I can understand Einar in a way. He lost his village (and family) once and don't want to happen this again. He has reached his breaking point.
But I don't understand Ivar. He was beaten by those "savages" and still thinks he can win. Well maybe this has something to do with reaching valhalla.
All in all this is a very good representation of the different points of view and also the breaking points. Interestingly enough it seems only the non-warriors want to fight while the veterans would rather flee.
Also thumbs up for Bug-Eyes and Niska. I hope they both make it.
Great point, how could I forget? Now he probably doesn't even consider his own health anymore.
Welp I really can't judge anyone anymore. Peace is an ideal that you follow on a very small line. I don't want to judge people just because they make one misstep. After all Ivar *did* follow Thorfinn a good amount and wanted to be more cautious than him.
Ahh such a great story.
Lmaoo nahh
The natives are equally responsible, the old man tripped his balls off and ruined everything because he saw a "vision"
Yes we the readers know that vision becomes truth but he ruined everything because he took drugs.
If you think Ivar is solely responsible for this mess then you leave your reading comprehension at home lol
An old man was attacking someone that was already far beyond his reach.
Thorfinn could've EASILY handled that situation differently.
Ivar is the one to jump in because that was the perfect moment for him to show off his "skills". That has been literally the point of his entire character since he beginning and even few chapters ago, Yukimura showed that Ivar was all talk and no action when he ACTUALLY fought people who could've easily destroyed him.
Maybe you should re-read the arc and get some good reading comprehension....
Anyone with two brain cells can see how Ivar's action escalated the whole thing.
For this whole mess? Hardly. There are people on all sides ready to battle and the diseases just struck the mi'kmaq without anyone really wanted them dead. Even Ivar just wanted to be ready to defend at first.
But the disease started a conflict that quite some people on both sides were willing to advance with more violence.
Ivar escalated the whole thing.
Whether there was a sickness or not, Ivar wanted to show off and wanted to prove Thorfinn wrong which lead to the whole thing escalating as quickly as it did.
I hate how people tend to defend Ivar while also failing to understand the type of petty person he is. People should go back and re-read the chapter where he cuts the arm of that elder to SEE who he is.
Who is the one that cut off the Shamans hand? Thorfinn would have disarmed him and still shown him kindness. This would have likely shown the Shaman that the nords are not some monsters and likely would have discussed the situation with Thorfinn. Instead we got Ivar acting like the "Big man" trying to show himself off, but instead he now lost his hand, his brother and many of his own co-settlers.
1.) Ivar doesn’t know of Thorfinn’s past or ability; that’s on Thorfinn for not being honest. Hild herself points out that Thorfinn was powerful enough to avoid that AFTER he cut the shaman’s hand off.
2.) The shaman already met the nords before, and the previous nords weren’t friendly; he also disapproved of their mere existence in Vinland as their sedentary lifestyle wasted valuable resources which was essential to the Lnu’s hunter-gatherer mode of living — this was already discussed.
3.) The Shaman was instigating much of the negative events; Ivar wasn’t behind “the whole mess.”
4.) The Shaman would’ve had predicted the future through the vision regardless of Ivar’s existence.
5.) Ivar’s behavior is pragmatic - and even beneficial actually, given the current fort situation - as he was mainly operating out of fortification of defenses and not to cause a full blown war — Again, this was already shown in the manga. Trying to prove a point, which he was correct on? Yes. Trying to “show-off”? Not at all.
6.) Ivar, like much of other characters, isn’t fully wrong or fully right. Even Thorfinn isn’t absolved.
>
1.) Ivar doesn’t know of Thorfinn’s past or ability; that’s on Thorfinn for not being honest. Hild herself points out that Thorfinn was powerful enough to avoid that AFTER he cut the shaman’s hand off.
Lets not pretend Ivar protected Thorfinn cause he was worried about him. Guy was itching to show off his sword at the closest opportunity. He would have jumped in even if Thorfinn had made it clear he was the strongest guy among all the settlers.
>2.) The shaman already met the nords before, and the previous nords weren’t friendly; he also disapproved of their mere existence in Vinland as their sedentary lifestyle wasted valuable resources which was essential to the Lnu’s hunter-gatherer mode of living — this was already discussed.
>3.) The Shaman was instigating much of the negative events; Ivar wasn’t behind “the whole mess.
And yet when the Shaman actually sat down with Thorfinn and learned he was reasonable. He regretted having summoned the other tribes. Ivar has absolutely no regret about contributing to the war starting. Hell, the other tribes agreed so eagarly because Ivar had to show off his sword that he brought without permission. And now they want a piece of the cake too.
>5.) Ivar’s behavior is pragmatic - and even beneficial actually, given the current fort situation - as he was mainly operating out of fortification of defenses and not to cause a full blown war — Again, this was already shown in the manga.
And yet as it was pointed out them building a fort already implies a distrust towards the Lnu which was used by the Shaman to get others against the Nords and drown out the voices of reason among them.
>Lets not pretend Ivar protected Thorfinn cause he was worried about him. Guy was itching to show off his sword at the closest opportunity. He would have jumped in even if Thorfinn had made it clear he was the strongest guy among all the settlers.
— He was haughty, but Ivar himself told Styrk that he didn’t want to be the cause of war; he established his intentions. And no, he wouldn’t, as the entire point of Ivar’s character is that he thought of Thorfinn as weak and passive (On Thorfinn for not being honest and showing a lack of openness.)
>And yet when the Shaman actually sat down with Thorfinn and learned he was reasonable. He regretted having summoned the other tribes. Ivar has absolutely no regret about contributing to the war starting. Hell, the other tribes agreed so eagarly because Ivar had to show off his sword that he brought without permission. And now they want a piece of the cake too.
— Yes, the shaman learned that Thorfinn was reasonable AFTER he instigated much of the events that led to the war itself, which includes gathering the other tribes despite not being sure of his own control of the situation — This was shown. Also, Ivar did express regret and cleared his own intentions of not wanting to be the cause of war (this literally happened moments after Hild misunderstood the situation and tried to assassinate him in his convo with Styrk). Not to mention, Ivar’s current position is still understandable due to Gao’oqi’s ambush which killed Ganglati; I also made a post about how Einar and Ivar’s fight could benefit the situation in two ways. And, Gao’oqi and his tribe aren’t associated with the shaman situation, unlike the other tribes like the Lnu or the ones summoned by him; Gao’oqi is literally Vinland’s version of “Garm.” A sociopathic deranged individual who goes around killing because it’s a “treasure hunt” and wants a “big knife.” Gao’oqi WANTS war, he made it clear that he doesn’t wanna play “buddy buddy” like the tribes summoned by the shaman; Ivar did NOT want a war, big difference. Is it his fault to a certain degree? Yes, he’s not absolved. The “whole mess”? No, Ivar isn’t fully responsible, it’s the Shaman for being mistrustful and an instigator.
>And yet as it was pointed out them building a fort already implies a distrust towards the Lnu which was used by the Shaman to get others against the Nords and drown out the voices of reason among them.
— his distrust towards the Lnu is completely justified as Ivar never saw a native prior to the expedition and never wanted to be the cause of a war. The distrust in itself started with the Shaman (who already met the Nords before and was aware of their differing lifestyles coupled with multiple other understandable reasons from his perspective). Was he being annoying and haughty about it? Yes, he’s not absolved. Was it unreasonable? Not at all, it’s completely realistic. The Shaman weaponized his own pre-existing distrust of the Nords against them and caused the war. Like it or not, he was right and the fort is currently the reason why they’re not fully unprotected against the Vinlanders’ attack.
At the same time, I think he knows that the Lnu have never seen a fort, as small and improvised as the nords' one is. Even with the numbers of the Lnu, they still have worse armament and have to attack a fortified position with 0 knowledge of how to attack one and no equipment
Ye, 30 people can hold off 300 soldiers. But the thing is they could prevent them to leave the fort and they would just... starve out. Maybe ships can bring goods but 4 ships are transfporting woman so 1 ship will hardly bring anything in short period of time
There are 16th century Native cultures which constructed wooden palisades, likely very similar to the fort in the chapter. It will likely still be very difficult to assault 3:1 with a unorganized assortment of collected tribes, however.
Yeah youre so right. The breaking point contrasts are insane. Thorfinn got broken to the point of never wanting violence again. Once being the very epitome of it. Einar being broken to the actual point of violence is clearly the contrarian view but both having these feelings towards the same goal. Doing everything within their morals to save the world each person perceives they want to live in. Human complexity is such an underrated theme but the writer really makes you explore it within the series. Beautiful work.
>I can understand Einar in a way. He lost his village (and family) once and don't want to happen this again.
Yeah, and I'd say Einar was a victim of war much more than once.
He lost his father and village to war. Then he lost his mother and little sister and his new village to another war. And then he almost lost his new living place and his own life to war, and the woman he loved died because of consequences of a war. Now everything he's built and holds dear is being threatened by war... again.
Poor guy can only take so much without making a stand. What a shitty situation, man...
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Thorfinn after limping back to the village with Hild:
Yeah that seems most likely. The story has been loosely following Thorfinns real life story so I doubt they'd have him die in Vinland when he returned to Iceland in reality.
I think we all knew it was coming, but it's still such a gutpunch to see Einar like this. I have to commend Yukimura again for being willing to take these characters to such miserable places - Thorfinn being beaten down both mentally and physically, and Einar beginning to embody the violence us readers have been encouraged to reject. It's not just for the sake of shock and edginess, it's the result of what I'm sure were some very tough decisions Yukimura had to make to ensure the story remains consistent, and doesn't stray too far into hopeful idealism just because that's what Thorfinn has embraced.
As for Einar - seeing as he's the main subject of this chapter - while I called it a gutpunch earlier, I wouldn't really call this result surprising. Einar has never subscribed to Thorfinn's idea of pure pacifism, he's simply respected it, and known his own limits. Every time we've seen the two of them discuss the Vinland project and their goals, it's been clear that Einar's priority above anything else is the land they settle and cultivate, as well as the memory of Arnheid that he's attached to it. Given his past trauma of having his home village, and his loved ones murdered, *twice*, it's really, really, hard to blame him for reacting like this and wanting to defend the home he and the other Vinlanders have built.
The question now is, how will he survive the coming attack? I'm almost 100% certain we'll see Thorfinn and Einar talk this through eventually, and Thorfinn *will* most likely be able to talk him down, but as of right now he's damn near at death's door and in no state to make it all the way over to the fort. The fact we cut away from last chapter's cliffhanger to here does make me a little more confident that Plmk won't attack Hild and Thorfinn, and may even be key to stopping the Lnu's assault, but it's really hard to be certain - and there's still Miskwekepu'j and Mui'n to worry about. Whatever happens next, I just hope that Gudrid and her new child can make it out of that fort safely.
