The long-awaited third season of Vikings is right around the corner — and judging by this new trailer, season three promises to be the bloodiest and most action-packed yet.

Among the highlights: Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) leads a scorched-earth raid on Paris, while fans have been warned to brace themselves for the shocking death of a key character we’ve come to love.

The third season of Vikings kicks off Thursday, Feb. 19 on History. Right before the premiere, don’t miss ET Canada“s 30-minute preview special Vikings: Behind the Shield Wall: An ET Canada Special Presentation, airing Wednesday, Feb. 18 on Global.

Need to catch up before the season premiere? No problem: you can watch full episodes of Vikings online.