‘Vikings’ Season 6B: Fans Won’t Believe What Happens With Hvitserk in the Final Season
In the hit series Vikings, one of the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), Hvitserk (Marco Ilsø), has had some ups and downs. After his girlfriend, Thora (Eve Connolly) is killed by Ivar (Alex Høgh Andersen), he spirals into a depression, and starts to use substances. Eventually, on one of his drug-induced binges, he accidentally kills Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick). Her son, Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig), the king, spares Hvitserk, and he eventually finds Ivar and they reunite. Hvitserk joins in the invasion by the Rus to take back Scandinavia.
In season 6B, Hvitserk goes through another transformative process, and it’s one some fans might not believe could really happen.
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from ‘Vikings’]
Hvitserk travels with Ivar back to Wessex
After the Rus retreat and are defeated by the people of Scandinavia who rally to Bjorn’s side, Hvitserk and Ivar return to Kyiv with the Rus and help Price Dir (Lenn Kudrjawizki) and Igor (Oran Glynn O’Donovan) overthrow Prince Oleg (Danila Kozlovsky). Oleg is killed by Igor when he’s shot with an arrow and falls off the balcony.
Ivar and Hvitserk eventually return to Kattegat, where they get the welcome you might expect. Although they are sons of Ragnar, they are still disliked for what they did by allying with the Rus. But somehow, they convince both King Harald (Peter Franzén) and the people to return to Wessex. Harald helps persuade everyone to rally around their common cause, and they set out to fight King Alfred (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) once more.
When King Alfred and Ivar finally fight, major battles take place. Even Harald is killed in the fighting by a lone soldier. During the first battle, a heavy fog hinders the view, so the fighting stops and both sides fall back. Alfred refuses to compromise and exchange hostages for peace. Then the second battle comes, and everything changes.
Ivar is killed in battle
Hvitserk warns Ivar that his eyes are extremely blue, which has been a sign since childhood that he could hurt himself and break his bones. When the two opposing sides fight, Ivar tries to get Hvitserk to leave the fighting in the final episode after soldiers recognize his brother as a son of Ragnar and try to kill him.
“All of my life has been in preparation for this moment,” Ivar tells him. “Stay back. I could never kill you.”
“Your eyes are blue Ivar,” Hvitserks tells him. “Not today. Not today Ivar, no.”
They admit that they love each other, and Hvitserk stays down during the fighting and out of the thick of it. “One day everyone will know of Ivar the Boneless,” Hvitserk says.
Ivar is stabbed multiple times, after telling the Wessex soldier who does the deed, “Don’t be afraid.” He seems resigned to his fate, and does nothing to protect himself from the blade. Hvitserk watches it all happen in a sad turn of events. Ivar falls to the ground when he hurts his leg, and he dies in Hvitserk’s arms.
Hvitserk converts to Christianity
In shock, Hvitserk is taken back with King Alfred. Later, he says goodbye to Ivar by his grave, and says, “Enjoy Valhalla brother while it still exists. We can all see the sky darkening. We can all see the twilight of the gods. And I trust to be with you in that great defeat.”
Later, we see Hvitserk convert to Christianity. King Alfred stands with him as his godfather, and he becomes a Christian Saxon Prince of Wessex. He gives up his old culture and religious views for a new one.
“I renounce my former life,” Hvitserk says to a priest, and he’s anointed in baptism and given a different name by Alfred. His new name is Athelstan, which is appropriate, as his father’s best friend was named Athelstan (George Blagden), and the same man happens to be Alfred’s father.
It’s quite shocking considering everything Hvitserk has been through. Earlier in the season, Idun, the goddess of eternal youth, supposedly appears to Hvitserk saying he deserves to see her, and they spend an intimate night together. Hvitserk believes the woman to be a goddess at the time.
But he’s now renounced his own religion and chosen Christianity. Fans might be shocked by the outcome since he’s a son of Ragnar, but then again, others might see it as an appropriate end to Hvitserk’s story, as he was always searching for the meaning of life. Viewers might recall him learning about the Buddha and seeming genuinely interested in it.
He’s now found a new religion and a new name. Hvitserk’s story ends with his baptism into Christianity.