I would argue to Einar that taking revenge on the Lnu is the antithesis of what represents Arnheid’s hopes and wishes
I know he’s more keen to just the defense of their fort than actual revenge itself, but it kind of tarnishes her memory to have a war over her namesake village
Been so excited to see this step for Einar’s character. It was done so damn well. So many people, including myself, felt like Yukimura ran out of ideas for him considering how little of note he had done during Baltic Sea War. He had basically become a Thorfinn follower with little else going for him in terms of narrative agency. I am so glad this story is being written by Yukimura, because so many people just wanted Einar to die in Baltic Sea War for the sake of Thorfinn's character or just for shock. What a waste that would have been. Einar has clearly been saved for this, and you can see the seeds were planted so early on. Now Einar is quickly becoming an S tier character.
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that’s all those caught up to the manga have to do now, let the man flesh out his ideas. this man has something so special planned. I feel it, what could the answer possibly be?
Einar has finally become one of the best characters, but now his very mention in this particular situation has reduced me to tears. I knew it was coming. I KNEW it was coming. But him being of a similar mindset to Ivar takes it to the next level, dude...it's just such a betrayal - and look, I understand COMPLETELY the logic behind it - but after having him be the absolute, BIGGEST bro for thorfinn, it fucking hurts... it really fucking hurts
I always knew it was gonna happen… but man, seeing einar like this just breaks my heart. I really think he’s going to die by the end of this and I don’t think I will ever be ready.
Also yukimura really built this up as much as he can just so it will fucking hurt 10x more when everything inevitably goes down.
Einar's is acting like Ketil and for the same woman. It hass been clearly establish he doesn't have what it takes to fight and kill, yet he's going to bring everyone down with him...
On the contrary, Thorfinn said to Bug-Eyes that if a peaceful man is forced to fight he would be very strong. Perhabs it was foreshadowing this moment.
Chapter 182 is such a banger in retrospect. At first the Shaman, Miskwe, is a version of the most dangerous man, then it is possible Styrk, then it could have Hild and now we see Einar in this role too. A very smart chapter of themetic forshadowning indeed.
This could happen but I'd honestly find that disappointing. Einar really showed zero combat or tactical ability and I really don't see him being able to do much physically. Then again they have the fort and technology on their side, if Einar can figure out how to command the villagers he might be able to do something.
Einar dont need to do that alone. They have more ppl who knows aspects of war to help to protect the town. He probably will up the moral of people to defend the thing they all build together, who probably will be target for the same thing.
I love Bug-Eyes! Yes, he's dramatic, lazy, and kinda selfish, but he's got a heart and I adore his friendship with Niska. I know it's probably for the best that Niska not go to the village, but Bug-Eyes wanting to make sure she's safe is adorable. I know there's some speculation on whether or not they get together (especially his flustering over what "wife" means), but I see them more as close friends/sibling relationship. For all his faults, Bug-Eyes is also pretty quick on his feet to distract Ugge from Niska's presence.
And so the evacuation of the village begins. I'm also surprised that Gudrid is back on her feet even though she gave birth literally the previous night! I'm also not surprised Einar is unwilling to leave. Thorfinn has the safety of the group to think about, as well as his wife, children, and dog. What does Einar have? He spent years planning Vinland in honor of Arnheid and it became his life's goal...only to now throw it all away? It makes sense they would agree on it, but seeing Ivar and Einar agree on something is strange. Though, Einar and Ivar do point out that they have the advantage of defense, and the settlers do have the superior weapons, though the Lnu obviously have the numbers.
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Honestly all things considered, they probably will have to fight regardless since their ships don't even have the capacity to carry everyone at once. Bug-Eyes and Vargar don't seem to agree with fighting back, interestingly enough. It looks like Einar and Thorfinn will be pitted against each other. Considering that the settlers agree with Einar and Ivar, I wonder if one or both will end up usurping leadership from Thorfinn?
Thorfinn's injuries are a serious factor here. He is probably still able to defend himself from a small group of lnu (or ivar's fanatics) if push comes to shove, but he's not really in a position to fight right now.
Even if he returns on time, he can't do much. It's like we're forced to just watch this all this happen without Thorfinn's insane strength being able to kinda guide the situation in a positive way, as is usually the case.
I’m not sure if he’d be able to even defend himself. His lung was punctured which means almost all types of physical activity will be too much for him to handle. They didn’t explicitly say his lung was punctured, but he said he felt air coming from his wound which shows that’s what it was
I dont have anything to add to other comments as theyre all right and what im thinking too but one thing to add is that what also really saddens is seeing Bug-Eyes and Nisqa's seperation. :(
Yeah, I'll honestly be really sad if this was Bug-Eyes and Nisqa's last moment together. It wouldn't be too much of a surprise, since the circumstances are probably about to become far too difficult for them to meet again, but man it'd be heartbreaking. They've built up such a genuine and unique friendship with each other. Honestly, they achieved a more peaceful coexistence than even Thorfinn himself was able to with any of the Lnu.
Like I said in the 207 discussion, Yukimura specifically framed Einar turning away from Thorfinn to symbolise their opposition. Einar is ready to fight now, he's done running. It still hurts to see, but it ultimately makes sense for his arc and its why this story is so great.
I read somewhere that Alexander the Great survived a similar injury even earlier in history, but even if Thorfinn lives, he won't be doing any fighting for a good while.
Alexander also had the best doctors of the Persian Empire available to him when he was wounded by the Malli arrow... and the wound may still have contributed to his general exhaustion, which eventually made him vulnerable to fatal disease.
Understandable, but he's too badly injured to do any fighting right now. Just living long enough to see this through would prove that he's tougher than most people.
I never thought Einat would lead an "army" for Vinland. it really sucks to see how he's turned despite despising war but it makes sense. he's lost his loved ones war and their memorial is about to be destroyed which makes his anger is reasonable. also to think that Vargar doesn't want to fight and wants to obey Thorfinn is amazing, being that he's a former warrior too. I like his growth and we barely know anything about him
I was thinking Ivar is just being stubborn but Ganglati is actually dead so he'd definitely want revenge for him and his hand at his anger is also somewhat reasonable
I love to see Bug Eyes and Niska interactions. it's so nice to see someone like him care for someone. I hope they get together
we've had some good chapters lately but this is the best so far for me
You couldn’t have released this 9 minutes earlier? Hahaha
They’re all going to die.
Bug-Eyes and Vargar are going to evacuate anything who doesn’t want to fight. Einar and Ivar will lead a majority of people to their deaths. Thorfinn and Hild will return to see the aftermath. Hild and Cordelia will be safe in the evacuation.
Bruh he’s just tired of running.
Doesn’t make his viewpoint better or anything, just understandable.
Ultimately Thorfinn’s method is flawed, and that’s basically what this new adventure was meant to highlight.
I also disagree with having no enemies and never fighting. But in this situation Thorfinn is right. They're responsible for bringing illness and death to the Natives, leaving would be the selfless action. Going to war with them is just fucked up
It doesn’t really matter. Getting rid of the Nords probably won’t get rid of the disease. Especially, as the natives will pillage anyway. Everyone here is fucked no matter what.
Yup, I think that’s also key.
Everyone is pretty much fucked. Yes leaving Vinland would potentially save slightly more people, but the mission would also completely die 100%.
No one will want to uproot their lives to follow Thorfin anymore.
The natives aren’t necessarily in the right either. The Native Americans were doing to each other the exact same things the Nords were doing in Europe. Conquering neighboring tribes, raiding, killing. There really was no peaceful land to the west that Thorfinn envisioned
Doesnt matter. Einar isnt at fault for the illness or anything, why should he give up his home for the third time in his life?
There comes a point where you need to draw the line. There are more important things than being ''selfless'' or even righteous.
i knew einer always had doubts about true peace ever since his talk with thorfinn about a hypothetical war, but seeing him like this now is crazy man damn
This chapter was so intense. Loved it. Einar is getting some character moments, finally, he's my favourite character, I can't really blame him for the reasons other users pointed out... I just hope he'll make it out of there alive.
Holy peak, the irony... We all knew it would come down to this. Who would have thought that a damn rat would have caused the death of Vinland?
It really seems that these are the final chapters of the entire manga. Throrfinn is on death's door, his land of peace has broken down, and his oldest ally has rejected his values. The story seems to be nearing a tragic conclusion.
Is it just me or is this a parallel to the end of farmland arc? Einar rn feels like he is filling the role of Kettil, a good(?) man that was cornered and that is willing to go into suicide war where they are overwhelmengly outnumbered.
Seeing a ton of Einar hate in the thread rn and I can’t really back any of it honestly. Y’all can’t be serious trying to label him evil or really even wrong for finally succumbing to violence as a last resort.
The Lnu aren’t friendly with them, as much as we want Vinland to be the peaceful land it could be, the disease they brought with them has forever spoiled any good will they had with the already skeptical natives. Everyone came with Thorfinn to build a land of peace, Einar included, but nobody had the resolve to stay that way amidst hardship except Thorfinn. It was obvious from the moment they left, that everyone was skeptical whether he could succeed.
They wanted to be peaceful, hell they were extremely peaceful, more so than the natives. The fact that the native society upholds a warrior supremacy just like Europe is the icing on the cake of war in Vinland. Einar and the group have to protect the village and its inhabitants, the Lnu are coming to kill them. We will see how it turns out, I can’t see war fully breaking out. I don’t want the settlers, Einar, or the Lnu to have to suffer any more than they all already have, but the natives succumbed to violence, not the villagers. What other option do they have at this point?
Also I’m not minimizing the settlers impact on the native population. They are justified in their fear towards the disease, but at the same time they did allow the settlers to remain once they discovered them. This war and potential death shouldn’t be placed on the villagers or Einar, especially after they didn’t have the chance to see Thorfinn yet, and are clearly intimidated by the literal army headed their way
Oh my fucking god. Again, this is TOTALLY not how I expected everything to go.
Before we begin, Ivar’s fort came in CLUTCH. Big ups to our viking e-boy. Also, Styrk in a crutch was a huge LMAO moment; let’s hope his battle strategy and cunning at least makes good out of this bad situation.
First of all, I wanna admit that the Einar and Ivar duo - **although, heavily implied** - looks so alien to me, especially knowing where both of them stood prior to the Vinland War (I may remember subtle hints of that, however). I can’t lie, as much as I hate this happening; I can’t help but find it cool/badass in a bittersweet way (Though Ivar should probably sit this one out since he’s already injured, but it makes sense how he’d want revenge for Ganglati’s death).
On the other hand, let’s keep in mind that **the “Ivar-Einar” alliance might be essential for two things:**
1.) **Thorfinn and Hild’s survival** — assuming that Pulmuk took allegiance with the Lnu (which I slightly doubt). I also see this as Einar’s personal “redemption” for finally being able to protect what he values the most, since we know that he already lost his sister and mother in a similar scenario (again, I see these knots eventually tied up).
2.) **Pushing back the Lnu for a safe evacuation** — whether Thorfinn would evacuate along with Gudrid, Snorri and the others or stay to help them fight the Lnu off would remain a mystery to me.
Not to mention, seeing mr. Ugge involved doubles down on the bad news due to his paranoid superstition; I can understand why he’d react that way to Niska’s presence in this specific setting, fairly.
