For those who don't know, Miklagard was the name given by Vikings to Constantinople. It means that Snake may have been part of the Varangian Guard, the personal guard of the byzantine emperor.
Thats the thing i love about vinland saga, it uses alot of historical characters and groups (varangians and jomsvikings for example) that isnt often explored in viking media
@@CeoECHO Because it means Snake is THAT good. A true and through professional warrior that has probably been on battlefields that make anything happening in the British Isles at the time look like a small skirmish. And Thorfinn is keeping up with that man
@@CeoECHO for context, the Byzantine border was the scene of on and off fighting for several centuries. The armies involved on both Byzantine and Arab sides were enormous compared to the ones in England. You’d have to be a highly skilled warrior to get employed by the emperor.
The fact that Thorfinn is years removed from actual combat and is unarmed against Snake and still coming to a stalemate shows how truly skilled Thorfinn actually was and still is.
Everything you just said is true but I'd like to also add the fact that snake was pretty exhausted already when he found thorfin as he left his horse mid way and ran all the way back and was almost out of breath when he saw him Not saying thorfin is weaker or anything just that it must have made some difference here
@@shivam5098 A lot of people don't realize that Snake wasn't really in combat either. Other than catching some thieves and training Thorgil he probably hasn't seen real combat for even longer than Thorfinn
@@0doublezero0 for animating vagabond and berserk i will always prefer mappa god damn mappa is amazing just look at the recent anime which mappa is animating if us fans demand then we will probably get anime adaptation of vagabond
Something that is extremely underrated about Vinland saga is the sound. The sound makes you feel as if you are taking part in the battle. All the slashes feel extremely heavy and powerful just based on sound alone.
Thorfinn's "He's fast!" Might be one of my favorite line deliveries. In a lot of anime when people say that, its usually under the notion of "Oh? he/she's fast." But Thorfinn is like *Oh f*ck, I could die* "He's fast!"
It wasnt really that kind of fast. Thorfinn himself always used a fast fighting style over a strong one against strong opponents, who were lacking speed. This is the first time Thorfinn expierences an enemy with the same speed as his, the same fighting style, it was new for him to fight against this. He was kinda shooked.
The mangaka is a genius using Miklagard as an origin for Snake. Makes a ridicilous amount of sense and its crazily realistic in real life. The Varangian Guard was the personal bodyguard for the leaders of Constantinople and were comprised of all Vikings from Northern Russia
@@CeoECHO the byzantine empire was often involved in this time period in wars that make englands wars look like a playground. also, snakes sword is a persian sword so he prolly got it as a trophy from a huge war. if he is an experienced veteran from that army he is prolly among the absolute best of the best. in summary, bro is a badass mf.
Many believe that Thorfinn became weaker. But on the contrary, he is only rusty, still retains all his speed and has much more strength for his years as a lumberjack.
I love how Thorfinn’s punches look like they are barely missing (which they are), but if he’d has a pair of daggers his swings would be perfect for slicing with his backhanded grip
This is just amazing for so many reasons. The fact that we now know that Snake is an elite that served at Constantinople and Thorfinn is able to do this to him completely unarmed. We finally got to see the evolution of Thorfinn as a warrior. I loved how they portrayed him as being so cerebral during this fight. Even through all those years outside of combat hes somehow improved as a warrior. This is spectacular story telling. Vinland Saga is the only anime I have ever set aside time to watch the INSTANT a new episode comes out. It is just that good.
I think Thorfinn started to strategically think in this fight. Askeladd said something similar near the end of season 1. He said that he needs to think more and not just attack. Also before the fight starts with snake. Its just great
@@Random__Dude. Pretty much. Thorfinn before would let his anger blind him in most of his fights in the past. Now that he is more clear minded. He is a better warrior than he was before. Akeladd even said there was a reason he kept losing to him, because of his rage mostly.
@@resolvedfate1295 yeah unnarmed too. he was reading snakes movements and reacting to his speed, which thorfinn said is the fastest guy he has ever fought. and rusty and all he was still faster. while in his youth he was more savage and ferocious, once thorfinn gets his knives back and shakes the rust off he will be a beast. askeladd, thorkell level type of warrior.
askeladd said that when thorfinn fights AGAINST HIM he doesnt think and goes into rage and always aims for his throat thats why he always wins easy normally thorfinn didnt loose his cool that easy
Although this scene and it's animation it's absolutely fantastic, what I can't get over it's Snake calling Constantinople "Miklagard", since that's what Scandinavian people and vikings called the place at the time. That combined with the saber (and his skill, probably) really show Snake was varangian guard and that's just cool as hell.
guardia varega =) y sí, brutal el conocimiento del autor y la forma de exponerlo. Imagino que con el tiempo hablarán sobre ese aspecto, pero conseguir inculcarlo de ésta manera ha sido genial.
i think he become varangian but born in byzantine area and probably he has eastern european ancestry! :S he said they did something so probably banned from byzantine empire...
@@santiagomarin1116 Nah this takes place way before that. Hårdråde was still young prince Harald Sigurdsson by this point. Canute conquering Norway and Killing King Olaf the Holy is what made Hårdråde go east
@@yennox5338Snake has the speed advantage, but between Askeladd's technique and Thorkell's raw unstoppable power, Thorfinn really was surrounded by monsters.
@@yennox5338 Speed is just one factor in someone’s ability. Askeladd was a skilled warrior but he was older and far from his prime, and Thorkell is too big to be super fast. Anyone would be terrified of Thorkells freakish strength
@@ethan7633 yea thorkell isn't particularly fast. We see that in both fights between him and thorfinn. The real issue is that if bro catches you once its over 💀
1:09 The balls on Thorfinn to actually go on the attack against a man who has a sword while he himself remains unarmed. I was totally expecting him to be on the defensive throughout the entirety of this altercation and my jaw dropped when I saw this. Great episode.
Even with his daggers though he has to close the distance against longer weapons like swords or spears. Hes probably so good at fighting unarmed because he has to dodge and close the gap in the same way with his weapons of choice.
