The fate of Vikings’ Floki is currently unknown, and while some still hope he will return in the final episodes of the series, many others are convinced that he died in the cave – but how does his death in the show compare to the one of the real Floki? Created by Michael Hirst, Vikings debuted on History Channel in 2013, and even though it was originally planned to be a miniseries, it was quickly renewed for a second season. Thanks to that, viewers got to really know the stories of Ragnar Lothbrok, Lagertha, Floki, and more.
Vikings has changed a lot over the course of six seasons, and it has said goodbye to as many characters as it has welcomed. The series initially followed legendary Norse figure Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and his travels and raids alongside his Viking brothers, among those his actual brother, Rollo (Clive Standen), and his best friend Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård). As the series progressed, it shifted its focus to Ragnar’s sons and their own journeys, making them the protagonists. Ragnar died in season 4, but many other characters who stood by his side from the beginning continued being part of the series, among those Floki, who was last seen in season 5.
Floki was a boat builder and the trickster of the group, whose eccentric personality made him stand out from the rest of the Vikings. Floki was very close to Ragnar, and though he was a joyful man, he was also emotionally troubled, and more often than not reacted with anger (as he did when he killed Athelstan). Floki was also very loyal to the Gods, to the point where he avoided doing things that could make them mad. This is one of the reasons why he never liked Athelstan, as he was a Christian and had a big influence on Ragnar. Floki went on his own way in Vikings season 5, where he established himself in Iceland, which he believed to be Asgard. Later on in the series, his settlement fell apart, and his disillusion with the Gods was such that he went to look for answers inside a cave he believed to be a gate to Helheim. Once inside, however, he discovered a Christian cross, and as he laughed and cried, he found out the cave was inside a volcano, which erupted at that moment, trapping him and possibly killing him, as he hasn’t appeared in season 6 (yet).
Unlike other characters in Vikings, as is Ragnar himself, Floki is based on a real person, but Hirst and company took some liberties when building the character. Floki is loosely based on Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson, the first Norseman to intentionally sail to Iceland. Contrary to Vikings Floki, who by then was already alone as his wife Helga and their daughters had died, the real Floki was accompanied by his family on his journey. After some trouble in this newfound land, Floki and company returned to Norway, and though he believed Iceland to be worthless, he returned and lived there until his death – and there’s no mention of him going into a cave inside an active volcano.
Of course, there are similarities between the real Floki and the one in Vikings, such as both settling in Iceland and becoming disillusioned by it (for different reasons), but the death of Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson didn’t have the emotional charge the show needed. Floki’s death in Vikings hasn’t been confirmed yet, so there’s still some hope that he will make one final appearance in season 6b, but either way, the series surely won’t give him a somewhat peaceful death like the one the real Floki probably had.