Summary
- In The Last Kingdom, characters meet tragic fates, some deserving and others unjust. The show's violent backdrop leads to indiscriminate deaths.
- Heartbreaking deaths occur when beloved characters are lost, while treacherous characters meet satisfying ends. Deaths in the show elicit contrasting emotions.
- Whether characters deserved their fate or were cheated out of happiness, each death in The Last Kingdom evokes a natural reaction based on their actions and life's work.
Some of the people who met their ends in The Last Kingdom didn't earn their tragic fates, whereas others got exactly what they deserved. Considering the violent period of history the show covers, it makes sense that so many important characters don't survive The Last Kingdom's ending. The show is full of big battles and devious assassinations, not to mention completely normal causes of death, like disease and chronic illness. The Last Kingdom uses all of these things to kill off its characters indiscriminately.
Its willingness to part with any character, regardless of how popular they may be, leads to some terribly heartbreaking deaths in The Last Kingdom. The same thing applies in reverse, however, with treacherous characters dying in a savagely satisfying manner. The bottom line is that when someone dies in The Last Kingdom, it's natural to feel like the character either deserved their fate for the crimes they committed, or they've been cheated out of the happiness they worked for throughout their life.
10 Aethelwold (Deserved)
Aethelwold is one character in The Last Kingdom who deserved what he got. Aethelwold is a devious character who never stops scheming to become King of Wessex. In his attempts to gain the throne, Aethelwold commits all sorts of terrible deeds, including murdering Ragnar in his sleep. Because Aethelwold is one of The Last Kingdom's least likable characters, there's a strong sense of justice being served when Uhtred finally runs him through with his sword.
9 Beocca (Undeserved)
Beocca is one of the most lovable characters in The Last Kingdom, hence why his death at the hands of Whitgar is a truly heartbreaking moment in the series. Beocca is a father figure to Uhtred, providing sage advice at every turn and never ceasing to advocate for common sense. Beocca never seems to do anything wrong, and he always seems to put others before himself. He is a truly selfless character, and when he sacrifices himself to save Young Uhtred, there is a singular sense of injustice to his death. It's fitting that he died as he did, but heartbreaking that he had to die while evil men survived.
8 Aethelred (Deserved)
The death of Aethelred does not qualify as one of the saddest moments in The Last Kingdom, even if he does try to redeem himself a bit before passing on. Aethelred is a horrible person who abuses his wife, Aethelflaed, at every chance he gets. He is a greedy character without a shred of dignity or respect for other people. He seems to come to terms with this before he dies, which offers him some small measure of redemption, but this hardly erases the memory of all the pain he's caused.
7 Aldhelm (Undeserved)
Aldhelm begins his time on The Last Kingdom as an advisor to Aethelred, which frames him as an antagonist to begin, but he ends up being a good person, turning on Aethelred after being ordered to murder Aethelflaed. After abandoning Aethelred, Aldhelm becomes a loyal servant to Aethelflaed and a staunch ally of Uhtred's. He also does his best to be loyal to Aethelstan when he becomes king in Seven Kings Must Die, but Aethelstan is manipulated into executing him anyway. Aldhelm is honest and loyal for the vast majority of his life, making it all the more sad that he died in the manner that he did.
6 Aethelhelm (Deserved)
Aethelhelm is another first-class schemer in The Last Kingdom whose greed ends up getting him deservedly killed. Aethelhelm shows on numerous occasions how far he is willing to go to install his grandson as the heir to Wessex. When Winchester is taken by Sigtryggr, Aethelhelm coldly suggests murdering a five-year-old Aethelstan. Moreover, in The Last Kingdom season 5, he starts a fully-fledged war to manipulate Edward into conquering Northumbria. In the end, Aethelhelm recognizes his doom and takes his own life to avoid being tortured and publicly executed.
5 Ragnar (Undeserved)
Though Ragnar Ragnarsson, Uhtred's adoptive brother, can be brutal at times, he shows time and time again that he has a good heart. Ragnar is always kind to his friends, and while he is fierce toward his enemies, he never kills without good cause. Moreover, Ragnar has a love for life that is infectious and makes the people around him better. What he really wants in life is the security of a home and the comfort of a loving family, but sadly, he is killed before he can find either.
4 Cnut (Deserved)
Cnut is another terrible person in The Last Kingdom, willing to do anything to fulfill his ambitions. Cnut is the one who plans Ragnar's murder, encouraging Aethelwold to carry it out with the promise of his protection. After having Ragnar murdered, Cnut convinces Brida, Ragnar's wife, to be with him now that Ragnar is dead. Killing a man he called a friend and then seducing his wife is about as bad as it gets, so if anyone deserved their death in The Last Kingdom, it's Cnut.
3 Thyra (Undeserved)
Thyra is a character who always seems to suffer no matter how innocent she is. After being locked in a kennel for years by Kjartan and Sven, Thyra finally finds some peace and happiness with Father Beocca. Sadly, her involvement with Beocca ends up getting her killed as a group of thugs burns their house down with Thyra locked inside. Her death is heartbreaking because she never does anything to warrant being killed. She just wants to live peacefully into old age with Beocca, but instead, she tragically takes her own life to avoid the suffering of burning alive.
2 Kjartan (Deserved)
Kjartan is one of The Last Kingdom's earliest antagonists, and his crimes absolutely warrant his death. Firstly, Kjartan murders Earl Ragnar the Fearless and his entire family, trapping them in their long hall and setting it aflame. He then captures Thyra and forces her to live with his dogs for years before she's freed by Uhtred and Ragnar the Younger. Not only does Kjartan kill a man he swore loyalty to, but he murders an entire family, including children and the elderly.
1 Steapa (Undeserved)
Steapa is another great character who is dedicated and loyal to a fault, and his death protecting Edward in battle is hardly the ending fans wanted for him, even if it was a worthy way for such a formidable warrior to go. The Last Kingdom's Steapa is brash, but he's also honest and trusting. He often jokes with Uhtred and Finan, even when circumstances place them firmly opposed to one another. Steapa's courage and loyalty are what make him a good person, but sadly, they also end up getting him killed.