From all the seasonal anime and shows I've watched in 2023, nothing and I mean nothing compares to Vinland Saga season 2 for me. It may be recency bias talking here but I don't care, this series is perfect to me and I stand by that.
quick disclaimer: In all honesty, I intended to write a review on the season as a whole but as I was writing this up, it kinda just turned into a conversation about Thorfinn's character development and what it means to be a true warrior. So if you were expecting a proper review.... my bad?
In the beginning of the season, Thorfinn was a shell of person devoid of purpose after Askeladd's death. Ever since Thors was murdered by Askeladd, Thorfinn's entire purpose has been to kill Askeladd in a duel. It has been his only objective since he was six years old. Now that the main motivator for why he continued to live was gone, an important question arose: what does he live for now?
Episode 9 really challenged Thorfinn's understanding and perspective of life as he was forced to confront his past actions. This was masterfully shown in a scene where we see all of his victims are physically pulling him down, symbolising the weight of his sins.
I really liked episode 9 in particular because it was a significant turning point in his development and allowed for him to begin his healing process as he vowed to atone for what he'd done. Although he had questioned if there was even a possibility for someone like himself to truly change, he was already changing but it was just a matter of him realising that change for himself.
Thorfinn's growth is perfectly demonstrated in episode 23, when he negotiates with Canute and his men about the future of Ketil's farm. He keeps to his promise to never harm another person and avoids violence at all costs, even when it meant that he'd get hurt in the process. Just when the negotiation seems to be going nowhere, he tells Canute that if he intends to follow through with his plan to forcefully take the farm, he'll run which surprises Canute.
Vinland Saga season 2 constantly questioned Nordic ideas of what it means to be a true warrior. In Vinland Saga, the value of men is measured by their skill in battle and the number of people they kill. Therefore, it's no surprise when a character like Olmar is introduced wanting to prove himself in battle rather than work in the farm like his father. It his belief that killing another man is a right of passage and it is what will determine his worth as a man. However, after he killed a man for the first time in a duel, he begins to question whether the violence he was taught to appreciate is even a good thing to begin with. In episode 21, we get to see Olmar confess his true opinions on the matter as he has to make a decision on whether his men should continue fighting against Canute. He acknowledges the mistakes that he's made which led them to their current situation and decides to surrender. He even confesses that he's scared of the violence and seeing people die.
It really is beautiful to witness, especially because I initially judged him to be just another arrogant character with not much to show for himself. But seeing him change and even aspiring to be the type of man Thorfinn is by the end of episode 23, made me really like him as a character. We even get to see him become the man he wanted to be at the end of episode 23.
Vinland Saga season 2 was truly incredible and one of this season's greatest strengths was definitely in its writing. Watching Thorfinn become a true warrior and a better man was actually really inspiring and hopefully we'll be able to see him fulfill his goal in season 3.