Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Short answer: denying Ivarr Valhalla changes his final death scene, but it is not reported to alter the wider Assassin’s Creed Valhalla story in a major way. Eivor kicks Ivarr’s axe away, condemning him to Helheim, and Ivarr dies soon afterward. The consequential follow-up is Eivor’s conversation with Ubba: after denying the axe, choose “Ivarr died badly” if you want to tell the truth and avoid the anger that guides report can follow from the other answers.
Spoiler warning: this guide discusses Ivarr’s death during the Sciropescire quest King Killer, the three possible statements to Ubba, and the later reaction to a lie.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What denying Ivarr Valhalla actually does
The choice appears immediately after Eivor defeats Ivarr in King Killer. Instead of placing Ivarr’s axe with him, Eivor knocks it out of reach. In the game’s spiritual terms, that denies Ivarr entry to Valhalla and condemns him to Helheim. Ivarr dies soon after, distraught at the fate Eivor has chosen for him. This is the direct, on-screen consequence of selecting the denial option.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The choice is primarily a role-playing decision. A Gamer Guides walkthrough describes the axe as the item that determines whether Ivarr receives the warrior’s afterlife he wants. The guide does not identify a new quest branch, reward, or major ending change produced by kicking it away.
#1 Best Overall
- Viking Warrior Experience: Step into the role of Eivor, a fierce Viking raider driven by tales of battle and glory, as you lead your clan from the harsh shores of Norway to the rich lands of England's Dark Ages
- Epic Raiding Gameplay: Launch devastating raids on Saxon troops and fortresses, gathering resources and wealth to strengthen your clan while carving your path through a beautifully realized open world
- Settlement Building: Establish and expand your own Viking settlement, constructing buildings, recruiting new clan members, and customizing your growing community to create a thriving home for your people
- Political Power Dynamics: Forge strategic alliances with various kingdoms and factions across England, making critical decisions that shape your influence and determine your clan's future in a land torn by conflict
- PlayStation 5 Optimized: Experience enhanced graphics, faster loading times, and immersive gameplay designed specifically for PlayStation 5 hardware, bringing the Viking Age to life with stunning visual fidelity
What happens in the scene, step by step
1. Finish the King Killer fight
The decision follows the boss encounter with Ivarr in the Sciropescire arc. You are not choosing whether he survives the battle: the scene has already established that Ivarr is dying. The prompt concerns how Eivor treats him in his final moments.
2. Select the denial option
Choose the response that denies Ivarr Valhalla. Eivor kicks his axe away rather than returning it to him. The animation makes the decision unambiguous; there is no hidden timing requirement or inventory action involved.
3. Watch Ivarr’s final reaction
Ivarr understands what the missing axe means. Eivor condemns him to Helheim, and he dies soon afterward. The scene is the lasting immediate change created by this branch. It is not a game-over state, and the choice does not prevent you from continuing the settlement and regional story.
The later conversation with Ubba is the important follow-up
After the death scene, Eivor returns to Ivarr’s brother, Ubba. Ubba asks Eivor to characterize how Ivarr died. The conversation offers three answers: “Ivarr died well,” “Ivarr died badly,” and “He wanted death.” The answer is separate from the earlier axe prompt, so choosing the denial option does not automatically select your response to Ubba.
For the no-axe branch, the published dialogue guide says that “Ivarr died badly” is the honest account. Ubba respects that honesty. The same guide treats the other two responses as lies in this branch; Ubba later learns that Eivor misrepresented the death and becomes angry. Gamer Guides’ dialogue breakdown maps each answer to that later reaction.
Choice matrix: axe decision and Ubba’s report
| Eivor’s decisions | Immediate scene | Reported later result with Ubba |
|---|---|---|
| Deny Ivarr Valhalla, then say “Ivarr died badly” | Eivor kicks away the axe; Ivarr is condemned to Helheim and dies soon afterward. | Ubba appreciates the honest account. |
| Deny Ivarr Valhalla, then say “Ivarr died well” | The same denial scene occurs. | Ubba later discovers the account was false and becomes angry. |
| Deny Ivarr Valhalla, then say “He wanted death” | The same denial scene occurs. | This is also classified as a lie in the denial branch, leading to Ubba’s anger later. |
The table’s distinction matters: the axe controls Ivarr’s final rite, while the statement to Ubba controls whether Eivor is truthful about that rite. Treating the two prompts as one choice can make the outcome seem more dramatic than it is.
