Story Explanation (SPOILERS)

Understand the complex narrative of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, exploring Senua's internal struggles and the tragic events leading to Dillion's death.

The game takes place in Orkney, Scotland, around 900 A.D., with Senua living among the Pict barbarian tribe.

Interpreting the Past

The true narrative focus of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is revealing the events that preceded Dillion's death.

Senua is the daughter of Galena, a Priestess, and Zynbel, a Druid who lived in isolation from the village. Zynbel lived with his wife and daughter outside the village, maintaining a reclusive existence.

Senua experiences severe mental psychosis, potentially schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder (multiple personalities). She suffers from auditory hallucinations and visual hallucinations. At times, she experiences blackouts with no memory of events until she recovers. The game depicts her speaking in a different voice, admonishing herself in a mirror for her perceived failures.

Her mental illness may have a genetic component, as her mother, Galena, also suffered from similar psychoses. Trauma may also be a factor, as her father, Zynbel, appeared to mistreat both Senua and Galena with cruel 'treatments' and rituals tied to his faith, which likely exacerbated their conditions.

Galena was loving and supportive of Senua's condition. However, Galena died when Senua was five. Senua initially remembered her mother committing suicide due to her 'darkness'. Later, Senua recovers repressed memories, realizing Zynbel murdered Galena, sacrificing her by burning her at the stake. Zynbel believed this ritual would atone for sins he saw as the cause of their illnesses. This act was likely fueled by Galena's close relationship with Senua and her acceptance of Senua's condition, which Zynbel could not control. He sought to cure Senua through penance, and Galena's defense of Senua's perspective enraged him. His sacrifice of Galena did not cure Senua.

Following Galena's death, Zynbel became more controlling, confining Senua to a small room and attempting to 'cure' her through torture and coercion, which worsened her condition.

Zynbel raised Senua in isolation, limiting her interaction with villagers due to fear of their judgment. He kept her indoors most of the time but occasionally allowed her outside. During one such occasion, she observed Dillion practicing swordsmanship, which she perceived as dancing. Intrigued and shy, she began mimicking his movements from afar, inadvertently learning sword fighting.

Senua's mental illness also granted her advantages, including heightened senses and reflexes, allowing her to perceive patterns and movements faster than others, contributing to her swordsmanship prowess.

On one outing, Dillion noticed Senua practicing her 'dance' and they met. Dillion, whose own father was blind, was understanding of people with disabilities and accepted Senua's eccentricities. He was impressed by her swordsmanship, especially learning she acquired it solely through observation.

Present Day

The present-day narrative in Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is presented as Senua's quest to resurrect her deceased lover, Dillion. This quest is inherently doomed, and its outcome is obscured by Senua's psychosis. She believes she is journeying to Hel, the underworld of Norse mythology, which represents an internal struggle to cope with Dillion's loss.

The game intentionally blurs the line between reality and Senua's perception. It is possible that her actions, such as fighting Viking raiders and seeking revenge for Dillion, are occurring in reality. Alternatively, the entire experience, including battles, might be taking place solely within her mind, with her never having left her village.

While the ultimate reality of events remains ambiguous, Senua's injuries at the game's conclusion suggest that her quest is grounded in some actual occurrences, though certainty is elusive.