Characters in order of appearance:
Transcript
- Episode begins with Magni, Hakon, Thorfinn, Ari, and Grim standing on their ship, while watching Thors fight off Askeladd’s men. Thors slams the back of his fist into a man attacking from behind him, without looking, drawing blood from the man’s face while knocking him to the ground unconscious. Two of Askeladd’s men charge at Thors with their weapons drawn. Thors slams his right palm into one of the men’s cheek, before uppercutting one of the men in his chin with his right hand, punching one of the men in the cheek with his right hand, then slamming the back of his left fist into one of the men’s cheek, causing them all to fall to the ground unconscious in sync around him. Bjorn watches with an astounded look on his face*
Askeladd: *chuckles*
Askeladd’s Men: Don’t get cocky.
- One of Askeladd’s men charges at Thors with his axe. Thors slams his left palm into the man’s elbow, causing it to bend completely in the opposite direction, breaking it. Thors slams his right palm into another man’s throat, knocking him unconscious. Another of Askeladd’s men, swings his sword down on Thors, who slams his left palm into the bottom of the hilt, deflecting the strike upwards before punching the man in the abdomen, knocking him unconscious. One of Askeladd’s men thrusts his sword at Thors, who slams his right palm into the side of the blade, diverting the path of the thrust before knocking the man unconscious with a right palm strike. One of Askeladd’s men swings an axe at Thors from behind. Thors catches the handle of the axe mid-swing before pulling it and the man forward, then slamming his elbow into the man’s face, knocking him unconscious*
Askeladd’s Men: …!
- Thors knocks a charging man off the ship with a swing of his arm*
Askeladd’s Men: Who is he?
- One of Askeladd’s men jumps at Thors from behind, before swinging his axe at him. Thors, without looking, slams his right fist into the man’s chin, launching him into the air and off the ship. Thors strikes one of Askeladd’s men, as he falls to the ground unconscious with blood pouring from his nose. One of Askeladd’s men charges at Thors with his sword. Thors punches the man in the face and knocks him from the middle of the ship to the back, in front of Bjorn’s feet*
Askeladd’s Men: He’s coming.
Askeladd’s Men: What are we going to do, Bjorn?
- Bjorn begins to shake and convulse*
Askeladd’s Men: Oi!
- Bjorn grits his teeth, as his veins pop out from his cheeks and his eyes dilate while his pupils take on a red hue*
Askeladd’s Men: …!
Bjorn: *roars*
- Thors punches one of Askeladd’s men, knocking him to the ground unconscious. Bjorn strikes one of Askeladd’s men, knocking him unconscious before grabbing another of the men and throwing him off the ship and into the water. Bjorn slams his forearm into one of the men’s sides, launching him meters away. Bjorn strikes one of the men, knocking him down, before grabbing two of the men by their throats, lifting them off the ground and strangling them. Bjorn’s eyes are shown with no pupils*
Askeladd’s Men: This is bad. Bjorn’s gone mad.
Bjorn: *roars*
- Bjorn launches the two men he was holding several meters into the air. Bjorn begins bashing the bottom of the ship with his arms, causing bits of splintered wood to fly into the air*
Askeladd’s Men: Stop him. He’ll destroy the ship.
Askeladd’s Men: You’re crazy.
- Bjorn slams the back of his arm into one of the men, drawing blood from his mouth and knocking him unconscious. Bjorn swings his arm at one of the men behind him, who ducks under it, before following with a swing of his other arm which knocks the man off the ship*
Askeladd’s Men: How are we supposed to stop a monster like that?
- One of Askeladd’s men grabs Bjorn from behind in an attempt to restrain him, as another grabs onto his arm. Bjorn strikes a third man with his arm, knocking him to the ground, before shaking off the two grabbing onto him*
Askeladd’s Men: Run! No one can stop him now!
- The rest of Askeladd’s men on the ship jump off into the water. Bjorn begins bashing his head against the mast of the ship*
Thors: He’s eaten a berserker mushroom.
