The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die concluded the series' story, but a few things are left up in the air. Here's a full breakdown of the ending.
The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die wrapped up The Last Kingdom's story in a thrilling two hours of action and drama. Seven Kings Must Die covers events from the last three of Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories novels on which the Netflix show was based, this time in a movie format. Uhtred of Bebbanburg's destiny was finally revealed and the fate of England determined.
The film takes place several years after The Last Kingdom season 5, which saw Uhtred finally reclaim his ancestral seat at Bebbanburg. Seven Kings Must Die tells the final chapter in the unification of England. This has always been the purpose of Uhtred's Last Kingdom story, and Seven Kings Must Die does it in thrilling style. However, while it answered most questions, the movie did leave some questions open-ended.
Is Uhtred Dead At The End Of The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die?
The most likely scenario is that Uhtred dies at the end of Seven Kings Must Die. However, the final scene of the film leaves his fate somewhat open-ended. Uhtred's vision of Valhalla seems to imply that he is about to die, but the accompanying voice-over from Finan states that his fate is unknown in the chronicles. This allows viewers to make their own judgment concerning Uhtred's fate.
It does not seem likely that he would have survived the serious injuries he suffered at the Battle of Brunanburh, but if he were definitively dead, the movie would not have left it so ambiguous. Audiences of The Last Kingdom have developed a strong relationship with Uhtred's character, so it is fitting to leave his ultimate fate up to the individual viewer. While it does seem likely that he died, Uhtred is alive at the end of Cornwell's novels, so it's not difficult to believe he ended up recovering from his injuries and ruling in Bebbanburg as a vassal to King Aethelstan.
Ingilmundr & Aethelstan's Relationship Explained
One of the most important new characters introduced in The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die is Ingilmundr, who is revealed to be carrying on a secret relationship with Aethelstan. Their love seems to be genuine, but it is eventually revealed that Ingilmundr is an agent of Anlaf, sent to coax Aethelstan into starting a war with the other kings in Britain. Ingilmundr, who poses as a devout Christian in order to ingratiate himself with Aethelstan, uses faith to manipulate him.
Uhtred eventually figures it out and tells Aethelstan who initially refuses to believe it. However, the evidence becomes incontrovertible and Aethelstan ends up having Ingilmundr executed after the Battle of Brunanburh. Ingilmundr admits before his death that he was fond of Aethelstan, but their relationship was ultimately just a way for Ingilmundr to manipulate him. It seems like there was some genuine love between them, but Ingilmundr ultimately chooses his people over Aethelstan.
What The Seven Kings Must Die Prophecy Really Meant
It turns out that the Seven Kings Must Die prophecy mostly referred to uncrowned future kings. Five kings lost sons on the battlefield: Orkney, Man, Shetland, Strathclyde, and Scotland. The death of King Edward at the beginning of Seven Kings Must Die makes six dead kings. The seventh could be Uhtred, who as it is pointed out several times in the film, is thought of as a king by many of his people. Alternatively, if Uhtred survived his injuries from the Battle of Brunanburh, the seventh king could be another uncrowned son of a king: Aelfweard, son of Edward, who is killed in cold blood by Aethelstan.
The other part of the prophecy, which promises "the death of the woman you love," turns out to be referring to Finan, who loses his wife, Ingrith, when Anlaf's men sack Bebbanburg. Coincidentally, Ingrith is the one who spoke the prophecy in the first place. It was widely assumed that it would be Uhtred who lost the woman he loved, but Ingrith seemed to know it would be her based on the fact that her words were directed toward Finan when she spoke the prophecy.
What Happens To Aethelstan After The Movie (& Why The Film Doesn't Show It)
Aethelstan had a successful and lengthy reign following the events in Seven Kings Must Die, becoming one of the most famous kings in the history of England. He was famously the first king to rule all four of the Saxon kingdoms: Wessex, Mercia, East Anglia, and Northumbria. He is known for centralizing the English government and building on the legal reforms of his grandfather King Alfred. He is also well known for being one of the most pious of medieval English kings. Aethelstan never married and was succeeded by his brother, Edmund, as he promised to Uhtred in Seven Kings Must Die.
Seven Kings Must Die does not show any of Aethelstan's rule after the Battle of Brunanburh for a couple of reasons. Firstly, this has always been the targeted ending in history for the series. The Last Kingdom is meant to tell the story of the unification of England, which is accomplished in Seven Kings Must Die. Secondly, there was so much that needed to happen in the movie that there just wasn't enough time to include any of Aethelstan's reign after Brunanburh.
How The Last Kingdom Movie's Ending Is Different To The Book
The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die ends with Aethelstan's victory over Anlaf and the other kings at Brunanburh, just as the final Saxon Stories novel, War Lord, does. That is where the similarities end, however. The events leading up to this battle are entirely different and virtually unrecognizable when compared to the book. Uhtred survives in War Lord and lives peacefully as the lord of Bebbanburg for years after the Battle of Brunanburh. He has one final love interest, who lives with him in Bebbanburg, along with his eldest son and heir, Uhtred.
The Last Kingdom simply grew too much into its own adaptation to go the same way as the books. The timeline in the books has Uhtred in his seventies by the time he fights at Brunanburh, which wouldn't really work for the movies. Events are sped up drastically for the show and movie which forced the writers to reinvent the story. While the plot of The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die turns out to be completely different from the book, it works nicely to wrap up the show canon and conclude Uhtred's arc.
The Real Meaning Of The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die Ending
The real meaning of The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die is only fully grasped when viewed in the context of the entire story of The Last Kingdom. Throughout the series, which includes the five seasons of the show and the movie, the story of the Kingdom of England's creation is shown through the eyes of the fictional Uhtred. First, he's completely uninterested in a united England or the politics of the country, but as the series progresses, his respect for the country and his protectiveness of his countrymen continuously puts him in a place to unite the people.
In The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die, Uhtred finally fulfills a destiny that he seemingly never wanted. He is instrumental in the unification of England, also completing a prophecy at the same time. It wasn't only kings who decided the fates of the English Kingdoms; it was the regular chieftains, soldiers, and citizens who fought at the Battle of Brunanburh and created a Kingdom. In doing so, they, like Uhtred, all became kings in their own way.
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