Ragnar Lothbrok Hairstyles: Every Season’s Look + How To Get Each One

Travis Fimmel’s Ragnar is still the photo I get handed more than any other long-hair reference — a decade after Vikings ended. And the requests have changed. Five years ago everyone wanted the full Season 3 braided mohawk. Now half the guys in my chair want the softer version: braids on top, length left in the back, sides tapered instead of scalped — the braided mullet hybrid that’s all over TikTok. In this guide I’ll walk you through every Ragnar look season by season, with the exact lengths, guard numbers, and wording to give your barber for each one.

Fair warning before you commit: Ragnar’s signature looks need serious top length. If you’re starting from a short cut, this is a 12-18 month project. The good news is there’s a Ragnar stage for every point of that grow-out — and I’ll show you which one fits where.

How to Braid Your Hair Like Ragnar Lothbrok

Basic Viking Braid Tutorial

The braid most people mean when they say “Ragnar braid” is a single French braid running dead-centre from the hairline to the crown. Work on damp — not wet — hair. Take a section about two fingers wide at the front hairline, split it into three, and cross right over centre, then left over centre, keeping your tension right against the scalp.

Every pass, feed in a small slice of hair from each side of the section. That’s what anchors the braid flat to your head instead of letting it flop. When you run out of hair to feed in, continue as a standard three-strand plait and tie off with a small clear elastic. First attempt will take you 15 frustrating minutes. By attempt ten it’s a 5-minute job — I’ve watched clients go from hopeless to fluent in a fortnight of practice.

Advanced Multi-Braid Styles

Ragnar’s later-season looks run 2-3 parallel braids along the top. Section first, braid second — that’s the rule. Use a tail comb to draw clean straight partings, clip each row separately, and only then start braiding. Freestyling the sections is why home attempts pull sideways and look lopsided.

Start with the centre braid to set your line, then match the outer rows to it. Keep every braid the same thickness and the same tension — uneven tension reads as messy, not rugged. For the proper warrior finish, stop braiding at the crown and gather the loose tails into one low ponytail instead of plaiting to the tips. That’s the detail most tutorials miss, and it’s the one that makes the style read as Ragnar rather than generic festival braids.

Products and Tools You Need

Braids grip better in day-old hair. If you’ve just washed, kill the slip with sea salt spray or a texturising powder worked into the roots first. Your kit: a tail comb for sectioning, sectioning clips, small clear elastics, and a fingertip of matte wax to smooth flyaways along each braid.

Skip gel entirely — it dries stiff, flakes white inside the braid, and looks terrible by mid-afternoon. Overnight, sleep in a silk durag or on a silk pillowcase, and use a few drops of light leave-in conditioner to keep frizz down between re-braids.

Common Braiding Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake one: braiding too loose. Ragnar’s braids sit tight to the scalp — floppy braids collapse within an hour. Mistake two: skipping the sectioning, which guarantees a braid that drifts off-centre. If your sides are cut at a mid fade, start your braids well above the fade line so there’s a clean band of contrast between skin and braid — braids that creep down into the faded zone look accidental.

And the one I warn every client about: don’t sleep in tight scalp braids night after night without breaks. Constant tension along the front hairline is how you end up thinning the very hair you spent 18 months growing. Loosen or take them down every couple of weeks and give the hairline a rest.

Who Is Ragnar Lothbrok?

Ragnar Lothbrok is the semi-legendary Norse farmer-turned-king at the centre of History’s Vikings, played by Travis Fimmel from 2013 to 2017. What makes him interesting from a barbering point of view is that the show used his hair as a storytelling device: every rise and fall in his arc came with a deliberate style change. Farmer Ragnar wears a simple tied-back ponytail. Earl Ragnar gets braids. King Ragnar gets the braided mohawk. Broken Ragnar shaves it all off. That’s why this one character generates a whole guide’s worth of distinct haircuts — and why you should decide which Ragnar you’re asking for before you sit in the chair.

Vikings Series Style Evolution

Across four seasons the show’s hair department built over 15 distinct looks for Fimmel, and they escalate in both complexity and commitment. Season 1 is practical: length tied back, nothing shaved. Season 2 introduces the undercut and the first serious braid work. Season 3 is peak ornamentation — the braided mohawk, beads, rings, hours in the chair. Season 4 tears it all down: first the shave, then the grown-out stubble of the wanderer.

The useful way to read that evolution: it’s also a grow-out roadmap in reverse. A guy growing from short passes through wanderer stubble, then buzzed, then enough top for a knot, then braids. Whatever stage your hair is at right now, there’s a canon Ragnar look that matches it — which means you never have to sit through an awkward phase without a plan.