@@jackngo3370 Confirmed. As someone studying martial arts, daggers are hard weapons to learn because you have to be very good to fight off other weapons. It's usually a more advanced weapon, reserved for higher level disciples. Staff, spear, sword, and other easier to wield weapons are taught first.
yeah, the way his face looked when he realized the punch he "dodged" would have slit his throat instantly if there was a reverse-grip dagger in that hand.
I don’t know how I never noticed this, but Thorfinn is a lefty. He fights in a southpaw stance with his right hand out in front, and throws all his powerful strikes with his left hand/foot. Even when he broke the retainer’s jaw a few episodes ago, he threw a straight left. It’s really cool seeing how Mappa is incorporating that into the animation!
anyone who has trained martial arts knows that as soon as a weapon gets pulled you are way better off running, the fact thorfinn is holding his ground unarmed shows what a beast he still is.
I dont see a lot of people pointing out but he basically turned his dagger style into a martial art that very second. He could have opened up a dojo after this lol
This is raw action. Thank you creators and mappa. Hand ti hand combat. I just hope they flourish such hand to hand combat more in future episodes or seasons.
He's definitely not unarmed !!! Solely with his bare arms/fists..more heavily armored than 99% of anime characters..this short fight scene is absolutely epic🔥🔥🔥
Like Askeladd said in season 1. Thorfinn usually thinks whenever he’s battling his opponents, but when is mind is filled with rage he loses sight of that which leads to mistakes.
Eh the beginning was good but the ending was so drawn out for a random character that came in a couple episodes ago. Plot pacing is killing me this season
This hits different when you have a good headset . Literally hear every single thing from the beats, hits, background sounds, the whole entirety like you are in a movie theater.
Such excellent sound design. You *feel* the sound, not just hear it. Also, it’s incredible how well-planned the story is. Thorfinn’s preferred weapon, daggers, translates exceptionally to unarmed combat. After holding two daggers the way Thorfinn does is exactly the same as two clenched fists. He’s making the exact same motions, something that would be impossible for a swordsman, axe wielder, or spearman.
0:11 I don’t really know why, but the fact that non of them make any typical “anime sounds/grunts”, but instead are being silent and only expressing the most important observation points is badass in my eyes
Snake is top tier vinland saga character: he is very close and distant to thorffin at the same time. He is a miserable person who kills for money (like thorffin used to be), and conscient of it (like thorffin) but instead of beaing ashamed about it he embrace it with honor, wich is not the correct, but creates a very interesting contrast with thorffin
I finally got it! Man i'm annoyed cause it was staring me in the face but the one line from Snake "I"m a warrior of Miklagard" stood out to me and i was SO confused by his curved, most likely middle eastern or indian blade. So i looked up warriors of miklagard and it all clicked! He's former varangian guard! He served as a mercenary in the byzantine empire, explaining his blade's curved shape and the seemingly foreign script (definitely not nordic in origin) and when he mentioned having had to abandon his name, it makes me wonder if he was forced or paid to commit atrocities in the east and returned home having abandoned his name? Either way massive props to Vinland Saga writers for keeping the nods to historically appropriate references in this show.
People who do not see the quality of this show are either shallow or are trying really hard to complain about all things in life. Let me be blunt: Vinland Saga doesn't even need a fight sequence to sell its quality. Gardar's dying redemption and most emotions all of the characters of Vinland Saga are facing are so damn real. I'm in my 30s and I can tell you this show has so many moral dilemma, ethics concepts and it uses the simplicity of life as a tool to express human regrets, human hopes and expectations, it weighs in on experienced emotions like no other anime does. You can tell the things that are told are common stories, lived events that are part of our human experience. We will not necessarily face death and pain in the likes those shown in this anime, but the way sadness recurs in life, the way we have to accept tragedies, misfortune and still go on with our lives is part of the courage we need to face the world when it get bad and ugly. This anime masterfully crafts these emotions by incorporating them in characters and larger than life art-house sequences. It's a piece of art and a psychological masterpiece beyond being a viking/historical fiction story.
I love your comment; it explains perfectly what this series is for me. After watching this episode and Gardar's moments I was sobbing out of the emotion and feeling it brought out.
Besides your accurate comment, it's stunning that Japanese people deliver a more historical accurate display of these people than History Channel with their Vikings show.
I think at 1:12 Snake might have realized that if Thorfinn had a weapon, it's likely his neck would have been sliced there! At 1:17 the framing of the shot shows Thorfinn would have slashed Snakes right arm and the backhand swing would have slashed the face. Snake would react differently if Thorfinn was armed of course, but you can see how dangerous daggers and knives can be when they're deeper into your range than meant to be, and how unsuspectingly dangerous they are. They're smaller than common weapons but they still can pierce, slash, and reach vital organs or tendons- faster than shortswords or sabers. Anyone can stab someone many times faster with knives than with a shortsword. Unfortunately with weight classes in mind I don't think unarmed Thorfinn would be as strong as seen here against larger armed enemies like Thorkell as his strikes aren't incredibly strong and he would be forced to use grapples or the environment which doesn't seem present in grassland outdoor situations, but against similarly built fighters like Snake in this situation, he's still going to be a monster, and the implication that he's likely winning more often against Snake if they were evenly armed shows. Snake is a badass regardless, he's possibly a Varangian Guardsman!? Thorfinn is up against a monster too!
The choreography of the fight, the subtle music, the animation, even the little historical details to the sword and Hebi’s identity this all adds on to why I absolutely love this anime
Just Fyi: Miklagard (The Great City) was what the Vikings called Byzantium at the time and with Hebi calling himself a warrior of Miklagard accompanied by his great skill and sword (which is a scimitar) it is kinda implied that he might have been part of the Varangian Guard, who were a elite unit that served as personal bodyguards to the Byzantine emperors
They were actually planning on giving an entire anime original episode just to show snakes past but due to timing and scheduling issues they werent able to include it. The author of vinland saga already wrote the entire episode and even apologised on twitter for the cancellation of the episode.
The mastery levels of Snake and Thorfinn, each instantly sized up and respected the other’s martial skill. And Mappa’s one of the best fighting anime production companies out there right now.
