A Viking Tale of Redemption and Rebirth—Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura 

“As long as manga is entertainment, I recognize that it is the creator’s job to make something that readers truly want, and can enjoy. A triumphant hero who’s super cool in battle—I understand that that’s what the audience desires. 

However, I racked my brain over whether or not I could create a hero that’s even more awesome than the aforementioned battle-ready protagonist. Then I realized that it’s also my job as a creator to try really hard to make this kind of hero. I know this is a bit self-serving, but I secretly hope that you will be sympathetic and read Vinland Saga as partially an experiment in achieving that… Well, if I write that here, then it’s not very secret, is it? (Laughs.)

I am illustrating a hero who I believe is awesome, from the bottom of my heart. Perhaps it is unbecoming of an entertainer to be so selfish, but if my readers can embrace this—well, nothing would make me happier. I’ll work hard to be worthy of your continued support.” —Makoto Yukimura in an interview with Kodansha published at the end of Vinland Saga volume 9.

Winner of the 13th Japan Media Arts Festival’s Grand Prize in 2009 and the 36th Kodansha Manga Award for Best General Manga in 2012, Vinland Saga is a critically acclaimed historical fiction epic. Vinland Saga succeeds precisely because of Yukimura’s self-proclaimed selfishness in writing a protagonist who learns the hard way that the thrill of action which makes an exciting story is not necessarily what makes a true hero.

From Viking to Real Warrior

Makoto Yukimura’s Vinland Saga tells the reimagined tale of Thorfinn Karlsefni, the Icelandic explorer who led an early settlement of Vinland, on the North American continent. Set during the time of the Viking invasions of Britain, Thorfinn’s story begins in the middle of the action, amid the pillaging and proud violence of the Vikings. 

When Thorfinn’s father is killed before his eyes by a Viking leader named Askeladd, it becomes his life’s purpose to avenge his father by defeating his killer in a duel. From the age of six into his teenage years, Thorfinn trains within Askeladd’s crew, becoming a master assassin, waiting for the chance to best his own captain. He takes part in the assault on England, eventually being assigned to protect Danish royalty as the Vikings gain control of Britain.

But after all those years of anger, committing countless murders to bring him closer to his goal of retribution, what does Thorfinn have to show for it? An ever-evolving story, Yukimura brings readers through the classic action-packed revenge tale, and then throws it all into question to ask: is revenge really worth it? 

As the Japan Media Arts Festival award committee explained, “One of the great skills of the author is to portray the various characters very attractively. While presenting the world of bloody combat, the author also excels in conveying to readers human love and the value of life.”

The Saga of Vinland Saga’s creation

“When I started this series, I already had this roadmap in my mind that the main character in the story begins [with] violent battle scenes and violence. However, this protagonist continues to grow into someone who seeks peace. This was something that was on my mind since I started the series. As you may see in entertainment formats, there are many stories about a main character who seeks vengeance against a bad figure in the story. However, I was interested in writing a story about what happens [to] people after the bad guy has been defeated. Therefore, my story formed to be what it became,” Yukimura said in an interview with Gizmodo’s io9 on the occasion of the publication of the series’ final volume.

Vinland Saga began in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine in 2005 before moving over to Afternoon later that year. After 20 years of serialization, the story finally concluded in July 2025, and the collected volumes have sold over 7 million copies worldwide. An acclaimed anime adaptation began in 2019, gaining particular popularity in the West, where a line from Thorfinn’s father and repeated by Thorfinn himself—“I have no enemies”—has become a meme.

In his interview with Gizmodo, Yukimura acknowledges that choosing to slow down the story from its action-packed beginning to a softer and more reflective pace could have lost him some readers. “Many manga artists try to keep the attention of the readers by having many battle scenes [and] inflations of powers. That is usually the driving force behind keeping people reading. But is it really right to make Thorfinn stop for a minute, have a moment of pause, and self-reflection? I had no idea. I was willing to take that risk, though. To write that story.” 

The epic that resulted remains true to its name. Vinland Saga was always a story about reaching something, be it a land of greener pastures or a space beyond the typical expectations of what a manga could and should be.