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1* {{Adorkable}}: When Herald sees Ellisif for the first time in years, he starts to act like a nervous teenager. This being one of the most powerful warlords and kings in Norway.
2* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Much like the Icelandic sagas from which it is adapted, ''Vikings'' brings a number of dark and highly complex characters to its audience and offers no definitive moral judgments whatsoever, instead submitting to them to draw their own opinions of their actions. Bear in mind that ValuesDissonance can play a great role in changing how one perceives the characters, especially so in the case of the Vikings, with their highly alien world-view in comparison to a modern viewer.
3** Are the Vikings proud and intrepid warriors and conquerors who must range south and west for the sake of survival, or are they bands of rapacious pillagers, bandits and rapists who murder innocents and steal that which rightfully belongs to others? Is their belief in Odin a great religion in its own right that extols them to bravery and honour in all walks of life, or is it simply an excuse to kill other people and bathe their lands in blood? Note that neither interpretation is necessarily mutually exclusive.
4** Ragnar Lothbrok. A great warrior-king unequaled in his valour, strength, and intelligence who is devoted to the welfare and advancement of his people's future, or an over-glorified barbarian whose ambitions have led to the deaths of countless innocents?
5** Is Rollo's sorrow justified given his difficult life, or does it merely veer into pathetic self-pity given that those around him suffer just as much, if not moreso. Just how loyal is he to his brother, given his willingness to betray him for the sake of his own ambition?
6** King Ecbert. A great and intelligent monarch who recognises that should the Saxon and Anglo kingdoms remain disunited they shall inevitably fall to the onslaught of the Norsemen and who is the only one with the vision and drive to provide the Anglo-Saxons with the leadership they so desperately need, or are these merely the lies he feeds to cloak a monstrous ambition upon whose altar he will sacrifice anything, even his own flesh and blood, in order to achieve?
7** Athelstan: Is he open-minded, or a coward who changes his views and sucks up to whomever he happens to be captured by at the time?
8** Is Aethelwulf, son of Ecbert, a noble and pious warrior who simply works to defend his country, or is he a violent, bloodthirsty fundamentalist who is ultimately no better than the Vikings he so despises?
9** There's an interpretation that Aslaug was asking Lagertha to [[spoiler:kill her in their last scene together. She speaks of her destiny being fulfilled and her life being over, that she hopes her sons will be grateful for what Lagertha has done and the manner of it and not seek revenge, and seems happy when Lagertha shoots her. The "safe passage" she was asking was to Valhalla, which Lagertha granted her by giving her a violent death]].
10** When Alfred finds out that his brother Aethelred [[spoiler:was conspiring together with other nobles to kill and overthrow him, he remembers that Aethelred saved his life in battle the day before and interprets that as a change of heart. Therefore, he tacitly forgives him by ''not'' making his name when he exposes publicly the conspiracy, and spares him while the other plotters are sentenced to death]]. Still, Judith decides anyway to [[spoiler:poison Aethlered, ignoring Alfred's protests]]. Did she do that simply because she thought [[spoiler:Aethelred was no longer trustworthy, despite Alfred's mercifulness? Or since he was the only biological son of Aethelwulf, while Alfred was born from her affair with Athelstan, she wanted an excuse to get rid of the last thing that reminded her of her former husband, whom she never loved?]]
11* AluminumChristmasTrees:
12** Some viewers are skeptical about tattooed Vikings such as Rollo and the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohl_(cosmetics) eye make-up]] worn by Floki. These features are actually described by Arabian merchants in contact with Vikings.
13** Some people find the Vikings' relative lack of metal armour to be hard to believe, but archaeology suggests that the average Viking was indeed not heavily armored. Only a few metal helmets or chainmail from the Viking Age have ever been found in Scandinavia. Only Huskarls and Thegns were thought to be heavily armoured regularly.
14** The prominent and odd-looking Viking hairstyle in which the back half of the head is shaved is based on historical record.
15** Many viewers balked at the idea that the Mercians would divide their armies in two on opposite banks of a river with no means of easily reinforcing each other. These people would be shocked to learn that this actually ''happened'' during a battle the Vikings won, only with the Franks under Charles the Bald instead of the Anglo-Saxons of Mercia.
16** Some viewers found [[spoiler:Ragnar infiltrating Paris in his coffin]] to be far-fetched. This sequence is based on accounts that a Viking (either Björn or Hastein) sacked the Italian town of Luna in 860 AD using the same ruse, though this story is of dubious authenticity.
17** Crossbows used by Vikings? And in those numbers? It isn't as unlikely as you would think. The Norsemen had a love for foreign weaponry and armor, especially that of Frankish origin. They would get foreign weaponry and armor from either trade or plunder. The crossbows the Norsemen use are Frankish in origin and were clearly gotten from plundering Paris.
18* AntiClimaxBoss:
19** Lord Athelwulf, King Aelle's brother. He's called in by Aelle specifically to defend Northumbria from Ragnar, is praised as a battle commander, and does show some competence as a tactician when he reigns in a few [[LeeroyJenkins leeroys]] on his team. The problem is that he completely fails to assign sentries at his camp, so his men are slaughtered in the night, and when he awakens, [[SayYourPrayers he spends a good two minutes praying before battle]]. By the time he's done, his men are soundly defeated, and he doesn't even make it out of his tent -- Floki brings the thing down on him, capturing him without a fight.