I like the consistency of the characters appereance and details in Vinland, when i saw snake and his sword for the 1st time it totally gave away the fact that he isn't from around there, more specifically not even from north/west europe. Dark hair, not an overgrown beard, darker skin tone and a curved sword rather than a medievil style of sword, all these clues gave away his origin that he was most likely somewhere from the middle east. In this episode he said "i'm a warrior from miklagard" , miklagard stands for "the great city" which name was given from the vikings for the city Constantinople. Just wanted to point that out cause i find it rare for an anime to take such details into consideration, it is also fun cause it makes you think past from what the anime shows you, but not only that it makes you question even more of why someone from so far away would end up there wich such amazing fighting skills that Thorfinn would praise him.
Finally... Thorfinn arising as a true warrior which his father Thors and his mentor Askeladd seeks from him! We come a long way! Don't stop now, Thorfinn... This is your true baatle. Climb. 👊🏻 Ahh man... I get goosebumps while commenting. 🤩❤️🔥
xd If your adressing that scene and that fight with your comment , I think 1 you will regret this second don't think you actually understand what it means to be a true warrior at least in terms of Vinland Saga
this is one of my favorite episodes in recent anime history. everything is so beautifully done: the writing, the voice acting, the SOUNDS (audio fx team went off), music, animation, just checks all the boxes in every way. i rewatch this episode from time to time just for this fight.
historical context: To the scandinavians, Miklagard was Constantinople (Miklagard meaning ‘The Great City’), explaining why Snake’s sword is curved; it’s most likely a Paramerion, a curved Saber of the Byzantine Army (though the only imagine showing it is a Byzantine Fresco made in 1295, but this is a show about vikings being basically superhuman, so a bit of historical inaccuracy can be done for a cool sword design)
Pretty much all Byzantine frescoes that show swords are a curved sabre. They were also used in Russia but pretty much no physical evidence exists because the Turks and the hordes destroyed and melted everything in their path.
I love how cautious both of them are, both of them are aware that if they give each other the chance it could be the end for them. For how fast the fight is going their minds are taking the time instead of running on adrenaline
I just love Snake as a character. He's no joke, even Thorkell would be in trouble against him.....and remember, it's him who taught Thorgil how to fight
Thorfinn was unarmed and hasn't fought anyone in 5+ years yet still landed several blows on him. Snake would've been dead several times over if he was armed, how would he fare any better against Thorkell?
@@Ovendodger Thorkell struggles against quick fighters (see the fight with Thorfinn), Snake is unbelievably fast and is also able with the sword....I'd say he'd fare well. Ofc if Thorkell hits him once it's game over, but that apllies to everyone (except Thors). SPOILER Thorkell drew against Garm. I'd say Snake is at Garm's level
@@andrealorenzi453 Didn't Thorkell only draw with Garm because they both wrestled and beat each other senseless with their fists? That fight seemed like Thorkell was using him as a sparring partner or some casual fun. The same way he fought a bear with his fists in one scene and choked it out. I just don't see how Snake would survive an encounter with him at all lol
Even without watching this Anime, I can predict that this Anime is actually one of the GOAT's just by looking at how neatly the fight is shown with details.
It's goated when you notice that the epic fights get overshadowed in the same episode with the amazing story, specially this episode because damn this one hit like a truck in the feels
@@mr.nobody6143I felt so sad even in season 1 when that old lady tried raising thorfinn like her own son and then she cried seeing thorfinn and his crew killing everyone there. Also that moment where askeladd killed everyone in that village cause they were low on food was hard to watch. I swear I wish more people talked about the story instead of just the fights cause the story is so amazing.
@@galaxyvulture6649 This anime is a historical fiction too so some characters actually existed although they didn't look like the anime. Even the fact that thorkell left king sweyn's command for Canute actually happened in real life. I totally agree with you man, the story is beautiful
I think one of my favorite things about this fight and the moments leading up to is the non-verbal communication which adds to the gravity of the situation. The look on Snakes face when Thorfinn lands his punch on him says a million words. Most prominent thing being the fact that in that moment he realizes that if Thorfinn were armed, he'd be dead easily.
I really like the addition of Snake having served in Miklagaard (probably Constantinople). His fighting style is completely different from anyone else and the sword is obviously a type of scimitar. It’s a backstory that makes complete sense from a realistic historical perspective as well. It’s quite obviously Yukimura who requested the line be added so I wonder what other additions we could see in the future.
What a rollercoaster of an episode, man. Started with incredible hype, followed up by pure tension and ending with hard emotions. The art direction glued everything masterfully.
@@gigabumba1 Same. Not sure which I like better honestly, but I'm anime only for both so obviously I've seen a lot more of AOT so slightly biased towards that.
@@anatoldenevers237 Yeah, it's kinda unfair to compare them as anime only because of their respective current lengths. I guess what I like in each the most is how both have a deep and meaningful message about their worlds that ends up reflecting on our own and the whole grey morality aspect of it all. Two masterpieces on their own right if you ask me.
This show is a masterpiece. I get hyped to the roof during the fight and got myself crying my eyes out with the end of it. So many emotions... Character development at it's PEAK🔥
Snake is badass... He respects Thorfinn. Even after fighting he had no hard feelings whatsoever. He even got to trust Thorfinn with his real name. Such a badass character.
Let's note that the clips on youtube are mostly not focused on the main part of the episode. The fight is nice but it's not the centre of the episode. That belongs to Gardar and Arnheid as it should tbh.
Probably because Fight clips have greater replay value and the entire Gardar sequence was really long. For eg. I love the Chimera Ant arc from HxH and it has a lot of great exposition but if I'm feeling nostalgic I'll firstly look up the Netero vs Meruem or Gon vs Neferpitou fight.
You can be rusty at something but if youve spent most of you life doing something, you never really forget. Thorfinn shows this a lot with his fighting
I love where this story takes Thorfinn. He goes above and beyond to not seriously injure *anyone*. He's so committed to pacifism he's not even lamenting that he doesn't have his daggers with him in this fight.
The parallel between season 1 and season 2 is what makes this anime insane to me and makes this scene believable. Crunchyroll please keep this anime going and dump as much money into it as you can.
