When debating who the main character of Vikings is (something that is definitely still a question for many fans of the show), the biggest candidates tend to be Ragnar, Bjorn, and Lagertha – but Ragnar’s second son, Ubbe, is a surprisingly good possibility himself. Ubbe may not appear in the first season, and is only a child for most of the earlier seasons, but when he does come into his own as a grown man, he quickly becomes one of the most important Vikings in the series.
Ubbe isn’t quite the villain of the piece like Ivar becomes, or the character who is on screen the most (that would be Bjorn, based on how many episodes he appears in), or even the clearest hero (like Lagertha), but he does still have a solid claim to the main character position.
Appears In (Almost) Every Season
As mentioned, Ubbe doesn’t actually appear in Vikings until season two, and then only as a child, but it’s still worth noting that he is one of the longest-running characters in the series. Technically, he could even be considered to appear in the first season, if only as a mention, as it is in season 1 that Aslaug meets Ragnar and becomes pregnant.
His Birth Sets Massive Changes In Motion
While it’s not Ubbe’s doing, but Ragnar and Aslaug’s, her pregnancy with Ubbe (and, by extension, Ubbe himself) is a catalyst for massive changes that impact everything else in the series. Aslaug’s pregnancy with Ubbe is what leads to her ousting Lagertha as Ragnar’s wife, sending them away, and starting Lagertha’s journey to becoming an Earl in her own right. It’s also vital to recognize that had Auslag not been pregnant with Ubbe, she and Ragnar would never have seen each other again, and the Sons of Ragnar (and all the ways that they changed history) would not have come to be.
Most Sympathetic Of Ragnar’s Sons
While there are plenty of fan-favorite characters on the show, Ubbe may be the most likable, and especially when it comes to the Sons of Ragnar (who are the main focus of the show, especially given that Ragnar himself dies partway through the series). Ivar, unsurprisingly, is the least-liked, given that he is a particularly murderous villain.
Sigurd doesn’t really get enough attention to be likable, and while Hvitserk is easy to sympathize with, it’s often difficult to really like him. Bjorn is really the only one of Ragnar’s sons who would be any competition for Ubbe as the fan-favorite, and the way that he treated Torvi tends to sway opinion in Ubbe’s favor.
Replaces Ragnar In Many Ways
The idea that the Sons of Ragnar all represent part of Ragnar has been well-discussed, and all of them have some traits that are similar to their father. However, it is Ubbe and Bjorn who are most like Ragnar – and Ubbe a little bit more than his half-brother. In terms of the storyline, Ubbe seems to carry on Ragnar’s ideas more than anyone else – he wants to create peace when in England with Alfred, and even questions his gods and faith the way that his father did. Some of the biggest themes set up by Ragnar in the early seasons – exploration, peace with Wessex, and questioning faith – are carried on by Ubbe more than anyone else, who also mirrors Ragnar’s need to protect Kattegat.
He Travels The Furthest
In addition to Ubbe carrying on his father’s legacy in a broader sense, he also fulfils one of the central themes in the series better than most – that of exploration. While all of the Sons of Ragnar explore, Ubbe is the one to go further than anyone else, and in a series about the Viking exploration beyond Norway, that is important. Ubbe and Bjorn do both manage to travel more widely than most, but it is Ubbe who seems to end things by managing to set up a new place for his people to live.
Strongest Connection To All Other Characters
Ubbe is, in many ways, the central character simply because of the connections that he has with everyone else. Obviously, he is Ragnar’s son, and has a connection to all of his brothers as a result. However, unlike many of his brothers, he also forges a sincere connection and alliance with Lagertha.
He and Torvi end up happily married, and even he and Alfred come to a real accord – something almost no one else was able to do. He connects with Floki and even ends up finding him in the finale, and has his own moments with Rollo, too.
The Story Follows Him When He Leaves
While most of the characters in Vikings travel widely, there are only a few who are closely followed on their travels – and even then, many of the characters are left behind for periods of time. However, since Ubbe becomes an adult character, he is always given focus, even when his story is very separate to the other major battles. When Floki disappears after Iceland, when Lagertha first leaves Ragnar, when Ragnar disappears, when Rollo is in Franki – in all these instances, characters leave the ‘main’ storylines and are simply ignored until they return. However, when Ubbe is in Iceland, or when he and his people leave Iceland after the battle over the whale, he still gets screentime.
He Will Be The One To Carry On Ragnar’s Line
Whether or not Ubbe becomes the real central character, in the early seasons it is clear that the central figure is Ragnar Lothbrok, and arguably, it remains his story as his sons carry on his name. Given that Ubbe is the only one of his sons who will actually carry on the family line and traditions, though, perhaps it is Ubbe’s story, starting with his father, and ending with his children – and he is the only one who has living children. Sigurd dies childless, Hvitserk may have a child in future, but at the time of the finale, has none, Ivar potentially has a child with Katia – but it will not be raised with Viking traditions or awareness of its father, but as Rus, and while Bjorn has a lot of children, all of them are killed by the end of the show. Ubbe, meanwhile, has a living child, a wife and the potential of having more, and a safe place to live and raise them.
He Is One Of The Only Survivors
The final reason that this story can be considered mostly Ubbe’s is that he is one of the only main characters to survive to the end of it! Bjorn is killed in the battle for Kattegat, Lagertha dies protecting her home, Ragnar is killed by King Aelle, Athelstan is killed by Floki, Ivar dies in the last battle with Alfred, Sigurd is killed by Ivar… the list goes on. And while there are a handful of other major characters who live, they are not given the same kind of focus or screentime as Ubbe (Rollo, Alfred, and Floki all fall into this category).
