The Unrivaled Art in Vinland Saga

Vinland Saga is one of the most popular seinen anime/manga of all time. It tells the story of Thorfinn, a young boy whose warrior-turned-pacifistic father is killed by vikings. Overtaken by rage and a desire for vengeance, Thorfinn joins Askeladd, his father’s killer, and his crew of vikings to make himself stronger, eventually strong enough to kill the man who took his father away from him.

The question “what is a true warrior?” is one that is posed throughout this manga, and different characters would surely respond to that question with varyingly different answers. Thors, Thorfinn’s father, realized during his past as a Viking, pillaging and plundering and killing, that he despised it. He found his true meaning in raising a family, in living in peace. He tells Thorfinn that a true warrior does not wield a blade, and that no one has any enemies; no one in the world deserves to get hurt.

But when Thors is taken from Thorfinn so soon and so terribly, Thorfinn is unable to cope with the trauma of it. He immediately falls hard into the trap of vengeance. He slaughters hundreds just for the chance he will become strong enough to slay Askeladd in their next duel, and he becomes cold and uncaring, as he has to be, in order to pursue this goal. But when Askeladd dies, and not at Thorfinn’s hand, an indescribable emptiness (HxH fan, anyone?) comes over him, and the guilt and horror of what he has made of his life follows soon after.

The story is phenomenally written, with twists at every turn. Thorfinn’s development is revered, and his is viewed as one of the best characterizations in all of manga. His journey from innocence to rage to guilt and shame, and then finally to redemption, is incredibly powerful. The themes of violence, pacifism, and ambition are striking. I can’t recommend it enough.

I thought I’d do another fun little story where I show you guys some of my favorite panels and art from the manga. The art in Vinland Saga is polished yet drastic, with typically minimalistic lines, heavy shadowing, and stunning attention to detail. Emotions are viscerally drawn without words needed to evoke them.

You can find the one I made for Goodnight Punpun, my favorite manga of all time, below: