Could Vikings' most mysterious character, Harbard, be actually a Norse god in disguise? Fan theories suggest he was either Odin or Loki.

Vikings gave closure to the arcs of its main characters, but many others were left unsolved, making way for different theories and interpretations. One of Vikings’ most mysterious characters was Harbard (Kevin Durand), who left in season 4 and left many unanswered questions about his real identity, with fans sure he was either Odin or Loki. One of the most popular historical dramas in recent years is Vikings, created by Michael Hirst (The Tudors) and which debuted on History Channel in 2013, coming to an end in 2020 after six seasons.

Vikings initially focused on the life of legendary Norse figure Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and his travels and raids alongside his Viking brothers, among those his real brother, Rollo (Clive Standen), and his best friend and Kattegat’s boat builder, Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård). However, as the series progressed, it began to shift its focus to Ragnar’s sons and their own journeys, and so by the time Ragnar died in season 4, they were already the leads of Vikings, though there was more focus on the stories of Björn (Alexander Ludwig) and Ivar (Alex Høgh Andersen). Over the course of six seasons, Vikings saw a bunch of characters die for different reasons, while others simply disappeared, and among those is Harbard, the show’s most mysterious character.

Harbard, whose name means “Greybeard”, first appeared in dreams to Helga (Maude Hirst), Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland), and Siggy (Jessalyn Gilsig) before his proper arrival at Kattegat, when the men had left to go on raids in Vikings season 3. In the women’s dreams, Harbard appeared holding a ball of snow on fire while his hand was bleeding, and when Helga met him for the first time, he asked for help with a wound on his hand. Harbard presented himself as a wanderer and storyteller, but there was a lot more to him than that as he was able to cure baby Ivar’s pain, and his overall presence had a mysterious aura. Harbard appeared when Siggy dived into a frozen pond to save young Ubbe and Hvitserk from drowning, appearing to her as a vision of her deceased daughter, Thyri. Once the kids were safe, Harbard, instead of saving Siggy, simply gave her a subtle smile as if giving her his blessing, and so Siggy let go and died. Harbard left Kattegat sometime later and vanished into the fog, returned in season 4 when the town's men left again and Aslaug was alone and desperate, and left again not long after.

Harbard’s mysterious aura, abilities, and the way he appeared and disappeared suggest he was a supernatural being, specifically a Norse god, with Floki himself suggesting he was Odin as “Harbard” is another name for the Allfather. This idea is supported by his ability to cure Ivar, how he vanished in the fog, and the white light around him when he appeared to help Siggy. Harbard being Odin makes sense in the context of Vikings as Ragnar was believed to be a descendant of Odin, so his arrival at Kattegat could have been one linked to protecting the town and those who stayed there. There are other fans, however, who believe Harbard could have been Loki, as his presence brought chaos, conflict, and death to Kattegat and its residents. Although he cured Ivar, two children were found drowned, possibly in exchange, similar to what he did by letting Siggy die and saving Ubbe and Hvitserk. Scholars have even added that “Harbard” is a name used by Loki in the Norse poem “Lay of Harbard”, and that Loki invented the fishing net in Norse mythology, and the children who drowned were caught in a fishing net.

There are enough elements in Harbard’s time in Vikings to support both theories, and until Hirst sheds some light on Harbard’s real identity, it’s up to viewers to decide if he was Odin in disguise, looking after Kattegat and Ragnar’s family during his absence, or if he was actually Loki bringing some chaos to town – and in the latter’s case, it has to be said that Hirst and company paid a lot of attention to every detail, such as Harbard’s association with water, his stories, and their connection to Norse mythology.

Next: Vikings: The Exact Moment Ragnar Stopped Being A True Viking (& Why)