“He also needed to understand…”: Despite Caring More About Violence, Makoto Yukimura Wanted Vinland Saga’s Thorfinn to be a Peace-Abiding Character
Written by Makoto Yukimura, Vinland Saga is a manga that is enjoyed by the masses for its striking visuals and mature storytelling. Making his debut in 1999, Yukimura created Planetes, a sci-fi series centered around a crew of debris collectors in space and the realistic drama that comes with living in space. The manga and anime were met with high praise from critics and fans, and both the manga and anime adaptation won the Seiun Award for Best Science Fiction Series in 2002 and 2005.
However, Yukimura truly reached new heights as a mangaka with Vinland Saga, which revolves around the protagonist, Thorfinn, and his quest to seek revenge following his father’s brutal death at the hands of Askeladd. Vinland Saga reimagines Thorfinn Karlsefni, the first Viking to form a settlement in North America who sets out to avenge his father’s death but is forced to reevaluate his life and the choices he should make to save humanity.
Thorfinn Was Originally Meant To Be A Peace-Loving Character
In an interview at San Diego Comic-Con with Yukimura, which was also his first U.S. convention appearance, he talked about his experience with Vinland Saga. Despite Thorfinn’s bloodlust, he changed from an action-focused character to a pacifist. Naturally, the interviewer brought up this question, to which Yukimura replied:
“I originally intended for Thorfinn to be a peace-abiding person, but he could not simply be just a peace-loving person. For him to truly understand the meaning of peace, he also needed to understand what it means to be on the side of an offender, the violent side, and somebody who hurts other people. And based on his understanding, he starts to seek peace. And that’s the train of thought and personality of this character.
Another reason that I can name is advice that I received from my previous editor. When I expressed my interest to write a story about a slave, the editor was highly opposed to this idea. Like, “You cannot make the main character a slave. He’s a Viking. You should make him into a fighter and make him fight.” So I said, “Okay.” And that’s one of the things that influenced his personality, as well.“
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When asked how much of the series he had planned out before its publication, Yukimura responded that he already had the framework of the story set in mind. He had already known Thorfinn would go through many experiences before seeking peace. With the main framework in mind, it was easy to craft Thorfinn’s story around it with the support of other characters.
Thorfinn’s Character Development
Throughout the story, viewers have been privy to Thorfinn’s character development from a revenge-hungry boy to an empathetic man. During his time as a slave, he truly began to recover and see life through different lenses. Thorfinn’s journey reflects themes of trauma, identity crisis, morality, and the personal turmoil that comes with having lived a life saturated with brutality and death.
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After Askeladd’s death, Thorfinn seems to have lost his sense of purpose, since he doesn’t know how to live a life without the constant thirst for revenge. It was only with the help of Einar that he managed to find a modicum of humanity within himself and learned the truth behind his father’s words: A true warrior doesn’t need a sword.
Vinland Saga anime adaptation is available to stream on Crunchyroll and the manga can be purchased from Kodansha.
