Vikings: 9 Most Shocking Moments So Far

6. Ragnar’s Friendship With Athelstan

This could honestly be its own article but for the sake of this list let's just try to keep it short. Athelstan was a monk who was captured by Ragnar as a slave, but their dynamic quickly changed as Ragnar didn’t use him typically, instead Athelstan helped take care of the children and taught Ragnar about Wessex and his god.

What shocked viewers was how quickly the two developed a very intimate friendship with Athelstan becoming one of Ragnar’s closest friends and advisors. He even went as far as to temporarily renounce his god and join Ragnar on the field of battle. This dynamic between the two made Athelstan a fan favorite.

No one would have ever thought that in a show about Vikings and Saxons killing each other, two of them would eventually become the closest of friends. Especially to the extent that both of their beliefs would be tested among each other and fans longed to see scenes of the two simply conversing.