| 1 | !The Danes |
| 2 | |
| 3 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 4 | |
| 5 | !!!Household of Ragnar the Fearless |
| 6 | |
| 7 | [[folder:Ragnar the Fearless]] |
| 8 | !!Earl Ragnar the Fearless |
| 9 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ragnar.jpg]] |
| 10 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Peter Gantzler |
| 11 | |
| 12 | A formidable and infamous Danish warlord, Earl Ragnar is fearless, charming, and a natural leader — but also a warm-hearted family man. Devoted to his son, Ragnar the Younger, he doesn't hesitate to also take Uhtred under his wing, seeing spark and courage in the Saxon boy. Uhtred sees Ragnar as his true father. |
| 13 | ---- |
| 14 | * ActionDad: The two traits that seem to define Ragnar the most are his skill as a warrior and his devotion to his family. |
| 15 | * DeadpanSnarker: He seems to have inherited a dry sense of humor from Ravn. When Sven protests that he only stripped Thyra half-naked, Ragnar turns to Uhtred who confirms it. Ragnar's response to this is that he will thus only take one eye as punishment. |
| 16 | * DecapitationPresentation: [[spoiler:He presents Lord Uhtred with the head of his oldest son.]] |
| 17 | * DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:Ragnar goes out charging at his enemies while ''on fire''. He died as he lived: a solid badass.]] |
| 18 | * EyeScream: As punishment for Sven's attack on Thyra, he knocks the kid's eye out. |
| 19 | * ManOnFire: [[spoiler:Ragnar dies after his hall is set on fire with him inside, but it doesn't stop him from charging at his foes.]] |
| 20 | * MercyKill: [[spoiler:He kills his wife to save her from being raped/taken as a slave/killed slowly by Kjartan.]] |
| 21 | * NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Ragnar the ''Fearless''. |
| 22 | * PapaWolf: He's fiercely protective of his children. He reacts violently to Sven's mistreatment of his daughter, then adopts Uhtred and comes to think of him as a second son when he learns that Uhtred defended Thyra (and delivered quite a beatdown to Sven). He also encourages Uhtred to pursue a relationship with Brida before some other young man snaps her up. |
| 23 | * ShipperOnDeck: He supports a relationship between his adoptive wards Uhtred and Brida. |
| 24 | [[/folder]] |
| 25 | |
| 26 | [[folder:Ravn]] |
| 27 | !!Ravn |
| 28 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ravn.jpg]] |
| 29 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/RutgerHauer |
| 30 | |
| 31 | Earl Ragnar's elderly father, Ravn, is a 'skald' (a Viking poet and wise man). Given his considerable life experience, he is philosophical about the struggles of the Danes and is able to impart his wisdom to young Uhtred, who often acts as the eyes of blind Ravn. |
| 32 | ---- |
| 33 | * BetterToDieThanBeKilled: He and his daughter in-law allow themselves to be stabbed to death rather then burn alive or be killed by Kjartan’s men. |
| 34 | * BlindSeer: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed,]] but he is blind and able to tell more from simply tasting the water of the river than Ragnar and Kjartan with their eyes. |
| 35 | * CoolOldGuy: He was once a formidable viking himself and in retirement still gives advice and jokes to those who will listen. |
| 36 | * DeadpanSnarker: His age and blindness have not dulled his wit. |
| 37 | * DeadStarWalking: Rutger Hauer is one of the bigger names of the cast. He dies very early on. |
| 38 | * ThePhilosopher: Most of his scenes involve him waxing philosophical about the Danes and their lifestyle. |
| 39 | * RetiredBadass: He is a former Earl and raider himself, and now advises his son. |
| 40 | * WarriorPoet: As a Danish skald, he embodies this concept. |
| 41 | [[/folder]] |
| 42 | |
| 43 | !!!Household of Ragnar the Younger |
| 44 | |
| 45 | [[folder:Ragnar the Younger]] |
| 46 | !!Ragnar the Younger |
| 47 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ragnar_1.jpg]] |
| 48 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Tobias Santelmann |
| 49 | |
| 50 | Uhtred’s Danish brother Ragnar the Younger is brave, loyal and fair, and will come to Uhtred’s aid when he’s most needed, despite struggling with his brother’s enduring loyalty to Alfred and the Saxon cause. Ragnar and Brida are now Alfred’s hostages, but Ragnar knows he must fulfil his destiny by avenging his father’s death at the hands of Kjartan the Cruel. |
| 51 | ---- |
| 52 | * BarbarianHero: Ragnar is a true viking cut from the same cloth as his father. |
| 53 | * BigBrotherInstinct: Towards Uhtred and Thyra. |
| 54 | * BigDamnHeroes: Arrives just in time to save Uhtred from Sven One-Eye. |
| 55 | * {{Cincinnatus}}: He doesn't really want the power of Dunholm, he just wants to kill Kjartan and avenge his family. |
| 56 | * CoDragons: Becomes one to Guthrum with Skorpa of the White Horse in Episode 8. |
| 57 | * DueToTheDead: [[spoiler: Uhtred and Brida spend the latter part of Season 3 trying to find a way to let Ragnar pass from Niflheim to Valhalla after his murder. Uhtred accomplishes this for his brother by killing Aethelwold]]. |
| 58 | * ExtremeMeleeRevenge: [[spoiler: On Kjartan. In fact, Ragnar goes so far that even Brida is unnerved by it, and Uhtred has to pull Ragnar off Kjartan's corpse to make it stop.]] |
| 59 | * HeroicComedicSociopath: [[AntiHero Anti-heroic at least.]] This is best exemplified by his BlackComedy exchange with Abbot Eadred. |
| 60 | -->'''Eadred''': [Gisela] is married and it cannot be undone. |
| 61 | -->'''Ragnar''': [[MurderTheHypotenuse Make her a widow]]. ''[cue a MassOhCrap from Eadred and his cronies]'' |
| 62 | * HeroicSecondWind: Kjartan's [[IShallTauntYou vicious taunting]] [[RelativeButton about his family's death]] only [[NiceJobFixingItVillain end up giving Ragnar the revenge-fuelled rage he needs to win]]. |
| 63 | * LittleNo: In the Season 1 finale, when it becomes clear that Guthrum won't fight on, convinced by the death of Skorpa the Saxons have God on their side, Ragnar dismisses Guthrum with one of these and throws himself back into the battle. |
| 64 | -->'''Ragnar''': Lord, what are your orders?! Lord! |
| 65 | -->'''Guthrum''': Did you see that? It came as the priest said. [[FaithHeelTurn Their god is with them]]. |
| 66 | -->'''Ragnar''': [[VillainousBreakdown So what are your orders?!]] ''(realises Guthrum won't fight)'' No, lord. |
| 67 | * PummellingTheCorpse: [[spoiler: Keeps hacking and chopping at Kjartan long after he's clearly dead]]. |
| 68 | * TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: In Season 3, [[spoiler: after Aethelwold's meddling drive Uhtred away for good, Ragnar turns on Aethelwold, calling him out for being TheManipulator and TheCorrupter, all while [[NoHoldsBarredBeatDown beating the shit out of Aethelwold]].]] |
| 69 | -->'''Ragnar''': You drip poison in every ear! You smear ''everything'' around you with shit! |
| 70 | * SecondLove: To Brida. |
| 71 | * UndignifiedDeath: [[spoiler: Aethelwold kills him in his bed while he has no weapon, dooming him to Niflheim. Ultimately averted, as Uhtred killing Aethelwold should let him pass on to Valhalla]]. |
| 72 | * WeNeedADistraction: In the siege of Dunholm, Ragnar and Brida lead a frontal attack to keep Kjartan focused on them so he won't notice Uhtred and a small force infiltrating the fortress to sabotage its defences. |
| 73 | * YouKilledMyFather: He's set his sights on Kjartan for murdering Ragnar the Fearless. [[spoiler:In Season 2, he successfully extracts revenge in a very brutal manner.]] |
| 74 | [[/folder]] |
| 75 | |
| 76 | [[folder:Brida]] |
| 77 | !!Brida |
| 78 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brida.jpg]] |
| 79 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Emily Cox |
| 80 | |
| 81 | Alongside Uhtred, Brida is captured as a child and raised by Danes. Brida and Uhtred's similar fates bind them as kindred spirits; the two become best friends and lovers. Fearless, gutsy, outspoken, and a born fighter, Brida immediately feels at home in the boisterous world of the Danes. |
| 82 | ---- |
| 83 | * AdaptationalHeroism: “Heroism” is not an entirely accurate word. But the Brida of the TV show is ''far'' more sympathetic than the Brida of the later books in the series. The Brida of the show is shown to still care for Uhtred is some way right up to [[spoiler:her death]]. In the books, Brida vanishes for a while, and when she shows up again she is a creature of cruelty and malice, with whatever affection she once had for Uhtred nothing more than a faint memory. |
| 84 | * AssShove: [[spoiler:She shoves a branch up Storri's arse; he's not exactly undeserving of such treatment.]] |
| 85 | * AxCrazy: Her behaviour in the latter part of Season 4 definitely falls into this. |
| 86 | * BoomerangBigot: By Season 4, she has developed a burning hatred of Saxons. That she herself is a Saxon captured and raised by Danes doesn't deter her in the slightest. |
| 87 | * ChildhoodFriendRomance: With Uhtred. They were raised together, and become lovers as adults. They later end this relationship, and she becomes Ragnar's wife. |
| 88 | * CruelMercy: [[spoiler: In Season 3, after Ragnar's death, she bluntly tells Uhtred that the only reason she won't kill him is because she wants him to live with the guilt and the pain of having failed his brother]]. |
| 89 | -->'''Brida''': [[spoiler: I should kill you, but I want you to live with the pain of his death. ''He was your brother!'']] |
| 90 | ** [[spoiler: Brida is on the receiving end of this in Season 4. Uhtred, having lost nearly all of his family by this point, is unable to grant her the warrior's death she begs for -- and so she's taken prisoner by the Welsh and they abuse her cruelly.]] |
| 91 | * DarkActionGirl: She throws herself into battle with as much enthusiasm as any of the men, and derides any Dane who seeks peace before Wessex has been crushed. |
| 92 | * DarkMessiah: At the start of Season 5, she has come to see herself as the champion of the Norse gods, leading a band of fanatics who regularly engage in human sacrifice and calling for a vicious purge of any Danes in Eoferwic who have converted to Christianity. [[spoiler: Her daughter's death seems to break her out of these delusions.]] |
| 93 | * DeathSeeker: [[spoiler: The death of her daughter in Season 5 [[DespairEventHorizon reduces her]] to this. In their final duel, she even begs Uhtred to kill her, insisting she has nothing left to live for]]. |
| 94 | -->'''Brida''': [[spoiler: Uhtred, kill me. Come on! Come on! You must kill me, I have nothing left to live for!]] |
| 95 | * DesecratingTheDead: [[spoiler: After Winchester falls to Sigtryggr's army, Brida has her men exhume and desecrate the bodies of Saxon warriors. Surprisingly, she [[VillainRespect restrains herself]] from doing the same to the tomb of [[WorthyOpponent King Alfred]].]] |
| 96 | * DiedInYourArmsTonight: [[spoiler: Uhtred cradles the dying Brida in her arms and, when she whispers she feels cold, [[DueToTheDead places a dagger in her hands so she can go to Valhalla]] instead of Niflheim]]. |
| 97 | * TheDogBitesBack: [[spoiler: After spending several episodes being humiliated and tortured by Rhodri, the brother of the Welsh king Hywel, when Sigtrygger frees her from captivity, Brida inflicts the same humiliation on Rhodri before [[NeckSnap killing him]].]] |
| 98 | * FirstLove: She was Uhtred's and though life takes them away from each other, it's clear that he still cares deeply about her. |
| 99 | * GoodOldWays: She thoroughly believes in this and is thoroughly hostile to Christianity as a result. |
| 100 | * HappilyAdopted: By Ragnar's family. |
| 101 | * HeelFaceDoorSlam: [[spoiler: Shot in the back by Stiorra mere moments after Uhtred finally convinces her to end their feud and reconcile.]] |
| 102 | * IShallTauntYou: [[spoiler: Goads Uhtred into fighting her by mocking him over what she did to his son]]. |
| 103 | -->'''Uhtred''': It didn't have to be this way! |
| 104 | -->'''Brida''': ''([[GigglingVillain laughes]])'' [[spoiler: Funny, your son said the same thing when he begged to keep his balls.]] ''(Uhtred roars in rage and attacks her)'' |
| 105 | * InTheBack: [[spoiler: Stiorra kills her with an arrow from behind in retaliation for the atrocities Brida committed in Eoforwic when Uhtred can't bring himself to slay Brida]]. |
| 106 | * KickTheDog: She has [[spoiler: Young Uhtred [[CripplingCastration castrated]] as a message to his father, then mocks Uhtred about it to his face when he confronts her]]. |
| 107 | -->'''Uhtred''': You should have come for me, not my children! |
| 108 | -->'''Brida''': It's not like the little priest was using his cock anyway! |
| 109 | ** [[spoiler: She slaughters dozens of people in Eoforwic during her cult's occupation of the city to draw Stiorra out of hiding, and when Stiorra finally confronts Brida to stop the killings, Brida kills Stiorra's handmaid in front of her out of spite]]. |
| 110 | * NotAllowedToGrowOld: Much like Uhtred, although even more exaggerated, as not only does she look the same after decades pass in-story, she spends most of Season 4 pregnant despite the fact she should be well into her 40s or 50s. |
| 111 | * OutlivingOnesOffspring: [[spoiler: Vibeke, her daughter by Cnut is killed falling from a church spire during the battle to retake Eoforwic]]. |
| 112 | * PetTheDog: She [[spoiler: reconciles with Uhtred in Season 3 when he reveals the only reason he swore allegiance to Alfred for a second time was to stop Ragnar from being executed for not intervening when Uhtred murdered Eadred]]. |
