Vikings: The Complete Episode Guide – From Ragnar’s Rise to Ubbe’s Voyage
Every Raid, Betrayal, and Saga in the Epic Norse Chronicle
Season 1 (2013): The Rise of Ragnar Lothbrok
Episodes: 9 | Aired: March–April 2013
Themes: Ambition vs. tradition, discovery, and the clash of cultures.
| Episode | Title | Airdate | Key Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.01 | Rites of Passage | March 3, 2013 | Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) challenges Earl Haraldson’s authority, dreaming of westward exploration. Introduces Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) and Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård). |
| 1.02 | Wrath of the Northmen | March 10, 2013 | Ragnar secretly builds a revolutionary longship. Tensions rise with Haraldson. |
| 1.03 | Dispossessed | March 17, 2013 | First raid on England’s Lindisfarne monastery. Athelstan (George Blagden) is captured. |
| 1.04 | Trial | March 24, 2013 | Ragnar faces trial by combat against Haraldson’s warrior. Lagertha’s prowess in battle is revealed. |
| 1.05 | Raid | March 31, 2013 | Haraldson’s betrayal leads to a raid on Ragnar’s farm. Rollo (Clive Standen) begins his conflicted loyalty arc. |
| 1.06 | Burial of the Dead | April 7, 2013 | Ragnar becomes Earl after defeating Haraldson. Athelstan struggles with Viking and Christian faiths. |
| 1.07 | A King’s Ransom | April 14, 2013 | Ragnar negotiates with King Ælle of Northumbria. Lagertha miscarries, straining her marriage. |
| 1.08 | Sacrifice | April 21, 2013 | Ragnar participates in a blood ritual at Uppsala. Athelstan faces a crisis of faith. |
| 1.09 | All Change | April 28, 2013 | Ragnar’s return to Kattegat sets the stage for future conflicts. Rollo’s jealousy festers. |
Season Arc: Ragnar ascends from farmer to earl, defying tradition and setting the stage for Viking expansion.
Season 2 (2014): Brothers at War
Episodes: 10 | Aired: February–April 2014
Themes: Betrayal, brotherhood, and the cost of power.
| Episode | Title | Airdate | Key Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.01 | Brother’s War | February 27, 2014 | Rollo allies with Jarl Borg (Thorbjørn Harr) against Ragnar. Lagertha leaves Ragnar after his infidelity. |
| 2.02 | Invasion | March 6, 2014 | Ragnar raids Wessex, meeting King Ecbert (Linus Roache). Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) begins warrior training. |
| 2.03 | Treachery | March 13, 2014 | Borg betrays Rollo, seizing Kattegat. Lagertha returns to aid Ragnar. |
| 2.04 | Eye for an Eye | March 20, 2014 | Ecbert executes a Viking hostage. Ragnar retaliates, capturing Ecbert’s son Æthelwulf. |
| 2.05 | Answers in Blood | March 27, 2014 | Lagertha and Ragnar reclaim Kattegat. Floki’s distrust of Athelstan deepens. |
| 2.06 | Unforgiven | April 3, 2014 | Ragnar spares Borg, angering Floki. Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland) arrives, pregnant with Ragnar’s child. |
| 2.07 | Blood Eagle | April 10, 2014 | Ragnar executes Borg via the brutal blood eagle ritual. Rollo is exiled. |
| 2.08 | Boneless | April 17, 2014 | Aslaug gives birth to Ivar (Alex Høgh Andersen), who is born with brittle bone disease. |
| 2.09 | The Choice | April 24, 2014 | Lagertha battles Kalf (Ben Robson) for her earldom. Ragnar plans to raid Paris. |
| 2.10 | The Lord’s Prayer | May 1, 2014 | The Vikings sail for Paris. Athelstan’s visions of the Christian God haunt him. |
Season Arc: Ragnar’s fractured relationships and the seeds of his sons’ legacies.
