Askeladd of Vinland Saga May Have Just Become One of This Year’s Best Anime Characters

Spoilers for the entire Vinland Saga season thus far including the latest episode “Lone Wolf” To claim that anything in anime this year could constitute “The Best” is a bold claim. We have had an embarrassment of anime riches this year. We all know it’s been a long year and tough to capture everything (let’s not forget that Dororo debuted in January, for example) but it’s been strong consistently each season. But we’ve seen Mob Psycho return, Fruit Baskets, Promised Neverland and Demon Slayer debut, etc, etc. We anime fans, have not been hurting. But Vinland Saga did some different shit. Some kick rocks away from the beaten path type shit. And it’s led to one of the better character arcs in recent memory. Vinland Saga is an oddity for anime because it’s a historical drama about Vikings. I mean, yeah, already, we’re in some new waters. But outside of the unique setting, it is a show without a true protagonist or at least one that lasts for more than a few episodes at least. The show opens with Thors as the obvious protagonist and hero of the show and my gawd, how can we forget this opening.

For four episodes he is the undisputed focal point. A hero that rises above all by the widest of margins. But in true Ned Stark fashion, his sacrifice and death in episode four changes everything. Askeladd, the mercenary tasked with assassinating Thors delivers on what he was contracted to do. We know how these things work right? The stowaway son, who is the reason for his father’s sacrifi…