We had the fantastic privilege of meeting and speaking with Makoto Yukimura, author of Vinland Saga, at Kodansha House this year. Amidst the exciting programming and installations at the manga-themed pop-up, we spoke with Yukimura-sensei about his inspirations for Vinland Saga, how he conceptualizes character interactions, the iconic line “I have no enemies” and about the upcoming end of the series.
Portions of this interview have been lightly edited for clarity.
Creating the Story
It made sense to initially get an idea of where the inspiration behind Vinland Saga comes from. The author explained that the initial idea stemmed from his reading stories about Europeans coming to the Americas, a process that he imagined had to have been arduous. When researching the reasons Europeans came to the Americas, he decided he might make a fictional story about journeys like that one. When asked about whether any major aspects of the premise changed from the time he first began thinking of it to when he submitted it for publication, Yukimura-sensei explained that there isn’t much of a difference between what he was thinking when he first began and what he’s been thinking these past 20 years.
“What I was thinking at the very beginning when I started writing, and now, 20 years later with the end approaching, there isn’t that big of a difference. I believe I’m progressing the story the way I originally thought.”
The way the story has been executed is excellent, especially when it comes to achieving a careful balance between entertaining action and thought-provoking character development. Diving into what Yukimura-sensei kept in mind in order to maintain that balance and make sure things didn’t lean too much in one direction, he humbly explained that he actually wasn’t sure whether he’d achieved that balance at all.
“Whether I have been able to balance those two or not, I’m actually not sure. But I did my best to do so, and if the readers felt like it is a good balance, then I feel like I have accomplished what that I was trying to do.”
I Have No Enemies
Vinland Saga has a lot of iconic moments, but one that stands out in the manga and especially in what’s been adapted so far in the anime is the line “I have no enemies.” Yukimura-sensei, like many fans, felt that this line is a good one, though, curiously, he noted that he wasn’t aware of the online virality of the line (and the many memes it produced) until I explained it to him during our time together. Regarding the line, I wanted to know about the process for deciding on that line in particular.
“This quote, ‘I have no enemies,’ if there was something that would trend, I’d want it to be something like this quote. And I think it’s a good thing if the feeling that none of us have an enemy could be accepted by many people. I think that would leave a positive influence in this world, and if that happened, I’d be proud of it.”
Character Development, Message, and the End of Vinland Saga
Next, I wanted to get an idea of Yukimura-sensei’s thought process when it came to creating characters, planning their arcs, and understanding how those arcs would operate both independently and in relation to one another. In Vinland Saga multiple characters’ development parallels each other, especially when it comes to themes of legacy and revenge.
Noting that, I asked how Yukimura-sensei decided where to place different kinds of development across different characters, and if he knew what each character’s arc was going to be from the beginning. He explained that he developed character arcs by making sure they were all differentiated from one another.
“I think you’re talking about the characters Thorfinn and Canute. Each of the characters, aside from those two, all the characters in the story have different perspectives and they don’t understand each other quite a bit. But they are living their own lives and how those paths get crossed, I think that is the essence of the story. I feel very much connected to how Thorfinn would feel in this story. But I also don’t want to project that only Thorfinn’s way of life is the correct way of life. That would mean that I’m rejecting the other ways of life. That would also cause a divide. Other people should be able to pursue their life with their own beliefs. Not one particular type of lifestyle is the correct way. In order to portray this, I try to portray each of the characters in the story as detailed and differently as possible.”
As we look back on the many years of chapters of Vinland Saga, I wanted to know if the author had already decided how the series was going to end. He had this to say.
“(laughs) As of now, October [18] 2024, I only have a few more chapters to write for the story of Vinland Saga. I came this far just the way I planned, but honestly from this point and beyond I have no idea what’s going to happen. Honestly, I don’t know how this is going to pan out at the end. I’m going to do my best, though.”
Finally, I asked whether Yukimura-sensei hoped that the message of Vinland Saga would lead the world to a better place.
“I hope so. One time, 20 years ago, someone told me we should think about war when there is no war. Because it is already too late by the time war is happening to think about it. I hope people will think about war now, and then hope for peace. If that message has been conveyed to as many people in the world [as possible], that would make me really happy.”
We’d like to thank Makoto Yukimura for taking the time to speak with us about Vinland Saga and thank the folks at Kodansha House for putting on such an incredible event and hosting a variety of manga authors last month.
Kodansha USA licensed the Vinland Saga manga in English and has published translated volumes through Volume 13. Netflix and Crunchyroll are streaming the anime.
© Makoto Yukimura, Kodansha/VINLAND SAGA SEASON 2 Project
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