Summary
As is commonly the case with video game sequels,Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2expands its cast and offers up tons of new worldbuilding, even thoughit’s still a significantly short game. With Hellblade 2, you’re in for an entirely new experience, as you’re not just a lone survivor anymore, but now have plenty of companions there along with you, who are all well-written and exceptionally portrayed.
The setting of Hellblade 2 has Senua exploring Iceland in the tenth century, and there come many surprising enemies and allies in this harrowing and gruesome continuation of her story. You may also be impressed at just how close these characters look to their actual actors,given the ultra-realism in graphicsand animation with Unreal Engine 5.
1Senua
Melina Juergens
There is only one Senua in the video game world and the honor of playingsuch a memorable and complex female protagonistgoes to Melina Juergens. Even more surprising is that Juergens is a video editor at Ninja Theory turned voice actor. It was a role meant for her, and now we can’t see anyone else doing a better job, earning a BAFTA and a Game Award for her performance in the original.
The Senua you see in the sequel is a much different person than in the first game. Though she’s still overcoming a lot, she’s also in a better state of mind and is now busy helping slay giants. Melina Juergens is still every bit as convincing and more powerful than ever in how she continues to portray Senua.
2Furies
Helen Goalen And Abbi Greenland
The beauty of Senua’s character is how her psychosis is represented through haunting voices that pose a conflict in her head with brilliantly chilling audio design. In the sequel, the Furies remain with Senua and incessantly offer her hints, guide her around characters and combat, as well as make her question who she should trust.
The Furies are like two contradictory characters conversing in Senua’s mind, and they are voiced by the duo Helen Goalen and Abbi Greenland. Goalen and Greenland have only voiced the Furies in the Hellblade games, but an interesting fact about them is that they are the founders of the UK-based theater company known as RashDash. Some of their productions include Oh Mother, Look At Me Don’t Look At Me, and We Want You To Watch.
3Thorgestr
Chris O’Reilly
Thorgestr starts off as an antagonist, a Northman slaver of the Bjorg who captures Senua and is ready to use her for human sacrifice, before their boat crashes and washes ashore. He’s also your first boss battle in the game, though he quickly turns around and becomes a key ally on Senua’s journey, even if a little reluctant initially.
This redeemable character is played by Chris O’Reilly, and it’s impressively one of his first leading voice roles in gaming. He was previously a Werewolf stunt performer in The Quarry, a stunt double for Roger Clark and Troy Baker’s characters Jack Leary and Wyatt Taylor in the equally graphically stunning sci-fi game Fort Solis, and an assistant stunt coordinator on Rob Savage’s movie Dashcam. O’Reilly’s acting credits include the films Rise of the Footsoldier: Origins, The Lost Viking, and King Arthur: Excalibur Rising.
4Fargrimr
Gudmundur Thorvaldsson
Fargrimr is one of the best new characters in the game, and part of that is also how you meet him. You have to rescue him from the Draugr in what is one of the most epic and immersive combat sequences in the game. He’ll then remain with Senua on her journey, help her find the Hidden Folk, and guide her in rituals with the giant slaying.
This inhabitant of Viking Iceland is played by Icelandic actor Gudmundur Thorvaldsson, who’s no stranger to being in a game centered around Norse mythology, as he was the voice of Sigurd and Tyr in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. While you may have also seen him in an episode of Netflix’s The Witcher, Thorvaldsson is more well-known for international and Nordic television and films, including April Skies, Gasmamman, Afturelding, and Wolka.
5Astridr
Aldis Amah Hamilton
Toward the latter part of Senua’s journey, you meet a new friend named Astridr, and her folk are in need of some help with a mysterious giant whose lair is on the shores of their beach. She’s from Fargrimr’s settlement and becomes a companion to Senua for major moments throughout the rest of the game.
