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About Makoto Yukimura

Thorfinn (Japanese: トルフィン, Hepburn: Torufin), also called Thorfinn Karlsefni (ソルフィン・カルルセヴニ, Torufin Karurusevuni) and Thorfinn Thordarson (ソルフィン・ソルザルソン, Torufin Soruzaruson), is a fictional character and the protagonist of the manga series Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura. Thorfinn is introduced as a teenage warrior of Askeladd's Viking company. He hates his commander for slaying his father Thors and has sworn to kill Askeladd in a duel. To earn the right to fight such a duel, Thorfinn must complete difficult tasks for Askeladd, such as sabotage or the killing of enemy generals. After over a decade of being a Viking, the adult Thorfinn starts questioning his actions and reflects on his earlier dream of a land without violence.

Yukimura based the fictional character on Thorfinn Karlsefni, an Icelandic explorer who explored Vinland alongside Leif Eriksson. Yukimura took multiple liberties when creating the ficitonal Thorfinn as a soldier who initially commits horrible acts as a Viking but grows up to be more caring in later chapters, trying to understand other people and redeem himself. Thorfinn is also heavily influenced in this by the king of Norway Olaf Tryggvason. In the anime adaptation of Vinland Saga, multiple voice actors portray Thorfinn's child and adult personas.

Initial critical response to Thorfinn was mixed. Although his backstory and loss of innocence were considered tragic, he was criticized for his rude demeanor. Nevertheless, his fight scenes were praised. The protagonist's growth across the story arcs was praised for giving the character further depth, most notably when living as a slave. The portrayal of Thorfinn's character was also the subject of analysis by scholars for how the brutal man rejects toxic masculinity and becomes a more positive…

Makoto Yukimura writes about Literature. Their best-known work is Planetes Deluxe Edition Book 2.

On FindMyTBR we track 15 books by Makoto Yukimura. We're still confirming audiobook editions — check the availability for each title below.