| Askeladd | |
|---|---|
| Vinland Saga character | |
 Askeladd, as drawn by Makoto Yukimura | |
| First appearance | Vinland Saga chapter 1 Normanni (2005) |
| Created by | Makoto Yukimura |
| Voiced by |
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Askeladd (Japanese: アシェラッド, Hepburn: Asheraddo), whose full name is Lucius Artorius Castus (ルキウス・アルトリウス・カストゥス, Rukiusu Arutoriusu Kasutusu), is a fictional character from the manga Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura. Askeladd, the leader of a band of a hundred Vikings, bargains with Jomsviking commander Floki to kill the deserting warrior Thors. After a fierce swordfight, Thors defeats Askeladd but surrenders to save his son, the protagonist Thorfinn, and his villagers. After seeing his father's death, Thorfinn swears revenge against Askeladd, who recruits him into his group despite knowing his intentions.
The character was created by Yukimura to serve as a mentor to the inexperienced Thorfinn, despite both of them being enemies. Yukimura wrote him carefully until his last scene, which he calculated by writing his personality. In the end, the author was confused by how the character was written, as he felt the character became another father figure to Thorfinn, especially in his last moments. In Japanese, the character is voiced by Naoya Uchida, while David Wald and Kirk Thornton voice him in two separate English dubs.
Critical response to Askeladd was generally positive for being a striking villain and his relationship with Thorfinn. He was also listed as one of the best anime characters of 2019. Although Askeladd does not appear in the second arc, critics noticed the effect he had on Thorfinn, who tries to move through a different path than Askeladd's.