| 113 | ** [[spoiler: She also places an axe in the hand of the dying Bloodhair so he can enter Valhalla]]. |
| 114 | ** [[spoiler: Despite hating Cnut for his part in Ragnar's death, Brida clearly loves the daughter he fathered on her]]. |
| 115 | * PregnantBadass: In Season 4, being heavily pregnant isn't enough to keep her from [[spoiler:attacking Uhtred or being directly involved in the siege of Winchester.]] |
| 116 | * RageAgainstTheHeavens: [[spoiler: Her daughter's death causes Brida to angrily curse the Norse and Christian gods for taking her child away]]. |
| 117 | * ReligionOfEvil: In Season 5, she's become the leader of a fundamentalist group of warrior fanatics who practice HumanSacrifice and mass slaughter of Christians in their skewed worship of the Norse gods. |
| 118 | * ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: [[spoiler: Her blindfolded daughter picks the prisoners who are to be sacrificed. Brida gleefully kills anyone not in her cult that the girl picks, but when her daughter picks Brida's underling Rognvaldr, she merely slashes him on the cheek and says the gods will be content with the offering]]. |
| 119 | * SinsOfTheFather: [[spoiler: In Season 5, she [[CripplingCastration mutilates]] Young Uhtred and tries to murder Stiorra to get back at Uhtred]]. |
| 120 | * StayInTheKitchen: She encounters this attitude among the Saxons, and she is ''very'' opposed to it, to say the least. She seems to consider it the worst of all possible fates. |
| 121 | * SpareAMessenger: [[spoiler: In Season 5, she non-fatally stabs Pyrlig after learning he lied to her about the conflict between Edward and Sigtryggr, instructing him to tell Uhtred he'll find Brida at Loidis for a final confrontation]]. |
| 122 | * SpitefulSpit: [[spoiler: She spits in Aelswith's face after she is captured with the fall of Winchester and still insists on [[BullyingADragon mocking Brida to her face]].]] |
| 123 | * TheyDiedBecauseOfYou: [[spoiler: After Stiorra and a handful of her maids evade capture in Eoforwic's Roman sewers when Brida's cultists occupy the city, Brida starts carrying out mass executions of prisoners to draw Stiorra out of hiding, taunting her with this after every killing]]. |
| 124 | ** In Season 3, she outright accuses Uhtred [[spoiler: of being responsible for Ragnar's death by taking off to aid Aetheflaed and leaving Ragnar surrounded by his enemeies]]. |
| 125 | * ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: Brida is very adept with a throwing axe. |
| 126 | * TookALevelInJerkass: Brida was always a bit of a jerk, but she becomes outright vile after Uhtred throws his lot in with Alfred. As Leofric remarks, "she was always angry, but now she's nasty." From there on, she only gets worse, and by the end of Season 4 [[spoiler:she has explicitly dedicated her life (and her [[TykeBomb newborn child's life]]) to destroying the Saxons.]] |
| 127 | * TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: [[spoiler: After learning Aethelwold was the one who killed Ragnar, she insists on being the one to kill him, to which Cnut agrees [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness once the Danes have no further use for him]]. Ultimately, she cedes the killing to Uhtred, as he has the best chance of succeeding]]. |
| 128 | * TheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Although their lives take them down different paths, Uhtred and Brida still care deeply for each other. |
| 129 | -->'''Uhtred''': ''(to Brida)'' From the moment I took your hand on the steps of the great hall of Eoforwic, we were bound as one. You may dislike me, hate me at times, despise me if you wish. But love is immortal. It goes on. |
| 130 | * TogetherInDeath: [[spoiler: Her last word before she dies is Ragnar, implying this]]. |
| 131 | * VillainBall: [[spoiler: She makes a grand show of fighting Stiorra in a DuelToTheDeath before her men, and while they're distracted, Uhtred, Sigtryggr and their men sneak into Eoforwic, free Sigtryggr's people from captivity and launch a counterattack against Brida's cultists]]. |
| 132 | * WeUsedToBeFriends: [[spoiler: By the end of Season 4, Brida and Uhtred have become mortal enemies, and she swears she'll never stop pursuing him for revenge]]. |
| 133 | * WhereItAllBegan: [[spoiler: Brida returns to the ruins of Earl Ragnar's estate, where she and Uhtred grew up, for their final confrontation]]. |
| 134 | -->'''Uhtred''': [[spoiler: You dug your own grave?]] |
| 135 | -->'''Brida''': [[spoiler: Mine, or yours]]. I'm prepared. Either way, it ends where it began. |
| 136 | * WhamLine: |
| 137 | -->'''Uhtred''': Where is Ragnar? I will go to him. |
| 138 | -->'''Brida''': [[spoiler: HE'S DEAD! Ragnar is dead! He doesn't feast in the halls of Valhalla! He lies under a pile of stones by a lake near Loidis! There was no honour in his death. [[FateWorseThanDeath He will spend eternity in the cold of Niflheim]] [[FailureToSaveMurder because of YOU, Uhtred of Bebbanburg]]!]] |
| 139 | * WouldHitAGirl: Brida has killed plenty of women in her time, both fighters and civilians. |
| 140 | * WouldHurtAChild: [[spoiler: When Brida learns [[WouldHitAGirl Stiorra is Uhtred's daughter]], she demands that they [[DecapitationPresentation send the girl's head to her father]] as a message]]. However, Sigtryggr overrules her. |
| 141 | [[/folder]] |
| 142 | |
| 143 | [[folder:Thyra]] |
| 144 | !!Thyra |
| 145 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thyrna.jpg]] |
| 146 | -->'''Portrayed by:''' Julia Bache-Wiig |
| 147 | |
| 148 | Ragnar and Uhtred’s sister, held prisoner by Kjartan and Sven in their impenetrable fortress of Dunholm. Damaged by the loss of her family and abuse by her captors, Thyra has lost all hope of freedom and happiness and choses to live in a dank cell, with only the hounds of Dunholm for company. |
| 149 | ---- |
| 150 | * TheBeastmaster: She keeps a pack of hounds and lives in the kennel while imprisoned. |
| 151 | * BetterToDieThanBeKilled: [[spoiler: Stabs herself through the heart to avoid burning to death in the fire started by her Saxon tormentor.]] |
| 152 | * BreakTheCutie: After losing her family and enduring years of sexual abuse, she's way bitter until Hild and Beocca gently restore her. |
| 153 | * TheDogBitesBack: [[spoiler: She stabs the mysognist, racist thug Tidman who's been harassing her through the throat]]. |
| 154 | ** A literal example in that [[spoiler: she sets her pack of dogs on Sven as retribution for his years of abuse]]. |
| 155 | * LongLostRelative: Long thought dead by Uhtred and Ragnar. |
| 156 | * PetTheDog: In Season 3, [[spoiler: after Ragnar disowns Uhtred in a fit of fury]], Thyra reassures him that she will always consider Uhtred family. |
| 157 | -->'''Thyra''': Uhtred? You are my brother and you will ''always'' be my brother. |
| 158 | * SexSlave: Formerly to Sven. |
| 159 | * SpottingTheThread: Perhaps unsurprisingly given her past, Thyra is the first to realise that [[spoiler: Aethelflaed is [[DomesticAbuse being mistreated by her husband]].]] |
| 160 | [[/folder]] |
| 161 | |
| 162 | !!!Household of Kjartan the Cruel |
| 163 | |
| 164 | [[folder:Kjartan]] |
| 165 | !!Kjartan the Cruel |
| 166 | |
| 167 | [[quoteright:480:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kjartan.jpg]] |
| 168 | |
| 169 | ->'''Portrayed by:''' Alexandre Willaume |
| 170 | |
| 171 | Murderer of Uhtred’s Danish family and captor of Thyra. Feared lord of the fortress of Dunholm, he is known as ‘Kjartan the Cruel’. Unfazed by his enemies, Kjartan is ruthless and devious in his schemes to crush all those who oppose his standing as a great lord of the north. |
| 172 | ---- |
| 173 | * AintTooProudToBeg: A variation [[spoiler: in that Kjartan doesn't beg for his life, only to die with a sword in his hand so he may reach Valhalla]]. |
| 174 | -->'''Kjartan''': [[spoiler: No, give me my sword! For Valhalla you must give me my sword!]] |
| 175 | * AuthorityEqualsAssKicking: [[spoiler: The siege of Dunholm proves he's not afraid to get his hands dirty]]. |
| 176 | * CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler: Hacked into pieces by the son of the man he murdered]]. |
| 177 | * DueToTheDead: Subverted: [[spoiler: Kjartan requests to be allowed to die with a sword in hand so he may reach Valhalla. Ragnar the Younger pulls the sword from his grasp]] before chopping him up. |
| 178 | * EnemyMine: [[spoiler: In Season 1, he allies with Aelfric for a time because they both want Uhtred dead. In Season 2, Aelfric tells Abbot Eadred to pass word of Uhtred's whereabouts to Kjartan, knowing the latter will be eager to kill him]]. |
| 179 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: One of the driving forces behind his betrayal and murder of Ragnar is revenge for the mutilation of his son. [[spoiler: He is also clearly heartbroken when he sees Sven torn to pieces by Thyra's dogs]]. |
| 180 | * FateWorseThanDeath: [[spoiler: According to Danish beliefs, anyway. He wishes to die with a sword in his hand so he can go to [[WarriorHeaven Valhalla]]. In payment for his cruelty and betrayal, Ragnar denies him this, keeping his sword from him while he dies so he will go to Niflheim.]] |
| 181 | * FromNobodyToNightmare: [[spoiler: Has gone from being a mere shipsmaster to a powerful slave trader and one of the most feared Danish warlords in the north of England]]. |
| 182 | * IShallTauntYou: [[spoiler: During their final duel, Kjartan mocks Ragnar by taunting him over [[YouKilledMyFather his parents' murders]] and the [[SexSlave years of abuse he and Sven inflicted on Thyra]]. [[NiceJobFixingItVillain It backfires spectacularly]], [[HeroicSecondWind only goading the exhausted Ragnar to fight on]] [[UnstoppableRage in a berserker fury that swiftly overwhelms Kjartan]].]] |
| 183 | * ItsPersonal: [[spoiler: Kjartan still holds Uhtred responsible for what happened to him and his son, even though it was years before and Kjartan's circumstances have markedly improved since then]]. |
| 184 | * KnowWhenToFoldThem: [[spoiler: When Dunholm falls to Ragnar and Uhtred's army, Kjartan [[AFatherToHisMen orders his men to stand down rather than keep fighting and die pointlessly]] and steps forward to fight Ragnar himself so no others need die]]. |
| 185 | * MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: [[spoiler: Turns against Earl Ragnar, the man he served faithfully for years, when Ragnar blinds his son and banishes him]]. |
| 186 | * TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: [[spoiler: Commands his men to take Uhtred alive, as Kjartan wants the pleasure of killing him personally]]. |
| 187 | * SurroundedByIdiots: Clearly thinks this of his warriors and his son. |
| 188 | * TemptingFate: Assure Sven that Dunholm is impregnable and Uhtred and Ragnar can never take it. In the ensuing battle, Uhtred infiltrates Dunholm with a small force and opens the gates, taking Kjartan completely by surprise. |
| 189 | * YouKilledMyFather: Both Uhtred and Ragnar the Younger intend to kill him for it. |
| 190 | [[/folder]] |
| 191 | |
| 192 | [[folder:Sven]] |
| 193 | !!Sven the One-Eye |
| 194 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sven.jpg]] |
| 195 | ->'''Portrayed by:''' Ole Christoffer Ertvaag |
| 196 | |
| 197 | Enemy of Uhtred and abuser of Thyra. Spoilt and arrogant, Sven ‘the one-eye’ lacks the cunning of his cruel father, Kjartan, but his malice should not be underestimated. An enemy of Uhtred’s since childhood, Sven’s cowardly nature is put to the test when they meet again. |
| 198 | ---- |
| 199 | * AintTooProudToBeg: [[spoiler: Not that it does any good to the [[PapaWolf furious father]] of a girl you've just sexually assaulted]]. |
| 200 | ** [[spoiler: He also tries to beg Thyra for his life before she [[DevouredByTheHorde turns loose her pack of pet feral dogs on him]] for the years of abuse he inflicted on her]]. |
| 201 | * ButtMonkey: Borderline this in Season 2. Uhtred continuously humiliates him, forces him to wander through the woods blind and with his hands tied, and his father mocks him for his failings. Even Thyra, his rape slave, intimidates him. All this before being unceremoniously mauled to death by her hounds. |
| 202 | * CurbStompBattle: [[spoiler: Is on the receiving end of one from the younger and smaller Uhtred for his assault on Thyra]]. |
| 203 | * DirtyCoward: [[spoiler: Is gleeful at the prospect of killing Uhtred, even though it will be no challenge (Uhtred is half-starved, dehydrated and in the throes of a HeroicBSOD from his time in slavery and Halig's death). When Ragnar the Younger and Hild arrive to rescue Uhtred, Sven is the first to run for the hills]]. |
| 204 | * EyeScream: [[spoiler: Earl Ragnar blinds him in one eye because Sven tried to molest his daughter, Thyra]]. |
| 205 | * ItsPersonal: [[spoiler: Like his father, Sven holds Uhtred responsible for what happened to him]]. |
| 206 | * RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: [[spoiler: Sven, [[TroublingUnchildlikeBehaviour while only a boy]] strips Thyra topless and probably would have done worse had Uhtred not intervened. (This is actually ''toned down'' from the books, where he strips naked and tries to force Thyra to masturbate him before Uhtred attacks him). When his father attacks and murders Ragnar, Sven takes Thyra as a captive, making clear his intentions to keep her as a SexSlave]]. |
| 207 | * StalkerWithACrush: He's been one to Thyra for a long time. [[spoiler: Though he seems to have gone off her now, as years of abusing her as a SexSlave has apparently driven her mad, making constant asides of how she intends to kill him]]. |
