WBFH23: pages 6~9 + sketches. (Patreon)

Here's a fun fact about Lars so you can understand him better. When Axel tells him Ragnar must pay for what he did to him 9 years ago, Axel means "the fact Ragnar used me and then threw me away", but what Lars thinks about is just "the fact Ragnar had sex with Axel".

9 years ago, Lars had two pieces of information given to him. One was that Ragnar and Axel had had sex (true), and the other was that Ragnar had used Axel (false). What made Lars want to kill Ragnar was the first, and what made him free to act on it was the second. If Axel and Ragnar had become lovers, Lars would have wanted to kill Ragnar all the same, but he wouldn't have acted on it because he had no green light to do so.

You know like when you don't like your friend's lover but you suck it up because you have no objetive reason to say anything? Then one day your friend has a fight with their lover and then you can finally explode because there's green light to do it as you're both on the same page?

This fact is really important for the character, because he is not a victim of manipulation. A lot of people think Lars hating Ragnar is the result of Axel manipulating him and making him believe a lie, therefore if Lars found out the truth, they would be able to become friends again. That is not the case because Lars hates Ragnar for sleeping with Axel, period. The lie Axel told is just Lars's excuse to be open about his hatred (if Axel openly hates Ragnar, then Lars is able to openly express his feelings as well).

Lars is a complex character with lights and shadows. He can love to the point of risking his life for a friend, but he can also hate to the point of wanting to murder someone out of pure jealousy and possessiveness. So is he a good or a bad person? You can decide for yourself. And even if you decide he is a bad person, it's still ok to like (or dislike) him because in fiction we can hate good people and love villains. That's what makes fiction interesting and nobody should feel guilty about it.