The Northman Ending Explained (In Detail)
Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Northman
The Northman ending explained. Co-written and directed by Robert Eggers, The Northman is a gruesome drama that sees its titular character wanting nothing but revenge. The film is packed with Norse mythology, a Viking legend that directly influenced William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and brutal battles that are waged in the name of vengeance. To be sure, the film has something in it for everyone.
The Northman takes its cues from the legend of Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), the Viking prince who vowed to avenge his father after he’s murdered by Amleth’s uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang). The story itself is fueled by Amleth’s open rage; he’s a man on a mission, aided by the supernatural to finish his job. It’s one he will stop at nothing to complete.
Related: Why The Northman's Reviews Are So Positive
The Northman ends with Amleth killing Fjölnir and ascending to Valhalla himself, having been fatally stabbed by his uncle in their fight. Though the film ends in a rather expected way, it’s the layers of the story that are also worth exploring. Here is The Northman ending explained, the history of the Berserkers, Gudrún and Olga’s parallel stories, and the ending’s real meaning.
The Berserkers are a group of elite Viking warriors Amleth joined in the years after he fled his village and before he got his revenge on Fjölnir. In the film, they’re fairly violent, storming a village and plundering their way through. They kill, steal children, and burn things down, brutally attacking nearly everyone. While audiences don’t get too much of them in The Northman, Berserkers did actually exist. They wore animal skin rather than traditional armor in battle, charging into villages to rape and kill,
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