Vikings: 8 Things Hvisterk Did That Fans Just Can’t Let Go Of

Ragnar and Aslaug’s second son, Hvitserk Ragnarsson, stands out for his ability to slash through opponents with ease in Vikings. Sadly, he doesn’t amount to much, unlike his brothers, Ivar, Bjorn, and Torvi. In fact, Hvitserk can be ranked as the least successful of Ragnar’s sons, and while his brothers amass plenty of personal glories, Hvitserk only serves as an ally.

Among Hvitserk’s many bad traits is his impulsiveness, and it’s part of the reason why he doesn’t ascend to the greatest of heights. The quiet son of Ragnar is also not a careful thinker and he often makes rash decisions that result in not-so-pleasant outcomes for himself and others. While some of the decisions are excusable, others still remain baffling.

8 He Accidentally Killed Lagertha

In one of the saddest scenes in the series, a hallucinating Ivar wandered away from his home, following an imaginary snake that he thought was Ivar. After catching it, he stabbed it several times, only to realize it was Lagertha, who was limping back home after defeating White Hair during the second village raid. It was one of the Viking’s deaths fans didn’t see coming.

Fans can never forgive Hvitserk for this action because Lagertha was one of the best warriors (and characters in general) on the show. Her death would have been more acceptable if it came in battle, but defeating the capable White Hair only to die at the hand of Ragnar’s son didn’t feel like a fair way for Lagertha to go out.

7 He Betrayed Ubbe For Ivar

Hvitserk and Ubbe were planning to leave for Kattegat to restrategize after being humiliated by Heahmund and watching Ivar secure his position as the leader of the Great Heathen Army. However, in the final minute, Hvitserk defected to join Ivar.

It wasn’t exactly a good move for Hvitserk since it kept him in Ivar’s shadow where he faced constant humiliation. Everything that happened after the team-up proved Hvitserk had chosen the worst ever ally. The first red flag was Ivar refusing to share with him his war plans. Second, Ivar was okay with trading him as a hostage. Even worse, Ivar killed his lover, Thora.

6 He Wandered Off To The Frozen Lake

As a child, Hvitserk felt it was a good idea to go and play on top of a frozen lake, despite knowing the risks. Accompanied by Ubbe, they played around, ignoring Siggy, who was pleading with them to come back. As expected, the lake collapsed. Even though Siggy managed to save them, she died in the process, making her one of the dead characters on the show who deserved more.

It was a major loss because Siggy’s storyline had been great up until that point. As Earl Haraldson’s wife, she had been the strong woman who was against forced marriages. She had also been loyal as Ragnar’s servant and caring as Rollo’s lover. More importantly, Siggy had seen enough tragedy, with both her husband and daughter dying hence it was unfair for her to get snatched by death too.

5 He Refused To Go With Ragnar To England

Ragnar’s decision to disappear for 10 years was indeed lame, but he had quite a convincing “I can explain!” moment. When Ragnar asked his sons to accompany him back to England, Hvitserk quickly refused. He declared that he would be making the voyage to the Mediterranean with Bjorn, Halfdan, Harald, and Floki instead.

England always meant a lot to Ragnar and his sons understood that. Hvitserk refusal to offer his support contributed to Ragnar’s despair and eventual decline — one that he never recovered from. The Mediterranean choice wasn’t exactly a better one and it counts as one of the most-hated storylines on the show. When Hvitserk and Bjorn made the journey, they encountered nothing but horror.

4 He Was Happy About Killing Torvi’s Son, Guthrum

During the Second Battle for the Kingdom of Kattegat, Guthrum faced off against Hvitserk but was completely outmatched. Torvi noticed that Guthrum was struggling and attempted to save her but it was too late. Guthrum was sent to Valhalla, courtesy of an ax to the chest. Torvi yelled in horror but Hvitserk was all too glad about his kill.

Hvitserk’s lack of remorse at this moment erased all chances of him ever being a darling in the eyes of viewers. Guthrum had slowly morphed from a child to a fierce warrior and it was sad to see him die without ever achieving much. He not only meant a lot to Torvi but also to Bjorn Ironside, who had raised him as his own son.

3 He Assaulted Amma

Hvitserk’s downward spiral in the final season caused everyone that was close to him to abandon him. The only person that genuinely cared about him was King Harald’s shield-maiden, Amma. Still, in one of the most shocking moments of the final season, he lost his temper and assaulted her.

Hvitserk’s actions at that moment further highlighted his lack of respect for her and he had never been too concerned with anyone else other than himself. This is a trait that had been evident earlier too, when he wished death on his mother, Aslaug.

2 He Left Thora With Ivar

Hvitserk, surprisingly, left his new lover Thora with Ivar when he went to meet with King Olaf. He did this yet Ivar had previously made suggestions that Thora would make a good sacrifice. When Hvistserk was away, Ivar murdered Thora and her family.

Ivar was not one to bluff, so Hvitserk’s decision to leave Thora with him showed a total lack of intelligence. His acting surprised after learning what had happened was even more absurd. He failed in his role as a protector, a task all the other warriors did so perfectly on the show.

1 He Teamed Up With Ivar Once Again After Everything He Had Done To Him

For a long time, Hvitserk believed that his fate was to kill Ivar. But as the series drew to a close, he convinced himself that Ivar treated him better than most of his brothers, hence he sided with him once again.

This proved Hvitserk’s lack of stability. He could never make a decision and stick to it. It made little sense for him to conclude that Ivar was better than Ubber and Bjorn. Neither of them had done unimaginable things to him, like killing his lover or mocking him. It would be right to conclude that Hvitserk enjoyed the toxicity that came with Ivar.

About The Author

Philip Etemesi
(1216 Articles Published)

Philip Etemesi is an author, journalist, screenwriter and film critic based in Nairobi. Kenya. As a child, he preferred watching movies like The Goodfellas instead of Home Alone. His girlfriend constantly has to pull him from the front of the TV but he just keeps returning. Stubborn dude! An animal lover, Philip also has a pet giraffe called Refu.

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