Vinland Saga Anime Recap
The famous manga series that has the same name created and drawn by Makoto Yukimura serves as the inspiration for the anime television show Vinland Saga. On 19th March 2018, Twin Engine said that Wit Studio would create an animated television series based on the series.
Shuhei Yabuta is the series’ director, while Takahiko Abiru created the characters, Hiroshi Seko handled the series composition, and Yutaka Yamada created the soundtrack. The young Icelandic peasant Thorfinn, who wants to fight in battles like his retired father Thors, is the main character of the series.
The very first three episodes of the anime began airing on July 7, 2019, and the series concluded on 29th December 2019. Episode 10 was delayed owing to the need to broadcast news related to Typhoon Faxai’s expected arrival on 8th September 2019, and it continued on 15th September 2019. NHK General TV broadcasted 24 episodes of the show.
Since just a tiny amount of the manga was adapted for the first season, fans were aware that there would be a second season, which was eventually scheduled to premiere on January 10, 2023. 24 episodes are planned for the second season as well. While we wait for the second season to start, we’ll give you a detailed overview of the first season of the Vinland Saga and discuss how it ended, that is, where it left off and what we might anticipate from the next season.
The first eight episodes of Vinland Saga were turned into episodes from the first eight volumes of the manga, which included half of Chapter 54 and a preview of Chapters 55 and 56. The second volume, which will serve as the start of the second season, begins with Chapter 57 and goes on from there. Eight further volumes may be necessary, but there may be a few more or fewer depending on how much the second season will alter. It will undoubtedly be close to that amount given the number of episodes. Let’s now review the events in the first season of Vinland Saga.
Recap of Season One of Vinland Saga
The main character of the series is Thorfinn, a young Icelandic peasant who aspires to fight in battles like his retiring father, Thors.
Thorfinn’s first six years were spent in a tiny coastal Icelandic community with his family. He did not learn that his father, Thors Snorrisson, was a Jomsviking, known as the Troll of Joe, until a Jomsviking ship, led by Lord Floki, anchored in his hamlet. Thors Snorrisson had formerly been a legendary warrior, dreaded by everyone. Even though he detested bloodshed, the latter was compelled by Floki to join the Jomsvikings’ invasion of England campaign.
Unaware that it was a trap laid by Floki, Thors set sail for England with the assistance of his buddy, the navigator Leif Erikson. The pirates of a particular Askeladd assault them as they are travelling. Only by cleverness does the latter succeed in killing Thors in front of Thorfinn, who had secretly boarded his father’s ship. Thorfinn pledged to Askeladd that he would be killed out of retaliation and joined his group of soldiers. Years later, Thorfinn has developed into a cold, cruel murderer whose only motivation is retribution. He earns the chance to challenge Askeladd in fair combat in exchange for assignments he completes for the creature, but each time he loses.
Amid the conflict for control of Denmark’s king, Askeladd’s troops found themselves entangled around the end of 1013. A few weeks prior, they had joined the main Danish army in the siege of London, a city that had been remarkably held by Thorkell the Great and his troops, the Jomsvikings, and that had been turned up to the English adversary so that they could simply confront stronger opponents.
Thorfinn was ordered by Askeladd to take Thorkell’s lead, but he failed in the presence of his opponent’s enormous power. King Sven, I choose to continue his travels after witnessing the army’s repeated failures and assigns his inexperienced son Prince Knut to hold the siege. The inevitable result was that Thorkell attacked the besiegers and captured the prince and his entourage.
When Askeladd heard the news, he instantly realised the advantages it would bring him if he could preserve the prince. He then made plans to retrieve Knut from Thorkell, who had left to pursue the Danish army. The band succeeds in saving Knut once again because of the leadership’s ingenuity. Askeladd had no idea that the prince was a timid, fragile, and innocent young man who had been overshadowed by his guardian, Ragnar, and who was completely unfit to rule.