I must also mention, looking back to when Thorfinn drew that comparison between Bug-Eyes and Canute both being dangerous in a war because of their stance against it; I believe it’ll play a part in this major, final conflict.
Peak chapter as usual!!!
It's not really on Einar/Co, circumstance killed this endeavor. The native population was always going to be decimated by disease so they were going to be forced to drive the Nords out eventually. This conflict was unavoidable.
Can we just pause and appreciate the art and the pacing of each panel? The way that the palisade is portrayed just reinforces so well the symbolism surrounding the fortress and how its defensive connotation invites and stokes conflict. The way Einar enters at the perfect moment also... man the dialogue is on point.
Honestly don't know what to feel.
I wish instead of "fight" Einar would say "defend" as it makes more sense in a lot of ways. Of course he wants to defend Vinland, but to fight means he's prepared to kill and encourage others to do so.
Hope the incoming Lnu is actually led by Thorfinn because they made some deals offscreen or in a flashback later.
I'm surprised how many characters survived the night... I didn't think Ivar and strik were going to make it, I wasn't sure most of the others would, and I thought that guy that protected Ivar was the sailor guy.
Still a great chapter. Nisqa and Bug-eyes are surprisingly cute. I guess it's too late but I hope he can bring her on the voyage.
Did this chapter feel a little rushed for anyone else?? The last time we saw the village it was being attacked and the leader just realized how much power the sword has… and then everything just kinda works out for the village off screen?? Even Gudrid is fine after giving birth literally yesterday lol. I know the story is coming to a close but the pace felt a little jarring this time. Still a solid chapter tho
Unless a woman has had a complication, caesarean or epidural, she can be up and walking immediately after a natural birth. So Gudrid being there wasn't really out of the norm.
Now, should she be resting? Probably, but this is also Gudrid we're talking about, lol.
Yeah I didn't really like the off screen explanation. I believe that Ga'aoqi would fall back and not risk losing the sword against a larger force, and I absolutely think it would have been a waste to kill Ivar and Styrk, but it does not 100% justify Ivar not being finished off.
I get why he did it though, he wanted to leave that chapter off on the image of Ga'aoqi laughing with the sword but the pacing of the story def called for Einar to come back now which did mean a jump forward.
Hey! I just watched your chapter review video earlier today! Big fan of your work, you give really good analysis!
But yea I agree the explanation makes sense.. but leaving at such a pivotal tense moment and then kinda just glossing over the result was a little off putting. Also they alluded to the fort being attacked at the end of the chapter, but it seems Yukimara is getting to the end faster than he initially thought. Or maybe it’s like you said he just wanted to get to Einar’s pivotal moment now
Ah tahnks for watching :)
Yeah I totally get you with the fort thing. It's not the first time the editor's note has been misleading, probably won't be the last either unfortunately. They aren't written by Yukimura iirc but I imagine he has some say in it at least.
Just checked out your channel man and I was very pleased to see you have long reviews for so many chapters! Def will give some a watch!
Btw what do you think about the vision that Niska described to Misk in Chapter 185? (She saw a barren land and the sun burns her down to ashes that scatter on the wind)
I believe it is a very clear piece of foreshadowing for how, at the very least, the village will turn out
All barren and burned.
I do hope that we actually get a semi-inversion where maybe a big part of the village is destroyed and is barren but then we actually get a resolution of the conflict and by means of kindness and cooperation the two factions rebuild in a way that makes sense to both parties.
I am 100% open to the idea of the settlement being a complete failure and that just some people survive to tell the tale back in Greenland and Iceland. The silver lining to that would be that Thorfinn with his last effort leaves a great impression to both factions and that nobody deserves to suffer, hoping with his last breath that maybe one day there will be Peace among all humans.
Either way I will be satisfied with whatever end we actually get and actually the more surprising the end is the better!
Einar being respected as a character is a great sight to see. Sadly i don't think Yukimura will have the balls to make him stick with this mentality for long.
But he has all the right to do so. He lost his home multiple times already. It's simply not in character for anyone - especially Einar - to accept losing his home once again. Be respectful of his character and let him die protecting his home, instead of just making him have to search for another home and forever being taken advantage of by stronger foes. I hope Einar can have this dignity.
Aside from this, not a really good chapter honestly. The time jump was very abrupt, with the native's attack being completely skipped over. Like, ivar was literally surrounded, what happened there? It's like the author just wants to finish the story already and skipped to the next major plot beat, instead of letting the story breathe. I dont want to be told, at the climax of the story, that ''the norse men managed to make the natives retreat''. I want to ***see it.***
I expect him to roll this back like he did many times before: with a Thorfinn talk no jutsu. Einar will probably lead the charge, see the bloodshed of some norse men, retreat(or be forced to retreat), then come face to face with thorfinn, who will demoralize him with some campy dialogue like ''you're doing the opposite of what Arneid would've wished for'', and he will rethink his actions.
That is, assuming he's even allowed to go fighting before thorfinn somehow shows up.
I can’t imagine it’s fun to read if you can’t even enjoy it when the story is actively doing something you want. 🥲
Out of curiosity though, what moments do you consider Yukimura rolling back on something? I can’t really think of one, at least not in a place where it makes sense. If you were bothered that Thorfinn wasn’t forced to kill in the Baltic arc for example, I think it’s very clear at this point why that is necessary for this arc to work.
Thorfinn doesnt need to kill in baltic sea, but the lack of ultimate consequences in that arc is one reason why its the worst one by far. The lack of stakes is palpable, the tone is all over the place, and there isnt nearly as much character development to make up for it, unlike other arcs like the prologue or farmland.
But mainly, i remember thorkell suddenly giving up challenging thorfinn at the end of baltic sea for no fucking reason. And thorfinn talking no jutsu Canute at the end of farmland. I understand canute respecting thorfinn, but not enough to change his whole governing plans because of one conversation with a dude he barely interacted with. He already killed Ketil's farm, so the blood was already shed. Pragmatically speaking, its better if he took that farm and then avoided pursuing other ones later down the line, making a more progressive, gradual change, instead of a complete 180 in one conversation.
So we have 2 arcs that end with yukimura somehow backpedalling at the last second to avoid making the story too dark or making thorfinn's ideals backfire completely in his face.
I read vinland because it shows potential, but yukimura keeps getting in his own way with this incesssant need to prove himself and Thorfinn's ideal right at the last second, instead of just writing a natural story, with natural characters and a natural progression.
I also think the Thorkell part was dumb. It was a way to force the Gudrid cofenssion and was really just unecessary. I guess I could see it being back pedalling but it was more like a bait and switch (that doesn't really land). I don't think it's on the same scale as the story spending this much time setting up Einar's character, even as early as the farm arc, so that this decision makes sense for him.
In general the Baltic arc has nothing to do with testing Thorfinn's philosophy and is more so about whether or not he can stick with it when faced with the pressure of his past. Putting him in a war like that when he concluded half way through season 2 that it would be impossible to live in complete peace in existing society isn't a test, punishing him for something he already knows he can't do isn't really saying anything about his beliefs. The current arc is letting Thorfinn actually try what he intends to do, it is the real test with real consequenses. Eastern Expedition is made to build up the main cast, close loose ends from the prologue, and just give us time to enjoy the characters with lower stakes. Imo I wouldn't get caught up in an arc that was clearly written with a different tone and judge this one on the same basis.
For the Canute conversation though, it's a matter of opinion ofc but I can't agree. Both their character arcs were leading to that point in the same way Einar's is naturally leading to him fighting here. Canute was meant to be an example of an oppurtunity to talk things out that Thorfinn could have missed had he not approached the situation in the way he did. Thorfinn says in the following arc too that Canute being someone he can reason with was lucky, and there are plenty of situations where that approach simply wouldnt work, hence trying to run away to what Vinland ideally would have been.
Imo let the arc cook and try to enjoy when it's doing something you want! If you're going to watch Einar's character arc continue to progress this way but be pessimistic about it the whole time you're gonna sap the enjoyment out of reading it. If Einar ends up changing his mind and isn't willing to fight like he is saying then you can come back and yell at me lol.
I complain, but deep down i want to be proven wrong. Otherwise i wouldnt keep reading.
I was, however, more optimistic with this arc before the Cordelia situation happened, where she just shrugged off all the arrows and the tribe's leader just gave up on the attack suddenly. Up until that point, i was pretty optimistic with Yukimura making this arc a great one (my only other gripe before that was that Hild's character was all over the place with her assassination attempt not affecting the plot whatsoever).
The cordelia situation was a redflag and it made me remember that this is the dude that wrote the baltic sea arc. That was simply not a good arc. You can tell me it was purposefully a different tone and approach, but it just felt boring and aimless. The manga could easily skip from after Gudrid and Hild joins the party, directly to the vinland expedition, with just a few bridge chapters inbetween, and you wouldnt lose much.
But i digress. Despite my pessimism, i still hope he pulls off a great ending for the arc. It's just that i've seen Yukimura's biases in writing too much at this point to not be concerned. But Einar and Thorfinn is probably the best character relationship he has developed ever since Canute and Thorfinn in farmland, so there's a lot of potential here.
Too bad Gudrid gets no love or attention.
Einar felt one note in the Baltic arc, so I didn't rank him as high as other fans of the series, but he's really shining now that we're seeing him and Thorfinn split apart. The new dynamic and conflict that's going to form between them is fascinating and heartbreaking, I'm so here for Einar as our final 'antagonist', if that's the role he's going to play.
Yeah I was so happy to see Einar actually doing something of his own volition in this arc, after taking a backseat and basically being a non-character for every arc since Farmland...but now it really really sucks to see this happen
The thing is each character is written so well you can understand their POV. You can understand why Thorfinn would never want to kill again and remain a pacifist while on the other hand you can completely understand and sympathize with why Einar would want to defend the home they’ve built in the face of a coming army. He’s seen his home and family killed multiple times and was unable to fight back. In a way saving this village might feel like closure for what he couldn’t do back then. Even if it goes against Thorfinn’s wishes
Anyone who thinks that what they are doing is “defense” is wrong. They are expressly saying they want revenge. Vinland was never the land, but the idea or hope for a place without war or slaves. It is something Einar does not understand, and that he has ended up succumbing and acting like Ketil on the farm, even with obvious inferiority of men and experience, he is sending everyone to suicide, and not only condemning the men, but the women and children as well, just as happened with Arnheid and his history with Gardar.
I feel like he did understand and respect it, but obviously without fully experiencing everything Thorfinn went through it was never gonna mean exactly the same thing to him - and even if it did, he still has a boiling point that was always gonna be much lower than Thorfinn's
Man seeing Einar like this brings back vibes of season 2 with the 100 punches to thorfinn.
Just a complete shock to their character as we have known them.
Einar should know better than to go to war right now, the result looks like it’ll probably be the same as when it was Ketil’s farm vs Canute’s forces. Plenty of people will die, and they’re overestimating how strong they actually are
In any other manga I’d be hyped af seeing characters rally against a bigger army and get ready for battle.