| 208 | [[/folder]] |
| 209 | |
| 210 | !!!Household of Sigefrid & Erik, the Brothers |
| 211 | |
| 212 | [[folder:In General]] |
| 213 | * BetterLivingThroughEvil: After Aelfric breaks off his alliance with them and Guthred, the brothers do likewise, reasoning they can do better by returning to looting and pillaging. |
| 214 | -->'''Sigefrid''': Goodbye, Lord Aelfric, [[SarcasmMode so nice to meet you]]. [[{{Troll}} Enjoy the long walk home to Bebbanburg!]] |
| 215 | -->'''Erik''': Guthred, [[spoiler: by saving Uhtred]], [[NiceJobBreakingItHero what you now have is a chaos of your own making]]. [...] If Aelfric is not with us, then the ground has shifted. We'll take no part in the siege of Dunholm. |
| 216 | -->'''Guthred''': Erik, we must! We have an agreement, we have plans. |
| 217 | -->'''Sigefrid''': That will no longer involve the brothers. No Dunholm means we must again fight for our wealth. |
| 218 | * BigBadDuumvirate: Become this in the second half of Season 2 when they kidnap Aethelflaed, planning to ransom her to Alfred, gaining enough silver to pay for an army that will take Wessex and Mercia. [[spoiler:Erik ultimately betrays Sigefrid when he falls in love with Aethelflaed, leaving Sigefrid as the sole BigBad.]] |
| 219 | * BrainsAndBrawn: Sigefrid as the brawn, being the better fighter of the two, and Erik as the brains, as he does the thinking and planning. Neither one of them are absent in brains or brawn, however. Sigefrid is cunning and Erik is a capable fighter. |
| 220 | * CainAndAbel: Sigefrid as Cain and Erik as Abel. |
| 221 | * FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: It might seem that Sigefrid is the foolish sibling, since he's so impulsive and bloodthirsty, but really it's Erik as the foolish and Sigefrid as the responsible. Erik is willing to risk the entire operation for his love of Aethelflaed, much to the displeasure of Sigefrid, and as such the whole operation does come crashing down and both brothers are killed. |
| 222 | * PutOnABus: The brothers are ordered to leave Northumbria in return for Uhtred sparing the life of Sigefrid whilst holding him hostage. They return later, pulling some ExactWords by staying out of Northumbria. |
| 223 | [[/folder]] |
| 224 | |
| 225 | [[folder:Sigefrid]] |
| 226 | !!Sigefrid |
| 227 | |
| 228 | [[quoteright:1000:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sigefrid.jpg]] |
| 229 | |
| 230 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Bjorn Bengtsson |
| 231 | |
| 232 | Sigefrid is a fearsome Northman and leader of men, adept at plundering and conquering Northumbrian land. Aggressively ambitious, Sigefrid sets his sights on a higher prize that will shake Alfred’s kingdom to its very core. Sigefrid’s burning intensity and appetite for destruction can only be tempered by his brother, Erik, with whom he shares a fiercely close bond. |
| 233 | ---- |
| 234 | * AdaptationalHeroism: [[spoiler:While he kills his brother in both the show and the books, he's considerably less bothered by it in the books. As such, while in the show he dies a brave death charging into the army of Wessex, in the books Uhtred knocks his weapon away before he kills him [[FateWorseThanDeath so he is denied Valhalla]], explicitly stating neither he nor Erik wish his company there.]] |
| 235 | * AnArmAndALeg: Uhtred severs Sigefrid's swordhand in a duel, and the wound leaves him plagued by pain for the remainder of his life. |
| 236 | * AxCrazy: Sigefrid is a bloodthirsty berserker who wishes to be known as the "Lord of Chaos". It's an appropriate moniker. |
| 237 | * BadBoss: He kills one of his own men in a fury for [[DisproportionateRetribution being beaten in combat by Father Pyrlig]]. |
| 238 | * BeardOfEvil: He has a very thick, dark beard and thinks nothing of casual murder. |
| 239 | * BladeBelowTheShoulder: After losing his hand to Uhtred, Sigefried replaces it with a dagger blade. |
| 240 | * CradlingYourKill: After he fatally wounds his brother. |
| 241 | * CurbStompBattle: Effortlessly kicks Aethelred's arse when fighting him at the battle of Beamfleot. Aethelred only survives because Uhtred [[ShieldBash attacks Siegfried]], redirecting Siegfried's focus onto him. |
| 242 | * DeathSeeker: After being forced to kill his brother and with all prospects of raising an army to conquer Wessex from using Aethelflaed as a hostage gone, Sigefrid willingly charges into a much larger Saxon army, stating bluntly before making his charge to his lieutenants that he is prepared for Valhalla. |
| 243 | * DisproportionateRetribution: [[UseYourHead Headbutts]] a Christian priest who mildly annoys him in Eoforwic. |
| 244 | * DueToTheDead: Sigefrid makes sure a dying Erik is holding his sword so he will go to Valhalla. |
| 245 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: Sigefrid is a warlord who murders, pillages, and rapes his way through life, but even he doesn't like how Aethelred talks down to Aethelflaed. |
| 246 | -->'''Sigefrid''': You talk of your woman like you do not care. |
| 247 | * ForeignCultureFetish: Sigefrid appears to gain this for the Romans after he and Erik take Lunden. He and Erik live in an old Roman structure, he executes men via crucifixion to "see how it kills them", and he is only tempted into letting Father Pyrlig fight for his life when Uhtred likens it to a [[GladiatorGames gladiator match]]. |
| 248 | * HiddenDepths: He might appear to be a mindless brute in comparison to his more level-headed brother, but he's not stupid, just impulsive. He's actually a very cunning foe, and he's smart enough to see that his brother Erik is falling for Aethelflaed. |
| 249 | * InTheBack: Dies this way when Aethelflaed kills him from behind to save Uhtred. |
| 250 | * ProudWarriorRaceGuy: He's openly disdainful of Danes making peace with the Saxons and settling down. |
| 251 | -->'''Sigefried''': Guthrum is a shit stain! He sends priests to Beamfleot begging for peace. Begging for warriors to settle and do what, [[CallToAgriculture raise sheep]]? |
| 252 | -->'''Aldhelm''': Many men do, lord. |
| 253 | -->'''Sigefried''': [[WarriorHeaven There are no sheep farmers in Valhalla]]. |
| 254 | * RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Threatens to make [[SexSlave a gift of Aethelflaed to his men]] when Uhtred tries to lowball the price being negotiated for her ransom. |
| 255 | -->'''Sigefried''': You insult me! If Alfred is minded to offer so little, then I am minded to bring her into this hall and allow each man here to take his turn. I swear, she will be tied to a cart and she will travel the kingdoms. Is that what you want...''Saxon''!? |
| 256 | * VillainRespect: After watching [[BadassPreacher Father Pyrlig]] roundly thrash one of his best warriors, Siegfried invites Pyrlig to join his army. |
| 257 | * VillainousBreakdown: With [[spoiler:Erik dead and]] the plan to ransom Aethelflaed to Alfred in ruins, Sigefrid leads a suicide charge against a Saxon army and kills anyone standing between him and Aethelflaed, screaming death threats all the while. |
| 258 | -->'''Sigefrid:''' PRINCESS! I SEE YOU, PRINCESS! AND I ''WILL'' KILL YOU! I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD AND YOUR TITS! |
| 259 | * VillainousValor: Charges the Saxon army with a tiny force, smashes through their lines, and is finally stabbed in the back while fighting Uhtred ''and'' Aethelred. |
| 260 | * WreckedWeapon: His dagger hand gets stuck in Uhtred's shield, allowing Uhtred to snap the blade in half. |
| 261 | * WouldHitAGirl: He tries to kill Aethelflaed for causing his brother to abandon their schemes out of love for her. |
| 262 | [[/folder]] |
| 263 | |
| 264 | [[folder:Erik]] |
| 265 | !!Erik |
| 266 | |
| 267 | [[quoteright:480:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/erik.jpg]] |
| 268 | |
| 269 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Christian Hillborg |
| 270 | |
| 271 | Northman warlord, brother of Sigefrid. More considered and contemplative than his violent brother, Erik and Uhtred form a precarious understanding and mutual respect. Kind and loyal, Erik’s compassion and faithfulness leads him into deep waters. |
| 272 | ---- |
| 273 | * AffablyEvil: Erik's very friendly and reasonable for a Viking, especially compared to his brother. [[spoiler: It's not surprising that he's the one to switch sides.]] |
| 274 | * BigBrotherInstinct: He orders his men to stand down rather than risk Uhtred killing a captive Siegfried and automatically agrees to Uhtred's demand they leave Northumbria for good in exchange for his brother's life. |
| 275 | * ChivalrousPervert: He can't resist sneaking a peek at a [[BathingBeauty bathing Aethelflaed]] but he does treat her better than most of the other Danes holding her captive, to say nothing of her husband. |
| 276 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler: After hearing of Aethelred's abusive treatment of his wife, Erik doesn't miss an opportunity to humiliate the little shit. He also intervenes to stop some of his brother's minions from raping her]]. |
| 277 | * FriendlyEnemies: Has this dynamic with Uhtred throughout their meetings, all the way up till his [[spoiler: HeelFaceTurn]]. |
| 278 | * HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Buys Aethelflaed and Uhtred time to escape Beamfleot with his life.]] |
| 279 | * MoralityPet: Erik has a soft spot for Aethelflaed and ensures that nobody hurts her. |
| 280 | * PayEvilUntoEvil: Beats Haesten for [[spoiler: trying to rape Aethelflaed, and humilates Aethelred for his DomesticAbuse towards her]]. |
| 281 | * SomeoneToRememberHimBy: He's implied to have gotten Aethelflaed pregnant before sacrificing himself. |
| 282 | * StarCrossedLovers: With Aethelflaed. |
| 283 | [[/folder]] |
| 284 | |
| 285 | !!!Household of Ubba |
| 286 | |
| 287 | [[folder:Ubba]] |
| 288 | !!Earl Ubba Lothbroksson |
| 289 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ubba.jpg]] |
| 290 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Rune Temte |
| 291 | |
| 292 | The most senior ranking Dane involved in the invasion of Northumbria, Ubba is a mountain of a man — loud, brash, violent, playful and a little unhinged. A ferocious warrior, Uhtred is warned as a boy never to fight Ubba, but fate may dictate that he must. Ubba's weakness is his superstition and his reliance on his sorcerer Storri. |
| 293 | ---- |
| 294 | * AdaptationDyeJob: He was black haired in his literary appearance. |
| 295 | * AdaptationalIntelligence: Book!Ubba might not have been dumb, but he was definitely TheBrute among his brothers. The tv version absorbs some traits from his cold, calculating, and ruthless brother Ivar, so the show version can alternate back and forth between an ax swinging maniac in battle to surprisingly sly and cunning outside of it. |
| 296 | * AgonyOfTheFeet: [[spoiler: Uhtred wins their duel by slicing Ubba's Achilles tendons, leaving him helpless]]. |
| 297 | * ArchEnemy: He's one of many to Uhtred. |
| 298 | * AxCrazy: Ubba listens only to the Gods, and this makes him unpredictable in the long run. In the short run, his penchant for gleeful bursts of sadism make him utterly terrifying. |
| 299 | * TheBerserker: When he finally lets loose in his duel, he fights like one, disregarding any chance of injury. This proves to be a mistake. |
| 300 | * BloodKnight: Ubba is the epitome of the Danish warrior, meaning he enjoys brutalizing his way across the country to sate his bloodlust. |
| 301 | * BraidsOfBarbarism: Like many Danes, he favours a distinctive braid. |
| 302 | * CrisisOfFaith: He seemingly attempts to induce one on King Edmund, although he may have just been genuinely curious. It's hard to tell with someone as unhinged as Ubba. Uhtred later pays him back for this by needling him about falling out of favour with the Gods. |
| 303 | * DiceRollDeath: Bases all his decisions, military or otherwise on the advice of his sorcerer, Storri, who rolls a bag of runes. |
| 304 | * DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:Because the source material is condensed, Ubba meets his end only five episodes into Series 1. He was the biggest threat to England as a whole in that time.]] |
| 305 | * TheDreaded: Everyone with an ounce of common sense and knowledge of his reputation knows a firm, solitary truth: never fight Ubba. |
| 306 | * DuelToTheDeath: [[spoiler:After he catches Uhtred setting fire to his ships, Ubba challenges him to a duel. When Uhtred asks if it is to first blood or to the death, Ubba rather succinctly answers by [[ScreamingWarrior bellowing and charging him]].]] |
| 307 | * DueToTheDead: [[spoiler:While Odda wants his body mutilated, Uhtred insists that he be treated respectfully in death. Alfred also chooses to respectfully rebury Ubba when he wishes to build over the area to avoid [[ThisIsUnforgivable enraging the Danes]] and is [[EveryoneHasStandards deeply unamused]] when [[DudeNotFunny Odda jokes about dumping the corpse]] in the river.]] |
| 308 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Goes to Ireland to avenge his brother's death, even though it leaves the other Danes high and dry. |
| 309 | * HonourBeforeReason: Challenging Uhtred to single combat [[spoiler: instead of having his men swarm him proves to be both the undoing of Ubba and his army.]] |
| 310 | * LargeAndInCharge: He's wide as a door and the closest thing the Danes have to a King. |