Askeladd was able to get his troop to Wales, his own country where he had supporters and where they could not be followed, it to attack the troop of Thorkell, which was far more numerous than his own. Then they go by road to Gainsborough, which is situated in the Danish-controlled region. Sadly, winter comes sooner than anticipated, forcing the little company to take a detour and enter the enemy’s land directly.
They briefly pause at a town where they slaughter everyone there. To have Knut take leadership and develop while they are there, Askeladd will have Ragnar killed. However, one villager who survived would guide them to their demise and inform Thorkell’s army of the location of this army. When Askeladd and his men hear that Thorkell is approaching, they start moving again right away. However, there are growing divisions within the army, and the majority of warriors no longer see the leader’s strategy as advantageous.
They turn against Askeladd when Thorkell’s army catches up with them, demanding that the prince be surrendered to their pursuers to spare his life. Then, Askeladd gives Björn and Thorfinn, his devoted right-hand man, responsibility for Knut’s safety once they successfully flee. But very soon, Thorfinn turns around to seek the person against whom he desires retribution above all else, leaving Björn to be in charge of the prince’s defence against a squad of pursuers. He’ll be able to defeat the majority of them, but he’ll come out hurt.
Thorkell’s army had just joined them when Thorfinn and Askeladd reconcile, and it slaughters the band save for their commander. After that, Thorfinn challenges Thorkell to a battle to save Askeladd. The latter’s suggestions enable the young man to defeat his enormous opponent and gravely hurt him. Then, to everyone’s amazement, Knut makes a surprise return.
The prince had a realization and gained the grandeur he lacked during his escape while watching Björn battle, due to the priest Willibald who was with him and his remarks. Knut, who now wants to usurp his father King Sven, succeeds in persuading Thorkell’s troops to support him as well as Askeladd, who later serves as a wise advisor in his battle for power.
Knut and his new comrades ultimately arrived in Gainsborough at the start of the year 1014. In the course of their discussion, his father rapidly realises that he has evolved and that he now desires his throne. The two groups then settle into a game of precise strategy. Sven invites Knut to travel with him to York, where the most important Danish lords would attend a lavish dinner to commemorate the conquering of England. Unexpectedly, the conflict between the king and his son will be resolved during this meal.
To Askeladd’s dismay, Sven tells his men that he intends to conquer Wales. When the latter attempts to talk him out of it, the king promises to save his nation provided he kills Knut. Askeladd only sees one way out of this terrible predicament: he must sacrifice himself. Then, to everyone’s horror, he assassinates the king, exposing his actions as the foolishness of one man. Thorfinn, who was not present at the feast, was informed of the incident by the crowd exiting the palace.
He made an effort to follow Askeladd, who had defeated all of the guards who had assaulted him, but he was too late to witness Knut mortally injure Askeladd, who later passed away in his arms. Thorfinn, who was grieving over the loss of his last motivation for living and getting his revenge tries to murder Knut but is only just outmatched. And when Knut, who the crowd has praised as a hero for killing the regicide, takes the throne, Thorfinn is carried from the palace and vanishes into the abyss of history.
Season Two of Vinland Saga soon going to air
The second season of Vinland Saga was formally announced on July 7, 2021, about two years after the conclusion of the first season. This pleased the show’s fanbase. Later, it was revealed that the season will include 24 episodes, much like the first season, and would debut on January 10, 2023.
The season will most likely begin a year and a half after the conclusion of the first season, even though we are not entirely sure how it will be organised. We shall discover a trace of Thorfinn through a particular Einar, an English slave. He was sold as a slave and sold to rich Danish landowner Ketil for attempting to assassinate Knut. The young guy, who is scarcely recognisably him, clears the forest and cultivates the ground on the farm of the latter. He is plagued by dreams from his former life at night, and the labour of his new servile existence makes him sweat throughout the day.
However, we have to wait patiently to see what will happen next in the second season.
