‘Vikings’: Fans Weigh in on Ragnar Lothbrok’s Transformation Over Time
In the history of Vikings, one character seems to be beloved over all the rest, and that’s Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel). He moves up the ranks from a farmer to a king in his own right. His legacy grows even more after his death. Read on to learn what fans have to say about Ragnar’s transformation over time.
From a farmer to a king
Ragnar was a farmer with a dream when he defies the earl of Kattegat and sails west. He finds England, and nothing is ever the same after that. He eventually becomes the earl of Kattegat when he kills the local earl. Years later, Ragnar makes himself King of Kattegat and his legend grows even larger. People have heard about him far and wide, and his fame grows with his death.
After Ragnar makes a second attempt to take Paris and is unable to do so, he returns to Kattegat only to up and leave for many years. When he finally does return, he’s a shell of the man he once was. Everyone seems to have moved on from the days of Ragnar, but he does manage to go back to England. Ragnar has unfinished business and he wants revenge for the Viking settlement in Wessex being destroyed. He makes his way back there and he is killed when he’s thrown into a pit of snakes by King Aelle (Ivan Kaye).
Ragnar plans his death because he knows it’s the only way to get his sons to come over to England to get revenge for the destroyed settlement in Wessex. Ragnar’s death changes everything and makes his legend grow.
Fans weigh in on Ragnar Lothbrok’s transformation over time
Fans have been known to discuss Ragnar’s transformation through the series. A fan recently posted on Reddit with images of Ragnar over time starting from when he was a farmer to when he returns a broken man.
“It still amazes me how his character transitioned,” a Reddit user posted. In the image, it’s clear that Ragnar ages over time, and with every step, he changes and transforms into a slightly different man.
‘He sacrifices himself for the future of his people and sons’
Numerous fans responded to say how much they enjoyed watching Ragnar’s arc and how he changed over time. Ragnar dies for the “future of his people and sons” according to one fan.
“Yeah his arc of going from an ambitious and charismatic farmer to a broken king who misses what he had before and then a legend after he sacrifices himself for the future of his people and sons was for the most part really well-executed,” a fan said.
Another fan thinks it’s “remarkable” that the series showed just how broken Ragnar had become. “Pretty remarkable how by the end they weren’t afraid to show just how ruined he was, debased both in appearance and attitude,” a fan wrote.
Watching Ragnar over time was a ‘journey’
Ragnar starts off with such ambition as a farmer, but he transforms into a man full of regret. Most of his sons have a hard time even looking at him after they learn he lied about the destroyed settlement in Wessex. However, Ragnar does what he can to get justice for it, and he sacrifices his own life in the process.
“By far one of the best characters ever,” a Reddit user said. “It really was a journey watching Ragnar. From a farmer to a broken king who misses what he once had. One thing that always hit me hard was watching his character slowly die. And especially after Rollo betrayed him for the last time. When he came back from disappearing really hurt me watching his son’s just kinda throw him off. And we all knew somewhere inside that Ragnar was gonna die.”
Ragnar Lothbrok transformed over the years from a farmer to a king and a broken man. In the end, he gets the revenge he craved, but it could only be accomplished through his death.
