Assassin's Creed Valhalla has a fascinating storyline that follows the story of a Norse warrior called Eivor. Their origin is upsetting to some players, who witness how Eivor's parents died and how they have grown since then. This isn't the only upsetting story players have experienced while exploring both Norway and England in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, as many of the side quests themselves have deeper stories to show.
Players forget about the NPCs they visit while exploring in Valhalla. Some of these individuals, be it named in the main story, a side quest or even just a filler character to make England feel inhabited, have some of the saddest lives or life stories in any franchise. Fans should look out for these people and consider their stories during their playthroughs.
10 Daughters Of Lerion
The Daughters of Lerion are the children of a great and powerful cult leader, whose power became so great that those in power in England banded together to destroy and scatter this cult before it could get any worse.
The Daughters of Lerion managed to flee from the burning of their father and have since gotten stronger in the hope of avenging him. Players stumble upon defeating these women while getting a nice surprise in the process. No matter what the reason was for their destruction, it's an upsetting story of children attempting to avenge their families.
9 Poor Peasants
Many peasants had to scrape by with very little during the Viking invasions, as well as before them. Valhalla has shown this very well through the countless villages players can visit, watching these Peasants go on with their daily lives.
Working on a farm looks like a tough job, and players can't begin to imagine what it was like to live during those times, especially with current technology and how the necessities of living have changed. Eivor has the chance to help many of these townsfolk during their time in England, where players can uncover some of these upsetting stories.
8 Devoted Monks
The religious life of monks is far from sad. To devote oneself fully to something one believes in is a very noble cause to have, but during the Viking invasions it was one of the unluckiest lives to live. Being a monk was incredibly dangerous.
Eivor has the chance to raid countless buildings across England, some of these include religious buildings where monks can be found. Luckily, Eivor has high morals, which means they don't encourage the capture or attacking the innocent, so their crew will avoid killing anyone but soldiers. However, it is still very traumatizing for those monks to be attacked and left with none of their rare valuables.
7 Axehead Guy
The randomly encountered quest with the legend titled Axehead is one that players are not likely to forget. He can be found sitting on a stump in the Grantebridgescire region of England with an axe sticking out the top of his head that players simply can't miss. When approaching this man and talking to him, he seems completely unaware of the axe and will invite Eivor to chat.
Before this, he talks about how he is going to drink and be merry about his battle, but the player knows that isn't going to happen. This is when his life becomes so sad, this belief that Axehead will survive such an injury and tell Eivor even more tales. It's a solemn moment for players to get to know someone briefly and then help them pass on to Valhalla as a warrior.
6 Rilda And Runa
Stumbling upon a tower, players will find two children looking into the flooded depths of the bottom levels. They will tell Eivor that their father is diving for treasure and ask players to go check on him as he's been down there for hours.
As the players can assume, their father has drowned, and they can return to the children to hand them the treasure and tell them about his fate. Their life will take a turn from here, as although one of the children mention a relative, they have both sadly lost their parents at a young age and will have to grow up without them.
5 The Blind Elderly Farmer
Another heartwrenching quest that has Eivor doing very little but listening to the tales of an old man. This blind farmer can be found in the Oxenefordscire region where he mistakes the player for his daughter Rose; she's expected to visit soon. Eivor being the kind soul they are, humors the old man and helps him with a couple of tasks by pretending to be his daughter.
Eivor learns about the old man since his wife passed and how their daughter Rose got her name. Since then, he's been living alone as Rose has been helping a plagued town. Sadly, returning to the house at a later date, players will find a letter that suggests that Rose may have also died in that plague. Players can find some comfort knowing they put a little joy in this poor farmer's life, albeit briefly.
4 Lost Drengrs
To reach Valhalla, a Viking warrior must die a valiant death in battle, and the Lost Drengrs that can be found in both England and Norway are looking for exactly that. They were once part of the legendary King Ragnar's Viking elite, but since his death, they have become scattered to the winds, losing their purpose in life.
All they have known is battle, and it is down to the player to give them their final resting place. They won't go down easily, making these battles quite a challenge. Talking to them beforehand, players will understand the respect and love these warriors had for their king and their hope to drink with him again in the halls of Valhalla.
3 Sigurd “The Chosen”
Sigurd's life was a dream come true before traveling to England. He had the freedom to travel where he wanted and return to Norway to see his best friend and adopted sibling Eivor. Once they moved, all that changed.
Captured, tortured, and brainwashed, Sigurd's time in England was dreadful and left him distanced from Eivor. Players must watch this spiraling descent as the broken man that Eivor once called their brother loses himself to the beliefs of an ancient order, hoping they can bring him back.
2 Poisoning Halfdan
Like his half-brothers, Halfdan came to England to avenge the death of their father, King Ragnar as well as settle on the land. He seeks the aid of Eivor to help him in managing his counsel in Eurvicscire while he wages war against the Pictish tribes up north.
While getting to know this historical character, players will uncover that he's deteriorating from an illness. Continuing his quests, Eivor discovers that it's lead poisoning and someone close to Halfdan is the culprit. They've been next to him the entire time, revealing a life of backstabbing and manipulation.
1 Misunderstood Loki
Fans of Norse mythology will know of the stories of the trickster god Loki. Assassin's Creed Valhalla shows this story through the induced dreams Eivor can experience, putting them into the shoes of Odin.
In these dreams, the player meets Loki who is just as they would expect, quick-witted and mischievous but also an ever-protective father. Fate speaks of a wolf that will mark the start of Ragnarök and when Odin uncovers Loki's wolf son, he locks him away. Naturally, Loki doesn't like this and wishes to do anything to free his son, which marks the beginning of the end.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia.