Vinland Saga

Season 1: Askeladd is probably the best written villain I have come across. That said, every character in this show is written very well, including Thorfinn who is a lot more limited in the first season. Thorkell is amongst these characters, who has a great balance of stupidity and intelligence. He’s the classic brawn over brain, but still has interesting interactions with other characters that put his IQ in a different light. We see him able to view certain solemn situations in full light, grounding his character rather than leaving him as a stereotype. Canute’s development, although it includes a few monologues, is done very well. Especially knowing what’s in store for the next season, it’s easy to believe he will be the next king. Thorfinn’s tragedy is one to not be taken lightly, and he’s one of the rare cases of characters where I can really connect with him in his moments of despair. In a way, I’m glad he didn’t develop much. It let the writers take their time with him, and he’ll shine even brighter later on. And then there’s Askeladd, by far the best written character in this season. For an anime, his nance and subtly is amazing, and is still better than most live action characters. He eludes charm which has a cool effect on audiences, who will keep rooting for him no matter all of the villainous things he’s done. The way he manipulates situations to his advantage is something we can only be in awe of. And his backstory is too layered and built upon to feel like a sob story for empathy. It really builds his character and leads the way he acts and does things.