Rank #2
- You are Eivor, a fierce Viking warrior raised on tales of battle and glory. Explore a dynamic and beautiful open world set against the brutal backdrop of England’s Dark Ages.
- Advanced RPG mechanics allow you to shape the growth of your character and influence the world around you.
- Dual-wield powerful weapons such as axes, swords, and even shields to relive the ruthless fighting style of the Viking warriors.
- Launch massive assaults against Saxon troops and fortresses throughout England
- Sail from the harsh and mysterious shores of Norway to the beautiful but forbidding kingdoms of England and beyonda dark Age open world - sail from the harsh and mysterious shores of Norway to the beautiful but forbidding kingdoms of England and beyondlead epic raids - launch massive assaults against Saxon troops and fortresses throughout Englandgrow your settlement - construct and upgrade buildings that allow for deep customization, including a barracks, Blacksmith, tattoo parlor, and moremercenary Vikings - Create and customize a unique Viking Raider within your Clan and share it online with friends to use during their own raids
Why players often confuse the two decisions
Both prompts concern the same death, but they occur at different points and test different things. The axe prompt is a judgment about Ivarr’s afterlife. The later conversation is a report to a grieving brother. You can therefore deny the axe and still choose any of the three lines to Ubba. The game does not replace the second conversation with a single automatic response.
Recommended Free Tools
This separation also explains why a flattering description does not undo the denial. Saying that Ivarr died well does not put the axe back in his hand or change the Helheim scene. It only changes what Eivor tells Ubba, and the guide-reported consequence of that inaccurate account is Ubba’s later anger.
Does denying the axe change the broader story?
Available guides report that the Valhalla-versus-Helheim decision itself does not materially change the broader story. PC Gamer’s guide, published on December 8, 2020, says the axe decision does not appear to affect the subsequent story in a significant way. A GamesRadar+ guide likewise separates the immediate funeral choice from the later dialogue with Ubba.
That means denying Ivarr is not a major ending switch, romance lock, alliance reversal, or settlement-management decision according to those accounts. Its effect is concentrated in the death presentation and in the honesty check that follows. The guides do report a later angry visit to the settlement when Eivor lies to Ubba, so the dialogue response has more visible relationship fallout than the axe prompt.
What the guides do not report
The published walkthroughs do not identify a special reward, unique equipment, alternate quest chain, or separate ending tied to denying the axe. They also do not describe the choice as a requirement for completing the Sciropescire arc. In practical terms, you should treat it as a narrative and relationship-facing decision rather than a progression gate.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallThat does not make the scene meaningless. Ivarr’s reaction is different, and the moral tone of Eivor’s actions changes. It simply means that players worried about locking themselves out of major content are not given a reported reason to expect that result from the axe decision alone.
Rank #3
- Lead epic Viking raids against Saxon troops and fortresses
- Relive the visceral fighting style of the Vikings as you dual-wield powerful weapons
- Challenge yourself with the most varied collection of enemies ever in Assassin's Creed
- Shape the growth of your character and your clan's settlement with every choice you make
- Explore a Dark Age open world, from the harsh shores of Norway to the beautiful kingdoms of England
Which response should you pick after denying Valhalla?
Choose “Ivarr died badly” for the consistent, honest outcome
If you want your dialogue to match what happened on screen, select “Ivarr died badly.” Eivor denied Ivarr the axe, so describing the death as bad is the straightforward account. The guide-reported result is that Ubba respects Eivor for telling him the truth, avoiding the later anger associated with the false accounts.
Choose another answer only for role-playing
You can still select “Ivarr died well” or “He wanted death.” Those lines represent Eivor softening the news or presenting Ivarr’s death in a way that supports a different personal interpretation. In the denial branch, however, the published choice guide identifies both as dishonest and warns of Ubba’s later anger. Pick them only if that reaction fits the Eivor you are role-playing.
Should you deny Ivarr Valhalla at all?
Reasons to deny him
- It reflects Eivor’s judgment that Ivarr does not deserve the warrior’s afterlife.
- It produces the distinct Helheim death scene rather than the axe-at-his-side alternative.
- It gives you a clear, internally consistent follow-up answer: “Ivarr died badly.”
Reasons to send him to Valhalla
- It honors Ivarr’s expectations as a Viking warrior, regardless of Eivor’s opinion of his actions.
