The she-pirate known as Valeria of the Red Brotherhood made her living by sailing the Vilayet Sea. She was strikingly beautiful, strong-willed, and a skilled fighter, which earned her the admiration and attraction of Conan the Cimmerian. After their first meeting, the two became lovers and shared many adventures together.
Origin
Valeria was introduced in the comic book adaptation of Robert E. Howard‘s Conan novella Red Nails.
Her original origin story is the basis for the plot of Red Sonja Vol.2 (#1-#2). These events are recounted again, and expanded on, by Valeria herself in The Savage Sword of Conan the Barbarian Vol.1 (#225 – âValeria of the Red Brotherhoodâ)
Valeria underwent a soft reboot in the 2019 series Age of Conan: Valeria. This series presented a new origin story for Valeria, replacing that which went before.
Other Media
In the movie Conan the Barbarian (1982), Valeria was played by actress Sandahl Bergman. Her character was written to be an amalgamation with the pirate queen Belit, a different lover of Conan who died tragically. Like Belit, Valeria was killed in battle and her spirit briefly returned after death in order to aid Conan.
