Vinland Saga is a historical anime that features many great and powerful warriors and fighters. The anime is a battlefield in and of itself, with strong men thirsting for each other's blood. From Canute to Thors Snorresson to Canute, here are Vinland Saga's strongest characters ranked!
Studio MAPPA kicked off the year strong with the production of Vinland Saga Season 2.
While the first season is about Thorfinn's vengeance, the second season will be about his character development as he becomes a slave on Ketil's farm.
Spoiler Alert: There are Vinland Saga manga spoilers in this article that go beyond the coverage of Seasons 1 and 2.
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Canute
Canute is a shy and awkward prince who was completely reliant on Ragnar in his early years. He is also not the type of man who enjoys violence or the atrocities committed during the Danish-English war.
When Ragnar was killed by Askeladd, Canute realized what he needed to do not only for himself but also for the rest of the world.
Canute became stern after being crowned King of England and King of Denmark. He also became a very cunning and charismatic king with an excellent sense of judgment.
In fact, Canute's clever schemes allowed him to assassinate and poison his enemies without exposing his name.
Canute eventually practices swordsmanship for self-defense, despite his apparent lack of skill.
Wulf
Wulf, also known as Beady Eyes, is King Canute's chief thegn and battle instructor. Canute holds him in high regard, not only for his combat prowess but also for his superior combat intelligence.
There's not much to say about him, but he definitely has more brains than brawn.
He, like Canute, has an excellent sense of judgment, which he frequently employs against his opponents.
During the battle on Ketil's farm, Wulf, unfortunately, lost his right eye to Thorgil.
Vagn
Despite losing his head in the battle with Garm, Vagn is a skilled fighter deserving of his position as a Jomsviking commander.
Vagn is a pervasive barbarian who doesn't care about anyone but himself. He is a cruel man who can easily swing his hammer and seize any farmer's land in order to satisfy himself and his ambitions.
Vagn uses a large hammer to kill his opponents whenever he is on the battlefield.
Thorkell sees Vagn as no different from the man he despises the most—Floki.
At the end of the day, Vagn wants to get rid of Floki so that he can lay out his plan to create his own independent army out of the remaining Jomsviking forces.
Halfdan
Halfdan is portrayed as a ruthless man who has no mercy for his slaves in the first season of Vinland Saga. He is so ruthless that he wants to reclaim his dying slave from Thor simply to satisfy his pride and ego as a wealthy and powerful landowner and moneylender.
He is also known as the Iron Chain due to his preferred weapon. He is so skilled with the iron chain that he was able to mangle one of his men simply for attempting to disrupt world order and/or the validity of the law.
Halfdan can use the iron chain as if it were a part of his body even after he had aged.
He was not only capable of inflicting head and facial injuries, but he was also capable of quickly disarming his opponents.
Sigurd
Sigurd is listed above Halfdan because he defeated him. However, Sigurd defeating Halfdan in his prime will be a different story.
Nonetheless, Sigurd is a carbon copy of his father, having adopted the same hairstyle.
He eventually decides to cut his hair, making him look like a Fire Emblem character with the coolest haircut that no longer resembles Halfdan's style.
Sigurd has a pleasant personality, but he, like his father, wishes to be feared.
The real story, however, is that his father has been holding him back for a long time. In fact, Halfdan made all his decisions for him.
Fortunately, he was able to break free from his father and live a life of his own.
Bjorn
It's unfortunate that Bjorn died so early in Vinland Saga, but he has become one of the series' most iconic characters due to his devotion and loyalty to his longtime battle companion, Askellad.
Bjorn's trump card is the Berserker mushroom, which he uses to improve his warrior abilities and skills.
He transforms into a ferocious fighting machine after eating one, resembling a monster who can shred his opponents in an instant.
He is so powerful that he can deal with 10 opponents on his own, even without his shield, all while defending Canute!
However, in his berserker state, Bjorn is unable to distinguish between friends and foes, making him a double-edged sword.
Gardar
When Gardar first appeared in the manga, he exuded an intimidating presence that suggested he had been through a lot of terrible things.
True, Gardar lost his wife and son after they were separated during a war. Gardar has only wanted to find them and make amends since then, but fate has other plans.
Gardar, armed with his raging sword, assassinated his former master and fled Carrock's farm. He eventually finds his way to Ketil's residence, where he discovers his beloved wife, Arneis.
Snake, on the other hand, is hot on his tail after he beheaded Lizard.
Unfortunately, Gardar was defeated by Snake.
Thorgil
Thorgil is the battle-hungry older brother of Ormal and Ketil’s oldest son. He is a ruthless warrior who has seen all types of war and conflict, so his kill count is quite high.
In fact, Thorgil can easily dispatch dozens of Vikings. He is a ferocious warrior who slaughtered Canute's guards and blinded Wulf in his right eye with his fingers.
Thorgil, like Thorkell, enjoys a good fight, as evidenced by the battle scars covering his entire body, including his face.
But behind his ruthlessness, Thorkell cares deeply for his family, the farm, and their honor as warriors.
Ymir
Ymir appeared in the manga series for only two chapters, but Floki's giant pet is remembered as one of the strongest characters in Vinland Saga.
He made headlines during the Baltic War arc due to his character's controversial and divisive appearance.
