Content Warning: This article discusses sexual assault and violence.
Having been brought up to be a shield-maiden, Vikings' Lagertha was nothing but tough. She was never afraid of battle and often stood up against oppressive men. Lagertha's ambition was also a positive trait for her, as she managed to yield and keep power for a while in a region mostly dominated by egoistic and ruthless male rulers.
Lagertha was also extremely protective of people who couldn't stand up for themselves. However, in as much as Lagertha was a fan-favorite character, she was an overbearing parent to Bjorn and she wasn't exactly a good partner. In addition, she made some shocking decisions that fans are still unable to wrap their heads around.
She Had An Affair ... But Then Left Ragnar For Having An Affair
Ragnar slept with Aslaug but suggested taking her as a second wife, something which was acceptable at the time. Given how offended Lagertha was by whatever had transpired, it could have been presumed that she had been faithful all her life. But that was far from the case. On the contrary, she had done something similar.
It was revealed that Lagertha had slept with Rollo, an affair that resulted in Bjorn being born. Ragnar blindly thought that Bjorn was his son, yet he was actually Rollo's. Lagertha's betrayal was obviously greater than Ragnar's. In that regard, her reaction couldn't be justified.
She Shot Aslaug With An Arrow, Despite Her Surrender
Honor was valued in medieval times. Fights were required to be fair and killings needed to be deserved. As a warrior, Lagertha ought to have understood this, but she didn't.
In season 4, Lagertha toppled Aslaug as ruler of Kattegat. Valuing peace, Aslaug opted to throw in the towel. She only had one request—to be allowed to go into exile in a region of her choosing. Lagertha appeared to have agreed to these terms, only to shoot her in the back with an arrow, an unnecessary act. Aslaug's murder ultimately led to the Kattegat Civil War.
She Ruined Ragnar's Alibi
Ragnar would do anything for Lagertha. This was evident when Lagertha murdered Knut. Ragnar tried to take the fall in order to protect her. But when he was arrested, he argued that he killed Knut because he tried to rape Lagertha.
Ragnar's defense seemed to be working until Lagertha decided to blurt out the truth, after being provoked by Haraldson. This could have led to them both being handed a severe sentence. Luckily, Rollo showed up and corroborated Ragnar’s defense. As a result, they managed to escape any severe punishment.
She Murdered He Husband-To-Be On Their Wedding Day
Loyalty to lovers was somewhat of an alien concept to Lagertha. This was seen again in her relationship with Kalf. He wasn't exactly clean though, since he had usurped Hedeby from Lagertha in the past after she tasked him with overseeing the region. But this incident was soon forgotten and the two went on to become close lovers.
They even fought together and it was assumed the past was behind them. Kalf was clearly in love with Lagertha and had high hopes of ruling together with her. She agreed to be his wife and co-ruler, only to shock everyone by stabbing him with a knife on their wedding day.
She Forbade Floki From Settling Elsewhere
Lagertha often spoke of Ragnar’s great dream, where citizens of Kattegat would be peaceful farmers in a Scandinavian colony instead of having to worry about wars all the time. This would have been a paradise-like scenario, and it almost happened when Floki showed up and declared he had found an uninhabited land that was peaceful and good for settlement.
Strangely enough, Lagertha forbid him from taking the citizens there. Her argument? She needed the numbers in order to be able to fend off King Harald's attacks. Her own ambitions thus prevented the citizens from getting a better future.
Her Handling Of Astrid
It can be argued that no other character had more love for Lagertha than Astrid. In season 5, Astrid was kidnapped by King Harald, who forced her to become his queen. She was later sexually assaulted and became pregnant, but it was unclear if the child was Harald's or those of her assaulters. Strangely enough, Lagertha never made a serious effort to rescue her from Harald.
Her reluctance to be involved in her friend's affairs suddenly vanished when Astrid requested Lagertha to mercy-kill her because she didn't want to keep the child. Having neglected Astrid while she was in captivity, Lagertha was more than glad to kill her.
She Tried To Prevent Ragnar From Fighting Haraldson
Earl Haraldson was hellbent on destroying Ragnar and the signs pointed to him succeeding in the near future. During one farm raid, he and his men almost killed Lagertha. Luckily, she managed to hide with Athelstan and her children before Ragnar joined them. They then sought refuge in Floki's home.
To put an end to the menace, Ragnar decided to challenge the Earl to a duel. Despite Haraldson being a threat that needed to be dealt with sooner than later, Lagertha tried to prevent Ragnar from fighting the man. Ragnar defied her and proved he made the right choice by killing Haraldson and becoming the new Earl. If he'd listened to her, history would probably be different.
She Refused To Go With Ragnar To England
Ragnar's death still hurts fans of the show and Lagertha was indirectly responsible for it. When Ragnar needed her the most, she refused to be there for him. This kicked off a chain of events that led to his downfall.
Ragnar asked Lagertha to accompany him to England and there were plenty of reasons why she should have gone with him. He had to seek revenge for people that had been killed by King Ecbert. Lagertha had been very much responsible for these people, as Ragnar was. Sadly, Lagertha refused to accompany him and let him go off on his own.
She Allowed Bjorn To Be Mistreated By Sivgard
Lagertha's lust for power often drove her to some questionable decisions. When she left Ragnar, she took Bjorn with her and quickly got married to Sigvard, the Earl of Hedeby. This was because she didn't want to start from scratch again. She preferred to continue enjoying a life of wealth and prosperity.
Sigvard ended up being very hostile to Bjorn. He often ridiculed him in front of guests and abused him. Lagertha knew about it but did nothing. It took Sigvard abusing Lagertha in front of guests for her to act. This meant she cared more about her own well-being than that of her own.
She Tortured Harald
During Harald's first attempt to take Kattegat, he failed and was captured by Lagertha's forces. She thus went to see him in order to have a word. As they talked, he told her that he was no longer interested in ruling all of Norway. All he wanted was her love.
Shockingly, Lagertha pulled out a knife and sexually assaulted him. This brutal act appeared to have erased all the love that Harald had for Lagertha. It also fuelled his rage, as he later teamed up with Ivar and managed to take Kattegat. If Lagertha had treated Harald better, she probably wouldn't have lost her throne as easily as she did.