| 311 | * PsychopathicManchild: Ubba is like a big, violent kid at times who can be noticeably unhinged. When he has captive prisoners shot through with arrows, he even references it as a "game" with a big smile. |
| 312 | * VillainousBreakdown: Ubba has a raging one when Uhtred [[spoiler: taunts him by claiming [[CrisisOfFaith Ubba has fallen out of favour with the gods]].]] |
| 313 | -->'''Uhtred''': Guthrum's fleet's gone. ''(Ubba's smug composure cracks)'' Njord reached out from the deep and dragged Guthrum's fleet down to the seabed. |
| 314 | -->'''Ubba''': You're lying. |
| 315 | -->'''Uhtred''': I watched the fleet die and its men go under. |
| 316 | -->'''Ubba''': Storri, what do you say? |
| 317 | -->'''Storri''': [[LoopholeAbuse Lord, I do not see for Guthrum]]. I see for ''you''. |
| 318 | -->'''Uhtred''': Storri's a man [[AssShove who wears a stick up his arse]]. He didn't see ''[[OnceDoneNeverForgotten that]]'' coming. |
| 319 | -->'''Storri''': ''[spluttering]'' That's a lie! It's all lies! Look in his eyes! |
| 320 | -->'''Uhtred''': You're next to die, Ubba, and I know it. I cast the runes. ''([[YouCantFightFate Ubba looks stricken]])'' |
| 321 | -->'''Storri''': That's an even bigger lie! |
| 322 | -->'''Uhtred''': Earl Ragnar the Fearless is with the gods and [[GodIsDispleased they're angry with you]]. You allow his death to go unpunished. |
| 323 | -->'''Ubba''': ''[snarling in fury]'' Avenging Earl Ragnar is not ''my'' business! [[YouKilledMyFather That's for his son]]! |
| 324 | -->'''Uhtred''': You're next to die, Ubba. ''(Ubba roars in outrage into Uhtred's face]'' |
| 325 | -->'''Ubba''': [[SuddenlyShouting THEN FIGHT ME, AND WE'LL SEE WHO'S NEXT TO DIE!]] FIGHT ME! |
| 326 | * WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Ubba has Uhtred on the ropes several times during their fight, but prolongs it due to a combination of sheer rage and in order to put on a show in front of his men. Waiting too long to finish Uhtred gives Uhtred the chance to sudden turn it around with a lucky strike that cripples Ubba. |
| 327 | * WorthyOpponent: Uhtred, and to a degree Alfred, consider him this. |
| 328 | -->'''Leofric''': Young Odda wants his body cut into pieces. |
| 329 | -->'''Uhtred''': [[EveryoneHasStandards No, that can't happen!]] |
| 330 | -->'''Leofric''': [[DesecratingTheDead He'd have done the same to you]]. |
| 331 | -->'''Uhtred''': He is Ubba, as close as the Danes will ever come to a king! |
| 332 | -->'''Leofric''': [[DueToTheDead I'll see to it he's buried]]. |
| 333 | [[/folder]] |
| 334 | |
| 335 | [[folder:Guthrum]] |
| 336 | !!Guthrum |
| 337 | |
| 338 | [[quoteright:1000:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/guthrum.jpg]] |
| 339 | |
| 340 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Thomas W. Gabrielsson |
| 341 | |
| 342 | A Danish warlord and Ubba’s second-in‐command, Guthrum is a man of quiet intensity. Dour and relentlessly pessimistic, with a dry sense of humour, he is a cold-hearted killer, but his belligerence hides a conflicted soul. He develops a fascination with Christianity, with surprising repercussions. |
| 343 | ---- |
| 344 | * ArcVillain: Becomes this in the later half of season one, [[spoiler:when he takes command of the Great Heathen Army and takes Winchester from Alfred, before he converts to Christianity after the Battle of Ethandun.]] |
| 345 | * ArmorPiercingQuestion: Asks one of Ragnar the Younger when he and Skorpa are urging Guthrum to massacre the Saxons at Ethandun. |
| 346 | -->'''Ragnar''': Skorpa is right. There needs to be stories of a slaughter! |
| 347 | -->'''Guthrum''': And you are prepared to kill your brother? |
| 348 | -->'''Ragnar''': ''[Beat]'' If it comes to that, then yes. |
| 349 | * BadassBookworm: He is genuinely fascinated by Alfred's library upon capturing Winchester. |
| 350 | -->'''Guthrum''': This is words without sounds. This is voices without people. I'm going to learn how to use this magic. |
| 351 | * BlasphemousBoast: Guthrum dares God to strike him down for trashing an altar, then scoffs, "I thought not," when nothing happens. |
| 352 | ** He does another on to a wounded priest [[AintTooProudToBeg desperately pleading for his life]] after Guthrum [[BreakTheHaughty hacked off one of the man's hands to silence his insistence God would protect him]]. |
| 353 | -->'''Guthrum''': Only Guthrum can save you. Guthrum is your god now. |
| 354 | * ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: [[spoiler:After converting to Christianity and changing his name to Aethelstan, Guthrum is left as king of East Anglia. After some disparaging remarks about him from Brida in Season 2, he is never so much as mentioned again, even when the plot involves the kingdom he ostensibly rules.]] |
| 355 | * DeadpanSnarker |
| 356 | * DragonAscendant: After Ubba dies, he becomes the major threat. |
| 357 | * HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Skorpa's death convinces him of the power of the Christian God and leads him to be baptised]]. |
| 358 | * HiddenDepths: He appears to be little more than Ubba's irritable henchman, but he's a breed apart from his fellow Danes in many ways; he's curious about the culture of the land he's invaded, holding a particular interest in Christianity. |
| 359 | * GeniusBruiser: Is willing to engage in philosophical debates with priests on the nature of God and Christianity. |
| 360 | * MaliciousMisnaming: Refers to Aethelwold as "Aethelcod". |
| 361 | * PunchClockVillain: Compared to some of the other Danish leaders like Ubba and Skorpa. |
| 362 | [[/folder]] |
| 363 | |
| 364 | !!!Other Earls |
| 365 | |
| 366 | [[folder:Haesten]] |
| 367 | !!Earl Haesten |
| 368 | |
| 369 | [[quoteright:385:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/heasten.jpg]] |
| 370 | |
| 371 | ->'''Portrayed by:''' Jeppe Beck Laursen |
| 372 | |
| 373 | Sworn to the Northman brothers, Erik and Sigefrid, Haesten fails in a task of great responsibility and is rescued by Uhtred in a moment of mercy. Sly and self-interested, Haesten is a master of self-preservation and will do anything for the sake of personal gain. |
| 374 | ---- |
| 375 | * BackForTheDead: Having been absent for most of Season 5, save one brief appearance in which he is revealed to have settled down into the life of a comfortable trader, he returns to the forefront of the action in episode 9, allying with Uhtred to rescue Aelfwynn from Bebbanburg. [[spoiler:He is caputured and killed off in the attempt]]. |
| 376 | * BerserkButton: He does '''''not''''' like his cowardice being pointed out. |
| 377 | -->'''Haesten''': You are wanting to die, Uhtred?! |
| 378 | -->'''Uhtred''': What I ''want'', Haesten, is an end to this! What is most likely to happen is you will remain inside your fortress and you will remain a coward! [[TheVillainSucksSong Men will sing songs about your cowardice!]] I will ''pay'' to have them written! |
| 379 | -->'''Haesten''': ''[frothing at the mouth]'' [[BlatantLies I am no coward]], Dane Slayer! If death is what you wish for, [[SuddenlyShouting THEN YOU SHALL HAVE IT]]! |
| 380 | * BondVillainStupidity: In Season 4, [[spoiler:he has Uhtred and his handful of men completely surrounded by his much larger band of warriors. He could kill them all easily...and instead chooses to leave Uhtred and his men tied upside down hanging from a tree, to die slowly, guarded by only two men. To no one's surprise, they're rescued.]] |
| 381 | * ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Haesten is well known for planting knives in backs of his allies and being completely untrustworthy at the best of times. |
| 382 | * DemotedToExtra: Haesten was a regular presence and thorn in the side of Uhtred and the Saxons in Seasons 2 and 3, appearing in 7 out of 8 and 9 out of 10 episodes respectively. In Season 4, he is reduced to 5 out of 10 episodes (the first three and last two, being [[OutOfFocus completely absent for the middle part of the season]]). Then, in Season 5 he appears in just two out of 10 episodes, having settled down into a comfortable life as a trader. |
| 383 | * DirtyCoward: Uhtred mocks him for his tendency to lose battles and then run away. When challenged to single combat to prove he isn't a coward, Haesten instead marches his whole army out to kill Uhtred's small band and then stays at a distance to watch him die. [[spoiler:And, true to form, when the soldiers of Wessex arrive to turn the tide of his one-sided slaughter, he runs away again.]] Subverted in the final battle in Series 3, where he fights ferociously, and claims quite a few kills. He's back to his usual form in Season 4: [[spoiler: after he makes the mistake of [[RelativeButton provoking Uhtred a bit too much by taunting him about Aethelflaed]], Uhtred [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown beats Haesten to a pulp]] and is on the verge of killing him when Haesten effectively [[AintTooProudToBeg begs for his life]] by telling Uhtred Cnut goaded Aethelwold into murdering Ragnar and offering him Cnut's sons as hostages without a fight]]. Subverted again in Season 5 [[spoiler: when he refuses to betray Uhtred, Finan and Sihtric, even at the cost of his own life]]. |
| 384 | * DeathSeeker: Subverted. He wants to die in battle like a true Viking but is no hurry to do so. |
| 385 | -->'''Uhtred''': Is it Valhalla you want? |
| 386 | -->'''Haesten''': In time, lord. Freedom would be my first choice. |
| 387 | * DragonAscendant: [[spoiler: Siegfried and Erik's deaths leave him in charge of the Viking forces left at Beamfleot]]. |
| 388 | * DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:Haesten of all people dies telling King Constantin he is part of no plan, protecting Uhtred and the others at the cost of his life.]] |
| 389 | * EpicFail: Siegfried and Erik leave him in charge of Eoforwic when they go north to fight in Scotland. In less than a day, the Saxon population of the city rises up and either kills or expels the Danes occupying Eoforwic. [[KarmaHoudini Surprisingly, he's never seen to be punished for that]]. |
| 390 | ** He deploys his entire army from Beamfleot to kill Uhtred and his band of no more than 30 men. [[spoiler: Alfred's army launches a surprise attack that decimates Haesten's force and leaves Beamfleot in Wessex hands]]. Bloodhair even brings it up when Haesten tries to taunt him about his own failures to kill Uhtred. |
| 391 | -->'''Bloodhair''': ''[to Haesten]'' I lost men on the field of battle. ''You'' were stupid enough to lose men ''and'' a fortress! |
| 392 | * FatBastard: He's quite burly and a nasty piece of work. |
| 393 | * EvilIsPetty: He rats on Erik's growing affection for Aethelflaed to Siegfried after Erik stops him raping her. |
| 394 | * HiddenDepths: He's smart enough to realise Erik is falling for Aethelflaed, and the Series 3 finale proves that when push comes to shove, Haesten is a formidable warrior. |
| 395 | * {{Hypocrite}}: In Season 3, [[spoiler::when the Wessex army ambushes his army, Haesten orders his men to stand their ground and fight, yet he's the first to flee the field]]. |
| 396 | * IOweYouMyLife: He's somewhat respectful to Uhtred because of this in Season 2. Subverted by Season 3, as he's determined to kill Uhtred. [[spoiler: It's implied his refusal to betray Uhtred's presence in Bebbanburg to Constantin and Wihtgar, even at the cost of his life, was Haesten's way of repaying the debt]]. |
| 397 | * ItsPersonal: Aethelflaed fighting back and humiliating him when he tried to force himself on her has left Haesten with a serious grudge and an unremitting desire to kill her. |
| 398 | -->'''Haesten''': I have not forgotten what the bitch did. I will ''never'' forget. |
| 399 | * JerkassHasAPoint: When Uhtred sends a messenger to Cnut, Bloodhair and Haesten proclaiming his intentions to kill them as [[spoiler: revenge for Ragnar]] and Bloodhair declares he'll kill Uhtred, Haesten accurately notes Bloodhair already had a chance to do that and [[EpicFail failed miserably]]. |
| 400 | -->'''Skade''': Feed [Uhtred]'s guts to Odin's ravens! |
| 401 | -->'''Bloodhair''': I'll make a sacrifice of the Saxon bastard! |
| 402 | -->'''Haesten''': ''[under his breath]'' You should have done that at Fearnham. |
| 403 | -->'''Bloodhair''': [[TranquilFury I hear a rat's wheeze]]. |
| 404 | -->'''Haesten''': ''I said'', if you wished to make a sacrifice of Uhtred, you should have done it at Fearnham. But you chose to run. |
| 405 | * KarmaHoudiniWarranty: [[spoiler:After four seasons of repeatedly bouncing back from defeat, Haesten finally gets his comeuppence in the penultimate episode of the final season, when Aethelhelm and Aelfwynn recognize him as the man who tormented their grandson and mother respectively and alert Bebbanburg's guards, causing his death. His death may have been an uncharacteristically HeroicSacrifice, but its still a direct result of his cruel actions in previous seasons.]] |
| 406 | * MookCarryover: Initiallly sworn to Sigefred and Erik, then has a brief stint as an independant warlord before ending up following Cnut in Season 3 and Sigtryggr is Season 4. |
| 407 | * OddFriendship: [[spoiler: Hild claims she and Haesten have formed a bit of one by Season 5, given Haesten's frequent visits to Lindisfarne for his business interests there]]. |
| 408 | * OhCrap: [[spoiler: Haesten's reaction when, after mocking him about Aethelflaed a bit too much, Uhtred draws his sword and swings for Haesten's head]]. |
| 409 | ** This is also his reaction in Season 5 to [[spoiler: finding Aelflaed's body hanging from a tree and realising someone has murdered her to provoke a war between Edward and Sigtryggr]]. |
