In Vikings: Valhalla Ragnar Lothbrok remains a powerful presence, despite the death of the Vikings protagonist in the main series. In 2013, people met Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and company in Vikings, created by Michael Hirst, which aired on History Channel before moving to Amazon Prime Video for its final episodes. Vikings began as a miniseries but was quickly renewed for a second season, and so it lived on for six seasons, coming to an end in December 2020. The spinoff series, Vikings: Valhalla, is set 100 years on from the original and premiered on Netflix.
Vikings initially followed the travels and raids of Ragnar Lothbrok, a legendary Norse figure whose existence is still debated among historians. Still, Ragnar led Vikings during its first seasons. But as the characters’ stories progressed, Vikings shifted its focus to Ragnar’s sons and their own travels. Once Ragnar died in season 4, his sons took over the series, with Björn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig) and Ivar the Boneless (Alex Høgh Andersen) leading it until the very end. Vikings brought the arcs of its main characters to a close and left very few loose ends. Yet, as the Vikings: Valhalla Ragnar references show, he remains a crucial element in the new world.
In Vikings: Valhalla, Ragnar Is Still A Hot Topic A Century After Vikings
When the final season of Vikings was announced in January 2019, so was the sequel series Vikings: Valhalla. Set a century after the events of the main series, Valhalla covers the final years of the Viking Age and the most important events during that time, such as the rivalries for the English throne after the death of King Edward the Confessor, Leif Erikson’s (Sam Corlett) travels across the North Atlantic, and more. As it’s set many, many years after Vikings, Valhalla features new characters, such as Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson), Harald Hardrada (Leo Suter), and Norman King William the Conqueror. In Vikings: Valhalla, Ragnar is the only original character who continues to be highly relevant.
This underscores the impact Ragnar had on the Viking Age. Ragnar Lothbrok met his fate in Vikings season 4 when King Aelle, after torturing him and cutting a cross into his head, threw him into a pit of snakes and left him there to die. Ragnar returned a couple of times after that in visions and flashbacks, so he was never truly forgotten, and the same happens in Vikings: Valhalla – but only through the dialogue. Even though Valhalla is set long after Ragnar’s time, it still explores his legacy. Vikings established him as a key figure in the first years of the Viking Age and father to some of the greatest Vikings (Björn and Ivar).
The characters in Valhalla carry the legacy of all those Norse warriors that came before them and fight to defend their honor and history – Vikings: Valhalla‘s Ragnar references acknowledge Ragnar’s actions and their impact on the world. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Travis Fimmel made a cameo appearance, as Ragnar only featured in Valhalla as a trending topic of conversation. Newer generations of Vikings discuss Ragnar’s most notable actions and the impact of his raids and plans in Viking culture, further linking both shows. Ragnar Lothbrok’s presence continues to be felt through Vikings: Valhalla without the story revolving around him, but it has to acknowledge how important he was to Viking history.
Ragnar’s Legacy Will Be Felt In Many Seasons Of Valhalla To Come
The Vikings: Valhalla Ragnar connection is bound to continue influencing any future seasons of the Vikings spinoff. Ragnar will always have a shadow over Valhalla because in real life, he was an incredibly important legendary figure, and Viking society and medieval Europe told stories about him. For centuries after his death, Ragnar was used as a semi-mythical example of what a legendary warrior from the ancient world was like. Moreover, Ragnar was the breakout character in Vikings, and remains a hot topic of conversation as much as the Valhalla characters – despite being killed off ages ago in the show. Today, no other historical Viking is as famous as Ragnar Lothbrok.
As Vikings: Valhalla progresses, so does the myth of Ragnar Lothbrok, which is simply part and parcel of good series writing. Similar to how historic figures from one or several centuries ago are referenced in real-world conversations today, Vikings: Valhalla‘s Ragnar references make the show more immersive and feel more like a real setting. Undoubtedly, Travis Fimmel’s performance as Ragnar and the character’s legacy will continue to be felt across Valhalla.