Bjorn: *roars*
- Bjorn charges at Thors, who punches him in the eye, disabling it. Bjorn stumbles back before lunging at Thors, who uppercuts Bjorn, drawing blood from his mouth and knocking him off his feet*
Askeladd’s Men: …!
Askeladd’s Men: All with his bare hands…
Askeladd’s Men: He’s stronger than a monster.
Askeladd’s Men: The Troll of Jom.
Thors: All right. One more ship.
- Bjorn stands to his feet*
Bjorn: *roars*
- Askeladd’s ship pulls beside Thors’ warship, where Ari, Thorfinn, and the others stand. Leif, Mols, and others stand on his boat just behind*
Magni: T…They’re here.
Grim: What are we going to do?
Hakon: Surrender?
- Askeladd’s men stare excitedly at the young men*
Ari: D…Damn it. Come on! I’d rather die fighting than be a slave.
Askeladd: Listen. Capture the kids alive. If they get hurt, they won’t sell for a high price. Be careful.
Askeladd’s Men: *roar*
- Askeladd’s men connect their ship to Thors’ with two boarding planks*
Ari, Magni, and Mord: *cower*
Askeladd’s Men: *laughs* We’re going to have some fun with you.
Bjorn: *screams*
Askeladd’s Men: Huh?
- Askeladd’s men look up to find Bjorn falling through the sky, as he crashes into one of the boarding planks, breaking it in half and falling into the water*
Magni, Mord, and Ari: …?
Askeladd: Bjorn?
- Thors launches himself from Bjorn’s ship into the air*
Askeladd and his men: Oh!
Thorfinn: Ah!
Ari: Thors!
- Thors lands on his ship in front of Thorfinn and the others. Thors draws his sword and cuts the other boarding plank in half, causing the men on it to fall into the water. Askeladd’s men look towards Thors with uncertainty*
Thors: Listen! You’ve already lost half of your forces! Leave now, and I won’t take your life!
Askeladd: *laughs*
- Two of Askeladd’s men pull Bjorn out from the water*
Thors: Be gone, pirates! You cannot defeat me!
- One of Askeladd’s men at the top of the cliff aims an arrow at Thors*
Askeladd’s Men: That bastard.
Askeladd’s Men: Stop. Don’t shoot until Askeladd gives the signal.
Askeladd’s Men: Tch! What are they doing? We’ve got the high ground! What are they stalling for?
- Leif stands on his boat looking at Thors from behind*
Leif: What a crazy man. He’s not afraid to take on two whole warships alone.
Mols: Let’s fight too!
Leif: Fool! You amateurs will make things worse. Their archers are waiting up on the cliff. He’s the one who knows how to handle this.
Mols: But…!
Leif: Don’t you understand?! Except for Thors, we’re just a bunch of kids and amateurs! All we can do is let him handle this.
Thors (Thinking): It looks like they’re not the type of men to leave when I say so. The archers up on the cliff aren’t firing yet. There’s 30 men to the front. I know I could kill that many myself. But our ships are close. If they all jumped over to our ship, it’d be a free-for-all. I’d be fine if I was alone, but…
- Thors turns and looks at Thorfinn. Thors looks at each of the men on Askeladd’s ship, before focusing on Askeladd himself. Thors points his sword at Askeladd*
Thors: Are you the leader? In the name of Odin, the Almighty, I challenge you to a duel!
Askeladd’s Men: Huh?
Thors: If you win, you can do whatever you want. If I win, you must withdraw at once. If you refuse, then you’re going to lose three times as many men to capture a mere 12 slaves.
- Askeladd looks down at the unconscious Bjorn*
Askeladd: Can I ask you something? Why do you think I’m their leader?
Thors: I can smell it.
Askeladd: *laughs* Impressive. All right. I accept the duel. I, Askeladd, son of Olaf, swear in the name of Odin.
Thors: Stay back near the ship’s bow.
Ari: O…Okay.