Aldis Amah Hamilton voices Astridir, and she’s someone you’ll recognize if you’ve watched the intriguing supernatural show Katla on Netflix (with a premise that’s also tied to another Icelandic volcano), where she played Eyja. You’ll also see Aldis Amah Hamilton in Netflix’s The Valhalla Murders as Disa, Black Sands as Anita, and in the 2017 Icelandic TV miniseries Prisoners as Natalie.
6Shadow And Zynbel
Steven Hartley
The shadow of Senua’s deceased father who torments her and haunts her throughout the entire gameplay journey is reprised by actor Steven Hartley. Zynbel is hooded and cloaked to conceal his face and be more eerie, yet makes the experience ever immersive and haunting with that deep, guttural voice of his, as well as when he sends Senua to a dimension where he becomes her Darkness.
Steven Hartley has done many voices for video games. Some of his most notable characters outside of Hellblade are Eredin in The Witcher 3, Hraesvelger in FF14: Heavensward, Pterus in Greedfall, Shibata Katsuie in Nioh 2, and various voices in Sea of Thieves and World of Warcraft. He’s also been in EastEnders, The Bill, Alexander: The Making of a God as Memnon, and voiced Gator in Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix.
7The Narrator
Chipo Chung
In addition to the Furies, Senua’s Father, and the Hidden Folk who are pretty much narrating over Senua’s gameplay, you also have a separate Narrator character who speaks very compelling dialogue in between transitions of each new chapter in the game. This excellent voice performance accompanied by smooth transitions and visuals is achieved by actress Chipo Chung.
Chung has quite the resume list of TV series she’s been a part of, starring as Eleanor Bennett in Black Cake, Michaela Moyone in Constellation, Sandy in Silo, Xaphania in His Dark Materials, The Maser in AMC’s Into the Badlands, Mary Magdalene in A.D. The Bible Continues, and the Fortune Teller in Doctor Who, to name a few.
8Druth
Nicholas Boulton
Even though Senua is free of Hel and walking among the living in Iceland, Druth is still there for the ride. You won’t see him like in the first game, but you’ll still hear some lore from him when you come across the Lorestangir posts and interact with them. Reprising Druth is Senua’s Sacrifice actor Nicholas Boulton.
While a minor role, Boulton famously played the Pit Announcer in Meereen’s Great Pit of Daznak in the fifth season of Game of Thrones. In the video game realm,he’s the male voice of Hawke in Dragon Age 2 and Dragon Age: Inquisition, Commander Milton in Fable 3, Reyes Vidal in Mass Effect: Andromeda, Edward Kelley in Nioh, and Raubahn Aldynn in Final Fantasy 14.
9The Hiddenfolk
Norah Lopez Holden And Matt Mordak
In Senua’s Saga, you’re not just dealing with the Furies and Zynbel as the many voices that try to overwhelm Senua, but now also the voices of the Hiddenfolk. These are ghostly phantomsthat have puzzles in store for Senuaand help guide her into understanding the story of the giants she’s about to face to help vanquish them, like Illtauga and Saegeirr.
The two voice actors behind The Hiddenfolk are Norah Lopez Holden and Matt Mordak. While Matt Mordak is relatively new to voice acting and has only been in short films and theater productions (though he could’ve fooled anyone), Norah Lopez Holden also comes from a background in theater and has voiced video game characters in the past, like Alma Reynard in 2018’s Hitman 2, Fran in Desta: The Memories Between, and Tonix in Foamstars.
10Godi
Clive Wood
Godi is the overarching antagonist of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. He’s the father of Thorgestr and serves as the vile head of the Viking slaver clan that makes sacrifices to the giants. He’s in the final part of the game, where Senuaengages in an epic and cinematic final fight with him.
This Hellblade villain is portrayed by Clive Wood. Some of the other roles you may know him from are Wraithlord Valedor and Eldar in Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War 3, The Pirate Lord in Sea of Thieves, Captain Smollet in the 1990 movie Treasure Island, Croome in Sense8, Tom Price-Williams in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, and Jack Morgan in London’s Burning.
