History Channel debuted the first trailer for the final season of its Scandinavian epic “Vikings” on Monday, setting a December premiere date for its final 20 episodes.
The sixth season and final season of the series, which stars Alex Høgh Andersen and Alexander Ludwig as warring brothers, is set to air in two parts, with the first half debuting with a two-hour premiere on History on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
The network announced in January that the season would be the show’s last, wrapping its run sometime in 2020 with a total of 89 episodes. When “Vikings” first debuted in 2013, it was History’s first foray into scripted programming.
“I always knew how ‘Vikings’ would end and, after 89 episodes, I truly believe the saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons has been told and we are leaving our beloved fans with the proper and definitive ending they so deserve,” Michael Hirst, creator, writer and executive producer, said. “Although it is bittersweet there are still 20 episodes left and the most ambitious and intensely emotional episodes are still to come.”
Along with Hirst, executive producers on the show also include Morgan O’Sullivan of TM Productions, Sheila Hockin, John Weber of Take 5 Productions, Sherry Marsh, Alan Gasmer and James Flynn.
Katheryn Winnick, Jordan Patrick Smith, Georgia Hirst, Gustaf Skarsgard, Marco Ilsø and Danila Kozlovsky also star.
Read History’s full description of the final season below.
Revenge, drama and chaos closed out the mid-season five finale. Ivar the Boneless (Alex Høgh Andersen), a self-proclaimed God ruling over Kattegat with alarming terror, charged his army into battle against his enemy and brother Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig). Unleashing a fiery guerilla warfare, the two brothers refused to surrender – blood, pride and the crown weighed too heavily on both of their shoulders. In the final moments, Ivar was forced to flee an imminent fate, disappearing into the darkness and securing Bjorn’s victory. Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), reborn after experiencing severe delusions from the major love she’s lost, emerged to crown Bjorn as the new rightful king.
Season six returns following the battle between brothers which has left Bjorn victorious and a hero to the people who have been under the tyrannical rule of Ivar for so long. As the new leader of Kattegat, Bjorn struggles to fill his late father’s shoes as king, while facing several dilemmas and wrestling with the idea that power overshadows morals. Meanwhile, Ivar, searching for a new path to separate him from his past, is seen traveling along The Silk Road eventually leading him to Russia. He meets his match in Prince Oleg (Danila Kozlovsky), a ruthless and unpredictable Russian ruler, who shocks even Ivar with his merciless actions. While Lagertha has her own agenda – to live a quieter and less public life on her own farm, but new dangers lurk close to home. This season, the Vikings continue to take over Scandinavia as Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith) and Torvi (Georgia Hirst) travel to Iceland to uncover the mystery circling around Floki’s (Gustaf Skarsgard) disappearance and Hvitserk (Marco Ilsø) pursues his personal vendetta against Ivar.