Main Character Index

Characters page for the historical portion of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla.

For the game-unspecific cast, see the main index.

Beware of spoilers!

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Norsemen

Sons of Ragnar

Ivarr the Boneless

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ivar_the_boneless.png

Voiced by: Eric Johnson (Actor) (English)^note

A son of Ragnar Lothbrok and an infamous raider in his own right, Ivarr helped lead the Great Heathen Army to England with his brothers to avenge their father's death. After murdering King Aella the army scattered across England, with Ivarr remaining with his half-brother Ubba in the Kingdom of Mercia to impose their own rule upon the region.

Ambition Is Evil: While telling Eivor his motivations for killing Ceolbert and framing Rhodri, Ivarr says that the trials one must face, and the friends you must betray are worth it to be known as "King Killer" forevermore. Regarding the last point, Ivarr tells Eivor while fighting them that the first person he ever killed was a boyhood friend, and of course he murdered Ceolbert, someone who Ivarr even admits was like a son to him.
Armor-Piercing Question: Halfway through his boss fight, he suddenly asks Eivor if they think Varin is in Valhalla or Hel. The question ends up shaking Eivor just long enough for Ivarr to potentially land a surprise attack.
Ax-Crazy: Loves violence to the point that while Ivarr is busy giving King Rhodri a blood eagle, Eivor tells Odin that they feel that Ivarr cares less about honor in battle, and more about taking pleasure in the suffering of others.
Barred from the Afterlife: After his boss fight, one of the choices is to deny him the chance to go to Valhalla by kicking away his axe, with a very pissed off Eivor telling him to rot in Helheim.
Blood Knight: Loves fighting and violence to the point that he decides to have a battle to the death with Eivor just to finish his saga in a satisfying way, and brings up his murder of Ceolbert to get Eivor to fight when they initially just try to walk away.
Combat Pragmatist:
- Is not afraid to use psychological warfare during his duel with Eivor in order to get the upper hand, including insulting their father in the midst of conversation in an attempt at getting a free hit in while their guard's down, wondering why they're surprised things would turn out this way when Eivor continued to back him even after he killed Rhodri's brother, and making light of Ceolbert's death.
- He'll also fake being stunned so he can counterattack Eivor when they try doing a stun attack while their guard is down. If he knocks Eivor down, he'll try to drag them to the nearest cliff to throw them off of it.
Death Seeker: Fights Eivor out of the desire for a glorious death that'll get them to Valhalla.
Dual Wielding: Uses dual axes in combat.
Duel Boss: Fights Eivor 1v1 for his boss fight.
Establishing Character Moment: Is introduced gleefully torturing a Saxon spy strung up by his legs, followed by Ivarr dropping him on his head casually and breaking the spy's neck in the process, albeit more out of a lack of concern than outright trying to kill him.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones:
- Ruthless and unhinged though he may be, Ivarr truly loves his brother Ubba, and during his boss fight even admits that Ubba'd probably be disappointed if he saw him now. Ubba for his part feels the same enough to have a fistfight with Eivor if they lie about giving Ivarr an axe when they instead consigned him to Helheim.
- While we never see them directly interact or know if Ivarr reciprocated, Halfdan feels similarly, and is distraught if they learn Eivor killed him, but is quick to accept that his death was deserved.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good:
- Cannot comprehend why Ceolbert doesn't like killing for killing's sake, or the "glory" of warfare.
- While battling Eivor, depending on their choices beforehand he'll wonder why Eivor "cowered" when he killed Rhodri's brother.
Evil Mentor: Takes Ceolbert under his wing and tries getting him to be more like him, but it doesn't take.
Fashionable Asymmetry: The left side of his head is shaved.
Glory Seeker: According to Word of God Ivarr's characterization is supposed to reflect that of the 9th Century Viking version of a faded rock star searching for new glories, while not quite accepting that their time is over, as Eivor meets them after they've done basically everything that made them (in)famous.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: Has a scar on his face that goes up to his scalp that's the result of losing a duel against King Rhodri, and is an unhinged individual. Ivarr mentions to Eivor that he used to be ashamed of it for quite some time, and tried hiding it with a beard or a cloak. As King Rhodri's fame grew, however, the fact that he got that that scar from him became a badge of honor, as "a king" of Rhodri's stature had given it to him.
Hate Sink: If the whited out entries throughout his character folder are not enough of an indicator, Ivarr is an absolutely despicable human being. His only redeeming quality is that he loves his siblings in spite of his bloodlust and sadism towards others. And even then, his love for others is eclipsed by his love of battle and he will screw over his own clan's agenda or even kill someone close to him just to keep the blood flowing.
Historical Domain Character: Ivarr is believed to be a real person, being attested to by both Norse and Saxon sources, though there's some debate over whether or not his "Boneless" sobriquet referred to his fluidness in battle, some sort of physical disability (as described in most of the sagas), was simply an ironic nickname, or even implied sexual impotence. Valhalla leans towards the first interpretation, and mentions that the latter one was probably made up by his enemies.
Honorable Warrior's Death: After defeating him Eivor has the choice about whether to let him die with his weapon in hand, allowing Ivarr a chance to enter Valhalla... or to deny him, to pay Ivarr back for all his assholery.
Infernal Retaliation: When King Rhodri sets him on fire during their fight, he is more concerned with where he hit him than the fact that he is on fire, and beats him to within an inch of his life thereafter before the fire goes out on its own.
It's Personal: Losing to King Rhodri was one thing, but being left alive afterwards as a warning was something Ivarr simply couldn't forgive, and so he's always desired another crack at him, even if it disrupts the peace talks.
Kick the Dog: Taking a moment from their duel to the death to ask Eivor if they think their father will meet them in Valhalla or is crying tears of ice in Helheim for dying a "coward" is pretty low.
The Kingslayer: Kills King Rhodri via blood eagle, and before that he and Ubba killed King Aella of Northumbria in the same way for having their father Ragnar Lothbrok put to death. While taking King Rhodri to be blood eagled, besides Aella he also gloats to Eivor about killing King Osberht of Northumbria^note and King Edmund of East Anglia, Oswald's direct predecessor who is also known as Edmund the Martyr.^note Ivarr even makes a point of saying that his other sobriquet is "King Killer" for all the royalty he's killed.
Lightning Bruiser: Tells Eivor that he got the "Boneless" sobriquet from someone he killed in Hibernia (Ireland) calling him that because he was moving "like a reed in the wind" during their fight, and during his boss battle with Eivor he spends his time doing flips and handsprings while being fast, strong, and durable.
The Load: While he is a mighty warrior more than capable of holding his own in a fight, Ivarr openly admits his word is useless since he doesn't care enough to uphold promises, and he'll disobey orders whenever he likes (quite literally in a gameplay sense), and he destroys more than one chance at a peaceful resolution as a result.
Made of Iron: When fighting against Rhodri, Ivarr gets doused with alcohol and struck with a lit candle. Despite being burned alive, Ivarr continues to stand up and knocks out Rhodri by beating him up while still on fire.
Press X to Not Die: Can grab Eivor to throw them off a cliff before using their body to break his fall, which does major damage if it doesn't kill them outright, forcing the player to button mash to get out of it.
Revenge Before Reason: Desires revenge against King Rhodri for defeating him in battle, scarring him, and leaving him alive as a warning for any other Danes who may try to invade Cymru. He desires it to the point that he nearly sabotages the peace talks through killing Rhodri's brother, and murders Ceolbert with a dragon dagger in order to frame the Britons for it, just so he can get another crack at Rhodri. Eivor can even try bribing him with silver to try getting him to behave, but he still kills Gwyriad anyway following Rhodri's taunt, after lampshading how loose Eivor is with silver.
Rubber Man: Ivarr has a fluidity to his movements while in combat that seems almost unreal, and is unlike any other humanoid character in the game, hence the "Boneless" moniker.
Sir Swearsalot: Nearly every second word out of his mouth is a swear of some sort.
Sibling Yin-Yang: The borderline unhinged Ivarr contrasts the more reasonable Ubba. Ivarr claims Ubba wasn't that much different than him in their younger days, but feels that England has changed him as Ubba has become more interested in leaving a legacy than dying in battle.
Smarter Than You Look: While a ruthless raider who lives for battle, Ivarr can be pretty deceptive when the situation calls for it. Such as when he does a frame job by repeatedly insinuating that King Rhodri is a manipulative snake, then murdering Ceolbert and making it look like King Rhodri did it.
Spanner in the Works: For the Order of the Ancients. His and Ubba's revenge killing of King Aella for Ragnar Lothbrok's death had the knockdown effect of having Aelfred's brother Aethelred become Grand Maegester instead. Once he died the position passed to Aelfred, who succeeds in manipulating Eivor and the Hidden Ones into ridding England of the Order of the Ancients.
Sword and Fist: Punctuates his axe strikes with kicks.
Token Evil Teammate: Even before things go sour with him, he is clearly operating on a different level than you. The game as a whole may be Black-and-Grey Morality but he's solidly in the "black" of that. Ivarr is more interested in finding ways of hurting as many people as possible than advancing his clan's agenda or Eivor's.
Viking Funeral: Has a proper Viking funeral after he dies, with Ubba lighting his boat on fire with a flaming arrow.
Would You Like to Hear How They Died?: After Eivor initially refuses to fight him, Ivarr brings up Ceolbert's final moments to them, revealing that it was he, not King Rhodri, who killed him.