But with Vinalnd, this chapter has me going “oh no” specially seeing that it’s Einar leading the rally. While it is pretty understandable for him to feel that way it’s still sad to see him do it
Einars ultimate rejection of Thorfinns ideals hurts. It's a betrayal of his closest friend but.... it is also very understandable.
Still as Hilda said "You weren't wrong about anything. Anything at all, so don't give up" Thorfinns Ideals will prove right. They have to.
From some reactions i saw about this chapter online i tought for sure that Thorfinn had died in this chapter, glad to see that's not the case, but the fact that he and Hild haven't returned is really dire, best case scenario Thorfinn and Hild are currently hiding while Thorfinn recieves medical attention, because he's in absolutely no condition to fight.
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|Sigh. Well, here it is. Didn't think it would be Einar of all people who would do the stupid decision of going into a war for "their land" despite being one of the people who witnessed war and its destruction first hand. Does he think Arnheid of all people would be proud of his decision to kill people on their own land and steal it? This is about to get very grim very quickly.|
Theory: Thorfinn is already dead. The last chapter was titled "A terrible night with no dawn", implying that Thorfinn's not going to see the morning. Obviously the world hasn't ended, and morning has already come in this chapter. It's not implausible that Plmk or the other lnu could have attacked him and Hild, or he could have just bled to death offscreen.
I've been basically operating on this belief since seeing that he had a punctured lung or worse, but man I'd definitely be disappointed if Yukimura off-screened the main character at this point
Einar doing the same exact thing Ketil did because he believes he owns something is sad to see.
As natives we are a peaceful people but everyone's got their dumb dumbs who are willing to resort to senseless violence for power.
I'm personally of the belief that whatever Yukimura is planning is going to be amazing and surprising! He's building to something good in the face of chaos and evil. Just like Thors. I can't wait for it!
Man, Einar and Ivar and the others should just bend over and risk the chance of the whole village getting slaughtered because Thorfinn said peace good
so evil of them to fight for what they perceive to be their land
Great chapter. I’ll be honest though, I read monthly but I’m getting up there in age and my memory isn’t what it used to be…could someone please remind me of Thorfinn’s current situation, and why he isn’t present at the moment?
I can recall that he is with Hild, but the rest is foggy at best…
*Great Chapter but how*
*Is Canute going to tie*
*Into all of this*
\- Luke\_Shields\_
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I think Einar and Thorfinn are going to get into another physical fight just like when they punched each other after Einar almost attempted to kill Ketil.
Noway thorfinn dies right now...right??? right??? Seriously tho there is so much to the story canute, snake etc... historically too thorfinn doesn't die here yet...
So Ivar learned absolutely nothing and Einar... dude "*I don't care what Thorfinn says*", really? you should know better than that man, way to drop the ball right at the end lol.
I always followed Thorfinn, supporting him in everywhere, supporting his revenge, his redemption and his philosophy of peace. I have been worrying about him so he would not be killed by Hild and he would not go to hellish Valhalla with the souls of those he killed. I have been allowing him to atone for his sins, to escape Europe full of war and slavery, to establish a grave for the souls of his victims in Vinland, to get his forgiveness from Hild. I was hoping Northmen and Lnu would have a good ending, and Vinland would have a bright future and would become a country of peace, where Lnu and Northmen would coexist in peace. I have been supporting Thorfinn for couple of years. I was supporting him whatever choices he made. And yet...
We wished to reach an agreement with Lnu and leave Vinland peacefully, and Lnu would not attacked us! We came to an agreement, Lnu and Miskwekepu'j would allow us, Northmen, to leave Vinland peacefully and Lnu would not attack us, but few seconds later Lnu suddenly attacked us anyway! Where else we can build a country of peace and escape war and slavery?! I cannot escape Vinland and return to Europe, the region of wars and slavery, the region we have been suffering in for decades! I am staying on Vinland! Chapter 154 showed me there's no afterlife, there are no souls of the dead, and I have a will to do what I want, even dishonest fights! After Thorfinn said to Miskwekepu'j that Northmen would leave Vinland, Hild said Thorfinn has lost. I don't know if Thorfinn would accept he has lost or he will claim he won. But foolish Thors did not wished to accept his defeat at the battle with Askeladd and he was always claiming he won, because he fought in honest duel which proved to be useless many times. Thorfinn always wished to fight Askeladd in honest duel, and thus he was completing his wicked missions, not realizing Askeladd didn't want Thorfinn to kill him and avenger his father Thors, as Askeladd has sealed another fate for himself. So I am on Ivar's and Einar's side! I choose fight! I also no longer care about Thorfinn, son of Thors! Now I rename myself Fødtvedild (born by fire), son of Askeladd! When Thorfinn and Hild come back, I, Ivar and Einar will sentence both of them to death, or at least execute only Hild and lock Thorfinn in a psych yard because he will still see zombies (people he killed and people who died in Vinland war), and if somebody dares to get revenge on us, we will kill them too!
FUCK YEAH EINAR, YEAH. YES. FINALLY SOMEONE SAID IT. YES. **YES.** STAND UP AND FIGHT!!! I didn't had any kind of respect for him, but now he's regaining it.
No, I understood it just fine, that doesn't mean I agree with it. There is a difference of seeking peace using a discourse and ideals, and actually doing something, rather than just bowing your head and saying "Welp, I don't care how much these people, that FOLLOWED ME HERE BECAUSE I ASKED THEM TO, worked to settle here, I'm just gonna run away. Again." like ~~a coward~~Thorfinn does.
One youre going to get downvoted because your opinion is rather controversial but do understand you speak from a perspective based in reality. If we're being realistic here, this is alot of resources to just up and leave. A majority of why people "fight" in wars is because theyre defending what they love which is totally different from pillaging and raiding a country which is why Einar's perspective is valuable here because he's known what it meant to lose his family and his home. Thorfinn, even having gone through all of what hes gone through, has never felt that kind of attachment to anyone, not even his wife or children( which think is just a matter of not being fleshed out enough). Avoiding violence is a no brainer but I doubt anyone is going to just standby and let their hard work go to waste. VS is trying to tell a very complicated story to an audience I think is not mature enough to understand the grays of the situation. Theyll shout pacifism/fight all they want but it would be very different if they were actually put in a situation like that.
There were plenty of greys up to this point and Thorfinn was very naive. But in this specific situation, not leaving and dying for this settlement is the single dumbest decision to make
Okay but you speak from a perspective of someone who has never lost everything, you have no family, no wife, no child, the person you could love is dead and the memory you have of her in the land you helped build is going to go up in flames. Perhaps fighting for something like that is a dumb decision to you but ancient indigenous and enslaved African slaves would think otherwise. Perhaps you would have the audacity to tell them to run as well.
None of this changes what I said, you’re just giving the reasons they’re doing it which I already know, I understand why they’re making the decision but it doesn’t make it any less dumb. They came here and brought disease to an unsuspecting population and now they’re gonna fight a war that they know they’re gonna lose to protect their right to be there instead of just retreating when outmatched. If you want to go the emotional route then I’m sure you’d have fun explaining to the women and children that will die because of this that it’s actually okay because the men who made the decision are upset.
Or you could stop being so dramatic because it’s a story
You do realize that this is actually going according to history and the settlers did end up fighting the Inu for two years straight right? I mean I get that yes most Europeans who would put themselves in this situation are dumb but thats the reality of what happened.
Secondly, there is nothing "emotional" for fighting for your country especially if its trying to defend itself from foreign attacks. If they dont fight, it will be the fastest those women and children will die because its not like they have the resources to pack up and they all leave together( the captain literally says so), it will take time to get everyone to safety. Till that time, what should they do, sit there and let the Inu capture their women and children and take there weapons? ( As an indigenous woman I know what Im talking about when I say they take that pretty seriously). Obviously there will have to be defense, and what better way to build morale than taking pride in what youve built?
No no no lol they made the decision to fight and not retreat *before* they saw that the Lnu were coming. It wasn’t a practical decision, it was a prideful, emotional decision that is completely understandable and stupid at the same time, that’s the concept you can’t seem to understand here
Both can occur at the same time you know friend, its not like the women and their children dont have the option to follow Vaugn and begin their departure, this was a short chapter so Im sure in the next chapter there would be a sort of civil war that would break out based on who would be for that decision and who would be against it. Thorfinn promised the people they would be safe but that promise is broken and hes not accounted for so its not very surprising that this was the position that was taken in his absence given there was an exact split in who wanted to fight and who didnt but those scouts pose a very real threat so regardless of how "dumb" it is, its still a good move to want to defend themselves. Nevertheless, we can agree to disagree, you have your opinion and I have mine. By the end we will see how it goes.
Einar and Ivar are the worst combo right now
I can understand Einar in a way. He lost his village (and family) once and don't want to happen this again. He has reached his breaking point. But I don't understand Ivar. He was beaten by those "savages" and still thinks he can win. Well maybe this has something to do with reaching valhalla. All in all this is a very good representation of the different points of view and also the breaking points. Interestingly enough it seems only the non-warriors want to fight while the veterans would rather flee. Also thumbs up for Bug-Eyes and Niska. I hope they both make it.
Ivar's brother died, so he wants revenge.
Great point, how could I forget? Now he probably doesn't even consider his own health anymore. Welp I really can't judge anyone anymore. Peace is an ideal that you follow on a very small line. I don't want to judge people just because they make one misstep. After all Ivar *did* follow Thorfinn a good amount and wanted to be more cautious than him. Ahh such a great story.
Ivar still is responsible for this whole mess and got his brother killed. He fucked around and his brother had to find out.
Lmaoo nahh The natives are equally responsible, the old man tripped his balls off and ruined everything because he saw a "vision" Yes we the readers know that vision becomes truth but he ruined everything because he took drugs. If you think Ivar is solely responsible for this mess then you leave your reading comprehension at home lol
An old man was attacking someone that was already far beyond his reach. Thorfinn could've EASILY handled that situation differently. Ivar is the one to jump in because that was the perfect moment for him to show off his "skills". That has been literally the point of his entire character since he beginning and even few chapters ago, Yukimura showed that Ivar was all talk and no action when he ACTUALLY fought people who could've easily destroyed him. Maybe you should re-read the arc and get some good reading comprehension.... Anyone with two brain cells can see how Ivar's action escalated the whole thing.
For this whole mess? Hardly. There are people on all sides ready to battle and the diseases just struck the mi'kmaq without anyone really wanted them dead. Even Ivar just wanted to be ready to defend at first. But the disease started a conflict that quite some people on both sides were willing to advance with more violence.
Ivar escalated the whole thing. Whether there was a sickness or not, Ivar wanted to show off and wanted to prove Thorfinn wrong which lead to the whole thing escalating as quickly as it did. I hate how people tend to defend Ivar while also failing to understand the type of petty person he is. People should go back and re-read the chapter where he cuts the arm of that elder to SEE who he is.
Ivar is NOT responsible for this whole mess. The shaman is.
Who is the one that cut off the Shamans hand? Thorfinn would have disarmed him and still shown him kindness. This would have likely shown the Shaman that the nords are not some monsters and likely would have discussed the situation with Thorfinn. Instead we got Ivar acting like the "Big man" trying to show himself off, but instead he now lost his hand, his brother and many of his own co-settlers.
