Vinland Saga Shines Thanks to its Relationships

Hey again! I just finished watching Vinland Saga, and I want to touch on what makes the show so interesting to me. I’ve always heard a lot about the action scenes in season 1, and the drama and the stakes in season 2, and while those are both impressive for sure, I think where the show excels the most is the complex way its characters interact, and what they mean to one another. I’m gonna analyze a couple relationships, all centered around Thorfinn, and the impact that these have on the overall story. 

Thorfinn and Askeladd: 

Okay, so let’s get the big thing out of the way: Askeladd killed Thors, Thorfinn’s dad. Brutally, in a way that lacked any sort of honor whatsoever, and he did it with a smile on his face. In a lot of ways, this is the catalyst for everything that happens in Vinland Saga. Outraged by his father’s death, Thorfinn swears that he will kill Askeladd, and using this motivation and hatred, grows up to become a fearsome warrior… while living and fighting with Askeladd. Thorfinn’s hatred is not secret, not in the slightest, but no matter how many duels Thorfinn challenges Askeladd to, he never wins. Askeladd had so many chances to kill Thorfinn, but he never takes any of these opportunities. Instead, Askeladd nurtures Thorfinn, both as a warrior and as a man. Thorfinn’s absolute rage paired with Askeladd’s seeming lack of worry about him lead to an interesting dynamic, leading the audience to root for Thorfinn, hoping that he can avenge the death of his father, despite knowing how far he is from that goal. 

Thors, Thorfinn’s father, was also a warrior on a caliber above anyone else shown before or after his death. In the final episode in which he is alive, Thors single handedly beat 10 opposing warriors without ever drawing a sword, claiming that a true master needn’t draw any weapons, and that one shouldn’t kill another person unless it is absolutely necessary. This mentality opposes the brutal nature of the show, and the beliefs of every other viking, who believe that as long as they die in battle, they’ll be able to enter Valhalla, and the more lives they claimed before their peril, the better their time in the afterlife would be. Despite his abandonment of the traditional way of thinking, Thors is always looked back on fondly, whenever another character talks about him, be they friend or foe.

Thorfinn’s relentless pursuit of the death of the man who killed his father stand in stark contrast to the beliefs of the man he’s trying to avenge, but it is my belief that Thorfinn couldn’t rationalize another way to ease his own mind, and to “honor” his father’s legacy. After Thors’ death, Thorfinn’s entire life, his purpose, was war, and accomplishing the goals of him and his comrades by any means necessary, even if that meant aligning himself with the man that killed his father in the first place. It’s not until the events of season 2 that Thorfinn finds ways to actually honor his father, and to lead a life that he would be proud of.

Thorfinn and Einar:

Einar is a fantastic addition to the story of Vinland Saga. He is so similar to Thorfinn, especially the more mature and calm version of Thorfinn we meet in season 2, some years after the events of season 1 have passed. Despite their similarities, the backgrounds that the two of them have lead them to having a few ideological disputes early on into their relationship. Einar’s family’s farm was captured by Viking raiders, not once, but twice. After the first raid, they rebuilt, and came back stronger than they had been before… only to be thoroughly crushed, beaten, and enslaved. Luckily for Einar, if you can call it that, he ended up being purchased by a master who was fair and just, who told Einar day one that he can work towards buying his own freedom, and that he’ll even have a partner to work with. This partner ends up being Thorfinn, and the two of them actually hit it off pretty quickly, becoming friends. That is, until Einar begins to learn about Thorfinn’s past, which is something he’s not shy about sharing. The hatred that Einar holds for Thorfinn’s people is extremely visible, but it gets contrasted so well by the bond that the two of them have built, and the trust that they have in one another. On top of that, Thorfinn is also Einar’s ticket to freedom, so he can’t afford to make an enemy out of Thorfinn. 

Einar inspires a similar change in Thorfinn. His prior lack of regard for the lives he had taken, the land he’d stolen, the riches he’d plundered, actually began to change towards the end of season 1, when a kind old English woman took him in, fed him, and hid him from authorities. Upon meeting Einar, coupled with his experience with the old woman, Thorfinn is finally able to humanize others, and he realizes just what he’s done, to the countless people he’s murdered, to their families, to their towns. This has a profound effect on Thorfinn, who begins having nightmares every night, hearing the voices of those he’s killed, asking him why he had to kill them, or when he would be joining them in the afterlife. I firmly believe that without this massive instance of growth in Thorfinn, season 2 would not have progressed in nearly the same way. He wouldn’t have fought to defend the farm, wouldn’t have stood up to Canute, wouldn’t have steeled his resolve to create a world without slavery and without war.

Conclusion:

Vinland Saga (especially season 2) is excellent. The way the show pivots from being a gruesome story of war, of triumph and defeat, into a story of overcoming one’s past traumas, one’s grief, and one’s past, is masterfully executed. I think if someone watched this show and took events at face value, the show would still be very enjoyable. But peeling back a couple layers into how complex these characters are and the complicated relationships that exist between them are a real testament to both the talent of the writers, as well as the love and care put into the world as a whole. This was not a show that I would typically watch, I’m not typically a big action fan, but I had heard so many great reviews about it that I decided to give it a chance, and I’m really glad that I did, and I’m eagerly awaiting season 3. 

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