Seinen manga readers are currently in mourning over one of the most beloved series, which recently came to an end. That’s right, after 20 years of serialization, Makoto Yukimura’s Vinland Saga is officially over. Fans watched Thorfinn go from a young kid in Iceland to a rage-filled teen desperate for revenge, to a pacifistic adult on a journey to learn what it means to be a True Warrior. Yukimura’s manga is often compared to Kentaro Miura’s Berserk and Takehiko Inoue’s Vagabond as one of the Big Three of seinen manga, and, after the final chapter, it strongly deserves that title.
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But, as all good things must come to an end, fans must learn to move on. Thankfully, there are a bunch of amazing seinen manga to help us through the grieving process. Some tie closely into Vinland Saga‘s themes and character work, while others are similar in tone, setting, and style. Every seinen manga on this list has something that will feel familiar and comfortable to Vinland Saga fans, while also pushing us out of our Viking comfort zones. In no particular order, here are 10 seinen manga to help you grieve Vinland Saga.
1) Record of Ragnarok
What better place to start than with another Norse-inspired series? While Vinland Saga told a very grounded story about Viking warriors learning to overcome their violent nature, Record of Ragnarok is far more fantastical. Written by Shinya Umemura and illustrated by Azychika, Record of Ragnarok is heavily inspired by mythology, with the Norse gods playing a prominent role.
Its plot is nothing close to Vinland Saga, but the Norse imagery will throw fans back into the world of Vikings. Record of Ragnarok is less about learning the value of peace and more about pitting mankind and the gods against each other to see which is stronger. When the gods decide it is time for humanity to end, a single Valkyrie decides to give humans a chance and comes up with a fighting tournament, in which 13 gods and 13 humans compete in one-on-one battles, with the winner deciding the fate of humanity.
2) Berserk
Berserk and Vinland Saga don’t just share space as two of the Big Three of seinen manga; they also hold a lot of thematic similarities. Berserk should need little introduction, especially to Vinland Saga fans. The late Kentaro Miura’s ongoing series is often hailed as the greatest of all time, as readers constantly dive back into Guts’ bloody mission for revenge.
At the core of both series is a mission for revenge. But they both take very different approaches to that premise. Thorfinn’s desire for revenge is just the prologue of Vinland Saga, with the core of the story looking at the fallout of his mission. Meanwhile, Guts’ quest for vengeance against Griffith remains a strong driving factor throughout the series, and it’s through his ongoing mission that he undergoes an introspective character arc.
3) Sanctuary
What does Vinland Saga have in common with a dark and twisting political thriller set in 1990s Japan? On the surface, not a lot. But their themes have a lot more in common than their visual aesthetic. Especially in its later chapters, Vinland Saga became less about Thorfinn’s internal growth and more about his goal to create a better world.
Sanctuary, written by Sho Fumimura and illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami, follows two childhood friends, Akira Hojo and Chiaki Asami, who fight tooth and nail to turn Japan into a peaceful Sanctuary. However, they both take very different approaches, with Akira becoming a yakuza member and Chiaki doing things above board as a member of the Japanese Diet.
4) Planetes
Vinland Saga is undoubtedly Makoto Yukimura’s most popular and acclaimed manga. But for those who don’t want to venture too far from Vinland Saga‘s style, why not check out Yukimura’s first completed series and the creative predecessor to Vinland Saga? They might be completely different in setting and tone, but Vinland Saga fans can see the early glimpses of brilliance that would eventually bleed into Vinland Saga.
Planetes might be the most mundane sci-fi series, and we mean that in the best way possible. The series follows Ai Tanabe, the newest crew member of the Space Debris Collection crew. As the name implies, the team is responsible for clearing debris from space for intergalactic passenger flights. As the crew carry out their day-to-day jobs, they slowly reveal their hopes and dreams, which act in stark contrast to their dead-end jobs.
