Warning: SPOILERS for Episode #1 of Vinland Saga Season 2.
Season 2 of Vinland Saga has made its debut on Crunchyroll, presenting a much different view of the world compared to the previous season of the successful anime. The Vikings are now portrayed as brutal pillagers and, more importantly, slavers, as the first episode follows a new protagonist, Einar, a young Englishman who becomes a slave of the Vikings after his family is butchered in front of his eyes.
Vinland Saga is the popular anime adaptation of the manga created by Makoto Yukimura. The first season, produced by WIT STUDIO (known for its work on Attack on Titan), earned overwhelmingly positive reviews. It follows the story of Thorfinn, a young Viking warrior who finds himself entangled in a struggle for succession among the heirs of King Sweyn and ends up sold as a slave. While Thorfinn does not fight for a love of battle like many of his Viking peers, he is still motivated by a desire to rise up in the ranks of his war band to one day challenge the man who killed his father.
Season 2 of Vinland Saga is produced by MAPPA, which took over from WIT, making more than a few fans afraid that this would lead to a loss of quality for the anime, but episode #1 proves this was not the case. Just like in the second arc of the manga, the story takes an abrupt shift in perspective. The first episode follows Einar, a young man from England who has lost his father in a previous Viking attack. Einar wants to protect his mother, sister, and village, but his dreams crumble to ashes when the Vikings attack again, killing his family and burning his home to the ground. Einar is captured and sold as a slave, which leads to his fateful meeting with Thorfinn.
Season 2 Of Vinland Saga Will Show The Worst Side Of Viking Society
It is widely known that Vikings practiced slavery as a crucial part of their social and economic system. While Season 1 of Vinland Saga certainly was not afraid of showing the violent and bloodthirsty nature of its protagonists, the story was still told from the Viking's perspective, as it dealt with their internal struggles. The first episode of Season 2, instead, is told from the perspective of a victim. Einar's experience as a slave shows the most brutal and cruel side of Viking society, making the story of Vinland Saga much deeper and more nuanced.
One of the major themes in Vinland Saga is how the main characters try to escape from a life of violence. Thorfinn's experience as a slave turns him from a fierce warrior into a pacifist, and this will be a major plot thread in Season 2. To realize this important shift in the main character's perspective, it is fundamental that the series gives a rough portrayal of the Vikings that doesn't sugarcoat their worst habits, and Season 2 of Vinland Saga tries to do just that.
Season 2 of Vinland Saga is streaming on Crunchyroll.