Anime and Mental Health: What Naruto & Vinland Saga teach us

Introduction:

Anime is never really considered a mental health resource. But, removing the swords, ninjas, and epic battles, shows like Naruto and Vinland Saga convey some of the most heart touching stories about loneliness, guilt, and what it takes to keep moving forward. This article isn't about power ups, or how plot twists could have been better. It's about two characters who never chose the pain that shaped them, but preserved through their tough times. 

Naruto: When seeking attention becomes a coping mechanism

Every trick, every prank, and every “look at me” stunt Naruto pulls as a kid gets him the same result over and over again: more stares and more whispers. He keeps trying anyway, not because it's working, rather it's because stopping these stunts means going back to being the invisible kid no-one cared to consider. Naruto is Konoha’s “least” favorite kid; not because of anything he's done, but because he has the Nine Tails sealed within him. Kurama, the “demon nine-tailed fox,” can flatten out the Hidden Leaf village in one blow, and the villagers who know this, sadly, ostracize Naruto and fear that he too will cause chaos in Konoha. However, Naruto, who had spent the entirety of his childhood being avoided, drowning in loneliness, and seeking someone who would understand him, misunderstood that any form of attention, even “negative attention,” is better than no attention at all. And yet, Naruto wasn't able to realize that the very reason that caused his loneliness soon made him a monster in the eyes of his village and less of the lonely orphan longing to be understood. 

Naruto never had a say in becoming a Jinchuruki (anyone who has a giant monster called a tailed beast sealed inside of them) and never grasped that the hatred towards him wasn't really about him but rather because of the insane power he possessed. Unable to realize this as a child, Naruto carries the Nine Tales within him as a “burden” that builds constant trauma. 

This is similar to how people are treated when word is spread that they are struggling. Society’s label pops up first, and suddenly, the person carrying that label stops being important. 

Despite the odds against him and despite the constant loneliness that he faced, Naruto never gave up being the embodiment of “ganbaru” (persistence). Instead of letting the village’s fear toward him win, Naruto used his loneliness as fuel towards his goal to become the greatest Shinobi and motivated himself to improve everyday. By taking action and facing his feelings of hatred and loneliness head on, Naruto was able to form meaningful “bonds” and eventually showed everyone what he was worth. If there’s one thing anyone should take away from Naruto’s “character arc,” it’s that pain isn't something to avoid, rather it's a feeling that one should sit with and improve upon by being brave and taking that first step towards action. 

Vinland Saga: When someone else gets there first

Ask Thorfinn who he aspires to be at seven, eight, or eleven years old and he’ll give you one and only one answer: to be the one who’s going to kill Askeladd. It's not a dream and it's definitely not a goal. For Thorfinn, killing Askeladd is the entire reason he gets up in the morning. So, when Prince Canute waltzes in and takes Askeladd's life first, Thorfinn isn't just robbed of a target, he loses his entire sense of purpose and direction in life. It's at this moment of his life that Thorfinn transforms from the “vengeance-driven child” into a young adult chained to his own self guilt. Self guilt that meddles with his subconscious. Self guilt that constantly reminds him of the “terrible” violence he committed against people who never deserved it. Self guilt that points out that Thorfinn is still a “kind-hearted and caring young man.”

Looking back, Thorfinn never chose strength, stoicism, and dominance. Rather the society around him blindly followed these values in hopes of proving their place in society. And yet what many Vikings, including Thorfinn,  didn't realize is that by entering the path of “toxic masculinity” they had to pay a price no one could see coming: that fee was their mental wellbeing.

This isn't just a Viking problem, it’s the same reason why so many people are reluctant to ask for help because they think it makes them weak. However reaching out is the exact opposite. Asking for help when needed is a form of wisdom, not weakness. 

Ultimately, Thofinn never gets to go back into the past and undo his violent acts, however he does get to stop running from his self guilt. That's the entire lesson of Thorfinn’s character arc: it's that the past is something everyone should accept, learn from, and move forward with a positive outlook. 

Conclusion:

Though situated in different worlds and bearing different responsibilities and aspiring different dreams, both Naruto and Thorfinn reveal that taking action is something anyone can do and that all it takes is a bit of bravery. Naruto fought against social isolation. Thorfinn’s fight was with his past actions and sense of self. Neither chose the pain that shaped them, but they definitely had a say in what came next. And that's the part everyone has a choice in: what will you do next?

Citations:

• Rosyidha, Alfin, and Naila Rohmah. "Naruto: A Study of Resilience and Growth in Japanese Animation." Kiryoku, vol. 9, no. 2, Oct. 2025, pp. 386–95. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14710/kiryoku.v9i2.386-395.

• Halovic, Shaun. "Using the Manga/Anime Naruto as Graphic Medicine to Engage Clients in Conversational Model Therapy." Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, vol. 8, no. 2, Aug. 2020, https://doi.org/10.59158/001c.71095.

• Ridha, Hikmah. "An Analysis of Thorfinn's Personalities Change in 'Vinland Saga' by Makoto Yukimura." JISHUM (Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Humaniora), vol. 2, no. 3, Mar. 2024, pp. 593–612, https://journal.ikmedia.id/index.php/jishum.

• Foster, Elijah R. "A True Warrior Needs Both Skill and Heart: Vinland Saga’s Journey to Peace and Its Hidden Discovery." The Macksey Journal, vol. 5, art. 53, 2024. Johns Hopkins University Macksey Journal, https://mackseyjournal.scholasticahq.com/article/133797.