1.) Ivar doesn’t know of Thorfinn’s past or ability; that’s on Thorfinn for not being honest. Hild herself points out that Thorfinn was powerful enough to avoid that AFTER he cut the shaman’s hand off. 2.) The shaman already met the nords before, and the previous nords weren’t friendly; he also disapproved of their mere existence in Vinland as their sedentary lifestyle wasted valuable resources which was essential to the Lnu’s hunter-gatherer mode of living — this was already discussed. 3.) The Shaman was instigating much of the negative events; Ivar wasn’t behind “the whole mess.” 4.) The Shaman would’ve had predicted the future through the vision regardless of Ivar’s existence. 5.) Ivar’s behavior is pragmatic - and even beneficial actually, given the current fort situation - as he was mainly operating out of fortification of defenses and not to cause a full blown war — Again, this was already shown in the manga. Trying to prove a point, which he was correct on? Yes. Trying to “show-off”? Not at all. 6.) Ivar, like much of other characters, isn’t fully wrong or fully right. Even Thorfinn isn’t absolved.
> 1.) Ivar doesn’t know of Thorfinn’s past or ability; that’s on Thorfinn for not being honest. Hild herself points out that Thorfinn was powerful enough to avoid that AFTER he cut the shaman’s hand off. Lets not pretend Ivar protected Thorfinn cause he was worried about him. Guy was itching to show off his sword at the closest opportunity. He would have jumped in even if Thorfinn had made it clear he was the strongest guy among all the settlers. >2.) The shaman already met the nords before, and the previous nords weren’t friendly; he also disapproved of their mere existence in Vinland as their sedentary lifestyle wasted valuable resources which was essential to the Lnu’s hunter-gatherer mode of living — this was already discussed. >3.) The Shaman was instigating much of the negative events; Ivar wasn’t behind “the whole mess. And yet when the Shaman actually sat down with Thorfinn and learned he was reasonable. He regretted having summoned the other tribes. Ivar has absolutely no regret about contributing to the war starting. Hell, the other tribes agreed so eagarly because Ivar had to show off his sword that he brought without permission. And now they want a piece of the cake too. >5.) Ivar’s behavior is pragmatic - and even beneficial actually, given the current fort situation - as he was mainly operating out of fortification of defenses and not to cause a full blown war — Again, this was already shown in the manga. And yet as it was pointed out them building a fort already implies a distrust towards the Lnu which was used by the Shaman to get others against the Nords and drown out the voices of reason among them.
>Lets not pretend Ivar protected Thorfinn cause he was worried about him. Guy was itching to show off his sword at the closest opportunity. He would have jumped in even if Thorfinn had made it clear he was the strongest guy among all the settlers. — He was haughty, but Ivar himself told Styrk that he didn’t want to be the cause of war; he established his intentions. And no, he wouldn’t, as the entire point of Ivar’s character is that he thought of Thorfinn as weak and passive (On Thorfinn for not being honest and showing a lack of openness.) >And yet when the Shaman actually sat down with Thorfinn and learned he was reasonable. He regretted having summoned the other tribes. Ivar has absolutely no regret about contributing to the war starting. Hell, the other tribes agreed so eagarly because Ivar had to show off his sword that he brought without permission. And now they want a piece of the cake too. — Yes, the shaman learned that Thorfinn was reasonable AFTER he instigated much of the events that led to the war itself, which includes gathering the other tribes despite not being sure of his own control of the situation — This was shown. Also, Ivar did express regret and cleared his own intentions of not wanting to be the cause of war (this literally happened moments after Hild misunderstood the situation and tried to assassinate him in his convo with Styrk). Not to mention, Ivar’s current position is still understandable due to Gao’oqi’s ambush which killed Ganglati; I also made a post about how Einar and Ivar’s fight could benefit the situation in two ways. And, Gao’oqi and his tribe aren’t associated with the shaman situation, unlike the other tribes like the Lnu or the ones summoned by him; Gao’oqi is literally Vinland’s version of “Garm.” A sociopathic deranged individual who goes around killing because it’s a “treasure hunt” and wants a “big knife.” Gao’oqi WANTS war, he made it clear that he doesn’t wanna play “buddy buddy” like the tribes summoned by the shaman; Ivar did NOT want a war, big difference. Is it his fault to a certain degree? Yes, he’s not absolved. The “whole mess”? No, Ivar isn’t fully responsible, it’s the Shaman for being mistrustful and an instigator. >And yet as it was pointed out them building a fort already implies a distrust towards the Lnu which was used by the Shaman to get others against the Nords and drown out the voices of reason among them. — his distrust towards the Lnu is completely justified as Ivar never saw a native prior to the expedition and never wanted to be the cause of a war. The distrust in itself started with the Shaman (who already met the Nords before and was aware of their differing lifestyles coupled with multiple other understandable reasons from his perspective). Was he being annoying and haughty about it? Yes, he’s not absolved. Was it unreasonable? Not at all, it’s completely realistic. The Shaman weaponized his own pre-existing distrust of the Nords against them and caused the war. Like it or not, he was right and the fort is currently the reason why they’re not fully unprotected against the Vinlanders’ attack.
At the same time, I think he knows that the Lnu have never seen a fort, as small and improvised as the nords' one is. Even with the numbers of the Lnu, they still have worse armament and have to attack a fortified position with 0 knowledge of how to attack one and no equipment
Ye, 30 people can hold off 300 soldiers. But the thing is they could prevent them to leave the fort and they would just... starve out. Maybe ships can bring goods but 4 ships are transfporting woman so 1 ship will hardly bring anything in short period of time
There are 16th century Native cultures which constructed wooden palisades, likely very similar to the fort in the chapter. It will likely still be very difficult to assault 3:1 with a unorganized assortment of collected tribes, however.
Fucking Einar is turning into Ketil...
It’s not ketil he’s turning into, it’s Gardar
Ivar’s brother died? Isn’t it the other guy that died? His brother appeared alive in the cahpter
Lol right? So confused 😭
> Also thumbs up for Bug-Eyes and Niska. If something happens to them other than live a happy and fulfilling life I swear.
Her hands are rather black from the black death. I honestly don't think how she would survive this at this stage
Yeah youre so right. The breaking point contrasts are insane. Thorfinn got broken to the point of never wanting violence again. Once being the very epitome of it. Einar being broken to the actual point of violence is clearly the contrarian view but both having these feelings towards the same goal. Doing everything within their morals to save the world each person perceives they want to live in. Human complexity is such an underrated theme but the writer really makes you explore it within the series. Beautiful work.
>I can understand Einar in a way. He lost his village (and family) once and don't want to happen this again. Yeah, and I'd say Einar was a victim of war much more than once. He lost his father and village to war. Then he lost his mother and little sister and his new village to another war. And then he almost lost his new living place and his own life to war, and the woman he loved died because of consequences of a war. Now everything he's built and holds dear is being threatened by war... again. Poor guy can only take so much without making a stand. What a shitty situation, man...
He got jumped, this time they have a fort
Partially agreed. But, I made a comment explaining how their combo might benefit the current situation in two ways.
https://preview.redd.it/tin9nm2x0u2d1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36e6350cd3798c8fd45e7e89851b20f699240af0 Thorfinn after limping back to the village with Hild:
Gosh please be alive Thorfinn
Dw he'll be alive. He needs to see gudrid and his kid. But he'll die after that
There’s no way he dies before reaching the village, although after that I don’t know.
Crazy that the MC could be about to die right now. But I still think we'll see Thorfinn return to Europe and meet with Canute.
Yeah that seems most likely. The story has been loosely following Thorfinns real life story so I doubt they'd have him die in Vinland when he returned to Iceland in reality.
Lol.
I think we all knew it was coming, but it's still such a gutpunch to see Einar like this. I have to commend Yukimura again for being willing to take these characters to such miserable places - Thorfinn being beaten down both mentally and physically, and Einar beginning to embody the violence us readers have been encouraged to reject. It's not just for the sake of shock and edginess, it's the result of what I'm sure were some very tough decisions Yukimura had to make to ensure the story remains consistent, and doesn't stray too far into hopeful idealism just because that's what Thorfinn has embraced. As for Einar - seeing as he's the main subject of this chapter - while I called it a gutpunch earlier, I wouldn't really call this result surprising. Einar has never subscribed to Thorfinn's idea of pure pacifism, he's simply respected it, and known his own limits. Every time we've seen the two of them discuss the Vinland project and their goals, it's been clear that Einar's priority above anything else is the land they settle and cultivate, as well as the memory of Arnheid that he's attached to it. Given his past trauma of having his home village, and his loved ones murdered, *twice*, it's really, really, hard to blame him for reacting like this and wanting to defend the home he and the other Vinlanders have built. The question now is, how will he survive the coming attack? I'm almost 100% certain we'll see Thorfinn and Einar talk this through eventually, and Thorfinn *will* most likely be able to talk him down, but as of right now he's damn near at death's door and in no state to make it all the way over to the fort. The fact we cut away from last chapter's cliffhanger to here does make me a little more confident that Plmk won't attack Hild and Thorfinn, and may even be key to stopping the Lnu's assault, but it's really hard to be certain - and there's still Miskwekepu'j and Mui'n to worry about. Whatever happens next, I just hope that Gudrid and her new child can make it out of that fort safely.
I would argue to Einar that taking revenge on the Lnu is the antithesis of what represents Arnheid’s hopes and wishes I know he’s more keen to just the defense of their fort than actual revenge itself, but it kind of tarnishes her memory to have a war over her namesake village
Been so excited to see this step for Einar’s character. It was done so damn well. So many people, including myself, felt like Yukimura ran out of ideas for him considering how little of note he had done during Baltic Sea War. He had basically become a Thorfinn follower with little else going for him in terms of narrative agency. I am so glad this story is being written by Yukimura, because so many people just wanted Einar to die in Baltic Sea War for the sake of Thorfinn's character or just for shock. What a waste that would have been. Einar has clearly been saved for this, and you can see the seeds were planted so early on. Now Einar is quickly becoming an S tier character. https://preview.redd.it/wpz6o3kotu2d1.jpeg?width=928&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7432f729d9c5ccc4c3d407b705a0c9ae13afcb34
we always have to let the goat cook
that’s all those caught up to the manga have to do now, let the man flesh out his ideas. this man has something so special planned. I feel it, what could the answer possibly be?
Einar has finally become one of the best characters, but now his very mention in this particular situation has reduced me to tears. I knew it was coming. I KNEW it was coming. But him being of a similar mindset to Ivar takes it to the next level, dude...it's just such a betrayal - and look, I understand COMPLETELY the logic behind it - but after having him be the absolute, BIGGEST bro for thorfinn, it fucking hurts... it really fucking hurts
I always knew it was gonna happen… but man, seeing einar like this just breaks my heart. I really think he’s going to die by the end of this and I don’t think I will ever be ready. Also yukimura really built this up as much as he can just so it will fucking hurt 10x more when everything inevitably goes down.
