Vinland Saga Season 1 is one of those anime that tricks you at first, then you start thinking you’re about to watch a very normal action show with Vikings shouting, swinging swords, and flexing muscles, but before you know it, the story has you by the neck emotionally, so Vinland saga, Is not just just war and shouting, it involves pain, purpose, growth, and the kind of life lessons you don’t ask for but suddenly find yourself absorbing.
Here season 1 follows Thorfinn, a boy who starts off innocent and full of wonder until everything scatters, His father, Thors, is killed right in front of him by a group of mercenaries led by Askeladd, one of the most complex villains you will ever meet, from there on, Thorfinn’s whole life becomes centered around one thing - revenge, the boy grows up on pure anger, following Askeladd’s group around like a shadow just so he can challenge him to duels and win one day, It is painful, because you see a child losing every good piece of himself while chasing a man he can’t even defeat.
But what makes Season 1 powerful isn’t just Thorfinn’s rage, it’s the relationship between him and Askeladd, It’s toxic, twisted, and strangely fascinating, Askeladd manipulates him, teaches him, mocks him…the man is both mentor and enemy, and it’s actually confusing in the best storytelling way, Askeladd steals the show, honestly, every time he appears, he carries the scene with his cunning mind, smooth talk, and unpredictable decisions.
So the action in Season 1 is sharp and intense, proper Viking chaos, but the beauty lies in the emotional undercurrent, you see how war destroys people from the inside out, how revenge changes someone until they can’t recognize themselves, every character is shaped by loss, ambition, pride, or survival.
And then there’s Thors, Thorfinn’s father, who becomes the moral compass of the entire series, Even after his death, his words echo through the story, “A true warrior needs no sword.” At first, you think, “Bro, how can a Viking survive without a sword?” but as the season unfolds, you start understanding what he meant, strength isn’t only about killing, and courage isn’t only about violence.
By the final episodes, the whole story flips in a way you don’t see coming, That ending? It hits hard, The betrayal, the chaos, the shift in Thorfinn’s purpose, everything comes crashing down in a way that sets up Season 2 perfectly, though I haven't seen that one, I will try see it one of these days.
Season 1 is many things, yes—a revenge story, a historical epic, a character study, and a quiet reminder that hatred is a prison, It gives you blood and battle, but also grief, complexity, and moments that sit with you long after.
Yeah so, Vinland Saga Season 1 isn’t just a Viking anime — it is a story about what anger does to a person, and how sometimes the real war is happening inside someone long before a sword is drawn, So I'm Rating this Season one 8/10.
Images gotten from IMDB
Aikay👾