Ubba Ragnarsson

Ubba Ragnarson

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ubba_acv.png

Voiced by: Christian Svensson (English)^note

The older half-brother of Ivarr. Ubba is seeking to establish a foothold for his people in the Kingdom of Mercia to allow them to settle peacefully.

Good Old Fisticuffs: If you consign Ivarr to Helheim and lie to Ubba about it, he'll find out eventually and come to Ravensthrope to have a fistfight with Eivor over it. After Ubba lets his feelings out he and Eivor manage to make up.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Eivor can seek out his body to confirm his death and finds it impaled upon two spears with the remains of at least two other spears and several arrows also noticeable.
Historical Domain Character: Ubba is believed to have been a real person and a commander of the Great Heathen Army.
Killed Offscreen: Dies fighting Aelfred's forces offscreen, which Eivor and Guthrum only find out about while parleying with him. Eivor can find the body later in Hamtunscire in the center of his camp surrounded by his men, and a letter shows it was the work of Ealdorman Odda of Devon, who is believed to have killed Ubba's historical counterpart.
Large and in Charge: Is a very tall man and leader of the Danes in Mercia.
Only Sane Man: Compared to the Ax-Crazy Ivarr and paranoiac Halfdan, Ubba is a stable individual with no excesses to his name.
Reasonable Authority Figure: At least, in comparison to his brother Ivarr, as he's the one who deals with diplomacy while Ivarr does the fighting.
Sibling Yin-Yang: The reasonable Ubba contrasts the borderline unhinged Ivarr. He even tells Eivor that he's spent his whole life cleaning up Ivarr's messes.
Took a Level in Kindness: Downplayed in that he's still a conquering warlord, but Ivarr claims that Ubba was much like him when they were younger, only to decide that he'd rather try making a lasting legacy as opposed to fighting until death claims him.

Halfdan Ragnarsson

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/halfdan_acv.png

Voiced by: Jeppe Beck Laursen (English)^note

The effective overall commander of the Norse in England, Halfdan spends his time in Northumbria trying to consolidate his power and deal with Pictish raiders from further north.

Achilles in His Tent: If Faravid was spared in Jorvik, Halfdan will refuse to honor his pledge to Ravensthrope during the attack on Hamtunscire, believing it to be another of Eivor's "lies".
Age Lift: In the Sagas, Halfdan is actually one of Ragnar's younger sons with either Bjorn or Ivar being the eldest. In the game, Halfdan is the oldest of the sons.
Brutish Character, Brutish Weapon: His primary weapon in combat is a hammer and he's a paranoic with a fierce temper. Something he has in common with his prior incarnation. He tells Eivor that Ragnar himself gave it to him at the age of fourteen after he looted it off the body of a Finnish chief so soon that the blood on it was still warm.
Dented Iron: He's been a-viking in England for a long while, and while he's still capable of holding his own in a fight, between the poisoning and simple age, he's beginning to feel it. His post-quest encounter has him ask Eivor to find his dog, because he's not got the energy.
Fake Ultimate Hero: Faravid accuses him of just riding off the coattails of his underlings and showing up when the battle's nearly or completely over to look good.
Fatal Flaw: His paranoia. While overall a decent man and leader, his increasing power over Northumbria and wars have caused him to realize being in charge puts a large target on his head. Especially when he's the son of the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok. However, it's implied his paranoia may actually be the result of Faravid possibly poisoning him with Roman-era lead cups.
Hair-Trigger Temper: A note found in Doncaster mentions on his bad days he'll explode at anyone. A few examples with Eivor have him showing it as well, losing his mind at a few raiders for holding out what he feels is his tribute, at which point he smashes the offender's head in with his hammer.
Historical Domain Character: Halfdan is a semi-historical figure believed to have been the first Viking ruler of Jorvik, now present-day York.
Incurable Cough of Death: He's got a serious problem with coughing, which he insists is just the weather, or him wearing too much fur.
Lonely at the Top: Tells Eivor he tires of having to deal with the constant dangers of treachery due to his position and wishes to return to the simpler times of raiding with his brothers.
Killed Offscreen: Is implied to have died fighting other Danes in Ireland as per his historical death as he disappears from the game world following the end of the Alliance Plot.
The Man Behind the Man: Has Ricsige be his vassal Puppet King rather than rule directly. This changes after Ricsige decides to ally with the Picts in an attempt to remove the Vikings from his territory, and following Ricsige's death by Eivor's hands Halfdan decides that he'll no longer rely on Saxon puppets and just rule directly.
The Paranoiac: Sees enemies just about everywhere, even in old friends. His paranoia is implied to be the result of constantly drinking from Roman-made lead cups and getting lead poisoning, as Moira mentions that a similar thing happened to her mother who also drank from the cups. This ties in with his pledge: should Eivor spare Faravid, Halfdan will not honor his pledge to come to Eivor's aid against Aelfred's men.
Reasonable Authority Figure: A downplayed and later-game example. Halfdan initially just rules Northumbria through puppet-king Ricsige and leaves most duties to his governmental officials as he wars with the local Picts. But after Faravid is trialed for poisoning him and Ricsige is killed after revealing he allied with the Picts to depose Halfda, the man just decides to rule directly without the need of vassals. With this, Jorvik becomes a considerably better place as Halfdan is able to snuff out corruption directly.
Reincarnation: Though it isn’t emphasized as much as other examples, he is a Sage of Thor.
What the Hell, Hero?: Is not happy to learn Ivarr had been dead by Eivor's hand the whole time they'd been working together, and Eivor had never said anything.

Summer Army

Soma

Jarlskona Soma

Voiced by: Kajsa Mohammar (English)

A warrior from the Sami who joined the Great Heathen Army. Rising through its ranks, Soma was awarded control of Grantebridge and turned it into a bustling trade hub.

Body-Count Competition: If Vili is part of the Alliance when Eivor attacks Portcestre, the two of them have a playful rivalry .
Conflicting Loyalty: Between Grantebridge and her advisors, and what almost led to her downfall had Eivor not shown up. She wants to be a good leader and a good friend, but Eivor notes she can only be one of these.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Is overwhelmed by Saxon soldiers during the fight against Aelfred and then is first stabbed through the gut, before getting stabbed in the back through her right lung, though not without taking far many more soldiers with her beforehand.
In the Back: The coup de grace strike that finally fells Soma is a stab through the back by a Saxon soldier.
Killed Mid-Sentence: Says "For Valha-" before getting stabbed through the right lung by a Saxon soldier.
Number Two: She is Guthrum's right-hand woman and was entrusted with Gradebridge by him.

Galinn

Voiced by:

A warrior of the Summer Army and one of Soma's three closest advisors.

Belief Makes You Stupid: His reason for betraying Soma and his city was simply to fulfil his destiny as how he saw it in his dreams and visions.
BFS: Fights with a massive claymore.
Cloud Cuckoo Lander: How most people see him. A very spiritual man, the stock he puts in dreams and visions is noted as being a bit much even by Dane standards.
Didn't Think This Through: Galinn flees Grantebridge following a pretty good plan, but didn't realize using his own longship would reveal himself as the traitor. The ship can be recognized as his because Lif personalized the longships of Soma's advisors with dedicated poems somewhere on their hulls, being the equivalent of a modern license plate. Having his own longship painted yellow is the final nail in the coffin.
Foreshadowing: Even without gathering the proper clues his treachery is hinted at in several ways.
- Birna and Lif greet Soma heartily after their rescue, whereas Galinn throws her a rather foul look.
- He was the only one to lose all his men in the retreat, despite having to deal with roughly similar circumstances as the other two, suggesting he cared mostly about himself. This is supported by how the bodies of his men are all by the longboat they took out of the city, whereas Galinn is found hiding up a tower a short walk away. He all but states the only reason he didn't run further is because he was injured by bandits and then surrounded by wolves.
- In something of a Bait-and-Switch, he is the only one the codex does not give a reason for betraying Soma.
Sole Survivor: He was the only member of his crew to survive the retreat from Grantebridge.

Birna

Voiced by: Nina Yndis (English)^note

A former smuggler turned warrior who joined Soma as an friend and advisor.

