Playing a legendary Viking shield maiden that can swing an axe better than most men might intimidate some actresses—but not Katheryn Winnick. The Canadian actress stars as Lagertha on the wildy popular History Channel series Vikings, a role that allows her to show off her acting chops and her accomplished martial arts background.
She’s also been in a number of critically acclaimed films, most recently The Dark Tower alongside Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba. She holds a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo and a second-degree black belt in Karate, according to IMDb. Winnick is the definition of a badass—both on- and off-screen—and her already-impressive film and television career is only just starting to heat up.
Ahead of the History hit series’ sixth and final season premiere, Katheryn Winnick tells PEOPLE what fans should expect from her final act as shieldmaiden-turned-queen Lagertha. We’ve seen her, like the queen, we’ve seen her being a farmer, shield maiden, fight wars. And this chapter really, she’s kind of gone back to her roots and wants to simplify her life,” says Winnick, 41.
You’ve seen the trailers that she’s buried her own sword and really says that she’s no longer a shield maiden anymore. Now I think, she herself is trying to redefine her final chapter and find her purpose. And she wants to go back to where she was most happy, which is really being a farmer and a simple person that’s living a simple life,” the Canadian actress adds. “And that’s where she’s at.
However, Winnick says that Lagertha’s yearning for a simple life may not come so easy: “There’s still a massive battle, if not a physical, emotional battle that she still has to overcome,” she says. The actress also shares what her favorite thing about playing the Viking goddess has been across six seasons.
“I was so challenged by her for the most part and up to the battle sequences were very challenging and physically demanding and amazing,” she says. “I come from a martial arts background, so I really enjoyed that. But more than being in just with her sense of strong moral character, she is somebody that I learned a lot.