The manga series Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura contains a mixture of historical, apocryphal, and invented characters in its cast. The major characters are of Danish descent—Vikings brought to England to assist King Sweyn's invasion of the country. The series is divided into four story arcs focused on Thorfinn, a young viking who wishes to kill his superior Askeladd as revenge for the death of his father, Thors. In following arcs, an older Thorfinn questions his sins and decides to atone for them by finding the land Vinland which he was told as a child where people can live in peace. However, Thorfinn has issues with starting a new life as he encounters people related to his life as a viking who share interests of the young man.
The series was influenced by Makoto Yukimura's thoughts with vikings as they were hailed as heroes despite their violent methods with Thorfinn's development focusing on how to atone for his killings. As the story progresses, Yukimura creates new characters as needed to help the protagonist often using historical figures. Critical response to the cast has been positive for their traits and action scenes.
Creation While the vikings are recognized as heroes, Yukimura wanted to explain the harsh reality that was their era. Because of the harsh violence, the character of Thorfinn was always drawn with a serious expression in the first arc as well as with self-deprecation one in the following where he pitied himself for his sins. As a result, the character of Thorkell is characterized as more comical and thus makes the battles more enjoyable to draw. While Thorfinn's design changes across the manga, Yukimura gave attention to the several cuts in Thorfinn's hands as a result as a sign of always fighting alone. When drawing, Yukimura paid attention to drawing hands as he claims they are more expressive than faces and give a brief explanation of the person's personality. This was influenced by manga author Katsuhiro Otomo.
Yukimura insists that when writing the characters, most of them are who Thorfinn need with Askeladd being a rare exception as he is both Thorfinn's mentor and an enemy at the same time. Their relationship is also meant to look like father and son as during the beginning of the series, Yukimura was planning Askeladd's death and how Thorfinn would react to that. Another complicated relationship involves Einar and Thorfinn as the two cannot help each other due to dark narrative they are involved. Across several things Thorfinn does in the manga, one of them was learning the effects of revenge and how it affects others.
Several characters are based on real life. The historical Leif Eiriksson is one of the most famous Norsemen according to the author. However, Yukimura imagined that he would have had a very weak nature as a warrior so he instead fleshed him out as a strong adventurer. In retrospect, Yukimura found that the series features prominently male characters as the female ones either have few screentime or die. One of the few exceptions is Gudrid due to how she is based on Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir who makes a major impact on Thorfinn's life and the author tries being faithful to such event. Meanwhile, the revengeful hunter Hild was made to remind Thorfinn of his sins as a viking in the same way with how the series starts with Thorfinn wanting revenge on Askeladd.
For the anime adaptation of the series, Wit Studio said there was a strong sense of camaraderie toward an individual, Askeladd, that brought them vikings together. They portrayed Askeladd as being able to take charge because others viewed him as powerful. They were also careful not to depict the supporting characters as overly dependent on their leader, as that would diminish their individual charm. The anime also added new scenes about how Thorfinn turned into one of Askeladd's soldiers rather than just make a time-skip which the manga artist appreciated. The director claimed that for these anime original scenes they also tried to keep Askeladd in-character. He further said that the story about Askeladd's forces was entertaining to see.
Characters Introduced in the first story arc
Thorfinn is a teenage warrior in Askeladd's company, though he hates his commander for slaying his father Thors and has sworn to kill him in a duel. To earn the right to engage in these duels, he must complete difficult feats for Askeladd, such as sabotage or the killing of enemy generals. Thorfinn is a Jomsviking noble through his mother, Helga, and inherited superb physical talents from his father. He does not fight for the love of battle, but is still prone to losing his composure when in combat. This hotheadedness often costs him battles against more experienced opponents. He is loosely based on the historical personage of early Vinland explorer Thorfinn Karlsefni.
Askeladd is the commander of a small but powerful Viking band, which owed its success to Askeladd's exceptional intelligence. Ten years before the main Vinland Saga storyline, Askeladd accepted a contract to assassinate Thors, father of Thorfinn. During the Viking invasion and war in England, he manipulated Thorfinn's desire for revenge against him as a way of keeping the gifted young fighter in his service. Askeladd is one of the most skilled fighters in the series, and is particularly adept at predicting his opponents' moves in combat. He is half-Danish and half-Welsh, the son of a Welsh princess captured by a Viking raider; his mother gave him the name Lucius Artorius Castus, the legitimate king of Britain, but he received the nickname Askeladd (covered in ash) as a boy while working for a blacksmith. He believes in the legend of Avalon, which inspired him to support Prince Canute's bid for kingship of the Danes. He ultimately sacrifices himself assassinating King Sweyn in order to install Canute as the Danish King and to ensure the safety of Wales from Denmark. Askeladd shares the name of Askeladden, a Norwegian folk character known for his cleverness. His backstory is based on the early life of Olaf the Peacock, an Icelandic chieftain and major character of Laxdæla saga.
