Most of the characters inVikingswere complex and went through a lot during their time on the show, and while some got what they deserved, others deserved a lot better. Created by Michael Hirst,Vikingsis a historical drama TV series that premiered on the History Channel in 2013.Vikingsran for six seasons, though not all of them were as well-received as the first, ending in 2020. Two years later,Vikingsgot a sequel series titledVikings: Valhallaon Netflix, set 100 years later.
During its first seasons,Vikingsfollowed the legendary Viking figure Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and his many travels and raids alongside his Viking brothers, including his brother, Rollo (Clive Standen), and his best friend Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård).Vikingsbegan at the start of the Viking Age, with the Lindisfarne raid, but as the show developed, it turned its focus to Ragnar’s sons and their own journeys.Vikingsput its characters through a lot, and while some fates were well-deserved, like Ivar’s, other characters deserved much better, whether they died or not.
10Gyda
Gyda Died In Vikings Season 1, Episode “All Change”
Ragnar and his first wife, Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), had two children: Björn Ironside and Gyda (Ruby O’Leary). Gyda was often seen with Lagertha, helping her around the farm, and she joined her family and friends in their pilgrimage to Uppsala. At the end ofVikingsseason 1,Gyda fell victim to the plague that hit Kattegatand was looked after by Lagertha and Athelstan (George Blagden), with whom she had formed a very strong bond.
Sadly, Gyda passed away at the end ofVikingsseason 1 due to the plague, while Ragnar was away (and cheating on Lagertha with Aslaug).Vikingsmissed the chance to turn Gyda into a shield-maiden like her mother, following her process from a young age, and, instead, she was used to add an extra layer of emotion and drama to Ragnar’s family.
9Astrid
Astrid Died In Vikings Season 5, Episode “Moments Of Vision”
Astrid (Josefin Asplund) was a shield-maiden and Lagertha’s second-in-command, as well as her lover. Astrid was by Lagertha’s side when sheplotted Aslaug’s deathand comforted her after Ragnar’s death in season 4, though Astrid later became Björn’s lover to upset Lagertha after the latter didn’t share her plans with her. InVikingsseason 5,Astrid was kidnapped by King Harald and forced to marry him, but she was constantly abusedby Harald and many of his men.
Astrid reunited with Lagertha during a battle and told her she was pregnant, but couldn’t have the baby.Astrid asked Lagertha to kill her, and as she ran towards Lagertha to attack her, Lagertha stabbed her, killing her on the spot.Astrid didn’t deserve the horrors she went through with Harald, and asking her former lover to kill her to end the nightmare she had been living in was heartbreaking.
8Floki
Floki Didn’t Die, But He Went Through A Lot
Floki was not only Ragnar’s best friend but also Kattegat’s trusty boat-builder and the town’s trickster. Floki often acted as if he lived in his own world, but he was a good man… when he wasn’t driven by jealousy. Surely, Floki did some questionable and horrible things inVikings, such as killing Athelstan, butit’s understood that he had a difficult upbringingthat, ultimately, affected the rest of his life.
Floki was revealed to have arrived in North America and successfully settled there.
Unlike the rest of the characters on this list, Floki survivedVikings, but not before trying and failing to settle Iceland, being trapped in a cave, and losing his family and friends. Atthe end ofVikings, Floki was revealed to have arrived in North America and successfully settled there, and hopefully, he finally found the peace he needed so badly.
7Helga
Helga Died In Season 4, Episode “The Reckoning”
Speaking of Floki, his wife, Helga (Maude Hirst), also deserved a lot better. Helga was the partner Floki needed so badly, supporting him and grounding him when he needed the most, and they got married shortly after announcing her pregnancy. However,Helga also had to deal with Floki’s mental and emotional instability, which led him to keep himself away from his family. After Ragnar punished Floki for Athelstan’s murder, Helga cared for her husband, and they reconciled, mourning the death of their daughter together.
Helga never recovered from the death of her daughter and dealt with a lot in her marriage, and her death was unfair.
Desperate for another child, Helga kidnapped a Moorish girl named Tanaruz, whose parents were killed by the Vikings, but the girl was severely traumatized and resented Helga for taking her, despite Helga’s good intentions. In Wessex, at the castle,Tanaruz killed Helgaafter the latter told her she loved and she could trust her, with the girl killing herself seconds later. Helga never recovered from the death of her daughter and dealt with a lot in her marriage, and her death was unfair.
6Sigurd
Sigurd Died In Season 4, Episode “The Reckoning”
Sigurd was the third son of Ragnar and Aslaug, andhe was the most resentful of their mother. Aslaug favored Ivar since they were kids, and he resented her even more after her neglect of his niece, Siggy, led to her death. As a result, Sigurd didn’t have a good relationship with Aslaug and often messed with Ivar, teasing him about his disabilities.
