Ragnar appears to be front and center for every part of the Vikings series, even the parts when he’s in hiding, or dead. Ragnar Lothbrok appears throughout historical depictions of the Scandinavian events but there’s never any definitive proof that he actually existed. Somehow he is still a legend.
Throughout the seasons, Ragnar proves he is flawed like any human and his hunger for power becomes all that matters. His family becomes another conquest as he dismisses Lagertha for Aslaug for the apparent reason that he wants to have more sons, more heirs, because that makes him appear more powerful to the rest of the world.
He Completely Ignores Gyda
The beginning of the show has Ragnar acting like the doting father in his young children, but Gyda doesn’t seem to be the apple of her father’s eye.
He shows no disdain for her and he smiles and hugs her, but when it comes to pretty much anything that shows only her that she is special, he is absent.
There Is No Mention Of Rollo In The Story Of Meeting Lagertha
Rollo implies that Lagertha and he had a past in season 1. He its in season 5 that he always loved her and that he knew Bjorn was his son. When Ragnar talks of how he met Lagertha, none of this is mentioned.
She saved his life from beasts sent to kill him and then all of a sudden they’re in love. Ragnar rolls right over any details of Rollo even though it’s pretty clear there was some history there.
Ragnar Shows Signs Of Serious Clinical Depression
In season 1, Ragnar has big ambitions to travel the world and leave his family with a grand legacy. Then, in season 2, he spirals and keeps falling. His ambitions seen to bore him all of a sudden and he becomes fascinated with matters of spirit.
He also becomes addicted to hallucinogenic drugs and makes impulsive decisions left and right. To most viewers, this could appear to be plot twisting at its finest but what you might have missed is that these are signs of real clinical depression.
When He Stabs His Warriors In Their Sleep, He Stops Being Viking
During some pillow talk between Gisla and Rollo, she talks about stabbing someone in the back during battle in a sneak attack. Rollo objects to this killing method and tells her that this is not the way of the Viking. On his way to Egbert’s palace with Ivar, Ragnar stabs his own sleeping warriors while they sleep...most of them with their backs turned to him.
He sneaks up on them without giving them any chance to fight back. Connect this to what Rollo said to Gisla, and we see that this is when Ragnar gives up everything he once was.
Despite Many Character Flaws, Ragnar Is A Decent Co-Parent
Possibly the only time Ragnar is a good parent is when he’s a good co-parent. For instance, he doesn’t force Bjorn to choose when Lagertha leaves him. He and Lagertha always give him free choice over which parent he wants to be with.
When he is in a depression spiral, he leaves and even when he abuses Aslaug in private, he never bouths the mother of his children in front of them. In fact, Bjorn’s initial disdain of Aslaug when they first meet is likely caused by the previous lack of serious discord between his parents before that.
He Refuses To Aid Lagertha Because He Wants Her To Stay With Him In Kattegut
Ragnar talks about wanting two wives when Aslaug comes along to bear him the sons he was promised. Before that, he talks of Lagertha’s prowess in battle and even his attraction to her shield maiden ways when he first saw her. She returns to aid him in battle and it’s pretty clear when he sees her battle that his love for her is sparked all over again.
When Lagertha asks for his aid in taking back her Earldom, a mutiny that occurred because she was away helping him, he refuses and uses political reasons as his escape route from that responsibility. His argument seems weak, and it is. Take a closer look at the events around this request and the real reason Ragnar doesn’t help becomes obvious.
Ragnar Is Touted As A Great Leader But The Details Say Otherwise
Great leaders can seem angry and difficult at times. The extent of Ragnar’s mood swings and impulsivity that appears to be encouraged by those mood swings is just one reason that he wasn’t actually a great leader. Every season, even the ones where Ragnar has disappeared, centers around his legend yet the ing characters make his life worth
At the end, that was only Ivar for Ragnar and his last slaughter of the troops that trusted him was a breaking point when he truly stopped being a leader for good.
His Disrespect For Other Viking Leaders
Ragnar’s ambition leads him to kill an Earl, Kings, wage war on foreign leaders, and lash out at anyone who he can’t or doesn’t have a deep enough desire to kill. Even in the case of Lagertha, he basically laughs in her face when she tells him that she is an Earl.
In the story, it looks more like ambition because Ragnar shows reasons that these other leaders deserve to be conquered or killed in his mind. A closer look shows that he is using these reasons as an excuse to disrespect anyone who’s power is equal to or greater than his.
Ragnar Never Gives A Reason For Sacrificing Athelstan
Ragnar plans to sacrifice Athelstan during their pilgrimage to a famed Pagan temple and festival. Aside from the fact that a person has to volunteer for it to be a real sacrifice, Ragnar doesn’t give any reasons why he chose Athelstan other than that Athelstan is technically his property.
The line between slave and friend blurs more and more as the series continues and Athelstan’s spirituality becomes more fluid. He narrowly escapes the sacrifice and someone else volunteers (the way a sacrifice should), but there is never a real gain given for Athelstan’s impending sacrifice throughout the journey.
He’s A Textbook Narcissist
The selfish traits, heavy moods, pity parties, addictive personality, and the serious gas lighting that happens when he tries to convince Lagertha and Aslaug into a polyamory is marriage are all key narcissist traits that show up prominently throughout the series. Ragnar is all about Ragnar and when he feels he has failed, he goes to the extreme.
Ragnar has a legend surrounding him but really he’s the loser boyfriend none of us wants to keep. And if he knew that, he’d kill you.