Vikings cast and characters: Here’s who brought the historical drama to life

Vikings debuted in 2013 and went on till 2020 with their six long seasons. The show is praised for merging a local legend or myth with History and depicting the rise of the Viking age in the most amazing way it could be. The show's events begin in the late 8th century and use the lens of Ragnar Lothbrok, one of the most famous Norse heroes.

This was the time when Norsemen and Scandinavia began exploring and conquering lands to the west, including England and beyond. Ragnar is portrayed as a farmer and a visionary warrior who defies tradition to sail west, with the belief of witnessing a new kind of world on the other side.

The show features some interesting characters alongside Ragnar as he journeys to be the king and create a Viking society, eventually raiding small tribal groups and large kingdoms from the west. The show also focuses on his sons Bjorn Ironside, Ivar the Boneless, Ubbe, Hvitserk, and Sigurd, and their quests for power, faith, and glory after their father’s death. Read on to know the complete cast and character guide of Vikings.

Complete Vikings cast and characters guide

Travis Fimmel as Ragnar Lothbrok

Travis Fimmel plays the lead character of Ragnar in Vikings. The season 1 trailer introduces how a farmer gradually becomes a warrior king as he journeys to win over the west. The trailer gives us a glimpse of their initial raids when a soldier of the West tells his king about the invasion. He claims that they cannot understand anything about them except for the word "Ragnar". Ragnar rises to become Earl of Kattegat and later King of Denmark. From season 1 to season 4, he remains the protagonist till his sons are ready to take on his arc.

He has been part of some popular shows before, like Tarzan and the 2016 film Warcraft.

Katheryn Winnick as Lagertha

Another major role in the show was that of Lagertha, portrayed as Ragnar’s first wife. She was fierce and craved independence and position in a male-dominated world. She also fought alongside men on the battlefield and later became the leader of the Earl of Hedeby and Queen of Kattegat.

She is portrayed as one of the strongest female characters on the show. She possesses some fierce warrior skills, along with political understanding, with emotional layers and vulnerability as a woman and a warrior.

Clive Standen as Rollo

Clive plays another major role in Vikings as Rollo, Ragnar’s brother-in-arms. Clive eventually betrays Ragnar and diverts from his path in search of more meaning and finding himself. His character is that layer of the show that seems to be more humane and explores themes like loyalty, jealousy, and ambition, and shows what so-called greatness costs personally to someone.

Rollo’s character allows the show to explore loyalty, jealousy, ambition and the personal cost of greatness.

Gustaf Skarsgård as Floki

Floki is the boat builder and a friend of Ragnar. His character adds a spiritual layer to the show as his journey explores religion, madness, and creativity while he walks on the thin line between them. He is a genius but also obsessed with his craft, which further tells so much about life and loss.

Alyssa Sutherland as Aslaug

Aslaug becomes another prominent character after the death of Ragnar's first wife, Lagertha, to become his 2nd wife, with whom Ragnar had children. She claims to be a descendant of God, often intelligent, and proud of her nobility, who was someone who often warned Ragnar about his fate, and her presence added some complexity to the family power dynamics.

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Alongside these characters, there is Alexander Ludwig as Bjorn Ironside, Ragnar's son, who is equally ambitious and takes on his father's arc to become a warrior king. Another major character is King Ecbert, played by Linus Roache, who introduces some cultural collisions with the warrior troop. He acts more diplomatically than Viking's direct approach.

These are the core players of Vikings who brought the historical drama to life; however, the show has unique characters played by excellent cast members to paint an enriching historical world.

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