- Askeladd leaps from his ship to Thors’*
Mols and Leif: …
Magni, Mord, Ari, and Hakon: …
Thorfinn: …
- Askeladd draws his sword*
Askeladd: I too…can smell something about you. You have the same smell as me, Troll of Jom.
Thors: …!
Thors (Thinking): He knows who I am?
- Thors thinks back to his talk with Floki*
Thors: Did Floki do this?
Askeladd: *chuckles* You’re quick. I like smart men.
Thorfinn: My father isn’t a bad man like you!
Ari, Mord, and Magni: Uh…
Thors: Hey! Stay back!
Thorfinn: My father is strong! Die, you pirate! You idiot! You idiot! Your armor looks weird!
Askeladd: *laughs* What an energetic boy. Is that your son?
- Magni grabs Thorfinn’s arms and holds him back*
Magni: Stop. You fool.
Thors: Askeladd. Do you have a wife and children?
Askeladd: No.
Thors: I see. Let’s begin.
- Thors walks toward Askeladd*
Askeladd (Thinking): He’s closing up the distance carelessly. Hmm.
- Askeladd cuts the rope that attaches the sail to the mast with his sword, causing the sail to fall in between Thors and himself. As the sail passes Thors’ line of sight, Askeladd seemingly vanishes*
Thors: …!
- Askeladd lunges underneath the falling sail before swinging his sword at Thors on the other side. Thors steps slightly to his right as Askeladd cuts Thors across the chest, as the sail hits the bottom of the ship*
Askeladd (Thinking): Ah! Too shallow.
- Thors brings his left knee up to his waist before thrusting his foot towards Askeladd’s head. Askeladd ducks under the kick while back-handspring to the other side of the fallen sail*
Askeladd’s Men: *cheer* You’re amazing.
Askeladd’s Men: No one can beat Askeladd.
Askeladd: *pants*
Thorfinn: Father!
Askeladd (Thinking): He dodged it. My moment of opportunity…A surprise attack won’t work on him anymore. Coming all this way was worth it. He’s an incredible man.
Leif: Thors…
- Thors stares at the blood on the palm of his hand, from his chest*
Thors: You’re strong. *sighs* Forgive me, Askeladd. I can’t go easy on you.
Askeladd: *laughs* I’m happy to hear that, Thors.
- Thors charges at Askeladd and swings his sword at him. Askeladd blocks the strike with his sword, but is sent staggering back from the force. Thors delivers a barrage of powerful sword strikes, which Askeladd blocks with the side of his sword while supporting the other side of his sword with the back of his arm*
Askeladdd’s Men: What?
Askeladd’s Men: Hey, hey.
- Thors strikes at Askeladd with his sword, who blocks with the side of his own sword, but is knocked off his feet from the force of the blow. Askeladd catches the ground with the palm of his hand, which he uses to flip to his feet, out of the way of Thors’ sword strike*
Askeladd: Huh?!
- Thors stands above the crouching Askeladd, before swinging his sword down on him. Askeladd jumps out of the way, as Thors smashes a hole in the floor of the ship. Thors charges at Askeladd and swings his sword down on him. Askeladd blocks with the side of his blade while lying on the ground*
Ari: Amazing! It’s a one-sided fight!
- Thors delivers a barrage of quick slashes, which Askeladd blocks with his sword*
Askeladd’s Men: A…Askeladd is in trouble.
Askeladd’s Men: But…he’s able to block all his attacks.
Thorfinn: Father! Kill him!
- Askeladd defends against a barrage of quick slashes from Thors, with his sword*
Askeladd: …!
- Askeladd notices the cracks and scratches along the blade of his sword*
Askeladd (Thinking): Oh, no. He’s going after my sword. It won’t hold up for long.
- Thors swings his sword at Askeladd’s face, who jumps back, as the blade grazes the hairs of his beard*
Askeladd (Thinking): That must mean…His sword is also…
- Askeladd looks at Thors’ sword to find that it is just as damaged as his own, Thors does a 360-degree spin while swinging his sword at Askeladd*
Askeladd (Thinking): This is it.