Season 3 (2015): The Siege of Paris
Episodes: 10 | Aired: February–April 2015
Themes: Ambition, faith, and the limits of power.
| Episode | Title | Airdate | Key Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.01 | Mercenary | February 19, 2015 | Ragnar allies with Ecbert to raid Mercia. Lagertha marries Einar for political gain. |
| 3.02 | The Wanderer | February 26, 2015 | Harbard (Kevin Durand), a mysterious wanderer, seduces Aslaug and claims to be a god. |
| 3.03 | Warrior’s Fate | March 5, 2015 | Kalf betrays Lagertha. Ragnar’s forces clash with French troops outside Paris. |
| 3.04 | Scarred | March 12, 2015 | Rollo’s heroism in battle earns him favor. Princess Gisla (Morgane Polanski) emerges as a key French leader. |
| 3.05 | The Usurper | March 19, 2015 | Ecbert schemes to control Mercia. Floki murders Athelstan, devastating Ragnar. |
| 3.06 | Born Again | March 26, 2015 | Ragnar converts to Christianity to infiltrate Paris. Bjorn leads a covert attack. |
| 3.07 | Paris | April 2, 2015 | The Vikings’ first assault on Paris fails. Rollo is gravely wounded. |
| 3.08 | To the Gates! | April 9, 2015 | Ragnar fakes his death to breach Paris’s walls. Lagertha miscarries Kalf’s child. |
| 3.09 | Breaking Point | April 16, 2015 | The Vikings sack Paris but face disease. Rollo remains behind, marrying Gisla. |
| 3.10 | The Dead | April 23, 2015 | Ragnar returns to Kattegat, broken and addicted. Ecbert betrays him, seizing English lands. |
Season Arc: Ragnar’s hubris peaks, leading to physical and spiritual collapse.
Season 4 (2016–2017): The Twilight of Ragnar
Episodes: 20 (Split into Parts A and B) | Aired: February 2016 – February 2017
Themes: Legacy, redemption, and the rise of Ragnar’s sons.
Part A (Episodes 1–10)
| Episode | Title | Airdate | Key Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.01 | A Good Treason | February 18, 2016 | Ragnar returns to Kattegat, disgraced. Bjorn plans a Mediterranean voyage. |
| 4.02 | Kill the Queen | February 25, 2016 | Aslaug’s neglect drives Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith) and Sigurd (David Lindström) to rebellion. |
| 4.03 | Mercy | March 3, 2016 | Lagertha kills Aslaug and seizes Kattegat. Ivar vows vengeance. |
| 4.04 | Yol | March 10, 2016 | The Great Heathen Army forms. Floki’s religious fanaticism grows. |
| 4.05 | Promised | March 17, 2016 | Ragnar reconciles with Ecbert. Ivar murders Sigurd. |
| 4.06 | What Might Have Been | March 24, 2016 | Bjorn’s Mediterranean journey begins. Lagertha faces unrest in Kattegat. |
| 4.07 | The Profit and the Loss | March 31, 2016 | The Vikings raid York. Bishop Heahmund (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is introduced. |
| 4.08 | Portage | April 7, 2016 | Ivar devises a portage strategy to attack York. |
| 4.09 | Death All ‘Round | April 14, 2016 | Ecbert sacrifices himself to save Alfred. Ragnar is captured by Ælle. |
| 4.10 | The Last Ship | April 21, 2016 | Ragnar’s sons avenge him via blood eagle on Ælle. The Great Heathen Army unites. |
Part B (Episodes 11–20)
| Episode | Title | Airdate | Key Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.11 | The Outsider | November 30, 2016 | Lagertha battles Ivar. Bjorn returns with Mediterranean knowledge. |
| 4.12 | The Vision | December 7, 2016 | Ivar’s tactical genius emerges at the Battle of Repton. |
| 4.13 | Two Journeys | December 14, 2016 | Floki discovers Iceland. Ubbe and Hvitserk (Marco Ilsø) clash with Ivar. |
| 4.14 | In the Uncertain Hour Before the Morning | December 21, 2016 | Lagertha and Heahmund begin a romance. Ivar crowns himself king. |
| 4.15 | All His Angels | December 28, 2016 | The Battle of York: Ivar uses psychological warfare. Lagertha flees. |
| 4.16 | Crossings | January 4, 2017 | Bjorn leads a raid on the Mediterranean. Floki’s settlement faces strife. |
| 4.17 | The Great Army | January 11, 2017 | Ivar and Alfred clash at the Battle of Marton. |
| 4.18 | Revenge | January 18, 2017 | Lagertha kills Kalf. Ubbe converts to Christianity. |
| 4.19 | On the Eve | January 25, 2017 | Bjorn negotiates with the Rus. Ivar’s tyranny alienates allies. |
| 4.20 | The Reckoning | February 1, 2017 | The brothers unite to defeat Ivar. Lagertha retires to farm life. |
Season Arc: Ragnar’s death catalyzes his sons’ rivalries, reshaping Viking politics.
