Askeladd

Askeladd (アシェラッド, Asheraddo) is a cunning, mysterious pirate Viking. He is half Danish, half Welsh, which makes him an outcast.

Appearance
Askeladd is an average-sized Viking warrior. He is very strong, demonstrating himself capable of bisecting a man in full armor with his sword. Being half-Welsh and half-Danish, he has blond hair. His face features a small beard that goes just around his mouth, with sharp and cunning eyes. He wears a sword at his side. His armor, which he wears almost all the time, is notable in that it is not the layering of chain mail and hide that most Vikings wear; rather, he has a heavy breastplate more reminiscent of the Roman tradition.

Personality
Although Askeladd sometimes wants to give the impression of being weak, old, or not in control of his troops to his enemies, he's the exact opposite. He uses deception to give a false sense of 'we-can-win-this-no-problem'. Then to surprise them and take advantage of their momentary loss of sense and order to bring them down.

Abilities
In addition to being a very skilled swordsman in his own right, Askeladd is also a master tactician, as well as a skilled politician; his ability to manipulate those around him turned a horde of pirates and raiders into a close-knit group wholly loyal to him. He has shown himself capable of turning enemies into allies, as seen with Thorfinn, Thorkell, and Prince Canute.

History
Askeladd is the son of a Norse Viking and a Welsh noble woman. Witnessing how his mother, and her people was mistreated by the Norse and the English, Askeladd dispises his Scandinavian heritage and embraces the Romano-Celtic heritage of his mother, although, he is nevertheless shown to be a believer in the Norse Gods. Sharing the belief of Welsh people, Askeladd longs for the day when his King Artorius would return and liberate the Briton people from the Germanic oppression. However upon encounter with Prince Canute, he realizes that belief is nothing more than a fairy tale and decides to aid Canute in the greatest cause.

Askeladd's role in the series is the captain of a notorious band of Viking pirates. He is the unlawful murderer of Thors. He's Thorfinn's 'boss' even though Thorfinn rarely listens to him, apart from when he gets a chance to fight Askeladd (his usual reward). He is a mentor for Thorfinn and a catalyst that brings about the change in Canute.