Rollo, the first Duke of Normandy, was a character that fans of Vikings loved to hate. Though he really did exist in real life, he wasn't Ragnar's brother. The two didn't actually exist at the same time. It isn't uncommon for TV shows and movies to include a few fake stories in real-life events, so this is understandable.
In Vikings, Rollo served as an intriguing secondary antagonist, betraying his more likable brother on a number of occasions. And unlike other evil characters, his treacherous ways eventually led him to plenty of power and fortune. Rollo made his final appearance in the fifth season, having shocked fans with a number of his decisions.
He Fought With Jarl Borg Against Ragnar And Horik
Rollo was always the jealous brother and it was only a matter of time before someone took advantage of his green eyes. Realizing how much Rollo secretly detested Ragnar, Jarl Borg lured him to his camp with promises of wealth and glory. Without giving it much thought, Rollo appeared on the battlefield for Team Borg, ready to slay some souls.
Rollo proved to be a marquee signing for Borg's camp as he easily sliced through Ragnar and Horik's men. He injured Floki and killed Arne. But when it was time to face Ragnar, his conscience began overriding his greed. He surrendered to Ragnar and was put on trial in front of the Law-Giver. Though he wasn't sentenced to death, this move left him with few admirers.
He Pursued His Brother's Wife
As teenagers, both Rollo and Ragnar competed for Lagertha's love but Ragnar ended up being the victor. Killing a bear was what he did to seal the deal. Sadly, Rollo never got over the fact that Lagertha was now his brother's wife. From as early as the first episode, he carried himself as a sneaky character by trying to sleep with Lagertha behind Ragnar's back.
The love triangle highlighted many of Rollo's bad traits, including his general lack of respect. In addition to him trying to woo Lagertha, it emerged that Ragnar wasn't Bjorn's father, Rollo was. He had slept with Lagertha while she was married to Ragnar, resulting in the child. It was the ultimate betrayal that Ragnar never got to find out about.
He Supported Ivar Against Lagertha
Strangely enough, after getting a little power and Ragnar being long dead, Rollo lost all interest in Lagertha. When the Lothbrok clan was battling over the control of Kattegat, Rollo offered to support Ivar against Bjorn and Lagertha. He now had Frankian muscle hence it was an easy thing for him to do.
Rollo's actions had all the marks of poor decision-making. He had the option of choosing a side that had both his son and the mother of his son but chose his nephew instead. Rollo's support enabled Ivar to acquire power and begin a reign of tyranny. As a result, Ragnar's legacy was eroded and Kattegat was never the same again.
He Slaughtered Viking Forces In Frankia
Rollo only looked out for Rollo. Whoever died was not his concern. His pursuit of self-glory was on display once again when Ragnar ordered for Viking forces to be stationed outside Paris in preparation for a second attack in spring. Rollo had remained in charge of the camp and when Emperor Charles of Frankia learned about it, he lured Rollo the same way Jarl Borg did.
To get Rollo's cooperation, Charles promised a gratuity, packaged as his daughter's hand in marriage. For the second time, Rollo switched sides. This time, his betrayal was heavier as he led Frankish bowmen to the Viking encampment, allowing them to even slaughter women and children.
He Disrespected Siggy During The Pilgrimage At Uppsala
Rollo had a rocky relationship with Earl Haraldson's ex-wife Siggy and the fault mostly lay on his side. During the pilgrimage at Uppsala. Siggy and her daughter joined him in the celebrations. Instead of staying by their side, he went on a drinking spree and got intimate with numerous other women.
By being blatantly unfaithful, Rollo implied that Siggy didn't mean much to him. As if that wasn't mean enough, he unleashed his arrogance, telling Siggy that he was going to be a great man someday hence leaving him wasn't a good idea. Rollo's bad behavior during the pilgrimage also resulted in him being left out of the negotiations with King Horik.
He Snitched On Athelstan
Rollo wasn't a big fan of Athelstan as Ragnar was. From the moment the Christian entered into the picture, Rollo distrusted him. In the months before his death, Athelstan struggling between his own faith and that of the Norse gods. This gave Rollo the perfect opportunity to bring him down.
To signify his allegiance to the Norse gods, Athelstan normally wore an arm ring. When he removed it, Rollo noticed and alerted everyone. Floki, who hated Athelstan as much as Rollo, saw this as an opportunity to kill the man. The death of Athelstan was bad for Ragnar since the Christian had cultural knowledge about many territories that the Vikings needed to explore.
He Massacred Christians To Prove He Was Still Pagan
Rollo let out another shocker when the Vikings raided Northumbria and received an invite to King Aelle. In order to get back his brother, Aelle agreed to pay a ransom on the condition that one of Ragnar's men becomes Christian first. To everyone's surprise, Rollo agreed. He was then baptized and granted the name Rolf.
An unhappy Floki later called Rollo out for offending Norse gods and this affected him. To prove he was still pagan, he began slaying as many Christians as he could while yelling. "How many Christians have I killed!" All these were unnecessary actions since the Vikings didn't need to bow down to King Aelle's demands in the first place. They had an advantage and Rollo's actions only complicated things.
He Married Princess Gisla
Arranged marriages were common in medieval times but Princess Gisla wasn't too happy about being paired with Rollo. She famously declared that being burned alive would be a better option than spending the rest of her life with Rollo.
Rollo still went ahead and married Gisla, subjecting himself to a Christian wedding even though he didn't believe in the religion. Rollo forcing himself to go through Christian traditions to marry a woman who didn't want him was baffling. Though the two later learned how to get along, they were never an adorable couple.
He Burned Jarl Borg's Men Alive
After meeting with Jarl Borg in Götaland, Rollo tricked him into thinking that Ragnar wanted to resume an alliance. Borg jokingly consulted the skull of his late first wife and agreed to go, not knowing it was a setup.
Upon arriving in Kattegat, Borg went to confer with Ragnar. This gave Rollo, Torstein, and Floki the opportunity to lock Borg's men inside the barn and burn them alive. Despite the fact that these were men that Rollo had fought with before when he betrayed Ragnar, he didn't show the slightest amount of sympathy.
He Didn't Step Up When Bjorn Needed A Father
Rollo often did what didn't need to be done but refrained from doing what needed to be done. It wasn't until Ragnar's death that Rollo admitted to Lagertha that he knew he was Bjorn's father all along. He then admitted it to Bjorn but the young warrior wouldn't accept it.
After Ragnar's death, Bjorn was having a difficult time. Rollo had many chances to admit to Bjorn about his true parenthood and step in but he kept procrastinating. He raided with Bjorn across the Mediterranean but never told him. This prevented their bond from becoming as strong as it should have been.