“It arouses fascination in some people”: Makoto Yukimura Went Against His Own Beliefs to Present ‘Vinland Saga’s’ Violence
- Vinland Saga stands out as one of the best anime portraying a deep and captivating story of pacifism, with Thorfinn’s journey toward peace as its core.
- The Bible’s influence on Vinland Saga inspired Yukimura to explore forgiveness, despite not professing Christian faith, adding layers of complexity to the narrative.
- Yukimura went beyond biblical ethics and morals in crafting Vinland Saga, taking creative liberties to deliver a more powerful and thought-provoking story.
Among the numerous great ones, such as Berserk and Monster, Vinland Saga is often regarded as one of the best new-gen seinen anime series, in recent memory. The series navigates new territory, delivering a captivating story rooted in Vikings and historical fiction.
Animated by Wit Studio for Season 1 and MAPPA for Season 2, Vinland Saga premiered in July, quickly gaining worldwide acclaim. Following Thorfinn’s pursuit of peace in Season 2, Makoto Yukimura received hundreds of accolades for their excellent narrative.
Vinland Saga’s shift from brutal vengeance to the pursuit of peace is nothing short of captivating. Season 2 redefines Thorfinn’s journey, weaving themes of revenge, morality, and redemption in a way that leaves fans in awe. Yukimura recently shared the Bible’s influence on the story and how he broke ethical boundaries to craft a richer, more thought-provoking narrative.
How the Bible shaped Yukimura’s vision for Thorfinn’s path to pacifism in Vinland Saga
Vinland Saga Season 2 takes a different path from Season 1. While the first season focuses on Thorfinn’s thirst for revenge, the second follows his journey toward inner peace.
With Yukimura assuring that the Vinland Saga manga is coming close to its end, fans wait with bated breath for any news regarding Season 3.
As Thorfinn’s pursuit of Vinland goes on, the mangaka will continue enthralling fans with his pacifism journey, which already has received unparalleled acclaim from the fandom.
Thorfinn’s personal journey has significantly touched fans’ hearts, inciting interest about the inspiration that went into such an amazing Viking story.
Notably, in a recent interview with Le Figaro, Yukimura revealed how the influence of the Bible molded the series’ overall theme of forgiveness, even though he doesn’t profess Christian faith himself.
While Vinland Saga has various references to the Bible, Yukimura revealed that his involvement with it was based on “personal interest rather than religious conviction.” He further added:
I found its message of love and forgiveness truly remarkable. I believed that the spread of Christianity at the time may have helped soothe warrior-like tendencies.
While portraying Thorfinn’s character, there was one concept from the Bible that gave Yukimura pause, leaving him with doubts as he developed the narrative.
Thorfinn, initially a warrior bent on vengeance, undergoes deep character development, eventually becoming a pacifist for his dream of a world free from violence. To reach such a goal, he first has to deal with the intricacies and contradictoriness of violence itself.
Through Thorfinn’s character in Season 1, Yukimura depicts the adult theme of bloodshed and war.
vinland saga is a series everyone at one point should give a chance and dive into because it literally has everything you’re looking for in a series when it comes to having great storytelling, amazing character dynamics and world building. pic.twitter.com/OyLtd0Tty3
— dre (@v2TokyoGhost) June 19, 2023
However, as the series unfolds, so does Thorfinn’s character, and by its conclusion, he is a wise, patient young man who has realized his days of violence are in the past.
The theme of violence is masterfully portrayed in Vinland Saga, thanks to Yukimura’s creative vision that goes beyond biblical aesthetics, delivering a deeper and more captivating story to readers.
Yukimura’s Approach: Crafting Vinland Saga beyond Biblical Themes
The message of shifting focus from bloodshed to the pursuit of peace is the main message Yukimura hopes for the audience to take away from his story.
He explained that there’s a stark difference between refusing violence on principle and rejecting it after experiencing it firsthand. For Thorfinn, it was his direct encounter with violence that allowed him to truly grasp the value of peace and forgiveness.
In the interview, Yukimura explains his portrayal of Thorfinn by saying:
In order for Thorfinn to become a pacifist who seeks to solve problems in a non-violent way, he had to be intimately convinced of the merits of his approach.
Yukimura clarified that his idea of violence came from frustration and vengeance, ideas he wanted to depict through Thorfinn’s character, of which Vinland Saga Season 1 is the best example. He shared:
I abhor violence but I cannot deny that it arouses fascination in some people… However, I asked myself how I wanted to show it: stripped of any aesthetic aspect or in its most total crudeness?
Yukimura’s nuanced take on violence deepens Vinland Saga‘s theme of forgiveness, showing Thorfinn’s journey as a challenging yet necessary path amidst harsh realities.
Vinland Saga depicts the brutality of war. However, it stands out with a unique mix of action and introspection as Thorfinn attempts to find peace in a world that celebrates violence.
Vinland Saga is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
