The historical epic TV show Vikings never shied away from gore and violence, giving it some of the most shocking scenes in any TV show. Airing on the History Channel for six seasons, Vikings gained a devoted following, though the show is not always historically accurate, according to Viking historians. Vikings tells the story of the Lothbrok family, focusing on Ragnar.

Ragnar began as a farmer and became a king over time. Of all the characters in Vikings, Ragnar and his wife Lagertha are some of the most compelling, and they are central to many of the show’s twists and turns. While history fans were sometimes able to predict what would happen to the main characters, other scenes shocked Vikings viewers.

10

“Freydis” Appears Once More

Both Ivar And Viewers See A Familiar Face

Vikings left a few loose ends by the time the show ended, and one storyline that was never resolved was Freydis’ apparent return. Ivar declared himself a god king, supported by his wife, Freydis. However, when she realized he had become a murderous tyrant, he strangled her in an extremely dangerous stunt for the Vikings actor, Alicia Agneson.

Viewers thought that this was the end of the storyline, but got a surprise soon afterwards. Ivar is introduced to the Russian princess Katia, who is the double of the dead Freydis, and also played by Agneson. This scene comes as a shock to both Ivar and the viewers, but is never resolved, though Ivar believes that she is Freydis.

9

Hali’s Death

Lagertha’s Grandson Was Killed At The Last Moment

Vikings is not the only TV show that regularly kills children, but Hali’s death was particularly heartbreaking for its brutality. In the season 6 episode “All The Prisoners,” Lagertha’s village has just driven off a group of bandits, but her youngest grandson wants to impress her with his bravery, waving a sword at their retreating backs.

It appeared to be a moment of triumph, but at the last possible second, the bandit leader swings his horse around and stabs Hali. The moment was not expected as it appeared that the battle was won, and the leader’s action seemed like such a sadistic act for a person who was at such an advantage, on horseback against a child.

8

Ingrid’s Ritual

Ingrid Is Revealed To Be A Witch

Vikings occasionally strayed into supernatural territory, but this was generally rare, with the show treating the existence of the supernatural as truth for its characters rather than its viewers. Ingrid’s ritual scene in Bjorn’s tomb was unexpected because it was performed with the aim of becoming queen of Kattegat, which Ingrid had appeared reluctant to do at first.

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Ingrid’s change from a relatively mild-mannered woman to a bloodied and powerful witch changed the game for Vikings, as the impact of her ritual was felt right away, with her taking on the role of queen and blinding Erik with magic. The reveal that Ingrid was a witch was not only powerful to see, but one of the most haunting scenes in the show.

7

Odin Appears

Vikings Appears To Confirm The Supernatural Exists

Vikings rarely confirmed the existence of the supernatural, so unexplained events still came as a shock to viewers. Odin is one of the most powerful figures in Viking mythology, and the show took a risky creative decision by depicting him onscreen. Vikings appeared to show Odin three times during the course of the show, the first being in season 1.

While Odin’s first appearance could be interpreted as Ragnar’s imagination after an exhausting battle, his arrival in season 4 is less easy to explain, as Odin arrives to tell each of Ragnar’s sons that their father is dead. This scene appeared to make the reality of the gods canon for the show, which was a risk that surprised viewers.

6

Ragnar’s Death

The Manner Of Ragnar’s Death Was The Last Thing He Expected

Ragnar’s death was being set up throughout his final season, but the manner of his death was extremely unusual. The episode “All His Angels” is arguably the greatest episode of Vikings due to its major twist, in which Ragnar discovers how he will die. Vikings has many brutal death scenes, so Ragnar was likely prepared for anything except this.

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Ragnar is thrown into a pit of snakes in a manner that is both historically and biologically inaccurate, but it makes a fantastic spectacle. The snakes that appeared onscreen are medium-sized constrictors, which are not large enough to swallow him, and do not attack as a group. That said, Ragnar’s visually stunning ending proved that Vikings still had the power to surprise.

5

Judith’s Torture

Judith Had One Of The Most Unfair Fates In The Show

Judith was one of the best female characters in Vikings due to her complexity. On one hand, she played the hand she was dealt to try and survive. On the other, some of her decisions were far from wise. While she might not have been the most likable character, Judith’s standout scene was still not an easy one for Vikings fans to watch.

Despite being in trouble for committing adultery, Judith appeared certain that she was not actually going to be tortured. This made it easier for viewers to also believe she would get away with it. However, her ears and nose are cut off, which is horrifying enough, but the punishment is carried out with a rusty implement, making the scene even more shocking.

4

The Gold Priest

Ivar Takes His Brutality To Another Level

Ivar is one of the most brutal characters in Vikings, so many of his scenes are hard to watch, but not necessarily surprising. In general, Vikings managed to horrify viewers when the characters chose a particularly cruel or unusual form of violence. Ivar’s sadistic murder of the priest in York is a perfect example of the show doing this.

Vikings pulled out all the stops when Ivar captured a priest and used hand axes to hold his mouth open, before melting down a golden crucifix from the wall, and pouring the molten gold into his mouth. It’s a great example of how Vikings could still be horrifying, even for people who have gotten used to the violence.

3

Lagertha’s Death

Lagertha’s Death Was Coming, But The Moment Was Unexpected

When the warrior queen Lagertha began to distance herself, pursuing a more peaceful life, it seemed clear to Vikings viewers that her death was coming. That said, the manner of Lagertha’s death still came as a shock, as it was due to a tragic accident and seemingly came out of nowhere, becoming one of the most heartbreaking deaths in Vikings.

In the episode “Death and the Serpent,” Hvitserk is having drug-induced hallucinations about Ivar. When he stumbles outside and sees a giant serpent-like monster, he attacks it, before realizing that he has stabbed Lagertha. Her sudden death at the hands of one of Ragnar’s sons divided fans, who had expected Lagertha to have a better death in battle.

2

Ragnar’s Sons Were Watching

Ragnar’s Children See Him Drown Yidu

Not all of the most disturbing moments in Vikings are due to gore. The moment in which Ragnar murders Yidu has an impact for a very different and more emotional reason. When Yidu refuses to give Ragnar more drugs and threatens to expose him, he drowns her in the river, but Ragnar doesn’t realize that he is being watched.

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Drowning Yidu might be one of the worst things that Ragnar has ever done. That said, the scene gets more disturbing to watch when viewers discover that two of Ragnar’s children saw the entire killing from a distance. Watching Ragnar hesitate and then hug his sons just after murdering somebody makes the scene more chilling than many others in Vikings.

1

The Blood Eagle

One Of The Hardest Scenes To Watch In Any TV Show

Vikings‘ blood eagle scene is almost certainly the most infamous scene in the entire show, and the hardest to watch. Vikings aimed to be as historically accurate as possible, and there is a significant debate over whether this method of execution really existed. That said, the blood eagle has been described in late Skaldic poetry, so it is possible, adding to the horror.

Two characters die by blood eagle in Vikings, but the first is the most shocking of all. Jarl Borg’s execution horrified viewers, not only for its brutality but for Borg’s endurance. Despite having his ribs broken and his lungs pulled out of his back, Borg did not make a sound, which guaranteed him a place in Valhalla, according to custom in Vikings.

Vikings

6/10

Release Date

2013 – 2020-00-00

Showrunner

Michael Hirst

Directors

Michael Hirst

Writers

Michael Hirst