‘Vikings’ Season 5 News: Three Reasons To Explain Rollo’s Return To Kattegat


While History Channel has not yet announced when Season 5 of Vikings will return, it doesn’t mean fans aren’t clambering for information about the historical series.

The mid-season finale saw the war between Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) and Ivar the Boneless (Alex Hogh) over Kattegat still unresolved. However, as the episode concluded, Ragnar’s brother, Rollo (Clive Standen), was seen arriving on Scandinavian shores. He had originally given his support via his army to Ivar’s side as a son of Ragnar but claimed he was unable to attend the battle. Now he has returned, and fans are wondering why.

According to an exclusive interview Clive Standen did with the Express, Rollo has one final revelation to make, and it will be a “shocking” one. So, what could this revelation be?

Immediately, many fans assumed this revelation might have something to do with the theory that Rollo might actually be the father of Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig).

This theory has gathered some traction lately thanks to some comments made by the show’s writer, Michael Hirst. Back in January, during an interview with IGN, Hirst stated that Rollo’s return was because he had things he still hadn’t dealt with. Some of which lead all the way back to events that occurred in Season 1 of Vikings.

“Rollo’s coming back to deal with things that were never dealt with in the past. All the way back to Season 1. There are issues about Rollo and Ragnar as brothers and their relationship and there were all sorts of stories that were hinted at back in the first year. For example, the notion of whose son Bjorn actually is.”

So, it is possible the Season 5 return of Vikings will see Rollo confront Lagertha about Bjorn. Historically, there is no evidence to suggest this, especially since Bjorn was always associated with Ragnar and Rollo was not even Ragnar’s brother, having lived many years after Ragnar’s period of time in the Viking Age.

However, while Clive Standen will not say outright whether Rollo’s return will involve Bjorn’s parentage, he did reveal his own thoughts on the matter.

“At the end of the day you can ask if Bjorn was Rollo’s child but there were no paternity tests in the ninth century so it’s impossible to tell anyway,” he pointed out to the Express.

Another article with the Express also suggests that Rollo’s return to Kattegat could be to deal with Ivar’s desire to take over Kattegat.

“He’s not really become a worthy adversary. I think Ivar might have met his match in Rollo.”

While the Express suggests this could mean Rollo has returned to kill Ivar, Standen has not definitively said that, so fans will have to make up their own minds over what Standen’s words actually mean.

Standen also pointed out that this unfinished business definitely has to do with “family matters” but explains further that it might have something to do with the conversation Roll had with Bjorn after he voyaged with him to the Mediterranean. When Rollo parted ways with his fellow Vikings, he told them that there would always be a place for them in Frankia if they cared to join him.

Of course, the Vikings on board turned down the offer. But now, Standen insists “there is a reason for [Rollo] to go back to Kattegat.”

While, once again, this could indicate Rollo is back to sort out Bjorn’s parentage, for those who follow the history books in regard to Standen’s character, perhaps an answer lies there?

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Rollo became the Duke of Normandy. He gave his son, William I Longsword, governance over this land before he died. So, could Rollo be returning to Kattegat to try to give his family a foothold in France by offering them land in Normandy? Unfortunately, there is no clear answer as to why Rollo is returning to Kattegat and fans will have to tune into the return of Season 5 of Vikings to find out the answer.

Vikings will return to History Channel later in the year.

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