We were supposed to get an episode on snakes past, but during the production they ran out of time and resources and only focused on the main story. Both the director and author still wish to tell the story tho :)
I like how thorfinn didn't get any scars after a decade on the battlefield, but got his face sliced and part of his ear torn off while working relatively peacefully in a farm for four year's
Watch episode 17 here! got.cr/cc-vss2-17
1:00 that bass drop was perfect.
how bout i just watch it totally free on 9 anime?
scammer link!
I love how they’re both thinking to themselves “I wasn’t familiar with your game”
"I didn't think he'd have that dawg in him" 💀
Both of em: This dude is built different
This the one gang😂😂😂
Goku has that dawg in him he solos this verse
@@godskintrio3433 you’re not funny
Love their lines after this “Why the hell is this guy on a farm?!”
Perfection!
Like father, like son.
Both Thors and Thorfinn were years away from their last fights, yet when the time came to fight they were still beasts.
they both won the fight, but still lost anyway..
Thorfinn looks like his great grand uncle
@@kaze.14 I’d say thorkell w the shape of the beard, Thors had a chinstrap beard, but he’s thors hairstyle w it long and tied up kinda
@@kaze.14 the only thing I feel like that resembles his father is his glare.
@@KuerikamiThors won,Thorfinn Lost
For those who don't know, Miklagard was the name given by Vikings to Constantinople. It means that Snake may have been part of the Varangian Guard, the personal guard of the byzantine emperor.
Thats the thing i love about vinland saga, it uses alot of historical characters and groups (varangians and jomsvikings for example) that isnt often explored in viking media
why is that impornat?
@@CeoECHO Because it means Snake is THAT good. A true and through professional warrior that has probably been on battlefields that make anything happening in the British Isles at the time look like a small skirmish. And Thorfinn is keeping up with that man
@@CeoECHO for context, the Byzantine border was the scene of on and off fighting for several centuries. The armies involved on both Byzantine and Arab sides were enormous compared to the ones in England. You’d have to be a highly skilled warrior to get employed by the emperor.
@@CeoECHO only the strongest vikings were part of the varangians, including canutes brother harold before he returned to denmark
The fact that Thorfinn is years removed from actual combat and is unarmed against Snake and still coming to a stalemate shows how truly skilled Thorfinn actually was and still is.
yepp and if he had his knives realistically he would have killed snake like 2 times already in this fight with the extra range.
Everything you just said is true but I'd like to also add the fact that snake was pretty exhausted already when he found thorfin as he left his horse mid way and ran all the way back and was almost out of breath when he saw him
Not saying thorfin is weaker or anything just that it must have made some difference here
@@ricardorivera7549 bruh you don’t know how strong snake is? man barely was trying hard
@@shivam5098 💯
@@shivam5098 A lot of people don't realize that Snake wasn't really in combat either. Other than catching some thieves and training Thorgil he probably hasn't seen real combat for even longer than Thorfinn
After seeing so many fights with fantasy powerups its super refreshing just seeing straight close quarters combat
Completely agree on that
100% agree
hand to hand fights and well animated sword fights are always better to look at than throwing energy beams at each other. Change my mind
Any recommendations on anime that has more of this type of combat?
Welcome to Seinin anime genre
Shoutout Snake for giving Thorfinn the most badass scar of his life.
Guts and Musashi have very iconic scars too. Three main characters, both from the three most beloved series in years.
@@0doublezero0 We all want it. We are all infinite. ⚔️
@@0doublezero0 not only you I want an anime for that badly too 😭
Agree
@@0doublezero0 for animating vagabond and berserk i will always prefer mappa god damn mappa is amazing just look at the recent anime which mappa is animating if us fans demand then we will probably get anime adaptation of vagabond
“What kind of monsters surrounded him?” CHILLS EVERYTIME
I immediately thought "thorkell"
@@VespoLiveGaming can’t forget his fights against askeladd
fr like his childhood and teen years were just that
"All of them."
Thors, Askeladd, Thorkell
Something that is extremely underrated about Vinland saga is the sound. The sound makes you feel as if you are taking part in the battle. All the slashes feel extremely heavy and powerful just based on sound alone.
Yess the sound design this season has been perfect
vinland saga, Castlevania and fate series have the best sound and animation
They also know when to keep it quiet. When gardar was choking snake it was perfect, almost eerie.
Yeah that's a great point
100%, one of my favorite things ab this series
Thorfinn's "He's fast!" Might be one of my favorite line deliveries. In a lot of anime when people say that, its usually under the notion of "Oh? he/she's fast." But Thorfinn is like *Oh f*ck, I could die* "He's fast!"
Love how strained he sounds when he says it as well
The VA for Thorfinn is also phenomenal
It wasnt really that kind of fast.
Thorfinn himself always used a fast fighting style over a strong one against strong opponents, who were lacking speed.
This is the first time Thorfinn expierences an enemy with the same speed as his, the same fighting style, it was new for him to fight against this. He was kinda shooked.
Also how all other sound was drowned out with a good pause to enhance the impact. Really selling the millisecond-thought he had.
Yes!!
The mangaka is a genius using Miklagard as an origin for Snake. Makes a ridicilous amount of sense and its crazily realistic in real life. The Varangian Guard was the personal bodyguard for the leaders of Constantinople and were comprised of all Vikings from Northern Russia
i dont get it
@@CeoECHO Basically, Snake is between the best fighters between all the vikings in an entire nation!
yes also he used miklagard name so kept the mysterie for those who dont know! :S
@@CeoECHO the byzantine empire was often involved in this time period in wars that make englands wars look like a playground. also, snakes sword is a persian sword so he prolly got it as a trophy from a huge war. if he is an experienced veteran from that army he is prolly among the absolute best of the best. in summary, bro is a badass mf.
@@CeoECHO Dude was basically a bodyguard to the Roman emperor.
Even after all these years and even without his knives, Thorfinn can still bust it with the best of them!
The son of Thors
Thorkell is the best. He can best them all quite easily
@@visitante-pc5zc thors was stronger than thorkell
Many believe that Thorfinn became weaker. But on the contrary, he is only rusty, still retains all his speed and has much more strength for his years as a lumberjack.
Thorkell isnt even top 3. Both askeladd and snake beat him.
