Summary
- The Last Kingdom excels at creating heartbreaking moments, and these 10 saddest moments showcase the show's capacity for eliciting powerful emotions.
- The death of Gisela and Father Beocca, Uhtred's final conversation with Alfred, and Ragnar's murder are all intensely sad moments that leave a lasting impact on viewers.
- The show effectively builds character relationships, making the audience deeply care about the characters, which adds to the emotional weight of each sad moment.
The Last Kingdom is full of heartbreaking moments, but there are 10 in particular that stand out as the historical drama's saddest. The Last Kingdom is a fictionalized retelling of the formation of England as a single kingdom under the kings Alfred, Edward, and Aethelstan. Being set in a medieval time period, The Last Kingdom takes place in a highly dangerous environment, capable of creating profound sorrow in the audience.
The show also excels at building characters, which is a big part of its ability to craft sad moments and the biggest reason it's one of the best British shows on Netflix. The Last Kingdom makes the audience care deeply for its characters, allowing it to elicit powerful emotional responses. There are plenty of joyful moments in The Last Kingdom as well, but when a moment is meant to be sad in the show, it inevitably ends up breaking hearts. These 10 moments are the best example of the series' capacity for sadness.
10 Uhtred And Mildreth's Son Dying
One of the earliest saddest moments in The Last Kingdom is when Uhtred and Mildreth's son tragically dies in infancy. Mildrith is Uhtred's first wife, and though he is initially unhappy with the arrangement, he and Mildrith grow to care for each other. Unfortunately, after the death of their son, Uhtred abandons her and she s a nunnery. It seems their relationship was never meant to be, but it's terribly sad that their son had to die for them to realize it.
9 Gisela's Death
Gisela's death is easily one of the saddest deaths in The Last Kingdom and one of the saddest moments overall. Gisela is Uhtred's second wife and the mother of his three children. Gisela was probably Uhtred's best romantic encounter, and the grief his character feels after she dies in childbirth is palpable for the audience. This moment is doubly sad because it creates sorrow for the loss of Gisela, who was a great character, but also forces the audience to experience Uhtred's profound grief. Because of all that, this is not an easy episode to watch.
8 Father Beocca's Death
The death of Father Beocca is a desperately sad moment in The Last Kingdom. Beocca becomes a father figure to Uhtred when he returns to the world of Saxons, constantly providing sage advice and sticking up for him in the court of Wessex. He is one of the few characters who has known Uhtred since his childhood, and when he dies from an arrow meant for Uhtred's son, the pain can be difficult to handle. It's fitting that Beocca died protecting Uhtred's son, but the loss of such an impactful character stings, and Uhtred's grief afterward is contagious.
7 Uhtred's Final Conversation With Alfred
Another sad moment in The Last Kingdom is Uhtred's final conversation with King Alfred. Both characters are well aware that Alfred's death is just around the corner when they have their final conversation in Alfred's library, and they discuss legacy, regret, pride, forgiveness, and all the things that come to mind when someone is near death. The most impactful aspect of this conversation, however, is that Uhtred and Alfred fully reconcile their relationship and come to fully appreciate the impact they've had on each other's lives. This scene is doubly sad because it's clear that this is a final send-off for Alfred, one of the show's strongest characters.
6 Ragnar's Murder
Ragnar's murder at the hands of the contemptible Aethelwold is also incredibly sad. Ragnar is one of the most lovable characters and Aethelwold is one of the most hated, so it's gut-wrenching to watch Aethelwold murder Ragnar in his sleep. Moreover, Brida and Uhtred's visible grief only makes the situation harder. It's made even more difficult by their belief that Ragnar is not destined for Valhalla because of the manner of his death. Uhtred and Brida's relationship collapses for a time after this, further exacerbating the sadness of the moment.
5 Thyra's Death
Thyra dies in one of The Last Kingdom's best seasons, putting quite the dampener on an outstanding season of television. The manner of Thyra's death is particularly gruesome and difficult to watch as she is trapped beneath the floorboards of her burning house. Thyra takes her own life to avoid the pain of burning alive or suffocating from the smoke, making it even sadder to watch. Once again, the grief of the rest of the characters is profound, which only builds on the sorrow of an already difficult scene to watch.
4 Aethelflaed Leaving Uhtred
The end of one of Uhtred's best romances in The Last Kingdom constitutes another desperately sad moment in the show. Uhtred and Aethelflaed make a powerful couple, but when Aethelflaed is put forward as a contender for the Mercian Crown, she is forced to swear celibacy to convince the other lords to accept her rule. Uhtred accepts her decision, but both of them grieve for the happiness they could have had together. At this point in the series, it feels like Uhtred is being set up with his final romantic interest, so when it collapses, it feels like he is destined to be alone, which, obviously, is extremely sad to watch.
3 Whitgar Taking Bebbanburg
Uhtred's goal from the beginning of The Last Kingdom has always been to reclaim Bebbanburg, so when he comes within inches of claiming the seat, only to lose out to his sadistic cousin, Whitgar, it's a difficult moment to accept. It feels like Uhtred's last chance to reclaim his home, something he wants more than anything in the world, and when it falls flat it almost feels like he has lost his purpose. Luckily, Uhtred eventually does reclaim Bebbanburg in The Last Kingdom season 5, but his initial failure is a terribly sad moment.
2 Uhtred's Enslavement
When Uhtred is enslaved in The Last Kingdom season 2, it makes for one of the saddest sequences in the whole show. Uhtred suffers terrible abuse as he is forced to row a Viking slaver's ship across the North Sea. He is eventually rescued, but he seems broken by the end of the experience. Watching the once strong Uhtred be reduced so far is difficult to handle, even if he does eventually return to his old self. Uhtred also loses a friend, Halig, during this experience, only adding to the sadness of the moment.
1 Brida's Miscarriage
Brida's miscarriage is easily one of the saddest moments in The Last Kingdom. It is a difficult sequence to watch, and the aftermath is no easier. Brida believes she is cursed and will never be able to have children, though she eventually does have a daughter. Even so, this moment feels like confirmation of Brida's curse, which makes the moment even sadder. Besides the obvious sorrow created by watching someone have a miscarriage on screen, Brida's depressed mental state afterward just extends the audience's misery.