It was his treatment of Ivar that led toSigurd’s death, as he angered Ivar to the point where he threw an axe at him, killing him on the spot, with his older brother Ubbe cradling his body. Sigurd dealt with his mother’s favoritism and neglect and being set aside for having different views from those of his brothers, andit would have been interesting to see his journey as a Viking.
5Yidu
Yidu Died In Season 4, Episode “Portage”
Yidu (Dianne Doan) was one of Aslaug’s slaves and a mysterious woman. Ragnar, interested in her, semi-freed her, andYidu provided a drug to help Ragnarwith his pain, but he became addicted to it. Yidu and Ragnar were lovers, though only briefly, but when she started feeling used by Ragnar and didn’t like how he was treating her, she refused to give more drugs to Ragnar and threatened to tell his army about the Wessex massacre.
Ragnar, not going to let anyone reveal his secret, drowned Yidu. Yidu was the illegitimate daughter of a Chinese Emperor, kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery, but despite all this, she was protective and caring, and definitely didn’t deserve to be treated the way she was and to be killed.
4Siggy
Siggy Died In Season 3, Episode “Born Again”
Siggy (Jessalyn Gilsig) was the wife of Earl Haraldsson, and after his death and that of their child, Thyri, Siggy became closer to Aslaug, Lagertha, and Helga at different points inVikings. In season 3, she, Aslaug, and Helga began having the same recurrent dream of a strange man who later turned out to beHarbard the Wanderer. While looking after Aslaug’s sons, they raced off onto a frozen lake, cracking it and causing them to fall into the water.
Siggy jumped to their rescue, with Harbard showing up to help her pull the boys out of the water. However, having a vision of Thyri,Siggy chose not to fight anymore and let go, drowning in the icy water. Siggy never got over Thyri’s death, was lonely, and she still helped others, such as when she took over Aslaug’s responsibilities, particularly looking after her children, so her death was truly heartbreaking.
3Ragnar
Ragnar Died In Season 4, Episode “All His Angels”
Of course, Ragnar did a lot of awful things during his time inVikings, including but not limited to cheating on Lagertha, killing Yidu (and many others), and often making decisions for his own benefit, but there was surely still more to tell about him. Ragnar could never fulfill his plan of traveling to the other side of the world, though Floki and Ubbe eventually did, and he could have gone on a lot more journeys.
Ragnar was killed inVikingsseason 4 as ordered by King Aelle. On his way to his death, Ragnar had a conversation with the Seer, in which he denounced his belief in the gods.Ragnar was tortured and later thrown into a pit of snakes, and that’s where he died, in complete silence.
2Athelstan
Athelstan Died In Season 3, Episode “Born Again”
Athelstan was a Christian monk kidnapped by Ragnar from the Lindisfarne Monastery and enslaved by him – however,Athelstan ended up becoming very close to Ragnar’s family, even becoming one of Ragnar’s most trusted and beloved friends. Because of all this, Floki didn’t trust Athelstan, and it got worse after Ragnar was baptized (as Floki was very loyal to their gods).
Athelstan was not only a fan-favorite character but also one of the most loyal ones.
InVikingsseason 3, Floki went after Athelstan while he was praying, and he knew Ragnar’s friend had arrived to kill him. Athelstan was ready to welcome death, saying “Lord, receive my soul” right beforeFloki hit him in the head with his axe, instantly killing him. Of course, this impacted Ragnar and Floki’s relationship, with the former punishing the latter. Athelstan was not only a fan-favorite character but also one of the most loyal ones, and he didn’t deserve to be killed like that for his beliefs and personal relationships.
1Lagertha
Lagertha Died In Season 6, Episode 6
Lagertha was Ragnar’s first wife, but their marriage ended when Ragnar cheated on her with Aslaug and had children with her. Still, Lagertha continued to fight alongside Ragnar when needed, and in her personal life,she went through a lot of abuse from some of her partners, especially Sigvard. Lagertha showed her strength and resilience throughout her time inVikings, and continued to fight until the very end.
Hvitserk stabbed the snake, but he was actually stabbing Lagertha.
Lagertha rode back to Kattegat after killing White Hair, and she was severely wounded. Lagertha arrived at Hvitserk’s home, but he was in a state of delirium and hallucinated a serpent he believed was Ivar. Hvitserk stabbed it, but he was actually stabbing Lagertha. As she was already wounded,Lagertha didn’t survive Hviterk’s attack, and she died on the spot. After everything Lagertha went through, she definitely deserved a happy ending.