20** Prince Oleg the Prophet. After being set up as the biggest threat ever for 9 episodes and steam rolling Bjorn and Harald in "The Best Laid Plans" he get's rather lamely defeated by the Norwegians and spends 5 episodes doing almost nothing until being dethroned.
21* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Einar Selvik of Music/{{Wardruna}} is the composer for the series since Season 2. Specifically, in "Boneless," Wardruna's "Helvegen" plays when the Vikings prepare to set off for Wessex again. May also be {{foreshadowing}}, as Helvegen is translated as "The Road to Hel."
22* BrokenBase:
23** To begin with, the large amount of ArtisticLicenseHistory:
24*** This is a frequent criticism of the show brought up by history buffs. Effectively, even if the historical period in question is largely shrowded in mystery, some liberties taken by the show are very glaring (such as historical figures placed out of their actual lifetime, among the rest) and can't be justified by the uncertainty of sources. It's argued that this reduces considerably the educational potential of the show (given that the show's produced by Creator/TheHistoryChannel), but how much it should be of importance to the overall quality is up to debate. This became much more controversial in the last two seasons...
25*** The portrayal of the Saxons as weaker and less skilled in battle has proven divisive with some, considering if one takes into account the numbers of battles fought, the Saxons actually won more! But Vikings are stereotypically viewed as exceptional fighters and the show is viewed by many as exaggerating this aspect for effect.
26*** Season 5 includes the arc of the Expedition to the Mediterranean, which was accused of playing with the [[{{Orientalism}} worst stereotypes]] about Muslims and North Africa: wrong geography, a leacherous and hedonist emir [[spoiler:who indulges in [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalism]]]], a RoyalHarem filled with [[SexSlave lustful slaves]], and the like. While some people defended it saying that ArtisticLicense is not new to the series, and hideous characters abound both among Christians and Pagans, others found it borderline islamophobic and going too far. It doesn't help that [[spoiler:Ziyadat Allah]] is the only Muslim character with any meaningful characterisation, while Pagans and Christians are ubiquitous thus characterized in the most diverse way possible, negative or positive.
27*** Season 6 introduces the UsefulNotes/KievanRus, who look like a [[HordesFromTheEast pseudo-Mongol horde]], when in reality they were culturally not so different from the Norse[[note]]no need to mention the Rus were ruled by a Norse aristocracy if you're a history nerd[[/note]]. Especially among the East Slavic audience, quite some people find the Rus simply impossible to take seriously at all.
28** ValuesDissonance aside, some fans loathe Rollo for his background as an unrepentant rapist, and feel that his "redemption" character arc completely sweeps that issue under the rug. He's still a generally popular character.
29** Aslaug tends to provoke some mixed reactions from viewers, to put it lightly.
30** Siggy Bjornsdottir's death. Either you don't care or you do care. For the former, not even her own father, grandfather, or grandmother were paying attention to her, with Lagertha being more interested in Torvi's son. Also, there is the fact that she's completely fictional. For the latter, it was due to Aslaug's lack of care for her, but when you take into consideration how much of a bastard Ragnar is to her (well, everyone really but that's not the point), it makes sense that she'd have little to no interest in Siggy. To make it even worse or better, depending on your view, Siggy's death is just swept under the rug. It never gets mentioned after it is reported to Aslaug by Sigurd.
31** Aslaug's murder by Lagertha. There are those who cheered and there are those who point out that it was uncalled for and dishonourable of Lagertha. Possibly intentional since Ragnar's sons are also split on it.
32%%*Crazy Awesome:
33%%**Ragnar
34%%**Floki
35* CreatorsPet: Torvi is a fairly blatant example in the later seasons, where she becomes more connected to the main plot and receives a lot more focus. While more well-received characters in similar positions, such as Astrid, Margrethe, Þorunn or Thora are killed off swiftly and/or get written to be as unlikeable as possible when compared to Torvi, she has grown to become one of the most prominent recurring characters in the show, while receiving comparably little character development in the later seasons. Since her introduction as a secondary character, she has grown to become the love interest of Bjorn, after Þorunn becomes bitter and unsympathetic (and was later written out of the show). After her break-up with Bjorn, she almost immediately gets into a relationship with Ubbe, who is not much older than her own son, which comes at the cost of his wife Margrethe undergoing a massive and negative shift in personality over the course of just a few episodes. The obvious [[CreatorsFavorite favoritism]] and notably increased [[CharacterFocus focus]] at the cost of initially more well-liked characters has turned her into a character who is [[TheScrappy disliked nearly universally by the fanbase]]. It doesn't help that she is played by the showrunner's daughter, which hints at some [[{{Nepotism}} very ugly reasons]] for her increasingly larger role.
36* CreepyAwesome: [[spoiler:Odin]] appears first in terrifying visions of Ragnar's. Then, [[spoiler: when he appears to the Ragnarssons, his coming is heralded by swarms of ravens, he walks through a crowded Kattegat apparently unseen by any others, and his appearance [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness terrifies or disturbs the usually unflappable Ivar]].]]
