List of Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla characters
Vikings is an Irish-Canadian historical drama television series written and created by Michael Hirst for the television channel History. Filmed in Ireland, it premiered on 3 March 2013 in Canada and the United States.[1]
Vikings is inspired by the sagas of Viking Ragnar Lothbrok, one of the best-known legendary Norse heroes and notorious as the scourge of England and France. The show portrays Ragnar as a former farmer who rises to fame by successful raids into England, and eventually becomes king of Denmark, with the support of his family and fellow warriors: his brother Rollo, his son Bjorn Ironside, and his wives—the shieldmaiden Lagertha and the princess Aslaug.
The following is a list of characters that have appeared on the television series.
Main
- Travis Fimmel as legendary Viking Ragnar Lothbrok. Originally a farmer, Ragnar claims to be a descendant of the god Odin, and during the show's run he manages to rise to become a respected Earl of his home settlement Kattegat, as well as a feared warrior, a famed raider of undiscovered lands, and, finally, the King of Denmark
- Katheryn Winnick as Lagertha, Ragnar's first wife; a shieldmaiden. Following her separation from Ragnar, Lagertha rises to become Earl of Hedeby in her own right, going by the name Earl Ingstad
- Clive Standen as Rollo, Ragnar's brother. Although a ruthless and skilled warrior, having spent his life in the shadow of his brother makes Rollo's feelings towards Ragnar constantly changing from loyal love and admiration, to hateful jealousy. The character is loosely based on the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conqueror.[2]
- Jessalyn Gilsig as Siggy, Earl Haraldson's wife, and later love-interest of Rollo. She possesses a strategic mind and a tireless urge to retain (or regain) her power and influence (seasons 1–3)
- Gustaf Skarsgård as Floki, a gifted, albeit eccentric, shipbuilder and friend of Ragnar. Acknowledging his peculiar character traits, Floki considers himself a descendant of the trickster god Loki
- George Blagden as Athelstan, an Anglo-Saxon monk originally serving at the monastery of Lindisfarne in Northumbria. Captured by Ragnar on his first raid in England, Athelstan is torn between the customs of the Christian England and the pagan ways of Scandinavia (main seasons 1–3, guest season 4)
- Gabriel Byrne as Earl Haraldson, Ragnar's predecessor as Earl of Kattegat (season 1)
- Alexander Ludwig as Bjorn Ironside, Ragnar and Lagertha's son, given his epithet by his father, following his first battle with the Saxons (season 2–)
- Nathan O'Toole as young Bjorn (recurring seasons 1 and 2, guest season 4)
- Alyssa Sutherland as Queen Aslaug, Ragnar's second wife, claiming to be the daughter of the shieldmaiden and valkyrie Brynhildr and the dragonslayer Sigurd.[3]
- Donal Logue as King Horik of Denmark (seasons 1 and 2)
- Linus Roache as King Ecbert of Wessex (season 2–)
- Ben Robson as Kalf, a prominent and ambitious Hedeby villager (seasons 3–4)
- Kevin Durand as Harbard, a charismatic wanderer and storyteller arriving in Kattegat (season 3–)
- Lothaire Bluteau as Emperor Charles of West Francia (season 3–)
- John Kavanagh as The Seer, the seiðr of Kattegat (recurring seasons 1–3, main season 4–) also portrayed Pope Leo IV in (season 4–)
- Peter Franzén as King Harold Finehair, an ambitious viking who seeks to become the first King of Norway (season 4–)[4]
- Jasper Pääkkönen as Halfdan the Black, Harold's violent younger brother (season 4–)[4]
Recurring
The people of Kattegat
- Maude Hirst as Helga, Floki's long-suffering lover and wife (season 1–)
- Jefferson Hall as Torstein, one of Ragnar's warriors and closest friends (seasons 1–3)
- Carrie Crowley as Elisef, wife of Erik (seasons 1–2)
- Tadhg Murphy as Arne, one of Ragnar's warriors; an archer with an eyepatch (seasons 1–2)
- Elinor Crawley as Thyri, daughter of Earl Haraldson and Siggy (seasons 1 and 3)
- Jouko Ahola as Kauko, a Finnish Viking and one of Ragnar's warriors (season 1)
- Eric Higgins as Knut Tjodolf, Earl Haraldson's half-brother (season 1)
- Vladimir Kulich as Erik, elderly Viking and one of Ragnar's warriors (season 1)