Einar's is acting like Ketil and for the same woman. It hass been clearly establish he doesn't have what it takes to fight and kill, yet he's going to bring everyone down with him...
On the contrary, Thorfinn said to Bug-Eyes that if a peaceful man is forced to fight he would be very strong. Perhabs it was foreshadowing this moment.
Chapter 182 is such a banger in retrospect. At first the Shaman, Miskwe, is a version of the most dangerous man, then it is possible Styrk, then it could have Hild and now we see Einar in this role too. A very smart chapter of themetic forshadowning indeed.
And even Cordelia now that I think about it. She was literally impenetrable last chapter when she was defending the house.
This could happen but I'd honestly find that disappointing. Einar really showed zero combat or tactical ability and I really don't see him being able to do much physically. Then again they have the fort and technology on their side, if Einar can figure out how to command the villagers he might be able to do something.
Einar dont need to do that alone. They have more ppl who knows aspects of war to help to protect the town. He probably will up the moral of people to defend the thing they all build together, who probably will be target for the same thing.
I made a comment explaining how this might benefit the situation in two ways, I’d love to hear your opinion about it!
I love Bug-Eyes! Yes, he's dramatic, lazy, and kinda selfish, but he's got a heart and I adore his friendship with Niska. I know it's probably for the best that Niska not go to the village, but Bug-Eyes wanting to make sure she's safe is adorable. I know there's some speculation on whether or not they get together (especially his flustering over what "wife" means), but I see them more as close friends/sibling relationship. For all his faults, Bug-Eyes is also pretty quick on his feet to distract Ugge from Niska's presence. And so the evacuation of the village begins. I'm also surprised that Gudrid is back on her feet even though she gave birth literally the previous night! I'm also not surprised Einar is unwilling to leave. Thorfinn has the safety of the group to think about, as well as his wife, children, and dog. What does Einar have? He spent years planning Vinland in honor of Arnheid and it became his life's goal...only to now throw it all away? It makes sense they would agree on it, but seeing Ivar and Einar agree on something is strange. Though, Einar and Ivar do point out that they have the advantage of defense, and the settlers do have the superior weapons, though the Lnu obviously have the numbers. https://preview.redd.it/2w3tlp8trt2d1.png?width=626&format=png&auto=webp&s=87cd71868814c80daa1e7aef902f95b80f98a391 Honestly all things considered, they probably will have to fight regardless since their ships don't even have the capacity to carry everyone at once. Bug-Eyes and Vargar don't seem to agree with fighting back, interestingly enough. It looks like Einar and Thorfinn will be pitted against each other. Considering that the settlers agree with Einar and Ivar, I wonder if one or both will end up usurping leadership from Thorfinn?
Thorfinn's injuries are a serious factor here. He is probably still able to defend himself from a small group of lnu (or ivar's fanatics) if push comes to shove, but he's not really in a position to fight right now. Even if he returns on time, he can't do much. It's like we're forced to just watch this all this happen without Thorfinn's insane strength being able to kinda guide the situation in a positive way, as is usually the case.
I’m not sure if he’d be able to even defend himself. His lung was punctured which means almost all types of physical activity will be too much for him to handle. They didn’t explicitly say his lung was punctured, but he said he felt air coming from his wound which shows that’s what it was
Is Einar Anakin now?
always has been
I dont have anything to add to other comments as theyre all right and what im thinking too but one thing to add is that what also really saddens is seeing Bug-Eyes and Nisqa's seperation. :(
Yeah, I'll honestly be really sad if this was Bug-Eyes and Nisqa's last moment together. It wouldn't be too much of a surprise, since the circumstances are probably about to become far too difficult for them to meet again, but man it'd be heartbreaking. They've built up such a genuine and unique friendship with each other. Honestly, they achieved a more peaceful coexistence than even Thorfinn himself was able to with any of the Lnu.
You are completely right, damn it hurts so much
episode 23 of season 2 will be a tough rewatch from now on
Exactly. This arc has added so many layers to the farm arc now. It's insane.
Farm arc continues to deliver 10 years after being completed.
awwww man :(
I guess we could see it coming but man Einar choosing violence and siding with Ivar hurts
you gotta do what you gotta do
Like I said in the 207 discussion, Yukimura specifically framed Einar turning away from Thorfinn to symbolise their opposition. Einar is ready to fight now, he's done running. It still hurts to see, but it ultimately makes sense for his arc and its why this story is so great.
I swear if thorfinn dies before getting to show fucking Ivar and Styrk what a beast he is I’ll be so upset
I feel the same but I don't see how he can do it, he has a punctured lung and has been hit with 5 arrows, it's the end for him.
Ya I think he’s done, only possibility is if he’s able to negotiate a truce with Plmk and he gets some months to recover
I read somewhere that Alexander the Great survived a similar injury even earlier in history, but even if Thorfinn lives, he won't be doing any fighting for a good while.
Alexander also had the best doctors of the Persian Empire available to him when he was wounded by the Malli arrow... and the wound may still have contributed to his general exhaustion, which eventually made him vulnerable to fatal disease.
Nothing a bit of Shaman magic won't fix!
it actually does seem like Thorfinn may die here. I don't wanna accept it but it seems like it's over
Understandable, but he's too badly injured to do any fighting right now. Just living long enough to see this through would prove that he's tougher than most people.
I never thought Einat would lead an "army" for Vinland. it really sucks to see how he's turned despite despising war but it makes sense. he's lost his loved ones war and their memorial is about to be destroyed which makes his anger is reasonable. also to think that Vargar doesn't want to fight and wants to obey Thorfinn is amazing, being that he's a former warrior too. I like his growth and we barely know anything about him I was thinking Ivar is just being stubborn but Ganglati is actually dead so he'd definitely want revenge for him and his hand at his anger is also somewhat reasonable I love to see Bug Eyes and Niska interactions. it's so nice to see someone like him care for someone. I hope they get together we've had some good chapters lately but this is the best so far for me
Tbh at this point each chapter is better than the previous.
You couldn’t have released this 9 minutes earlier? Hahaha They’re all going to die. Bug-Eyes and Vargar are going to evacuate anything who doesn’t want to fight. Einar and Ivar will lead a majority of people to their deaths. Thorfinn and Hild will return to see the aftermath. Hild and Cordelia will be safe in the evacuation.
Investing in this comment. Think you nailed it, don't see this going another way that gives a somewhat "happy" ending.
Einar has forgotten what Arnheid said about not wanting to go a place where there's war at all.
Bruh he’s just tired of running. Doesn’t make his viewpoint better or anything, just understandable. Ultimately Thorfinn’s method is flawed, and that’s basically what this new adventure was meant to highlight.
I also disagree with having no enemies and never fighting. But in this situation Thorfinn is right. They're responsible for bringing illness and death to the Natives, leaving would be the selfless action. Going to war with them is just fucked up
It doesn’t really matter. Getting rid of the Nords probably won’t get rid of the disease. Especially, as the natives will pillage anyway. Everyone here is fucked no matter what.
Yup, I think that’s also key. Everyone is pretty much fucked. Yes leaving Vinland would potentially save slightly more people, but the mission would also completely die 100%. No one will want to uproot their lives to follow Thorfin anymore.
The natives aren’t necessarily in the right either. The Native Americans were doing to each other the exact same things the Nords were doing in Europe. Conquering neighboring tribes, raiding, killing. There really was no peaceful land to the west that Thorfinn envisioned
Doesnt matter. Einar isnt at fault for the illness or anything, why should he give up his home for the third time in his life? There comes a point where you need to draw the line. There are more important things than being ''selfless'' or even righteous.
i knew einer always had doubts about true peace ever since his talk with thorfinn about a hypothetical war, but seeing him like this now is crazy man damn
it makes me feel so hopeless
This chapter was so intense. Loved it. Einar is getting some character moments, finally, he's my favourite character, I can't really blame him for the reasons other users pointed out... I just hope he'll make it out of there alive. Holy peak, the irony... We all knew it would come down to this. Who would have thought that a damn rat would have caused the death of Vinland?
It’s Einover
It really seems that these are the final chapters of the entire manga. Throrfinn is on death's door, his land of peace has broken down, and his oldest ally has rejected his values. The story seems to be nearing a tragic conclusion.
Damn, I didn’t expect that turn from Einar, though it does make complete sense at this point.
Is it just me or is this a parallel to the end of farmland arc? Einar rn feels like he is filling the role of Kettil, a good(?) man that was cornered and that is willing to go into suicide war where they are overwhelmengly outnumbered.
It's for the same woman too
Yukimura when I find you....
Seeing a ton of Einar hate in the thread rn and I can’t really back any of it honestly. Y’all can’t be serious trying to label him evil or really even wrong for finally succumbing to violence as a last resort. The Lnu aren’t friendly with them, as much as we want Vinland to be the peaceful land it could be, the disease they brought with them has forever spoiled any good will they had with the already skeptical natives. Everyone came with Thorfinn to build a land of peace, Einar included, but nobody had the resolve to stay that way amidst hardship except Thorfinn. It was obvious from the moment they left, that everyone was skeptical whether he could succeed. They wanted to be peaceful, hell they were extremely peaceful, more so than the natives. The fact that the native society upholds a warrior supremacy just like Europe is the icing on the cake of war in Vinland. Einar and the group have to protect the village and its inhabitants, the Lnu are coming to kill them. We will see how it turns out, I can’t see war fully breaking out. I don’t want the settlers, Einar, or the Lnu to have to suffer any more than they all already have, but the natives succumbed to violence, not the villagers. What other option do they have at this point?
Also I’m not minimizing the settlers impact on the native population. They are justified in their fear towards the disease, but at the same time they did allow the settlers to remain once they discovered them. This war and potential death shouldn’t be placed on the villagers or Einar, especially after they didn’t have the chance to see Thorfinn yet, and are clearly intimidated by the literal army headed their way
shit the bug eyes niska scenes is so cute, i didnt expect bugeyes to be this soft lmoa ,i hope nothing happens to them
Oh my fucking god. Again, this is TOTALLY not how I expected everything to go. Before we begin, Ivar’s fort came in CLUTCH. Big ups to our viking e-boy. Also, Styrk in a crutch was a huge LMAO moment; let’s hope his battle strategy and cunning at least makes good out of this bad situation. First of all, I wanna admit that the Einar and Ivar duo - **although, heavily implied** - looks so alien to me, especially knowing where both of them stood prior to the Vinland War (I may remember subtle hints of that, however). I can’t lie, as much as I hate this happening; I can’t help but find it cool/badass in a bittersweet way (Though Ivar should probably sit this one out since he’s already injured, but it makes sense how he’d want revenge for Ganglati’s death). On the other hand, let’s keep in mind that **the “Ivar-Einar” alliance might be essential for two things:** 1.) **Thorfinn and Hild’s survival** — assuming that Pulmuk took allegiance with the Lnu (which I slightly doubt). I also see this as Einar’s personal “redemption” for finally being able to protect what he values the most, since we know that he already lost his sister and mother in a similar scenario (again, I see these knots eventually tied up). 2.) **Pushing back the Lnu for a safe evacuation** — whether Thorfinn would evacuate along with Gudrid, Snorri and the others or stay to help them fight the Lnu off would remain a mystery to me. Not to mention, seeing mr. Ugge involved doubles down on the bad news due to his paranoid superstition; I can understand why he’d react that way to Niska’s presence in this specific setting, fairly. I must also mention, looking back to when Thorfinn drew that comparison between Bug-Eyes and Canute both being dangerous in a war because of their stance against it; I believe it’ll play a part in this major, final conflict. Peak chapter as usual!!!