37* CrossesTheLineTwice: The execution of [[spoiler:Earl Siegfried]] by the Franks. He requests that someone holds his hair so that the executioner can make a clear cut. Count Odo consents, and a Frankish soldier kneels to hold his hair. But the moment before the axe hits [[spoiler:Siegfried]]... he pulls his head back, so that the poor soldier's hands [[AnArmAndALeg get below the axe and chopped]] instead. Cue the soldier crying in excruciating pain, the mob of Franks outraged and horrified, Sinric barely holding a chuckle and [[spoiler:Siegfried]] laughing hysterically. He's executed shortly after anyway, but points for being DefiantToTheEnd.
38* DarkAndTroubledPast: We never truly learn much about Ragnar and Rollo's upbringing, but their terrible brotherly dynamic suggests they did not grow up in a loving household.
39* DesignatedHero:
40** The Vikings as a whole, at least Kattegat under the Lothbroks. While the show does not (mostly) shy away from the fact the protagonists murder and rob people, with the exception of King Alfred, their opponents are painted as worse. But on a macro level, all of the Norse as a culture endorse the plundering of other peoples. With the exception of the Rus (who are part viking anyway) the other cultures are not shown doing anything evil. The one exception being West Saxons committing genocide against the Norse colony.
41** Lagertha from season 4B and onwards. Though the earlier seasons actually gave her lots of positive qualities, in season 4B she is written to have developed a deep hatred for [[DesignatedVillain Aslaug]], which ends up with her [[spoiler: invading Kattegat, shooting Aslaug in the back after she surrendered]], torturing a man by barbecuing him alive and is later seen drinking from his skull and tries to prevent Floki from taking settlers to Iceland by force.
42* DifficultySpike:
43** While the Vikings outfight and outwit the Northumbrians fairly easily, they find themselves significantly more challenged by the forces of Wessex. They can still outfight them, but outwitting them is the problem, and the West Saxons don't fight fair, either.
44** Count Odo gives the Vikings a good match. It becomes even more difficult when Rollo joins the Franks.
45* DracoInLeatherPants:
46** Earl Haraldson; in Episodes 1-5, he displays extreme cruelty and pettiness. Among other things, he has a man unjustly executed and desecrates his body over a personal grudge, has one of his men killed for trying to sleep with his wife after he himself gives permission for it to happen, has his henchmen kill a thirteen year old boy, attempts to assassinate the MainCharacters (succeeding in killing at least one of them), launches a full on raid on Ragnar's village, slaughtering dozens just to get one man, and brutally tortures Rollo. However his death scene is so epic and so well acted that it managed to shift many people's opinion of him to AntiVillain.
47** Rollo in Season 2. A combination of WalkingShirtlessScene, Badass, and the fact he's now officially a [[TheBerserker berserker]] may be the reason.
48** Lagertha has developed into one as of Season 5, if not Season 4. Despite her pettiness, hypocrisy, and the like, her fans continue to put her on a pedestal.
49* EnsembleDarkhorse:
50** Athelstan is pretty well liked for being one of the few morally sound characters on the show, and many fans enjoyed following his journey as an outsider learning more about the Norse culture.
51** Erik is incredibly popular with the fandom. Primarily as a result of copious badassery, one-hit kills, and a stellar performance by Vladimir Kulich.
52** King Ecbert has gained his fair share of admirers for his effective leadership, respect for pagan cultures, and for being the first non-Norse antagonist to give the Vikings a serious challenge.
53** Halfdan the Black is at first introduced as SatelliteCharacter to Harald Finehair, his older brother and soon-to-be King of Norway. But when he decides to leave his brother to join Bjorn's trip to the Mediterranean sea, he shows off his HiddenDepths as a surprisingly introspective person who doesn't really share the GloryHound attitude of his brother and wishes a different fate for himself. When him and Bjorn return from the trip, [[spoiler:Halfdan has grown to respect Bjorn so much that decides to side with him rather than his brother when the civil war in Kattegat begins, and while at first he claims to have done so just because Bjorn saved his life, he finally admits that it's because he desires much more in life than fighting for "[[CelebrityIsOverrated pointless glory]]". His unexpected CharacterDevelopment, and the TearJerker moment that is when he's slain by his own brother Harald in battle, made him incredibly beloved by the fanbase]].
54* EpilepticTrees: Ragnar Lodbrok was never a very important character in Norway, but after this show premiered he has gained a PeripheryDemographic in Norway who are ''sure'' that he is Norwegian because there are ''Fjords'' in Kattegatt! Never mind that the show also depicts fjords in Uppsala and Hedeby. Ragnar Lodbrok is described in the Sagas as Swedish or Danish or a mixture of the two, but never Norwegian.
55* FanNickname:
56** Swollo for Rollo
57** [[Advertising/TheBurgerKing Burger King]] for Emperor Charles
58** Asslaug, for those who do not like Aslaug.
59** Earl Siegfried ''the Troll'', from his SignatureScene when he's [[spoiler:about to get beheaded by the Franks, requests to have his hair held so the executioner can make a clear cut, then pulls his head back as the axe falls, causing the poor Frankish mook to lose his hands instead.]]
