| Actor | Character | Role in Season 5 | |--------|-----------|------------------| | | Lagertha | Former Earl of Hedeby; seeks revenge on Ivar | | Alexander Ludwig | Bjorn Ironside | Lagertha’s son; explorer and warrior | | Alex Høgh Andersen | Ivar the Boneless | Ruthless, brilliant strategist; self-proclaimed god | | Marco Ilsø | Hvitserk | Ivar’s erratic, conflicted brother | | Jordan Patrick Smith | Ubbe | The most level-headed of Ragnar’s sons | | Jonathan Rhys Meyers | Bishop Heahmund | Zealous, passionate Christian warrior (new in S5) | | Peter Franzén | King Harald Finehair | Ambitious king of parts of Norway | | Jasper Pääkkönen | Halfdan the Black | Harald’s loyal brother (until mid-S5) | | Moe Dunford | King Ecbert | Appears in flashbacks/visions | | Lothaire Bluteau | King Olaf | New ally to Bjorn and Harald (appears later in S5) |
The fifth season of the historical drama marked a major turning point for the series, transitioning the focus from the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok to the ambitious and often volatile lives of his sons. Spanning 20 episodes, the Vikings Season 5 cast features a blend of returning fan favorites and significant new additions who reshaped the landscape of the show's warring factions. The Core Cast: The Sons of Ragnar vikings season 5 cast
| Actor | Character | Notes | |--------|-----------|-------| | | Torvi | Bjorn’s wife, former shield-maiden | | Lucy Martin | Ingrid | Slave who becomes Lagertha’s confidante | | Kristy Dinsmore | Amma | Bjorn’s lover (later in S5) | | Ida Nielsen | Margrethe | Ubbe’s unstable wife | | Ferdia Walsh-Peelo | King Alfred | Young, pious future king of Wessex | | Darren Cahill | Aethelwulf | King of Wessex (dies early in S5) | | Catherine Sutcliffe | Queen Judith | Scheming mother of Alfred | | Ragnheiður Ragnarsdóttir | Gunnhild | Shield-maiden; Bjorn’s later love interest | | Actor | Character | Role in Season
Season 5 of Vikings is defined by a vacuum of power. Following the death of the central protagonist, Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), in Season 4, the narrative burden shifts entirely to the next generation. The casting strategy for Season 5 was twofold: to deepen the complexity of the remaining "Sons of Ragnar" and to introduce antagonists and allies who would challenge their ideologies. The season is structurally divided into two parts, requiring a cast capable of sustaining long-form storytelling across disparate geographical locations (Kattegat, Iceland, Wessex, and the Mediterranean). Following the death of the central protagonist, Ragnar