Thankfully, he redeemed himself.
Spoilers ahead!
Summary:
- There are many characters in Vinland Saga, and among those that appear in S1, Thorfinn might be the worst.
- His obsession with revenge doesn’t do him any favors, but he gets better later.
- This isn’t the only example of the protagonist being the worst character in the series.
Vinland Saga’s second season was noticeably different from the first. The first, in essence, was a high-octane revenge story with a lot of brutal action. The second season was far more slow-paced and introspective. The action, while sparse, was still great.
The most important part, though, was Thorfinn’s character development. For those who weren’t scared away by the pace change, Season 2 established Thorfinn as one of the best anime protagonists.
Curiously enough, this wasn’t really the opinion the public had on the series during S1. Thorfinn was largely regarded as an uninteresting character and arguably the worst part of the anime. Yes, this might sound weird at first, but there’s actually a lot of truth to that take.
The series had many other interesting characters
S1 wasn’t lacking in interesting characters. Askeladd is the most commonly named fan favorite in Vinland Saga, and he got plenty of screentime. Other notable characters include Thorkell the Tall, and even Canute’s struggle makes him a compelling character.
Another curious thing about Vinland Saga S1 is how much Thors influences the series. His death shapes the series further and influences the themes of the anime. Naturally, it was a traumatic experience for Thorfinn, but the result of that trauma is a character that is not that interesting — at least in the beginning.
Thorfinn wasn’t that good at first — but he got better
In S1, Thorfinn is essentially an edgy kid who is obsessed with his revenge against Askeladd. He wants nothing but revenge and combat, and he’s good at the latter — but his antics make him really tiresome to watch.
Especially in the case of Vinland Saga, which is otherwise not lacking in cool or interesting characters, Thorfinn feels very much like a weak link.
Funnily enough, S2 changes the narrative completely. It’s very different in tone and much more character-driven. Thorfinn’s character progress and philosophical themes of the series are the focus in S2. After executing his revenge, he’s disillusioned with wars and fighting and tries to find a new path for himself.
Other examples
That said, Vinland Saga S1 isn’t the only anime where the protagonist is the least interesting character. Atsushi, who is considered the protagonist of Bungo Stray Dogs, is among the least liked characters of the anime, though he’s still not bad.
This season has Bucchigiri!?, a new original series from MAPPA, and the common consensus is that the main character actively makes an otherwise great anime worse. In general, it’s more common than you’d think.