Bjorn is Askeladd's second in command, a burly man who fights for the love of combat. He is a berserker, able to enter powerful rages through the consumption of certain mushrooms. Bjorn was gravely wounded in Gainsborough by Atli, who stabbed him in the gut while he was protecting Prince Canute; with his remaining time, he challenged Askeladd in a duel. During the duel, Bjorn revealed that he always wanted to be Askeladd's friend, and Askeladd replied that he was his only friend, before dealing the final blow. Bjørn is Danish, Norwegian and Swedish for "bear", a given name commonly associated with Vikings.
Canute is the 17-year-old prince of the Danes. He is initially portrayed as timid and womanly, and unable to function without his retainer Ragnar. These traits, along with his strong Christianity, earn him the mockery of the Vikings with whom he works. After Ragnar's death, however, he has a sharp reversal of personality, becomes strong and kingly, and develops an ambition to create utopia on Earth before God's return. Towards this end, he plots to overthrow his father Sweyn Forkbeard and take the crown of the Danes. Canute is based on the historical King Canute the Great, the most prominent Danish ruler of England.
Thorkell is a Jomsviking general, brother of the Jomsviking Chief, uncle-in-law of Thors and grand uncle of Thorfinn. A giant man who loves combat, he defects from the Danish army to become a mercenary for the English, believing that fighting his fellow Vikings will give him a better challenge. This same love of war leads him to support Prince Canute's bid for kingship of the Danes. He remains under Canute once he becomes king. Before the defection of Thors, Thorkell worked with and highly respected the man, resulting in a fondness for his son Thorfinn. He duels twice with Thorfinn and dominates each time, though he loses two fingers in the first duel and an eye in the second. In battle, Thorkell typically wields a pair of axes as his primary weapons, but his greatest asset is probably his vast physical strength. Due to his colossal power, Thorkell is considered the strongest viking and warrior in the series, with one character believing that 4000 men aren't enough to stop Thorkell. He fights with a band of vikings who share his love for war. Thorkell's character is based on Thorkell the Tall, a historical Jomsviking lord who is a mentor to Canute in the Flateyjarbók.
Asgeir is Thorkell's first lieutenant and closest advisor.
Leif is a cheerful old man from Greenland. A sailor, he claims to have traveled to a distant western land called Vinland. When Thorfinn joins Askeladd's band and is assumed dead by the other Icelanders, Leif does not give up hope and devotes his life to finding him. He successfully locates him on a few occasions and eventually brings him back home, later agreeing to sponsor Thorfinn's trip to Vinland. He is based on the historical Leif Erikson.
Sweyn is Canute's father and the Danish king at the beginning of the series. Eventually revealed to be the main antagonist of the War Arc, he managed to conquer almost the entirety of England and Denmark, all the while keeping control of his more northern kingdoms. His wit, ferocity, ruthlessness and battle tactics kept everything under water-tight control. He tries to have Canute killed, believing him weak, in order to have his elder son Harald succeed him, but Canute's alliance with Askeladd proves to be his downfall and his son's ascent to the throne. He is eventually publicly beheaded by Askeladd, who sought to stop him from invading Wales. He is based on the historical Sweyn Forkbeard.
Floki is a Jomsviking commander one of the principal Viking commanders under Sweyn during the invasion of England and subsequently under Canute. He is the one who hired Askeladd to have Thors killed and helps Canute rise to the throne. Floki is entirely self-serving, willing to kiss up to anyone if it means more power to him, and long held a grudge against Thors because he felt that Thors looked down on him, hence why he had him killed.
Ragnar is Canute's chief retainer, having served him since he was a small boy. He also functioned as a foster father and guardian after Sweyn appointed him.
Gunnar is Ragnar's brother, who is a politician. After Ragnar's death, he serves as an adviser to King Canute.
Willibald is a cynical friar who joins Askeladd on his journey with Canute, and later awakens the latter.
The Ear is one of Askeladd's scouts with a fantastic sense of hearing.
Atli is one of Askeladd's mercenaries, who would eventually lead a rebellion against him with his brother Torgrim, during Thorkell's assault.
Torgrim is one of Askeladd's mercenaries, who would eventually lead a rebellion against him with his brother Atli, during Thorkell's assault.
The father of Thorfinn, Thors is a Jomsviking general whose phenomenal combat prowess earns him the epithet "The Troll of Jom". Thors grows weary of battle after the birth of his children, fakes his own death at the Battle of Hjörungavágr, and retires to become a pacifist farmer after moving his family away in secret. The Jomsvikings later discover that Thors is alive and force him to return to the battlefield. Before he can arrive at the theater of war he is betrayed by a former comrade, Floki, who hires Askeladd to assassinate him. Thors is largely considered the greatest fighter to appear in the series until his death, having defeated Askeladd in single combat, and being the only man in the world who was stronger than Thorkell back when they were young. Such was his strength that Floki was unwilling to engage him directly, even with an entire squadron of Jomsviking warriors.
Helga is Thors' wife and the mother of Thorfinn and Ylva.