How To Ask For Ragnar’s Viking Cuts

Never just say “give me the Ragnar” — you’ll get whichever version your barber remembers. Name the season, show two photos (side profile and back), and use these exact phrases: for the classic look, ask for a “disconnected undercut, sides at a #1, keep the top at 6-8 inches for braiding.” For the mohawk version, “shave the sides, leave a 3-inch wide strip from front hairline to nape.”

Two more decisions to make before the clippers come out. First: full shave or taper? A #3-4 guard taper reads professional and grows out forgivingly; a skin shave is screen-accurate but needs touch-ups every fortnight. Second: modern or accurate? Say “modern interpretation” and a good barber will blend the transition and clean the neckline; say “screen-accurate” and they’ll leave it disconnected and raw. Both are legitimate — but they’re different haircuts.

The Braided Mullet: The Ragnar Everyone Asks For Right Now

The version currently dominating my request list isn’t any single season — it’s a hybrid. Braids or a loose twist on top, the back left long and free at the collar, and the sides tapered rather than shaved. On social media it gets tagged as the Viking mullet or braid mullet, and it works because it borrows the modern mullet’s silhouette while keeping Ragnar’s braid work as the focal point.

To get it, ask for a “mullet perimeter with a #4 taper on the sides, keep everything from the crown back.” You need about 6 inches on top for the braids and at least collar-length at the back. It suits wavy hair especially well — the loose back gives the braids something to contrast against. It’s also the most forgiving Ragnar variation for the grow-out: the back is supposed to look a bit wild, so there’s no awkward phase. If the full undercut feels like too much commitment, this is the one I’d steer you toward.

Season 1 Farmer’s Ponytail

Ragnar’s first look is the easiest to copy and the most underrated: shoulder-length hair pulled straight back into a low, functional ponytail, sides left at full length, nothing shaved. It’s a farmer’s haircut — done with a leather cord in the show, a simple tie in real life.

What sells it is texture, not cut. Fimmel’s hair reads slightly waved and lived-in, so if your hair dries flat, mist in sea salt spray and rough-dry it before tying back. From a short cut you’re looking at 12-18 months to reach this length, and honestly this ponytail is the best way to wear the last six months of that grow-out. Zero barber visits required beyond a neckline tidy every couple of months.

Early Raider Braided Sides

Before any shaving happens, Ragnar starts braiding — thin combat braids at the temples that pull the front hair back and out of his eyes, with everything else left loose. This is the transitional look of early Season 1, and it’s a genuinely practical style if you’re growing out and sick of hair in your face.

Take a 1-inch section at each temple, braid it tight back above the ear, and tie off small. Two braids a side maximum — more starts looking costume. A dab of matte wax on your fingers before braiding gives the fine temple hair enough grip to hold. The rest of the hair stays free, so this works from about 6 inches of length onward and takes five minutes in the morning.

Season 2 Warrior Braids

Season 2 is where the braid work gets serious: 3-4 braids per side, some woven into each other, with the crown swept straight back. On set this took around 45 minutes of chair time, and that’s about right for real life too once you’ve got the hang of it — it’s a weekend style, not a Tuesday morning one.

The construction detail that matters: each braid starts tight at the scalp and deliberately loosens through the last third, which gives the style movement instead of helmet stiffness. Leather wraps or a couple of small rings on the outer braids finish it. This is also the point in the timeline where the sides start looking more controlled — if you’re recreating it, a light taper keeps the braid lines legible without going full undercut yet.

The Iconic Ragnar Undercut

Mid-Season 2, the look that launched a million barbershop requests: sides taken down hard, everything on top left long. If you only copy one Ragnar style, it’s this. The formula is simple — sides at a #1 guard fading to skin at the temples, top kept at 6-8 inches minimum.

The length on top is what makes it versatile. Same haircut, four different styles: swept straight back with matte paste for daily wear, single centre braid for the full Viking, low knot when you can’t be bothered, loose for the weekend. That’s the pitch I give clients who hesitate — you’re not buying one hairstyle, you’re buying four. Maintenance reality: the contrast between skin and 8 inches of top disappears fast, so book side touch-ups every 2-3 weeks or the whole thing goes shaggy.

Temple Shaved With Top Knot

The Season 2 finale look: temples razored clean while the crown gathers into a high knot. It’s the most aggressive-looking Ragnar style relative to how little hair it actually removes — the shaved area is only the temple zone, but because it frames the face, the effect is dramatic.