Casual Kink: Some of her comments implies she has a thing for power dynamics. And trampling. Though some of it is used as To the Pain style threats, she also makes this comment to Eivor.
Birna: You can step on me. In fact, I welcome it.
- And earlier:
Saxon: You'll be burning in hell!
Birna: You'll be sucking my toes while I stand on your head!
Genki Girl: Unfailingly chipper, she lives in the moment and tries to see the upside to everything. Doubles as Sad Clown at times, as by her own admission it is her way of dealing with bad stuff.
Incompatible Orientation: Her romantic overtures to Soma were turned away due to her being straight. This results in her planning to leave as she cannot deal with her feelings being rejected any longer.
Only in It for the Money: Prior to joining Soma, her sole motivation was money to buy ale and wenches.
Reformed Criminal: Meeting Soma caused Birna to turn her life around and work towards building Grantebridge up under Soma's rule. If Eivor successfully identifies the lieutenant who betrayed Soma, she'll join the Raven Clan as a raider.
Serious Business: As might be expected of a smuggler, she believes very strongly in treating boats with respect. One of her tales if she joins Eivor's crew has her calling out one of them for peeing on the longship while drunk.

Lif

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lif_acv.png

Voiced by: Peder Bille (English)

A master ship-builder and the last of Soma's close advisors.

Dual Wielding: Fights with two axes in combat.
Red Herring: During the initial investigation into the traitor, Eivor can discover that Lif ordered the yellow paint (used by the traitor to mark the secret tunnel and the traitor's longship) weeks before Grantebridge was attacked. It was stolen from his supplies days before the attack, and he is particularly angry that someone did this; it is both expensive and difficult to procure yellow paint for his longships.
The Resenter: Lif openly disagrees with the way Soma runs Grantebridge and he makes no secret of his ambition to lead a settlement himself. Ultimately subverted as he is loyal to Soma despite their differences, making him more of a Sour Supporter.
Warrior Poet: A fierce warrior, he is described as fighting tooth and nail the night of the attack on Grantebridge. His big passion, however, is shipbuilding. Notably, he composes a poem for each ship he builds, which is etched in its bow.

Other Norsemen

King Harald Fairhair

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/harald_fairhair_acv.png

Voiced by: Aron Már Ólafsson (English)^note

A young king who is attempting to unite the warring clans in Norway.

Ambiguous Situation: Since he's barely in the plot, and only interacted with once or two, working out how much of his personality is his personality and how much is Freyr is unclear. It isn't until the last chapter of the story that it's even indicated he's aware he's a Sage at all, and even then the scene ends without showing any details about his situation.
Heroic Lineage: Appears to have this judging by what is said about his father, Halfdan the Black.
The High King: What Harald aspires to be through uniting all the clans under his own banner.
Historical Domain Character: The semi-mythical first king of a unified Norway, and is also believed to have been a major force in Norse settlement of Iceland, though the extant accounts of his life were first written down three centuries later.
Large and in Charge: He's quite tall, even next to the not-exactly-miniscule Eivor and Sigurd. Which might be his Isu side expressing itself.
Modest Royalty: Appears to be this as he doesn't wear a crown or any fancy jewelery or robes to mark himself out as a would-be ruler.
Reasonable Authority Figure: He recognizes that not all of the Norwegian Viking clans will accept his leadership, and gives them an opportunity to leave Norway and find their fortunes elsewhere rather than forcibly subjugate them. Apart from some snark about the whole thing Eivor doesn't even have anything against them personally.
Reincarnation: It has no impact on the plot and is very difficult to notice, but Harald has the tell-tale mark on his neck indicating he's a Sage of a Norse Isu, who was confirmed to be Freyr by writer Darby McDevitt.
Small Role, Big Impact: His presence in the game is almost a footnote, but Eivor and Sigurd being present at the moot where Harald is made king of all Norway, and where Sigurd loses his birthright, is what convinces them to travel to England in the first place.

Tonna

Voiced By: Ragga Ragnars (English)

A brutal and untrustworthy mercenary working for the Ragnarssons.

Abhorrent Admirer: Is this for Eivor. She constantly propositions them to come and sit on her lap and calls them "little dove", much to their chagrin.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Flops between siding with the Ragnarssons or King Burgred depending on who will pay her more.
Depraved Bisexual: She flirts with Eivor regardless of the latter's gender, and is an unscrupulous mercenary willing to stab anyone in the back for a greater payday.
Only in It for the Money: Her help goes to whoever is willing to pay her the most silver, but even that isn't a guarantee she won't stab you in the back.
Revenge: If you steal back the money you gave to her for information on Burgred's whereabouts (which Eivor can do literally right after their conversation), Tonna will hunt you down later in the arc and try to kill you for it. Depending on how you treated her earlier in the story, this could very easily double as The Dog Bites Back.
Terms of Endangerment: She'll call Eivor "little dove" even while trying to kill them.

Jarl Rued

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rued_acv.png

Voiced by: Boris Heistand (English)

A ruthless Dane whose raids on East Anglia have driven the region to ruin. Rued seeks to reclaim Valdis as his wife and return to Denmark covered in glory and riches.

Arc Villain: The main villain of the East Anglia storyline.
Card-Carrying Villain: Shaun describes him in the database as the kind of guy who'd drink mead out of the skull of one of his vanquished enemies, and in-story he's every bit the wicked Viking Saxons described them as being.
Cruel Mercy: After Eivor defeats him, they can decide to spare him, denying him the chance to die in glorious combat and enter Valhalla, and leaving him penniless. If Oswald defeats them in their second confrontation, they spare but exile him, also denying him Valhalla.
Death Seeker: If he's kept alive after his capture, he'll break out of prison and seek battle against Eivor and/or Osawld with the heavy implication he wants to die a death worthy of entry to Valhalla.
Duel to the Death: He has a holmgang with Oswald the first time and they nearly kill each other. At the end of the East Anglia arc, if Eivor spared Rued after their own fight with him, Eivor finishes the job after he issues yet another challenge after his escape.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Cannot comprehend why a fellow Viking like Eivor would willingly help Saxons, a group Rued considers only worthy of pillaging and thralldom.
The Exile: If Oswald defeats them, he spares their life but exiles them from East Anglia.
Flaming Sword: He can apply Fire Strike to his sword during the fight against Eivor.
Hoist by His Own Petard: By sending a raiding party to Ravensthorpe, he draws Eivor's attention to East Anglia and sets in motion events that bring about his downfall.
I Have You Now, My Pretty: His desire for Valdis. At some point he outright calls her his property, to do with as he pleases.
Politically Incorrect Villain: Views women as property, and Saxons as only worthy of pillaging and thralldom.
Rape, Pillage, and Burn: He's the kind of Dane that created a very unflattering stereotype of Vikings. Throughout the East Anglia arc, you'll come across farms where they killed the women and children, as well as the animals.
Worf Had the Flu: Part of what allows Oswald to properly defeat Rued the second time if Eivor allows him to fight is that he's still injured from the previous fight, though Eivor still warns Oswald not to underestimate him beforehand.

Rollo

Voiced by: Curtis Legault

A young Viking recently arrived in England. Eivor meets him in Essex where he aids in an effort to "kidnap" Lady Estrid and return her to Francia.

Adapted Out: He was one of the three leaders on the Viking side during the real Siege of Paris, but he only appears in the expansion's concept art.
Because Destiny Says So: Believes he has an important destiny ahead of him, even if he isn't sure what it is. He's right.
The Big Guy: He's one of the tallest members of Eivor's crew; likely referencing his epithet as "the Walker" meaning that he was too big to ride a horse.
Foreign Culture Fetish: He thinks France is a beautiful country filled with amazingly sexy people and an even sexier language, and he had a fling with the French Estrid a year before Eivor meets him. Not surprising then he'll go on to set up shop there later on.
Historical Domain Character: Rollo is most famous for his part in leading the 885-886 Siege of Paris and later founding the House of Normandy in 911, who would conquer England about 188 years after the end of Valhalla's main story.
Hookers and Blow: Eivor finds him in a brothel getting whipped by a naked Saxon woman while blindfolded, and Ake says he has a habit of "drinking and whoring".
I Did What I Had to Do: While he takes no pleasure in it, especially if they happen to be someone he's known from childhood, he will personally execute those who betray him.
Nothing Exciting Ever Happens Here: After joining the Raven Clan, the stories he tells on the longboat often mention that England is now too settled for him to make his fame. He often muses about making his fame in Francia, foreshadowing his future deeds.
Right for the Wrong Reasons: He thinks Odin walks alongside him and is guiding his deeds. Well, he's half-right. Odin's reincarnation is his boss. And he is going to go on to be pretty damned important.
Sophisticated as Hell: On the longboat, he muses for a while about destiny in a surprisingly philosophical fashion, before capping it off with how it's "not worth shit".
Worth It: One of his longboat stories has him recounting how he had sex with one of his conquests, got caught by her husband who, being blind, was led to believe he was an extremely wayward goat, and wound up locked up in a goat pen for a night. He still figures it was the best sex he'd had.
Young Future Famous People: Although just a young raider in the timeframe of Valhalla, Rollo will go on to become the first ruler of Normandy, with his descendants founding the House of Normandy and being tied to the histories of many European nations and royal families.

Faravid

Halfdan's second in command in Jorik.

