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Torstein is a good friend of Ragnar and Floki and is one of the Viking warriors who first sailed west with them to England.

Biography

Season 1

Torstein, with a tip from Rollo, visits Ragnar at Floki's home where a gravely wounded Ragnar is hiding with his family after Earl Haraldson's attack on his farm. There, he meets Helga, with whom he shares a mutual physical interest. He is later invited by Floki into bed with them.

With their old ship confiscated by Earl Haraldson, to be given to Earl Bjarni as dowry for his marriage with Thyri, they discuss risking another trip to England with a boat that Floki can build for them again.

At one point Torstein leaves, and when he returns, Torstein tells them that Siggy approached him in secrecy to tell him that Haraldson has taken Rollo and is torturing him for information on Ragnar's location.

When Ragnar succeeds in killing Haraldson in personal combat and becomes the new Earl of Kattegat, Torstein is among the first men to give his personal oath of allegiance to Ragnar, becoming a Hirdmann, also known as a personal retainer and bodyguard, to the earl.

Season 2

Torstein is one of Ragnar's most trusted friends and warriors, certainly part of his inner circle, and often seen with Floki and the others. For a time he harbored deep resentment of Rollo for his betrayal of Ragnar and the killing of their comrade, Arne, even to the point of urging Ragnar to kill his brother despite the Lawgiver's decision to the contrary. Torstein takes part in the Battle of Wessex but returns with Ragnar to help retake Kattegat after Jarl Borg's invasion and occupation. Along with Ragnar and a small army led by Björn and Lagertha, he fights against Jarl Borg's forces and succeeds in driving Jarl Borg out of Kattegat

When Rollo leaves for Götaland in an effort to persuade Jarl Borg to reform his alliance with Ragnar and King Horik, Torstein wishes him success, indicating he has forgiven Ragnar's brother for his earlier betrayal. Once Jarl Borg's been lured to Kattegat, Torstein joins Rollo and Floki in seizing and beating Borg, then bringing him before Ragnar, who condemns him to death by blood eagle. Witnessing the bloody execution of Jarl Borg, Torstein, battle-hardened warrior that he is, is nonetheless as shocked as he is amazed by the gruesome spectacle.

Torstein is seemingly killed by Floki with poisonous mushrooms in an effort to win the trust of King Horik. The mushrooms, however, only made Torstein appear dead. Later, when Horik attacks Kattegat and enters Ragnar's Great Hall, the hooded figure Horik initially assumes is Ragnar turns out to be Torstein, alive and well. Torstein then participates briefly in the skirmish that follows, and then is shown exiting the Great Hall to leave Ragnar alone to deal with once and for all the treacherous King Horik.

Season 3

Torstein, along with most of the warriors of Kattegat, is restlessly awaiting the melting of the winter ice so that they can go raiding again. Torstein joins Bjorn and Rollo in the Great Hall and announces to them that he has a problem. He has slept with two women, and now both are claiming to be carryingn his child. Rollo suggests that he marry them, or take one as his wife and the other as his concubine. Torstein says he can't do either option because they hate each other and want to kill each other, or kill him. Torstein is overjoyed when it is finally possible to leave for Wessex.

Once Ragnar and his Northmen arrive in Wessex to claim and settle the farmland promised them by King Ecbert, Torstein is  among those agreeing to join Ragnar in fighting to gain the crown of Mercia for Princess Kwenthrith. The axe, Torstein declares, he'll always choose over the plow.

During an attack on King Brihtwulf's forces, Torstein is struck by an arrow in his upper left arm and quickly takes it out by breaking the end. It later turns out the wound got infected, causing a serious fever. Unable to bear the pain anymore, Torstein asks Floki to amputate his arm, saying he never liked his left arm anyway.

When the Viking army advances towards Burgred's forces on at the Battle on the Hill of the Ash, Torstein asks Rollo to bring him with them despite him being severely weakened. Approaching the top of the hill, Björn first scouts ahead unable to see any Mercian forces, but Ragnar is aware of their presence regardless. Torstein volunteers to go first. When he is spotted by Burgred's soldiers, they launch a volley of arrows at Torstein, some of them were blocked by his shield and two struck his leg. When the soldiers approach Torstein, kneeling on the ground, he mutters "Odin, I come to you" before pulling out one of the arrows stuck in his leg, and using it to kill one of the soldiers. The soldiers then kill Torstein. Later, at the camp, Floki sits next to Torstein's corpse, blaming Ragnar for his death. Ragnar reminds him that everyone is fated to die on a certain day and that Torstein chose to come with Ragnar, just like everyone else.

Trivia

  • As an archer in Norse society seen to be using a recurve bow, there may be a possibility that Torstein has Sami heritage. The nomadic Sami were the only people in Scandinavia to make use of the Finnish Juoksa, a type of bow made from a combination of hickory, horn, and sinew.
  • Torstein's role in Ragnar's Hird would be defined as a Skutilsvein, or "table-man" who was an officer and advisor of the lord and had the privilege to sit at his lord's table during feasts. Indeed, Torstein has been seen to be sitting at Ragnar's feasting table.
  • Additionally, Torstein may even hold the office of Forungi, which is simply translated as "leader" or "commander" and designates the leader of a Viking expedition or the chief warrior in a Norse Hird.
  • Torstein means "Thor's stone" or "Thunder Stone."

Gallery

Appearances

Season One Appearances
Rites of Passage Wrath of the Northmen Dispossessed
Trial Raid Burial of the Dead
A King's Ransom Sacrifice All Change
Season two appearances
Brother's War Invasion Treachery Eye For an Eye Answers in Blood
Unforgiven Blood Eagle Boneless The Choice The Lord's Prayer
Season three appearances
Mercenary The Wanderer Warrior's Fate Scarred The Usurper
Born Again Paris To the Gates! Breaking Point The Dead
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