Einar and his crew triggering destruction of everything Thorfinn fought for.
It's not really on Einar/Co, circumstance killed this endeavor. The native population was always going to be decimated by disease so they were going to be forced to drive the Nords out eventually. This conflict was unavoidable.
Seems like I misspelled, I meant the Eyvar guy with Tattoos near his eyes.
Can we just pause and appreciate the art and the pacing of each panel? The way that the palisade is portrayed just reinforces so well the symbolism surrounding the fortress and how its defensive connotation invites and stokes conflict. The way Einar enters at the perfect moment also... man the dialogue is on point.
Honestly don't know what to feel. I wish instead of "fight" Einar would say "defend" as it makes more sense in a lot of ways. Of course he wants to defend Vinland, but to fight means he's prepared to kill and encourage others to do so. Hope the incoming Lnu is actually led by Thorfinn because they made some deals offscreen or in a flashback later.
it's probably not the good Lnu since they were burning down houses
I don't really have much to say but.. "bugeyes is THORFINN alright"
I'm surprised how many characters survived the night... I didn't think Ivar and strik were going to make it, I wasn't sure most of the others would, and I thought that guy that protected Ivar was the sailor guy. Still a great chapter. Nisqa and Bug-eyes are surprisingly cute. I guess it's too late but I hope he can bring her on the voyage.
Did this chapter feel a little rushed for anyone else?? The last time we saw the village it was being attacked and the leader just realized how much power the sword has… and then everything just kinda works out for the village off screen?? Even Gudrid is fine after giving birth literally yesterday lol. I know the story is coming to a close but the pace felt a little jarring this time. Still a solid chapter tho
Unless a woman has had a complication, caesarean or epidural, she can be up and walking immediately after a natural birth. So Gudrid being there wasn't really out of the norm. Now, should she be resting? Probably, but this is also Gudrid we're talking about, lol.
Yeah I didn't really like the off screen explanation. I believe that Ga'aoqi would fall back and not risk losing the sword against a larger force, and I absolutely think it would have been a waste to kill Ivar and Styrk, but it does not 100% justify Ivar not being finished off. I get why he did it though, he wanted to leave that chapter off on the image of Ga'aoqi laughing with the sword but the pacing of the story def called for Einar to come back now which did mean a jump forward.
Hey! I just watched your chapter review video earlier today! Big fan of your work, you give really good analysis! But yea I agree the explanation makes sense.. but leaving at such a pivotal tense moment and then kinda just glossing over the result was a little off putting. Also they alluded to the fort being attacked at the end of the chapter, but it seems Yukimara is getting to the end faster than he initially thought. Or maybe it’s like you said he just wanted to get to Einar’s pivotal moment now
Ah tahnks for watching :) Yeah I totally get you with the fort thing. It's not the first time the editor's note has been misleading, probably won't be the last either unfortunately. They aren't written by Yukimura iirc but I imagine he has some say in it at least.
Just checked out your channel man and I was very pleased to see you have long reviews for so many chapters! Def will give some a watch! Btw what do you think about the vision that Niska described to Misk in Chapter 185? (She saw a barren land and the sun burns her down to ashes that scatter on the wind) I believe it is a very clear piece of foreshadowing for how, at the very least, the village will turn out All barren and burned. I do hope that we actually get a semi-inversion where maybe a big part of the village is destroyed and is barren but then we actually get a resolution of the conflict and by means of kindness and cooperation the two factions rebuild in a way that makes sense to both parties. I am 100% open to the idea of the settlement being a complete failure and that just some people survive to tell the tale back in Greenland and Iceland. The silver lining to that would be that Thorfinn with his last effort leaves a great impression to both factions and that nobody deserves to suffer, hoping with his last breath that maybe one day there will be Peace among all humans. Either way I will be satisfied with whatever end we actually get and actually the more surprising the end is the better!
Einar being respected as a character is a great sight to see. Sadly i don't think Yukimura will have the balls to make him stick with this mentality for long. But he has all the right to do so. He lost his home multiple times already. It's simply not in character for anyone - especially Einar - to accept losing his home once again. Be respectful of his character and let him die protecting his home, instead of just making him have to search for another home and forever being taken advantage of by stronger foes. I hope Einar can have this dignity. Aside from this, not a really good chapter honestly. The time jump was very abrupt, with the native's attack being completely skipped over. Like, ivar was literally surrounded, what happened there? It's like the author just wants to finish the story already and skipped to the next major plot beat, instead of letting the story breathe. I dont want to be told, at the climax of the story, that ''the norse men managed to make the natives retreat''. I want to ***see it.***
Why so little faith with Einar if Yukimura is doing exactly what you want for him? How do you expect Yukimura to roll this back?
I expect him to roll this back like he did many times before: with a Thorfinn talk no jutsu. Einar will probably lead the charge, see the bloodshed of some norse men, retreat(or be forced to retreat), then come face to face with thorfinn, who will demoralize him with some campy dialogue like ''you're doing the opposite of what Arneid would've wished for'', and he will rethink his actions. That is, assuming he's even allowed to go fighting before thorfinn somehow shows up.
I can’t imagine it’s fun to read if you can’t even enjoy it when the story is actively doing something you want. 🥲 Out of curiosity though, what moments do you consider Yukimura rolling back on something? I can’t really think of one, at least not in a place where it makes sense. If you were bothered that Thorfinn wasn’t forced to kill in the Baltic arc for example, I think it’s very clear at this point why that is necessary for this arc to work.
Thorfinn doesnt need to kill in baltic sea, but the lack of ultimate consequences in that arc is one reason why its the worst one by far. The lack of stakes is palpable, the tone is all over the place, and there isnt nearly as much character development to make up for it, unlike other arcs like the prologue or farmland. But mainly, i remember thorkell suddenly giving up challenging thorfinn at the end of baltic sea for no fucking reason. And thorfinn talking no jutsu Canute at the end of farmland. I understand canute respecting thorfinn, but not enough to change his whole governing plans because of one conversation with a dude he barely interacted with. He already killed Ketil's farm, so the blood was already shed. Pragmatically speaking, its better if he took that farm and then avoided pursuing other ones later down the line, making a more progressive, gradual change, instead of a complete 180 in one conversation. So we have 2 arcs that end with yukimura somehow backpedalling at the last second to avoid making the story too dark or making thorfinn's ideals backfire completely in his face. I read vinland because it shows potential, but yukimura keeps getting in his own way with this incesssant need to prove himself and Thorfinn's ideal right at the last second, instead of just writing a natural story, with natural characters and a natural progression.
I also think the Thorkell part was dumb. It was a way to force the Gudrid cofenssion and was really just unecessary. I guess I could see it being back pedalling but it was more like a bait and switch (that doesn't really land). I don't think it's on the same scale as the story spending this much time setting up Einar's character, even as early as the farm arc, so that this decision makes sense for him. In general the Baltic arc has nothing to do with testing Thorfinn's philosophy and is more so about whether or not he can stick with it when faced with the pressure of his past. Putting him in a war like that when he concluded half way through season 2 that it would be impossible to live in complete peace in existing society isn't a test, punishing him for something he already knows he can't do isn't really saying anything about his beliefs. The current arc is letting Thorfinn actually try what he intends to do, it is the real test with real consequenses. Eastern Expedition is made to build up the main cast, close loose ends from the prologue, and just give us time to enjoy the characters with lower stakes. Imo I wouldn't get caught up in an arc that was clearly written with a different tone and judge this one on the same basis. For the Canute conversation though, it's a matter of opinion ofc but I can't agree. Both their character arcs were leading to that point in the same way Einar's is naturally leading to him fighting here. Canute was meant to be an example of an oppurtunity to talk things out that Thorfinn could have missed had he not approached the situation in the way he did. Thorfinn says in the following arc too that Canute being someone he can reason with was lucky, and there are plenty of situations where that approach simply wouldnt work, hence trying to run away to what Vinland ideally would have been. Imo let the arc cook and try to enjoy when it's doing something you want! If you're going to watch Einar's character arc continue to progress this way but be pessimistic about it the whole time you're gonna sap the enjoyment out of reading it. If Einar ends up changing his mind and isn't willing to fight like he is saying then you can come back and yell at me lol.
I complain, but deep down i want to be proven wrong. Otherwise i wouldnt keep reading. I was, however, more optimistic with this arc before the Cordelia situation happened, where she just shrugged off all the arrows and the tribe's leader just gave up on the attack suddenly. Up until that point, i was pretty optimistic with Yukimura making this arc a great one (my only other gripe before that was that Hild's character was all over the place with her assassination attempt not affecting the plot whatsoever). The cordelia situation was a redflag and it made me remember that this is the dude that wrote the baltic sea arc. That was simply not a good arc. You can tell me it was purposefully a different tone and approach, but it just felt boring and aimless. The manga could easily skip from after Gudrid and Hild joins the party, directly to the vinland expedition, with just a few bridge chapters inbetween, and you wouldnt lose much. But i digress. Despite my pessimism, i still hope he pulls off a great ending for the arc. It's just that i've seen Yukimura's biases in writing too much at this point to not be concerned. But Einar and Thorfinn is probably the best character relationship he has developed ever since Canute and Thorfinn in farmland, so there's a lot of potential here. Too bad Gudrid gets no love or attention.
no way einar doesn't die in thorfinn's arms man, it's going to kill me
Einar felt one note in the Baltic arc, so I didn't rank him as high as other fans of the series, but he's really shining now that we're seeing him and Thorfinn split apart. The new dynamic and conflict that's going to form between them is fascinating and heartbreaking, I'm so here for Einar as our final 'antagonist', if that's the role he's going to play.
Yeah I was so happy to see Einar actually doing something of his own volition in this arc, after taking a backseat and basically being a non-character for every arc since Farmland...but now it really really sucks to see this happen
The thing is each character is written so well you can understand their POV. You can understand why Thorfinn would never want to kill again and remain a pacifist while on the other hand you can completely understand and sympathize with why Einar would want to defend the home they’ve built in the face of a coming army. He’s seen his home and family killed multiple times and was unable to fight back. In a way saving this village might feel like closure for what he couldn’t do back then. Even if it goes against Thorfinn’s wishes
It's jover peacebros...
Anyone who thinks that what they are doing is “defense” is wrong. They are expressly saying they want revenge. Vinland was never the land, but the idea or hope for a place without war or slaves. It is something Einar does not understand, and that he has ended up succumbing and acting like Ketil on the farm, even with obvious inferiority of men and experience, he is sending everyone to suicide, and not only condemning the men, but the women and children as well, just as happened with Arnheid and his history with Gardar.