Ambiguous Situation: It's never made entirely clear if Faravid really knew the goblets he gave Halfdan were giving him lead poisoning, though when Eivor asks him if he knew when they're leaving after Eivor spares his life, Faravid doesn't answer the question and just says he hopes to fight alongside Eivor again one day.
Beleaguered Assistant: Has suffered under Halfdan's shadow for years, but stays loyal anyway until he is directly accused of treachery, at which point he either leaves or fights Eivor to the death.
Duel Boss: If Eivor fights him, it's 1v1.
Et Tu, Brute?: If Eivor tells Halfdan what he's plotting and Halfdan reveals this, he's incensed at Eivor, complete with Spiteful Spit.
Foil: To Eivor. Both happen to be the second in command of a man suffering from delusions who happens to be a reincarnated Isu (Halfdan as Thor and Sigurf as Tyr while also happening to be Sages who are genderflipped from their original incarnations (Odin for Eivor and Sif for Faravid, and both have shades of being a Beleaguered Assistant. However, while Faravid and Halfdan never truly reconcile and Faravid may have indeed been trying to undermine him, Eivor and Sigurd can end up on a much better footing.
Gender Bender: He is the reincarnation of a female Isu.
I Let You Win: If Eivor turns against him, his last words to Halfdan are spitefully telling him he let him win all those times they competed.
Reincarnation: He is a Sage of the Norse Isu Sif, as confirmed by writer Darby McDevitt.

Jarl Guthrum

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/guthrum_acv.png

Voiced by: Erik Madsen

"We stumble through our years, ravenous, grasping. Spilling blood, stealing gold, and it is never enough. This life is never enough. Would it not soothe you to know there is something beyond all this? Not war and valor, but quiet and peace?"

One of the leaders of the Great Heathen Army, Guthrum turned his sights south to the Kingdom of Wessex after the conquests in Mercia and Northumbria.

Adaptational Context Change: historically, Guthrum was essentially forced to convert to Christianity as part of the terms of his surrender after Alfred the Great defeated him, though he was still a pagan to his pagan followers as well. Here, it's more implied that he willingly turned to Jesus for comfort after Soma died during the battle of Werham and he kindly asks if Eivor would like to hear His message during their final conversation in the game.
Despair Event Horizon: Appears to reach his after learning Soma has died in battle, asking Eivor if the concept of the Christian afterlife sounds appealing following Goodwin's execution or suicide, and the event is implied to be why he'll eventually convert to Christianity following his loss to Aelfred at the Battle of Eddington several months after Valhalla's main story.
Frontline General: As befits a leading Viking warrior, Guthrum is always in the thick of any battle he leads his army into.
Historical Domain Character: Guthrum is most famous for his deal with Aelfred following the Battle of Eddington, in which in return for Guthrum's conversion to Christianity and his forces leaving Wessex, the Danelaw was formed, which formalized the borders between Dane and Saxon-controlled territories and served to make peace between the two. Guthrum would from then on go by his baptismal name Aethelstan and rule as a Christian king until his death in 890.
Lying to Protect Your Feelings: After the battle of Werham, which takes place after Eivor finds out that Yggdrasil and Valhalla are a machine and an illusion respectively, Eivor privately reveals to him the Cessation of Existence that awaits the dead (as opposed to an actual afterlife). After looking around to ensure nobody's listening, Guthrum advises Eivor not to reveal this truth to the others who are mourning.
That Man Is Dead: Says that Guthrum is no more on his baptism and renaming to Aethelstan.

Olav the Unlucky

Voiced by:

A Norse worker who found himself on the wrong side of Gorm Kjotvesson's wrath and helps Eivor hunt him.

Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Whether through torture by Gorm, or just always being that way, Olav comes off as a little odd.
I Choose to Stay: After Gorm is killed, Olav decides to stay for at least a few more seasons in Vinland amongst the Kanien'kehá:ka whom he befriended.
The Thing That Would Not Leave: Translating the Kanien'kehá:ka dialogue shows that they're not exactly pleased to have Olav around but can't really bring themselves to kick him out.

Bjorn

Voiced by:

A berserker who travelled from Norway to England in search of a more peaceful life. His story is the focus of the bonus pre-order mission The Way of the Berserker.

The Beastmaster: Bjorn fights alongside a white bear named Njal. She is fairly tame for a bear because he raised her since she was a cub.
The Berserker: He is the titular Berserker of the mission. He even has Eivor help him get the ingredients to make his "Berserker's Brew" which helps him achieve the heightened state he needs for battle.
I Will Fight No More Forever: He tried moving to England to achieve a peaceful life. Unfortunately for him, and his wife, his fame followed him.
Meaningful Name: His name is Bjorn, which means "bear", and he even has a pet bear he fights alongside.
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: To get him to agree to join Raven Clan, Eivor must help Bjorn get revenge for his wife, Alfhild, her being murdered.

Ragnar Lothbrok

A legendary Viking warrior who led the Great Heathen Army on numerous raids throughout northwestern and eastern Europe.

Action Dad: Ragnar fathered at least five sons with multiple women and was a badass Viking.
Battle Couple: Fought side by side with Lagertha, Aslaug, and an unidentified wife.
Big Good: To the Vikings (including the Raven Clan) since he was a renowned warrior that led successful raids across England, France, and Ireland.
The Cameo: When Eivor visits the Snake Pit in Northumbria, they see a vision of Ragnar in the cage just before his execution.
Famed In-Story: As in real life, Ragnar is known to many as an (in)famous Viking raider.
Heroic Lineage: From the Vikings point of view. Aside from Ivarr, his sons would become important figures in Norse history and they're relatively decent people (except for Ivarr the Boneless).
Historical Domain Character: Maybe. It's debated whether or not Ragnar was a real historical figure or a mythological character loosely based on fact akin to King Arthur.
Like Father, Like Son: His sons would go on to follow in his footsteps by becoming the leaders of the Great Heathen Army.
The Leader: The leader of the Great Heathen Army and the drengir.
Long-Dead Badass: Definitely. He's been dead since 865 AD, eight years before the events of Valhalla.
One-Man Army: Halfdan tells Eivor that after his mother's death, Ragnar avenged her in battle against the Finns while outnumbered 14 to 1.
Posthumous Character: Ragnar is a renowned Viking warrior who is already dead by Eivor's time.

Lagertha

A renowned shieldmaiden who was the first wife of Ragnar Lothbrok.

Action Girl: The mother of Halfdan Ragnarrson and a capable female Viking warrior.
Battle Couple: Fought alongside her lover Ragnar Lothbrok.
Posthumous Character: Much like her husband, she is already dead when the Raven Clan launches a colonial expedition to England, as she died to a Finnish archer's arrow years before.

The Hidden Ones

For Basim and Roshan, see Assassin's Creed: Mirage.

In General

Arch-Enemy: They are the millennia-long foes of the Order of the Ancients.
The Alliance: They form one with the Raven Clan in order to combat the Order of the Ancients in England.
Back from the Brink: As noted by Hytham, the Hidden Ones haven't existed in England in over four centuries since the death of Emperor Honorius in 423 AD. Under the leadership of Basim and Hytham (and mostly Eivor's direct efforts), the organization finally re-establishes their presence in the former Roman province during the early medieval period.
Badass Long Robe: Like the Assassins, they wear white robes with red sashes.
Benevolent Conspiracy: As a secret society, the Hidden Ones work in the shadows to serve the light and protect humanity from the tyranny of the Order.
Color Motif: Hidden One garb is white and red with a dash of grey similar to the Assassins.
Fingore: As befitting tradition prior to Altair's reforms, their ring fingers are removed in order to facilitate the deployment of the Hidden Blade.
Good Counterpart: To the Order of the Ancients.
Group-Identifying Feature: The Hidden Ones are easily identified by their white-grey robes and red sashes, and by the fact that at this point they still slice off their left ring finger upon initiation.
The Hashshashin: Not quite, but the Hidden Ones are close enough to the historical Hashashasin in all but name. Basim even mentions to Eivor that they have established a foothold in the Levant and Persia with the desert fortress Alamut as their main base of operations.
Hidden Weapons: Just like the Assassins, the Hidden Ones use the Hidden Blade as their primary weapon.
In the Hood: As is Assassin tradition, a Hidden One always wears a hood.
A Lighter Shade of Grey: They return to Britain after centuries of absence as allies of Viking invaders for the greater goal of defeating the Order.
Light Is Good: The Hidden Ones have white outfits much like the Assassins and they are more or less the good guys here.
Multi National Team: The Hidden Ones have branches and bureaus across the known world from the Abbasid Caliphate to the Byzantine Empire. The group previously had a long-lasting presence in Britain from 100 AD until 430 AD after the Romans had left. According to the database, the Hidden Ones have members from as far east as China, as far south as India, and as far west as Britain.
Precursor Heroes: The Hidden Ones are the original incarnation of the Assassin Brotherhood prior to its eventual reformation by Hassan-i Sabbah in 1090 CE, one century before the start of the Crusades and Altaïr's rise to prominence.
Red Is Heroic: Every Hidden One has a red sash across their robes.
The Remnant: The Siege of Paris DLC reveals that much like in Britain, the Hidden Ones around France fled to Cologne following the death of Emperor Honorius, but at least some stayed behind as an unseen Hidden One tails Eivor over the course of the Francia Hidden Ones sidequest.