You need a minimum of 5 inches on top for a top knot that actually stays put; anything shorter sprays loose by lunchtime. Use a strong-hold elastic made for thick hair, double-wrapped, and position the knot at the crown — not the back of the head. The trade-off is upkeep: razored temples show regrowth within days, so this needs line work every 5-7 days to stay sharp. Great look for a fortnight of holiday; expensive habit year-round.

Season 3 King’s Braided Mohawk

The king’s look, and the single most technically demanding style in this guide: sides shaved, a 3-inch wide strip of long hair left from hairline to nape, and that strip worked into one thick central braid with smaller feeder braids woven in for a rope-like texture. On the show this was 2-3 hours of prep. In real life, a competent braider needs a solid hour.

Be honest with yourself about the commitment here. The strip needs 6-8 inches of length, the shaved sides need attention twice a week to hold the contrast, and the braid itself needs redoing every week or so. This is the one to book a proper braider for rather than DIY — feeder braids on your own crown, working blind in a mirror, is an exercise in swearing. Beads and rings threaded onto the main braid are canon and they help: the weight keeps the braid lying straight down the centre.

Multiple Braids With Beads

Peak ornamental Ragnar: five to seven braids of varying thickness, dressed with bronze beads and rings. It looks chaotic in screenshots but there’s a system — side braids sit tight for practicality, crown braids display the length, and the back braids anchor everything into one gathered tail.

Two working notes from doing this on real heads. First, thread your beads onto the strands before you braid past their position, or use a loop tool to pull them on after — forcing beads up a finished braid wrecks it. Second, the beads aren’t just decoration: a bead near the tail-end adds weight that keeps thin braids hanging straight instead of curling up. Stick to metal, bone, or wood. This style demands 8+ inches and most of a morning, which is exactly why it photographs like status.

Season 4A Longer Warrior Braids

Season 4 opens with a time jump, and the hair tells you: the braids now reach mid-back. Technically it’s the same construction as Season 2 — French braid foundation at the scalp, transitioning to free three-strand braids — just executed on 10-12 inches or more of length.

Hair that long, braided that often, has one enemy: breakage. Long braided hair snaps at the elastic points and dries out along its length. The fix is boring and non-negotiable — a weekly oil treatment (argan or jojoba, a few drops worked through the lengths), elastics moved to slightly different positions each re-braid, and never braiding bone-dry hair. If you’ve spent two-plus years growing to this length, ten minutes a week of maintenance is cheap insurance.

The Shaved Head Transformation

Mid-Season 4, Ragnar shaves his head completely — and half the internet gasped. As a barber I love this scene because it demonstrates something I tell long-haired clients constantly: a strong head shave is a style, not a surrender.

If you’re taking the plunge, do it properly. Clipper down to a #0 first, then go smooth with a razor — straight razor at the shop for the first pass, then maintain at home every day or two. A freshly bare scalp needs daily moisturiser and SPF whenever you’re outdoors; skin that’s spent years under hair burns fast. The upside: the shave shifts all attention to your beard and bone structure, which is exactly the effect it had on Fimmel.

Season 4B Wanderer’s Stubble

Ragnar’s final look is the shave grown back out: 3-5mm of even stubble across the whole scalp, deliberately unkempt, matched in length to his beard. It’s essentially a buzz cut maintained with a #1-2 guard once a week, no guard lines, no fade — the point is the absence of effort.

Don’t let the simplicity fool you into thinking it works on everyone. This length shows every contour of your skull and hides nothing about your hairline, which is precisely why it’s also the most honest recession-friendly option in this guide. The detail that makes it read intentional rather than neglected: keep scalp stubble and beard stubble within a millimetre or two of each other. Matching lengths is what turns “gave up” into “rugged.”

Ragnar’s Beard Evolution

Ragnar’s beard runs its own four-season arc alongside the hair, from bare-faced farmer to matted, grey-streaked king — and the show was disciplined about keeping beard and hair in proportion at every stage. That’s the principle worth stealing: whenever the hair got more elaborate, the beard either matched it or got out of the way. Fimmel grew his own natural beard for most of it, with extensions only for the heaviest braided styles. Below are the five distinct beard phases and how to wear each one.

Clean Shaven Farmer Ragnar

Season 1 opens with Ragnar fully clean-shaven — a deliberate choice to make him read young and unproven. If you’re pairing a bare face with long tied-back hair, the shave has to be immaculate, because there’s no beard to distract from irritation or missed patches.

Shave with the grain first, re-lather, then across the grain for closeness, and finish with a cold rinse and an alcohol-free balm to avoid the razor burn that ruins the effect. The clean face against long hair is a strong contrast — boyish from the front, Viking from behind — and on the show it lasted barely three episodes before the stubble arrived.

