From Cnut to Brida, there are plenty of iconic villains in The Last Kingdom. But which ones do fans believe are the best?
Although The Last Kingdom mainly focuses on the exploits of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the Netflix series wouldn't have been the same without its iconic villains. Throughout The Last Kingdom's six seasons (and the movie), fans of the historical fiction franchise have been introduced to many memorable and iconic characters. Finan and Sihtric often brought comic relief with their witty one-liners and mannerisms; Æthelflæd and Beocca were seen to be the kindest and wisest people viewers had ever met, and Uhtred was one of the more compelling TV heroes. However, in order to become one of the best TV heroes, a character needs to have a lot of interesting villains.
Similar to the shows Vikings and Game of Thrones, The Last Kingdom had an array of villains. Although there are some characters that were downright evil and hated by the fans, there were also quite a few of them who were complex and flawed individuals. These types of villains made the best kind since they were not only involved with several surprising twists and turns, but they also had a big impact on the story and characters long after they left.
Aelswith
Although Aelswith managed to redeem herself in the last couple of seasons of The Last Kingdom, there was a time when she was seen to be a huge thorn in Uhtred's side. Blinded by her hatred for Norsemen and 'Danes', Aelswith would often try to persuade her husband not to follow Uhtred's advice and would try multiple times to have the Dane Slayer killed. Uhtred wasn't the only one to suffer under her poor decision-making either as poor Edward and Æthelflæd were also forced into unions they didn't want. At least she managed to acknowledge her mistakes by the end and was trying to become a better person.
Wihtgar
While he only had a limited amount of screen time in The Last Kingdom, Wihtgar was still an important villain as he had a major impact on the story. Not only was he one of the few who managed to outsmart Uhtred, taking Bebbanburg from right under him after killing his own father, but he also became a public enemy in the viewers' eyes after he killed one of The Last Kingdom's most likable characters, Beocca. What's more, all these things occurred in his introductory episodes. He definitely got an iconic villain entrance.
Sven & Kjartan the Cruel
Father and son duo, Sven and Kjartan the Cruel, had to be two of the most sadistic and ruthless villains on the show as they tormented Ragnar and Uhtred's family for years. Not only were they responsible for the death of Earl Ragnar Ragnarson, but they also kidnapped Thyra and kept her as their captive for years. They didn't even seem to express any remorse for what they were doing, which showed just how blinded they were by revenge. Fans were certainly not sad to see these go in the end.
Sigefrid
Like many of the other villains on the show, it seemed that Sigefrid would follow a similar path to all the others on the show. Although he knew of Alfred's weaknesses and he wasn't above betraying his own allies to get what he wanted, it was likely that he wouldn't make it out alive by the end as Uhtred and his men would get ahead of him. While most of this is true, the writers did throw in a shocking twist by having Sigefrid kill his brother after he noticed that he had fallen in love with Æthelflæd. Given how close they were, that was something no one saw coming.
Brida
Considered to be one of The Last Kingdom's best female characters, Brida wasn't your typical villain as her arc was full of conflicting storylines. While no one could forgive her for the way she brutally tortured Uhtred's children, there was a small part of people who couldn't help but sympathize with Brida as it was clear that she was struggling with grief and trauma. On top of that, most of the men in her life seemed to betray her every chance she got, so it's not surprising that she headed down a dark path. She was definitely one of the more complex individuals in the story.
One of The Last Kingdom's most powerful characters, Æthelhelm's manipulative and cunning tendencies also cement him as one of the show's best villains. Unlike the other antagonists in the show, what made Æthelhelm so dangerous was that he was a wolf in sheep's clothing. Although he pretended that he had Wessex's best interests at heart, it was soon revealed that he was desiring power and glory for himself. He even plotted to have Aelswith killed in order to try and increase his standing. If it wasn't for Aelswith and Uhtred realizing what he was up to, there was a possibility that he could have succeeded.
Skorpa (Svein of the White Horse)
One of the most brutal Danes to appear on the show, Skorpa had a huge impact on the story and Uhtred's love life. Like the other Vikings and Danes on the show, the warlord was hungry for fame and fortune (and he wasn't beyond killing people to get it). However, he quickly made an enemy out of Uhtred when he discovered that he knew Thyra was being tormented by her captures and was responsible for the death of Uhtred's lover, Iseult. Thankfully, he was killed off quickly as no one could stand how smug he got.
Cnut
Cnut was another villain who flew under the radar for some time. When fans first met him in season 3, Cnut was introduced as a powerful Dane warrior and Ragnar's cousin. Although it initially seemed that he was there to help them claim Wessex, it was soon revealed that Cnut had evil intentions of his own as he wanted to get rid of Ragnar in order to take his place as leader and make Brida his lover.Unfortunately, his plan worked as Cnut operated from the shadows, first driving a wedge between Ragnar and Uhtred and then manipulating Aethelwold to kill the former. He didn't even show any remorse for his actions. Luckily, the truth came out in the end but it took years for Uhtred to repair these friendships.
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