Although the two shows have a connection, you don’t have to watch Vikings before watching Vikings: Valhalla. This is because Valhalla, which is a Netflix original show, has a different stand-alone storyline that occurs 100 years after the events of History Channel’s Vikings.
Vikings is a History Channel historical drama television series created and written by Michael Hirst. The award-winning show, which premiered in March 2013, follows the exploits of Ragnar Lothbrok, a legendary Viking chieftain, his family, crew, and descendants, as detailed in the 13th-century Norse sagas.
Valhalla, on the other hand, is a Netflix historical drama television series created by Jeb Stuart. The show premiered in February 2022 and takes place in England more than 100 years after the events of Vikings. It follows the tensions between Viking descendants and native English as they reach a bloody climax. The Norse also clash amongst themselves over conflicting Christian and pagan beliefs. Michael Hirst, the original showrunner of Vikings, is on board as an executive producer, but Valhalla is overseen by Jeb Stuart.
Should I Watch Vikings Before Vikings Valhalla?
No, as previously mentioned, you don’t have to watch Vikings before watching Vikings: Valhalla. This is because, although Valhalla is a spin-off of Vikings, and you can greatly benefit from having prior knowledge about History Channel’s Vikings, Netflix’s Valhalla is a whole new storyline and takes place 100 years after the events of Vikings.
Vikings: Valhalla is more of a spin-off rather than a direct sequel. Thus, there is no need to watch Vikings first. Viewers who haven’t watched Vikings can go into Valhalla and still enjoy everything about the Netflix series.
Although Valhalla does contain easter eggs, references, and homages, from the History Channel series, it still has a completely different story. The parent show is honored, but Vikings: Valhalla intends to carve its own place in history.
That doesn’t mean Vikings: Valhalla fans shouldn’t check out Vikings if they get the chance. Valhalla contains some Viking references like Ragnar, Bjorn Ironside, Ivar the Boneless, Lagertha, and others who are frequently mentioned and revered, including the Seer, who is the one character who more directly carries over from Vikings to Valhalla. Watching Vikings may allow for a deeper appreciation of Valhalla or at the very least, clarify the references.
Where Can You Watch Vikings?
There are several platforms where you can watch Vikings. Although the award-winning show aired on the history channel, it is available to be streamed online on other platforms. The spin-off is a Netflix original available exclusively on Netflix.
Here are the Best Places to Watch Vikings
- Hulu
- History Channel
- Amazon Prime Video
- Netflix
- Vudu
- Apple TV+
You can also buy Vikings on DVD and Blu-ray at authorized stores.
How Many Seasons of Vikings are There?
History Channel’s Vikings have a total of 6 Seasons. Between March 3, 2013, and December 30, 2020, 89 episodes of Vikings were aired over six seasons. Season one, which premiered on March 3, 2013, has a total of 9 episodes, seasons 2 and 3 have a total of 10 episodes each, while seasons 4, 5, and 6 have a total of 20 episodes each.
Lasting for nearly 10 years, Vikings came to an end with its sixth season, which began airing in December 2019 and finished its run a year later in 2020. The sixth season just like the 4th and 5th seasons was split into two parts, which comprised 10 episodes in each part.
How Many Episodes of Vikings Valhalla Are There?
The two seasons of Vikings: Valhalla has a total of sixteen episodes, with each of the 2 seasons of the show having eight episodes. Season 3 of Vikings: Valhalla, which was announced to have begun production in March 2022, will also have eight individual episodes, with Netflix ordering a total of 24 episodes of the series in November 2019.
The Vikings spin-off series made its international debut in February 2022, and its second epic season was released on Netflix on January 12, 2023. The third season will premiere in 2024.
Will There Be a Season 7 of Vikings?
Unfortunately for fans of Vikings, there won’t be a season 7. The Vikings season 6 finale marked the end of the History Channel’s saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons. While Vikings season 7 never came to fruition, fans were re-invited to Kattegat in the spinoff series, which began more than 100 years after the events of Vikings.
Rather than continuing the story of Ragnar’s sons in season 7, Michael Hirst chose to refocus on a different period of Norse history which was equally violent and bloody. This one hundred years post-Vikings (Ragnar Lothbrok and Sons) period was captured in the spin-off series Vikings: Valhalla.