Short Viking Beard

The workhorse of the series: a neat 1-2 inch beard following Ragnar’s natural growth pattern, cheeks lightly cleaned up, neckline defined two fingers above the Adam’s apple. This is the beard he keeps returning to between the dramatic phases, and it’s the one I’d recommend to most men copying the look.

Keep the cheek line natural rather than razor-straight — a too-crisp line fights the rugged effect. A few drops of beard oil daily keeps it soft, and a weekly trim at the same setting holds the length indefinitely. It pairs with every hairstyle in this guide, from ponytail to full mohawk, which is exactly why the show leaned on it.

Braided Beard Phase

Through Seasons 2-3 Ragnar experiments with a braided beard — usually a single plait from the chin, occasionally split into two. You need an honest 3-4 inches of beard below the chin before this works; braiding shorter growth just sprays stubble in every direction.

Section the chin growth cleanly away from the cheek beard, braid snug but not scalp-tight (beard hair is more brittle than scalp hair), and finish with a small ring or bead rather than an elastic if you want it screen-accurate — the weight also stops the braid unravelling. Expect to re-braid daily; beard braids don’t survive sleep. It’s high-maintenance, but as visual continuity with braided top hair, nothing else comes close.

Full King’s Beard

Ragnar’s kingship beard is the biggest of the series — a full 6-8 inches with natural wave, occasionally dressed with a braid or ring for ceremony. Growing one is a 8-12 month project that will test you around month three, when the itch and the shapelessness peak. Push through; that phase passes.

At this length the maintenance shifts from trimming to conditioning. Daily brushing with a boar bristle brush distributes oil down the shafts, beard balm gives it enough hold to keep shape, and a monthly tidy-up removes split ends without sacrificing length. Left unbrushed, a beard this size mats — and matted is the one thing a king’s beard must never look.

Final Season Unkempt Look

The last beard is the broken one: uneven, wiry, streaked with grey, grown wild through Ragnar’s wanderer years. The show’s groomers worked hard to make it look neglected while keeping it filmable — real neglect just looks like neglect.

If you want the aesthetic without the hygiene problem, here’s the cheat: wash and oil the beard normally, but skip all shaping — no cheek lines, no neckline, no length evening. Grey streaks do the rest if you have them; if you don’t, don’t fake it. Pair it with the matching scalp stubble and you’ve got the complete Season 4B wanderer. It’s the lowest-effort look in this guide, and on the right weathered face, the most striking.

How To Style Viking Braids

The routine that gets you clean braids every time: start on day-old hair, mist with sea salt spray or work texturising powder through the roots, and section everything with a rattail comb before a single braid goes in. Precise sections are 80% of a good result.

Braid tight at the scalp, easing the tension through the last third for movement. Tie off with small clear elastics — and when you take the style down, cut the elastics out rather than pulling them, which rips hair. For all-day hold, braid the hair very slightly damp and let it dry braided.

Time-wise, budget 10 minutes for a single centre braid, 30-45 for a Season 2 multi-braid set, and an hour-plus for the full mohawk build. Sleep in a silk durag and a good set survives 3-4 days before it needs redoing.

Products For Ragnar’s Looks

You need exactly five things, and none of them shine. Sea salt spray builds the gritty base texture every Ragnar style sits on. Matte clay or paste handles the swept-back undercut days. Texturising powder adds root grip for braiding fine or slippery hair. Matte wax smooths braid flyaways. And dry shampoo stretches braided styles to day three and four without a full reset.

For the beard phases: beard oil daily from stubble onward, balm once you pass two inches and need shape control. The one rule across all of it — nothing glossy. Silicone shine reads modern and instantly breaks the look. Viking hair is matte hair; if a product leaves your hair looking wet, it’s the wrong product for this style.

Viking Hair Accessories

Accessories are where Ragnar recreations either come together or tip into fancy dress, and the line is material. Bronze, silver, bone, or wood: good. Anything plastic: gone. Beads thread onto braids as you build them; metal rings and cuffs clamp on after, which makes them the easy entry point.

Leather cord deserves special mention — wrapped around a braid’s tail instead of an elastic, it’s the single cheapest upgrade to the whole look. Start with one or two pieces, not seven; Ragnar at his most decorated was a king on a throne, not a bloke at the supermarket. Viking reenactment suppliers sell screen-accurate beads sized for hair, which high-street shops rarely stock.

Which Ragnar Style Suits Your Face Shape

Oval faces can take any look in this guide — undercut, mohawk, shaved, all of it. Pick on lifestyle and maintenance tolerance instead.