60* FriendlyFandoms: With ''Series/TheLastKingdom'', another historical drama set in the same time period and setting (9th century DarkAgeEurope).
61* GeniusBonus:
62** There's a scene in Season 5b where Bjorn, having learned of Ubbe's decision to convert to Christianity, angrily questions whether he's Ragnar's son at all. Unlike Bjorn Ironside, Ivar the Boneless, Hvitserk and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, Ubbe is not mentioned at all in the Scandinavia sources like Ragnarssaga Lodbrokar or Ragnarssonar Thattr. In fact, despite being associated with Ivar the Boneless in English historiography, he's never mentioned as being related to him or to Ragnar Lothbrok. The primary references to Ubbe as Ragnar's son come from the Gesta Danorum, the same mediaeval Danish source from where Lagertha is derived, thus making Ubbe a CanonForeigner insofar as the sons of Ragnar as concerned.
63** A subtle detail about the friendship between Ivar the Boneless and prince Igor: they have the same name, both variations from the Norse name Ingvar. "Ivar" is believed to have been a shortening, or at least a separate name that was conflated with the former due to their similarity (and Ivar the Boneless ''is'' attested in some sources as "Ingvar"). "Igor" is instead the East Slavic rendition of Ingvar.
64* GrowingTheBeard: The first season showed that the network could do scripted drama and manage to look and feel like more than your typical hour long docu-type history lesson for which the channel is known. The second season upped the ante in terms of storytelling and production value turning a good series into an epic, while still maintaining realism.
65* HarsherInHindsight:
66** Princess Kwenthrith's sexual proclivity is initially played for laughs -- then we find out that she was repeatedly raped by her uncle, brother, and their companions from the age of ''six''. Sexual trauma can manifest in many strange and contradictory ways, and her promiscuity is clearly the result of the abuse heaped on her as a child.
67** [[spoiler:Ubbe's group succeeds in peacefully living together with the Miꞌkmaq in Newfoundland, in what seems at first the only occurence of EarnYourHappyEnding in the CrapsackWorld that had been ''Vikings'' in the previous six seasons; while Naad murdering a native tribesman [[BittersweetEnding destroys this harmony]] in a way that isn't easily undone, Ubbe and the other Norse are very adamant about punishing him, to make it clear the cycle of revenge they left behind in Scandinavia will not start over in their new home. All of this becomes much more dramatic considering how, in the Age of Colonization, Europeans chose to puruse destructive, genocidial policies towards the First Nations, in a way that had no precedents in history. No matter Ubbe's good intention in ''Vikings'', viewers are painfully aware that the peace he tried to build eventually didn't last]].
68* HilariousInHindsight:
69** The Edison Marshall novel ''The Viking'' featured a one-eyed bear whom the protagonist Ogier called "Ragnar's Brother." Fast forward to this show, where Ragnar actually does have a brother with a bear motif.
70** The Vikings issue of comic book series "The World Around Us", a series from the 1960's, featured a Hrafna-Floki Vilgerdarson that bears an uncanny resemblance to Gustaf Skarsgard who portrays the same figure in this series.
71* HoYay:
72** Ragnar and Athelstan. When Ragnar first finds Athelstan, he pushes him up against a wall and gets in real close. Later, Ragnar and Lagertha invite Athelstan to have a threesome. After Ragnar fails to maneuver Athelstan into getting sacrificed at Uppsala, their friendship becomes increasingly close and emotional. When Athelstan chooses to stay with Horik over returning to Kattegat, Ragnar feels spurned, and even tells Athelstan that he loves him, though other Vikings express their love for close platonic friends. When [[spoiler:Athelstan dies, Ragnar mourns him, personally buries him, dreams of speaking to him again, and even gets baptized so that he can meet him again in Heaven]].
73** And then there's the scene where Ragnar and Ecbert discuss a possible alliance while in the bathtub together, particularly the part when Ecbert stares at Ragnar as he undresses.
74** And, of course, Floki's anger over how much Ragnar trusts Athelstan causes him to behave almost like a jealous lover at times.
75** Ivar and Bishop Heahmund. Much like his father, Ivar seems to have a fascination with a Christian priest. He's shown to be impressed with Bishop Heahmund's battle prowess and becomes so fascinated with him that this Viking who hates Christians actually keeps him alive, drags him back to Norway, and has philosophical debates while convincing him to fight for the Vikings. Heahmund for his part seems to be impressed with Ivar's strategic skills and how brutal he is. Hirst even said in interviews that there is an instant connection between the two of them when they first lay eyes on each other.
76* IKnewIt:
77** Anyone who remembered Ragnar's death in the saga and the Seer's prophecy knew that Ragnar was not actually dying during the siege of Paris.
78** Fans correctly guessed that [[spoiler:Hvitserk]] was the one that would kill [[spoiler: Lagertha]].
79* JerkassWoobie:
80** Earl Haraldson kicks plenty of dogs, but he's also spent quite a lot of time mourning the horrific deaths of his sons and heirs. His death scene in particular makes it clear that while he is a petty tyrant who will kill innocents and torture men without regret, he's become so because he is a weary and deeply unhappy man who, in the end, welcomes death and smiles for the first and last time in the series as he dies.
