Does Thors Die in Vinland Saga? Here’s What Happens to Him

The entire Vinland Saga storyline is full of powerful Viking warriors that had to work their way up to become strong by fighting nonstop battles in different wars waged in the northern part of the European continent. In that regard, one of the most notable names among the Vikings of that era was Thors, who was arguably the strongest character in Vinland Saga. So, does Thors die in Vinland Saga?

Thors died early in Vinland Saga when Askeladd ambushed him with archers, as Thors didn’t even fight back so that his son and his men would be spared from Askeladd’s ambush. In fact, it was Thors’ death that made Thorfinn join Askeladd’s group so that he could kill the man that killed his father.

While we never saw the full power of Thors in the entire series because he died quite early, the legends of his strength were quite prominent in the storyline as some of the strongest warriors in Vinland Saga openly admitted that Thors was superior to them. Nevertheless, it was his death that sparked the entire storyline of Vinland Saga. Now, let’s look at what happened to Thors and how he died.

What Happened To Thors In Vinland Saga?

The entire story of Vinland Saga focuses on the Viking age during the end of the first millennium and the start of the second millennium. Of course, the Vikings of that age fought a lot of battles and waged wars against England. And while the Vikings were known for being ferocious fighters, Thors was one of the characters that had the strength of countless Vikings but the heart of a peaceful man.

In the series, the first time we saw Thors was when he fought for the Vikings in their campaigns against England years before the main events of the storyline. He was so strong that he became a Jomsviking commander at a very young age. However, after a battle with an enemy soldier, he faked his death and decided to live a peaceful life in Greenland, where he was able to start a family with Helga.

Despite the fact that he was arguably the strongest fighter among the Vikings and is probably the strongest character in the entire Vinland Saga storyline, Thors wanted to live a peaceful life instead of one that revolved around countless battles. That was the reason why he deserted the Jomsvikings.

While he was in Greenland, Thors lived a peaceful life with a happy family. He had a daughter and a son. Of course, he was particularly close with his son, Thorfinn, who we know is the main character of Vinland Saga. And while he was in Greenland, he was known for being physically strong.

Eventually, King Sweyn of Denmark heard that Thors was still alive the entire time. That was when he sent Floki, his loyal commander, to go to Greenland in the hopes of pulling Thors back into battle, as he was never discharged from his duties as a commander back when he was still fighting for the Jomsvikings. Because he had no choice, Thors agreed to return to the battlefield.

But what Thors didn’t know was that this was all a trap set by Floki, who wanted Thors dead for deserting them years ago. Floki hired the services of a mercenary commander named Askeladd, who accepted the job without even knowing just how strong Thors was. And it was this event that actually allowed the storyline of Vinland Saga to progress.

Thors went on a ship to meet up with Floki and the rest of the other Vikings that were going to fight on the side of Denmark. However, Askeladd’s crew ambushed them at a choke point. The worst part was that Thorfinn actually snuck onboard the ship so that he could join his father in the war against England.

In that regard, Thors found himself in a particularly tough situation that forced him to fight despite the fact that it had been a very long time since the last time he fought a real battle. But the difference here is that he was now a changed man that particularly disliked killing people.

Does Thors Die In Vinland Saga?

When Askeladd’s men ambushed Thors and his ship, he decided to confront the mercenaries all on his own because he didn’t want the other men to die on his behalf. He was able to take on all of Askeladd’s men all on his own and even easily manhandled Bjorn, who was physically the strongest out of all of Askeladd’s men and was second only to Askeladd in terms of his skills.

However, Thors didn’t kill any of Askeladd’s men because he didn’t like killing. Instead, he just disabled and disarmed him until Askeladd himself joined the battle. But as strong as Askeladd is, he was no match for Thors, who effortlessly defeated him in their battle. And that was when Askeladd revealed that it was never going to be a fair fight from the very beginning.

Prior to the battle, Askeladd had ordered some of his men to hide in the cliffs of the choke point so that they could shoot down Thors with arrows. Knowing that he was in a tough situation, Thors decided to die on behalf of his men because he didn’t want Thorfinn and the others to die as well. After all, Askeladd’s orders were to kill Thors and not the other men that were with him. As such, Thors allowed the archers to shoot him down without even putting up a fight.

It was Thors’ death that pushed Thorfinn to the brink of despair, as all that he had in his heart was revenge. Thorfinn joined up with Askeladd’s crew as one of his mercenaries so that he could become strong enough to eventually take on Askeladd in single combat. And the reason why he wanted to kill Askeladd fair and square was the fact that his father always taught him the value of honor.

In that regard, Thors’ death was what allowed the storyline of Vinland Saga to progress because, instead of returning with the other men to Greenland, he decided to join up with Askeladd for the sake of avenging his father’s death. And it was through this that he was able to steadily become strong enough to take on his own great-uncle. Thorkell, who was the strongest Viking in the world at that time.

Thors’ death was essentially the driving force of the entire storyline because Thorfinn wouldn’t have joined up with Askeladd’s crew if his father wasn’t wrongfully and dishonorably killed by the cruel mercenary.

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