The Big Picture

• The Last Kingdom is based on Bernard Cornwell's book series and follows Uhtred's journey from a Saxon to a Viking.
• The show features real historical figures like Alfred the Great, Aelhswith, Guthrum, and Odda the Elder.
• Bebbanburg, the capital of Northumbria, is a real place and is now known as Bamburgh in Northumberland, England.

Netflix's The Last Kingdom saw its final season air in 2022, but the conclusion of Uhtred, son of Uhtred's story premiered in April of this year via a two-hour film, Seven Kings Must Die. The Last Kingdom takes its plotline from Saxon Stories, a book series by Bernard Cornwell, which is made up of several novels that tell Uhtred of Bebbanburg's story. The Netflix adaptation broke down its adaptation into five seasons that saw Uhtred march from being a Saxon by birth, as "Uhtred of Northumbria," into being captured by the Danes and adopted by the Viking Ragnar (Peter Gantzler) to become "Uhtred Ragnarsson."

When another tribe of Danes murders Ragnar and kidnaps Uhtred's adopted sister Thyra (Julia Bache-Wiig), forcing her into slavery, Uhtred vows revenge. Simultaneously, his biological uncle, Aelfric (Joseph Millson), has usurped Bebbanburg, and hopes to kill Uhtred. Uhtred's goal then becomes to avenge Ragnar and claim his birthright as ruler of Bebbanburg. While both the show and book series are based on historical events, the story focuses on Uhtred's duality as a Dane and a Saxon.

Alexander Dreymon portrays Uhtred of Bebbanburg/Ragnarsson, who, like all great heroes, undergoes a significant character arch. He grows as a leader, able to walk the complicated line of his two heritages while their famous dispute embroils them. Dreymon walks this line in a nuanced performance, surrounded by the ancient geography of famed European cities, particularly those in the United Kingdom. Ragnar is a Viking legend whose adventures are still wildly renowned in the area's myths. With so much history and many stories surrounding the plot, sometimes it can take time to separate fact from fiction. Which characters are real, and which events actually happened?

Is Bebbanburg a Real Place?

Now called Bamburgh, the village once known as Bebbanburg rests in what is currently known as Northumberland on the Northeast coast of England. As noted in The Last Kingdom, Northumberland was previously known as "Northumbria" and was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom. Bebbanburg was the capital Northumbria.

Shortly after the Neolithic era, a nomadic hunter-gatherer tribe settled Northumbria, but evidence showed their presence dating back to the Ice Age. By 550 AD, the Anglo-Saxons took control Bebbanburg, naming it so for the Saxon Queen, Bebba. The Last Kingdom takes place in the Medieval Age between 866 AD and 918 AD (roughly), during which time the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons had been fighting for years, as is a prevalent backdrop for the series.

Which Characters in 'The Last Kingdom' Were Based on Real People?

True to its roots, there are numerous real characters in the series, so much so that going over all of them would take days — but at the top of the list, there's Odda the Elder (Simon Charles Kunz), Aethelwold (Harry McEntire), Guthrum (Thomas W. Gabrielsson), and Aelhswith (Eliza Butterworth), who was the real-life wife of King Alfred the Great. Most of these people were not main characters in the show, but they contributed significantly to the story, primarily due to their historical relevance. Several figures in history played a vital and noteworthy part in The Last Kingdom in detail. Uhtred, son of Uhtred is not real; although he is loosely based on Uhtred the Bold, the two Uhtreds have little in common besides name, title, and birthplace. Uhtred was the ealdorman who ruled Northumbria from Bamburgh between 1006 and 1016.

Within the show, Uhtred of Bebbanburg maintains a conflicted relationship with Alfred the Great (David Dawson), being in service to him but also holding respect for him, despite their disagreements. Many of their arguments are over religious differences, as Uhtred maintains the pagan religion of the Danes. Alfred's loyalty also rests firmly with the Saxons, which puts him at odds with Uhtred, whose loyalty is somewhat convoluted between his birth and adopted families. The Last Kingdom presents Alfred as a focused and powerful ruler in the show, and that isn't too far off from the truth.

In real life, Alfred the Great protected England from submission to the Danes, so if Uhtred were real, as presented by The Last Kingdom, their relationship would be pretty complex. Alfred the Great, or Alfred of Wessex, was born in Wantage, Berkshire, in 849 to King Aethelwulf, who ruled over the West Saxons. As the real-life Danes conquered and plundered various kingdoms in England, Alfred was going through his teen years into his early 20s until; finally, the Danes approached Wessex. When the Danes came to Wessex, King Alfred was 21 years old. Although his brother died in battle, Alfred would continue to maintain a stronghold against the Vikings in Southern England.

To drive it back to The Last Kingdom, the historic Alfred the Great would eventually come up against the Danish King Guthrum in early 878. King Guthrum would conquer Chippenham in northwest Wiltshire and began an attempt to take over Wessex. Alfred took a small band of allies into the Somerset marshes and, using strategic tactics that he'd learned from the Danes, defeated King Guthrum's army. In a truly diplomatic twist, King Alfred, understanding that he could not force out the Danes for all of England, negotiated a peace treaty. Peace between the Danes and Saxons led to Guthrum renouncing the religion of the Vikings and becoming a Christian, with Alfred as his godfather. Regarding characters based on real people, Alfred of Wessex is undoubtedly the most prominent in history and Saxon Stories, and it's easy to see why.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, in April 2022, The Last Kingdom raked in 1.423 billion minutes of viewing time after its fifth and final season premiered. It is a wildly well-liked series, and it was heartbreaking to see its end. Given the authentically high-stakes battles The Last Kingdom bases its main character's life around, the series' popularity is unsurprising. Aside from its memorable roots, the performances of The Last Kingdom's leads notably stand out. From Emily Cox as the cunning fictional character Brida to Eva Birthistle as Hild, the fans of the shows are sure to miss the cast as Uhtred's story comes to a close.

The Last Kingdom is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.

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