The Early Vikings Character That Fans Loved To Hate

After five and a half seasons, History's Vikings looks to finally be winding down. While no official release date has been set for the final 10 episodes of season 6, the show will wrap up soon before the spin-off series, Vikings: Valhalla, debuts on Netflix.

In anticipation of the series finale, it appears as though many fans have gone back to rewatch the series, and in doing so, they've come across various minutiae of the show that went overlooked the first time. From plot holes to Easter eggs, Vikings is a show that encourages viewers to look closely and realize not everything is how it seems. One thing fans have been revisiting is their relationship to certain characters, specifically Queen Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland) whom Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) has an affair with and later marries. She ends up bearing four children for the king and basically bumps fan-favorite shield maiden Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) out of the picture.

Aslaug has been gone from the series since season 4, but a recent Reddit thread started by u/Ravenamore reveals fans still have a lot of strong feelings toward her character. It's clear from the discussion that while some fans outright hate her for essentially being a homewrecker, others view her with a bit more understanding. 

It seems as though there are a couple of reasons why fans detest Aslaug so much. First and foremost, she caused Ragnar to leave his wife, Lagertha. She knew Ragnar was already married, and yet she chose to pursue a relationship with him regardless. Redditor u/ShesJustAnotherGeek makes it clear there's no love lost by stating, "I f***ing hated Aslaug and I do not regret it. She deserved everything that happened."

Aslaug and Ragnar end up having four children together, with Aslaug giving special attention to the disabled Ivar (Alex Høgh Andersen). Ivar ends up becoming a tyrant, swearing vengeance on Lagertha, who again is a serious fan favorite. Redditor u/ShesJustAnotherGeek goes on to mention, "I also absolutely hated how she treated Ivar like he was some special little prince. She literally created a monster." A lot of the turmoil in later seasons would end up occurring as a result of Aslaug saving Ivar in the woods after Ragnar wanted to leave him to die due to his medical issues. Not only do Aslaug's choices lead to the destruction of a prosperous marriage, but they also help elevate a ruthless tyrant many years later. 

Of course, some fans feel as though Aslaug has gotten a bad rap over the years. After all, it takes two to have an affair, and Redditor u/459438056 responds to some of the Aslaug hate with, "Hope u hate ragnar too then." Whether you love her or hate her, there's no denying how compelling of a character Aslaug is, and she certainly isn't forgettable in the series. Stay tuned when season 6 of Vikings drops, which has plenty of questions from prior seasons to answer.