After years in development hell, Red Sonja finally arrived in 2025 with director M.J. Bassett at the helm and Matilda Lutz wielding the She-Devil’s iconic sword. Loosely adapted from Robert E. Howard’s pulp character and Dynamite Comics’ modern arcs, the film takes Sonja from tragedy to leadership, emphasizing resilience over the hyper-sexualized depictions of the past.
The ensemble is sprawling, with veterans, rising stars, and even athletes turned actors. If you’ve just stepped out of the theater or are planning to watch, here’s a complete breakdown of who plays who in the bloody, brutal, and surprisingly heartfelt fantasy epic.
‘Red Sonja’ Main Cast & Characters
| Character | Actor | About the Actor | Previously Seen In |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Sonja | Matilda Lutz | Italian actress bringing grit and freshness to Sonja. | Revenge (2017), Medici |
| Emperor Dragan | Robert Sheehan | Known for eccentric and layered roles. | Misfits, The Umbrella Academy |
| Dark Annisia | Wallis Day | Action-forward actress with strong screen presence. | Batwoman, Krypton |
| Osin The Untouched | Luca Pasqualino | British actor with genre experience. | Skins, Snowpiercer |
| Hawk | Michael Bisping | Ex-UFC champion, now carving out film roles. | xXx: Return of Xander Cage, Den of Thieves 2 |
| General Karlak | Martyn Ford | Towering screen presence, often cast as enforcers. | F9, Kingsman: The Golden Circle |
| Amarak | Eliza Matengu | Rising star stepping into her biggest role yet. | shorts & indies |
| Teresia | Danica Davis | Relative newcomer to blockbuster filmmaking. | indie credits |
| Babygirl (ally) | Kyanna Simone | Talented supporting actress in TV and film. | Black Lightning, The Supremes at Earl’s |
| Undisclosed Roles | Rhona Mitra, Veronica Ferres, Joana Nwamerue, Trevor Eve, Oliver Trevena, Tony Way | Mix of veterans and newcomers. | The Practice (Mitra), Clouds of Sils Maria (Ferres), more |
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Matilda Lutz as Red Sonja
Lutz steps into a role that has loomed over sword-and-sorcery cinema for decades. As Red Sonja, she delivers a grounded take on the Hyrkanian warrior. Avoiding the campy tone of Brigitte Nielsen’s 1985 version, Lutz instead leaned into the comics’ more modern tone gritty, scarred, and defiant.
Sonja’s arc begins in tragedy her family massacred, her body enslaved and transforms into a quest for survival and vengeance. Lutz nails the duality: feral rage on the battlefield, quiet resolve in her moments of grief.
Robert Sheehan as Emperor Dragan
If you’ve seen Robert Sheehan in Misfits or The Umbrella Academy, you know he thrives in roles that balance charm and chaos. Here, as Dragan the Magnificent, he weaponizes both. Dragan enslaves Sonja and forces her into gladiatorial games, a nod to Dynamite’s Queen’s Gambit storyline.
Sheehan’s Dragan is magnetic flamboyant one moment, sadistic the next. He doesn’t just twirl the proverbial mustache; he digs into the psychology of power and insecurity, making Dragan a villain you hate but can’t look away from.
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Wallis Day as Dark Annisia
Straight out of the Queen of Plagues arc, Dark Annisia is Sonja’s foil: a fellow gladiator, broken by violence, reborn as Dragan’s weapon. Wallis Day brings a steely intensity to the role, crafting a rival who feels as tragic as she is terrifying.
Her fight scenes with Sonja are some of the film’s most charged less about choreography, more about two women who could have been sisters, forced into opposite corners of survival.
The Warriors at Sonja’s Side
No barbarian queen stands alone. Red Sonja surrounds Lutz with a ragtag band of outcasts, each adding flavor to the quest:
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Luca Pasqualino’s Osin: The mysterious “Untouched,” hinted at as Sonja’s cautious but loyal ally.
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Michael Bisping’s Hawk: A bruiser with sheer physical presence; expect bone-crunching brawls tailored to Bisping’s UFC pedigree.
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Eliza Matengu’s Amarak & Danica Davis’ Teresia: Both newcomers whose characters enrich the ensemble dynamic.
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Martyn Ford’s Karlak: Dragan’s blunt instrument of destruction an antagonist built to tower over Sonja and her allies.
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Veterans in Secretive Roles
The supporting cast is stacked with familiar faces whose roles are shrouded in secrecy:
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Rhona Mitra (likely a mentor or elder, echoing her genre history in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans).
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Veronica Ferres (a figure from Sonja’s backstory, possibly a Hyrkanian elder).
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Trevor Eve, Tony Way, Katrina Durden, and others fill out the ensemble as soldiers, villagers, or part of Dragan’s inner circle.
It’s the kind of world-building casting where even small roles give texture to the setting.
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