The Jarl Kare Scene In Netflix's Vikings: Valhalla That Went Too Far

Contains spoilers for "Vikings: Valhalla," Season 1

Much like its predecessor, "Vikings: Valhalla" – the follow-up series set after "Vikings" — doesn't so much as have clear-cut villains as it has more power-hungry figures with their own agendas. With that said, one undeniably nasty dude between the seas of Norway, Denmark, and England is a long-bearded brute, Jarl Kåre, played by Asjørn Krogh Nissen. A former Pagan who has found a very skewed perspective on Christianity, this bloodthirsty acolyte plans to totally eradicate the old ways in place of the new.

Rather than integrate, Kåre applies brutal methods to wipe the old Viking ways from existence, coming to blows with Freydis Eriksdotter (Frida Gustavsson), the brave Pagan follower and sister to Leif Erikkson (Sam Corlett). Interestingly, even with his macabre tactics to scare and scatter the inhabitants of Uppsala, home of the holy ground for Freydis and others like her, the most intense scene involving Jarl happened in his formative years and is one of the most chilling moments on the series.

Like every other player in this game of kings and queens, Jarl Kåre's place is one with multiple layers to it, which explains the reasons behind his rampage against his old faith. During his infiltration of Uppsala, we learn that this isn't his first trip to the location and that his previous one holds a childhood horror that set him on this path. Walking up the steps to the altar, we see a younger Kåre in attendance with his family, including his older brother. Clueless to the proceedings underway, Kåre watches as his brother happily walks ahead, guided by the priests and other attendees and placed upon the slab. From there, Jarl's world is turned upside down when his brother is sacrificed to the gods and, to his horror, killed on the spot.

While the scene isn't particularly bloody, the impact it aims to make lands hard. Seeing the young boy run off in terror and fury makes it understandable why he became the devout Christian we've been introduced to. Sure, he may be the monster of "Valhalla," but we get a glimpse in the briefest of moments of the man hiding underneath.