Unlike previous Assassin’s Creed titles, the latest entry in the series doesn’t feature as many important characters as is the norm. In its place, Valhalla has particular characters that have connections with Eivor, although they still appear relatively infrequently. As before, the modern-day sequences also have their own set of characters.
The series has become self-contained in its storylines where the past events are concerned, meaning the characters seen here usually have definitive endings. All things considered, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla did deliver conclusive arcs to many characters, but some either didn’t hit that satisfying mark or brought up further questions.
10 SATISFYING: Sigurd
Sigurd got a pretty good arc in the game. So much so, that his storyline can be comparable to those received by most protagonists. His story had to do with him getting the idea of being a god in his head, eventually losing his mind and the trust of his people.
By the end, though, Sigurd was shown to accept his mistakes and hand the leadership of the Raven clan over to Eivor. This marked a significant character development on his part, which was a big change from his earlier brash ways.
9 NOT SATISFYING: Kjotve
This guy was set up to be the villain of the game, only to have his story end almost as quickly as it started. Kjotve was introduced as the killer of Eivor’s parents, thereby setting up Eivor’s push for vengeance as she grew up wanting to end Kjotve.
While this is what happened, Kjotve’s death was far too anticlimactic to feel satisfying. He died without it being treated as the cathartic moment it should have been for Eivor, instead coming across as just another death when this really shouldn’t have been the case.
8 SATISFYING: Ivar
The enormous length of the game means that some might take Ivar’s death as one of the hidden things. His end came at the hands of Eivor, which was the best way for him to go out. After all, Ivar kept up with his brutish ways for far too long.
Ivar dying was pretty much the only thing that could make sense with his character. Seeing as he died thinking he was going to be blessed by Odin, Ivar was also satisfied with the way his demise came about.
7 NOT SATISFYING: Styrbjorn
On paper, Styrbjorn was placed as a vital character within the game, being Eivor’s adoptive father and the one to kickstart the events of the story by being at odds with Sigurd. It was this that led to Sigurd and Eivor leaving their hometown.
That was pretty much the end of Styrbjorn’s involvement in the plot, which was hardly justified since he was so closely linked to both Sigurd and Eivor. While the game never intended for him to be a main character, his importance was still enough for Styrbjorn to at least get a proper conclusion.
6 SATISFYING: Layla Hassan
Layla’s arc had her realize her destiny to be the one to save the world from the next catastrophe. Judging by her wise quotes in the game, she did gain the right sense of mind needed to take up the mantle of the savior.
Although she was left trapped by Basim, it was Layla’s choice to continue her efforts, thereby making it a satisfying conclusion to this character whose ultimate journey was to accept her fated role. Her ending can either be interpreted by fans further or can be accepted the way it was in the game.
5 NOT SATISFYING: Varin
The game didn’t exactly deliver the most historically accurate outlook, and don’t count on learning much about Varin either. He was initially placed as Eivor’s favorite parent, as Eivor was shown mourning their father more than anything else.
And yet, Varin ended up being a forgotten memory rather than a full-on inspiration for Eivor. He met his death valiantly, but that was basically it as Eivor moved on from his demise relatively easily once they killed Kjotve. Varin’s end really was the conclusion for him.
4 SATISFYING: Desmond Miles
It was quite common to see Desmond’s name among the assassins fans wanted to see return. He finally did so in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, showing up in person at the ending in the form of a being called the Reader and forming an alliance with Layla.
Desmond actually did have his own story in the game through the tapes in Layla’s computer, where he was heard during his final days. Those tapes showed his doubts about his fated role, which were quelled once he and Layla met as it confirmed he did accept his responsibility in the end.
3 NOT SATISFYING: Basim
With the reveal that Basim was Loki and his deception of Layla allowing him to return to the world in the present day, the story again brought a villain’s victory as it had with Juno back in Assassin’s Creed III. While Basim reveled, it wasn’t really all that satisfying.
After all, his release opened up more questions than it answered. Now, fans are left wondering if Basim is the new playable character and what exactly is left in store for the future. There was no conclusion where Basim was concerned and just a lot of plot holes.
2 SATISFYING: Eivor
Although there will be different opinions over where Eivor ranks among the protagonists seen so far, they did get one of the better endings. Basim might have ultimately won by using Eivor’s memories, but they did live a full life of their own.
Eivor understood what their place was and where they descended from, got their brother back on their side, and received a hero’s welcome by the Raven clan. All in all, they got to have the life they wanted and passed away without any regrets.
1 NOT SATISFYING: Shaun And Rebecca
One of the biggest mistakes in the series that need to be fixed is bringing back older characters but not doing much with them. This happened to Shaun and Rebecca, who were there for Layla’s support yet didn’t have a clear ending.
They ended up reluctantly helping Basim despite their lack of trust in him, which was the conclusion of their involvement in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. These two have shown up for over a decade in the series and it’s high time they got a real conclusion. Unfortunately, Valhalla wasn’t the game for this.