How Vinland Saga’s Philosophy helps a normal person?

 “I have no enemies” -  a statement that may seem very simple but is quite complex with every thought. This quote is from a popular manga series called Vinland Saga. Written and Illustrated by Makoto Yukimura, this manga follows themes of war, slavery, redemption, and peace. Thorfinn, the protagonist of the manga is a man of forgiveness. In the beginning, Thorfinn’s father, Thors was killed by Askeladd, a ruthless Viking. Driven by revenge, Thorfinn joins a band of Vikings led by Askeladd. Thorfinn is determined to avenge his father’s death by challenging Askeladd to duels. He fails to kill Askeladd every time. His failure fuels his single-minded pursuit of revenge throughout the story.

After 11 years of traumatic experiences, this path to peace is surely difficult for Thorfinn as he was an active soldier, killing innocent people. He encounters many instances where he is in a dilemma of whether or not to resort to violence. He chose peace whenever the circumstances allowed. Why does he do that? This is partly because of his father's impact on his life, although he spent only his last six years with Thorfinn. Another reason is that Thorfinn thinks violence is futile (it surely is). Now, on this journey of making the world a ‘peaceful place’ where no one is a slave or a king, He realizes that he is still bound by the chains of violence. He then declares that he has no enemies.

In late 2022, the internet was flooded with this quote. Be it Instagram reels, YouTube shorts, Tumblr posts, or Tweets, it was everywhere! It was immediately after the ‘skip the villain arc’ trend on the internet.

How does this quote ‘I have no enemies’ impact the life of a common man living in this era? The sheer act of forgiveness is really helpful for a person. It is a sense of relief. Enemies not only include people, but feelings too. Someone you know betrayed you? Forgive. Someone you know is trying to lure you into bad stuff? Forgive. Someone in the supermarket takes the last pack of your favourite chips? Forgive. It may seem simple and silly in an everyday context, but if you practice this philosophy of having no enemies at all, your life will be peaceful like never before. There is still much to ponder about this philosophy (which I will do in the coming days). This quote inspires me and several others all over the world and I commend Makoto Yukimura for making Vinland Saga.