Only One Anime Episode Ranks Among The Greatest TV Shows of All Time

Summary "End of the Prologue" from Vinland Saga is the highest-rated anime episode on IMDb at 9.9, joining TV legends like Breaking Bad.

The emotional and devastating season finale marks a pivotal moment for Thorfinn's character development and storyline.

Vinland Saga's top episode stands out for its perfect culmination of an emotional journey and sets up a beautiful redemption arc.

Many iconic anime join the pop cultural zeitgeist as innovative and poignant storytelling experiences but only one can claim the honor of having one episode so good that it earned it a ranking among the highest-rated TV episodes of all time. Some anime are destined to stand head and shoulders above the rest, as decided by the anime-viewing public, with audience-powered aggregators like IMDb being among the best in the industry, alongside MyAnimeList and Rotten Tomatoes.

One anime stands above its peers for an especially excellent episode: Vinland Saga, which garnered a coveted 9.9 audience rating on IMDb, placing it above any other anime and in the company of TV legends such as Breaking Bad. Vinland Saga is a critical darling, yet another sterling example of Kodansha's reputation as a manga publisher. Its anime is just as good as expected in light of this.

Thanks to the wonderful efforts of WIT Studio for season 1 and MAPPA for season 2, it's become one of the greatest contemporary anime viewing experiences for fans of the medium. The best episode of Vinland Saga, seen as the king of all anime episodes on IMDb, has a solid reason for being the highest-rated installment on the platform.

Related 10 Most Complicated Anime Heroes Who Are Still Fascinating Fans With anime as prominently represented in the mainstream as it is, there are certain protagonists and heroes that demand further discussion.

Vinland Saga Has the Highest-Rated Anime Episode on IMDb

"End of the Prologue" Sits with the Greatest of TV's Golden Age Episodes

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According to over 18,000 users on IMDb, Vinland Saga season 1, episode #24, "End of the Prologue" has a score of 9.9 on IMDb, placing currently at #4 of TV's greatest episodes, joining Breaking Bad, Six Feet Under, BoJack Horseman, and Game of Thrones in this unique achievement. It's unsurprising, as the season 1 finale is an emotional and devastating change of the status quo for Thorfinn, in the vein of other devastating TV episodes like "Ozymandias" from Breaking Bad. Thorfinn realizes his vengeance quest will never get closure as Vinland Saga delivers one of the greatest anime episodes ever.

User reviews for Vinland Saga's best anime episode commonly praise the narrative shift signaled by Askeladd's death, citing the character as stealing the show in this season finale.

However, it's also the signal for one of the greatest and most uplifting character arcs ever adapted to anime, with Thorfinn Karlsefni reflecting on his father's death. After Askeladd has killed King Sweyn in a bid for the crown, he is put down by Prince Canute, crowning himself King of England, while Askeladd lies dying on the floor, a defeated kingslayer. Thorfinn rushes to the scene, trying in vain to cut down Canute for this act, while holding Askeladd, furious at the man who killed his father, realizing he'd never get to duel him for vengeance.

What Makes This Vinland Saga's Episode Great

Why Thorfinn's Anime Epic Resonates with IMDb Users

The true reason Vinland Saga has the highest-rated anime episode is simple: it is the perfect culmination of an emotional and self-destructive journey destined to fail, setting up a beautiful redemption arc.

Vinland Saga is already an anime descended from manga royalty. As the youngest of the Seinen Big Three series alongside Vagabond and Berserk, fans knew the storytelling potential. However, with Berserk's uneven adaptations in the past and Vagabond's near-inconceivably beautiful manga being tricky to adapt, the onus rests on Vinland Saga to represent the best seinen anime stories and its place in the Seinen Big Three. The true reason Vinland Saga has the highest-rated anime episode is simple: it is the perfect culmination of an emotional and self-destructive journey destined to fail, setting up a beautiful redemption arc.

Thorfinn begins his story in Vinland Saga by stowing away with his father, Thors, wishing to become a warrior like him, only to see Thors slain in front of him by Askeladd and taken captive. Thorfinn learned to survive, having taken Thors' dagger, honing his instincts and hatred, ironically influenced by Askeladd in Vinland Saga, with the eventual promise of a grudge match. However, this blinding quest for vengeance would get a rude awakening when Askeladd was cut down, marking a distinct coming-of-age moment for Thorfinn as he suddenly realized he had nothing to live for.

However, this is not the only reason why Vinland Saga season 1, episode #24, is heavily voted by IMDb users as the best anime episode: it also signals a tonal change alongside key moments in multiple character arcs. Askeladd has his audience with King Sweyn, claiming the heritage of Lucius Artorias Castas, known as the inspiration for the mythical King Arthur, calling himself the rightful King of England. Canute's intervention is the first step in his blood-soaked, twisted campaign for peace through subjugation, and Thorfinn, remembering his father's words, realizes now why his father wished to cast aside his weapons.

Vinland Saga Ranks Among the Greatest Anime

Users Need to Check Beyond IMDb to See

While IMDb is a great resource and a well-respected user review aggregator, the most popular user-powered database for fan-favorite anime is still MyAnimeList, or MAL for short. Here, Vinland Saga gets #32 and #43 among all anime for its second and first seasons. At the same time, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End recently secured a strong enough average to push Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood off the top spot.

IMDb is not immune to the same whims that cause ratings to be skewed. Despite an overwhelming majority of 10-star reviews, the second-most common rating includes roughly 1500 1-star scores, usually only meant for truly unwatchable programming.

Vinland Saga is still secure in its spot among the greatest anime ever, and IMDb remains the better aggregator for individual episodes, where its strengths seem to lie. The series is a slow burn where the violent epic comes to a cruel, abrupt end, with Thorfinn renouncing his violent ways in season 2, dogged by nightmares and atoning for his sins. Vinland Saga season 1, episode #24, sets the stage for these emotional developments, alongside teases of what's to come, including Einar, Hild, and Gudrid, as a hopeful conclusion to the highest-rated anime episode on IMDb.

Sources: MyAnimeList, IMDB Top 100 TV Episodes, Vinland Saga on IMDb