81** To some, Jarl Borg can come off as either this or a DesignatedVillain. There's no question that he's an underhanded and ruthless warrior, [[GreyAndGreyMorality but that really doesn't make him any worse than the Main Characters ]]. Horik dislikes him because of a long-standing dispute over land between them, but it's impossible to tell who was in the right on that one. Ragnar hates him because of his invasion and brief occupation of Kattegat. However, that assault was only in response to King Horik backing out of their alliance at the last possible moment, for petty reasons -- which, given the relinquishment of his claim to Horik's land rested on Ragnar's promise of Western booty, [[ValuesDissonance was more or less an appropriate response by the laws of the time and the place]]. After Ragnar takes back his home and apparently forgives him, Borg swiftly admits that Ragnar is the better person, and genuinely seems open to making amends. However, [[spoiler:this was all a cruel ploy on the part of Ragnar, who captures him and carves the Blood Eagle on him]]. These factors, combined with his tragic backstory and [[spoiler:an absolutely epic Face Death With Dignity]] scene, can make it seem like all the hate he gets from the MainCharacters and portions of the fandom isn't ''completely'' merited.
82** Kwenthrith has this in Season 3. She's a murderess and a schemer (again, that's barely worse than many other characters), but her life has been a TraumaCongaLine since she was six years old.
83** Aethelwulf. He's a [[TheFundamentalist fundamentalist]], sure. But he seems to be suffering from some serious paternal issues. Over the course of the show, he finds himself slowly supplanted in the esteem of his wife and even his own father by Athelstan, is treated by [[ManipulativeBastard Ecbert]] as a disposable pawn, his wife [[spoiler:cheats on him with Athelstan, which is made ''worse'' by the fact that Ecbert chooses that son to groom as his heir, before she cheats on him with ''Ecbert'',]], and by the end, Ecbert can only stare blankly when Aethelwulf asks if his father loves him. Oh, yeah, and some Norsemen are invading and pillaging his entire kingdom too. Kind of makes you want to give him a hug. It helps that he shows genuinely redeeming qualities, such as his [[GoodParents inconditionate love for Alfred]] [[spoiler:who was born out of the aforementioned infidelty.]]
84* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: [[spoiler:Trailers for Season 2 seemed to imply that Floki would be killed in battle by Rollo. Given the character's popularity, many fans suspected that this wouldn't be the case]].
85* LoveToHate: Ivar the Boneless. No matter the amount of FreudianExcuse and EvenEvilHasLovedOnes moments he's capable of, he remains one of the vilest, [[BloodKnight most cruel]], insane and [[TheDreaded dreaded]] character in the whole series. But his cunning, his {{Determinator}} attitude in spite of his disability, not to mention Alex Høgh Andersen's stellar performance and good looks, made him a huge fan favourite and arguably ''the'' most legendary son of Ragnar.
86* MagnificentBastard:
87** [[AntiHero Ragnar Lothbrok]] is a bold young Viking who schemes his way into being challenged by Earl Haraldson of Kattegat to kill him and take his place. As the Earl, Ragnar faces threats from men such as Jarl Borg and King Horik of Denmark, but manipulates, betrays and destroys them too, in the case of Horik even allowing the king to believe he has turned Ragnar's allies against him before revealing they were secretly Ragnar's spies against Horik. Even managing to sack Paris by faking his own death so his "body" will be brought before the rulers so he can take Princess Gisla hostage and force the city's gates open. Ragnar becomes broken in his later years, but schemes to create a new Viking age by turning himself over to the Saxons for execution so his sons will avenge his death, achieving everything he sets out to accomplish. A cunning, ruthless, occasionally brutal man who is dangerous to friend and foe alike, Ragnar exemplifies both the best and worst of the Viking age.
88** [[CulturedBadass King Ecbert]] is the ambitious ruler of Wessex who, upon learning of the Viking's invasion into Wessex, causes their retreat by orchestrating a devastating counter attack. Ecbert forms a truce with Ragnar Lothbrok and allows his Northmen to farm in his kingdom, where he has his son trick the lords into attacking the Northmen's settlements, allowing Ecbert to arrest them for treason and take their lands for himself. Allying with the queen of Mercia, Kwenthrith, Ecbert kills her to take over her kingdom. Complying in Ragnar's wishes to be handed over to King Aelle to be executed on the promise that Ecbert will be spared from Ragnar's sons' vengeance, Ecbert, well aware that Ragnar would have his sons attack him too, hands over his crown and power to his son before the Vikings arrive, where Ecbert fools them into believing that he's giving them land before convincing them to allow himself to choose his own death.
89* MemeticHair: With his hair, Halfdan the Black looks like he is going to drop the darkest album of the Dark Ages.
90* {{Narm}}:
91** Kwenthrith's obsession with sex and tendency to hit on anything with a penis can come off as unintentionally goofy and over the top. Some of her scenes are, however, played for comedy.
92** Lagertha arriving at Kattegat at the end of ''Ragnarok'' to proclaim Bjorn king feels like it come from either a fairy tale or a soap opera.
