Character Relationship Map: Vikings

Characters

• Ragnar Lothbrok (played by Travis Fimmel) — protagonist

  Legendary Viking chieftain and the series' central protagonist. An ambitious Norse farmer who rises from obscurity to become a king, driven by a desire to explore unknown lands and raid the West. His...

• Ivar Lothbrok / Ivar the Boneless (played by Alex Høgh Andersen) — protagonist

  Son of Ragnar and Aslaug, known as Ivar the Boneless. Despite his physical vulnerability, he is a cunning, ruthless and brilliant strategist. In the later seasons he emerges as one of the most feared...

• Floki (played by Gustaf Skarsgård) — supporting

  An eccentric and extraordinarily gifted Norse shipbuilder, and Ragnar's close friend. His innovative vessel designs make the long-distance raids on new lands possible. Deeply devoted to the old Norse...

• Ubbe Lothbrok (played by Jordan Patrick Smith) — supporting

  One of Ragnar's and Aslaug's sons. More thoughtful, diplomatic and level-headed than his brothers, Ubbe is nevertheless a strong and courageous warrior. In the later seasons he takes a leading role in...

• Rollo (played by Clive Standen) — supporting

  Ragnar's brother, a towering and ferocious Viking warrior. He is a key ally in Ragnar's early raids but struggles with jealousy and the constant desire to surpass his brother's fame. His ambitions and...

• Hvitserk Lothbrok (played by Marco Ilsø) — supporting

  One of Ragnar's and Aslaug's sons. A devoted and capable warrior who fights alongside his brothers through many battles and hardships. Torn between the conflicting ambitions of Ivar and Ubbe, Hvitserk...

• Lagertha (played by Katheryn Winnick) — supporting

  A legendary shieldmaiden, warrior and Ragnar's first wife. Fierce, independent and battle-hardened, she rises to become a respected earl and ruler of Kattegat. Her strength, resilience and leadership...

• Bjorn Lothbrok (played by Alexander Ludwig) — supporting

  The eldest son of Ragnar and Lagertha, and a legendary warrior in his own right. He follows in his father's footsteps, leading major expeditions to new lands, including a celebrated voyage to the Medi...

• King Harald Finehair (played by Peter Franzén) — supporting

  An ambitious Viking warlord and self-styled king who dreams of uniting all of Norway under a single crown. Ruthless, charismatic and fearless in battle, he is a persistent rival and later an ally to R...

• Siggy Haraldson (played by Jessalyn Gilsig) — supporting

  First the wife of Earl Haraldson, and later the partner of Rollo. A sharp-witted and cunning woman who understands the ruthless politics of Kattegat, she repeatedly adapts to survive the violent shift...

• Helga (played by Maude Hirst) — supporting
• Torvi (played by Georgia Hirst) — supporting
• Alfred (played by Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) — supporting
• Aslaug (played by Alyssa Sutherland) — supporting
• Prince Oleg of Novgorod (played by Danila Kozlovsky) — supporting
• King Ecbert (played by Linus Roache) — supporting
• Athelstan (played by George Blagden) — supporting
• Aethelwulf (played by Moe Dunford) — supporting
• Margrethe (played by Ida Marie Nielsen) — supporting
• Astrid (played by Josefin Asplund) — supporting

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Aslaug → Ivar Lothbrok / Ivar the Boneless (Mother and son) — Aslaug's decision to preserve Ivar's life is foundational to his survival and identity.

  "Aslaug protects Ivar despite Ragnar's insistence that he should die, and later asks that he be taught the ways of the gods."

• Judith → Athelstan (Lovers) — Their relationship creates a personal bond with lasting religious and dynastic consequences.

  "Judith and Athelstan sleep together and express love for each other; Alfred is born from their relationship."

• Alfred → Judith (Mother and son) — Judith's protection and political counsel shape Alfred's rise to rule.

  "Judith raises and advises Alfred, protects his position, and urges political decisions; Alfred is with her through her final illness."

• King Ecbert → Aethelwulf (Father and son) — Their relationship combines family authority, military service, and the transfer of kingship.

  "Aethelwulf serves Ecbert in campaigns and rule; Ecbert eventually cedes the crown of Wessex to him."

• King Harald Finehair → Halfdan the Black (Brothers) — Brotherhood and military partnership are strained by competing loyalties and Harald's pursuit of power.

  "Halfdan is Harald's brother and joins him in campaigns; Halfdan ultimately dies after the conflict involving Harald's ambitions and their alliances."

