Vikings season 6: Who is Bjorn’s new ally Erik the Red?

In the latest episode of Vikings, Death and the Serpent, we witnessed the death of a major character who’s been a key part of the show since the very first episode. However, we were also introduced to a new season regular in Erik the Red (Eric Johnson), a real-life legendary Viking. He looks ready and able to assist Bjorn in his resurgence after he was attacked by the newly-crowned King of Norway, Harald Fairhair.

We get our first glimpse at Erik the Red — real name Erik Thorvaldsson — after Bjorn suffers a shock loss in the election. Following the result, Bjorn falls victim to an unexpected ambush by King Harald. There seems to be no hope left for him, but to the surprise of everyone, in steps Erik to save his life. Erik takes Bjorn out to sea, and the two of them are presumably heading back to Kattegat, where some devastating news awaits.

Later in the episode, Bjorn tells Erik that he owes his life to him, to which Erik replies, “I am too young to remember Ragnar. I did what I did for Bjorn Ironside.” And he offers his services as a fighter to Bjorn.

With Erik and Bjorn, we have another powerful season 6 partnership. As we already know, Ivar found a new friend in Prince Oleg of the Rus Vikings when he travelled the Silk Road. Though Ivar’s relationship with Oleg has been turbulent so far, they share the same ambition to invade Kattegat. If this attack comes onto fruition, Bjorn will need the services of Erik more than ever!

Fans were quick to tweet their excitement about seeing Erik the Red join the Vikings saga:

Back when season 6 was being filmed, actor Eric Johnson spoke to ET Canada about his character, giving us some insight into Erik’s motives. “For Erik, he has got his own agenda too, he has to look out for himself,” Johnson said. “He comes into this in a very compromised situation, he comes in as a man of the forest which means he doesn’t have any rights and anyone can kill him without any consequences.”

He also confirmed that his relationship with Bjorn won’t be without its problems. “At any point in time if Bjorn doesn’t like him it’s like, ‘Oh you’re out in the forest again’, it’s a bit of a balancing act.”

We also might be able to learn something from real-life history. Erik Thorvaldsson, known for his red hair and beard, was a Norse explorer who came to fame as the first Viking to discover and establish a settlement on Greenland. Erik was born in Jæren in Norway in 950 AD, which makes him just over 100 years younger than Bjorn, who was born 855 AD. Creator Michael Hirst has never made a secret of the fact that he condenses history on Vikings for entertainment purposes, so these two never really met, but it’ll be interesting to see how they’ll play off each other in this historical reimagining.

Including Erik the Red could also serve to set up Netflix’s Vikings spinoff, Vikings: Valhalla, which is currently in the works. That show will feature other famous Vikings like Leif Erickson — credited with being the first European to explore the North American continent — and Freydis, who were Erik Thorvaldsson’s children.

Vikings season 6 airs Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. CST on History.

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