History Main / Valkyries

A lot of their portrayal in pop culture is helped along by the epic theatrical drama ''Theatre/TheRingOfTheNibelung'', where they are portrayed as [[BrawnHilda large, armored women]][[note]]The colloquialism "it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings" is generally agreed to originate from the portrayal of the Valkyrie Brunhilde.[[/note]]. Also from that work is the StandardSnippet ''Music/RideOfTheValkyries'', which makes them sound like heralds of a glorious war.

* One of the most memorable scenes of ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982'' involved Valeria appearing much like a Valkyrie in order to help Conan against Rexor, just several scenes after she was killed by Thulsa Doom.

* Found in several entries of the ''VideoGame/OgreBattle'' saga, the Valkyrie class are versatile and fairly mobile units which usually prefer to use [[BladeOnAStick spears and polearms]]. They are an all-female class, except for ''Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together'' in which they are unisex, and are considered particularly useful in ''VideoGame/TacticsOgreTheKnightOfLodis'', in part because of their ability to boost the [[MoraleMechanic Mental Gauge]] of allied male troops.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Toon}}'': In one scenario that was set around a HighSchoolAU parody of the ''TabletopGame/InNomine'' setting, the Valhalla Valkyries are the violent all-female RivalSportsTeam to Heavenly Heights High School.

** Walküre of Earth-8, due to her universe being an analogue to the Franchise/MarvelUniverse where having [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] as a major superhero caused Myth/NorseMythology tended to be more dominant than [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek Mythology]].

* The Creator/MarvelComics superheroine [[ComicBook/ValkyrieMarvelComics Valkyrie]] was in fact an actual valkyrie, Brunnhilde, after being forced to possess a human woman by ComicBook/TheMightyThor's foe The Enchantress. She later regained her own physical body.

** In the [[VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok sequel]], other Valkyries still loyal to Odin are seen in Asgard and other realms. Two must be fought in order to clear the way for [[spoiler:Surtr to transform into Ragnarok]], while a third (Gná, the new [[spoiler:Queen of the Valkyries]] is optional. Additionally, Freya has recovered her old Valkyrie wings, enabling her to fight again.

** ''Deities and Demigods Cyclopedia" has Valkyries as servants of the Norse deities.
** ''Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords'' reworks Valkyries to make use of that book's new system of martial maneuvers and stances.

** Randgriz is the fourth Valkyrie sister, as well as the first to act as a Volund. A calm and peaceful woman, she is a ProperLady who [[PerpetualSmiler always has a sweet smile on her face]]. She acts as UsefulNotes/LuBu's Volund, taking the form of a polearm, with her special ability being the power to [[ArmorPiercingAttack break any defense]].

** Hrist is the second Valkyrie sister, as well as the third to act as a Volund. Hrist has a SplitPersonality, one known as her "Trembling in Fear" personality, who is quiet, calm, and kind, and the other known as her "Trembling in Anger" personality, who is wrathful, HotBlooded, and a LadySwearsALot. She acts as UsefulNotes/SasakiKojiro's Volund, taking the form of a [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]], with her special ability allowing her to [[BifurcatedWeapon split into two weapons]].

** Þrúðr is the third Valkyrie sister, as well as the fifth to act as a Volund. TheBigGirl among the Valkyries, she is ''extremely'' tall and muscular, but is also quite shy and insecure about her body due to fearing that people think of her as a freak. She acts as Raiden Tameemon's Volund, who she ends up falling in love with due to [[AmazonChaser him finding her muscular appearance attractive]]. As a Volund, Þrúðr takes the form of a set of [[PowerTattoo body tattoos]] covering Raiden's body, with her special ability allowing her to regulate Raiden's immense strength, allowing Raiden to go all out without having to worry about being crushed under the weight of his own muscles.

** Gondul is the ninth Valkyrie sister, as well as the seventh to act as a Volund. She has a SugarAndIcePersonality, usually being cold and distant, but becomes kind and approachable to anyone capable of impressing her. She serves as UsefulNotes/NikolaTesla's Volund, taking the form of a [[PoweredArmor mechanical armor]] known as the Super Automaton β, granting him access to various scientific powers such as [[ShockAndAwe electrokinesis]] and {{teleportation}}.

** In the [[VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok sequel]], other Valkyries still loyal to Odin are seen in Asgard and other realms. At least two must be fought in order to clear the way for [[spoiler:Surtr to transform into Ragnarok]], while a third (Gná, the new [[spoiler:Queen of the Valkyries]] is optional. Additionally, Freya has recovered her old Valkyrie wings, enabling her to fight again.

** In the [[VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok sequel]], other Valkyries still loyal to Odin are seen in Asgard and other realms. At least two must be fought in order to clear the way for [[spoiler:Surtr to transform into Ragnarok]], while a third (Gn&aacute, the new [[spoiler:Queen of the Valkyries]] is optional. Additionally, Freya has recovered her old Valkyrie wings, enabling her to fight again.

* In Literature/[[Discworld}} fic ''Fanfic/ThePriceOfFlight'', two Air Watch members who are killed in the fighting in The Chalk [[note]] See canonical work ''Literature/TheShepherdsCrown''[[/note]] are offered post-mortem careers by War, who points out he has job vacancies. [[UsefulNotes/{{Iceland}} Sigrid]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheUkraine Tatiana]] become Valkyries. Where their professional roles overlap those of the Air Watch and Pegasus Service, [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13154617/41/The-Price-of-Flight they greet each other as old friends and exchange news]]. Read more in the works of Creator/AAPessimal.

[[folder:Fanfic]]
* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'':
** The original Valkyries were an elite Asgardian regiment, before most of them were killed, and the 13 survivors were converted by Malekith into the Disir, undead cannibalistic monsters that ripped through an Asgardian army and took [[PhysicalGod Bor]] himself to banish.
** After, the regiment was left disbanded, until they were resurrected as a kind of bodyguard/ladies-in-waiting for Hela when it became apparent that her WalkingWasteland nature meant she couldn't remain in the mortal realms. They helped clear out most of the monsters in Niflheim (now Helheim), and destroy any twisted souls or [[EldritchAbomination creatures from the Outside]] that try to use it as a way to escape into the living realms. One notable member is Torunn, Thor's illegitimate daughter (who he didn't know about until after her death, as she inherited his strength, but not his lifespan) and Harry's much, much older half-sister. Since she was a monster-hunter in life, she's indicated to be quite enjoying it.
* ''Fanfic/MegamiNoHanabira'': Valkyrie is Kaede's first demon, and she carries herself as pompously as one would imagine...until the other girls [[CurbStompBattle kick her Ass-gard]] as part of the contracting ritual, at which point [[{{Womanchild}} Valkyrie whines that she's going to tell on them to Odin]].
[[/folder]]

** Randgriz is the fourth Valkyrie sister, as well as the first to act as a Volund. A calm and peaceful woman, she is a ProperLady who [[PerpetualSmiler always has a sweet smile on her face]]. She acts as UsefulNotes/LuBu's Volund, taking the form of a [[BladeOnAStick polearm]], with her special ability being the power to [[ArmorPiercingAttack break any defense]].

* They are the main characters of ''LightNovel/TheCircumstancesLeadingToWaltrautesMarriage''. The main plot is Waltraute, the fourth of the nine Valkyries, getting married to a mortal.

[[folder:Film]]

** Gondul is the ninth Valkyrie sister, as well as the seventh to act as a Volund. She has a SugarAndIcePersonality, usually being cold and distant, but becomes kind and approachable to anyone capable of impressing her. She serves as UsefulNotes/NikolaTesla's Volund, taking the form of a [[PoweredArmor mechanical armor]] known as the ''Super Automaton β''.

* In ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'', the Valkyries appear as exceptionally tough {{Bonus Boss}}es, [[spoiler:having been cursed with mortal bodies by a paranoid Odin -- which had the side effect of royally messing up the Afterlife, since they can't guide valorous souls to Valhalla anymore. If Kratos "kills" their mortal shells, they can return to their original form and are understandably quite grateful. Given that Freya was their original Queen and leader, they may have originally been Vanir goddesses as well]].

* In ''WebAnimation/DeadFantasy II'', [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII Rinoa]] ([[DistressedDamsel of all people]]) rocks quite a bit of the "modern" Valkyrie style and aesthetics, appearing as a winged figure over a battlefield, armed with sword and buckler-style shield, and who appears to whisk away the warriors in the midst of combat to another, Valhalla-esque series of battlefields and apparently in preparation for a greater conflict.

->''When the battle is lost,''\\
''And the slain ones are chosen,''\\
''The Valkyries will guide us home;''\\
''We'll heed the final call,''\\
''A call to arms,''\\
''The Valkyries will guide us home;''\\
''Then finally I hear them say,''\\
''"Carry on...''\\
''For Valhalla awaits you..."''
-->-- Music/BlindGuardian, ''Valkyries''

* In ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'', Izaya has a theory that the legend of Dullahans from Myth/CelticMythology and the legend of Valkyries from Myth/NorseMythology are based on the same thing, and one can somehow "trigger" Valkyrie Mode and Ragnarok. So, he's manipulating gangs into fighting each other because he wants to start a war, hopefully activating the hypothetical "valkyrie" mode of Celty's head and allowing himself in Valhalla (though he'd be just as willing to settle for Hel) -- all of this to avoid the equally hypothetical NothingAfterDeath.
* ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD'' has Myth/NorseMythology included so having Valkyries being in this series was a given. One of them, Rossweiss, joins the [[BadassCrew Occult Research Club]] as the other [[ChessMotifs Rook]].

* ''LightNovel/TheHeroIsOverpoweredButOverlyCautious'' features a Valkyrie as the Goddess of Destruction.