Vikings: Valhalla ending explained: breaking down the Netflix finale’s big twists

gamesradar.com:

Vikings: Valhalla ends with a bang, not a whimper. Its various interlocking story arcs all come to a head in Kattegat while, across the Channel, change is afoot in England. It’s not quite Ragnarok but, after the finale, it might feel like the end of the world for some of your favorite characters.

With so many moving pieces in the Valhalla finale, it can be a little tricky to keep track of who we should now be rooting for and who has taken a few steps towards the Viking dark side. The show completely changes in its final moments as key characters shuffle off this mortal coil to head for the afterlife. As such, it’s worth taking a step back to get the lay of the land after the Netflix series capped things off with a thunderous battle.

Below, we’ll run through all the key moments from the Vikings: Valhalla ending and, crucially, what they all could mean for the show moving forward. Spoilers follow, starting with a recap of all the major scenes from the eighth (and final) episode of Vikings: Valhalla’s first season. 

As the finale begins, the Vikings are on the precipice of war in Kattegat and the winds of change are blowing in England.

In London, Emma is banished from her court and back to Normandy by the combined forces of Queen Aelfgifu and Sweyn Forkbeard. Despite Emma’s exile, Queen Aelfgifu does not give Forkbeard the location of Canute’s remaining fleet. Instead, Aelfgifu wants to “prove her worth” by trying to bring the region of Mercia in line.

Over at Kattegat, the Viking forces (including Leif, Freydis, and Haakon) are preparing to wage war against the imminent threat of Kåre and his religious zealots, who are now bolstered by the aid of Harald and Olaf. Leif once again finds his ‘pagan’ faith tested after