‘Vikings’: Why King Ecbert Deserves a Spin-Off About His Younger Days

There are quite a few characters on Vikings that deserve their own spin-off series. One of the most obvious would be King Ecbert (Linus Roache) in his early days. Read on to learn why it makes so much sense.

Who is King Ecbert?

Ecbert is the King of Wessex and eventually Mercia. His ultimate goal is to be the King of all England. He’s a formidable man willing to do anything or betray anyone to get to where he thinks he should be.

Ecbert forms an unlikely friendship with his enemy Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) that changes both of their worlds forever. Ecbert hands Ragnar over to King Aelle, who has Ragnar killed. Ragnar’s sons come over with the Great Heathen Army and take revenge on both of the kings. However, they allow Ecbert to choose the manner of his death and he chooses to take his own life.

Why King Ecbert deserves a spin-off about his younger days

Ecbert spent some time at the court of the Emperor Charlemagne in his younger years. He was probably wide-eyed and curious to what the world had in store for him. Eventually Ecbert becomes King of Wessex, but there’s a lot that happened before all that. It would be interesting to see the court of Charlemagne and see a young Ecbert learning to weasel his way through the murky waters of the political game.

Ecbert already has a huge following of loyal fans who miss him dearly and find his absence on the show a real loss for viewers. He’s cunning, devious, and willing to do absolutely anything to achieve his end desires. A man like that surely has a lot of stories to tell of his early days, and Ecbert is no exception.

Ecbert even goes so far as to say: “I would sup with the Devil if he would show me how to achieve my Earthly goals.”

Fans really love King Ecbert

The love for King Ecbert certainly goes deep for some fans. He’s a unique character that it would be nice to see again in any capacity, especially a younger version who might be slightly unsure of himself or his destiny.

“Wow, what a character. So deceitful and clever. His rivalry but also admiration for Ragnar was what made his character so interesting for me. He’s a bad guy, but you can’t help but like him,” a Reddit user correctly explained.

Ecbert does what he has to and tricks anyone he needs to throughout his reign as King of Wessex. “What a superb actor too, ‘You took it upon yourselves.. to violate a treaty.. that I had signed.. in good faith!’ Such a good delivery. Then when it’s just him and his son and he starts laughing and it hits you how clever he is, and that he’d do anything to secure power,” the Reddit user continued.

Some fans wish there had been more scenes of Ecbert and Ragnar interacting together. “I really enjoyed his character. I wish he and Ragnar had more scenes together. They had brilliant on-screen chemistry,” a user said.

Viewers end up liking Ecbert even though he’s considered an ‘enemy’

Many viewers may have considered Ecbert an ‘enemy’ at first, but he has a way of growing on you and before you know, you’re hoping he achieves everything he set his mind to. A person like that can do a lot.

“This guy is one of the most interesting characters. When he was first introduced my feelings towards him were of an ‘enemy.’ He was evil and Ragnar was good… Over time, his character really grew on me and found myself comparing Ragnar and him as equally good and equally evil,” someone else explained.

King Ecbert is still dearly missed by fans of the hit series Vikings. If anyone deserves a spin-off, it’s Ecbert in his early days. Can you even imagine what a young Ecbert could accomplish?