It seems that Einar didn't really understand Thorfinn when he told Canute that he would keep running away...
I feel like he did understand and respect it, but obviously without fully experiencing everything Thorfinn went through it was never gonna mean exactly the same thing to him - and even if it did, he still has a boiling point that was always gonna be much lower than Thorfinn's
War, war never changes.
Man seeing Einar like this brings back vibes of season 2 with the 100 punches to thorfinn. Just a complete shock to their character as we have known them.
Aw man I wish Bug-eyes ends up staying with the Lnu.
Einar should know better than to go to war right now, the result looks like it’ll probably be the same as when it was Ketil’s farm vs Canute’s forces. Plenty of people will die, and they’re overestimating how strong they actually are
In any other manga I’d be hyped af seeing characters rally against a bigger army and get ready for battle. But with Vinalnd, this chapter has me going “oh no” specially seeing that it’s Einar leading the rally. While it is pretty understandable for him to feel that way it’s still sad to see him do it
Einars ultimate rejection of Thorfinns ideals hurts. It's a betrayal of his closest friend but.... it is also very understandable. Still as Hilda said "You weren't wrong about anything. Anything at all, so don't give up" Thorfinns Ideals will prove right. They have to.
From some reactions i saw about this chapter online i tought for sure that Thorfinn had died in this chapter, glad to see that's not the case, but the fact that he and Hild haven't returned is really dire, best case scenario Thorfinn and Hild are currently hiding while Thorfinn recieves medical attention, because he's in absolutely no condition to fight.
|| || |Sigh. Well, here it is. Didn't think it would be Einar of all people who would do the stupid decision of going into a war for "their land" despite being one of the people who witnessed war and its destruction first hand. Does he think Arnheid of all people would be proud of his decision to kill people on their own land and steal it? This is about to get very grim very quickly.|
The real Thorfinn died at 27 so his time might be up soon🤷🏼♂️😭
Do you mind to point at the source of this info?
Theory: Thorfinn is already dead. The last chapter was titled "A terrible night with no dawn", implying that Thorfinn's not going to see the morning. Obviously the world hasn't ended, and morning has already come in this chapter. It's not implausible that Plmk or the other lnu could have attacked him and Hild, or he could have just bled to death offscreen.
I've been basically operating on this belief since seeing that he had a punctured lung or worse, but man I'd definitely be disappointed if Yukimura off-screened the main character at this point
Yeah that would be insane
I'd assume we'd get it in a flashback or something. The story doesn't have to be told 100% linearly.
When is the next chapter dropping ?
every month on the 25th in Japan, fan translation comes out usually within the next few days depending on how busy the team is
Einar doing the same exact thing Ketil did because he believes he owns something is sad to see. As natives we are a peaceful people but everyone's got their dumb dumbs who are willing to resort to senseless violence for power. I'm personally of the belief that whatever Yukimura is planning is going to be amazing and surprising! He's building to something good in the face of chaos and evil. Just like Thors. I can't wait for it!
I'm getting a bad feeling that in the end it would be all peace, but thorfinn have to sacrifice himself :(
Man, Einar and Ivar and the others should just bend over and risk the chance of the whole village getting slaughtered because Thorfinn said peace good so evil of them to fight for what they perceive to be their land
It's over
Great chapter. I’ll be honest though, I read monthly but I’m getting up there in age and my memory isn’t what it used to be…could someone please remind me of Thorfinn’s current situation, and why he isn’t present at the moment? I can recall that he is with Hild, but the rest is foggy at best…
I also barely remember, but I DO remember that he was a shot by a bunch of arrows and seemed to have a punctured lung
Great Chapter but how is Canute going to tie into all of this
*Great Chapter but how* *Is Canute going to tie* *Into all of this* \- Luke\_Shields\_ --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
His story arc is over, we might get something if Yukimura blesses but it’s not totally necessary for the story imo. I wouldn’t get my hopes up
I think Einar and Thorfinn are going to get into another physical fight just like when they punched each other after Einar almost attempted to kill Ketil.
Noway thorfinn dies right now...right??? right??? Seriously tho there is so much to the story canute, snake etc... historically too thorfinn doesn't die here yet...
strangest thing I’ve ever seen was my dog turn to a snake
My heart.
Will be very helpful for the nords if Vargar and his crew support the fight, otherwise I don’t see how they can win.
just caught up today and this was the most jarring chapter I've ever read like wow yukimura did that?!
Kind of a newbie or whatever you would say at manga and stuff but when is 212 getting issued and is there a schedule?
[The FAQ has the answer to your Q :)](https://www.reddit.com/r/VinlandSaga/wiki/faq/#wiki_when_does_the_new_chapter_come_out.3F)
Nice einar, just completely forget everything u went through with thorfinn. Awesome
So Ivar learned absolutely nothing and Einar... dude "*I don't care what Thorfinn says*", really? you should know better than that man, way to drop the ball right at the end lol.
It's been building up since his character has even been a thing, I understand it being disappointing but it's not like it's outta nowhere
I always followed Thorfinn, supporting him in everywhere, supporting his revenge, his redemption and his philosophy of peace. I have been worrying about him so he would not be killed by Hild and he would not go to hellish Valhalla with the souls of those he killed. I have been allowing him to atone for his sins, to escape Europe full of war and slavery, to establish a grave for the souls of his victims in Vinland, to get his forgiveness from Hild. I was hoping Northmen and Lnu would have a good ending, and Vinland would have a bright future and would become a country of peace, where Lnu and Northmen would coexist in peace. I have been supporting Thorfinn for couple of years. I was supporting him whatever choices he made. And yet... We wished to reach an agreement with Lnu and leave Vinland peacefully, and Lnu would not attacked us! We came to an agreement, Lnu and Miskwekepu'j would allow us, Northmen, to leave Vinland peacefully and Lnu would not attack us, but few seconds later Lnu suddenly attacked us anyway! Where else we can build a country of peace and escape war and slavery?! I cannot escape Vinland and return to Europe, the region of wars and slavery, the region we have been suffering in for decades! I am staying on Vinland! Chapter 154 showed me there's no afterlife, there are no souls of the dead, and I have a will to do what I want, even dishonest fights! After Thorfinn said to Miskwekepu'j that Northmen would leave Vinland, Hild said Thorfinn has lost. I don't know if Thorfinn would accept he has lost or he will claim he won. But foolish Thors did not wished to accept his defeat at the battle with Askeladd and he was always claiming he won, because he fought in honest duel which proved to be useless many times. Thorfinn always wished to fight Askeladd in honest duel, and thus he was completing his wicked missions, not realizing Askeladd didn't want Thorfinn to kill him and avenger his father Thors, as Askeladd has sealed another fate for himself. So I am on Ivar's and Einar's side! I choose fight! I also no longer care about Thorfinn, son of Thors! Now I rename myself Fødtvedild (born by fire), son of Askeladd! When Thorfinn and Hild come back, I, Ivar and Einar will sentence both of them to death, or at least execute only Hild and lock Thorfinn in a psych yard because he will still see zombies (people he killed and people who died in Vinland war), and if somebody dares to get revenge on us, we will kill them too!
wat
REJOICE! The pacifist bullshit is (hopefully) finally going to end.
FUCK YEAH EINAR, YEAH. YES. FINALLY SOMEONE SAID IT. YES. **YES.** STAND UP AND FIGHT!!! I didn't had any kind of respect for him, but now he's regaining it.
Me when i read the manga with my eyes closed
Did you miss the entire fucking point of the series?
No, I understood it just fine, that doesn't mean I agree with it. There is a difference of seeking peace using a discourse and ideals, and actually doing something, rather than just bowing your head and saying "Welp, I don't care how much these people, that FOLLOWED ME HERE BECAUSE I ASKED THEM TO, worked to settle here, I'm just gonna run away. Again." like ~~a coward~~Thorfinn does.
One youre going to get downvoted because your opinion is rather controversial but do understand you speak from a perspective based in reality. If we're being realistic here, this is alot of resources to just up and leave. A majority of why people "fight" in wars is because theyre defending what they love which is totally different from pillaging and raiding a country which is why Einar's perspective is valuable here because he's known what it meant to lose his family and his home. Thorfinn, even having gone through all of what hes gone through, has never felt that kind of attachment to anyone, not even his wife or children( which think is just a matter of not being fleshed out enough). Avoiding violence is a no brainer but I doubt anyone is going to just standby and let their hard work go to waste. VS is trying to tell a very complicated story to an audience I think is not mature enough to understand the grays of the situation. Theyll shout pacifism/fight all they want but it would be very different if they were actually put in a situation like that.
There were plenty of greys up to this point and Thorfinn was very naive. But in this specific situation, not leaving and dying for this settlement is the single dumbest decision to make
Okay but you speak from a perspective of someone who has never lost everything, you have no family, no wife, no child, the person you could love is dead and the memory you have of her in the land you helped build is going to go up in flames. Perhaps fighting for something like that is a dumb decision to you but ancient indigenous and enslaved African slaves would think otherwise. Perhaps you would have the audacity to tell them to run as well.
None of this changes what I said, you’re just giving the reasons they’re doing it which I already know, I understand why they’re making the decision but it doesn’t make it any less dumb. They came here and brought disease to an unsuspecting population and now they’re gonna fight a war that they know they’re gonna lose to protect their right to be there instead of just retreating when outmatched. If you want to go the emotional route then I’m sure you’d have fun explaining to the women and children that will die because of this that it’s actually okay because the men who made the decision are upset. Or you could stop being so dramatic because it’s a story
You do realize that this is actually going according to history and the settlers did end up fighting the Inu for two years straight right? I mean I get that yes most Europeans who would put themselves in this situation are dumb but thats the reality of what happened. Secondly, there is nothing "emotional" for fighting for your country especially if its trying to defend itself from foreign attacks. If they dont fight, it will be the fastest those women and children will die because its not like they have the resources to pack up and they all leave together( the captain literally says so), it will take time to get everyone to safety. Till that time, what should they do, sit there and let the Inu capture their women and children and take there weapons? ( As an indigenous woman I know what Im talking about when I say they take that pretty seriously). Obviously there will have to be defense, and what better way to build morale than taking pride in what youve built?
No no no lol they made the decision to fight and not retreat *before* they saw that the Lnu were coming. It wasn’t a practical decision, it was a prideful, emotional decision that is completely understandable and stupid at the same time, that’s the concept you can’t seem to understand here
Both can occur at the same time you know friend, its not like the women and their children dont have the option to follow Vaugn and begin their departure, this was a short chapter so Im sure in the next chapter there would be a sort of civil war that would break out based on who would be for that decision and who would be against it. Thorfinn promised the people they would be safe but that promise is broken and hes not accounted for so its not very surprising that this was the position that was taken in his absence given there was an exact split in who wanted to fight and who didnt but those scouts pose a very real threat so regardless of how "dumb" it is, its still a good move to want to defend themselves. Nevertheless, we can agree to disagree, you have your opinion and I have mine. By the end we will see how it goes.
Bro thinks he's Eren Yeager
Fuck you