an invasion by the Rus (who were joined past Bjorn's brothers, Hvitserk and Ivar). Meanwhile, Ragnar'southward second-oldest son Ubbe led a group of settlers beyond the sea in search of a rumored "Golden Land" - known today as N America.

Since Vikings premiered in 2013 it has fatigued a fascinating picture of Norse culture and history, while besides gradually building upwards the power struggle between the pagan gods and Christianity that the Vikings were ultimately destined to lose. Here's how Vikings' story will go on beyond the lives of Ragnar's sons.

Vikings Flavor 7 Isn't Happening

Though many Vikings fans felt that the bear witness wasn't as engaging later Ragnar died, the series wasn't cancelled due to a driblet in ratings or interest. Rather, showrunner Michael Hirst said that bringing the story to a shut in Vikings season 6 was a artistic decision. Speaking to Multifariousness in 2019, Hirst explained:

"I e'er knew where I wanted the show to go and more than or less where it would cease if I was given the opportunity. What I was trying to do was write the saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons. Later on half-dozen seasons and 89 episodes, that's what I felt — finally — I'd done. Nosotros stopped shooting the terminal episode in Nov final year and I felt that I'd said all I needed to say about Ragnar and his sons. I told my saga."

By the cease of Vikings season 6, only one of the original characters from season 1 was still in the show, and his arc had reached a natural conclusion. While there are certainly ways that the prove could continue to follow Ragnar's surviving sons, at that place was already a sense in season 6 that Vikings was running out of stories to tell. The series was brought full circle with a final raid on Wessex past Ivar and Hvitserk, while Ubbe's adventures in the west fulfilled Ragnar'south dream of exploring the world. Vikingsflavour 6 wrapped in December 2020. Merely while the story of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons is finished, the story of the Vikings is not.

Vikings Will Continue In Spinoff Series Valhalla

In November 2019 information technology was announced that a sequel/spinoff series called Vikings: Valhalla was in development from Hirst and MGM Television receiver, and had been picked up by Netflix. The series was co-created, written and executive produced past Die Hard screenwriter Jeb Stuart, with Hirst providing oversight. Vikings: Valhalla will exist fix more than than 100 years subsequently the events of Vikings, and will follow other famous figures from the sagas such as Erik the Ruby and Harald Hardrada.

Netflix has covered like ground to Vikings in its historical drama The Last Kingdom, which focuses on the rise to power of Alfred the Great and has several other characters in mutual with Vikings. The Last Kingdom season v is expected to release on Netflix in late 2021, and the popularity of that show may have been a factor in the decision to selection up Vikings: Valhalla.

Vikings: Valhalla's Release Engagement

Vikings: Valhalla began filming in the summer of 2020 at Ashford Studios in Ireland, and although product was suspended for a few days due to positive COVID-19 tests among the cast and crew, it quickly got back on track. Valhallawas originally supposed to brainstorm filming in the starting time half of 2020, but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Initially, the serial was thought to release near the end of 2021, but the setbacks delayed the first season further. Barring any further problems, Vikings: Valhalla will arrive on Netflix at some point in 2022.

Vikings: Valhalla's Setting & Story

Whereas Vikings covered the beginning of the Viking age in England, Valhalla will be well-nigh the years leading up to the end of information technology. Vikings took a lot of liberties with historical dates and events and by and large avoided getting likewise specific near what year information technology was, and it looks like Vikings: Valhalla will go along that tradition. The serial will characteristic the Viking explorer Erik the Red (who died circa 1003) and Erik's son Leif (who died circa 1020), but will as well feature the Norman King William the Conqueror (who was born circa 1028) and begin with the death of King Edward the Confessor, which occurred in 1066. Broadly speaking, it looks like Vikings: Valhalla will be set in 11th century Scandinavia and England, but don't expect full historical accurateness.

Given how much time has passed, Vikings' characters will all be expressionless by the time Valhalla begins, but the sequel series will nonetheless reveal their legacy. In Vikings, Ragnar's blood brother Rollo left Scandinavia, his people and the Norse gods backside him to become the first ruler of Normandy - and Rollo's corking-great-peachy-grandson was William the Conqueror. Co-ordinate to historical records Erik the Red was the first Viking explorer to reach North America, but in Vikings: Valhalla he could instead learn that Ubbe got there first - and find out what became of Ubbe'southward small-scale settlement.