Round faces should head straight for the undercut styles of Seasons 2-3. The shaved sides carve vertical lines that visibly lengthen the face; the height of a top knot compounds the effect. What round faces should skip is the Season 1 ponytail with full sides — it adds width exactly where you don’t need it.

Square faces suit the braided mohawk and top knot best — the vertical emphasis softens a heavy jaw rather than fighting it. Long faces work in reverse: the farmer’s ponytail and loose Season 2 braids add width at the sides and balance the proportions, while high knots and tall mohawks just stretch the face further. If you’re long-faced and want braids, keep them low and wide rather than stacked on the crown.

Hair Type Considerations

Thick, straight hair is the ideal canvas here — it holds tension, shows clean braid lines, and gives that dense rope texture. Wavy hair is arguably even better for the looser looks: the mullet hybrid and Season 1 ponytail both improve with natural bend.

Curly hair handles the cropped styles beautifully but makes tight scalp braids harder — expect your barber to blow-dry or lightly straighten the top before braiding, and expect the braids to look shorter than your actual length due to shrinkage. Fine hair can do all of it with help: texturising powder at the roots before braiding, and slightly thinner braid sections so each one still looks dense.

FAQs: Ragnar Lothbrok Hairstyles

What is Ragnar’s most iconic hairstyle?

The Season 3 braided mohawk with shaved sides — a 3-inch strip of long hair braided from hairline to nape with everything else taken to skin. It’s the look on the posters and the one most reference photos show. To wear it you need 6-8 inches of length in the strip, a braider you trust, and side maintenance twice a week. If that’s more commitment than you want, the mid-Season 2 undercut delivers most of the same impact with half the upkeep.

How long does hair need to be for Viking braids?

A minimum of 4-5 inches gets you basic scalp braids; 6-8 inches is where the style starts looking right rather than strained. Hanging braids with real movement need 6+ inches, and Ragnar’s longest Season 4 looks are built on 10-12 inches. From a standard short cut, expect 8-12 months of growing before braiding is worthwhile, and closer to two years for the elaborate versions. Curly hair needs extra length on top of all those numbers, because shrinkage eats 30-40% of the visible length.

Did Vikings really wear these hairstyles?

Braids and shaved styles, yes — the extravagant beadwork, less so. Historical sources describe Norse men as unusually well-groomed (combs are among the most common Viking grave finds), and accounts mention partially shaven heads and long fringes. Braids served the practical job of keeping hair out of the eyes in battle. The show’s intricate multi-braid patterns and heavy ornamentation are theatrical amplification of that reality. So the silhouette is defensible history; the styling budget is pure television.

How to maintain Viking braids?

Sleep in a silk or satin durag — friction against a cotton pillow is what kills a braid set overnight. Use dry shampoo at the roots to stretch time between washes to 5-7 days, and when you do wash, shampoo the scalp between the braids and let the suds rinse through the lengths rather than scrubbing them. Re-braid any section that loosens straight away; one collapsed braid makes the whole set look tired. A full take-down and re-braid every 1-2 weeks, plus a light scalp oil to stop dryness underneath, keeps the style healthy indefinitely.

How long does it take to grow hair long enough for Ragnar’s braids?

From a short cut, 12-18 months to reach the 8-10 inches the full braided looks need — hair grows roughly half an inch a month and there are no legitimate shortcuts. The awkward zone hits around months 5-8, and the fix is to style through it: temple braids, tie-backs, or the braided mullet shape, which actively suits in-between length. Keep getting the sides and neckline tidied every 6-8 weeks while the top grows — maintained grow-outs look deliberate, abandoned ones just look overdue.

Can I get Ragnar’s hairstyle without shaving the sides?

Yes, and most of my clients now do. Keep the sides at a taper fade around a #3-4 guard instead of skin — you keep the braided top and the contrast, at office-safe intensity. The other route is the braided mullet: tapered sides, braids on top, length in the back, no shaving anywhere. Both versions also give you an exit ramp — growing out a #4 taper takes weeks, growing out a skin-shaved undercut takes months. Start conservative; you can always go shorter next visit.

What’s the difference between Ragnar’s hairstyle and a Viking undercut?

Ragnar’s look is one specific recipe within the Viking undercut family: shaved or faded sides plus long top hair worked into tight scalp braids, usually finishing in a single tail at the back. The broader Viking hairstyle category covers top knots, loose flowing tops, twisted styles, and Viking dreads — no braids required. If you ask a barber for a “Viking undercut” you’ll get the shape; if you want Ragnar specifically, you need to ask for the braid work by name.