History’s Vikings went down as one of the best Historical Drama Series ever created. It is the best expression of what life was like in the 8th and 9th centuries when the Danes invaded England, specifically focusing on the life and the family of Ragnar Lothbrok. The Lothbroks were great fighters that managed to create a name for themselves on both sides of the Atlantic, but they were not the only good fighters in the show. Here is a look at the best fighters in all the six seasons of the show.
Ragnar
Ragnar was badly injured when he fought Earl Haraldson and took over his position as the Earl of Kattegat. He defeated all his enemies after that until his brother outsmarted him in Frankia, but even then, he retained his respect as the greatest fighter. Many fans argue that the show lost its taste when Ragnar died, but in real sense, Ragnar only became more popular after his death as his sons immortalized his memory. Ragnar Lothbrok was the best fighter of his time. Quick and smart with both the sword and the axe, Ragnar was an impossible opponent to beat.
Lagertha
When Ragnar left Lagertha to go on his first raid in England, two men attacked and tried to rape her, but she singlehandedly fought them off with a sword. She was as good a fighter as any of the men she fought alongside and didn’t bow down to any man. When her second husband, Sigvard, proved to be a brutal wife-beater, Lagertha put him in his place with a knife to the eye. Then after becoming the queen of Kattegat, she continued fighting for her place until Ivar’s alliance with Harald and Rollo overthrew her. It is so sad that the show didn’t give her the warrior’s death that she deserved.
Bjorn
All his life, Bjorn tried to preserve his father’s legacy by keeping Ragnar’s family and country together. Bjorn Ironside was the best of Ragnar’s sons as he did almost everything his father did and managed to unite all the Vikings against a common enemy. Bjorn never lost a sword fight to anyone until the day his brother stabbed him in the heart while he was trying to make him see sense. He was a great leader that knew when to fight and when to negotiate. He managed to overthrow his heartless little brother in Kattegat and also put up a strong resistance against the Rus when they threatened the future of Norway.
Ivar
When Ivar was born, Ragnar took him to the woods to kill him because of his deformity but later changed his mind and decided to let him live. However, the boy that he saved never saved anyone in his life. He turned into a deranged maniac that enjoyed brutality, killing people for fun. Although he was a cripple, Ivar was a very good fighter.
He was good with the sword, the axe and the knives he could throw at his opponents, killing them from a distance before they ever got the chance of touching him. His fighting skills and cunning nature on the battlefield convinced him that he was a god, which only served to make him worse.
Ubbe
Ubbe was the only son that took after Ragnar in both appearance and curiosity, but he managed to avoid most of Ragnar’s bad traits. He didn’t enjoy violence and blood. He instead preferred peace and humanity, which is why he found it hard to survive in Kattegat. That doesn’t mean he couldn’t fight, though.
He defeated his brother Hvitserk in battle but chose to save him rather than cut off his head. He was one of the best fighters in the show as he managed to defeat Frodo in single combat to prevent a war in England. Ubbe also taught Alfred and his army how to defend himself against Viking armies, and his training helped Alfred prevail against Ivar in the final war.
Aethelwulf
Vikings didn’t bring up many good fighters from the Saxon side of the show, but you couldn’t help but Admire Aethelwulf. He wasn’t a great leader since his father only used him as a pawn to do his dirty work. However, when called upon to fight, Aethelwulf never ran away from the battle. He helped his father quash the uprising in Mercia and then helped Wessex defeat King Horik after Ragnar left him. He also made it hard for Ivar to go beyond York after he took over the city. He was a bad leader, though, as he was always detached from reality.
King Harald
Harald Finehair was always unlucky with women but not with the sword. He was Ragnar’s right-hand man in the doomed expedition to Frankia and managed to keep up the fighting even when his ship caught fire. Harald also put up a great fight against the Saxons when he attacked Alfred alongside Jarl Olavsson. He also beat his brother in combat and chose to kill rather than spare him, which was very heartless. He could fight well with the sword and the axe, fast and agile, which always gave him an upper hand over his enemies.
Rollo
Rollo, Ragnar’s treacherous brother, went down as the most disgraced character in the show. His brother forgave him at first when he betrayed him and fought alongside Jarl Borg, then a second time when he betrayed him with the Franks. He got his brother killed and helped scatter his family by supporting Ivar in the war in Kattegat.
He was a great fighter, though. He helped Ragnar defeat the Saxons many times and also helped him repel the attack on his family in Kattegat while Ragnar was away raiding in England. He was especially good with the spear, which he used to impale a man even after his alliance with Borg was defeated.
Bishop Haehmund
Bishop Haehmund was a Saxon bishop that fought more like a Viking. When he led the attack on York, he was the only person smart enough to advise caution as Ivar’s and his army were hiding in the sewers. He managed to create a standoff against lots of Viking warriors after fighting his heart out. He also fought bravely for Ivar and later for Lagertha, proving himself a better swordsman than he was a bishop. It was a mistake to end his relationship with Lagertha before the battle against Harald and Olavsson, but he died after proving himself.
Gunhild
Gunhild committing suicide to join Bjorn in death is one of the things that didn’t make any sense about the final season of Vikings. She was a strong free-willed woman that was the closest anyone came to being like Lagertha. When needed on the battlefield, Gunhild was no less of a fighter.
She fought bravely alongside Olavsson and Harald and even killed Haehmund. She also helped Bjorn retake Kattegat and stayed at his side to fight for the victory of Norway over Oleg and the Rus. She would have made a great queen for Kattegat if grief didn’t overcome her in the end.