Hytham

Voiced by: Amir Sám Nakhjavani (English)^note

An acolyte of the Hidden Ones who accompanied Basim. He runs their bureau in Ravensthorpe, guiding Eivor in hunting members of the Order of the Ancients across England.

Dark and Troubled Past: His database entry says that the Hidden Ones offered Hytham purpose when his whole world fell apart, but the game doesn't really go into detail about his past beyond that.
Game-Breaking Injury: Hytham's injuries at the hands of Kjotve prevent him from doing much fieldwork, hence why he needs Eivor's help to hunt down the Order members in his stead, on top of Basim being with Sigurd. Hytham notes that while he can still do some physical activity, he feels a pain in his chest if he does too much of it, and also mentions having trouble breathing, suggesting an injury to either his ribs or lungs.
The Idealist: Is this in regards to the Hidden Ones. For one, he opposes Eivor being given their Hidden Blade and being trained to use it without being formally inducted into the order, and takes offense to Eivor not wanting to wear it on the inside of their arm because they'd rather not lose a ring finger. Basim even has to tell him not to "make a fetish" out of a tool.
Irony: It's theorized by Shaun that Edward Kenway may have named Haytham after him because he was one of the first Hidden Ones to return to England following the fall of the Roman Empire. If Shaun's correct on that, it means that the namesake of a particularly loyal Hidden One would be brought up as a Templar, and ends up playing a major role in the near-complete destruction of the Assassins in the British Colonies.
Metronomic Man Mashing: Is a victim of this at the hands of Kjotve during his boss fight with Eivor, as he smashes him from side to side repeatedly before focusing back on Eivor.
Rank Up: In the epilogue, a letter from Mentor Rayhan indicates that he will be promoted from acolyte due to his contributions during the destruction of the Order of the Ancients in England.
Ultimate Final Exam: It was implied that his assassination of Kjotve was supposed to be Hytham's last test before becoming a full-fledged Hidden One, until Eivor claimed the right to kill Kjotve themselves due to their blood feud.

Kingdoms of Ireland

Flann Sinna

High King Flann Sinna

Voiced by:

The King of Meath and later the High King of Ireland. The onset of his reign is mired in civil war and attacks by the druidic Cult of Danu.

BFS: Wields a great sword in combat.
Blood Knight: While mercifully not into General Ripper territory, he tends to favor a military approach to problems. When Bárid tries begging off a full-frontal attack on a fortress, he dismisses the idea of heavy casualties as an acceptable sacrifice, though he is willing to let Eivor sneak in and open the gates instead.
Fatal Flaw: He fervently refuses to believe that the church is corrupt in any way, even when evidence presents itself. He especially refuses to believe that Abbot Eagon, the man who oversaw his crowning, is evil and intends to wipe out his army and only believes it when he learns Eagon is The Oak and Barid's warning about his trap comes to pass. His eagerness to establish a united Ireland also ends up alienating one of his closest companions, namely agreeing with the other kings to enact an inquisition against the druids out of fear, which leads to Ciara turning against him.
Fighting Irish: He's an Irish warrior and the king of Meath.
The Good King: He's shown to be a wise and fair king to the people of Meath and Ireland.
Historical Domain Character: Flann Sinna was the historical King of Meath and one of Ireland's High Kings from 879 until 916.
Large and in Charge: He's noticeably very tall and happens to be High King of Ireland.
Mind Manipulation: Subjected to this by Ciara when she activates the Lia Fáil to make him fight Eivor.
My God, What Have I Done?: If you spare Ciara, he will sincerely apologize for almost starting an inquisition to force out the druids from Ireland.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Flann is an ally and a good friend to Eivor, although his temper and the politics of being High King can cause his judgment to falter without wise advice. When he does an error or makes a mistake, Flann is quick to own up to it and apologize.
What the Hell, Hero?: Ciara was not happy when Flann, pressured by the other kings, agreed to start an inquisition against the druids, which leads to her becoming the DLC's Final Boss.

Bárid mac Ímair

King Bárid mac Ímair

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/barid_mac_imair_acv.png

Voiced by:

The Norse-Gaelic King of Dublin and a relative of Eivor through their mother Rosta.

Cassandra Truth: He sends word to Flann that Abbot Eagon has the Northern Kings of Ireland under their thumb and intends to spring a trap to wipe out Flann's army. Flann believes it's all deception and Eagon is just another puppet or convenient scapegoat and refuses to pull his army out, much to Barid's frustration.
Frame-Up: After Flann scores a major victory at Cashelore Castle, he's accused of poisoning the Irishmen making up the army and is asked to stay in the castle until Flann decides whether he's innocent while Eivor accompanies Ciara to look for a healer.
Going Native: Goes by a Gaelicized version of his original Norse name.
Historical Domain Character: Bárid was the King of Dublin until his death in 881, and his forces are believed to be the ones who killed Halfdan Ragnarsson.
Professional Butt-Kisser: Zigzagged. Barid is especially eager to have Flann recognize him as a confidant and ally and does what he can to put him in a better light. This is mostly to secure his son's future as his successor and to ensure Dublin will become the center of trade in Flann's Ireland. That said, he will not hesitate to speak up against Flann, such as when the latter refuses to believe his warnings about Abbot Eagon setting a trap for him in Ulster.
Related Differently in the Adaptation: Historically, Barid and Sichfrith were brothers, whereas in Valhalla they're father and son respectively.
Sins of the Father: Part of the problem with Flann. The man who killed Flann's father is the one who made Barid's father king of Dublin, which makes Barid look pretty shady in his eyes.
Slave to PR: His actions and decisions are made with a mind to keeping in Flann Sinna’s good graces, a fact which often brings him into conflict with his son.
Tragic Dream: He wants to make Dublin a major trade center to provide a future for his son. He never gets to see Dublin's success, and going by historical records, Sichfrith only outlives him by eight years.

Sichfrith mac Báirid

Voiced by:

The son of Barid and Eivor's second cousin.

Historical Domain Character: Following Barid's death in 881, Sichfrith became King of Dublin before he was slain by a kinsman in 888.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's pretty much a spoiled brat when Eivor first meets him, but he matures throughout the story and grows into a leader in his own right. In particular, he learns to appreciate the balancing act it requires.
Like Father, Unlike Son: Sichfrith and Barid have their differences, with Sichfrith being irritated of his father's constant sucking up to Flann and being "soft", though he does later come to understand why his father has to handle things with a gentler hand rather than resolve matters with violence.
Related Differently in the Adaptation: Historically Sichfrith was Barid's brother, here he's Barid's son.
You Are in Command Now: Following Barid's death, he becomes King of Dublin.

Ciara ingen Medba

Ciara ignen Medba

Voiced by: Julie Fowlis

A 9th century Irish poet that held the position of Ollamh Érenn and served as an advisor to Flann Sinna of Meath.

The Bard: Ciara is a poet who can play the lyre and sing very well. She also works with Eivor and Flann to eliminate the Children of Danu.
Bold Explorer: Eivor can finds notes from her on top of some hard to reach locations, including some of the sheerest cliffs in the game.
Druid: Ciara is from a Druidic family and possesses a deep connection to her faith. She also uses her position as Ollamh Érenn to protect Druids from Christian and Norse persecution.
Foreshadowing: Deirdre warns Eivor of a darkness inside her, telling them to watch over her. This hints at her actions at the end of the DLC, where she attempts to use the Lia Fáil to ensure the druids will survive the impending inquisition against them.
Fiery Redhead: Outside of her duties, she casually flirts with Eivor on a few occasions.
Final Boss: She serves as this to Wrath of the Druids. Fearing Christian persecution against herself and her people for her pagan beliefs, as well as giving Eivor and King Flann a What the Hell, Hero?, she activates the Lia Fáil intending to wipe out the Christians from Ireland.
Heel–Face Turn: She was originally a member of the Children of Danu, but left the group over its dark rituals and goal of wiping out Christianity and Norse paganism from Ireland.
Last of Her Kind: She is the last of her lineage who are capable of activating the Lia Fáil, which made her useful for the Children of Danu.
Mercy Kill: Ciara asks Eivor to kill her so she can preserve the power of the Lia Fáil. If they accept her request, Eivor will bring out their axe to kill Ciara.
My God, What Have I Done?: She initially rejects Eivor's claim that she's become just like the Children of Danu, who she despises...until Eivor makes her look at the corpses of Flann's men, who she controlled in her attempt to protect her fellow druids.
No Man Should Have This Power: After Eivor defeats her, she asks to be killed so that no one can use the Lia Fáil again. If you choose to spare her instead, she will destroy the Lia Fáil.
Uneven Hybrid: Ciara appears to have some degree of Isu ancestry since she was able to use the Lia Fáil, a stone monument that was created by the Isu. Additionally, the stone also gives her advanced abilities such as possession of people's minds or creating illusions.
Walking Spoiler: The only spoiler-free things about her is that she is an advisor and Ollamh Érenn. Everything else about her including the fact that she is a Druid are big spoilers.
Water Wake-up: The first time she's met in Dublin, she's piss drunk, singing loudly about King Flann and shit talking some very angry Danes about to shut her up. Eivor punches them out, then gives Ciara one of these, which quickly sobers her up.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: She turns into this at the end of the DLC when Flann is pressured to start an inquisition against the druids when Abbot Eagon is discovered to be the Children of Danu's leader, using the Lia Fáil to control Flann's army and turn them against each other. Thankfully, her plans end prematurely thanks to Eivor helping her to see reason.

