Vikings season 3: cast and episode overview
Season 3 contains 10 story episodes, from Mercenary to The Dead.
Key roles in this season’s story include Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård), Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig) and Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick). The full selection below connects characters with performers and their biographies.
Reference: HISTORY season guide.
What is season 3 about?
The promise of land in Wessex collides with the realities of royal ambition. Ragnar's bond with Athelstan becomes a fault line inside his own circle, while the assault on Paris tests the limits of military confidence. Public victory and private loss become increasingly difficult to separate.
The episode list below follows the original story order.
The turning points
- The Wessex settlement is destroyed.
- Floki kills Athelstan.
- Ragnar's coffin stratagem opens Paris.
Character arcs
- The Wessex arrangement draws the Norse into Mercian conflict.
- Floki's hostility toward Athelstan turns friendship into a religious confrontation.
- Paris changes the scale and methods of the raiding campaign.
- Rollo receives an offer that gives him an identity beyond Ragnar's brother.
Themes running through the season
- Cultural exchange and religious exclusion
- The cost of kingship
- Faith, performance and deception
Vikings season 3 cast and characters
Start with these key roles from the season. Follow a performer for their biography and other screen work, or a character for their story. This selection follows the episode guides and is not a complete credits list.
| Character | Played by |
|---|---|
| Ragnar Lothbrok | Travis Fimmel |
| Floki | Gustaf Skarsgård |
| Bjorn Ironside | Alexander Ludwig |
| Lagertha | Katheryn Winnick |
| Rollo | Clive Standen |
| Athelstan | George Blagden |
The season’s story map
Explore these places on the interactive world map.
Wessex
The English kingdom where land, alliances and royal authority intersect.
Hedeby
A center of authority in Lagertha’s political story.
Mercia
The English kingdom whose dynastic conflict draws in outside forces.
Kattegat
The series’ home port and center of family and political power.
England
The wider setting of the Saxon kingdoms and Norse campaigns.
Paris
The fortified Frankish city at the center of the siege campaigns.
Story settings differ from production locations. Explore where Vikings was filmed.
Every season 3 episode, in order
Mercenary
Ragnar returns to Wessex for the promised land, but Ecbert makes military service part of the arrangement.
Read episode guide
The Wanderer
The Mercian campaign continues as a mysterious visitor appears in Kattegat after shared dreams about a stranger.
Read episode guide
Warrior's Fate
The Mercian battle costs Torstein his life and leaves Porunn badly injured, while Harbard unsettles Kattegat.
Read episode guide
Scarred
Siggy dies rescuing Aslaug's sons, while the victories in England leave new personal and political wounds.
Read episode guide
The Usurper
The returning raiders face loss at home as Lagertha learns of Kalf's takeover and Ecbert betrays the settlement.
Read episode guide
Born Again
Athelstan renews his Christian commitment; Floki kills him, leaving Ragnar to confront an intimate and spiritual loss.
Read episode guide
Paris
The fleet reaches Paris, where both sides prepare for a siege and Ragnar puts Floki in charge of the attack.
Read episode guide
To the Gates!
The coordinated assault on Paris fails, leaving the Norse wounded and Floki's confidence in his judgment shaken.
Read episode guide
Breaking Point
Another assault fails, and a gravely weakened Ragnar seeks baptism and burial inside Paris as the defenders consider terms.
Read episode guide
The Dead
Ragnar's apparent funeral becomes the means of entering Paris, while Rollo receives an offer that could transform his future.
Read episode guideWhat to notice on a rewatch
- Distinguish the dream of settlement from the bargains needed to pursue it.
- Watch how characters use baptism to mean different things.
- Compare a leader's public display of strength with his private grief.
The history behind this season.
What is historical about Rollo and Paris?
Rollo belongs to the history of Normandy. The agreement associated with 911, conversion and the growth of territorial rule explain his significance. His role as Ragnar’s brother belongs to the series.
Keep the distinctionThe Paris attack of 845, the siege of 885–886 and Normandy’s foundation are distinct episodes of history. The drama brings material together.