- Askeladd raises his sword in the air, as the broken blade of a sword is shown flying into the air. Thors’ sword is shown broken in half*
Askeladd (Thinking): Heh! Since I know his target, I can predict the arc of his sword.
- Askeladd swings his sword down at Thors’ head*
Thors (Thinking): This is it. A wide swing.
- Thors punches Askeladd’s elbow, causing his sword to fall out of his hand*
Askeladd: Augh!
- Thors kicks the falling sword into his hand before holding it at Askeladd’s neck*
Askeladd: Teh?!
Askeladd (Thinking): I fell for his trap. He was waiting for me to get careless, and swing wide. He was planning to have me snap his sword, all along. Everything went according to his plan. Unbelievable.
- Askeladd clutches his right arm*
Askeladd (Thinking): I can’t believe I fell for it.
Magni, Hakon, and Mord: Ah!
Thorfinn: You did it!
Ari: Thors! You did it!
Thorfinn: That was amazing, Father! You won!
Askeladd: What’s wrong? Kill me.
Thors: I don’t need to. Say you surrender. That’s enough for me.
Askeladd: I’m their leader. I can’t say that in front of my men.
Magni, Hakon, Mord, Ari, and Thorfinn: …
Askeladd: What’s wrong? Kill me. If you don’t kill me, this duel will never end.
Thors: Mm.
- Bjorn wakes up on the floor of Askeladd’s ship*
Bjorn: Ouch, my head hurts. Huh?
- Bjorn looks up to find all of Askeladd’s men staring at Askeladd and Thors, in shock*
Bjorn: What? What’s going on?
Askeladd’s Men: Askeladd…
Askeladd’s Men: Defeat?
Askeladd’s Men: He lost?
Thors: Admit it. I won this duel. Withdraw your troops at once.
Askeladd: *chuckles* You really are strong, Thors. You could lead a whole army. But why? Why did you stay in Iceland for 15 years, even though you’re such a strong warrior? Don’t you think you’re wasting your skills?
Thors: No.
- Askeladd’s gaze narrows, as Thors tightens his grip on the hilt of his sword*
Thors: I must rely on a sword like this, because I am not yet a master. A true warrior doesn’t need a sword.
Thorfinn: Huh?
Askeladd: …
Thors: …
Askeladd: Thors, you…Why don’t you become our leader?
Thors: …?!
Leif: Huh?
Ari and Thorfinn: …?
Askeladd’s Men: …?
Askeladd: …
Thors: …
- Askeladd looks toward the ground*
Askeladd: Just kidding. Hey, hey. Why isn’t anyone laughing? I was just joking.
Askeladd’s Men: Eh?
Bjorn: …?!
Askeladd’s Men: What? He was joking?
Bjorn: This is no time for…
- Bjorn jumps from Askeladd’s ship to Thors’*
Bjorn: …joking around with a straight face!
- Bjorn grabs Thorfinn and holds Thors’ knife to his neck*
Bjorn: Don’t move! I’ll cut the kid’s head off! Let go of your sword! Hurry up!
Thors: Askeladd! You bastard!
Thorfinn: Father!
Askeladd: *laughs* Come on. You’re such a good man. Did you think we were going to follow the rules of the duel?
Thors: *groans*
Askeladd: I was just playing around with you. I wanted to find out how good the famous Troll of Jom really was. I had a good time.
Thors: …
Askeladd: …
- Thors swings his sword at Askeladd’s neck, stopping just before his throat*
Bjorn: …
Thorfinn: *cries*…
Askeladd: …
Thors: …Askeladd. You broke the rules of the deal.
Thorfinn: *cries*…
Thors: I won this match.
Askeladd: Hmph. Who cares? I’m after your head.
Thors: I know.
- Thors throws his sword into the water*
Leif: …!
Askeladd’s Men: …!
Thors: …
Askeladd: …I accept. The winner of this duel…is you.
