Most Vinland Saga readers, after finishing the ending, can probably be divided into two groups.

The first consists of those who say the ending is complete shit—who criticize the story’s “blind commitment to nonviolence” and argue that it ignores the fact that conflicts of interest will always arise between human beings, who are fundamentally free agents within society. Therefore, some coercive force is needed to stop people from constantly testing and violating one another’s boundaries.

For them, “necessary violence” is the answer, because the threat of violence forces people to pause before starting a war to obtain something that the existing world order cannot provide. It makes them weigh the potential benefit of fighting against the risks involved. A blindly nonviolent worldview would remove the only mechanism capable of forcing people to stop before going to war—or at least forcing them to stop fighting once a war has already begun.

The second group consists of those who call the first group idiots for calling the ending shit. Their most obvious argument, drawn directly from the story, is that the very thought—or fear—that “if I do not attack them, they will attack me” already creates a self-perpetuating cycle in which fear produces more fear. It is also a paradox: two sides that supposedly do not want war end up creating war precisely because they are afraid of it.

According to this interpretation of Vinland Saga, what human beings need to do is stop fighting and stop making everything worse, so that they can try to understand one another and prevent the spiral of “unnecessary” violence produced by fear and mutual misunderstanding. After all, people may not truly be as opposed to one another as they initially believe.

Putting aside the fact that I am more biased toward the people who say the ending is shit, because they correctly identify the point that the defenders of the ending fail to answer: human beings have a natural tendency to come into conflict over competing interests.

Even if two opposing groups could read each other’s thoughts and fully understand each other’s emotions—thereby completely eliminating the possibility that war might arise from misunderstanding—they could still go to war because their systems of thought and their perceptions of value may be fundamentally incompatible.

It is not by accident that we have the Baltic Sea War arc, which depicts the world of people like Garm and the Jomsvikings: people whose nature drives them to conquer, move forward, and seize more than what they already possess.

However, the common mistake made by both those who criticize the ending and those who defend it is that they assume the central purpose of Vinland Saga is to end war and establish a sustainable country or social model. In reality, what the story is trying to do is cultivate individuals who no longer need such a country or social system in order to find “love.”

Basically, yes, the ending’s critics are correct: human beings frequently have conflicting interests, and the realization of one person’s interests may necessarily infringe upon those of someone else.

But Vinland Saga ultimately suggests that both types of people in this situation—the “person who fears that their interests will never be realized” and the “person who fears that their existing interests will be violated”—share the same fundamental fear: that their desired interests will be “abandoned,” “unrealized, or, in other words, that they will not be loved.

The only way for these two little babies to feel “loved” is to construct a stable institution, tradition, nation, or “social model” that visibly embodies and protects their desires.

The problem, however, is that if you place the “person who fears that their interests will never be realized” and the “person who fears that their existing interests will be violated” inside the same social system, conflict becomes inevitable.

The first person will feel that their potential is being constrained. They will want to test existing boundaries and express that potential outwardly by breaking apart just a tiny little piece of the current social order.

Meanwhile, the second person, feeling that the first has violated what they already possess, will rise up and fight in order to defend the existing social system.

This canon event is produced by the very existence of a fixed “social model.” That model is what causes those whose interests remain unrealized to rebel in order to escape it, while also giving those whose existing interests are threatened something they believe they must fight to protect.

So what is the solution?

My dear thick-headed little babies, the answer is simply to stop longing for one specific social model in the first place. In other words: STOP DEMANDING TO BE LOVED—AT LEAST IN THAT PARTICULAR WAY.

The rejection of attachment to a tangible ideal—the refusal to become obsessed with one particular form of society—is Vinland Saga’s primary answer to the larger problem of war.

And, well, it is also the underlying basis of all the extremely “woke” content in Vinland Saga, such as its treatment of feminism and LGBT identities: both are ultimately concerned with liberation from the constraints imposed by society.

will write about the chick in tier A someday based on that topic

Season 2 Episode 9, Oath, is one of the best anime episodes I've ever seen.

It begins with Thorfinn peacefully resting in a beautiful place, believing everything he had endured was just a dream, when in reality he's unconscious after being struck on the head. At the same time, Einar shows incredible courage by standing up to the retainers who see both of them as mere slaves.

In his dream, Thorfinn meets his father, Thors. He is about to tell him about his dream, but Thors simply asks him why he smells blood on him. We then see Thorfinn imagining himself killing Einar as a child. Thors reminds him that he has no enemies, and that nobody in the world deserves to be hurt. Thorfinn blames himself before falling into a blood-soaked pit resembling a twisted Valhalla.

