There's more to Assassin's Creed: Valhalla than meets the eye. In fact, it holds a fair amount of interesting Easter eggs for fans of the series to find. Some of them may require a keen eye, but they're easily spotted by fans of swords and magic. Although this is more of a historical fiction, the developers appear to have taken a lot of inspiration from fantasy epics, harkening back to them in several instances.
With such a popular, long-lasting franchise, it's difficult not to find callbacks to older installments in the series that may have set it up. The developers also include subtle hints to popular franchises that may have inspired portions of the game, especially its story.
Updated December 12th, 2020 by Christopher Fain: Assassin's Creed: Valhalla continues to be a shining success into the holiday season. More players find themselves entering the brutal and mysterious world of the Vikings. Within their journies, they come across a plethora of easter eggs, many of which reference Harry Potter stories.
Along with mentions of other fantasy epics of the modern era come several surprising and downright hilarious easter eggs referencing pop culture. They become heartening nuances in a broody world ravaged by war and pillaging. Not that either of those things are that bad as a Viking, of course.
15 Horcruxes
It appears the Wizarding World and the world of Assassins Creed might just be the same, in a way. Within the London region, players discover a cabin guarded by a snake. It's an unusual finding that encourages most to kill the snake and investigate further. Within the cabin, however, lies the real mystery.
Players find a list of items with entries such as diary, ring, locket, and cup. There are six in total, all of which directly relate to the Horcruxes from Harry Potter. The seventh and final entry in the list is a series of question marks which is technically where Harry's name should be. If that wasn't enough to cement the easter egg, players also find a tiara, a wand, and four colored banners matching the colors of the Hogwarts houses.
14 Desmond Reference
Desmond Miles is one of the most profound names in the series of the franchise as it all started with him. Valhalla pays homage to that in an audio file on Layla's laptop. Take a deep dive into her laptop and discover a file of Desmond speaking. It even appears to be the original voice actor, Nolan North.
Even though the franchise seems to have moved away from its original roots, the developers of Valhalla still know how to honor where they come from and the world they work in. Hearing his voice is a special treat for long-time fans.
13 The Prodigy, LIVE in Essex
One of the most unique easter eggs in the game occurs in Essex. Players that venture there come across a local band that plays familiar songs. Listen closely and find that their lyrics include the phrase, "smack by bishop," a nod to The Prodigy song of a similar name, albeit more vulgar.
If that's not enough to convince players, the game confirms the easter egg after they interact with the bandmates. Doing so unlocks a new world event side quest that calls itself The Prodigy. One of the band's members is also named Keith, a nod to a member of the actual band, Keith Flint.
12 The Trogdor Tattoo
Later in the game, players have the opportunity to build a tattoo shop within their settlement. This adds additional variety to the overall character customization process as well as another chance at an easter egg. Within the shop lies a note of Tove's tattoo ideas. Long-time meme connoisseurs might just recognize one of the ideas listed, describing it as "a dragon, breathing fire, with the wings of a bat and arms of a man."
It also mentions that the arms must be very muscular. Tove describes none other than the legendary beast of the internet, Trogdor the Burninator. The character hails from a popular web cartoon called Homestar Runner.
11 Bayek From Desert Oath
With such a popular franchise, it was only a matter of time before the Assassins Creed story made its way into novels. Assassin’s Creed Origins: Desert Oath is mildly referenced several times within Valhalla. Within Raventhorpe, Reda tells a group of children the story of a far off desert where characters known as The Protector and The Scholar reside.
Take a moment and listen to Reda's story. Those familiar with the Desert Oath novel pick up on the similarities with the characters and the stories, especially in regard to Bayek. The same character appears as a reference in other areas as well, possibly suggesting a potential tie-in DLC at some point. That or the developers really enjoy that novel.
10 The Pandemic
Throughout 2020, the COVID pandemic wrought havoc on the game development community, slowing production on many new titles. It's no surprise that some mention it within their marketing. However, while titles such as Watch Dogs: Legion vaguely reference the pandemic, Valhalla is the first to directly name it. Could the two titles reference events in the same universe?
During a modern-day sequence, you come across a string of emails. Apparently, you've been lying low, worrying those who care for you. Several messages directly name the COVID pandemic as a potential problem and reason for you being so distant, although you pin the blame on something else.
9 A Quick Flyte
One of the interesting mini-games that ties into the culture of the period is flyting. It's the bard-like practice of adding rhythm and rhyme to words, often when arguing with or insulting someone. Flying is a difficult skill to master and is very similar to modern-day rap battles. Those who do master it earn the respect of others, especially if they win a flyt duel.
