How Bjorn Finally Proves He's Ragnar's True Heir In Vikings Season 6, Part 2
Contains spoilers for Vikings season 6, part 2
Fans have watched him grow up from a young 12-year-old kid to become the King of Kattegat, but it isn't until the final episodes of Vikings that Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig) finally proves himself as the heir to his warrior father Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel). The second half of the final season dropped on Amazon Prime Video on December 30, and the collection of fresh chapters features a winning callback to an earlier season finale during an important moment for Bjorn.
After the show's longtime protagonist Ragnar Lothbrok dies in a pit of snakes, the Vikings are thrown into disarray as they determine who takes power. Although he's the eldest of Ragnar's sons, Bjorn doesn't become king until he overthrows his younger brother Ivar at the end of season 5. Now in power at the start of season 6, he must prove himself as the leader of his people, under the shadow of his father's legacy. And in the second half of season 6, Bjorn does exactly that by emulating one of his father's clever, tactical moves.
Bjorn uses a Ragnar fakeout to defeat the Rus
In season 3, Ragnar leads the Vikings in a raid on Paris that is at least partially based on history. After struggling to gain the advantage, he fakes his own death — even going so far as to let others hold a funeral for him, where he hides inside a casket. When the Franks bring the casket inside the city, it becomes a Trojan horse of sorts as Ragnar leaps out and takes the princess hostage. He demands they open the city gates, and then his army enters and takes control. To ensure his plan's success, Ragnar needs to keep it a secret from almost everyone, but he does tell his son Bjorn.
Fast-forward to Vikings season 6B — Bjorn uses a very similar method to achieve a win for the Vikings. After a loss to the foreign army of Rus in the middle of the season, he needs a new strategy to win. He sends word, in the form of King Hakon (Mishaël Lopes Cardozo), to the Rus camp that he's dead. Hakon pretends to defect, leading the newly confident Rus to attack Kattegat, believing they'll win without Bjorn there to lead his people. However, Bjorn is not dead, so he and his army attack them viciously. This finally proves to Bjorn's younger brother and rival Ivar that he is the true heir to their father Ragnar.
All episodes of Vikings are now available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.