Vinland Saga as a historical epic is certainly interesting to behold upon first viewing. Many watched it thanks to the premise of Thorfinn's backstory and the well-animated fight scenes. While it's certain that Thorfinn is a warrior to be respected at times, his entire journey was that of revenge against Askelaad. However, with season 1 having left various things regarding Thorfinn's fate unresolved, season 2 brings back Thorfinn as one of the leading characters, although a changed man and certainly not the warrior he once was. Regardless of the fact, many fans have been asking themselves why the sudden shift in Thorfinn's ideals and personality is relevant, and even important to have done for the story of Vinland Saga.
Vinland Saga is an anime that came out with a simple premise, although it's presentation and animation was possible due to Studio MAPPA's dedication to the anime's story and conveyance. With Thorfinn having gone through an entire journey in the first season, many awaited the return of Vinland Saga ever since the end of its first season and the concurrent Manga volumes that followed it. With that being said, season 2 not only follows a different lead and character, but also manages to change Thorfinn's disposition and personality so much considering what happened between seasons. However, as for why this is important for the story depends on what you focus on, one of which is about the passage of time.
Revenge Unresolved
Thorfinn, as the main character of Vinland Saga, started off relatively kind and nice as we see him as a young child living in Iceland with his family. At first, his early life and dreams of going to Vinland were as wide-eyed as many expected, only for them to be pushed to the back of his mind when his father was murdered at the hands of Askelaad. When this occurred, Thorfinn changed into becoming cold, driven by revenge, and becoming a Viking Warrior in order to hone his skills to defeat Askelaad in an honorable one-on-one duel. Despite this self-affirmation, the battle between these two individuals with history never resolved itself due to the events of the final few episodes of season 1, which ended with Thorfinn in a precarious fate.
Vinland Saga waited a long while to continue the story, leaving many fans excited for more and yet anticipating what will happens once the story continues in the future. On top of that, the first season ended with Thorfinn never having gotten his revenge properly, as well as being left unresolved and unfulfilled. Despite all this, the story continues in season 2 with Einar, following through with his eventual slavery and meeting Thorfinn, who's also become a slave in a farm. While the shift in character was different, the change that Thorfinn underwent between the first season and the second season is important for a myriad of reasons, and the method in why this was done is related to the passage of time as a narrative mechanic.
Time's Slow Turn
Vinland Saga's first season premiered in 2019, and three years passed during that time before we got season 2 of the historical epic. Which is the reason why the gap between Thorfinn's change in personality and ideal, as well as the perspective of Einar upon meeting him works on a narrative sense. The first season ended with episode 24, "END OF PROLOGUE", which truly cemented that the first season, for all the content and story that the audience experienced was merely the start of the historical epic. This may have been an odd choice for many people, but the historical epic needs the passage of time as a narrative tool to show the journey of its characters and how they change over the course of these events. The first season revolved around the time of war, and the second season now revolves around a different time after it, which is shown by how Thorfinn's character had changed overall ever since the first episode to the latest episode.
Whereas Thorfinn used to be a kind young boy, then driven by revenge and cold with bitterness, the Thorfinn that season 2 portrays is more passive, soft-spoken, and less willing for confrontation or fighting for his own freedom. Despite the skills he displayed during the war, meaning he could easily fight for freedom, the options presented to Thorfinn, as well as losing the great purpose he used to have led him to changing his priorities and merely working in the fields with a lack of conviction. Of course, with his new ragged, albeit more mature appearance does show that time has passed in the world of Vinland Saga, along with the audiences waiting for the story to continue. The audience wished to experience more of the story, thanks to in part because of Thorfinn's change during the story.
Thorfinn needed to change between seasons to truly sell the idea that this story is a historical epic, one that will span years if not decades of time in its own world before we see the story being resolved for these characters. Season 1 was a prologue to Vinland Saga, although it does serve to establish many characters and themes for the story moving forward. Thorfinn has changed in season 2 from his more warrior mindset, but that serves to benefit Vinland Saga in the long run as a historical epic that has weight and meaning to it. This means the audience will stick with this story and come back to learn more from it for years to come. Thorfinn's journey and story isn't over yet, as much as it may seem like it.