| 410 | * OpenMouthInsertFoot: Tries to get [[spoiler: Aelfwynn to flee Bebbanburg with him before Edward's army besieges it by insisting he's a friend of her real father Erik come to help her. However, the moment she hears his name, Aelfwynn recognises Haesten from the horror stories Aethelflaed told her about him, panics and starts screaming, raising the alarm]]. |
| 411 | * PetTheDog: Zigzagged. [[spoiler: When he catches Eadith trying to free Aelswith and the other captives, Haesten doesn't hand her over to Brida or Sigtryggr, who'd almost certainly kill her, but instead locks her in a safe place (though this is partly to stop her taking word of the city's defences to the Saxons). Haesten also tries to take her to safety when Edward's army attacks Winchester, though it's heavily implied he's doing this less out of the goodness of his heart and more because he wants Eadith as a SexSlave, and when she refuses, he's quick to abandon Eadith to her fate]]. |
| 412 | ** In Season 5, he takes in the SoleSurvivor of the attack that [[spoiler: claims Aelflaed's life]] and hides her in one of his settlements to protect her from anyone who might wish to silence the girl. |
| 413 | * RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Tries to force himself on Aethelflaed. |
| 414 | * ReasonableAuthorityFigure: When he discovers [[spoiler: Aelflaed's murder and learns Sigtryggr is being blamed for it, he immediately informs Uhtred. As Haesten points out, war will disrupt his trading routes and Uhtred [[PapaWolf will want to protect Stiorra]] from being caught in the middle of any conflict between Sigtryggr and Edward]]. |
| 415 | -->'''Uhtred''': Why did you bring me into this? |
| 416 | -->'''Haesten''': [[spoiler: We both have interest in keeping the peace, Uhtred. Me to trade and you, well...I cannot think Edward will spare your daughter when he retaliates]]. |
| 417 | * RedemptionEqualsDeath: Having been an amoral DirtyCoward and enemy of Uhtred for most of the show, he finally grows a conscience and refuses to betray Uhtred when he is captured in Bebbanburgh in the penultimate episode of Season 5, even when Constantine offers to spare his life. For this, he is fatally stabbed. |
| 418 | * ReformedButRejected: Though Uhtred is willing to hear him out in Season 5, it's clear neither Uhtred nor his men have forgiven Haesten for trying to kill them over the years. [[spoiler: Subverted at the end, where Uhtred concedes Haesten's bravery in refusing to betray them, [[HeroicSacrifice even at the cost of his own life]], has hopefully earned Haesten a place in Valhalla]]. |
| 419 | * RetiredMonster: What he claims to be at the beginning of Season 4, insisting that he's done fighting and is more interested in just acquiring land and silver to settle with in his old age. |
| 420 | ** Played straight in Season 5, where he's abandoned the warrior's life to become a trader (and from his own words, a successful one). |
| 421 | * ScrewThisImOuttaHere: He is noticeably one of the few Danes who doesn't follow a suicidal Siegfried into a futile battle against a numerically superior Saxon force. |
| 422 | ** He also pulls this to get out of Winchester when [[spoiler: Edward's army launches its attack to retake the city]]. |
| 423 | * TheyDiedBecauseOfYou: In Season 3, Haesten [[spoiler: tries to get Aethelflaed to surrender to him by preying on her guilt over the deaths of her guards and the Abbess at Winchelcum, as well as Erik]]. |
| 424 | -->'''Haesten''': How many more men and women must die to save ''your'' bony arse?! |
| 425 | * UnderestimatingBadassery: When he tries to rape Aethelflaed, he didn't realise she's [[ActionGirl has the training and the will]] to [[DamselOutOfDistress fight back]]. |
| 426 | * WhatYouAreInTheDark: [[spoiler: Only four people -Uhtred, Hild, Finan and Sihtric, of whom only Hild was an actual witness- know Haesten willingly gave up his own life rather than betray Uhtred's presence in Bebbanburg to the latter's enemies]]. |
| 427 | * YouHaveFailedMe: Technically it's more a case of "You Have Failed Us", [[spoiler: but when [[CavalryBetrayal the Saxon allies Aethelwold promised the Danes side with Edward]], Haesten tries to kill Aethelwold for this, considering it one failure too many]]. |
| 428 | * YouWillBeSpared: [[spoiler: Offers Uhtred's men a chance to live if they hand him over. Finan gives their answer in direct fashion]]. |
| 429 | -->'''Haesten''': [[spoiler: Give up Uhtred and the rest of you can live! All I want is the Dane Slayer!]] |
| 430 | -->'''Finan''': [[spoiler: What [[ScrewYourUltimatum you will get, Haesten]], [[AssShove is my sword up your hairy arse]]!]] |
| 431 | -->'''Haesten''': ''(amused)'' As you wish. You can die on your knees! |
| 432 | [[/folder]] |
| 433 | |
| 434 | [[folder:Bloodhair]] |
| 435 | !!Earl Sigurd "Bloodhair" |
| 436 | |
| 437 | [[quoteright:1000:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bloodhair.jpg]] |
| 438 | |
| 439 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Ola Rapace |
| 440 | |
| 441 | * ActuallyPrettyFunny: Chuckles in amusement when Skade accuses Haesten's "thinking with his cock" for costing the Danes Beamfleot and Aethelflaed as a hostage. |
| 442 | -->'''Haesten''': You find something amusing, Bloodhair? |
| 443 | -->'''Bloodhair''': I've missed her sharp tongue. |
| 444 | * AlasPoorVillain: [[spoiler:Bloodhair cuts a rather pitiable figure at the end of his life: he's become the weakest of the three Earls, he's taunted by Haesten and he's still hopelessly and painfully obsessed with Skade. He can't let her go, and when he realizes she's remorselessly and even gleefully poisoned him, it's too late. Skade used him to death.]] |
| 445 | * BigBadWannabe: [[spoiler:He seems to be set up as Season 3's BigBad. He's highly intimidating, with both himself and Skade believing he is destined to kill Alfred. However, he then spends the entire season being outclassed by Uhtred at almost every turn. Skade abandons him fairly early on, and Bloodhair subsequently falls apart. He remains in a constant state of distress that he no longer has Skade and expends all his efforts into getting her back.]] |
| 446 | * CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon: Bloodhair threatens Uhtred with this while trying to demand the return of Skade for hostages the Danes have taken. |
| 447 | -->'''Uhtred''': The price has risen! You will not only release all your hostages, you will send them across to the burh! |
| 448 | -->'''Bloodhair''': What I'll do is feed you [[GroinAttack your own cock]]! |
| 449 | ** He also threatens Haesten with this after the dispute between them over Skade and who failed to kill Uhtred gets vicious. |
| 450 | -->'''Bloodhair''': I'll cut your heart from your chest! |
| 451 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: Bloodhair is a ruthless Viking warlord who willing leaves monks to the tender mercies of [[AxCrazy Skade]], but he's genuinely shocked and appalled when he learns [[spoiler:Aethelwold murdered Ragnar with Cnut's urging]], while Haesten seemed more amused by the whole thing. |
| 452 | * InTheBack: [[spoiler: Skade kills him with a pair of knives in the back after, realising she's poisoned him, [[TakingYouWithMe Bloodhair makes a desperate attempt to kill her]].]] |
| 453 | * [[RealMenLoveJesus Real Men Love Odin]]: By far the most spiritually inclined of the Danish earls, often seen partaking in apparently elaborate rituals to prepare himself for battles and tests. Also probably the quickest of the lot to resort to dueling to resolve his disputes and otherwise clearly every inch the warrior. |
| 454 | * ShootTheMessenger: Kills Aethelwold's PetRat who Uhtred [[SpareAMessenger sent to tell Bloodhair, Cnut and Haesten]] [[IllKillYou he's coming to kill them]] in a fit of pique. |
| 455 | * TeethClenchedTeamwork: Has no liking whatsoever for Aethelwold and Haesten, even though they're technically allies with him. |
| 456 | * WouldHitAGirl: [[spoiler: After Uhtred captures Skade, Bloodhair takes female prisoners from a Wessex village and starts killing them, demanding Skade be returned to him or more will die]]. |
| 457 | [[/folder]] |
| 458 | |
| 459 | [[folder:Cnut]] |
| 460 | !!Earl Cnut |
| 461 | |
| 462 | [[quoteright:735:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cnut.jpg]] |
| 463 | |
| 464 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/MagnusBruun |
| 465 | |
| 466 | Ragnar the Younger's cousin and a rather self-serving man who doesn't hesitate to find means to gain more power, even if it means bringing down family. |
| 467 | ---- |
| 468 | * AbhorrentAdmirer: He makes no secret of his desire for Brida to her. She clearly finds him repulsive and keeps holding him at bay. [[spoiler:After Ragnar's death, they do get together, and by the time of Season 4 their relationship actually seems to be a loving one.]] |
| 469 | * AuthorityEqualsAssKicking: For all his faults, Cnut is no slouch on the battlefield. |
| 470 | * BloodKnight: He clearly loves violence and combat. When some of the Danes in camp start a brawl, unlike Haesten and Brida, who try to put an end to it, Cnut wades into the fray with both fists. |
| 471 | * TheDeterminator: Not even blundering into a trap, being thrown from his horse, having to claw his way out of a heap of corpses, his army being attacked on three sides and suffering multiple wounds stop him from trying to kill Uhtred at Tettenhall. |
| 472 | * EngineeredPublicConfession: [[spoiler: Uhtred tricks Cnut into admitting he manipulated Aethelwold into killing Ragnar within earshot of Brida]]. |
| 473 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: One of the most brutal and violent of the Danes who loves slaughter and bloodshed, but he loves his two sons beyond all things. |
| 474 | * EvilRedhead: He's red-haired and a scheming snake of a man. |
| 475 | * HistoricalCharactersFictionalRelative: He's related to Sigtryggr, who is loosely based on the Norse-Gaelic warlord [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitric_C%C3%A1ech Sitric Cáech]]. |
| 476 | * ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler: A furious Brida, upon learning Cnut engineered Ragnar's death, spears him through the chest with his own sword]]. |
| 477 | * ItsPersonal: At the Battle of Tettenhall, [[spoiler: convinced Uhtred has abducted and killed at least one of his sons]], Cnut rampages across the battlefield, cutting down any who gets between him and Uhtred. |
| 478 | -->'''Cnut''': Uhtred! I will cut you into pieces, you murderous cunt! |
| 479 | * ManipulativeBastard: The Danish alliance against Alfred has scarcely been formed before he starts whispering dissent against his cousin Ragnar with Bloodhair, Brida and Aethelwold. |
| 480 | * MirrorCharacter: To Aethelwold in Season 3. Both are [[ManipulativeBastard Manipulative Bastards]] who sow division amongst the Danes and Saxons respectively in order to advance their own standing - Cnut even points out that Aethelwold's only use is "dripping poison in Saxon ears" while secretly doing the exact same thing to his Danish allies. The main difference between the two is that Cnut is much, much more cunning and [[VillainousValor isn't entirely a coward]], [[spoiler:and consequently his plans are far more successful than his Saxon counterpart's.]] |
| 481 | * KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:Lured into a battle by Uhtred, Brida overhears him confess to plotting Ragnar's murder and impales him, leaving him to bleed out alone. And Uhtred takes the sword so Cnut can't even hold a weapon and receive an entry to Valhalla.]] |
| 482 | * MoralMyopia: [[spoiler: His army murders thousands of children during its rampage across Mercia, yet he has the gall to be outraged when it seems Uhtred has killed one of his sons.]] |
| 483 | * MurderTheHypotenuse: [[spoiler:He organizes Ragnar's death at Aethelwold's hands partially to manipulate Brida into becoming his lover.]] |
| 484 | * OhCrap: [[spoiler: In the finale of Season 3, this is Cnut's reaction to first finding [[DeadGuyOnDisplay the bodies of his scouts riddled with arrows and strung up from the trees]] and then he hears the sounds of battle from behind and realises Uhtred and Edward have ambushed the rear of his army]]. |
| 485 | -->'''Cnut''': [[spoiler: They're attacking the rear! Defend the line! MOVE!]] |
| 486 | ** This is also his reaction [[spoiler: when he realises Brida [[EngineeredPublicConfession just heard him admitting to plotting to kill Ragnar]].]] |
| 487 | * PapaWolf: He loves his children deeply and [[spoiler:Uhtred taking them hostage and faking his eldest's death is what sends Cnut into a blind rage to make him forsake his caution.]] |
| 488 | * ShootTheMessenger: [[spoiler: He kills the man who tells him Uhtred seemingly murdered one of his sons, [[ILied after promising the guy he wouldn't]].]] |
| 489 | * TheStarscream: One of Ragnar's top men, and also the one who conspires against him. |
| 490 | * UnstoppableRage: From the moment he comes to believe that [[spoiler:Uhtred has killed one of his young sons]], Cnut is in unstoppable rage mode full time. Notably, this ''doesn't'' make him a better warrior, when he fights Uhtred one on one, Cnut proves to be BlindedByRage and Uhtred easily avoids most of his attacks. But Cnut ''does'' shrug off multiple very serious, perhaps mortal wounds during the fight so he can keep trying to kill Uhtred. Only when Uhtred reveals that [[spoiler:he faked the death of Cnut's son]] does Cnut's rage break. At the same time, his body suddenly realizes how seriously he's wounded, and that [[spoiler:he's dying]]. |