- Diarmaid Murtagh as Leif, one of Ragnar's warriors and son of Erik (season 1)
- Ruby O'Leary as Gyda, daughter of Ragnar and Lagertha (season 1)
- David Pearse as Svein, loyal henchman of Earl Haraldson (season 1)
- Jordan Patrick Smith as Ubbe, eldest son of Ragnar and Aslaug (season 4–)
- Cormac Melia as infant Ubbe (seasons 2–3)
- Luke Shanahan as child Ubbe (season 4)
- Marco Ilsø as Hvitserk, second son of Ragnar and Aslaug (season 4–)
- Cathal O'Hallin as infant Hvitserk (season 2–3)
- Stephen Rockett as child Ubbe (season 4)
- David Lindström as Sigurd "Snake-in-the-Eye", third son of Ragnar and Aslaug (season 4–)
- Faolan Pelleschi as infant Sigurd (season 3)
- Elijah O'Sullivan as child Sigurd (season 4)
- Alex Høgh as Ivar "The Boneless", fourth son of Ragnar and Aslaug (season 4–)
- James Quinn Markey as child Ivar (season 4)
- Gaia Weiss as Þórunn (Thorunn), Bjorn's love interest, a slave girl turned shield maiden (seasons 2–3)[5]
- Morgan C. Jones as The Law Giver, the lawspeaker of Kattegat (season 2)
- Dianne Doan as Yidu, a Chinese slave belonging to Aslaug (season 4)
- Rosalie Connerty as Angrboda, Floki and Helga's daughter (season 4)
Additional Norsemen
- Thorbjørn Harr as Jarl Borg, Jarl of Götaland (seasons 1–2)[6][7]
- Edvin Endre as Erlendur, son of King Horik (seasons 2–4)
- Georgia Hirst as Torvi, wife of Jarl Borg (season 2–)
- Steve Wall as Einar, a scheming troublemaker, and ally of Earl Sigvard of Hedeby (seasons 2–4)
- Morten Suurballe as Earl Sigvard, Lagertha's second husband; Earl of Hedeby (season 2)[8]
- Greg Orvis as Earl Siegfried, ally of Earl Kalf and King Ragnar (season 3)
- Søren Pilmark as Stender, a farmer who escaped Wessex after Aethelwulf's raid (seasons 3–4)
The Anglo-Saxons
- Ivan Kaye as King Aelle of Northumbria (season 1–)
- Peter Gaynor as Lord Edgar, advisor of King Aelle (season 1)
- Cathy White as Queen Ealhswith of Northumbria (seasons 1–2)
- Amy Bailey as Kwenthrith of Mercia (seasons 2–4)
- Moe Dunford as Prince Aethelwulf, son of King Ecbert (season 2–)
- Sarah Greene (season 2) and Jennie Jacques (season 3–) as Princess Judith, daughter of King Aelle, wedded to Aethelwulf
- Philip O'Sullivan as Bishop Edmund, serving at the court of King Ecbert (season 2–)
- Aaron Monaghan as Prince Burgred, the rebellious brother of Kwenthrith (season 3)
- Conor O'Hanlon as Prince Alfred of Wessex (season 4–)
- Seán T. Ó Meallaigh as Father Prudentius (season 4–)
- Des Carney as Waerferth the Scout (season 4–)
The West Franks
- Lothaire Bluteau as Emperor Charles
- Owen Roe as Count Odo of Paris (season 3–4)
- Morgane Polanski as Princess Gisela, daughter of Emperor Charles (season 3–)
- Frankie McCafferty as Sinric, a wanderer (season 3–)
- Karen Hassan as Therese, a noblewoman, and Count Odo's mistress (seasons 3–4)
- Huw Parmenter as Roland, Count Odo's first-in-command (seasons 3–4)
- Laurence Foster (season 3), Barry McGovern (season 4) and Tom Hopkins (season 4–) as the Archbishop, serving in Paris
- Niall Cusack as Abbot Lupus (season 4)
References
- ^ "VIKINGS Tops The Ratings With 8.3 Million Viewers". Irish Film Board. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
- ^ Turnbow, Tina (18 March 2013). "Reflections of a Viking by Clive Standen". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
- ^ Mitchell, John (25 April 2013). "'Vikings' season finale: Mysterious beauty tempts Ragnar". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
- ^ a b "History's Hit Drama Series "Vikings" Returns for Season Four on Thursday, February 18 at 10 PM ET/PT". The Futon Critic. December 17, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ^ "'Hercules' Actress Gaia Weiss Joins History's 'Vikings'". Starpulse. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
- ^ Gunnar Larsen (17 October 2012). "Thorbjørn Harr blir viking i amerikansk TV-serie | ABC Nyheter". Abcnyheter.no. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- ^ Yeo, Debra. Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe, plays again in CBC-TV movie, Toronto Star, 28 April 2013. Accessed 5 January 2014.
- ^ Lewis, Dymon (17 March 2014). "'Vikings' Review/Recap: 'Treachery'". Emertainment Monthly.
