The mighty Viking Thors lives a quiet life with his wife and children. His son, Thorfin, knows nothing of war and violence. But when the village is visited by raiders who wish to bring Thors back into the fold, he leaves with them to keep his family safe. Thorfin stows aboard, eager to fight in battle beside his father. Desperate to keep his son safe and teach him the way of the warrior, Thors is slain in battle. Thorfin swears vengeance on the man who killed his father and becomes part of his crew so that he can earn his retribution.
Vinland Saga debuted in 2019 as an animated series with 24 episodes and is currently releasing season 2, with an additional 24 episodes. The original manga draws heavy inspiration from the legendary Berserk and currently has over 200 chapters. I think it’s a very similar concept to The Northman, which I very much enjoyed. If you liked the violent hack-and-slash nature of that, you will probably enjoy the fluid animation and satisfying character arcs of Vinland Saga. If Northman wasn’t your favorite, I think you’ll find the drama and revenge to be a little more tolerable with more characters and a longer form story.
Vinland Saga is available to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, and Crunchyroll.