| 491 | [[/folder]] |
| 492 | |
| 493 | [[folder:Sigtryggr]] |
| 494 | !!Sigtryggr |
| 495 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Eysteinn Sigurðarson |
| 496 | |
| 497 | A Norse-Gaelic warlord who arrives from Ireland, claiming kinship to Ivar the Boneless and by extension Ubba. |
| 498 | ---- |
| 499 | * AffablyEvil: He is always cooly polite, even to enemies and people he disdains. His manners are sometimes a cover for ruthless, bloody scheming, but they're always there. And when he's around people he genuinely respects or can learn from, he shows respect and kindness. |
| 500 | * BetterToDieThanBeKilled: [[spoiler:He requests Uhtred execute him rather than let Edward do it, saying he wishes to die at the hands of such a fine warrior and grasps a sword tight so he might enter Valhalla.]] |
| 501 | * BigBad: Becomes this in the second half of season four, when his forces take Winchester and are able to hold off Edward's forces for a month. In the end, Edward and Aethelflaed have to give him Northumbria in exchange for leaving Winchester and promising to stay out of Wessex and Mercia. |
| 502 | * TheChessmaster: Sigtryggr is often eerily calm even in the midst of bloody chaos, usually because he's several steps ahead of his enemies. He all but wipes out the Welsh army of King Hywel by tricking them into walking straight into a trap, then he effortlessly captures Winchester itself and holds off Edward's army for a month, always ready with the right response to everything Edward does. |
| 503 | * DividedWeFall: Defied. Sigtryggr has seen this happen to the previous generation of Danish warlords too many times, [[TaughtByExperience and he knows not to repeat those mistakes]]. As soon as he hears of any hints of dissension or turmoil among the ranks, or realizes that [[spoiler:Eardwulf's]] ambitions might cause these sorts of problems, he deals with it and keeps his forces united. |
| 504 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: He's clearly repulsed by Brida's [[AxCrazy increasing bloodthirsty behaviour]] and forbids her from [[WouldHurtAChild harming Stiorra]] [[SinsOfTheFather just to spite Uhtred]]. |
| 505 | * FromNobodyToNightmare: As of the start of Season 4, nobody knew anything about him besides that he was a relative of Cnut and was on the edge of being driven out of Ireland by the Irish. Uhtred outright mocked Haesten and other Danes for following a boy with no battle reputation. By the end of the season he's brought both Wales and Wessex to their knees, captured Winchester, [[CurbStompBattle brutally defeated]] King Hywel, humiliated King Edward on multiple occasions, and forced Uhtred, Edward, and Aethelflaed to [[BegoneBribe basically bribe him into leaving Wessex alone]] by giving hm his own kingdom in Northern England. |
| 506 | * HappilyMarried: [[spoiler:He and Stiorra are married by the time Season 5 starts and have one of the stablest, happiest marriages in the whole series.]] |
| 507 | * HistoricalDomainCharacter: Loosely based on the Norse-Gaelic warlord Sitric Cáech. |
| 508 | * IHaveYourWife: Captures Winchester and takes Edward's mother, wife, father in-law and sons hostage, along with Uhtred's daughter. |
| 509 | * JerkassHasAPoint: He openly disparages the warlords who have come before him like Ubba, Cnut and Bloodhair as fools who let their emotions get the better of them and died with nothing to show for it. When a furious Brida calls him out for insulting the greatest warriors the Danes have ever known, Sigtrygger retorts that if they were so great, they'd still be alive. |
| 510 | -->'''Brida''': You dare insult the greatest warriors who ever walked these lands?! |
| 511 | -->'''Sigtryggr''': If they were so great, then where are they now? |
| 512 | * AMatchMadeInStockholm: [[spoiler: He and Stiorra bond after he captures her due to their similar outlooks. She ultimately decides to willingly go with him to Northumbria in search of a life more suited to her.]] |
| 513 | * MyGreatestFailure: Sigtryggr implies to Stiorra that he puts up with a lot from his younger brother Rognavaldr because he feels a great deal of guilt for having to leave Rognavaldr at the mercy of the Irish when he came to England. |
| 514 | * NobleDemon: In contrast to previous Danish conquerors, who sought to pillage and burn everything in sight and had aspirations of subjugating England completely, Sigtryggr comes across as far more honorable and willing to compromise. [[spoiler:This is ultimately what convinces Stiorra to leave with him without fear.]] |
| 515 | * OlderHeroVsYoungerVillain: Sigtryggyr is about half Uhtred's age when they clash, but more than a match for the older veteran. [[spoiler:Less of an opposing relationship later when Sigtryggyr is Uhtred's son-in-law and deeply respects and honors his wife's father, emotions Uhtred fully returns.]] |
| 516 | * OutsideContextProblem: For both the Welsh and Wessex. |
| 517 | ** The Welsh had been content to sit back behind their borders, letting the English and the Danes kill each other in the east, knowing they had a fortified eastern border that they could use to bleed the Danes dry if they tried to invade. Sigtryggr sails from the ''west'' in Ireland, lands on the open Welsh coast, and begins ravaging the country. |
| 518 | ** The biggest advantage that the English have against the Danes is that the Danes are more or less completely incapable of siege warfare. The Danish warlords are mostly sailors and raiders, they don't have much experience at long-term warfare that consists of more than luring your enemy into a battle where the terrain and conditions favour them. The construction of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burh burhs]], fortified towns made to resist attack by the Danes, has frustrated them and stopped them from being able to overrun Wessex. Sigtryggr, however, understands siege warfare, so not only he able to utilize surprise to take Winchester, but he knows how to defend it afterward instead of simply looting it and running. Every time Edward tries to retake the city, Sigtryggr is ahead of him and defeats him, causing Edward bloody and humiliating losses. |
| 519 | * PayEvilUntoEvil: When Sigtryggr catches Eardwulf [[EvilIsPetty trying to murder Stiorra in retaliation for her father exposing him as a traitor]], Sigtryggr beats him to a pulp. |
| 520 | * PragmaticVillainy: He's just as bloodthirsty and ruthless as any other Dane. However, [[spoiler: He wants to actually hold something of worth for the long term instead of just rushing off into battle and die like so many other Dane lords have in the past. So he's willing to negotiate a compromise with Edward.]] |
| 521 | * SiblingYinYang: Sigtryggr is a dangerously intelligent, charismatic YoungConqueror whose main character trait is his [[PragmaticVillainy willingness to abandon Viking traditions and ideals to achieve his goals.]] His brother Rognvaldr, on the other hand, is a violent, perpetually-drunk idiot who has to pay people to fear him and [[spoiler:develops into TheFundamentalist after being saved by Brida's warrior cult.]] |
| 522 | * ThickerThanWater: This is presumably the only reason why Sigtryggr puts up with his [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling younger brother]] Rognavaldr, considering Stiorra and most of his people detest Rognavaldr as a waste of space. [[spoiler: It's also why he's reluctant to execute Rognavaldr for helping Brida conquer Eoforwic and murder many of his subjects, despite Stiorra and others demanding Rognavaldr's head]]. |
| 523 | * TraumaticHaircut: [[spoiler:Brida and her cult slice off his hair in a mockery of the story of Sampson. He proceeds to tie it much like Uhtred's after.]] |
| 524 | * TheUnfettered: Most Danish warriors hope to gain glory and a chance to enter Valhalla. Even defeat isn't so bad if it means you'll live on in songs or earn your way into Odin's hall. Sigtryggr fights to ''win'', and as a result he will take actions that no other Dane would. (This includes both ruthless, bloody schemes ''and'' pragmatic compromises with the Saxons.) |
| 525 | * YoungAndInCharge: At first Uhtred mocks him as a young boy with no reputation. Sigtryggr might be young, but it turns out he is ''plenty'' capable. |
| 526 | [[/folder]] |
| 527 | |
| 528 | [[folder:Anlaf]] |
| 529 | !!Anlaf |
| 530 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Pekka Strang |
| 531 | |
| 532 | A Danish warlord based in Ireland. He is best known as the leader of Danish raiders that wear wolf skins. |
| 533 | ---- |
| 534 | * BigBad: Of the movie ''The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die''. |
| 535 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: He loved his daughter and intended for her to inherit his holdings when he passed on. [[spoiler:During the Battle of Brunanburh, Anlaf is distraught when Astrid is killed right next to him by an arrow but is urged by his men to continue leading them.]] |
| 536 | * KickTheDog: [[spoiler:He got Astrid to lie to Finan and Sihtric, claiming that Uhtred summoned them to Winchester. Using their absence, Anlaf invaded Bebbanburg and left almost all of the castle's occupants to die of suffocation in a sealed cave, with only Eadgifu surviving because she managed to hide (Osbert and Edmund were hostages of Ingilmundr at this time). There seemed to be no reason for this slaughter other to break Uhtred's spirit.]] |
| 537 | * LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler:In the end, he paid for his deceptions when Uhtred and Aethelstan defeated his armies at the Battle of Brunanburh. During the battle, his daughter Astrid and five princes among his allies are killed, leaving Anlaf abandoned and broken, just as he tried to do to Uhtred.]] |
| 538 | * ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:He was the one who sent Ingilmundr to [[FalseFriend befriend Aethelstan]] and manipulate him into [[PretextForWar attacking England's neighboring kingdoms]]. Anlaf also used his daughter [[DaddysLittleVillain Astrid]] to spy on the English kingdoms and spread discord. Using this chaos, Anlaf himself persuaded England's neighboring kings to join an alliance to kill Aethelstan and destroy the English kingdoms, thereby returning England to the [[DarkAgeEurope Dark Age]] and putting it at the mercy of the Danes once again. Anlaf even tried to manipulate a recently-banished Uhtred into assassinating Aethelstan, but he severely underestimated Uhtred's love for his one-time foster son and his determination to see King Alfred's vision of a united, peaceful England come to pass.]] |
| 539 | * UnderestimatingBadassery: [[spoiler:[[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]], but it still applies. While Anlaf acknowledged Uhtred's experience as a warrior and a leader, he underestimated Uhtred's HeroicSpirit. Anlaf treated Uhtred as yet another pawn in his schemes, having badly misjudged [[{{Determinator}} Uhtred's resolve and self-control]]. Had Anlaf decided to kill Uhtred instead, the Battle of Brunanburh would have ended differently.]] |
| 540 | [[/folder]] |
| 541 | |
| 542 | !!!Other Danes |
| 543 | |
| 544 | [[folder:Skade]] |
| 545 | !!Skade |
| 546 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/skade.jpg]] |
| 547 | ->'''Portrayed by:''' Thea Sofie Loch Næss |
| 548 | |
| 549 | A ruthless and ambitious seeress first seen as the consort of Bloodhair. |
| 550 | ---- |
| 551 | * AmbitionIsEvil: She wants to be the seer and lover of whichever Danish raider can complete the conquest of England. |
| 552 | * AxCrazy: Her idea of a good time is torturing a bunch of monks to death in very imaginative ways. |
| 553 | * CantKillYouStillNeedYou: Or rather, Can't Kill You, You've Put a Curse On Me. Many characters tell Uhtred to cut her throat and be done with it, but he can't risk her dying without the curse being lifted. [[spoiler:He eventually learns how to kill her and get rid of the curse, all at once, and promptly drowns her.]] |
| 554 | * DarkActionGirl: Downplayed. She gets in a few kills, but usually only when her victim is either helpless or when they're otherwise at a disadvantage. |
| 555 | * EstablishingCharacterMoment: Her introduction has her gouging out the eyes and cutting out the tongue of one of Bloodhair's own men for failing to avert his eyes quickly enough. |
| 556 | * HotWitch: She's a gorgeous, pouty blonde who uses her sexuality as a weapon. |
| 557 | * [[spoiler:KillItWithWater]]: [[spoiler: After [[FalseReassurance lulling Skade into a false sense of security by pretending to be seduced by her]], Uhtred drowns her in the waters of a lake outside his Coccham estate]]. |
| 558 | * MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: While Skade is Uhtred's captive, Alfred speaks with her and, despite his disbelief in her powers, asks if she can tell how long he has left before his worsening illness becomes terminal, and Skade, [[PetTheDog with surprising softness]] tells Alfred he'll die before the following summer. It's debatable whether she is legimitately seeing the future, or making an educated guess. |
