Vinland Sagais acclaimed for its stark portrayal of the Viking era, a time rampant with brutal conquests and moral quandaries. Within its narrative lie characters whose complexities embody the era’s grim reality, each leaving a dark imprint. From the vengeful Hild to the power-hungry Canute and the enigmatic Askeladd, whose cunning schemes often result in bloodshed.
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These figures bring to life the shades of gray that color human nature. Whether driven by revenge or loyalty that leads to violent outcomes, each character encapsulates a facet of darkness, challenging the reader’s perceptions of right, wrong, and the burdens of those in the Viking world.
Vinland Saga
Power Hungry
Sigurd’s Dark Characteristics:
Sigurd is not one of the darkest characters, but his actions cast shades of gray on his persona. He is introduced as the son of Halfdan, a wealthy and powerful chieftain. Sigurd’s character is marked by his pettiness and jealousy, particularly in how he handles the situation with the widow, Gudrid.
Sigurd wants to marry her against her will through an arranged marriage, showcasing a selfish and oppressive side. This desire leads him to clash with Thorfinn. His actions are driven by greed and a sense of entitlement, reflecting the darker nuances of human nature when influenced by societal and familial pressures.
Skilled Hunter
Hild’s Dark Characteristics:
Hild is a character whose darkness is rooted in her thirst for vengeance. Her family was killed by Thorfinn during his days as a ruthless warrior, and she barely survived, with a scar from the attack. Hild’s life becomes consumed by the singular goal of avenging her family’s death.
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Hild is skilled in using the bow and lives in isolation, crafting intricate traps and honing her survival skills. When she encounters Thorfinn years later, she aims to kill him but is taken aback by his transformation into a pacifist. She agrees to travel with Thorfinn, but with a crossbow aimed at his back, should he ever return to his violent ways.
Wealthy Landowner
Halfdan’s Dark Characteristics:
Halfdan is a character who embodies the dark aspects of authority and the unforgiving nature of Norse society. He is introduced as a wealthy landowner with a stern demeanor, asserting his power through a rigid enforcement of debt repayment. This is demonstrated when he tracks down the runaway slave, Einar, whom he branded as his property.
Halfdan’s adherence to the law of the land, which is brutal by modern standards, reflects the dark reality of the times. He is not cruel for the sake of cruelty, but his actions, such as forcefully reclaiming those in debt and employing harsh punishment, make him a dark figure.
Fights For Amusement
Garm’s Dark Characteristics:
Garm is introduced as a ferocious and skilled warrior who thrives on the excitement of battle. His darkness stems from his extreme love for combat and his propensity to incite violence. He views fighting as a game or a sport, showing a disturbing lack of concern for the sanctity of life.
This characterization is vividly displayed during his encounters with Thorfinn. He relentlessly pursues fights with Thorfinn, one of the most skilled warriors he knows of, solely for fun. Garm’s insistence on combat endangers not just his own life but also the lives of bystanders and Thorfinn, who has been striving to leave his violent past behind.
Skilled Warrior
Thorfinn’s Dark Characteristics:
Thorfinn, initially driven by vengeance for his father Thors’s death, personifies thedarkness of a lifeconsumed by revenge. His transformation into a dark character begins when he witnesses his father’s death at the hands of Askeladd, which propels him to become a relentless warrior.
Living only to avenge Thors, he grows into a cold, taciturn figure who partakes in numerous battles and raids without joy or satisfaction simply to earn duels with Askeladd. His skills as a warrior are tinged with this singular dark obsession, as he frequently engages in violence and killing, showing no remorse or hesitation in his quest for revenge.
King Of England And Denmark
Canute’s Dark Characteristics:
Canute is based on the historical figure King Canute the Great, who ruled over England, Denmark, and Norway during the North Sea Empire in the early 11th century. Canute starts as a delicate andpacifistic characterbut undergoes a profound transformation into a dark character driven by the need to seize power and reform his kingdom.
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This shift occurs after the death of Ragnar, his caretaker, which propels Canute towards ruthlessness. Embracing a colder, more calculating demeanor, Canute engineers the murder of his father, King Sweyn, to ascend the throne. His once gentle nature is replaced with a vision of creating a paradise through absolute rule.
Ex-Jomsviking Commander
Floki’s Dark Characteristics:
Floki is a high-ranking member of the Jomsvikings, a group known for their martial prowess and mercenary activities in the Viking age. His darkness manifests in his political machinations and lack of honor, evidenced when he conspires to have Thors, a former legendary warrior turned pacifist, assassinated to prevent a threat to his power.
Floki employs Askeladd to carry out the dirty work, showing a willingness to betray former comrades and a disregard for the warrior code. He is cold, calculating, and driven by a lust for power and control within the Jomsviking order, making him one of the darker political players in Vinland Saga.
Second-In-Command To Askeladd
Bjorn’s Dark Characteristics:
Bjorn is a Viking warrior and the second-in-command to Askeladd. His dark nature is less about personal ambition and more about his willingness to engage in violence and follow Askeladd’s orders without question, participating in raids, battles, and schemes that result in the suffering and death of Viking groups and English soldiers.
Bjorn’s use of theberserker mushroomsto fuel his combat rage also showcases the dark extremes he goes to be an effective and fearsome warrior. His berserker state is marked by uncontrollable violence. Bjorn’s loyalty is so unwavering that he even accepts the leader’s decision to kill him when he’s gravely wounded, a request that Askeladd fulfills.
Strongest Viking
Thorkell’s Dark Characteristics:
Thorkell, commonly known as Thorkell the Tall, was a Jomsviking Commander and one of the mightiest warriors. He embodies darkness through his insatiable lust for battle and disregard for human life. As a towering figure, he relishes war, evident in his betrayal of the Danes to fight the stronger English, seeking the joy of a greater challenge.
His brutal dismemberment of foes, swinging his massive axes with a smile, terrifies friend and foe alike. Thorkell’s joy in combat is showcased when he maims his nephew, Thorfinn, in a duel, almost gleefully severing the young warrior’s fingers and reveling in the violence.
Viking Leader
Askeladd’s Dark Characteristics:
Askeladd is one of the main antagonists in the Vinland Saga. His darkness stems from his ruthless pragmatism and cunning, exemplified when he murders Thors, a man seeking peace, to maintain his mercenary band’s reputation. He later manipulates Thors' son, Thorfinn, thirst for vengeance, promising duels never meant to be fair.
His political ambitions drove him to shape Prince Canute into a formidable ruler, orchestrating a coup against Canute’s father, King Sweyn, for greater influence. Askeladd’s strategic sacrifice of his men in battle against the English to gain an advantage and his fatal duel with his loyal follower, Bjorn, further underscore his cold-blooded nature.