Man the character development and build up to this was so damn perfect
All that build up for 3 minutes of fun 😢
@@lazy1957 it wouldn’t make sense for it to be long
@@lazy1957these 3 minutes had more tension, hype and emotions than any other popular animes fight.
@@brachialtick6539I wouldn't go that far but this fight is still beautiful and short but sweet
@@brachialtick6539 relax
I love how Thorfinn’s punches look like they are barely missing (which they are), but if he’d has a pair of daggers his swings would be perfect for slicing with his backhanded grip
This is just amazing for so many reasons. The fact that we now know that Snake is an elite that served at Constantinople and Thorfinn is able to do this to him completely unarmed. We finally got to see the evolution of Thorfinn as a warrior. I loved how they portrayed him as being so cerebral during this fight. Even through all those years outside of combat hes somehow improved as a warrior. This is spectacular story telling. Vinland Saga is the only anime I have ever set aside time to watch the INSTANT a new episode comes out. It is just that good.
I think Thorfinn started to strategically think in this fight. Askeladd said something similar near the end of season 1. He said that he needs to think more and not just attack. Also before the fight starts with snake.
Its just great
@@Random__Dude. Pretty much. Thorfinn before would let his anger blind him in most of his fights in the past. Now that he is more clear minded. He is a better warrior than he was before. Akeladd even said there was a reason he kept losing to him, because of his rage mostly.
@@resolvedfate1295 yeah unnarmed too. he was reading snakes movements and reacting to his speed, which thorfinn said is the fastest guy he has ever fought. and rusty and all he was still faster. while in his youth he was more savage and ferocious, once thorfinn gets his knives back and shakes the rust off he will be a beast. askeladd, thorkell level type of warrior.
@@resolvedfate1295 Yess exactly
askeladd said that when thorfinn fights AGAINST HIM he doesnt think and goes into rage and always aims for his throat thats why he always wins easy
normally thorfinn didnt loose his cool that easy
Although this scene and it's animation it's absolutely fantastic, what I can't get over it's Snake calling Constantinople "Miklagard", since that's what Scandinavian people and vikings called the place at the time. That combined with the saber (and his skill, probably) really show Snake was varangian guard and that's just cool as hell.
guardia varega =) y sí, brutal el conocimiento del autor y la forma de exponerlo. Imagino que con el tiempo hablarán sobre ese aspecto, pero conseguir inculcarlo de ésta manera ha sido genial.
i think he become varangian but born in byzantine area and probably he has eastern european ancestry! :S he said they did something so probably banned from byzantine empire...
Maybe he was part of the army of harold hadrada?
@@Kik____ Väringa gardet you mean
@@santiagomarin1116 Nah this takes place way before that. Hårdråde was still young prince Harald Sigurdsson by this point. Canute conquering Norway and Killing King Olaf the Holy is what made Hårdråde go east
this episode was a masterpiece
what time does it release?
It should already be out
The Gardar part got drained out and boring
Like every episode this season
@@chilipepper44 yeah they just killed Snake off like he was weak
Damn, this synchronized "he's strong" give chills every time
If Snake really saw the monsters that surrounded Thorfinn I think he’d be shook
Not really if Snake is faster than anybody Thorfinn faced before according to his own words.
@@yennox5338Snake has the speed advantage, but between Askeladd's technique and Thorkell's raw unstoppable power, Thorfinn really was surrounded by monsters.
@@yennox5338 Speed is just one factor in someone’s ability. Askeladd was a skilled warrior but he was older and far from his prime, and Thorkell is too big to be super fast. Anyone would be terrified of Thorkells freakish strength
@@ethan7633 yea thorkell isn't particularly fast. We see that in both fights between him and thorfinn. The real issue is that if bro catches you once its over 💀
@@kakacarrotcake392 that’s what made Thors so dangerous, he packed a punch like Thorkell but had skill and some speed between askeladd and snake
1:09 The balls on Thorfinn to actually go on the attack against a man who has a sword while he himself remains unarmed. I was totally expecting him to be on the defensive throughout the entirety of this altercation and my jaw dropped when I saw this. Great episode.
Even with his daggers though he has to close the distance against longer weapons like swords or spears. Hes probably so good at fighting unarmed because he has to dodge and close the gap in the same way with his weapons of choice.
I mean, he pulled up on Thorkell multiple times...
Lol it’s not surprise at all as we already know that Thorfinn is a monstrous phenomenal fighter. That should be no surprise at all pre-time skip.
@@jackngo3370 Confirmed. As someone studying martial arts, daggers are hard weapons to learn because you have to be very good to fight off other weapons. It's usually a more advanced weapon, reserved for higher level disciples. Staff, spear, sword, and other easier to wield weapons are taught first.
That's how he survived after all. If any mistake can be lethal you better end the fight as soon as possible
I love how they’re both like, “Damn, he’s good.” Real recognize Real.
I like how Snake knew that Thorfinn had an interesting upbringing, he also noticed things would be different if Thorfinn was armed
warriors recognize other warriors afterall
yeah, the way his face looked when he realized the punch he "dodged" would have slit his throat instantly if there was a reverse-grip dagger in that hand.
love how this also showed snakes experience, inmediately analyzing thorfinn and deducing he uses knives just based on his stance.
Thorfinn is armed. He's got two of them.
@@arsenicflask Those are deadly weapons indeed😎👊👊
The animation was just peak perfection 🤌🔥
I don’t know how I never noticed this, but Thorfinn is a lefty. He fights in a southpaw stance with his right hand out in front, and throws all his powerful strikes with his left hand/foot. Even when he broke the retainer’s jaw a few episodes ago, he threw a straight left. It’s really cool seeing how Mappa is incorporating that into the animation!
anyone who has trained martial arts knows that as soon as a weapon gets pulled you are way better off running, the fact thorfinn is holding his ground unarmed shows what a beast he still is.
we learned that in vinland saga season 1 episode 9 when thorfinn fought thorkell for the first time.
5'0 teenager vs a 7'5 400 lb more than once.
I dont see a lot of people pointing out but he basically turned his dagger style into a martial art that very second.
He could have opened up a dojo after this lol
Who else cried manly tears over this episode?