In fact, it is the most immersion-breaking event in Vinland Saga thus far!
Ymir's appearance, in particular, indicates that magic escalation occurred in Vinland Saga, as Floki's pet is based on Norse mythology's maphroditic giant of the same name.
For others, Ymir's appearance is only part of Yukimura's holiday treat for fans, if that makes sense.
Hild
Hild is the only woman on this list who also wields a very iconic crossbow in the series, which caught Thorfinn by surprise.
She was raised by a hunter after losing her family, which explains her keen senses and instincts.
On the contrary, she dislikes killing people because her ways are more akin to those of a hunter than a warrior.
Surprisingly, she was so skilled with the crossbow that she defeated Thorfinn, who has no idea how crossbows work. She also understands how to use the terrain to her advantage in order to fully utilize her lethal weapon.
In case you didn't know, Thorfinn murdered Hild's father, which is why she was on the hunt for him.
Hild eventually forgives Thorfinn after witnessing his change of heart.
Snake
Roald, also known as Snake, is one of the Ketil farm's guards and is said to have worked as a Varangian Guard in the service of Roman Emperors in Constantinople due to his Snakestongue curved blade.
Despite his intimidating presence, he is a very compassionate man with sound judgment.
Snake was able to fulfill his duty as a farm guard not only for Ketil but also for his comrades like Thorfinn, thanks to his sound reasoning and impressive combat prowess.
Ketil's emotions got the best of him when Garder appeared and disrupted the farm's peace, and his irrational strength took over.
For Thorfinn, Snake is more powerful than Askeladd, and his speed can match his own.
Askeladd
While Snake is said to be stronger than Askeladd, the latter is far more cunning and experienced in battle.
He possesses not only combat intelligence but also combat prowess, making him a powerhouse.
Thorfinn believes Snake is faster than Askeladd because he has aged, but if Askeladd were in his prime, the story would be different.
Most importantly, he is the heir to King Arthur, which speaks volumes about his fighting prowess.
When Askeladd met Thors, he was able to withstand and dodge his attacks, which is already considered a remarkable feat.
Nonetheless, Askeladd is a formidable opponent, as evidenced by his battles with the young and eccentric Thorfinn.
Askeladd has dealt with Thorfinn numerous times, with the same results each time.
Despite not going all out in their duels, he keeps winning over Thorfinn.
Garm
Garm is also one of Vinland Saga's most battle-hungry warriors, and he enjoys the thrill of a good fight. He is often referred to as Thorkell's bastard son due to their shared love of combat.
He uses a custom-made spear to kill his opponents in battle. Garm's spear appears to his enemies like a bow and arrow due to his speed and expertise.
He also has knives hidden in his boots, which he can use to murder whomever he pleases.
Moreover, Garm is a death seeker, in the sense that he wants to find a worthy opponent capable of killing him as soon as possible, given his psychopathic tendencies.
He has no remorse for the lives he has taken, believing that killing his enemies is a very fun game.
Thorfinn
Thorfinn, son of Thors, is the main protagonist of Vinland Saga, embarking on a journey of vengeance against his eternal nemesis, Askeladd, at a young age.
Thorfinn created a new path for himself after Thors died. He did not return to Iceland in the hopes of one day defeating Askeladd in a proper one-on-one duel.
Over time, he was able to improve his speed and strength, as well as his swordsmanship skills.
He also evolved into a rogue assassin blinded by rage, capable of eliminating anyone much larger than him by targeting their vital organs.
Thorfinn's skills and abilities, however, were insufficient to subdue Askeladd.
Unfortunately, Askeladd was killed by Canute instead.
Thorfinn has since lost his sense of purpose in life and has been working as a slave on Ketil's farm.
Despite being a skilled murderer and seasoned warrior, Thorfinn vowed never to harm another person again in his life.
Thorkell
Thorkell is said to be the second-most powerful man after Thors Snorresson. His presence is feared by many, and his battle-hungry personality makes him one of the most dangerous opponents on the battlefield.
Even Askeladd gave him the moniker "Thorkell the Invincible" due to his inhuman strength.
It is said that Thorkell can only be killed because of too much peace, rather than being assassinated in battle.
He's the type of guy who can ruin someone's life by inflicting the most agonizing pain on them.
Most of the time, Thorkell swung his weapon, slicing and beheading his friends and foes. He fights with two-handed poleaxes, which he wields with extreme accuracy and sharpness.
He is known as Thorkell the Tall due to his massive build, which makes him one of the strongest Vikings alive in the series.
Furthermore, Thorkell is a very strategic leader, capable of leading his army of 500 men in a year-long cat-and-mouse chase with Askeladd!
Thors Snorresson
Thors Snorresson is the strongest character in Vinland Saga, and he was the only one who could defeat Thorkell in an instant. He is so powerful that he earned the nickname "Troll of Jom" after becoming a commander of the Jomsvikings.
There is no man in Vinland Saga who can match his phenomenal skills and abilities, as well as his remarkable strength and endurance as a warrior.
His mastery of combat did not wane even after he gave up the life of a warrior.
In fact, Thor was able to incapacitate and disable his adversaries, including Bjorn, Askeladd, and his crew.
If Bjorn had not used Thorfinn against Thor, he would have lived to be the series' strongest character to this day.
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