- Askeladd raises his hand into the air, as all of his men positioned the cliffs fire their arrows down at Thors, piercing him with eight arrows in his arms, chest, stomach, back, hip, and neck*
Thorfinn: F…Father!
Thors: *deep breaths*
Thorfinn: …Father…
Thors: Askeladd. I won this duel. Keep the promise you made as a warrior.
Askeladd: I know. In the name of my ancestor Artorius, I shall withdraw my troops at once.
Thors: *pants* Leif. I have a favor to ask you.
Leif: *cries*
Thors: Bring my head to Sigvaldi, the leader of the Jomsvikings. If he suspects that I disappeared to avoid his summons, he’ll take his revenge by punishing the village.
Leif: *cries* You’re a crazy man.
Grim, Hakon, and Ari: *cry*
Thors: You bastard. I’ll give you my life. Just like you wanted. Let that child go right now!
Bjorn: …!
Thorfinn: Father. Father!
- Thorfinn runs up to Thors and hugs him*
Thorfinn: *cries*
Thors: *smiles*
- Thors rubs Thorfinn’s head*
Thors: *sighs* I’m glad. For now…
- Thors dies while still standing*
Askeladd: …
- Ari charges towards Askeladd*
Ari: *roars*
- Ari swings his sword at Askeladd’s head who slightly moves back to avoid it. Ari swings again at his head, as Askeladd slightly moves back again avoiding it. Ari swings in an arc at Askeladd’s head, who slightly ducks under the strike. Ari swings again in an arc at Askeladd’s head, who slightly ducks under the strike. Askeladd slams his fist into Ari’s cheek, causing blood to shoot from his mouth as he falls to the ground unconscious. Askeladd cracks his arm that was hit by Thors*
Askeladd: Damn kid. You should start valuing your life! You should be grateful to Thors. He was a man who was worth more than a hundred bratty kids like you.
- Thorfinn kneels on the ground clutching the dead, but standing, Thors’ pants*
Thorfinn: *cries*
- Scene changes as Thorfinn is sitting in the lower level of a ship, crying into his arms*
Thorfinn: *cries* Father died. Father was so strong. Why did he let go of his sword? How could he say a warrior doesn’t need a sword? That can’t be true! Why…? Why did Father…? Damn. He…He lost to father. Damn it. Why was my father the one who died? Why is he the one who’s still alive?! Damn it. Damn it all!
- Askeladd’s two warships are shown sailing through the sea, as Thors’ warship is being pulled by one of them with ropes*
Atli: I’m surprised they abandoned these nice ships. It must have been a big decision.
- Togrim and Atli stare at Thors’ warship from the back of their ship*
Torgrim: They can’t move the ship without Thors. Thors could row as hard as five men.
Atli: Really?
- Torgrim drinks from his cup*
Torgrim: Things worked out well. I was wanting to get a third ship.
- Torgrim notices Thorfinn on the deck of the ship. Askeladd lays on the deck of his ship thinking back to an earlier conversation*
Askeladd: Twenty-eight men injured. How many died? None? Not even one? Impossible!
- Scene changes to the present*
Askeladd: Tch!
Torgrim: Askeladd! Hey! Come to the stern! Askeladd!
Askeladd: What do you want? Shut up already.
- Thorfinn stands on the deck of Thors’ warship, glaring at Askeladd while clutching his father’s knife*
Torgrim: It’s Thors’ kid. He was hiding inside the ship.
Atli: Look at him. The kid’s got a dagger. *laughs* He’s going to kill us.
Atli, Torgrim, and Askeladd’s Men: *laugh*
Atli: Oh, no. I’m so scared.
Askeladd: …
- Thorfinn grits his teeth*
Thorfinn: How dare you…? How dare you…?! How dare you kill father?! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you, no matter what! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you!
Atli and Askeladd’s Men: …
Atli: He’s just a kid. But that look in his eyes…
Thorfinn: *growls*
Torgrim: What do you want to do, Askeladd? Shall we throw him overboard?
Askeladd: Leave him. He will die soon anyway.