Me too :"(
I had to hold it together i was in class 😭
@@NJAXDTOWN who tf watches anime in class?
@@theofficialshrekswamp948 Real chads
😢Gardar when he sees his son....
This is raw action. Thank you creators and mappa.
Hand ti hand combat. I just hope they flourish such hand to hand combat more in future episodes or seasons.
don't worry, I tell you that Thorfinn's best fights will be in season 3, trust me
@@Nandomo00 ong these mfs don't know how many fights thorfinn gon be in season 3😂
@@Nandomo00 That Thorfinn vs Garm fight is gonna be juicy. Hope they extend Garm vs Thorkell too
@@Nandomo00 if that's true. Then I wish they stick to mappa, if wit cannot take it. And sure extend the action scenes
@@andrealorenzi453There’s no way that would be animated in season 3 right? Feels like that’s way too far into the story.
This fight is just with a sword, kicks and punches. No super powers or any fantasy stuff, and still looks amaizing. 👏🔥
i think there is already many fantasy stuffs... but it's bordered... i mean thorkell's power... but it's working...
@@Bloodyshinta1 when did he call it "realistic?
@@Bloodyshinta1 You're really gonna claim there's no human in the history of the planet that could fight like either of these two just did huh?
@@Bloodyshinta1 He never said that it is realistic. It's just without magic or some kind. It's closer to reality than anime usually is.
@@Bloodyshinta1 what are you on bro
I love this fight, it shows just how much of a threat Thorfinn can be despite being unarmed
He's definitely not unarmed !!! Solely with his bare arms/fists..more heavily armored than 99% of anime characters..this short fight scene is absolutely epic🔥🔥🔥
@@SirGuffy u've seen what happens if he hits someones chin 😁
@@SirGuffyDude, you understand any shonen character can turn him to ash immediately?
Like Askeladd said in season 1. Thorfinn usually thinks whenever he’s battling his opponents, but when is mind is filled with rage he loses sight of that which leads to mistakes.
This episode quite literally was incredible.
Eh the beginning was good but the ending was so drawn out for a random character that came in a couple episodes ago. Plot pacing is killing me this season
@@cotefacekillah who cares how many episodes he's been in, it was not about his death itself but the theme surrounding his life
@@ainanirina758 nah hes right tho, it was a little too long
Did snake died??
@@joshuadebosh4615 you would need to dedicate at least an episode to a character to make us feel for their death.
This hits different when you have a good headset . Literally hear every single thing from the beats, hits, background sounds, the whole entirety like you are in a movie theater.
Kojima would be proud
Such excellent sound design. You *feel* the sound, not just hear it. Also, it’s incredible how well-planned the story is. Thorfinn’s preferred weapon, daggers, translates exceptionally to unarmed combat. After holding two daggers the way Thorfinn does is exactly the same as two clenched fists. He’s making the exact same motions, something that would be impossible for a swordsman, axe wielder, or spearman.
0:11 I don’t really know why, but the fact that non of them make any typical “anime sounds/grunts”, but instead are being silent and only expressing the most important observation points is badass in my eyes
Snake is top tier vinland saga character: he is very close and distant to thorffin at the same time. He is a miserable person who kills for money (like thorffin used to be), and conscient of it (like thorffin) but instead of beaing ashamed about it he embrace it with honor, wich is not the correct, but creates a very interesting contrast with thorffin
thorfinn never killed for money, he killed for a duel😅
No he is not . Thorfinn is unbeatable
@@jaxtriumph8218 If u mean in a fight both Thorkelle and Thors beat Thorfinn.
@@WThroat Season 3 Thorfinn would probably beat thorkell one on one
@@alihamza14729 Season 3 of Vinland Saga? I think you mean season 2 but Thorfinn doesn't have any feats to get him to that level yet.
I finally got it! Man i'm annoyed cause it was staring me in the face but the one line from Snake "I"m a warrior of Miklagard" stood out to me and i was SO confused by his curved, most likely middle eastern or indian blade.
So i looked up warriors of miklagard and it all clicked! He's former varangian guard!
He served as a mercenary in the byzantine empire, explaining his blade's curved shape and the seemingly foreign script (definitely not nordic in origin) and when he mentioned having had to abandon his name, it makes me wonder if he was forced or paid to commit atrocities in the east and returned home having abandoned his name?
Either way massive props to Vinland Saga writers for keeping the nods to historically appropriate references in this show.
People who do not see the quality of this show are either shallow or are trying really hard to complain about all things in life. Let me be blunt: Vinland Saga doesn't even need a fight sequence to sell its quality. Gardar's dying redemption and most emotions all of the characters of Vinland Saga are facing are so damn real. I'm in my 30s and I can tell you this show has so many moral dilemma, ethics concepts and it uses the simplicity of life as a tool to express human regrets, human hopes and expectations, it weighs in on experienced emotions like no other anime does. You can tell the things that are told are common stories, lived events that are part of our human experience. We will not necessarily face death and pain in the likes those shown in this anime, but the way sadness recurs in life, the way we have to accept tragedies, misfortune and still go on with our lives is part of the courage we need to face the world when it get bad and ugly. This anime masterfully crafts these emotions by incorporating them in characters and larger than life art-house sequences. It's a piece of art and a psychological masterpiece beyond being a viking/historical fiction story.
I love your comment; it explains perfectly what this series is for me. After watching this episode and Gardar's moments I was sobbing out of the emotion and feeling it brought out.
Besides your accurate comment, it's stunning that Japanese people deliver a more historical accurate display of these people than History Channel with their Vikings show.
When Thorfinn says “He’s fast!” The tone of the voice actor is amazing. And the music is goated too.
