Talk:Askeladd/@comment-45085564-20200220114545

Great & ultimately tragic character (as are many in this manga).

It's clear that he died as a necessity, he's the catalyst that will lead many characters to change (Thorfinn, Canute, etc).

He's really an anti-hero in the prologue, an unwilling antagonist who is really good at heart. His backstory is incredibly tragic (his mother being war booty, and  Askeladd living a life of hatred for his father's ethnicity/culture).

Ultimately his character arc is as interesting as Thorfinn's: Overcoming his self and becoming who he truly was (a Welsh hero and true King). Lots of the characters in this show have this psychological underpinning, to stop living a lie and become who they truly are (Thorfinn, Canute, etc) and not simply results of causality.