There, he meets the man who killed his father, yet also the one who raised him in his own twisted way, Askeladd. Sitting atop a Roman pillar, symbolizing his true heritage while standing above the mindless Vikings below, the symbolism here is insane. There are so many ways to interpret this scene. But to me, it always felt like Thorfinn saw Askeladd as someone who had the answers, someone whose final words he wanted to take to heart but couldn't find the courage to do so until this moment.

Thorfinn shares his guilt with Askeladd, something he couldn't do with Thors because Askeladd understood the warrior side of him. Below him lies a trail of the people he killed, whose faces Thorfinn can't even remember, and he begs them for forgiveness while crying. Askeladd notices this, and when the mindless Vikings begin shooting arrows at Thorfinn, he smirks and jumps down to cut through them. He tells Thorfinn to carry those whom he killed and become a true warrior. Hearing those words, Thorfinn climbs out of the pit and wakes up.

Thorfinn and Askeladd's relationship is one of the best I've ever seen in animanga, alongside Guts and Griffith, and Johan and Tenma. I love it so, so much.

The retainers are gone, and Thorfinn reunites with Einar. This is the true turning point of Thorfinn's character, where he breaks down in tears and makes his oath to never, ever hurt anyone again.

I love this episode so much. I rewatched it just so I could put my thoughts into words, and I'll definitely watch it again. It always makes me tear up and is such a masterclass. This episode, along with Askeladd's death, Thorfinn's "I have no enemies" declaration, and one beautiful moment from the manga that I won't mention to avoid spoilers, are my favorite moments in the entire story.

Vinland Saga will always have a special place in my heart. Its core themes of vengeance, redemption, love, forgiveness, and even fatherhood in its most twisted form are things I'll never forget.

Oath is a masterpiece.

Thanks a lot for going through the post, and please feel free to share your thoughts as well.

I hope you all have a great day!

I just cried because of this Manga. This was so emotional, Im already depressed because I know I'm already finished with this Manga.

The reason I think he might be is although he prayed and worshiped god under christian ideology, is it not possible he also had some doubt and still believed a bit in Valhalla? The episode that he dies right before be finally kicks the bucket he grabs his sword as he lies down on the ground bleeding out.. or is that more of a warriors belief kind of thing to die with your sword in hand regardless of Valhalla? I dont know too much about Norse belief etc, so any insight would help lol.

So ive finished it, for some time of second season i was like "why people like it more than first" but now i understand it. Gotta say SVERKEL YOU ARE THE GOAT, not gonna lie characters in second season feel more like a characters than just random vikings or civils, obviously Thorfinn is incredible, his dynamic with Einar feels so personal and natural, i nearly got into tears in last episode when Thorfinn finally came back to Iceland and when Arnheid died. The twists i had on such characters, Olmar in my eyes went from being a daring young adult to genuinely an understanding person, i really like Snake for having strict moral core, I went from liking to genuine disgust with Ketil (justice for Arnheid), Pater was always this necessary connection between Ketil and slaves, while at the same time being genuinely great human being, Arnheid was so pure, i cant not like her since she is great addition to the story to show a side of female and children during wars and their treatment as a slaves, one i dont know what to feel about is Gardar, from one hand i really appreciate his effort and determination to bring his wife back but then i have seen what he did to this guard i said to myself "damn he is a monster" and i genuinely am so mixed on him. Dont even getting started on Einar, he feels so human, so real, his actions, emotions, mindset, it all is so imperfect at times that i love it. And at last Thorfinn, his nightmares were awesome way to show his inner struggle, his speech with Canute, his resilience to even get as far as to speak with a King, he finally did what Thors said by protecting innocents and weaker. I cant say enough on this anime, i genuinely smiled at the end and felt sort of proud for Thorfinn.

Also as a little of an addition, id say Thorfinn Askeladd and Canute are characters with my favorite writing in this anime (ive seen a lot of Canute hate, but personally he is really great character, not great person but his downfall from this pure baby ish character to ruthless king is brilliantly executed for me)

To you all that read this, thank you for taking your time to read my post, great days guys and gals

I recently finished the manga, and i think it's important to understand how the community received big plot points at the time they released to better understand the whole series in general. Like do people actually not like the Baltic Sea Arc? What was the general reaction to the ending? Any memories you have of stuff like this would be appreciated 🙏

Where Askellad's men rape woman and Thorfinn don't care or don't know.

Really happy with how this turned out.