I think at 1:12 Snake might have realized that if Thorfinn had a weapon, it's likely his neck would have been sliced there! At 1:17 the framing of the shot shows Thorfinn would have slashed Snakes right arm and the backhand swing would have slashed the face. Snake would react differently if Thorfinn was armed of course, but you can see how dangerous daggers and knives can be when they're deeper into your range than meant to be, and how unsuspectingly dangerous they are. They're smaller than common weapons but they still can pierce, slash, and reach vital organs or tendons- faster than shortswords or sabers. Anyone can stab someone many times faster with knives than with a shortsword. Unfortunately with weight classes in mind I don't think unarmed Thorfinn would be as strong as seen here against larger armed enemies like Thorkell as his strikes aren't incredibly strong and he would be forced to use grapples or the environment which doesn't seem present in grassland outdoor situations, but against similarly built fighters like Snake in this situation, he's still going to be a monster, and the implication that he's likely winning more often against Snake if they were evenly armed shows. Snake is a badass regardless, he's possibly a Varangian Guardsman!? Thorfinn is up against a monster too!
Great ost choice it was nice to hear still blade again. They nailed this scene
@Furkan still blade
Still blade was so nostalgic. One of my favorites from the soundtrack
him saying "he's fast" was such good voice acting. You could tell that he was genuinely impressed and terrified
The choreography of the fight, the subtle music, the animation, even the little historical details to the sword and Hebi’s identity this all adds on to why I absolutely love this anime
Just Fyi: Miklagard (The Great City) was what the Vikings called Byzantium at the time and with Hebi calling himself a warrior of Miklagard accompanied by his great skill and sword (which is a scimitar)
it is kinda implied that he might have been part of the Varangian Guard, who were a elite unit that served as personal bodyguards to the Byzantine emperors
“I am a warrior of Miklagard” looks like they finally confirmed that Snake was a Varangian
They were actually planning on giving an entire anime original episode just to show snakes past but due to timing and scheduling issues they werent able to include it. The author of vinland saga already wrote the entire episode and even apologised on twitter for the cancellation of the episode.
@@yadafty7671 i hope they do an OVA for it after the season is over.
Such a great fight scene. No overkill, flashy attacks. No excessive monologuing. Really stands out in a positive light these days.
1:09 That moment even the cameraman had a hard time catching up to that acceleration...
Thorfinn wasn't going to let Snake keep him waiting.
The mastery levels of Snake and Thorfinn, each instantly sized up and respected the other’s martial skill.
And Mappa’s one of the best fighting anime production companies out there right now.
1:28 That's the same move Thorfinn used when that guy swung him with his axe when he went to go save Canute in S1
I like the consistency of the characters appereance and details in Vinland, when i saw snake and his sword for the 1st time it totally gave away the fact that he isn't from around there, more specifically not even from north/west europe.
Dark hair, not an overgrown beard, darker skin tone and a curved sword rather than a medievil style of sword, all these clues gave away his origin that he was most likely somewhere from the middle east. In this episode he said "i'm a warrior from miklagard" , miklagard stands for "the great city" which name was given from the vikings for the city Constantinople.
Just wanted to point that out cause i find it rare for an anime to take such details into consideration, it is also fun cause it makes you think past from what the anime shows you, but not only that it makes you question even more of why someone from so far away would end up there wich such amazing fighting skills that Thorfinn would praise him.
That “he’s fast” gets me every time
"HAY-ai!!" 😰
Finally... Thorfinn arising as a true warrior which his father Thors and his mentor Askeladd seeks from him! We come a long way! Don't stop now, Thorfinn... This is your true baatle. Climb. 👊🏻
Ahh man... I get goosebumps while commenting. 🤩❤️🔥
xd If your adressing that scene and that fight with your comment , I think 1 you will regret this second don't think you actually understand what it means to be a true warrior at least in terms of Vinland Saga
He is not yet a true warrior.
I was so happy when I saw him fight again 😭
Me too😭
dont get too used to it
@@lemonsuckerYT nah get used to it, he fights a few more times after this
@@VileRhythm Yes, season 3 will have Thorfinn's best fights
@@Nandomo00 hell yeah!!
I forgot this episode about to be fire!!! 🔥 love this series season two making me love completely different aspects of this anime 👏
this is one of my favorite episodes in recent anime history. everything is so beautifully done: the writing, the voice acting, the SOUNDS (audio fx team went off), music, animation, just checks all the boxes in every way. i rewatch this episode from time to time just for this fight.
Love how this show is all about how horrible war and violence is and they decide to make the sickest fight scenes
0:11 That "Haayee !"... I really felt that.
"What kind of monsters surrounded him?"
Thorkell: achooo!.
Even years of no fighting, he still got the hands!
He build up his muscles with the farmland saga
Too bad the fight ain't last long cause of a steroid user
historical context: To the scandinavians, Miklagard was Constantinople (Miklagard meaning ‘The Great City’), explaining why Snake’s sword is curved; it’s most likely a Paramerion, a curved Saber of the Byzantine Army (though the only imagine showing it is a Byzantine Fresco made in 1295, but this is a show about vikings being basically superhuman, so a bit of historical inaccuracy can be done for a cool sword design)
Pretty much all Byzantine frescoes that show swords are a curved sabre. They were also used in Russia but pretty much no physical evidence exists because the Turks and the hordes destroyed and melted everything in their path.
The best of the best in athletics of any kind be it sport or combat really do border on superhuman though.
He is also based on Orm from Frans G Bengtssons classic 'The Longships'
The animation and choreography of this fight literally made me so anxious. It legit looked like they were both going to get busted up real good.
I love how cautious both of them are, both of them are aware that if they give each other the chance it could be the end for them. For how fast the fight is going their minds are taking the time instead of running on adrenaline
I just love Snake as a character. He's no joke, even Thorkell would be in trouble against him.....and remember, it's him who taught Thorgil how to fight
Thorfinn was unarmed and hasn't fought anyone in 5+ years yet still landed several blows on him. Snake would've been dead several times over if he was armed, how would he fare any better against Thorkell?
@@Ovendodger Thorkell struggles against quick fighters (see the fight with Thorfinn), Snake is unbelievably fast and is also able with the sword....I'd say he'd fare well. Ofc if Thorkell hits him once it's game over, but that apllies to everyone (except Thors).
SPOILER
Thorkell drew against Garm. I'd say Snake is at Garm's level
@@Ovendodger only the one, who can slain Thorkell was Thors
@@andrealorenzi453 Didn't Thorkell only draw with Garm because they both wrestled and beat each other senseless with their fists? That fight seemed like Thorkell was using him as a sparring partner or some casual fun. The same way he fought a bear with his fists in one scene and choked it out. I just don't see how Snake would survive an encounter with him at all lol
Snake is probably the smartest fighter, so no he wouldn't be dead even if thorfinn was armed.
