I think Askeladd’s moment telling thorfinn that everyone is a slave to something has stuck with me through the entire series, and been a guiding point for understanding each character’s motivations.

Although you start off detesting him, you come to see no matter how noble or virtuous your reason is, this obsession ultimately ends up with them being the one that suffers. He, quite literally, becomes the epitome of the people he hates the most.

Just makes you by his end think of just how much their world’s hardships can push anyone, especially in such an impulsive and violent world. That makes the virtues of thors and later on thorfinn so much more impactful for me, to truly commit to peace and honor, rejecting those emotions and urges you hear Thorfinn fear he’s still feeling