Season 5 – Part B (Episodes 11–20)
| Episode | Title | Airdate | Key Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.11 | The Revelation | November 28, 2018 | Lagertha suffers PTSD after the battle. Ivar’s paranoia grows. Ubbe allies with King Alfred (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) in Wessex. |
| 5.12 | Murder Most Foul | December 5, 2018 | Bjorn marries Princess Snaefrid. Ivar murders Freydis (Alicia Agneson), his pregnant wife, after she betrays him. |
| 5.13 | A New God | December 12, 2018 | Floki’s settlers turn on him, blaming him for their suffering in Iceland. Ubbe clashes with Alfred over Christian values. |
| 5.14 | The Lost Moment | December 19, 2018 | Bjorn and Harald form an uneasy alliance against Ivar. Lagertha retires to a farm, haunted by visions. |
| 5.15 | Hell | December 26, 2018 | Ivar flees Kattegat after a revolt. Bjorn is crowned King. The Rus, led by Prince Oleg (Danila Kozlovsky), invade Scandinavia. |
| 5.16 | The Buddha | January 2, 2019 | Ivar becomes a slave in Kievan Rus. Ubbe and Torvi sail west, inspired by tales of a “Golden Land.” |
| 5.17 | The Most Terrible Thing | January 9, 2019 | Lagertha is attacked by bandits but survives. Oleg manipulates Ivar, using him as a pawn. |
| 5.18 | Baldur | January 16, 2019 | Bjorn and Harald prepare for war against the Rus. Floki is entombed in the Icelandic cave. |
| 5.19 | What Happens in the Cave | January 23, 2019 | The Rus army attacks Norway. Lagertha joins the defense. Ivar betrays Oleg to save his brother Hvitserk (Marco Ilsø). |
| 5.20 | Ragnarok | January 30, 2019 | The Battle of Hafrsfjord: Bjorn leads a united Viking army against the Rus. Lagertha dies peacefully in her sleep after the battle. |
Season 6 (2019–2020): The End of an Era
Episodes: 20 (Split into Part 1 and Part 2) | Aired: December 2019 – December 2020
Themes: Redemption, exploration, and the cost of legacy.
