Vinland Saga is one of those titles that simply reminds you of what makes anime great. An amazing plot to say the least and characters, so deep they can literally cut into your soul.

After finishing the first season of Vinland Saga’s anime it did not take long for me to catch up with the manga, and after close to 200 chapters I can’t help but feel nostalgic for the days when Thorfinn was just a wide-eyed child, eager to take on the world and leave his mark on the battlefield.

That was literally a life time ago, since then Thorfinn has been through hell and back, literally and through out that time he has encountered some pretty strong opponents, becoming a pretty formidable warrior in his own right.

That said lets jump right into it, in no particular order, here are Vinland Saga’s strongest characters till date. Spoilers ahead…don’t say I didn’t warn you.

FLOKI

So we’ll start off with Floki. A man of ruthless ambition, Floki has schemed and clawed his way to where he is. Though not as fierce or deadly as the others on this list, Floki has shown himself to be capable with the sword, and he has had to be.

As a commander and later own chieftain of the Jomsvikings it comes as no surprise, then again anyone would be hard-pressed to top the other monstrosities on this list. That said give him his due, he lasted longer than most against Askeladd during his rampage and that alone is a feat in itself.

BJORN

Askeladd’s right hand man, and for good reason too. Loyal and brave Bjorn is certainly one nobody wants to get into a fight with. Already a very capable fighter, when things get tough he’s got this berserker mode that just makes him a walking nightmare. I was personally heartbroken when he died, the fact that Askeladd considered him a true friend says tons about the man.

HILD

The huntress herself! Trust me you don’t want to get caught on her radar, and unfortunately poor Thorfinn is exactly on her radar. Hild is a survivor, after having her father murdered by Thorfinn she was raised by a hunter, who also got murdered by a bear.

Her prodigious skill as an engineer make her a deadly opponent, and her thirst for vengeance against Thorfinn make her yet an even greater threat against him in particular.

In many ways she and Thorfinn are similar and I dare say his relationship with her may help him empathize with Askeladd, he killed her dad because the job demanded it, just like Askeladd killed Thorfinn’s dad and much like Askeladd Thorfinn also spared her.

She then sought revenge just like he did but now helps him on his quest, ready to shove an arrow into his skull should he veer off his path of forgiveness and righteousness. I love Hild, she’s a great character and I can’t wait to see what the story does with her.

THORGIL

This poor oaf knows nothing but war. Thorgil is a warrior through and through and a damn good one. One of Canute’s personal guard, Throgil is the son of the master of Ketils farm, a farm on which Thorfinn served as a slave after his failed attempt to kill Canute.

When Canute resolves to take away Ketils farm and everything his family owns, Thorgil is more than ready to fight and die if he must, when his younger brother and the heir to the family’s fortune decides to surrender and the matter is resolved peacefully the man is visibly shattered.

His whole life he’s lived by might is right and he simply cannot fathom another way. I imagine we haven’t seen the last of him that said he’s definitely one of the deadliest the manga has to offer.

SNAKE

Snake was a guard on Ketil’s farm. A rather laid back fellow he’s still pretty quick on the draw. He is highly devoted to his men and seems to have a checkered past, but beyond that he is a deeply good fellow.

His ability as a fighter are not in question as he was able to hold his own against Thorfinn and during the invasion of Ketil’s farm managed to take down a number of Jomsviking, pretty impressive especially for a former bandit.

GARM

Another friend of Thorfinn’s, man does he know how to pick em. Garm is just…. Garm. Deadly even by Jomviking standards Garm has held his own against the likes of Thorkell and Thorfinn and not just held his own, this guy is a straight up beast ,even Thorkell admitted as much.

As one would expect he’s missing a few screws but can you blame him, the poor chap has been killing since he was a child, despite his ferocious disposition he is still just a kid who wants to be appreciated and have some fun.

ASKELADD

The king himself, damn it Askeladd is the realest of the bunch. In all honesty though when it comes to raw ferocity he may not be able to hold up against many on this list but those wits of his make him one of the deadliest… period!

THORFINN

This list wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t have Thorfinn himself in here. Battle is something he was born to do, despite his growing distaste for it he can still put the beat down on whosoever asks for it and by the looks of things he’s going to be doing that for quite a while.

THORKELL

I love this fellow, he’s a simple man really. He accepts reality as it is and has absolutely no qualms with it, of course someone tailor made for battle like he is is bound to have some……quirks here and there, but bottom line is men flee and armies scatter when they hear the name Thorkell and damn right they should!!!

THORS

oh come now who else was it going to be? I mean even Thorkell couldn’t hold his own against this fellow. The troll of Jom is a bloody legend, the greatest and bravest!

One thing that really struck me is how traumatized all these characters really are, I mean they are deadly, they are strong but the personal demons they each have to contend with are just unimaginable, but that’s what makes Vinland Saga so great.

It echoes the true price of strength and how no one can pay it for very long, in many ways it even redefines it, I can’t wait for the second season of the Anime when we finally get to see a lot of these folks at their finest!