The anime adaptation of Makoto Yukimura's Vinland Saga left fans in awe back in 2019. Produced by With Studio, Vinland Saga became an instant hit due to its intriguing and mature premise focusing on the war between English armies and the Danish invaders known as the Vikings in the 11th Century. Season 1 of this seinen show served as a prologue and sought to set up the background and motivation for its central protagonist Thorfinn.
Thorfinn is the son of the mighty warrior Thors who was blackmailed into submitting defeat by a band of Pirates led by their cunning Askeladd. Throughout Thorfinn's quest for revenge, fans are introduced to many powerful warriors and treated to some incredible fight scenes. Here are the strongest characters introduced in first season of Vinland Saga ranked according to their strength.
5 Bjorn
Bjorn was Askeladds's right-hand man and was initially introduced when Askeladd's band made an assassination attempt on Thors. Bjorn was already a strong warrior but with the aid of a wild mushroom he would at times go berserk, making him an invincible threat for most. Bjorn was able to take down multiple assailants with his increased strength over the course of the show, however, even after consuming a wild mushroom, Bjorn was easily defeated by Thors.
After being wounded later on in the series, Bjorn made his last stand against his one and only friend Askeladd, asking for a death worthy of a warrior. Although powerful, Bjorn was not tenacious like the majority of other characters introduced in the show, making him comparatively weaker than them. His reliance on wild mushrooms also made him come off as a cheater in terms of strength.
4 Thorfinn
Thorfinn, the son of Thors, was a normal boy, living a blissful life. But everything changed for Thorfinn when Askeladd and his group of mercenaries killed his father. After witnessing the event firsthand, Thorfinn became consumed by revenge and started following the Askeladd everywhere he went, in hopes that he would one day be able to kill the man who took his father's life. Thorfinn eventually joined Askeladd's band as a mercenary, training to become strong enough to defeat Askeladd.
Although the two butted heads a couple of times, Thorfinn was not able to defeat Askeladd as Askeladd was always one step ahead of the emotionally unstable and young Thorfinn. However, Thorfinn was by no means weak, as with his trusty knives he was able to kill many opponents with ease. He also went toe to toe with an English warrior called Thorkell, taking out a few of his fingers. Thorfinn honed his skill daily, which became more evident as the series went on.
3 Askeladd
Askeladd was a Danish-Welsh Viking in command of a mercenary group. He served as the central antagonist for the majority of the first season of Vinland Saga. Askeladd was a skilled fighter, but his true capabilities lay in his ability to manipulate people and situations. Askeladd won over Thorfinn multiple times in the series, showing the difference in strength between the two fighters. He also fought his friend Bjorn and dealt the finishing blow to him with relative ease.
Askeladd also butted heads with the mighty Thors and though he was not able to defeat him, he did end up blackmailing Thors into submission. Askeladd's tenacity was a consequence of his rough and brutal childhood. Askeladd was many things, but he was not a coward, and so when the Danish King Sweyn threatened to conquer his homeland Wales, Askeladd went up to him and chopped his head off, ultimately condemning himself in the process.
2 Thorkell
Thorkell the Tall was a mighty warrior who initially aligned himself with the Danish, but his boredom got him to switch sides and join up with the English Armies. Thorkell was feared as the strongest Viking in terms of his brute strength and was in fact Thors' uncle-in-law and Thorfinns's grand uncle. In the battle of London Bridge, Throkell eagerly fought against Thorfinn, easily defeating him, going as far as to even break one of his arms.
​​​
He fights a stronger Thorfinn once more, later on in the series where he again was seen dominating the fight again. However, with Askeladd's help, Thorfinn is able to take the win.Thorkell also easily killed many of Askeladds' men at one point, after they betrayed Askeladd and requested to join up with Throkell. He eventually pledges his loyalty to Prince Canute, thereby aligning himself with Askeladd and Thorfinn.
1 Thors
Thors was a Jomsviking general known for his extraordinary combat power, earning him the title of "The Troll of Jom". He was known as the strongest and bravest warrior among the Vikings, who could even rival the ranks of Thorkell the Tall and defeat him in single combat. He became a captain of the guard when he was only 25 years old, but soon after decided to default from the army. He then escaped with Helga, the daughter of the commander of Jomsvikings, and started a new life on a remote island with his wife and children.
Years later Thors was sought by Floki of the Jomsviking and was forced back into the battlefield, only to be betrayed by Floki. Floki hired a group of mercenaries, led by a man named Askeladd who ambushed Thors on his way to war. Though Thors came out victorious against Askeladd and his men, he was made to surrender at the cost of his son Thorfinn's life by Askeladd and was later killed.