Azar

Voiced by:

A Persian merchant from the city of Shiraz who traveled westwards to Ireland and became Flann Sinna's most trusted partner, after she was betrayed by Byzantine trader Konstantinos.

Butch Lesbian: Has a typically masculine appearance and she can be romanced by female Eivor.
Eye Scream: She suffered a nasty injury to her right eye by her former partner Konstantinos, which she keeps hidden with her headpiece.
Intrepid Merchant: Azar is a merchant from the Abbasid Caliphate who traveled across continents to end up in Europe, where she became a business partner to Flann Sinna. It's not for nothing that the missions she gives to Eivor are called "Overseas Trading", which allows them to visit Cordoba, Egypt, and Russia as well as obtain Iberian, Russian, Egyptian, and Byzantine armor sets.
It's Personal: She wants revenge on Konstantinos for tearing her eye out. She gruesomely slices up her former partner and has his remains Fed to Pigs after Eivor delivers him to her.
Lady Looks Like a Dude: Azar has a masculine appearance that combined with her Boyish Short Hair makes her easy to mistake for a man. Bárid casually calls her "Old Man" a few times, which she takes in stride, saying, "I've called him worse things."

Deidre

Deirdre Na Linni

A Druid who lives in the wild, and a friend of Ciara's. She's approached when the Children of Danu try to frame Barid, and assists Eivor and Ciara in ridding Ireland of the Children.

Bunny-Ears Lawyer: While her druidic mindset makes her come off as strange, she does know her stuff with it comes to antidotes.
Parental Abandonment: Her parents kicked her out at the tender age of seven for being "unnatural". She was found and raised by a druid.

Kingdom of West Francia

Charles the Fat

King Charles III, "Charles the Fat"

Voiced by: JB Blanc

A French king that intends to launch an invasion on England, and the main antagonist of The Siege of Paris.

Acrofatic: During the boss battle against him, the non-lethal way to beat him is to lock him in the shrine he dedicated to his wife, unfortunately, he's incredibly fast for his size and requires to be severely injured and stunned for it to work long enough to lock him in.
Ax-Crazy: When Charles has a Villainous Breakdown and starts killing his own men near the end it isn't pretty to watch, even Eivor is freaked out.
Big Bad: For The Siege of Paris, serving as the greatest threat to Eivor and their allies.
Carry a Big Stick: He fights with a huge mace.
Caught with Your Pants Down: Eivor first meets him in a brothel in his underwear.
The Corruptor: Richardis is determined to keep Bernard away from him, because she knows Charles's influence would wreck the kid.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He loves his wife and son, although he does resent her for not siring more heirs, to the point of being willing to burn her at the stake for it. He even has a huge shrine dedicated to his wife in his boss arena. Ensuring Bernard's safety is how Eivor manages to convince Charles to stay out of England.
Evil Sounds Deep: His "Demon" alter speaks in a much lower voice than Charles.
Fat Bastard: He's fat and the main antagonist of the DLC.
His Own Worst Enemy: Charles styles himself as a man of God, but at the same time, he's also a depraved hedonist who spends more time in a brothel than he does with his wife. It's ultimately because of the hedonistic tendencies and failing to live up to his own moral standards that prove to be the main reason why he's been failing at leadership and alienating most of his confidants. That's not even going into his own complicated relationship with Richardis.
Historical Domain Character: Charles the Fat was the last ruler of a united Francia.
I Gave My Word: For all his flaws, if Eivor rescues his son and deals with him nonlethally he'll agree not to invade England.
I Lied: Tells Eivor to rescue Richardis and he'll hear them out. Unfortunately, his paranoia kicks in, and instead he sets goons on them both.
Kevlard: Between his chainmail and how fat he is he's nearly immune to damage, you have to light him on fire repeatedly to hurt him.
Man on Fire: One way to do a lot of damage to him quickly is to stun him, then knock him into the fire braziers around the room, though he will smarten up and start putting them out.
The Paranoiac: A raging paranoid, he's frequently convinced Richardis is cheating on him.
Sex Is Evil, and I Am Horny: The main source of Charles' many, many issues. He's both a depraved hedonist and a religious fanatic, and failing to live up to his moral standards is driving him completely nuts.
Shifting Voice of Madness: His voice shifts between his normal voice and a demonic sounding one.
Villainous Lineage: He's the great-grandson of Charlemagne, who in this setting is a member of the Order of the Ancients.
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: He's got extreme pyrophobia, as a result of something that was done to him as a child.

Richardis

Queen Richardis of Swabia

Voiced by:

Wife of Charles the Fat, Richardis was a pious woman who sought to calm her husband's temper and madness.

All-Loving Hero: Her religious piety inspires her to compassion for even the worst of individuals, including her husband Charles. Even after he attempts to burn her alive Richardis begs Eivor to spare him, blaming his madness on the torture he faced as a child, and prays for the soul of Bishop Gozlin despite him having fought Eivor to prevent her from saving Richardis.
Burn the Witch!: At the end of the campaign, regardless if Bernard is given to Charles or not, he'll put Richardis on a "trial by fire." By a freak miracle of nature, it starts raining, putting out the fire.
Damsel in Distress: The first time she's met, Eivor has to save her from being tortured to death by the Little Mother. At the end of the DLC, she's captured by Charles and Eivor must save her again.
Historical Domain Character: The wife of Charles the Fat who was later canonized as the patron saint of the commune of Andlau and protection from fire by the Catholic Church.
Odd Friendship: Forges one with Eivor, who is a leader of the Vikings invading Francia and besieging Paris.

Odo

Count Odo

Voiced by:

A high-ranking Francian noble who sought to defend Paris from the Vikings while chafing under his mad king's rule.

Dented Iron: Admits after the siege he still hasn't healed up from the injuries Eivor gave him. He's lucky Eivor was trying to keep him alive.
Friendly Enemy: Despite Eivor being one of the leaders of the Viking siege, Odo respects and gets along quite well with them and finds they have more honor than almost everyone else on all sides of the conflict.
Historical Domain Character: The future King of West Francia, which would later become France.
It's Personal: His family's lands were conquered and taken by Viking invaders. While normally a reasonable man, any peace agreement that does not return those lands to him infuriates him and causes him to oppose the deal.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Compared to other authority figures, Odo is far more prone to reasoning and listens to Eivor's requests rather than call for the guards and have them cut down. The only reason he and Eivor do come to blows is that he refuses to relinquish the lands of his birthright to the Vikings, though he does eventually agree when he realizes Charles' madness is screwing him over.
The Starscream: After chafing under Charles' madness and poor leadership, Odo eventually has enough once he realizes how the king deliberately held back his forces during the siege to play hero and then agreed to a treaty that conceded a large amount of gold and land to the Vikings. He resolves to overthrow Charles and become king himself, requesting Eivor assist him by killing Charles in exchange for Odo's vow not to invade England once king.
We Used to Be Friends: Any chance of a peaceful alliance is ruined if Eivor spares Charles. Odo makes clear he will become king, and after that declares all bets will be off. (Historically, Odo did become a king, but never went anywhere near England.)

Sigfred

Voiced by:

The jarl of the Francian Danes. He is Toka's uncle and Sinric's brother.

Blood Knight: He's easily one of the most bloodthirsty Vikings in the game, second to Ivarr. His desire to kill any Francian that he comes across, soldier or civilian, stems from being unable to cope with his grief from his brother's death. The only way to get him to stop his plan to pursue conquest to the south is to convince him he has to face his grief head-on rather than try and escape it through blood and death.
Foil: To Eivor at the start of Valhalla. Both have a blood feud against those who killed their family (Kjotve for Eivor and the Francians for Sigfred), but whereas Eivor was willing to listen to reason and focused only on Kjotve, Sigfred wants nothing more than to paint all of Francia with the opposing party's blood, finding most Francians responsible for his brother's death and disgrace.
It's Personal: The Francians murdered his brother and are trying to drive his clan out of Francia.
Kick the Dog: During the Siege of Paris mission, after Eivor kills Gozlin, he finds a group of Francian civilians huddled together in a church. When Eivor sees him exit the church, he and his ax are covered in blood and the civilians are dead.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Is the Red to both his brother and Toka's Blue. Toka is much more rational and while she does voice her skepticism against Eivor's idea to hash things out, whereas Sigfred demands nothing short of a slaughter.
Revenge Before Reason: Sigfred is obsessed with avenging his brother's death, so much so that he refuses to listen to any arguments or ideas that will resolve tensions between Francia and his clan that do not involve him putting his ax on someone's skull. When he declares his intent to pursue conquest to lands in the south and comes to blows with Eivor, the latter has to decide whether to kill him in a holmgang or convince him to stand down and confront his grief directly.
Roaring Rampageof Revenge: Why he has gone to war against Charles the Fat. Charles's forces murdered his brother and in an extra disgrace, did so while he was in bed thus denying Sinric an honorable death. Sigfred's fight is both to secure the existence of his people and to reclaim his brother's lost honor.
Tragic Keepsake: The toy reindeer that his brother Sinric won off him as a child. It was the only way he was able to identify his brother's dead body.
Would Hurt a Child: He could not care less about how many children will die during his siege against Paris. He even kills one himself when he massacres a group of Francian civilians hiding inside a church.