Even without watching this Anime, I can predict that this Anime is actually one of the GOAT's just by looking at how neatly the fight is shown with details.
It's goated when you notice that the epic fights get overshadowed in the same episode with the amazing story, specially this episode because damn this one hit like a truck in the feels
@@mr.nobody6143I felt so sad even in season 1 when that old lady tried raising thorfinn like her own son and then she cried seeing thorfinn and his crew killing everyone there. Also that moment where askeladd killed everyone in that village cause they were low on food was hard to watch. I swear I wish more people talked about the story instead of just the fights cause the story is so amazing.
@@galaxyvulture6649 This anime is a historical fiction too so some characters actually existed although they didn't look like the anime. Even the fact that thorkell left king sweyn's command for Canute actually happened in real life. I totally agree with you man, the story is beautiful
Just remember its a seinen anime not a shonuen
I think one of my favorite things about this fight and the moments leading up to is the non-verbal communication which adds to the gravity of the situation.
The look on Snakes face when Thorfinn lands his punch on him says a million words. Most prominent thing being the fact that in that moment he realizes that if Thorfinn were armed, he'd be dead easily.
This episode had it all, from amazing combat to heart-shattering drama. Too good to be true
I really like the addition of Snake having served in Miklagaard (probably Constantinople). His fighting style is completely different from anyone else and the sword is obviously a type of scimitar. It’s a backstory that makes complete sense from a realistic historical perspective as well. It’s quite obviously Yukimura who requested the line be added so I wonder what other additions we could see in the future.
i love thorfin's hand movement on this, he's fighing like he has his daggers
What a rollercoaster of an episode, man. Started with incredible hype, followed up by pure tension and ending with hard emotions. The art direction glued everything masterfully.
with how good Vinland's doing I hope we one day get a Vagabond anime
0:11 I love the way he says it
It took me 50 playbacks to realize Snake blocked that kick at 0:29 by looking at the palm of his hand.
Ooh thats a good catch, I was wondering how that kick didn't knock Snake's jaw loose
Yoo nice observation
People lose their minds over attack on Titan. Everyone is sleeping on this absolute 10/10 masterpiece.
Meanwhile I simply enjoy both 👍
@@gigabumba1 so do I
@@Ntwadumela266 Fine taste 🍷
@@gigabumba1 Same. Not sure which I like better honestly, but I'm anime only for both so obviously I've seen a lot more of AOT so slightly biased towards that.
@@anatoldenevers237 Yeah, it's kinda unfair to compare them as anime only because of their respective current lengths.
I guess what I like in each the most is how both have a deep and meaningful message about their worlds that ends up reflecting on our own and the whole grey morality aspect of it all.
Two masterpieces on their own right if you ask me.
Im glad none of the two died during the fight. Snake is such a good character I wouldn’t want him dead before learning about his story.
0:30 - the music, the stare.. chills😳
This show is a masterpiece. I get hyped to the roof during the fight and got myself crying my eyes out with the end of it. So many emotions... Character development at it's PEAK🔥
What was the character development this episode?
@@racool911Terms being misused. It happens
Snake is badass... He respects Thorfinn. Even after fighting he had no hard feelings whatsoever. He even got to trust Thorfinn with his real name. Such a badass character.
What kind of monsters surrounded him ever heard of a giant named thorkill
Let's note that the clips on youtube are mostly not focused on the main part of the episode. The fight is nice but it's not the centre of the episode. That belongs to Gardar and Arnheid as it should tbh.
Probably because Fight clips have greater replay value and the entire Gardar sequence was really long. For eg. I love the Chimera Ant arc from HxH and it has a lot of great exposition but if I'm feeling nostalgic I'll firstly look up the Netero vs Meruem or Gon vs Neferpitou fight.
As someone who lives in İstanbul my jaw dropped when I heard he served in this city.
"What kind of monsters surrounded him" Oh man if only he knew...
I don’t understand why everyone says season 2 has no action when you clearly have scenes like this.
Genuinely thought that this fight would've been the highlight of the episode until Gardars flashbacks started playing😭😭
Each episode is top notch in this season . I really enjoy season 2 very much . This season keeps getting better and better 👑👑👑 .
As the father of a two years old boy this episode had me in tears for several minutes
You can be rusty at something but if youve spent most of you life doing something, you never really forget. Thorfinn shows this a lot with his fighting
I love where this story takes Thorfinn. He goes above and beyond to not seriously injure *anyone*. He's so committed to pacifism he's not even lamenting that he doesn't have his daggers with him in this fight.
That fact this almost had 1m view just shows how good this anime is.
Thorfinn being unarmed and keeping up with Snake really showed how adept he was enough as a warrior
Notice how they didn't speak (externally) during the whole fight creating an intense atmosphere by this simple fact
Rare thing in both anime and tv in general
The only dude that can bring fists to a sword fight
Askeladd smirking from the Afterlife as he sees Thorfinn using all his lessons.
The parallel between season 1 and season 2 is what makes this anime insane to me and makes this scene believable. Crunchyroll please keep this anime going and dump as much money into it as you can.
this scene was goosebumps 0:55 with the music and the last scene was the icing on top
This show is so much more than fights. The action is good but the characters and themes really are what shine in this show.
I love the camera angle as Thorfinn charges. He looks like his smaller self. the animal.
Please Twin Engine, give us Season 3 and an OVA about Snake's past as soon as possible.
We were supposed to get an episode on snakes past, but during the production they ran out of time and resources and only focused on the main story. Both the director and author still wish to tell the story tho :)
I wouldn't be surprised if Season 3 is already in production tbh
0:29 the music timing with Snake's glare gives me chills
I agree
I'm definitely gonna remembering this episode for years to come, it's that of episode.
After watching so many anime, I can't help but love the actor's delivery at 0:11
I like how thorfinn didn't get any scars after a decade on the battlefield, but got his face sliced and part of his ear torn off while working relatively peacefully in a farm for four year's
he did get scars on his body