| 559 | * OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions: The Danes’ belief in magic and curses makes Skade a powerful enemy because she is so feared among them. Danes held strong belief that YouCantFightFate (although you can manipulate it) meaning that a skald’s abilities to use witchcraft to turn bad fates into better ones is highly prized and their words always heeded. Naturally, skalds could manipulate these fears at will for power or money. Christian characters such as Beocca or Aelswith dismiss pagan beliefs and practices as worthless superstitions at best and evil at worst even though their forefathers were also pagans. They consider themselves champions of Christendom and therefore enlightenment, this fact is not something Aelswith or Alfred likes being reminded of because to them the old beliefs are of the devil and anyone who practices them is damned. |
| 560 | * PetTheDog: She shows a degree of sympathy to Alfred regarding his terminal illness and tells him [[LongDeadBadass his name will live on long after he has gone]]. |
| 561 | * PropheciesAreAlwaysRight: For all his piety and condescending attitude towards pagans, Alfred seems place genuine faith in Skade’s seeing abilities when he asks her [[spoiler: how long he has left to live before his illness kills him.]] |
| 562 | * TheVamp: She goes through a series of men, using them and discarding them when she deems them too weak to fulfil her visions, and is completely beyond redemption. |
| 563 | -->'''Sihtric''': She is poison to ''all'' men. |
| 564 | * TooDumbToLive: Apart from [[spoiler: repeatedly killing off or allowing to be killed off any man she attaches herself to, proving she can ''never'' be trusted]], perhaps her biggest mistake was [[spoiler: telling a man who had literally been enslaved before "I own you." Uhtred evidently already wanted to kill her to free himself from her curse, but that line probably didn't help.]] |
| 565 | * WhiteHairBlackHeart: She's got pale blonde hair and is easily one of the vilest characters in the series. |
| 566 | * WomenAreWiser: Brida cautions Jackdaw to remain vigilant in guarding Skade whom she recognizes “is smarter than she looks” and would be dangerous to underestimate. To Brida’s annoyance, the men around her seem to do exactly this and fall prey so easily into Skade's thirst trap because they don’t question her motives and all think with their genitals. Women are not at risk of this danger, though. In fact, when Hild, the abbess and Aethelflaed meet Skade, they distrust and dislike her almost immediately. Skade makes it known very quickly that the feeling is mutual. |
| 567 | * YourMagicsNoGoodHere: Brida to Skade when Skade demands to see Uhtred and threatens to curse Brida if she is denied. Brida blocks Skade’s powers with a Nithstong and states that this is Freya’s land. This action angers Skade so much that she swears to kill Brida for it. To this effect, Skade's other charms prove ineffective around Brida as well. Specifically, Skade’s use of sex appeal to get her way. Skade might be able to bamboozle her male captors by showing her boobies but other women seem utterly unimpressed by these attempts to distract and are immediately able to see right through her. For example, Brida was the first to notice that Skade has no runes and questions if she is even a real seer despite calling herself one if this is the case. |
| 568 | [[/folder]] |
| 569 | |
| 570 | [[folder:Skorpa]] |
| 571 | !!Skorpa of the White Horse |
| 572 | |
| 573 | [[quoteright:865:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/skorpa.jpg]] |
| 574 | |
| 575 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Jonas Malmsjö |
| 576 | |
| 577 | A sociopathic Danish warrior whom Uhtred encounters raiding Cornwallum, Uhtred's initial alliance of convenience with Skorpa turns them into mortal enemies. |
| 578 | ---- |
| 579 | * AdaptationalBadass: Although Svein of the White Horse, the character Skorpa replaces, was a perfectly respectable badass viking in the books, he didn't have anything like the AxCrazy manner that Skorpa does in the series. He also didn't get the better of Uhtred or [[spoiler: personally kill Iseult]]. |
| 580 | * CardCarryingVillain: Unlike Ragnar the Younger, Guthrum and even Ubba, who have some redeeming qualities, Skorpa appears to have none. |
| 581 | * CoDragons: Becomes one to Guthrum with Ragnar the Younger in Episode 8. |
| 582 | * DecapitationPresentation: [[spoiler: Skorpa gleefully presents Uhtred with the head of Iseult as a taunt. [[NiceJobFixingItVillain It, uhh... doesn't end well for him]].]] |
| 583 | * DirtyCoward: In the final battle upon seeing that the Danes are losing, he takes a few other men to ride off and raid the army's camp full of noncombatants and kill Isuelt just to spite Uhtred rather than fighting himself. |
| 584 | * ForTheEvulz: Skorpa makes no bones about the fact most of what he does is for this. |
| 585 | * GracefulLoser: When Uhtred tells Skorpa that his potential ally [[spoiler: Odda the Younger]] has been executed for treason, Skorpa's only reaction is a sigh and an accepting shrug of the shoulders. |
| 586 | * ILied: [[spoiler: Skorpa promises to spare the defeated Cornish king Peredur in exchange for his wealth. The second Peredur tells them where it is, Skorpa kills him]]. |
| 587 | * ImAHumanitarian: Skorpa's signature attack is to bite people's throats out. |
| 588 | * ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: He dies this way by Uhtred's hand, courtesy of a spear from Beocca. For good measure, Uhtred twists the spearhead deeper into Skorpa's chest while dealing the coup de grace. |
| 589 | * IShallTauntYou: Does this a lot to Uhtred. |
| 590 | * JoinOrDie: Gives this ultimatum to [[spoiler: Odda the Younger]] following Alfred's disappearance and the Danish conquest of Wessex. |
| 591 | -->'''Skorpa''': Kneel and you will live. [[DisproportionateRetribution Talk too much and I will kill you]]. [...] I am occupying your lands. Why should I not simply crush you? |
| 592 | * ManBitesMan: He enjoys tearing out chunks of throat with his ''teeth''. |
| 593 | * NiceJobFixingItVillain: Skorpa's taunting of Uhtred [[spoiler: with Isuelt's severed head only succeeds in driving Uhtred into an UnstoppableRage that shatters the Dane shieldwall, ends up costing the Danes the battle of Ethandun and results in his death]]. |
| 594 | * SlasherSmile: ''Every'' time he smiles is one of these. |
| 595 | * WouldHitAGirl: [[spoiler: He kills Isuelt, and repeatedly threatens her before that]]. |
| 596 | [[/folder]] |
| 597 | |
| 598 | [[folder:Storri]] |
| 599 | !!Storri |
| 600 | |
| 601 | [[quoteright:553:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/storri.jpg]] |
| 602 | |
| 603 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Henning Valin Jakobsen |
| 604 | |
| 605 | A sorcerer, who serves Ubba, until [[spoiler: the latter one dies]]. |
| 606 | |
| 607 | * AssShove: Brida shoves a branch up his arse. |
| 608 | * BackForTheDead: [[spoiler:After being absent for half of Season 1, all of 2, and the first half of 3, he finally reappears...only to get strangled to death by Brida to break the curse he laid on her.]] |
| 609 | * TheEvilGenius: To Ubba, although not always a competent one. |
| 610 | * HowTheMightyHaveFallen: He goes from being the personal seer, magician, and advisor for the most feared Danish warlord alive (with said warlord being completely dependent on Storri's advice), to [[spoiler:a petty village fortuneteller answering question for peasants and living in the woods.]] |
| 611 | * MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: While the series casts doubt on the existence of magic, every time Ubba asks Storri for advice and Storri actually gives a solid answer instead of dodging the question or hedging his bets, it's the right answer. Also, it's worth noting that [[spoiler:when he reappears in Season 3 and a man asks Storri whether the man's wife will ever be able to have children, rather than going with the tried and true method that fake magicians generally use of telling people everything they want to hear, Storri instead tells the man that his wife is infertile and will never have children. It's also noteworthy that Brida finally gets pregnant by Cnut after killing him, after his curse allegedly caused her to miscarry Uhtred's child and fail to get pregnant by Ragnar despite their attempts.]] |
| 612 | * OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Uhtred frequently brings up the 'branch up arse' incident to taunt him. |
| 613 | [[/folder]] |
| 614 | |
| 615 | [[folder:Clapa]] |
| 616 | !!Clapa |
| 617 | |
| 618 | [[quoteright:480:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/clapa.jpg]] |
| 619 | |
| 620 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Magnus Samuelsson |
| 621 | |
| 622 | A hulking Dane, Uhtred trains Clapa for king Guthred’s army of Cumbraland. He’ll become one of Uhtred’s best fighters, but his savagery in battle belies a warm heart and loyalty to his comrades that holds no bounds. |
| 623 | ---- |
| 624 | * TheBigGuy: And '''how'''. Clapa is absolutely massive. |
| 625 | * HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Performs one when mortally wounded to let Uhtred and the others escape Beamfleot with Aethelflaed]]. |
| 626 | * TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler: Manages to kill several of Sigefrid's warriors before being cut down]]. |
| 627 | %% * VitriolicBestBuds: With Finan and Sihtric. |
| 628 | [[/folder]] |
| 629 | |
| 630 | [[folder:Jackdaw]] |
| 631 | !!Jackdaw |
| 632 | |
| 633 | [[quoteright:543:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jackdaw.png]] |
| 634 | |
| 635 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Tygo Gernandt |
| 636 | |
| 637 | A Danish warrior who serves under Brida and performs various tasks for her. |
| 638 | ---- |
| 639 | %%* BeardOfEvil: A short, scraggly one. |
| 640 | * CanonForeigner: A character created for the series. |
| 641 | * DistractedByTheSexy: Brida chides him for allowing Skade to do this to him while he's guarding her. |
| 642 | -->'''Brida''': Jackdaw, keep your hands on your sword and your eyes off her tits. She's cleverer than you. |
| 643 | -->'''Jackdaw''': [[IHeardThat I heard that!]] |
| 644 | * GroinAttack: Mentions that Brida threatened him with this when Uhtred requests to speak privately with Skade. |
| 645 | -->'''Jackdaw''': I cannot, lord. Brida would have my balls. |
| 646 | * ImpromptuTracheotomy: [[spoiler: His cause of death, courtesy of King Edward shooting him through the throat with an arrow]]. |
| 647 | * KilledMidSentence: [[spoiler: Gets shot through the throat at Tettenhall while listing what [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil he and his men will do to Aethelflaed]].]] |
| 648 | %% * PetRat: Serves as one to Brida, and later Cnut. |
| 649 | %% * RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: [[spoiler: Spends his last moments detailing to Aethelflaed his and his men's plans to gang-rape her]]. |
| 650 | %% -->'''Jackdaw''': [[spoiler: Since you're Alfred's daughter, I'll let you choose which of us humps you first]]. |
| 651 | * TalkingIsAFreeAction: Completely subverted. [[spoiler: Turns out stopping to do this in the middle of a battlefield wasn't a smart idea]]. |
| 652 | * TookALevelInJerkass: Is a lot nastier in Season 4, compared to the PunchClockVillain serving Brida he was in Season 3. |
| 653 | %%* WhamLine: In-universe, when he tells Uhtred the identity [[spoiler: of Ragnar's true killer]]. |
| 654 | %%-->'''Uhtred''': Say your message. |
| 655 | %%-->'''Jackdaw''': [Brida] says [[spoiler: Aethelwold]], lord. She says do not fail. |
| 656 | * YouWillBeSpared: [[spoiler: Uhtred doesn't harm him after Jackdaw turns up at the Saxon camp ahead of the Battle of Bedanford, bearing a message from Brida that Aethelwold killed Ragnar, but keeps him captive at the camp until the battle is decided]]. |
| 657 | [[/folder]] |
| 658 | |
| 659 | [[folder:Dagfinn]] |
| 660 | !!Dagfinn |
| 661 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Simon Stenspil |
| 662 | |
| 663 | A Danish warrior once in service of the brothers, Sigefrid and Erik, Dagfinn remains a presence in the Danish forces threatening Wessex. |
| 664 | ---- |
| 665 | %% * BeardOfEvil: Has a long black beard and is a nasty piece of work. |
| 666 | * BraidsOfBarbarism: Has quite extensive, braided black hair. |
| 667 | * TheCorrupter: [[spoiler: Seemingly exploits Sihtric's dissatisfaction with Uhtred to convince him to defect. Ultimately subverted; Sihtric's defection was a plan arranged by him and Uhtred to put a spy in Haesten and Cnut's camp]]. |
| 668 | %% * TheDragon: First to Erik, then to Haesten. |
| 669 | * DragonTheirFeet: Ultimately grows dissatisfied with Erik due to the latter's growing feelings for Aethelflaed and starts undermining him. |
| 670 | * KilledOffscreen: WordOfGod has it Dagfinn was killed in the final battle of Season 3. |
| 671 | * OhCrap: His reaction after Haesten and Dagfinn have their arses handed to them by Aethelflaed's defenders and both saw who commanded them. |
| 672 | -->'''Dagfinn''': [[TheDreaded That was Uhtred!]] |
| 673 | -->'''Haesten''': I know, I saw him! |
| 674 | -->'''Dagfinn''': Why is he not in the north?! |
| 675 | -->'''Haesten''': BECAUSE HE'S ''HERE''! |
| 676 | * TookALevelInJerkass: As Haesten's right hand man, he's become a lot more cruel and vicious, compared to the PunchClockVillain he was for Erik. |
| 677 | * WouldHitAGirl: Kills an Abbess [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice with a spear]] when she's about to make a futile attack on Haesten. [[DoWrongRight Haesten then chides Dagfinn for it, pointing out he could quite easily have disarmed the old woman]]. |
| 678 | [[/folder]] |
| 679 | |
| 680 | [[folder:Rognavaldr]] |
| 681 | !!Rognavaldr |
| 682 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Micki Stoltt |
| 683 | |
