Warning: SPOILERS for Episode #1 of Vinland Saga Season 2.

In contrast to the first season of the popular anime, Season 2 of Vinland Saga presents a very different perspective of the world. It has just debuted on Crunchyroll. As the first episode continues to follow a new main character, Einar, a young Englishman who becomes the slave of the Vikings ever since his family is butchered in front of him, the Vikings are now shown to be ruthless plunderers and, more importantly, slavers.

The well-known anime Vinland Saga is based on the Makoto Yukimura manga. The WIT STUDIO-produced first season, which is best known for its work on Attack on Titan, received overwhelmingly favorable reviews. It tells the tale of Thorfinn, a young Viking warrior who becomes involved in the conflict over King Sweyn’s succession and is ultimately sold into slavery. Thorfinn is driven to fight by a desire to advance in his war band so that he can one day confront the person who killed his father, even though he does not fight out of a love of combat like many of his Viking contemporaries.

Many fans were concerned that the quality of the anime would suffer because MAPPA, which replaced WIT as the producer of Season 2, took over production of Vinland Saga. However, episode #1 shows that this was not the case. Similar to the second manga arc, the story abruptly changes perspectives. Einar, a young Englishman who lost his father in a prior Viking attack, is the focus of the first episode. When the Vikings retaliate by killing his family and destroying his home, Einar’s hopes of protecting his mother, sister, and village are dashed. When Einar is kidnapped and sold as a slave, he meets Thorfinn for the last time.

Vinland Saga Season 2 Will Showcase Viking Society’s Worst Aspects

The Vikings Become The Story's Villains In Vinland Saga Season 2
Crunchyroll

It is well-known that slavery played a significant role in the social and economic structure of the Vikings. While Season 1 of Vinland Saga unapologetically displayed the bloodthirsty and violent nature of its heroes, the narrative was still told from the Vikings’ point of view as it dealt with their internal struggles. Instead, the opening episode of Season 2 is told from the viewpoint of a victim. The Vinland Saga’s narrative becomes much richer and more complex as a result of Einar’s experience as a slave, which reveals the harshest and most cruel aspect of Viking society.

How the main characters attempt to flee a life of violence is one of the main themes of the Vinland Saga. The storyline in Season 2 will heavily revolve around how Thorfinn’s time as a slave changes him from a ferocious warrior to a pacifist. The second season of Vinland Saga makes an effort to give a realistic portrayal of the Vikings that just doesn’t sugarcoat their worst tendencies in order to realize this significant shift in the main character’s perspective.

Season 2 of Vinland Saga is streaming on Crunchyroll.