The Last Kingdom stars have warned that the show’s upcoming fifth and final season contains “a lot of death”, so fans should brace themselves for the possibility that certain characters won’t make it out in one piece.
The historical drama, which began life on BBC Two before moving to Netflix for its third season, tells a semi-fictional story chronicling how several separate kingdoms united to form what we now know as England in the 10th century.
Based on the novels by Bernard Cornwell, the series stars Alexander Dreymon as warrior Uhtred of Bebbanburg, who repeatedly finds himself drawn into Saxon conflicts by what he views as destiny’s hand.
The series has never had an issue with killing off characters (for more on that, check out our list of the best The Last Kingdom deaths), but the stakes are higher than ever this time around as the story nears its end.
James Northcote, who plays Aldhelm, said: “There’s going to be a lot of death in season 5. And that’s really exciting because with death comes drama.
“I think the fans of the show are going to be shocked, there’s definitely some surprises this year, and it’s a season that’s going to pull on your heartstrings. So hold on to your hankies.”
The story of The Last Kingdom will be capped off with feature film follow-up Seven Kings Must Die, but Netflix is yet to announce any cast members beyond Dreymon as they do not wish to give away who survives the events of season 5.
Co-star Emily Cox, better known as fierce Dane warrior Brida, added: “Season 5 is going to be really big. There are a lot of surprises. When I first read the scripts I was like, ‘I didn’t see that happening at all.’
“And there are big dramatic surprises as well. Viewers can expect a lot of adventure, they can expect a lot of violence again, and a lot of love.”
The Last Kingdom season 5 launches on Netflix on Wednesday 9th March 2022. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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