Ragnar Lothbrok's coastal home town of Kattegat, which had already grown to a large trading port by the terminate of Vikings season 6, will be one of the biggest trading ports in Europe by the time ofVikings: Valhalla. Speaking to Collider, Hirst explained how Vikings' characters will alive on in Valhalla:

"Whenever [Vikings: Valhalla's characters] run into in the not bad hall in Kattegat, of grade they talk well-nigh the great heroes who used to sit in the same hall at the same table, and they were Ragnar Lothbrok, Lagertha, and Bjorn Ironside, and Ivar the Boneless, who are at present mythic characters fifty-fifty inside the show... So everything connects in a useful, and interesting, and fascinating fashion."

Continuing the original series' themes of Christianity'south disharmonize with the Norse pagan gods, Vikings: Valhalla will see a shift in the balance of ability. Whereas for much of Vikings the kings of England were nether siege by the Vikings and lost both land and gold to the Northmen, Vikings: Valhalla will encounter the gradual conversion of Scandinavian countries to Christianity (something that had already begun by the finish of Vikings season vi). The first look trailer forVikings: Valhall arevealed Lief Eriksson, a sailor who arrived from Greenland and is looking to show himself in a fight. The trailer also offers a brief focus on Freydís Eiríksdóttir, who is shown in boxing armor, later joining Lief in whatever the futurity holds for them. There is an ominous tone to the trailer, one that seems to suggest it will explore various layers to the various characters' fight. Ships and swords and tensions make their presence known, withValhalla clearly stating that change is indeed on the horizon.

Vikings: Valhalla's Cast & Characters

The official annunciation of Vikings: Valhalla named Leif Erikson, Freydis Eiriksdottir, Harald Hardrada and William the Conqueror among the characters who will announced in the prove. Hirst has likewise said that Leif and Freydis' father, Erik the Ruby, volition appear in the series. This may confuse fans, given that Vikings season 6 also featured a red-haired Viking called Erik who briefly ruled over Kattegat with Queen Ingrid. However, a 2d Erik the Red isn't all that surprising. Heroes in the sagas are oft amalgams of people (Ragnar Lothbrok is believed to exist a patchwork of real historical figures heavily embellished with fiction) or have their stories divided across different characters (Harald Hardrada was too known as Harald Fairhair, and may actually exist the same person every bit Vikings' Male monarch Harald Finehair).

Vikings: Valhallawill star Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (Game of Thrones) as Olaf "the Holy" Haraldsson, Frida Gustavsson (The Witcher) every bit Freydís Eiríksdóttir, David Oakes (The Borgias) as Earl Godwin, Laura Berlin as Emma of Normandy, Sam Corlett as Leif Eriksson, Bradley Freegard as King Canute "the Great", Caroline Henderson as Jarl Haakon, Asbjørn Krogh every bit Jarl Kåre, Julian Seager as Jarl Gorm, Leo Suter as Harald Sigurdsson, Pollyanna McIntosh as Queen Ælfgifu of Denmark, John Kavanagh as the Seer, Pääru Oja as Arne Gormsson, Louis Davison as Prince Edmund, Bosco Hogan as Æthelred the Unready. Additionally, Yvonne Mai will play Merin, Neb Murphy is Odga, Alan Devine (who played Ealdorman Eadric in Vikings) was cast in the role of Ealdorman of Kent, and Gavin O'Connor (who played the">Sam Corlett as Leif Eriksson, Bradley Freegard equally Male monarch Canute "the Bang-up", Caroline Henderson as Jarl Haakon, Asbjørn Krogh equally Jarl Kåre, Julian Seager as Jarl Gorm, Leo Suter as Harald Sigurdsson, Pollyanna McIntosh as Queen Ælfgifu of Denmark, John Kavanagh as the Seer, Pääru Oja as Arne Gormsson, Louis Davison every bit Prince Edmund, Bosco Hogan equally Æthelred the Unready. Additionally, Yvonne Mai volition play Merin, Bill Murphy is Odga, Alan Devine (who played Ealdorman Eadric in Vikings) was cast in the office of Ealdorman of Kent, and Gavin O'Connor (who played the Danish Rex Frodo in Vikings) has been bandage every bit Ealdorman of E Anglia. With a sprawling bandage of characters, Vikings: Valhalla should be interesting as it tells a new story while existing within the same historical universe as its predecessor.

More: Vikings: What Valhalla Is Explained (& Why Simply Some Characters Go At that place)

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Hannah Shaw-Williams (3313 Manufactures Published)

Hannah has been with Screen Rant since 2013, covering news, features, flick premieres, Comic-Con and more! You can follow her on Twitter @HSW3K

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