• Ivar Lothbrok / Ivar the Boneless → Hvitserk Lothbrok (Brothers and shifting allies) — A close but unstable brotherhood repeatedly shifts between cooperation and opposition.

  "Ivar and Hvitserk fight and rule together, but Hvitserk later turns against Ivar, calls him a tyrant, and seeks support to overthrow him."

• Ubbe Lothbrok → Torvi (Partners and spouses) — Their partnership becomes a family and settlement alliance, sustained through voyages and danger.

  "Ubbe and Torvi have an affair while Torvi is connected to Bjorn; they later agree to Alfred's conversion demand and travel together with their family...

• Ubbe Lothbrok → Hvitserk Lothbrok (Brothers) — Ubbe repeatedly acts to protect Hvitserk even when Hvitserk is consumed by guilt and conflict.

  "They are brothers who campaign together; Ubbe attempts to persuade Hvitserk to seek mercy before his execution and later saves him from the fire."

• Bjorn Lothbrok → Gunnhild (Spouses) — Their marriage is built on mutual respect but tested by Bjorn's relationship with Ingrid and political demands.

  "Gunnhild and Bjorn marry. After Bjorn takes Ingrid as a second wife, Gunnhild proposes that he formally take Ingrid as well."

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• King Ecbert → Athelstan (Confidants) — Their relationship brings Athelstan into Ecbert's intellectual and religious world.

  "Athelstan becomes Ecbert's confidant and is entrusted with Roman scrolls; Ecbert later experiences visions of Athelstan."

• Lagertha → King Harald Finehair (Political enemies) — Harald's ambitions repeatedly threaten Lagertha's rule and political independence.

  "Harald proposes an alliance through marriage, which Lagertha refuses; he later joins forces against her, while she fights to retain Kattegat."

• Lagertha → Aslaug (Rivals over family and rule) — Their personal and political rivalry culminates in Lagertha's violent takeover of Kattegat.

  "Aslaug's pregnancy and marriage to Ragnar displace Lagertha as his wife. Later, Aslaug relinquishes Kattegat to Lagertha, who kills her."

• Ivar Lothbrok / Ivar the Boneless → Prince Oleg of Novgorod (Uneasy allies and rivals) — Their partnership is shaped by mutual ambition, manipulation, and Ivar's eventual role in Oleg's overthrow.

  "Oleg welcomes Ivar in Rus' and invites him to join an invasion of Scandinavia. Ivar later undermines Oleg, helps Dir and Igor resist him, and encoura...

• Ubbe Lothbrok → Alfred (Political and military allies) — Their cooperation joins Alfred's defense of England with Ubbe's pursuit of land and settlement.

  "Ubbe and Torvi accept Alfred's demand for conversion, and Ubbe later trains Alfred and leads his army against Viking attackers."

• Bjorn Lothbrok → Lagertha (Family and political allies) — Their familial loyalty becomes a central partnership in the defense and governance of Kattegat.

  "Mother and son lead forces together, and Lagertha supports Bjorn in campaigns and political struggles."

Story Analysis

The series follows Ragnar's rise and death, the struggles of his family for power, and the later generations' choices between conquest, rule, faith, and settlement.

Plot Progression

1. Season 1: The First Voyages — Ragnar challenges the limits imposed by his ruler and launches an unauthorized raid to England. His growing power is tested by political rivalry, while his affair with Aslaug begins to alter his famil...
2. Season 2: Family and Power — Ragnar faces the consequences of his marriage to Aslaug and conflict with Jarl Borg and King Horik. New campaigns in England introduce Ecbert, while the next generation of Ragnar's family begins to em...
3. Season 3: The Paris Campaign — Ragnar's expeditions extend to Wessex and Paris, where repeated assaults meet determined defenses. Religious differences and personal losses intensify, while Ragnar's friendship with Athelstan and the...
4. Season 4: Ragnar's Legacy — The Viking campaign against Paris fails, and Ragnar's authority weakens. He returns to England, gives Ivar a mission of revenge, and dies, setting his sons on diverging paths.
5. Season 5: The Sons' Wars — Ragnar's sons struggle over leadership and Kattegat as Ivar's rule grows harsher. Alfred defends Wessex, while Floki's settlement project reveals the difficulty of founding a new community.
6. Season 6: New Kingdoms and Lands — The Rus' invasion tests Norway's rulers, and Ivar becomes entangled in Oleg's struggle for power. Meanwhile, Ubbe's expedition survives hardship, finds a new land, and begins a fragile relationship wi...