Abbo Cernuus

A Benedictine monk who was present for the Siege of Paris, who also did certain other things...

Badass Preacher: A monk, who single-handedly killed six raiders when they broke into the Abbey of St. Germaine.
Good Is Not Soft: He kills several soldiers who were sent to investigate the Francian bureaus, though his letter to Eivor has him state it was only after he determined they wouldn't leave peacefully.
Hero of Another Story: A Hidden One who evidently operated on his lonesone, and was a participant and survivor of the Siege of Paris.
The Remnant: Much like in England, the Hidden Ones had lone retreated from Francia. Cernuus seems to, by all indications, be working protecting the abandoned Bureaus all by himself.
Stealth Expert: He's good. He follows Eivor around as she's going through the Paris bureau, and she only barely notices, but never catches a glimpse of him. If he'd thought she was truly a threat, the game might well have come to a very sudden stop.

Others

Brendan of Clonfert

Voiced by: Simon Lee Philips (English)^note

An Irish Christian monk that embarked on a pilgrimage throughout England by carving messages on Standing stones that documented his interactions with the Isu and accidentally discovered the New World well before Leif Erikson and Christopher Columbus arrived here.

Bold Explorer: During his spiritual journey, he would land on the continent of North America otherwise known as Saint Brendan's Island or Vinland as it's called by the Vikings.
Historical Domain Character: He was an Irish monk that lived for over 90 years and he was one of the Catholic missionaries responsible for converting most of Ireland to Christianity. Brendan also allegedly discovered previously unknown land that was eventually named after him which may have been either the Canary Islands, the Faroe Islands, the Azores, Greenland, or even North America which itself is the subject of a theory among historians.
The Missionary: Helped convert Ireland to Christianity.
Past-Life Memories: He's a Sage. Of who is unclear, but it's heavily hinted he's one of Aita's, given his recurring vision of the man and Juno. His faith makes him interpret the memories as visions from God.
Posthumous Character: He's already long dead for around 200 years by the events of Valhalla.
The Voice: We never see him in the flesh and simply hear Brendan speak in his messages on the stones.

Saint George

A Cappadocian Greek officer in the Roman army who later became a revered Christian saint.

Historical Domain Character: Sort of. Historians generally agree that there was a Greek Christian named George who lived in Diocletian's Roman Empire in the 4th century AD, however he certainly did not slay a dragon and there is very little factual information about him.
Inspirational Martyr: Saint George's death at the hands of the Romans made him a megalomartyr to all Christians. His insignia even became the symbol of the Knights Templar and the modern day United Kingdom, particularly the flag of England.
Knight in Shining Armor: Well not quite a knight but the armor worn by Saint George is impeccably shiny and amazing to look at. It also looks similar to what medieval knights would have worn in the High and Late Middle Ages.
Posthumous Character: Saint George is already long dead by the 9th century and pieces of armor are scattered across England for Eivor in their raids across the Heptarchy.
Religious Bruiser: Even before he became a Christian convert, Saint George served in the Roman army as a soldier in the Praetorian Guard.
Real Men Love Jesus: It doesn't get much more "Love Jesus" than one of the most venerated saints in Christianity.

The Reader (SPOILERS UNMARKED)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/96b7c713_a78f_43e9_af24_7c620cd03123.jpeg

”Layla, hello.”

Voiced by: Nolan North (English)^note

A mysterious entity found by Layla in the Grey.

According to My Calculations: Tells Layla the exact odds on her arriving.
And I Must Scream: Averted. He's been performing his one given task for at least 8 years in a black, endless void, but mentions to Layla that he barely even notices time passing at all.
Ambiguous Situation: It's unclear whether or not he's Desmond Miles Back from the Dead as an Interface with a Familiar Face or simply an Isu creation tasked with reading through numerous possible futures being created every second. The fact that his curiosity highlights the name Desmond once it is mentioned by Layla, with him even repeating it himself. It doesn't help that when Sigurd and Eivor were connected to the machine (and Svala still hooked up the whole time), it seemed only Sigurd had an idea of how to use it.
Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: If he really is Desmond, he ascended from a human being (albeit with large amounts of Isu DNA) to a future-predicting computer program after his death. In any case, by his own admission, he wasn't always like this and now he's living a "new life".
Only Known by Their Nickname: Introduces himself as "the reader of the calculations," shortened to "The Reader" in the subtitles.
Phosphor-Essence: He's a being of pure light in the shape of a man.
The Spock: Has a very methodical mindset, and too rigid. Layla manages to assist by suggesting that he consider new variables he'd never thought of.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: He aided Basim in locating Eivor's resting place, and it is unknown if he knew of the former's intentions of luring Layla, or even cared if it happened.
Was Once a Man: His mention of his current situation being a "new life" implies he was originally an average human being before becoming what he is now.

Spoiler Character

Bayek of Siwa

See Assassin's Creed Origins: The Hidden Ones

Hushed Voice (Major Spoilers)

Ezio Auditore

See Assassin's Creed: Ezio Auditore

Spoiler Character

Isu AI

An artificial intelligence met by Eivor in the station underneath Manius' Sanctum.

Benevolent A.I.: An artificial intelligence that's nothing but polite and helpful toward Eivor.
Interface with a Familiar Face: It uses the appearance of Rah Cel'eze, an Isu worker at the Ring Station before the catastrophe.
Ragnarök Proofing: Zigzagged. He's functioning fine enough, but over the last seventy-five thousand years some of his systems have broken, and he can't control them.
Technobabble: Engages in a bit of it, which goes over Eivor's head, though she is at least able to understand the bit about "kill everything in Britain" easy enough.
Translator Microbes: Possibly combined with Instant Expert, since he switches to Eivor's language after realizing she can't understand him.
You Are a Credit to Your Race: Tells Eivor she's a surprisingly good piece of engineering after she fixes the problem.

Inhabitants of the Nine Realms

General tropes

Ambiguous Situation: Since the Asgard / Jotunheim / Dawn of Ragnarok arcs are a version of Odin's memories, filtered through Eivor having taken some potions, it makes it a little unclear just who and what each being is.
Fantastic Racism: The Aesir don't get on with the Vanir, and vice-versa. The Jotnar don't get on with anyone else, and the Muspels want to kill everyone.
Our Elves Are Different: The inhabitants of Elfheim, who are interpreted as elves. They're all dead by the time Odin's memories start. Apparently they're ancient even by Isu standards, since the inhabitants of Svartelheim refer to them as such.
Recursive Precursors: The flashbacks are a version of events that happened seventy-five thousand years ago, but exploring Svartelheim mentions the dwarves built their city on top of someone else's civilization.

Ivaldi

One of the greatest dwarfen blacksmiths, kept captive by Odin in Asgard.

The Cynic: Understandable, since he's a permanent prisoner-with-a-job of Odin's. And then later on because his people have been invaded and systematically wiped out by the Muspels.
Never Speak Ill of the Dead: Zig-zags it. At Svaldi's funeral, he admits he never liked the guy but then does, however begrudgingly admit the guy was a great blacksmith.
Ultimate Blacksmith: All dwarfs are the Ultimate Blacksmith anyway, and this guy is considered one of, if not the Ultimate Blacksmith. Which is why Odin has him cooped up to begin with.

The Muspels

The inhabitants of Muspelheim, led by Surtr, engaging in an invasion of Svartelheim at the beginning of "Dawn of Ragnarok".

Always Chaotic Evil: Pretty much every Muspel is an evil jerkass, save two. And they don't make it to the end of the story. That said, while sneaking around Odin can overhear some of them shooting the breeze.
Ambiguous Situation: What they actually are is yet unclear, though in all likelihood they, like the Jotnar, are another faction of Isu being filtered in a way Eivor can understand, backed up by the Muspel Helmet being a First Civilization helmet.
Bare Midriffs Are Feminine: Fashion for Muspel women involves sports bras, and nothing below the chest.
Fantastic Racism: Muspels hate the Jotuns, and the Jotuns hate them right back. Their team-up to conquer everything is acknowledged by everyone as being a temporary thing.
Kill It with Fire: They are fire giants. Their invasion consists largely of roasting everyone and everything in sight with fire and / or lava.
No Body Left Behind: Muspels dissolve on death.
Volcanic Veins: All Muspels have glowing orange veins.

