One of the most shocking deaths in Vikings was Aslaug, who was killed in season 4 – and even so many years after the show’s conclusion, many viewers still wonder why Lagertha killed Aslaug in season 4, episode 14, “In The Uncertain Hour Before The Morning”. Legendary Norse figure Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) was the lead of Vikings, but not all the characters who were by Ragnar’s side since season 1 made it to the end of the show (nor did Ragnar himself). Among the characters who died in Vikings was Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland), who died one episode before Ragnar himself.

Aslaug was a Götaland Princess, daughter of the famed dragon-slayer Sigurd, and who met Ragnar when he and his men traveled to Götaland to resolve a land dispute in King Horik’s name. At that point, Ragnar and Lagertha’s (Katherine Winnick) relationship was in trouble following a miscarriage, and he fell for Aslaug. Aslaug became Ragnar’s second wife and the mother of his sons Ubbe, Hvitserk, Sigurd “Snake in the Eye”, and Ivar “the Boneless”. Since Aslaug was such an integral character to the show, her death in Vikings season 4 was an incredibly shocking moment to say the least.

How Aslaug Died In Vikings

Ragnar’s Second Wife Was Killed By His First

While Aslaug’s death was shocking, the fact that she met her end at the hands of Lagertha wasn’t that much of a surprise. While Ragnar taking a second wife wasn’t uncommon during the era Vikings was set, he and Lagertha had a deep emotional connection. Lagertha may have tried to stomach the arrival of Aslaug into their life at first, but Ragnar’s first wife was also a proud woman, and before long, Aslaug’s own ambitions became too much for Lagertha to tolerate.

Aslaug renounced herself as Queen of Kattegat and promised Lagertha that her sons wouldn’t seek revenge if she granted her safe passage to leave.

Needless to say, there was a lot of hostility between Lagertha and Aslaug. This animosity peaked in season 4, specifically in the episode “In the Uncertain Hour Before the Morning”, where Aslaug renounced herself as Queen of Kattegat and promised Lagertha that her sons wouldn’t seek revenge if she granted her safe passage to leave. Lagertha agreed, but as Aslaug walked away, she shot an arrow to her back, killing her on the spot.

Why Lagertha Killed Aslaug

By Breaking A Promise Lagertha Fulfilled A Prophecy

Many viewers have wondered why, after all those years, Lagertha chose to break her promise and kill Aslaug, but the murder wasn’t a spontaneous decision. First off, there was no way Lagertha was going to let Aslaug have Kattegat, no matter how much time passed. Even though she forgave Ragnar because she never stopped loving him, she never forgave Aslaug for seducing her husband.

Lagertha wanted to take Kattegat back, and she did, but she also had to kill Aslaug in retaliation for pretty much destroying her family. In addition to that, by killing Aslaug, Lagertha carried on with the Seer’s prophecy that a woman would rule Kattegat — and she later fulfilled another prophecy with her death.

What Happened To Lagertha After Aslaug’s Death

Lagertha Didn’t Survive Until The End Of Vikings Either

The death of Aslaug was a sigificant moment in Lagertha’s character arc, though she met a similarly gruesome end herself.Lagertha died in Vikings season 6 when Hvitserk, in a state of delirium, hallucinated a serpent he believed to be his brother, Ivar, and proceeded to stab it, but he was actually attacking Lagertha (who was already wounded after a battle). Lagertha died, and her funeral was shown in the next episode, but her death fulfilled yet another one of the Seer’s prophecies, this time one that said she was going to be killed by one of Ragnar’s sons.

Vikings believed their paths were already written, and having the Seer and his prophecies as part of the show is a good way to represent that, yet Lagertha’s decision to kill Aslaug after promising safe passage came as a surprise — and, ultimately, neither Aslaug no