Spoilers for Season 6B, the final episodes of Vikings, can be found throughout this article. Though, if you’ve been watching at all, the idea that Bjorn was approaching his end on the series should not be particularly surprising.
We’ve reached the end of the epic saga, the ten-part conclusion to Vikings that Michael Hirst crafted in his head, put to page, and has now reached Amazon Prime before it will ultimately air for viewers on its original home, History. One of the major plotlines that needed to be resolved in Season 6B was: What was Bjorn’s final fate? That question is answered rather quickly in the final episodes, and Vikings actor Alexander Ludwig has shared his feelings related to his character heading to Valhalla on the long-running show.
The actor, who has been a part of the Vikings family for much of its run, recently said goodbye to Bjorn Ironside at the beginning of Season 6B. When last we saw Bjorn, he had seemingly been stabbed fatally by Ivar. In fact, most of the Rus believed he was dead. However, earlier this year, footage from the season showed Bjorn up and about on the battlefield, seemingly after the moment at the end of Season 6A.
What ended up happening was that Bjorn Lothbrok was dragged off the battlefield along with King Harold after his grievous injury. Then, thanks to some help from Gunnhild, he willed himself to get back into his armor and back on a horse--showing up for just long enough in the battle to spook many of the men on Ivar’s side. He was mortally injured when he did this and was later given an epic burial, but his sacrifice helped to turn the tide in the battle and save his people. It was a huge episode for the series and a fitting sendoff for the character, in my opinion, though Alexander Ludwig is a little bit more modest about Bjorn’s final fate on the series, noting,
I wouldn't say that I felt I was doing something historic -- I don't think I would ever say that about myself. But I would say that I certainly thought that we did the character justice and we did the fans justice by it. For all of Bjorn's faults, it was really nice to see that in that one moment, he finally became the man that his father thought he could be, and then he always thought he could be. So in that sense, I definitely felt like we did it justice and I definitely feel like it's a great conclusion to his story.
Still, obviously, when your name has been called on a series like Vikings, there are a lot of feelings involved. Over the years, we’ve seen many characters die in unusual and often gruesome ways. Lagertha’s death at the hands of Hvitserk was particularly notable in the first half of Season 6 and as we barrel nearer and nearer the show’s final moments fans have to say goodbye to even more notable characters. In his interview with Entertainment Tonight, Alexander Ludwig frankly discusses how hard it was to say goodbye.
But it was a bittersweet moment, because a lot of the crew on that show has stayed [for years]. We're all such a family, and I'm sure you've heard this before, but I wasn't just saying bye to the character. I was saying goodbye to this incredible group of people who stuck through when they went to hell and back together. I mean, braiding the elements together on a show like this is no small feat, especially for the crew. I will miss this show tremendously, but I will also miss the family that we created.
His words echo the words that Kathryn Winnick said about her character’s death earlier in 2020. She also called her ending on Vikings “bittersweet,” revealing that she was pretty pumped with the big funeral Michael Hirst had written for Lagertha. Her son went out similarly on the series, but as I said prior he wouldn’t be the last.
If you haven’t started watching Season 6B of Vikings yet, you can catch all of the final episodes to your heart’s content on Amazon Prime. The episodes will hit History at a later date in the winter/spring TV schedule.