Season 6 – Part 1 (Episodes 1–10)
| Episode | Title | Airdate | Key Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.01 | New Beginnings | December 4, 2019 | Ubbe and Torvi reach Iceland, finding Floki’s settlement in ruins. Ivar and Hvitserk join Oleg’s Rus army. |
| 6.02 | The Prophet | December 11, 2019 | Oleg murders his brother to seize Kiev’s throne. Ubbe meets Kjetill Flatnose (Adam Copeland), who admits to slaughtering Floki’s settlers. |
| 6.03 | Ghosts, Gods, and Running Dogs | December 18, 2019 | Bjorn struggles to rule Kattegat. Ivar mentors Oleg’s heir, Prince Igor (Oran Glynn O’Donovan). |
| 6.04 | All the Prisoners | December 25, 2019 | Oleg launches a brutal raid on Scandinavia. Ubbe and Torvi set sail for the “Golden Land” (North America). |
| 6.05 | The Key | January 1, 2020 | Ivar helps Igor escape Oleg’s tyranny. Bjorn discovers Gunnhild (Ragga Ragnars) is pregnant. |
| 6.06 | Death and the Serpent | January 8, 2020 | The Rus attack Kattegat. Bjorn stages a fake death to rally troops. |
| 6.07 | The Ice Maiden | January 15, 2020 | Ubbe arrives in Greenland, encountering Norse settlers. Ivar and Hvitserk return to Kattegat to aid Bjorn. |
| 6.08 | Valhalla Can Wait | January 22, 2020 | The Battle of Kattegat: Bjorn is mortally wounded defending the city. Ivar kills Oleg in single combat. |
| 6.09 | Resurrection | January 29, 2020 | Bjorn dies, hailed as “Bjorn Ironside.” Ubbe reaches North America, meeting indigenous tribes. |
| 6.10 | The Best Laid Plans | December 30, 2020 | Ivar and Hvitserk reconcile. Ubbe negotiates peace with the Native Americans, inspired by Ragnar’s dream of farming. |
Season 6 – Part 2 (Episodes 11–20)
| Episode | Title | Airdate | Key Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.11 | King of Kings | December 30, 2020 | Harald claims the throne of Norway. Ivar confesses his fear of being forgotten. |
| 6.12 | All Change | December 30, 2020 | Ubbe establishes a settlement in Vinland. Harald marries Ingrid (Lucy Martin), Lagertha’s former ally. |
| 6.13 | The Signal | December 30, 2020 | Ivar and Hvitserk join Harald’s campaign to unite Norway. Ubbe faces tensions with the indigenous people. |
| 6.14 | Lost Souls | December 30, 2020 | Ingrid betrays Harald, seizing Kattegat. Ivar falls in love with a Rus shieldmaiden. |
| 6.15 | All at Sea | December 30, 2020 | Ubbe’s wife, Torvi, dies in a skirmish. Ivar is diagnosed with brittle bone disease worsening. |
| 6.16 | The Final Straw | December 30, 2020 | Harald defeats Ingrid, reclaiming Kattegat. Ubbe negotiates a truce with the Native Americans. |
| 6.17 | The Raft of Medusa | December 30, 2020 | Ivar and Hvitserk sail west to aid Ubbe. Harald is crowned King of Norway. |
| 6.18 | It’s Only Magic | December 30, 2020 | Ubbe integrates Norse and indigenous traditions. Ivar dies peacefully in battle, hailed as a legend. |
| 6.19 | The Lord Giveth… | December 30, 2020 | Harald rules a united Norway. Ubbe’s settlement thrives in Vinland. |
| 6.20 | The Last Act | December 30, 2020 | Series Finale: A montage shows the fates of all characters. An elderly Ubbe gazes at the ocean, fulfilling Ragnar’s dream. |
Where to Watch
All seasons of Vikings are available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in the UK.
Legacy
Vikings concluded with a poignant exploration of legacy, echoing Ragnar’s words: “What is lost will be found again.” The series remains a benchmark for historical drama, blending myth, brutality, and humanity. From Ivar’s tragic tyranny to Ubbe’s hopeful voyage, it reminds us that even in death, legends endure.
Where to Watch: All seasons stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video (UK).
Legacy: Vikings redefined historical drama, blending myth with gritty realism. Its exploration of Norse culture, complex characters, and epic battles remains unmatched.
Final Words: “I am not the same man I once was. But that does not mean I am less.” – Ragnar Lothbrok, Season 4.
