Vikings: How Ragnar’s Cut Season 1 Death Would Have Changed The Show

Ragnar Lothbrok, the legendary (and partly fictional) Viking played by Travis Fimmel in Vikings, immediately engaged viewers when the History Channel debuted the series in 2013 – consequently, plans for Ragnar’s season 1 death would have drastically altered the show. Throughout much of the series, Ragnar is the driving force behind much of the narrative, shaping the actions of many of the major players. Without this impetus and motivation, it’s almost certain that the show as a whole would have been very different.

Initially, as per the vision of creator Michael Hurst, early episodes of Vikings were more focused on a fairly authentic recreation of Viking life. Early scenes in season 1 show Ragnar and his family working their small farm, contending with illness, loss, bandits, and other dangers of the time far more than it shows the typical images of Viking raiding and pillaging. It is Ragnar’s desire to explore and seek new lands for raiding that plunges him and the whole of Viking society into a different kind of life, which the show follows over six seasons.

 Ragnar was always supposed to be the central character in season 1. However, according to showrunner Hirst, the original script called for the leader to die at the end of season 1, soon after he became Earl. The effects that the character’s early demise would have had on the show are myriad, as Ragnar often defined the show, even after his season 4 death. Imagining Vikings without Ragnar as a driving force in those early seasons is almost impossible, and it’s likely that the show would have maintained its initial concept as a miniseries if the death had been aired as originally planned.

It seems unlikely that Vikings would have gained popularity without the charismatic leadership of Ragnar, long-term. The first, and most obvious thing that would have changed about the show moving forward after a season 1 death for Ragnar would be the Sons of Ragnar themselves. If the elder Lothbrok had been killed in season 1, only Björn and Ubbe would have lived, and the latter would never have known his father. Hvitserk, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, and Ivar the Boneless would never have existed, at least as the men they would become by having been fathered by Ragnar Lothbrok. Lagertha never would have been forced to find the strength to leave Ragnar and become a ruler on her own, and Rollo never would have made peace with himself, forging his own path in Francia. So many of the characters’ arcs are based on or affected by their relationship with Ragnar, that the series would have been almost entirely different without his presence. By erasing those relationships, the damage done to the series would be even more severe because it was so often Ragnar that strove for an understanding of the other in Vikings.

This aspect of his character led to many interesting storylines, from his deeply philosophical discussions on religion with Athelstan to his debates on ruling with King Ecbert. Ragnar’s need to explore, learn, and grow is what fueled the evolution of the show for the first several seasons. It’s also what made the other characters – Floki, Lagertha, Aslaug, and all the rest – learn right along with him, as it sculpted the men Ragnar’s sons would become.

In many ways, Ragnar Lothbrok became a mythological character within his own show, and by removing his powerful sway over the remaining characters too soon, it is likely that the show would never have gained the following that it did. And while a Vikings miniseries may have served as a nice bit of historical recreation, it probably wouldn’t have become the long-term success that it has. It seems unlikely that it would have spawned a sequel. But thanks to Travis Fimmel’s deeply engaging, sometimes disturbing portrayal of Ragnar Lothbrok through four seasons, Netflix will be launching its own Vikings spinoff,  in February 2022. It is likely that Vikings: Valhalla will also be influenced by Ragnar’s presence, even though it occurs generations after his demise. This further highlights how essential the character is to the Vikings universe.