Vinland Saga is widely considered to be one of the best seinen manga of all time. The manga series written by Makoto Yukimura has earned a lot of praise. The series has amazing characters and a riveting story, which makes for an incredible combination.

The story is set during the age of the Vikings, and it manages to beautifully capture the era. For obvious reasons, the series has a lot of gore and deaths. Many of these deaths are the results of the actions of certain characters, who are unable to discern right from wrong. These characters are truly evil, and if given the opportunity, they will commit all manner of heinous acts over and over again.

7 Askeladd

Askeladd made his debut in the first season of Vinland Saga. He was a mercenary who would do anything as long as he got paid. Floki went to Askeladd with the mission to kill Thors, and the mercenary leader accepted without any questions. When the job turned out to be more difficult than he had imagined, Askeladd resorted to using underhanded means to kill the legendary warrior.

Askeladd continued his brutish adventures, which involved slaughtering innocent people, and all this time he showed absolutely no remorse for his actions. Askeladd even hated his own men and killed them when an opportunity arose. While there is no denying that Askeladd's character was outstanding, he is easily one of the most evil characters in the series.

6 Canute

When he was introduced in the series, Canute came off as a shy and reserved individual who couldn't even hurt an ant. As he began to spend more and more time with the likes of Thorfinn and Askeladd, his innocence started to fade away. The final nail in the coffin was Ragnar's death.

Canute could not believe that his father figure had been murdered in cold blood. Plus, when news about Sweyn's plans to murder the young prince reached Canute's ears, he was enraged. This led to Canute's transformation; it turned him into a man with ruthless aggression who would slay anyone in his path.

5 Bjorn

Bjorn was Askeladd's right-hand man, and he followed him everywhere. The two had been together for a long time, but they never opened up to each other. While Askeladd secretly hated Bjorn, the latter admired and respected him as a leader and a friend.

Due to being a part of Askeladd's group, Bjorn was also involved in almost all the violent incidents. Bjorn would also take performance-enhancing substances in fights, which would cause him to lose control over himself. In this form, Bjorn was extremely dangerous, as he couldn't tell friend from foe.

4 Floki

Floki is a shrewd man who currently serves King Canute. Before that, he was a loyal follower of King Sweyn. Despite his limited appearances, Floki's influence in the series is quite massive. It was the contract that Floki gave to Askeladd that resulted in Thors' death. The death of Thors not only forced Thorfinn to pick up arms, but it also caused the onset of many other events in the series.

Floki is known for being manipulative and petty. It was because of his personal grudge against Thors that he got him assassinated. As a Viking, Floki has been involved in various other mortifying incidents, which earns him a spot on the list.

3 Ketil

Ketil is the main antagonist of the Ketil Farm arc, which is covered in the second season of Vinland Saga. Initially, Ketil came off as a good man who adhered to his moral principles, but as the story progressed, it became evident that he was only posing as a man that he could never be.

Ketil played nice only when things were going his way; the moment someone tried to go against his will, Ketil would treat them harshly. Perhaps the most gruesome act that he committed was when he beat Arnheid within an inch of her life after she tried to run away with her husband. Ketil couldn't afford to lose her, as he managed to form an emotional connection with her, but obviously, a nice person would have handled the situation in a better way.

2 King Sweyn

King Sweyn was the ruler of Denmark, and he managed to conquer almost all of England and Wales. Despite having such a vast kingdom, Sweyn was able to keep it under control with his ruthlessness and intelligence. He was a very calculating person who didn't make a single decision that didn't benefit him.

Sweyn's violent nature knew no bounds, as he even tried to get his own son killed. He actively concocted plans that would help him get rid of Canute once and for all. Sweyn met his end when he tried to push Askeladd into the corner by using mind games, and the latter simply cut his head off. King Sweyn remains one of the most evil characters in the series, and he won't be replaced anytime soon.

1 Thorfinn

Thorfinn may have reformed in season two, but it isn't easy to forget all the people that he killed during his time as Askeladd's henchman. Originally, Thorfinn was a kind boy who adored his father and wanted to be like him. When Askeladd killed Thors, Thorfinn couldn't do anything except watch. This caused Thorfinn to change drastically, and he swore to avenge his father.

As he had no choice, Thorfinn served under Askeladd and carried out multiple missions at his behest. Thorfinn didn't question the orders because he was solely focused on getting stronger and beating Askeladd. Unfortunately, Thorfinn was denied vengeance, as Askeladd was killed by Sweyn's soldiers.

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