User:Tomlesss/Canute

Canute
Vinland Saga character
First appearance	Vinland Saga chapter 21
Created by	Makoto Yukimura
Voiced by	Japanese Kenshō Ono English Josh Grelle (Sentai Filmworks dub) Griffin Burns (Netflix dub)
In-universe information
Family	Sweyn Forkbeard (father) Harald II of Denmark (older half-brother) Estrid Svendsdatter (older half-sister) Ragnar (adopted father-figure)

Canute (Japanese: クヌート, Hepburn: Kunūto) is a major character in Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura. Canute is a 17-year-old prince of the Danes. He is initially portrayed as timid and womanly, with a bishōnen appearance and an inability to function without his retainer Ragnar. These traits, along with his strong Christianity, earn him the mockery of the Vikings with whom he works. After Ragnar's death, however, he has a sharp reversal of personality, becomes strong and kingly, and develops an ambition to create utopia on Earth before God's return. Towards this end, he plots to overthrow his father Sweyn Forkbeard and take the crown of the Danes. Canute is based on the historical King Canute the Great, the most prominent Danish ruler of England.

Creation

Canute is based off the historical Cnut the Great, the second son of Sweyn Forkbeard and the first ruler of the North Sea Empire following the consolidation of power in England, Norway, and Denmark.

Yukimura was often told by his editors not to draw Canute with a beard as they claimed it would not make the series popular as a result of ruining the bishonen archetype he represented. He rejected that idea, claiming that every man had a beard in that era.

Appearances

Canute first appears as the young, timid son of Danish King Sweyn Forkbeard and under the care of his retainer Ragnar. Originally being escorted through England by Thorkell by orders of King Sweyn, Canute and Ragnar are captured by the Viking mercenaries led by Askeladd, and Thorfinn is later appointed as Canute's guard as Askeladd decides to ransom Canute back to Sweyn. As the group traverses through England, they are continually hunted by Thorkell and his men. Askeladd eventually realizes Canute's potential as heir to Denmark, and that Ragnar's influence on Canute prevents him from achieving his full potential. Askeladd has Ragnar killed, and a heartbroken Canute briefly gives up on life, believing that nobody cares about him. Following a battle with Thorkell, Canute meets an alchoholic priest named Willibald, who convinces Canute that love is discrimination and does not exist in life, with only death being the true form of love. Canute then aspires to create utopia before God's return and to take the throne from Sweyn, who is revealed to have purposefully sent Canute into England as a method of getting him killed so Canute's elder brother Harald can be crowned as ruler of Denmark without question. Canute returns to Denmark with Askeladd and Thorfinn, where Askeladd kills Sweyn and Canute is crowned King of England, though not before Canute kills Askeladd in retribution for his murder of Sweyn. In response for Thorfinn attacking Canute after Askeladd's death, Canute exiles Thorfinn and sends him into slavery.

A year following the previous events, Canute has completely reversed his personality and become more cold and calculating in his desire to rule Denmark and England, going so far to poison Harald in order to solidify his hold on Denmark, which is later absorbed into Canute's domains following Harald's death. During his invasion of England, Canute eventually gets many English Kings to swear fealty to him, such as Æthelred the Unready and Edmund Ironside, though they all mysteriously leaving Canute as the undisputed King of England. As this happens, Canute slowly becomes corrupted by the power of the Danish crown, which worsens when he becomes King of England, and begins to see hallucinations of his decapitated father's head; internally revealing Canute's guilt over killing Harald, his uncertainty about being sovereign of both Denmark and England, and his ambition of being emperor of the North Sea Empire.

Canute decides to launch an assault and take over Ketil's farm, a large farm on Jutland, in order to increase wealth and appease the English, but also to enforce Canute's ascenion to England and Denmark. Canute and his advisor, Ulf, debate whether or not taking over the farm is wise, but after Ketil's son Thorgil (who had come to Jelling to recognize Canute's succession and pay respects to Harald) murders Canute's guards, Canute elects to invade. After assualting the farm, Canute meets with Thorfinn, and Thorfinn convinces Canute that he is not alone in wanting to build a better world. Touched, and realizing how much the power of the crown had influenced him, Canute and Thorfinn make ammends and Canute returns to Denmark, deciding to reduce the size of his military in order to lower taxes; consequently increasing his popularity with England and allowing him to assert his control over the North Sea Empire.

References

Category:Fictional mass murderers Category:Comics characters introduced in 2006 Category:Fictional patricides Category:Fictional swordfighters in anime and manga Category:Fictional Vikings Category:Male characters in anime and manga Category:Male characters in television