Why Ragnar Will Be So Important To Valhalla (Despite His Vikings Death)

Vikings: Valhalla is the sequel series to Vikings, and even though Ragnar Lothbrok died in the main series, he will still be important to Valhalla. In 2013, viewers met Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and company in Vikings, created by Michael Hirst and which aired in 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 a total of six seasons, coming to an end in December 2020.

Vikings initially followed the travels and raids of Ragnar Lothbrok, a legendary Norse figure whose existence is still debated among historians. Still, Ragnar led the series during its first seasons, but as the characters’ stories progressed, Vikings shifted its focus to Ragnar’s sons and their own travels, and 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 an end and left very few loose ends, but this isn’t the end of this world as it will continue to be explored in the spinoff series Vikings: Valhalla.

When the announcement of the final season of Vikings was made in January 2019, so was that of a sequel series later revealed to be titled Vikings: Valhalla. Set a century after the events of the main series, Valhalla will cover 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 will feature new characters, such as Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson), Harald Hardrada (Leo Suter), and Norman King William the Conqueror, so the characters from Vikings don’t really have a place in the series – except for Ragnar Lothbrok.

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 can happen in Vikings: Valhalla. Even though Valhalla is set way after Ragnar’s time, it can still explore his legacy, more so as Vikings established him as a key figure in the first years of the Viking Age, and was the father of some of the greatest Vikings (Björn and Ivar). The characters in Valhalla will carry the legacy of all those Norse warriors that came before them and will fight to defend their honor and history, so the series has to acknowledge Ragnar’s actions and their impact in some way and at some point.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that Travis Fimmel has to make a cameo appearance, as it could be as simple as the characters talking about the most notable actions of Ragnar and the impact of his raids and plans in Viking culture, thus further linking both shows. Ragnar Lothbrok’s presence will surely continue to be felt through Vikings: Valhalla without the story revolving around him, but it has to acknowledge how important he was to Viking history.

About The Author

Adrienne Tyler
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Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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