If there’s one thing you can say about Vinland Saga is that its episode titles don’t lie. Titled Pain, Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 20 truly lived up to its title, as it might be one of the show’s most painful to watch.
While Episode 18 may still be arguably harder to watch because of its graphic violence against a defenseless character, this latest episode dials up the pain for viewers, both physically and emotionally.
Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers for Vinland Saga Season 2 in this article.
Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 20 Features a Powerful Season 1 Callback
Despite being called Vinland Saga, the anime up to this point hasn’t really been about Vinland.
In fact, Season 1 only had a couple of references to Vinland, with characters believing it to be just a mythical place. But in Season 2, it has become much clearer now why the series is called Vinland Saga.
That’s because Thorfinn has increasingly referred to Vinland, and from the looks of it, getting there will be his goal in the future.
While he previously talked about Vinland with Einar earlier in the season, Thorfinn recounted his father’s tale about the fertile land that’s free from war and slavery during the episode’s pivotal sequence.
Fans quickly noticed that this scene was a remake of the first season’s Vinland scene, though instead of Thors telling the story, it’s Thorfinn that’s doing it.
Aside from the beautiful way this scene calls back to the past, it is also made much more impactful (and painful) knowing the journey Thorfinn had to go through to get to where he is.
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Arnheid’s Heartbreaking Story Comes to an End
Though perhaps the most painful part of the episode is Arnheid’s death.
After suffering a brutal and horrifying beating from Ketil, Arnheid passed away while Thorfinn, Einar, and company were trying to get her out.
Her death doesn’t exactly come as a surprise given that it has been alluded to in the previous episode. Though that does little to lessen the impact of her death, especially given how much suffering Arnheid went through.
Aside from illustrating the series’ themes of how horrifying the cycle of violence is, this scene was also impactful because of Einar’s reaction.
While he wanted to get revenge on Ketil, Thorfinn stops him, showing how much growth Thorfinn has undergone.
Given Thorfinn’s development, it will be interesting to see how he and Canute will interact if they see each other in the next Vinland Saga episode which releases next week.
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