93** As mentioned below, due to aging make-up being practically non-existent, it can be quite ridiculous to take seriously mother-son interactions such as Lagertha and Bjorn or Judith and Alfred. The actors in questions are just a decade younger than their respective mothers' actresses, making it look like they're siblings, if not downright husband and wife. Up to discussion whether the narmiest example is Judith for having no aging make-up at all, or Lagertha for having literally just her hair dyed white and nothing else.
94* NightmareRetardant: The Icelandic explorers being caught in a storm and the appearance of fucking [[EldritchAbomination Jörmungandr]] would be horrific. If not for the [[NeverWorkWithChildrenOrAnimals severe underacting from the child actor playing Ása]] who should be [[GoMadFromTheRevelation freaking out upon seeing what is essentially]] [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos the Norse version of Cthulu]] but reacts as if a glass of water has been flipped over.
95* OlderThanTheyThink:
96** The transferring of one of Aslaug's sons to another wife of Ragnar was previously seen in the Edison Marshall novel ''Literature/TheViking'' were Ivar was made the son of Thora and Hasting the son of the fictional Judith.
97** Ragnar interacting with Rollo was previously seen in the French comic book series ''Ragnar the Viking''. It didn't even stop with Rollo. Leif Erikson was included in as well.
98** Ealhswith developing feelings for a Norseman originates in the 1969 film ''Alfred the Great'' where she developed feelings for Guthrum.
99* OneSceneWonder:
100** Tostig appears in several scenes in two episodes, but has little more than 5 minutes of screentime. Still many consider him one of the most memorable characters in the entire show.
101** The singing slave girl who is about to be sacrificed.
102** More of a "one episode wonder," as it goes on for a bit more than one scene, but a random Mercian soldier in ''Kill the Queen'' gives Aethelwulf a fight and a half , with an arrow wound in his leg to boot.
103* OT3: Athelstan/Ragnar/Lagertha. This is almost ''canon''.
104* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: Aslaug. While she still has a few haters who'll never forgive her for breaking up Ragnar and Lagertha, her portrayal in the third and fourth seasons has changed a lot of negative opinions about her. In Season 2, she was made out to be smart, utterly righteous, and incapable of doing wrong, despite being harsh, a tad bit selfish, and possessing a cruel side, not to mention some questionable decisions and truly stupid comments. In Seasons 3 and 4, she is a more competent regent for her husband when he is away at war, and though her personality hasn't really changed much, her treatment in the show is now reflecting who she is -- a complicated woman with both good points and bad points, like all the other Vikings -- instead of making her out to be something she's not. [[spoiler:It helps her cause that after Ragnar's death, Lagertha pulls a power play on her. Aslaug comports herself with total dignity when Lagertha bullies her off of her throne and basically murders her in cold blood. While Aslaug's back is turned.]]
105* RonTheDeathEater:
106** Aslaug. Many fans are willing to paint her as a home-wrecker or a spoiled brat when in fact she is far from either.
107** Lagertha. On this show about a bunch of thieves, rapists and murderers, where virtuous main characters are few and far between at best, Lagertha had picked up a vicious and vocal hatedom that rages against her every time she does something as ruthless as the [[FanMyopia other members of the cast]]. She still has many devoted fans, though.
108* RootingForTheEmpire:
109** Given this is a series about [[AntiHero a bunch of rapist marauders scorching wherever they go to the ground]], it's quite common for people to be rooting for the Saxons. [[spoiler:However, Season 3 has shown us that, when given the chance, the Saxons are similar when it comes to RapePillageAndBurn]].
110** Season 3 when the MainCharacters lay siege to Paris. Quite a few viewers find themselves cheering for the Franks [[spoiler:when the first Viking assault on the city is pushed back with heavy losses]].
111* TheScrappy:
112** Aslaug is disliked by fans for supplanting Lagertha on the show, who is popular for her ActionGirl characteristics. Aslaug is one of the few non-combatant female characters, has character flaws related to her privileged upbringing, and generally doesn't do anything exciting. By Season 3, however, Lagertha has re-emerged, and Aslaug is relegated to staying behind at Kattegat, so she is no longer considered a poor replacement for Lagertha.
113** Thorunn was likable in Season 2 in her journey from slave girl to action girl, but mid-way through Season 3 things take a sharp turn downwards; after receiving a nasty scar in battle, she becomes consumed with self-pity, and convinced that Bjorn won't want to be with her anymore even though he obviously still loves her. Her driving him away and [[spoiler: eventually abandoning their child to Aslaug's care]] due to her own {{wangst}} killed her popularity and ended her up here.
114* {{Squick}}: Harbard, who is suspected of being Odin in disguise, seducing Aslaug, who is one of his descendants.
115* SeasonalRot: Depends on whom you ask, but many people feel that the civil war storyline between Ragnar's sons in Seasons 4 and 5 drags on quite a bit. Added to the mix are complaints regarding the [[HollywoodTactics later battle scenes]], romance subplots such as that between Lagertha and Heahmund or Bjorn and any given women he sets his eyes on, the curveball about Rollo and Lagertha's prior relationship, and the slow-burn that is the Iceland subplot. Overall, after GrowingTheBeard, the show's peak is generally somewhere between Seasons 2-4. It's not rare to find people who think the show is simply not worth watching without Ragnar.
