The following contains spoilers for Vinland Saga Season 1 and 2, now streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
Vinland Sagais off to a great start in Season 2,at the top of MyAnimeList rankingsfor best Winter Season series. In the handful of episodes fans have been able to see, Canute’s doings have been one of the most important events.
He recently became king of the prosperous land of England, defeating all his competitors by brute force and intimidation. However, despite Askeladd’s efforts, the succession has not been exactly easy, and the situation with his brother Harald can get tense.
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Succession War Build-Up
Throughoutthe second half of the first season, it was clear that Canute was involved in a succession war with his older brother Harald. Hints were placed from the beginning, from the time he was sent to battle front despite having no combat skills or experience. Harald, as a traditional Viking, was the clear preference to take the throne. It was Sweyn’s wish for him to be the next king of Denmark, as he deemed him more valuable, experienced and wit than his younger brother.
Canute and Ragnar knew about this, andwether they wanted it or not, they had to go to the war in England. That was Sweyn’s idea, have Canute die in war, end the succession dispute and see his preferred son become king. When Askeladd decided to use him to gain political leverage, right before killing Ragnar, he told him about all of this, changing forever the course of events and adding someone as smart and diligent as Askeladd to the dispute.
From that point on, Askeladd and Canute started to plot on a way to earn the crown, or at least rule over England. They added a powerful ally on Thorkell and returned to Denmark to face the king, although the plan remained to first focus on England. Askeladd cared greatly about Wales, which backfired badly. Sweyn read Askeladd’s plans and put him on the spot, having to make a tough decision, pick between saving Wales or Canute. He chose a different option instead, killing the king at that moment,but in a way that would put Canute in a great position.
After Swyen’s Death
Canute, understanding what he should do, and what’s Askeladd’s wish in order to both protect Wales and help him, steps up as the hero and kills Askeladd, the King’s murderer. Following that, he self-proclaims as new King, and asks the novelty and warriors present to ride with him in the conquest of England. He gained their respect in an instant, killing his own counselor after he seemed to have lost his mind, avenged his father, and promised to take over England completely. His plan took an unexpected quick turn, but it facilitated his path to build a “new world”, his ultimate wish.
With Thorkell as his commander, and a brand-new army following Canute’s orders, the succession war with his brother was forgotten very quickly, to the point no one really questioned where Harald was or what would he think about his father’s death and Canute’s actions. It’s unclear what exactly happened with Harald at that time or when he found out about everything that went down. What has been told is that Canute spent the next couple of years bringing war to England in hopes for a great victory that would help to cement his reign and power.
The Time-Skip
The so-called King Canute had abandoned Denmark for years due to his personal goal to success in the England invasion. They didn’t show much of his atrocities, but with the one example turning Mercia into ash over a disagreement in a negotiation, it’s clear the kind of person Canute has become. Ruthless and unstoppable until he sees his objectives completed. Not long after,he was crowned King of Englandafter subduing anyone who dared to oppose him.
In the meantime,it’s thanks to Thorfinn’s storythat fans can see the whole spectrum. He was sold as a slave in Denmark after attacking Canute out of rage. Working in Ketil’s farm, they are told how Ketil must pay King Harald twice a year for protection, given that his land is too big for a few mercenaries to grant security. As Ketil, many others have considered Harald the legitimate King of Denmark. He is the one that stayed and tried to rule the country while Canute remains on the battlefield.
However, this is far from a unanimous opinion. Thorgil, Ketil’s oldest son and warrior, returned to the farm temporarily and referred to Canute as King, and reminded his father that he is no longer a prince. Canute had just been named King of England officially, but he considers himself King of Denmark as well. With his eyes set back in Denmark now, a conflict between the two brothers feels unavoidable.
