Many characters have faced brutal deaths throughout Vikings, but one of the more prominent characters, Aslaug, is theorized to have requested her own murder. Played by Alyssa Sutherland, Aslaug had been a part of the History channel's Vikings since season 1. Despite her death coming as a shock to some fans, there is a belief that she actually asked to die.
Created by Michael Hirst, Vikings follows the lives of Ragnar Lothbrok and his family as they rise to fame, eventually becoming Scandinavian royalty. First released in 2013, the series proved to be so successful that it continued for 5 additional seasons. As the series progressed, the focus shifted from one generation to another and audiences were able to watch Ragnar’s family grow in size and power. One of the main characters responsible for this was Ragnar’s second wife, Aslaug, who was the mother of his sons Ubbe, Hvitserk, Sigurd, and Ivar.
Unfortunately for Aslaug, she was killed by Lagertha in season 4, episode 14 (“In The Uncertain Hour Before the Morning") but some viewers believe she asked to die. The tension between Lagertha, Ragnar’s first wife, and Aslaug is evident from Vikings season 1, and when they confront each other in season 4 Lagertha states, “you took my husband, my world and my happiness.” After renouncing her title as Queen of Kattegat, Aslaug responds by saying that all she asks for is “safe passage” and requests that Lagertha lets her leave in peace. It is this request that some viewers believe was her way of asking to die.
The use of the phrase “safe passage” could be interpreted as Aslaug asking for safe passage into Valhalla. In old Norse Valhalla is translated as “hall of the fallen” and in Norse mythology, it is depicted as a magnificent paradise where warriors can find peace after they die and exist blissfully under the God Odin. As the only way to reach Valhalla was to die a non-peaceful death, it could be argued that Aslaug was asking Lagertha to murder her to ensure she could enter. When she asks Lagertha to “let her leave in peace” it could be interpreted as her asking Lagertha to let her find peace in Valhalla by taking her life.
While the plausibility of the theory can be debated, comments from Alyssa Sutherland lend support to the idea. She said in an interview (Via ET) that she had been expecting her character’s death for a while and believed “Aslaug knows she’s not going to walk out of this town. As one last little word, she asks for her [freedom]”. This suggests Aslaug did ask Lagertha to kill her and ensured she left Vikings in a showdown befitting her controversial character.