Thorfinn: *cries* Father…
Episode Rating
Story & Pacing (10/10) – A Tightly-Woven Tragedy That Unfolds Perfectly
- The first half is exhilarating, featuring the most one-sided battle in the series as Thors effortlessly dismantles Askeladd’s men without killing a single one.
- The duel with Askeladd is brilliantly executed—a clash of wits and skill, not just brute force.
- The betrayal hits like a gut punch—even knowing it was coming, it still feels utterly devastating.
- Thorfinn’s heartbreak and declaration of vengeance is a chilling conclusion, setting the stage for the rest of the series.
Character Development (10/10) – A Turning Point for the Entire Series
- Thors – The Perfect Warrior
- He is untouchable in battle—an absolute monster in strength, yet kind to the core.
- He exposes the difference between a fighter and a warrior—his refusal to kill while still dominating Askeladd’s men shows true strength.
- His duel with Askeladd is a perfect contrast of ideals—one fights with honor, the other for survival.
- His sacrifice is one of the most selfless acts in anime—he chooses death to protect his son and his village.
- His words—“A true warrior doesn’t need a sword”—are the defining philosophy of the entire series.
- Askeladd – The Ultimate Opportunist
- Loses the duel, yet still wins the battle.
- His cold pragmatism is at full force—he knew Thors wouldn’t kill him, so he let the archers finish the job.
- His offer for Thors to lead them wasn’t a joke—he actually respected Thors but still played along with Floki’s orders.
- His cunning contrasts beautifully with Thors’ honor—showing why Askeladd will become Thorfinn’s twisted mentor.
- Thorfinn – The Birth of Revenge
- The single most tragic moment in his life is now burned into him forever.
- His innocence is completely shattered.
- His rage-filled declaration to kill Askeladd is the first step on his long, painful journey.
- The look in his eyes is terrifying. Even hardened warriors like Atli recognize his potential for vengeance.
- Bjorn – A Savage, Yet Loyal Warrior
- Berserker Bjorn is terrifying. His rampage shows why Askeladd keeps him around.
- Even though he plays dirty with Thorfinn, you can tell he respects Thors deep down.
- Leif – The Helpless Witness
- He sees Thors die trying to protect everyone, and he can do nothing about it.
- His sorrow mirrors our own as viewers—he knows this is the end of an era.
Action & Cinematography (10/10) – A Perfect Balance of Strategy and Raw Power
- Thors vs. Askeladd’s men is an absolute spectacle—a flawless display of martial skill.
- The duel itself is a battle of wits, not just swords.
- The symbolism of Thors dropping his sword is beautifully executed—choosing peace over victory.
- Thors dying while standing is one of the most powerful deaths in anime history.
Themes & Symbolism (10/10) – The Defining Moment of Vinland Saga
- "A true warrior doesn’t need a sword."
- This is the defining line of the series.
- It represents Thors’ philosophy, which Thorfinn will struggle to understand for years.
- Honor vs. Survival
- Thors fights for honor and to protect.
- Askeladd fights to win.
- Father & Son – The Loss of Innocence
- Thorfinn watches his hero die in front of him.
- The boy who dreamed of battle now knows only hatred.
Final Verdict: 10/10 – One of the Greatest Episodes in Anime History
- ✔ Strengths:
- ✅ Flawless storytelling—a perfect mix of action, strategy, and emotional devastation.
- ✅ Masterclass character work—every major figure shines.
- ✅ Thors’ sacrifice is one of the most powerful moments in the series.
- ✅ The duel is a battle of ideals, not just skill.
- ✅ Thorfinn’s transformation is gut-wrenching and inevitable.
- ✅ The cinematography, animation, and music elevate everything.
- ❌ Weaknesses:
- NONE. This is a flawless episode.
Final Thoughts:
This episode defines Vinland Saga. Thors’ death isn’t just a tragedy—it’s the catalyst for the entire story. This is one of the best-written, best-animated, and most emotionally impactful moments in anime history. A perfect 10/10.