Vinland Saga is no stranger to the deaths of its characters, considering how violent this historical anime is. Given the anime's level of violence, who dies and who survives in Vinland Saga?
Plot armor, whether for a main or secondary character, does not exist in Makoto Yukimura's manga series, most likely because some of them are real!
Spoiler Alert: This article contains major spoilers about character deaths in Vinland Saga.
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Who Dies and Who Survives in Vinland Saga?
In Vinland Saga Season 1, Thors Snorresson, the father of Thorfinn, dies after Askeladd and Bjorn do him dirty by using Thorfinn’s life against him.
Thors' death was one of the major deaths in the Vinland Saga that paved a vengeful path for Thorfinn at such a young age.
If Thor hadn’t died that day, Thorfinn would be a different person, and going to war would not have occurred to him.
But, before Thors died, the death of Halfdan's runaway slave had a significant impact on Thorfinn and his family.
As the runaway slave sleeps on his deathbed and thinks about Vinland, Thor frees him from Halfdan’s iron chain in exchange for his horde of sheep.
It was a significant death because the runaway slave represents the horrors of slavery, war, and violence that are prevalent throughout the Vinland Saga.
He also represents hope, in the sense that peace and freedom can still be found in a chaotic world.
Moving on, Bjorn's death is valiant, as he died at the hands of his friend, Askeladd.
His pride and honor as a warrior allowed him to challenge Askeladd to a final duel rather than dying as a result of the injury he received from his former comrades.
Furthermore, Prince Canute's father, King Sweyn, was killed by Askeladd.
Understandably, King Sweyn must die in the series to allow Prince Canute to ascend to the throne and gain more power.
However, the manner in which King Sweyn died was not what Prince Canute had anticipated.
Because King Sweyn had insulted Askeladd's origins, the latter did not contemplate beheading him in front of Canute and so many of his warriors.
Following that incident, Askeladd realized he, too, needed to die, but not at the hands of Thorfinn, but at the hands of Canute.
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Does Arnheid Die in Vinland Saga?
Yes, Arnheid died tragically as a result of her injuries. Her story has always been compelling, and it only serves to demonstrate how Arnheid is a hopeless case.
Despite Arnheid's unfortunate history with her spouse, Gardar, she was still a loving and kind soul.
They were once a happy family, but Gardar's greed devastated them, including the life of their son.
While Gardar was apprehended, Arnheid's son was murdered in order to sell her into slavery for a far bigger price.
This is when Ketil appeared and drew Arnheid in. Ketil eventually fell in love with Arnheid, and the latter became his sex slave.
Eventually, Arnheid got pregnant, and she contemplated living with Ketil or rekindling the life she had with Gardar when the latter found her on the farm.
Arnheid chose to come and escape with Gardar, who is now a changed person thanks to Einar and Thorfinn’s help. Gardar, sadly, died as a result of his injuries.
The timing of Arnheid's escape and Prince Canute's desire to invade Ketil's farm is unfortunate since it has placed a significant strain on Ketil's mind.
Ketil had a nervous breakdown after learning about Arnheid's escape attempt.
He discovered her in the stables, where he assaulted Arnheid to the point of death.
In the end, Arnheid died on her deathbed, alongside her unborn child. It was the hardest episode to watch in Vinland Saga!
On the contrary, Ketil survived. He sustained injuries after one of Canute's men attacked him.
However, he recovered and still lived to tell the story of what happened on his farm, but he will also be haunted by Arnheid's death every single day until he takes his last breath.
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Does Thorfinn Die in Vinland Saga?
No, Thorfinn does not die in the Vinland Saga. He is still alive and well in Vinland, along with his family, Einar, Hild, and the rest of the settlers.
Even after so many story arcs, Thorfinn survives in the hopes of finding peace within himself and in Vinland someday.
However, we all know that the horrors of war continue to haunt Thorfinn, not only in his dreams but also in reality.
With how the manga is going, it looks like there will be an all-out war between the settlers and the Lnu tribe if Thorfinn does not do anything to stop it from happening.
Thorfinn, on the other hand, is preparing to leave for Iceland with Einar, Leif, and Bug-eyes by the end of Vinland Saga Season 2, which we expect to conclude in Chapter 99 of the manga.
He has a high level of endurance, which has been proven and tested many times in the series.
In fact, Thorfinn survived a hundred blows from Drott, King Canute's personal guard.
As a result, Thorfinn won the bet against Drott, and he was able to get an audience with King Canute regarding the state of Ketil's farm.
Before setting sail, Snake, Olmar, Pater, and Ketil himself expressed their gratitude to Thorfinn for convincing Canute to withdraw his forces from the farm.
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