'The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die' Ending Explained: Is Uhtred really dead?
Heavy spoilers ahead for 'The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die'.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'The Last Kingdom' saga has finally come to the conclusion with the final epic battle. Netflix's one of the most underrated historical dramas follows the origin story of England and the story is narrated through the point of view of Uhtred, the lord of the Bebbanburg kingdom. 'The Last Kingdom' is based on the book series 'The Saxon Stories' by Bernard Cornwell. Serving as a direct sequel to 'The Last Kingdom' series, the movie 'The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die' is finally out and it follows the final adventure of the brave protagonist Uhtred of Bebbanburg.
'The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die' is written by Bernard Cornwell and Martha Hillier and is directed by Edward Bazalgette. The historical drama has had almost all of the cast from 'The Last Kingdom' reprise their roles and the stellar ensemble includes Alexander Dreymon as Uhtred, Mark Rowley as Finan, Arnas Fedaravicius as Sihtric, Elaine Cassidy as Queen Eadgifu, Harry Gilby as Aethelstan, Ross Anderson as Domnal, James Northcote as Aldhelm, Laurie Davidson as Ingilmundr, Ewan Horrocks as Aelfweard and Zak Sutcliffe as Edmund. Though 'The Last Kingdom' storyline has come to a final conclusion, there are several questions that are left unanswered like "Is Uhtred really dead?" and "Will Queen Eadgifu continue to live in Bebbanburg?" Let us take a detailed look.
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Is Uhtred really dead?
What hasn't the lord of Bebbanburg hasn't been through? From losing his father, brother, and his homeland to losing his loved ones, Uhtred was able to experience a lot of huge losses in the early days of his life. However, Uhtred powered through the harder times and was able to return to his land Bebbanburg and rule as a separate kingdom. However, his peace is disturbed when King Edward dies, leaving the surrounding kingdom in a vulnerable state. When his former ward Aethelstan succumbs to the dark path and tries to destroy the entire kingdom by saying he is uniting the forces, Uhtred tries to talk Aethelstan out of it. Uhtred tries constantly to change the mind of his former ward, but it only leads to Uhtred losing his people and getting exiled. However, in the final act, Uhtred joins forces with Aethelstan and wins the war, only to get severely injured. Uhtred is nursed by his friends Sihtric, Finan, and Queen Eadgifu. However, it is seen that Uhtred is not in the strong shape he used to be. Uhtred finally pledges Bebbanburg to Aethelstan and stumbles when he gets up. He recognizes his time has come as Uhtred begins to see his own 'Valhalla'. Even when everyone surrounding him wants him to stay, Uhtred realizes his time on Earth is up. Though the movie reveals that it is not known if Lord Uhtred actually survived, the look on Uhtred and his contentment proves that Uhtred is indeed dead.
Will Queen Eadgifu continue to live in Bebbanburg?
After the death of King Edward, Queen Eadgifu is seen taking refuge at Bebbanburg with her son Edmund. though skeptical at first, Queen Eadgifu loved her time in Bebbanburg and even helped her to process her grief. And as time passes, Queen Eadgifu grows fond of the land and even helped Uhtred to catch the cruel Ingilmundr at one point. Queen Eadgifu finally found her peace in Bebbanburg as her son Edmund got a safer place to stay and train. However, in the final twist of events, Uhtred gets a deal with Aethelstan that changes her life forever. Uhtred asks Aethelstan to not marry or to bear any children as after Aethelstan, it should be Edmund who will rule the country without any opposition. Aethelstan agrees to this pact, which makes Queen Eadgifu return to Winchester. But Queen Eadgifu is now loving the Bebbanburg and with Uhtred gone, it leaves the place with Osbert, the son of Uhtred. This leaves the possibility that Queen Eadgifu will let Osbert train Edmund and stay for a while and help in managing Bebbanburg. She will more likely to move to Winchester when her son Edmund takes the throne.
'The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die' is available to stream exclusively on Netflix.