Vinland Saga is one of the most compelling storylines in Seinen, filled with positivity, virtues, and methods to live your life to the fullest. The series promotes peace over violence and as a viewer, it takes you on a journey of self-trust and ways to overcome hardships, learn how to forgive, and live a good life filled with no regrets.
However, to make the story more entertaining, you need characters such as Thorkell, who are contradictory to what the series portrays. Thorkell is a violent maniac who loves to fight over anything else. However, despite this, he is a massive fan-favorite due to his childlike personality, which has made him somewhat relatable to the audience.
In 2023, when Makoto Yukimara made an appearance at San Diego Comic-Con, he disclosed the thought process behind Thorkell’s creation in an interview with Anime News Network, where he revealed that he hates bad guys like Thorkell. He did not want to be too harsh on him, so he added a childlike personality
The motive behind Thorkell was to make him an aggressive yet enjoyable character in Vinland Saga
Vinland Saga is one of the stories that will alter your personality and how you view the world forever. The series is full of well-crafted characters, has an intriguing storyline, and teaches things that most of us need in our day-to-day lives.
However, despite being so well crafted, it has failed to get the attention it deserves even after 19 years of publication. The manga began in 2005 and is still ongoing, depicting the journey of Thorfin, who goes from a child filled with the desire to revenge his father to become a man who wants to help others.
In Makoto Yukimura’s magnum opus, many characters transition from evil entities to good human beings; however, some individuals never change, with one of the leading faces being Thorkell.
Thorkell is one of the strongest characters in the series, with many even believing him to be on par with Thor. He is an airhead who wants to battle strong people and wants to have a good time.
However, due to his childlike persona, fans couldn’t bring themselves to hate him, and his mischievous acts made him a renowned face among the masses. We got more insights about him at San Diego Comic-Con 2023, where the author of the series made an appearance.
Makoto Yukimara explained that the thought process behind Thorkell was divided into two segments: creating a guy who goes against his virtues and someone who he doesn’t like. However, he felt it would be too harsh on Thorkell; therefore, he added a childlike personality. He said in an interview with ANN:
There are two main reasons that the character Thorkell has been born. The main reason is that I hate violence. To write a violent character, I tend to write him off as a bad guy. Though, part of me thinks that is not fair.
To maintain the balance, I created a lovable violent character like Thorkell. Another reason Thorkell represents a childlike person is that I have this sense that a violent person is ultimately a child. I want to express how childish they are for being violent, even if they are a powerful ruler of a country or somebody who thinks with analytical/tactical thinking.
The decision proved good as fans accepted Thorkell and his importance in Thorfinn’s journey.
When will the Vinland Saga end?
Vinland Saga is a story that one would never wish to end, given the numerous amazing aspects it possesses. However, the time we say goodbye to this masterpiece may be a little bit away. Currently, the franchise is in its last arc.
Chapter 209: Thousand-Year Voyage Part 18 is the latest chapter of the Vinland Saga and to wrap up the story without rushing, it might take him a few more chapters than he initially expected. The series is published monthly and numerous times it takes a few months to get a single chapter.
After working on a series such as Vinland Saga for 19 years, it’s extremely unlikely that the author would end the series without giving a satisfying end to the readers who have been with Thorfinn since the start.
With the current pacing of the story, it might take a few years before we see Thorfin reach his goal.
You can watch Vinland Saga on Crunchyroll.
