The Vikings Characters That Fans Think Looked Way Too Similar
History's "Vikings," which aired from 2013 to 2020, was a fictionalized re-telling of a number of famous figures in Norse history and mythology. With a cast that included Travis Fimmel, Katheryn Winnick, Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Durand, Donal Logue, and Jessalyn Gilsig, among others, the show ran for a total of six seasons.
One of the biggest draws for the show's fans included the diverse cast of characters. Over the course of its run, many fans of the series often drew parallels in the way certain characters behaved and how their arcs progressed, whether it was main characters such as Ragnar Lothbrok, played by Travis Fimmel, or single season characters like Othere, played by Ray Stevenson.
Some eagle-eyed fans, however, noticed that the similarities between some characters extended to their physical appearances as well. In what sometimes appeared to be deliberate choices made by the show's casting crew, as well as its hair & makeup department, some characters began to emulate others in a rather obvious manner. Here are the "Vikings" characters that fans thought looked way too similar.
Ubbe was the spitting image of his father Ragnar in the show's later seasons
Over on the r/VikingsTV subreddit, u/crisio4 pointed out that Ubbe Ragnarsson (Jordan Patrick Smith) in Season 5 looked very similar to Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) in Season 2.
In the show, Ubbe is the eldest son of Ragnar and Aslaug Sigurdsdottir (Alyssa Sutherland). He grows up in Kattegat with his siblings under the care of Aslaug, who is the Queen of Kattegat until she is removed from power by Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick). In the show's fifth season, Ubbe battles the Saxons alongside his brothers Hvitserk (Marco Ilsø) and Ivar (Alex Høgh Andersen), but decides to leave when Ivar becomes the army leader. Ubbe and Lagertha ultimately face off against Hvitserk and Ivar in a civil war for Kattegat.
Other users jumped in to agree with the initial statement, with u/Labcorgilab noting, "Every time Ubbe was on screen I thought he was a near dead ringer for Ragnar." Later, u/TyraMisu69 added that this was something the characters pointed out as well. According to this user, "Lagertha said he was the only one who truly reminded her of Ragnar."
In another comment, u/graspee noted that the resemblance went beyond just physical characteristics, extending even to mannerisms. "Ubbe does the Ragnar mouth acting thing too and his voice in a couple of scenes where he's angry [is] almost an impression of how Ragnar is when he's angry. Meanwhile, u/blackfyre689 provided the greatest compliment, saying, "They looked so much alike that I sometimes forgot that Ragnar was dead."
Ragnar and Ubbe also share some historical parallels
In the real-life history of Vikings, Ragnar Lothbrok is a legendary figure whose exploits form the basis of the "Gesta Danorum," which was the inspiration for much of "Vikings." Whether Ragnar was a real person is a source of debate. Ubbe, however, is a noted real-life historical figure who was involved in the Viking invasion of Saxon England as one of the key leaders. The other main leader was Ivar, who is portrayed as Ubbe's brother and Ragnar's son in "Vikings." Notably, there doesn't appear to be any legitimate history linking these two leaders as brothers (via History Collection).
One of the key differences between the mythological Ragnar and the real-life Ubbe is that Ubbe was successful in his conquest of England, a task that Ragnar supposedly failed to accomplish. Per "The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok," Ragnar, bolstered by his exploits, attacked England with only two ships, confident of victory. This led to his capture by King Ælla of Northumbria, who ultimately threw Ragnar into a snake pit where he died (via World History).
However, Ubbe and Ivar actually conquered Anglo-Saxon England by leading what was known as The Great Heathen Army. This army attacked Northumbria as well, and killed King Ælla, purportedly making Ubbe successful where Ragnar failed. Fact and fiction have blended together to suggest that The Great Heathen Army went on the offensive to avenge Ragnar's death, led by two of his sons; however, in reality, the real-life Ubbe was simply more successful than the possibly fictional Ragnar (via History Time).