116* SpiritualLicensee:
117** Some people consider this show to be an adaptation of ''Manga/VinlandSaga'' and ''ComicBook/{{Northlanders}}'' due to its historical fiction (with "few" liberties) and Norse theme.
118** Some also considered it to be one of Bernard Cornwell's ''Literature/TheSaxonStories'' or Giles Kristian's ''Raven Saga'', at least until the former got [[Series/TheLastKingdom its own adaptation]] in 2015.
119** The show has recently gotten a video game adaptation of sorts in the form of ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedValhalla'' since it shares the same setting and characters. Both works even have [[Music/{{Wardruna}} Einar Selvik]] as a composer for their respective soundtracks. And the similarities come full circle with the ''Vikings'' sequel series subtitled ''[[Series/VikingsValhalla Valhalla]]'' just like the game.
120** Besides ''AC Valhalla'', ''VideoGame/ThronesOfBritanniaATotalWarSaga'' is another example of what a video game adaptation of ''Vikings'' could look like given that it has the same time period and its playable factions are similar to their counterparts in the show.
121* StrangledByTheRedString: Lagertha and Bishop Heahmund. The two of them seemed to be mashed together without any real chemistry simply because the show needed to fulfill their romance for the season with two pretty people. Lagertha decides to spare his life, flat-out saying ''she doesn't even know why''. The dialogue between them is as corny as it if had come from a ''[[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Twilight]]'' novel, with Heahmund stating he feels he's known her his whole life about five minutes after they first meet, and completely forsaking his previous character as a devout warrior from God by declaring he's going to pledge his life to Lagertha after they sleep together ''once.'' Considering that Heahmund was written with a bigger role in mind, but his actor Creator/JonathanRhysMeyers had to leave the show for personal reasons and his character got KilledByRequest, it wouldn't be implausible that said romance would have worked better had the show got the chance of developing Heahmund's character as originally planned.
122* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
123** [[spoiler:Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye]] is perhaps the worst case of DemotedToExtra of the show. In the Sagas, [[spoiler: Sigurd is not killed by Ivar but rather marries one of Aelle's daughters and returns to Denmark to take Ragnar's place as king, while his brothers continue raiding and conquering abroad. Seeing Sigurd, who the show characterized as TheResenter, TheUnfavorite who suffered from MiddleChildSyndrome, and perhaps the least likely out of his brothers to inherit the kingdom actually step into the role and deal with the trails of ruling could have made for a very compelling character arc, whether he failed or succeeded.]]
124** There was much ballyhoo for Jonathan Rhys-Myers joining the cast in Season 5 as Bishop Heahmund, a zealous warrior-monk who would lead the fight of Christendom against the pagan Viking invaders. However, Heahmund proves to be a fairly underwhelming opponent and gets defeated rather easily. He spends a lot of his remaining screen time in a rather unpopular romance with Lagertha and is ultimately killed without ever really accomplishing much in the story. As mentioned above, it didn't help that Jonathan Rhys-Myers had to leave the show earlier than planned.
125** [[spoiler: Magnus ended up serving no purpose to the plot what so ever with. The show could have developed his relationship with Bjorn more, made something out of Magnus flip-flopping between Norse paganism and Christianity and his desire for revenge. Perhaps Bjorn could have performed the rite of passage ceremony and given him an armring as a parallel to Ubbe's baptism? Maybe he could have taken on a new name? Like Guthrum and filled out the role of the historical Guthrum?]]
126** Prince Oleg starts out in his first two episodes as quite interesting villain with a lot on internal turmoil and the idea that he is some sort of religious figure. You can't wait to see how he develops further... Only he does not. For the rest of the series he is a somewhat random villain that is still held up due to the massive threat he posses. But when he finally launches his invasion it is resolved in two episodes after which all danger he posed has vanished. He only get's to glimmer a bit again in his death scene, and that is most thanks to [[TookTheBadFilmSeriously Danila Kozlovsky playing his heart out despite the horrible text he has to perform]].
127** Kweintrith gets killed just as she displays characteristics beyond being a cartoonish cackling madwoman.
128* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot:
129** In the sagas, the princess Harald had the hots for was named Gyda. Just like Ragnar's daughter in the show. Now here is a thought for you: what if the princess Harald fell hard for was Ragnar's Gyda? In Season 2, she would have become a young woman in her mid-teens. Then this young, eager Viking shows up and falls for her. It's Harald before he had fine hair. Gyda is not impressed by the young Harald. So Harald interprets it that he must live up to Ragnar and the best way to do that is become king of all of Norway.
130** The entire Rus-plot could have been way more interesting if Oleg wanted Ivar help him capture Kiev from Askold and Dir to unite the Rus-Kingdoms and then mount an attack on Constantinople, like Oleg did in the Nestor Chronicle. The dynamic between Oleg, Ivar, and Igor could have been the same but could have lead to a much more interesting climax of the series which had been very west focused before and gone full circle with Ivar making something out of the raids to the east that his father felt was useless.