- It avoids the specific role-playing choice of condemning him to Helheim.
- It lets you make a different moral judgment without changing the reported broad story path.
Neither side is presented by the guides as a required “correct” ending. The practical advice is to decide what Eivor would believe about Ivarr, then make the Ubba statement that matches that decision. If you deny the axe and want the consequence-free relationship outcome documented by the guides, honesty is the reliable choice.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →What if you tell Ubba that Ivarr died well?
The immediate conversation ends, but the account is not treated as permanently private. According to the dialogue guide and PC Gamer’s summary, Ubba later learns that Eivor’s description was false and becomes angry. The reaction is tied to the lie, not to the act of denying Valhalla by itself.
This is why selecting a favorable line about Ivarr does not “cancel” the denial. The game keeps the two facts distinct: Ivarr was denied the axe, and Eivor then gave Ubba an inaccurate report. If you want to avoid that later confrontation, do not describe the death as well or claim that Ivarr wanted it when you chose the denial branch.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What if you choose “He wanted death”?
In the denial branch, the guide classifies “He wanted death” as another false account. Ivarr did not receive the death ritual he sought, and Ubba’s later anger follows the same pattern as it does after “Ivarr died well.” The line is available for role-playing, but it does not produce the honest outcome associated with “Ivarr died badly.”
Rank #4
- Lead epic Viking raids against Saxon troops and fortresses
- Relive the visceral fighting style of the Vikings as you dual-wield powerful weapons
- Challenge yourself with the most varied collection of enemies ever in Assassin's Creed
- Shape the growth of your character and your clan's settlement with every choice you make
- Explore a Dark Age open world, from the harsh shores of Norway to the beautiful kingdoms of England
Does this affect Ivarr’s brother permanently?
The documented consequence is a later angry reaction from Ubba when Eivor lies. The available guides do not describe the axe decision as permanently rewriting the larger alliance or ending Ubba’s role in the story. Avoiding a broader claim is important here: the sources specifically establish the reported anger and the lack of a significant story change, not a detailed list of every later line or variable.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming the axe choice controls everything: it changes Ivarr’s final scene, while the later Ubba answer is a separate prompt.
- Calling the denial a major ending choice: guides describe no significant broader story change from the axe decision itself.
- Choosing a lie to spare Ubba and expecting no follow-up: the reported later anger is specifically connected to false accounts.
- Expecting a combat or inventory consequence: the denial is performed in the scene; there is no hidden item-management step.
Quick decision guide
- After defeating Ivarr in King Killer, decide whether Eivor believes he deserves Valhalla.
- If you deny the axe, watch the Helheim death scene and continue the quest.
- When Ubba asks how Ivarr died, choose “Ivarr died badly” for the truthful account.
- Choose either of the other answers only if you accept the guide-reported possibility that Ubba will later discover the lie and become angry.
Bottom line on denying Ivarr Valhalla
Denying Ivarr Valhalla changes the way he dies, not the main direction of the game. Eivor kicks away his axe, Ivarr is condemned to Helheim, and he dies soon after. The meaningful follow-up is what Eivor tells Ubba. Select “Ivarr died badly” to describe the denial honestly and earn the respect reported by the choice guide; the alternatives are treated as lies and can lead to Ubba’s anger later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does denying Ivarr Valhalla change the ending of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla?
No major ending change is reported. The axe decision changes Ivarr’s final death scene, while guides describe the broader story as substantially unchanged.
What should I tell Ubba after denying Ivarr Valhalla?
Choose “Ivarr died badly.” In this branch, that is the honest account and is reported to earn Ubba’s respect.
What happens if I say Ivarr died well?
The immediate death scene remains the same, but Ubba later learns that Eivor lied and becomes angry, according to the published dialogue guides.
Is “He wanted death” a safe answer after denying the axe?
No. In the denial branch, the guide classifies that answer as another false account, with the same reported risk of Ubba’s later anger.
Can I change the choice with an inventory item or special action?
No hidden inventory action is required. Eivor either returns the axe or kicks it away during the scripted scene after the King Killer fight.
The Bottom Line
Denying Ivarr Valhalla changes his final scene and condemns him to Helheim, but it does not materially redirect the wider story. If you choose the denial, tell Ubba “Ivarr died badly” for the honest outcome; the other answers are treated as lies and can make Ubba angry later.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors
