The Gods
Chances are you’ve already heard of the more prominent Norse Gods, including Thor, the God of Thunder; Loki, the God of Mischief; Baldr, the Brave; Tyr, the God of War; Frigga, the Goddess of the Sky; and Odin, the King of the Gods. It can be assumed that Ubisoft will find unique ways to address these gods in Vahalla, much like they incorporated the Egyptian gods in Assassin’s Creed Origins.
Will Eivor find themselves battling Thor as part of an Animus simulation glitch like in Origins, or will Thor be a character himself, disguised as a human? Both options have precedent, as the Viking sagas are full of stories of the gods mingling with mankind while in disguise. Needless to say, it’ll be interesting to see how the mythology is used.
We know for a fact that Eivor will have a raven that travels with them. Odin famously had two ravens, Huginn and Muninn, who flew over the world and reported back to the All-Father with all that they saw. Eivor’s raven, Synin, grants them “Odin Sight,” which works like the eagles in previous games, marking targets, scouting locations, and even aiding in combat. If previous games are any indication, Synin will become your greatest ally.
Characters
While Eivor is a fictional character, who can be played as either male or female, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will incorporate real-life people in the story. The most prominent will be King Alfred of Wessex, or Alfred the Great, who earned that title after unifying the various kingdoms and was named King of the Anglo-Saxons. He also ended the Viking invasion in 878 CE at the Battle of Edington. This led to the Treaty of Wedmore and the Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum, which established land to the Viking clan leader, and ended the greater conflict.
As in previous Assassin’s Creed games, the opposition leader, here King Alfred, is most likely a Templar (Order of the Ancients) sympathizer and could be the main antagonist for Eivor and their clan. There will be various Viking heroes as well, including Ragnar Lothbrok and his many sons. Will they be natural allies, or will the player have to forge alliances with their countrymen through the course of the story? Could Ragnar, who would actually be dead at the time of the game, or even Ivar the Boneless be antagonists as well? And what of the Viking king, Guthrum, who led the Heathen Army and opposed King Alfred?
Ragnar had a group of six powerful followers called the Drengr, and those six could very well serve as bosses to be taken out by Eivor. The sagas contain many tales of Vikings who did amazing things during the invasion, and it would be impossible to name them all here. Just know that Ubisoft has done their research and the Viking characters will be unique and plentiful.
The history of the Vikings invasion of Britain is very fertile soil for an Assassin’s Creed game, and Valhalla looks to capitalize on this world-changing conflict. The two sides are very different, and religion will undoubtedly play a key role in the story.
Ubisoft has already revealed that stealth aspects will be returning to the franchise, and side quests have been completely revamped to create a more seamless story. Sea combat and settlement raiding will also be fun distractions to the war at large. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is looking to be a solid entry in the epic history-themed game series, and fans will know for sure how it turns out when it’s released on November 10th on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and Windows PCs.