131** Gaels are nowhere to be seen in the entire series, and that's despite the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse%E2%80%93Gaels close relationship]] between them and the Norse. To make it worse, many historians argue that the viking leader Ímar, founder of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U%C3%AD_%C3%8Dmair Uí Ímair]] dynasty, one of the most powerful among Norse-Gaels, was actually ''Ivar the Boneless'' himself![[note]]although not all historians agree on this connection[[/note]]. For added irony, the series was mostly shot in Ireland and features lots of Irish actors who engage in FakeNationality. Recreating medieval Ireland/Scotland and writing a story arc connected to Ragnar's family would have been the easiest thing for the production.
132* TooBleakStoppedCaring: Given that our heroes are a group of enthusiastic raiders and power-hungry warlords, it's easy for some viewers to be turned off by having little in the way of traditionally good characters to root for.
133* TooCoolToLive:
134** Let's see, Erik... Badass warrior? Imposingly big and tall? Beard of a grizzly bear? Has one-hit kill as a default? Cool voice? Played by Creator/VladimirKulich? Got top-billing (in the guest starring part of the ending credits anyway)? Nope. Sorry. You're so awesome, you might overshadow the main character. So... off to Odin's Hall with you.
135** For that matter, pretty much everybody in Ragnar's original band. Even Torstein, whom you thought would be safe having survived two seasons, ends up getting killed early on in Season 3.
136* TragicMistake: There's an argument to be made that most of the series' troubles flow from Ragnar choosing to divorce Lagertha so he could try having kids with Aslaug. While this did give him the legendary sons he wanted, it led to him being miserable, stuck with a woman he didn't love, alienated from the woman he did love, and losing the trust of the son he already had. He ultimately wasn't a very present father, and his bad marriage also created much grief for his sons, as they felt forced to take sides and ended up fighting each other ''for years'' because of it. If Ragnar had stayed with Lagertha they might've just had the one son, but he would've had a happy marriage, a son who trusted him, and could've still accomplished everything he wanted as an adventurer. But of course if he had, we would not have Literature/RagnarLodbrokAndHisSons.
137** If you really get into it, Ragnar might've even still had more kids. Lagertha wasn't necessarily opposed to sharing him with someone. But Aslaug's choice to stroll into Lagertha's hometown and flaunt her name, servants and wealth ''on top of'' how Lagertha's husband had impregnated her was a disrespect too far. If they'd stayed together and someone less high-status had come along, they might've revisited the idea.
138* WeHardlyKnewYe: Erik (Vladimir Kulich) dies in the fourth episode. You may recognize him from previous badass Viking roles like [[Film/TheThirteenthWarrior Buliwyf]] and [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Ulfric Stormcloak]], or just generally badass roles like the Swede from ''Smoking Aces''.
139* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: The show is broadcast on History Channel, a network that built its name on family-friendly documentary productions. While not all affiliates of History air the uncensored version, the show is still considerably more raunchy and violent than the usual History series, and if families get their hands on the uncut DVD/Blu-ray without doing some research, they're in for a surprise.
140* WholePlotReference: The way Floki supports Ragnar and how they drift apart is one whole story ShoutOut to the relationship between Loki and Odin.
141* TheWoobie:
142** Athelstan, who has seen his home burned down, is mistreated by his Viking masters and has to endure having his beliefs and his god ridiculed by them. [[TheChewToy And that's just the beginning of his troubles.]]
143** Torvi, Jarl Borg's far younger widow, has crap heaped on her by the bucketful through absolutely no fault of her own. [[spoiler: Even now that she lives with Bjorn, things aren't exactly peachy. He's never abusive, but after his experiences in the wilderness he is a scary and distant man. Add to that her child is still at Hedeby with Erlendur, who is absolutely willing to use the child as a bargaining chip.]]
144** Helga, Floki's wife, is one of the few characters who is universally kind and considerate, yet she lives a hard life. She weathers Floki's various self-destructive inclinations, loses a daughter and ultimately [[spoiler:tries to adopt a surrogate daughter in a mad attempt to fill her life with meaning, but is too desperate for love to realize the child is a traumatized hostage who hates her and ultimately murders her]].
145* TheWoobie: Hvitserk becomes this in [[spoiler:the first half of Season 6, during which he's haunted by the trauma of Thora's death, for which he blames himself, and resorts to drinking and mushrooms to numb the pain]].
146* WritersCannotDoMath: Now, no exact number of years is given for the Season 4 time skip, but we know that after the skip Magnus is 12. Ivar was born roughly a year before Magnus, making him 13 after the time skip. The same age as Bjorn at the beginning of Season 2...
147* WTHCostumingDepartment: The timeline of the show spans a period of several decades, during which we see several characters growing up from childhood to adulthood, or getting older. The problem is that aging make-up is barely used at all, and when it is, it doesn't go much beyond having the characters look slightly more rugged and battered. This results, for example, in the awkward sight of Ragnar talking to his sons and supposed to look like an old man, but just appearing as unkempt and dirty. The worst offender to this are Lagertha and Judith. The former only gets her hair dyed white, without a single wrinkle on her face. The latter just... gets nothing. She retains the same aspect from the moment she's pregnant with Alfred to the moment he becomes a young adult. Because of this, it can be quite difficult to take seriously scenes of characters interacting with their "parents".

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