| 684 | Sigtryggr's wastrel younger brother, he returns to Eoforwic after being mistakenly presumed dead in a shipwreck. He's universally disliked by his brother's inner circle, but tolerated because Sigtryggr still loves him. |
| 685 | |
| 686 | ---- |
| 687 | * ZeroPercentApprovalRating: Aside from his [[BigBrotherInstinct older brother Sigtryggr]], virtually no-one in Eoforwic likes him, considering him a good for nothing drunk. His sister-in-law Stiorra frequently wishes her husband would cut ties with Rognavaldr, [[spoiler: and the entire city is clamouring for his death after he assists Brida in her occupation of the city.]] |
| 688 | * AbhorrentAdmirer: To Stiorra's handmaiden Hella, who is visibly disgusted by him. |
| 689 | * AintTooProudToBeg: Is not above this to get his life spared. |
| 690 | %% * TheAlcoholic: You have to be a ''really'' bad drunkard to be seen as one amongst the notoriously rowdy Danes. |
| 691 | * BlackSpeech: Privately whispers to himself in Icelandic, revealing [[spoiler: he's a part of Brida's cult]]. |
| 692 | * DirtyCoward: Stiorra considers him this and views his atoner attitude as a simple front to stay alive. [[spoiler: Sigtryggr ultimately agrees when Rognavaldr is willing to abandon paganism to be spared by Edward.]] |
| 693 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: For all his faults, he does seem to care for his brother. |
| 694 | * FriendVersusLover: He and Stiorra do not get on; she considers Rognavaldr a useless waste of space that Sigtryggr is too soft on, while Rognavaldr considers her a bad influence corrupting his brother away from his Danish roots. |
| 695 | * HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: [[spoiler: Betrays his brother to Brida's cult, then betrays her to save his own skin, then declares his allegiance to Edward and Wessex to acquire power and influence for himself]]. |
| 696 | * HistoricalDomainCharacter: Loosely based on the Norse-Gaelic warlord Ragnall ua Imair, although his historical counterpart actaully ''preceded'' Sitric Caech (Sigtryggr.) as king of Northumbria. |
| 697 | * OhCrap: His reaction when [[spoiler: Brida's daughter selects him as a sacrifice. Fortunately for Rognavaldr, Brida spares him by exercising some LoopholeAbuse]]. |
| 698 | * RankUp: [[spoiler: After Sigtryggr's death and Stiorra's refusal to serve the man who killed her husband, Edward puts Rognavaldr in charge of the Danes in Eoforwic, ignoring his unpopularity with the citizenry and various people, including Stiorra and Uhtred, warning him Rognavaldr is completely untrustworthy]]. |
| 699 | * ReportsOfMyDeathWereGreatlyExaggerated: Sigtryggr comments when Rognavaldr turns up in Eoforwic he'd heard his little brother died in a shipwreck off the coast of Iceland. [[spoiler: As it turns out, his ship did sink, but Brida and her cultists found and nursed him back to health]]. |
| 700 | * ThickerThanWater: [[spoiler: Rognavaldr does love his brother in his own way, trying to get Sigtryggr to side with Brida to save himself, and shows great reluctance when Brida orders him to kill Sigtyrggr as a test of his loyalty.]] |
| 701 | * TrialByOrdeal: [[spoiler: Since Sigtryggr can't bring himself to kill his little brother even after his betrayal, he makes Rognavaldr undergo one of these so he can leave the matter in the hands of the gods. Rognavaldr is forced to remove a heated iron bar from a cauldron of boiling water and carry it nine steps, on the proviso that if his wounds begin healing within three days after, he'll be spared, or executed if they fester. Sigtryggr ultimately spares him]]. |
| 702 | [[/folder]] |
| 703 | |
| 704 | [[folder:Hella]] |
| 705 | !!Hella |
| 706 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Lara Steward |
| 707 | |
| 708 | A deaf woman who serves as Stiorra's handmaiden and confidante in Eoforwic. |
| 709 | ---- |
| 710 | * DisabledSnarker: She cheerfully thanks Stiorra for threatening to cut off Rognvaldr's hands if he tries to harass her. |
| 711 | * FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler: She makes one last sign to Stiorra before Brida executes her.]] |
| 712 | * KillTheCutie: [[spoiler: Brida stabs her [[InTheBack in the back]] just to hurt Stiorra.]] |
| 713 | * TheLostLenore: [[spoiler: To Wolland, who is devasted by her death.]] |
| 714 | * UndyingLoyalty: To Stiorra, to the point she willingly chooses to face down the vengeful Brida and her cult to give her an opportunity to escape. |
| 715 | * TheVoiceless: Justified. She can't speak due to her deafness and instead communicates via sign language. |
| 716 | [[/folder]] |
| 717 | |
| 718 | [[folder:Wolland]] |
| 719 | !!Wolland |
| 720 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Jaakko Ohtonen |
| 721 | |
| 722 | Sigtryggr and Stiorra's loyal right-hand man in Eoforwic. |
| 723 | ---- |
| 724 | * BadassInDistress: [[spoiler: He's one of many warriors imprisoned when Brida captures Eoforwic and overthrows Sigtryggr]]. |
| 725 | * BigNo: When the woman he loves is killed [[spoiler: during Brida's occupation of Eoforwic and when he sees Stiorra about to fight Brida in a DuelToTheDeath the latter has massively skewed in her favour]]. |
| 726 | * DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler: Despite being [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice mortally wounded]] by a Scottish soldier in the siege of Bebbanburg, he still has the strength to slay his attacker before succumbing to his wound]]. |
| 727 | * FightingForAHomeland: What finally convinces Wolland and Stiorra to help Uhtred [[spoiler: save Edward at the siege of Bebbanburg is Uhtred's promise that, as Lord of Bebbanburg, he will make Northumbria a safe place for Danes to settle in]]. |
| 728 | * ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler: He is killed when a Scottish soldier runs an entire spear through his body.]] |
| 729 | * JerkassHasAPoint: [[spoiler: He urges Stiorra to withdraw from the Siege of Bebbanburg, even though it will mean leaving her father, brother and many of her childhood friends to die, as from his perspective , the battle is already lost and they don't owe Edward any help]]. |
| 730 | -->'''Wolland''': No Danes should die fighting for Saxons. Not after all they have done to us. |
| 731 | * TheLostLenore: [[spoiler: He was in love with one of Stiorra's maids who was [[EvilIsPetty murdered by Brida to spite Stiorra]].]] |
| 732 | * RoaringRampageOfRevenge: [[spoiler: Having seen his home occupied, been held a prison, and seen many of his friends and the woman he loved killed by Brida, when Sigtryggr and Uhtred counterattack to drive her cultists from the city, Wolland goes into an unstoppable rage. He also executes any surviving cultists taken prisoner in the battle's aftermath.]] |
| 733 | * ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler: He chooses to go into exile with Stiorra after Edward banishes her from Eoforwic for refusing to swear allegiance to him following Sigtryggr's death]]. |
| 734 | %% * UndyingLoyalty: To Stiorra and Sigtryggr. |
| 735 | [[/folder]] |
| 736 | |
| 737 | [[folder:Vibeke]] |
| 738 | !!Vibeke |
| 739 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Emili Akhchina |
| 740 | |
| 741 | Brida's daughter by Cnut, hailed as a seer by her mother and a central figure amongst Brida's fundamentalist warrior cult. |
| 742 | ---- |
| 743 | * BlindSeer: She's not technically blind, but Brida always blindfolds her before Vibeke selects a victim for a HumanSacrifice to sell the choosing as the will of the gods. |
| 744 | * ChildrenAreInnocent: Her mother tries to shield Vibeke from the more brutal aspects of the cult's actions, telling Vibeke to run along and play while the cultists massacre Eoforwic's Christian population. |
| 745 | ** Despite their legitimate grievances against Vibeke's mother in Season 5, neither Uhtred nor Pyrlig try to harm Vibeke. [[spoiler: Uhtred even tries to rescue Vibeke from the church spire, all but begging the girl to come to him rather than risk trying to make an impossible jump to reach Brida, while Pyrlig insists to a grieving Brida that Vibeke was an innocent who will find peace in the afterlife, and performs a funeral for the girl]]. |
| 746 | * CreepyChild: She's a near-mute, [[EmotionlessGirl stoic]] little girl who serves as a WaifProphet to a fundamentalist pagan cult who randomly picks out victims for her mother to [[HumanSacrifice sacrifice]] to the gods. |
| 747 | * DeathOfAChild: [[spoiler: Vibeke is killed during Sigtryggr and Uhtred's counterattack to retake Eoforwic from Brida's cult]]. |
| 748 | * DisappearedDad: Cnut was killed at the Battle of Tettenhall several months before she was born. |
| 749 | * DisneyVillainDeath: [[spoiler: Plummets to her death from a church spire while trying to jump to Brida]]. |
| 750 | * IWantMyMommy: Calls out for her mother [[spoiler: when she ends up trapped atop an Eoforwic church spire during the battle between Brida's cult and Sigtryggr and Uhtred's forces trying to retake the city]]. What makes it notable is it's the [[SuddenlySpeaking first]] ([[spoiler:and tragically, last]]) time she speaks in the series. |
| 751 | * MoralityPet: To her mother. Brida deeply loves Vibeke despite the circumstances of her conception and [[spoiler: is [[DespairEventHorizon left broken]] by [[OutlivingOnesOffspring Vibeke's death]].]] |
| 752 | * [[SinsOfTheFather Sins Of The Mother]]: Averted; Uhtred does not try to harm Vibeke in retaliation for Brida's actions against his family, even trying to rescue the girl from [[spoiler: falling to her death]]. |
| 753 | [[/folder]] |
| 754 | |
| 755 | [[folder:Ingilmundr]] |
| 756 | !!Ingilmundr |
| 757 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Laurie Davidson |
| 758 | |
| 759 | An advisor to Aethelstan, commander of the Wirral garrison and a Danish-born Christian...or is he? |
| 760 | ---- |
| 761 | * FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler:Knowing to not expect mercy from someone he had betrayed so brutally, Ingilmundr remained quiet when Aethelstan refused to give him a weapon to deny him passage to Valhalla and had him executed.]] |
| 762 | * FalseFriend: [[spoiler:He ingratiated himself into Aethelstan's favor by becoming his gay lover. Ingilmundr then [[ManipulativeBastard played on]] Aethelstan's {{Gayngst}}, claiming that God would forgive the sin of their relationship if he brought ''all'' of British Isles under united Christian rule, not just England. He also turned Aethelstan against his lifelong allies and friends, undermining England from within. All this was to unite the neighboring kingdoms against England and make Anlaf's invasion of England go more smoothly.]] |
| 763 | * {{Foreshadowing}}: [[spoiler:When it looked like Uhtred was going to kill him, Ingilmundr instinctively dove to grab a weapon. This implied that he isn't as true to his Christian beliefs as he claimed, hinting at his ''true'' allegiance.]] |
| 764 | * LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler:He falsely accused Uhtred and Aldhelm of betrayal, resulting in their banishment and death respectively. In the end, he himself was at the mercy of a very ''angry'' Aethelstan, who showed him none.]] |
| 765 | * MoleInCharge: [[spoiler:He used his position as Aethelstan's advisor and lover to undermine Aethelstan's rule from within. When Anlaf commenced his invasion of England, Ingilmundr murdered his own garrison at Wirral to give Anlaf's forces a superior battlefield position and to [[LeaveNoWitnesses prevent word of the invasion from getting out]].]] |
| 766 | * WasItAllALie: [[spoiler:Captured by Aethelstan after the Battle of Brunanburh, Ingilmundr confessed that while he ''did'' love Aethelstan, his loyalty to the Danes was even greater. The only regret he had was that victory was not his.]] |
| 767 | * WhyDontYouJustShootHim: [[spoiler:After watching Uhtred leave Anlaf's camp, he protested Anlaf's decision to let Uhtred go. [[UnderestimatingBadassery Believing Uhtred would assassinate Aethelstan in retaliation for banishment]], Anlaf told Ingilmundr to relax.]] |
| 768 | [[/folder]] |
| 769 | |
| 770 | [[folder:Astrid]] |
| 771 | !!Astrid |
| 772 | ->'''Portrayed By:''' Agnes Born |
| 773 | |
| 774 | Anlaf's daughter and second-in-command. |
| 775 | ---- |
| 776 | * BitchInSheepsClothing: [[spoiler:When wearing Saxon peasant clothes and a travelling cloak, she was quite an UnkemptBeauty, almost unrecognizable from the Danish warrior she really was. Astrid often acted as her father's spy, keeping watch over events in England and sowing discord or misinformation to serve Anlaf's purposes.]] |
| 777 | * DaddysLittleVillain: [[spoiler:She was Anlaf's daughter and happily aided her father in his plan to send England back into the [[DarkAgeEurope Dark Age]], leaving it ripe for plunder to Anlaf and other Danes. Astrid was every bit as cunning and manipulative as father.]] |
| 778 | * DarkActionGirl: [[spoiler:She was a confident warrior who can easily keep up with Danish men and accompany Anlaf into battle.]] |
| 779 | * TheDragon: [[spoiler:She was her father's second-in-command, acting directly on his behalf in both espionage and battle.]] |
| 780 | * LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler:She paid for the misery and death she caused when she was shot through the throat by an arrow during the Battle of Brunanburh. Her death also became one of many losses Anlaf suffered when he was finally defeated.]] |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Characters / TheLastKingdomDanes
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
