Thorkell (Vinland Saga)

Thorkell
Vinland Saga character
Thorkell, as drawn by Makoto Yukimura
First appearance	Vinland Saga chapter 18
Created by	Makoto Yukimura
Portrayed by	Takeshi Hayashino (stage play)
Voiced by	Japanese Akio Otsuka English Joe Daniels (Sentai Filmworks dub) Patrick Seitz (Netflix dub)

Thorkell (Japanese: トルケル, Hepburn: Torukeru), also known as "Thorkell the Tall" and "Thorkell the Invincible", is a fictional character from Makoto Yukimura's manga Vinland Saga. Thorkell is introduced as a commander from the Jomsviking, Viking mercenaries or conquerors allied with the King. He switches sides to fight for the English before choosing to ally himself with Prince Canute. He opposes the Vikings with whom the lead character, Thorfinn, works, but instead becomes interested in the protagonist for being the son of the warrior Thors, his brother. He is once again prominent in the series' third story arc, where he joins forces with the older Thorfinn as there are plans to make a revolution within the Jomsviking.

Thorkell was created as a contrast to the other fighters appearing in the manga, who were serious personality-wise. As a result, Yukimura enjoyed writing Thorkell because it made his acts of violence easier to draw. He is meant to represent the Vikings in general due to his love for violence and childish personality, which Yukimura carefully wrote to appeal to young readers. In the anime adaptation, Thorkell is voiced by Akio Otsuka in Japanese, Joe Daniels in the English dub by Sentai Filmworks, and Patrick Seitz in the Netflix dub.

Critical response to his character was positive for how comical he is as well as his large design. His fights in the anime were also praised for the choreography presented, especially when he faces Thorfinn, to the point of being nominated as one of the best fighters of the year by Crunchyroll.