A man named Alvis within your community formally introduces the art to you. It presents itself as a regular conversation with different dialogue options. Alvis lets you know right away if you've chosen a poor response.
8 Dark Souls Bonfire
The Dark Souls franchise has had a monumental impact on gaming. Many new titles sprung up after that capitalize on its strengths and gain inspiration from its challenging mechanics. Valhalla pays homage to that with a bonfire located in Ledecestrescire.
Within an old structure lies a burning bonfire with a blade jammed into it, very reminiscent of the design from Dark Souls. There's also a knight's helmet next to it, similar to the ones shown in those games. Additionally, you can kneel and meditate by it to regain energy. Perhaps there's a way to play this game Dark Souls style using the bonfire as your only source of respite.
7 Tough Nuns
One of the side quests in the games involves stumbling upon a building with what appear to be Christian nuns. They've decided that no matter who wins the throne, neither will create a godly nation, so they must leave. The only problem is that the abbess, Editha, lost her crosier. You have the opportunity to help them find it and escort them safely out of harm's way.
During the escort, you must take out a camp of soldiers. While Eivor believes the nuns to be helpless, they actually charge into the camp with you, bashing soldiers with their Bibles. It turns out these women have some spunk in them, leading to a hilarious, yet inspiring fight sequence.
6 Rampaging Chickens
In Dunwic, Eivor hears a cry for help. If followed, the cries lead to a barricaded room that appears to be a prison. Inside one of the cells is a skeleton surrounded by a group of chickens. At first glance, this doesn't seem like much of an Easter egg. But if Eivor hits a chicken, the whole group attacks, similar to the cuccos of The Legend of Zelda.
The hero Link is all too familiar with crazy chickens, or in his universe, cuccos. Traditionally, if Link attacks one, they all attack at once and follow him for great distances, often leading to his death. It's a hilarious moment that's sure to make a meme list.
5 The Damsel
Near the town of Venonis, when exploring by the river, you may hear a woman crying out for help. Upon following the voice, you find a tower guarded by an armored man. However, the longer you listen to the woman's cries, the weirder they become.
The man by the tower claims to be the woman's sworn protector. He immediately engages in combat. If you hit him hard enough, he yields, abandoning his so-called lady in the tower. After speaking to her, she suggests that you become her new hero, instead. It appears to be a sultry Rapunzel-like roleplay gone too far.
4 Fantastic Fishes And Where To Find Them
One of the more least likely Easter eggs to appear in such a game stems from the Harry Potter universe. In the town of Ravensthorpe, you have the opportunity to explore every nook and cranny to find pages of a book. Upon collecting all of the pages, you put them together to discover that the name of the book is Fantastic Fish and Where to Find Them.
It's an obvious reference to the spinoff movie series, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. This Easter egg doesn't go much farther than that, but the subtle nod to a similar work of fiction shows the developers' reverence for the franchise, possibly inspiring their own storytelling.
3 Rotten Eggs
There's at least one side quest that offers what could be one of the most ridiculous and hilarious scenes in the game, surely to become a meme. Near Ledecestrescire lies a secret entrance to the city. Go toward the castle sewers to find what seems to be a viper breeding ground. As Eivor enters the sewer, he hears a woman screaming about eggs.
When he approaches, she asks him to bring her viper eggs. You'll repeat this task several times until she finally seems satisfied. Upon returning with the last batch, the room behind her fills with a noxious fume. Apparently, she's been eating them raw, all just to cause chaos in the town above. Follow the sewers into the castle grounds and watch several individuals react to the smell before running away.
2 Find The Golden Ring
Whether fantasy or not, it would be unfortunate to play a sword and shield game without some sort of mention of The Lord of the Rings. Luckily, Valhalla doesn't disappoint. One side quest involves meeting a man on a throne who sends Eivor on an epic quest to retrieve a special ring. You must swim out to a shipwreck to find it, experiencing several Tolkien references along the way.
The quest is short, but it's bound to be one of the most memorable within the game, especially to fans of the great ring saga.
1 The Dunwic Horror
While in the hidden prison room in Dunwic, Eivor comes across an old letter. The message written on it describes his descent into madness, preaching about talking spiders. This reference might go over most players' heads, but those familiar with H.P. Lovecraft might just get it.
One of Lovecraft's most famous stories is called "The Dunwich Horror," mentioning a town one letter off from the one Eivor is in. The story describes a creature with arachnid features, similar to The Nightmare from Dragon Age: Inquisition, feeding on local wildlife.