All Cast and Characters in ‘The Northman’

The Northman, directed by Robert Eggers (The Witch), is a Viking epic that’s full of atmospheric terror and bloody revenge. Here’s the full cast list!

According to the official plot synopsis, The Northman will involve a mix of magic and brutal warfare:

Prince Amleth is on the verge of becoming a man when his father is brutally murdered by his uncle, who kidnaps the boy’s mother. Two decades later, Amleth is now a Viking who raids Slavic villages. He soon meets a seeress who reminds him of his vow — save his mother, kill his uncle, avenge his father.

If that sounds an awful lot like the plot of Hamlet to you, you’re not imagining things. The Northman is based on the Scandinavian legend of Amleth, which—you guessed it!—also inspired Shakespeare’s play. You can hear the connection in the names: Amleth and Hamlet, Gudrún and Gertrude, and so on.

The Northman has already gotten some glowing reviews, with an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. Justin Chang for the LA Times writes that ““The Northman” is both a dazzling display of film craft and a sly retooling of genre, a movie that delights in fulfilling certain conventions while turning others on their artfully severed heads,” while Vanity Fair‘s Richard Lawson writes that “the film is a formidable achievement.”

The Full Cast List

Here’s every major character in the movie and the actor playing them!

Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård). Amleth is a child when his father is murdered by his uncle, and twenty years later, a seeress tells him to seek out his uncle and get his revenge.

Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman). Amleth’s mother, captured by Fjölnir.

Fjölnir (Claes Bang). Amleth’s uncle.

Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy). A mysterious Rus woman who helps Amleth in his quest. She claims that she has “the cunning to break [his enemies’] minds.”

King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke). Amleth’s murdered father.

Heimir the Fool (Willem Dafoe). A court jester with a possibly more sinister side hustle.

The Seeress (Bjork). We don’t know much about the Seeress yet, but we do know that we’re celebrating about Bjork’s return to film! The last movie she was in was 2000’s Dancer in the Dark.

The Northman also stars the following characters and cast members:

Thorir the Proud (Gustav Lindh)

Gunnar (Elliott Rose)

Hallgrimr Half Troll (Phil Martin)

Finnr the Nose-Stub (Eldar Skar)

Áshildur Hofgythja (Olwen Fouéré)

Hersveinn Battle-Hard (Edgar Abram)

Hjalti Battle Hasty (Jack Gassmann)

He-Witch (Ingvar Sigurdsson)

Young Amleth (Oscar Novak)

Hallur Freymundur (Jack Walsh)

The Mound Dweller (Ian White)

(image: Focus Features)