5) Hirayasumi
If you thought Planetes was different from Vinland Saga, Hirayasumi might be the polar opposite. The slice-of-life manga, which is now getting an anime, is written by Keigo Shinzo and doesn’t feature any big battles or major life-changing wars. Instead, it follows 29-year-old Hiroto Ikuta, who works a part-time job and cares for his teenage cousin. The story simply follows their daily lives as Hiroto embraces the fact that he has no great desires or goals in life.
Hirayasumi and Vinland Saga might not have any overt connection, but the core of their narratives is the same. Both stories are about purpose. In Vinland Saga‘s prelude, Thorfinn’s purpose is revenge, which he slowly learns to move past and forms a new purpose to create a peaceful land.
6) The Climber
Anyone who has struggled with a great internal conflict knows that no one else can help you if you don’t help yourself. That internal conflict and message is at the heart of Vinland Saga‘s Slave Arc, where Thorfinn undergoes his most drastic change and learns to move past his desire for revenge. Those who have read The Climber will recognize a similar internal conflict in its protagonist, Mori Buntarou.
Written by Shinichi Sakamoto, The Climber follows Mori Buntarou after transferring to a new school. The shutout loner doesn’t make any effort to connect with people. But when he’s challenged to a climbing competition by the school bully, a desire to climb higher and push himself further is awoken. As well as being a great sports manga, The Climber is one of the best dives into a fractured character, something which Vinland Saga fans will be very familiar with.
7) Lone Wolf & Cub
If you’d read the early chapters of Vinland Saga and someone told you that Thorfinn would be responsible for raising a child, you’d be very concerned for that infant’s safety. But, after Thorfinn adopts Karli from a destroyed village, the series feels eerily reminiscent of one of the greatest samurai manga ever written.
That manga is none other than Lone Wolf & Cub by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima. The story follows Ogami Itto, the former executioner for the shogun. After being disgraced by the Yagyu clan, he is sent into exile, along with his three-year-old son, and must seek revenge against those who wronged him.
8) Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is another series that, on the surface, has no clear connection with Vinland Saga. After all, the series is about a man named Akira revelling in the zombie apocalypse because he doesn’t have to go to work anymore. The comedy seinen doesn’t feature any gigantic action and leans heavily into the comedy rather than any serious drama. But, it is again in the thematic exploration that the throughline exists.
After letting go of his desire for revenge, Thorfinn finds a new purpose in life and learns to embrace every moment, even if it means fleeing from the Jomsvikings. That feeling is exactly what Akira embodies in Zom 100. After the apocalypse wipes out most of the world’s population, Akira writes a list of everything he wants to do with his remaining days, including building a treehouse and taking a girl out on a date.
9)Vagabond
The final part of the Big Three had to be on this list somewhere. Takehiro Inoue’s Vagabond is, along with Berserk and Vinland Saga, considered to be one of the best manga ever written/illustrated. It’s more than just their insane quality that Vagabond and Vinland Saga have in common, as both stories explore what it means to be strong and the concept of masculinity.
Vagabond is a fictionalized version of the life of Miyamoto Musashi, the legendary Japanese swordsman. Takehiko Inoue’s interpretation follows Musashi on his journey to become “Invincible under the sun,” a.k.a. the strongest swordsman in the world. But, on his journey, he slowly learns what it means to be truly strong, just like how Throfinn learns what it means to be a True Warrior.
10) Kingdom
Alongside Vinland Saga, Kingdom is one of the most beloved historical manga. Its anime might have gotten off to a rocky start, but the manga is an excellent dive into a time period that can otherwise only be accessed through textbooks. Yasuhisa Hara wrote the series, which was first serialized in Weekly Young Jump. As well as being another fantastic historical manga, Kingdom is also a perfect match for those who prefer Vinland Saga‘s prologue arc (even if that is missing the entire point of the series).
Set during the Warring States period of Chinese history, Kingdom follows Xin, a war orphan who sets out to become China’s greatest general and bring about a time of peace. If the Warring States setting didn’t give it away, Kingdom is packed full of gigantic battles and epic action that fans of Vinland Saga‘s Viking warfare will adore.
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Image courtesy of HBO
