The Vikings Farewell That Always Puts Fans In Their Feelings

Goodbyes are never easy, but in the case of one sword and shield-smashing series, "Vikings," a goodbye is an entirely different matter. Characters often parted ways in battles to the death or executions so brutal some fans think they go too far. With that said, History's hit show — which was rife with war, deceit, and brushes with the gods — still squeezed in farewells that aimed for the heart without drawing any blood.

Family, faiths, and homes in place of foreign lands were all left behind by characters in Michael Hirst's beloved drama, often making pivotal moments in their own stories. One standout "so-long," though, was between two of the "Vikings" most integral characters that, for all their effort to stay on the same page, found themselves going in very different directions as the show progressed. These opposing views even led to treachery between the two, pushing their friendship to its limits. However, in their last tear-filled words together, a standout moment was cemented for fans, becoming a pivotal juncture in the series that would change the "Vikings" forever. It also finally put to rest any animosity between a man always looking to the horizon and an ally that had a hand getting him there from the beginning.

The goodbye between Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård) and Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) was a heartfelt scene founded on a complex relationship. Their friendship became a paranoid partnership after Floki killed Ragnar's Anglo-Christian friend, Athelstan (George Blagden). It was an incident that Ragnar struggled with deeply, and it was only before his final trip back to England that they made their peace. Years on, it still stands as a divisive part of two characters' story arcs, with fans both for and against how things played out.

On the Vikings Reddit page, fans either raised a cup or sharpened their axes over the scene. One fan was still not happy about what Ragnar's old friend did to Athelstan, saying, "Floki was so well written and acted that I still loved him after he killed my favorite character," to which others agreed. u/ZombieAppropriate didn't mince words saying, "After all those years [Floki] never got the balls to own up to his mistakes and apologize to the guy he supposedly loved." Meanwhile, u/TakeMetoLallybroch made a point about why this moment worked so well saying, "Floki loved Ragnar unconditionally. He tried not to, but he did. These two had a bond that no one could break, not even the gods, not even God. Loved them both." 

The pair were certainly two of the biggest draws to the show, but had Fimmel had his way, "Vikings" could've told a very different story, with a very different Floki.

Had the gods chosen a different path for two of the most vital characters in Michael Hurst's show, they could've been at opposite ends of the longboat. In 2017, Travis Fimmel revealed to The Wrap that before he took on the career-defining role of Ragnar Lothbrok, he initially had his eye on Floki instead. While this never came to pass, the actor's disappointment was short-lived, mainly after he saw how his co-star brought the character to life instead. "I actually wanted to play Floki originally, but the good stuff was already cast, and he [Skarsgård] did it way better than I could ever do it."

There's no question that Skarsgård's take on the skittish ship maker was an exceptional interpretation of the role. Seeing his relationship with the gods test the ones he had with mortal men made for a compelling story, especially when he realized all too late what it cost him. In the end, Floki's saving grace was accepting this and giving him a claim that no other Viking had on the show – being there from the beginning until the end of this groundbreaking bit of television. Skol!