Surtr

The leader of the Muspels, a Fire Giant destined to kill Odin, and who has led the invasion of Svartelheim and the abduction of Baldr.

Abusive Parents: Thanks to Sinmara's influence, he's started being pretty terrible to his son, Glod and daughter, Eysa. Odin's suggestion of taking the latter hostage is shot down by her, who retorts Odin would have to take someone he cares about hostage.
Big Bad: As the leader of the Muspels, the events of "Dawn of Ragnarok" are because of him.
Final Boss: The last enemy Odin must face in "Dawn of Ragnarok".
Kick the Dog: In his fight with Odin, takes time to squish Brokkir in passing.
Large and in Charge: King of the Fire Giants, and he's even bigger than most of them.
My Death Is Just the Beginning: Odin's killing him accidentally kick-starts Ragnarok.
Orcus on His Throne: Surtr's content to hang back and let his people do the invading and killing for him.
Resurrective Immortality: One of Odin's problems killing him is Surtr can just come back, so he has to find a workaround to make sure Surtr is perma-dead. It's later speculated that his resurrecting is fuelled by elven souls.

Sinmara

Surtr's wife, and leader of his armies.

Dirty Coward: For all her boasting and posturing, Sinmara has a habit of turning tail and running when faced with an actual fight, or summoning goons to help her.
The Dragon: She's Surtr's wife and right-hand woman.
The Heavy: With Surtr Orcus on His Throne for most of the game, it's Sinmara that does most of the antagonizing.
It's Personal: Abducting and torturing Baldr for no apparent reason other than the sheer evil already put her on Odin's list, but then killing Frigg and revealing she'd killed Baldr quite some time ago makes it extremely personal for Odin.
Sadist: She just seems to enjoy making everyone around her suffer, Odin most of all. She makes sure to leave Baldr's body where Odin will find it just so he can feel the most anguish.
The Starscream: In the backstory, she once tried overthrowing Surtr. Damn near came close, too. And then at the last minute declared they were getting married instead.
Wicked Stepmother: To Surtr's children, poisoning him against them, for no adequately explained reason. Eventually stepping up to killing one of them.

Glod

Prince Glod

One of Surtr's children by his first wife.

Arc Villain: For part of Svartelheim.
Bad Boss: His underlings aren't fond of working for him. He tends to do horrible things to them if they fail.
Berserk Button: Don't try to compliment him. A note found in an occupied dwarf city has its writer noting he tried doing this. Glod burned his bar down and made him walk through the streets naked.
Half-Breed Discrimination: Sinmala refers to him as a mongrel due to him being half-Muspel, half-Jotnar.
Our Werebeasts Are Different: Occasionally turns into a wolf, doing so in his fight with Odin.
Sibling Yin-Yang: With his sister, Eysa, who's far more pleasant than he.
"Well Done, Son" Guy: Some notes found in his room show Glod just wants some love and affection from his father.

Eysa

Surtr's daughter.

Benevolent Boss: As far as Muspels go, the dwarves note she's actually pretty reasonable, for someone who's invaded and enslaved them. She's not as liable to suddenly incinerate them just because she's in a bad mood.
Enemy Mine: Makes it clear there's no love lost between her and Odin, but she hates what's going on so much she's willing to team up with him regardless.
Healing Factor: Has a special magical necklace which allows her to heal, apparently a smaller version of the means her father uses to revive himself.
A Mother to Her Men: Eysa goes after Calder because he borrows some of her underlings and uses them as fuel for his experiments.
No Body Left Behind: Like all other Muspels, her body disintegrates when she dies.
Nobody Here but Us Statues: The first time Odin encounters her, she's pretending to be a statue until his back is turned.
Token Heroic Orc: The nicest Muspel encountered, even helping Odin, however reluctantly. Naturally, she dies for it.
Unstoppable Rage: Once she learns what Calder is doing, she charges after him, slicing through several Muspels in her rampage. Unfortunately, it also gets her gradually injured and finally caught, requiring Odin to save her.

Calder

A Muspel lieutenant.

Bald of Evil: Not a hair on his head, and an evil jerk willing to kill his own people in the name of twisted science.
I Shall Taunt You: Spends his fight with Odin taunting him about experimenting on Baldr.
Laser-Guided Karma: Eysa does him in with the very object he'd been using on her troops, and which he'd been planning to use on her.
Mad Love: Is genuinely and unshakingly devoted to Sinmara (which, given she's married to Surtr is probably asking for trouble). She evidently does not return that love.
Mad Scientist: Even with the trappings of Eivor's vision, he's still pretty plainly one, testing an ancient soul-sucking device on random people.

Malvigr

A Jotun, and Suttungr's right hand.

The Dragon: Suttungr's right hand and chief assassin (Shaun takes care to note the lack of a capital "a" in there), in Svartelheim chasing after some traitors.
Enemy Mine: As a Jotun, she should hate Odin for the whole "stealing from Suttungr" thing, but she offers to put it aside in the name of taking out Sutr. Odin's not willing to go along with this.
Flash Step: Like some Jotun mooks, she has the ability, using it in her conversation to port around while chatting with Odin.
Kick the Dog: When first seen, she's hanged Fjalar and Galar, two dwarves who'd (supposedly) killed Suttungr's father and had tried to sell Odin out to a pack of Malvigr's hunters.
Noodle Incident: She and Angrboda once got into a fight. The cause and details aren't given, but Malvigr won by a knock-out.
We Hardly Knew Ye: Killed in the questline she's introduced in, after a brief talk and a fight, then she gets her soul sucked out by the Salakar.
Worthy Opponent: Odind despises her because some time in the past she and Odin's son Vindarr got into a fight, which Vindarr lost. Odin's never forgiven his son for this, but Malvigr tells him it was closer than he's been told.

Tyra

A dwarf held captive by the Muspels who Odin frees as part of his fight against Glod.

Deadpan Snarker: Some of her dialogue is snarking at an entirely oblivious Odin.
Defiant Captive: Found by following the yelling coming from her cell. Should Odin sneak her out, the Muspels figure she's being taken away for mouthing off too often.
Even the Subtitler Is Stumped: "[Unintelligible]"
The Unintelligible: Tyra only speaks the dwarf common tongue, which the Animus helpfully translates into modern Welsh. Odin doesn't understand her, so the game helpfully translates that into "[unintelligible]".

Sindri

A Dwarven blacksmith who, along with his brother Brokkr, helped forge several famous items belonging to the Aesir.

Cold-Blooded Torture: Subjected to it by the Muspels once they caught him. To his credit, Sindri clearly never told them the location of the dwarf shelters.
Cruel and Unusual Death: The Muspels roasted his body so badly it's near unrecognizable at first sight. And they yanked his soul out with the Salakar.
Too Dumb to Live: Sneaking into a Muspel controlled area just for a freaking drink. Odin even mutters how stupid this was of him. And yet Sindri's supposed to be the smart brother. His database entry suggests that the invasion had simply pushed him over the Despair Event Horizon.
Ultimate Blacksmith: He and brother Brokkr are considered to be the blacksmiths, alongside Ivaldi. Debate rages between them about who exactly is better.

Nidhoggr

A dragon Odin meets in his quest to find a way to revive Baldr.

Abusive Parents: He has children solely so he can have another snack.
Defeating the Undefeatable: According to Hel, no-one had defeated Nidhoggr in a fight before Odin.
Dracolich: He's an undead corpse dragon who spews poison and just cannot die.
Marathon Boss: First, Odin has to disable three of his four legs, then attack his neck while he's weak. Then he has to repeat the process. Then Nidhogg revives himself with some assistance from the local souls, potentially all the way up to full health if Odin doesn't interrupt in time.
Poisonous Person: Spits poison at Odin, and his underbelly leaks poison, making trying to get underneath him to avoid his attacks a risky process.

Characters / Assassin's Creed: Valhalla

Edit Locked

Norsemen

Sons of Ragnar

Ivarr the Boneless

Ubba Ragnarson

Halfdan Ragnarsson

Summer Army

Jarlskona Soma

Galinn

Birna

Lif

Other Norsemen

King Harald Fairhair

Tonna

Jarl Rued

Rollo

Faravid

Jarl Guthrum

Olav the Unlucky

Bjorn

Ragnar Lothbrok

Lagertha

The Hidden Ones

Hytham

Kingdoms of Ireland

High King Flann Sinna

King Bárid mac Ímair

Sichfrith mac Báirid

Ciara ignen Medba

Azar

Deirdre Na Linni

Kingdom of West Francia

King Charles III, "Charles the Fat"

Queen Richardis of Swabia

Count Odo

Sigfred

Others

Bayek of Siwa

Ezio Auditore

Isu AI

Inhabitants of the Nine Realms

Ivaldi

Surtr

Sinmara

Prince Glod

Eysa

Calder

Malvigr

Tyra

Sindri

Nidhoggr

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