Characters / The Last Kingdom Wessex

The Kingdom of Wessex

Alfred & Family

Alfred

King Alfred

Portrayed By: David Dawson

As the King who dreamt of uniting the separate kingdoms of England, Alfred has integrity and true gravitas. Where Uhtred is gallant and daring, Alfred is a thinker and master strategist, yet troubled by poor health. A man of great wisdom, he is committed to the power of the written word and the spread of Christianity. Learned, pious and cautious — the responsibilities of leadership rest heavily on Alfred's shoulders, but his faith and inner strength are forever tested by his habitual infidelities. Despite these vulnerabilities he remains determined. Even Uhtred, who first sees Alfred as a humourless nit-picker, grows to admire the man who will become known as King Alfred the Great.

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• Armour-Piercing Question: Alfred gives one to Edward when the latter protests his father's willingness to let Uhtred be killed before attacking Haesten, meant to goad Edward into proving he's worthy of commanding men into battle.
  Edward: We cannot just stand back and watch them die!
  Alfred: What would Uhtred do? He would allow his enemies to destroy one another.
  Edward: I GAVE HIM MY WORD!
  Alfred: Then what will you do, boy?! You can either bleat, or you can make a decision! What will you do?
• Badass Bookworm: Alfred is a frail man due to his illness, but he's an extremely intelligent and skilled Manipulative Bastard. He sees straight through Uhtred and is perhaps the only character on the show who completely fails to be intimidated by Ubba.
• Bait-and-Switch: During his browbeating of Edward for going behind his father's back to provide Uhtred with soldiers against Haesten at Beamfleot:
  Alfred: [furious] Your actions were not those worthy of an ætheling! [proud] They were those worthy of a king.
• Batman Gambit: A posthumous example: Uhtred speculates the reason Alfred didn't publicly pardon him was so his son Edward could do it as his first act, thus establishing himself as a fair and just king respecting his predecessor's last command to the people of Winchester.
  Uhtred: [adressing Edward] Perhaps your father did not announce my freedom for this very reason, so that the people could see their new King Edward dispensing justice.
• Brutal Honesty: Outright tells Uhtred in Season 3 that , were it up to him, he would have left Uhtred to die at Hæsten's hands at Beamfleot.
  Uhtred: I feared you would not join the battle.
  Alfred: I was tempted to wait a little longer. I would've seen victory without you and it would have been all you deserved. It was Edward who ordered the attack. It needed to be Edward. You owe him your thanks.
• The Casanova: Alfred's not the most dashing, but he's a charming and powerful man with a weakness for women. After becoming king, he tries to shed his womanizing ways and ultimately succeeds.
• Deadpan Snarker: Occasionally gets a good line in.
  Odda The Elder: I pray my own wife might say the same. (about being Happily Married)
  Alfred: Oh I imagine she does, she so rarely sees you.
• Died Unnoticed: In Season 3, while Alfred is lying all his death bed, Ælswith is trying to get him to rescind his order pardoning Uhtred. Alfred quietly dies while she has her back to him, in the middle of her attempts to persuade him. She doesn't notice right away and continues on for another minute or so before turning around and realizing what has happened.
• Everyone Has Standards: Despite their having been enemies, after Ubba's death at the Battle of Cynuit, Alfred insists Ubba's body is to be buried respectfully (though this is also a pragmatic decision, since Alfred acknowledges desecrating the body of one of their most respected leaders might anger the Danes into declaring war against Wessex.
• The Fettered: Although outwardly confident in his dealings, he's privately more conflicted by his faith, the law and his weakness for women. Later in life, he's tormented by his struggles to unite England and worries over both his legacy and his unfinished work.
• The Good King: Alfred has devoted his life to defending Wessex against the Danes and uniting the kingdoms of England. He takes his duties very seriously, though the measures he'll take to achieve his goals put him very much into Good Is Not Soft territory.
• Good Parents: He clearly loves his children to pieces and is absolutely devastated by his baby Edward's illness. This is a trait that he and Uhtred have in common, hinting that deep down, they're alike.
• Holier Than Thou: Not to the extent of his wife, but he does have moments where he lords his Christian faith over Uhtred and other Danes in the belief it grants him a degree of superiority over them.
  Alfred: [arguing with Uhtred] Heaven awaits me, while you shall burn in Hell for all eternity! Valhalla is a lie and your gods are a lie!
• Hypocrite:
  • Disapproves of Æthelwold for his fornication, despite the fact that he sleeps around at least twice as much. In fact, he can hardly muster the will to remain when Æthelwold satirically points this out during his penance.
  • Alfred regularly manipulates the people around him, up to and including his closest friends and allies. Yet he always seems genuinely galled whenever any of these same people are less than forthcoming with him, even if it turns out they had a good reason for it, and he does not like being misled or told half-truths.
  • He never misses the opportunity to mock the Danes for their heathen mysticism, despite being a staunch Christian whose own beliefs are, by such a standard, equally absurd.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Alfred is a bit of a dour prick but he means well, both for his family and his kingdom.
• Kick the Dog: After Uhtred threatens his life and deserts Wessex after being pushed too far, Alfred had Uhtred's children taken and baptised, knowing full well it will infuriate their father. When Uhtred confronts him about it in their final meeting, Alfred admits that it was done in the heat of the moment to spite Uhtred and it's an act he's not proud of.
• Love Makes You Dumb: At least Odda feels his love for his daughter weighs too heavily in his decisions as king.
• Manipulative Bastard: Identifies Uhtred's motivations and character, then promptly plays him like a harp. This comes to bite him in the ass however in Season 3 where he pushes Uhtred too far to the point that he leaves Alfred's service and in turn cause a chain reaction of events that nearly ruins Wessex.
• Manly Tears: Has tears in his eyes while informing Æthelwold of king Æthelred's death. He also leaves quickly, presumably so his nephew does not see him weep.
  • Cries openly while holding his dying baby son Edward and later sheds Tears of Joy when Edward is healed.
  • Sheds a Single Tear when he learns of Odda going behind his back to attack Beamfleot, which is likely to result in Æthelflaed's death.
  • In Season 3, after his attempt to get Uhtred to swear loyalty to Edward backfires and Uhtred apparently abandons Wessex for the Danes once and for all, Alfred tells everyone he wishes to be alone. He then weeps for the loss of his friend and greatest ally.
• Mirror Character: To Uhtred. They're both Good Parents, both singleminded in the pursuit of their goals, both The Fettered, both utterly ruthless when required to be and both have a weakness for beautiful women.
• Never My Fault: Has a mild case of this when it comes to his conflicts with Uhtred. He’s always bitching about Uhtred refusing to accept his authority, despite the fact that Alfred has (repeatedly) coerced Uhtred into serving him. He also doesn’t understand why Uhtred won’t give him the respect he feels he’s due, even when Alfred often takes thinly-veiled swipes at Uhtred for being a non-Christian, and for his Danish upbringing and family.
• Noble Bigot: He’s prejudiced against pagans, but he’s still a good guy. He’s certainly this compared to his wife, who’s just a mean-spirited zealot.
• Papa Wolf: Towards his daughter Æthelflaed.
  • When Hild and Beocca find out about Æthelred's abuse of her, Æthelflaed forbids them to tell Alfred, because she knows he would take revenge and ruin Wessex's alliance with Mercia.
  • Later when she is kidnapped, he would rather risk ruining his kingdom than see her come to harm.
• Parting-Words Regret: Averted: Alfred even suspects he has clung to life specifically so he could reconcile with Uhtred before dying.
  Alfred: I should have closed my eyes and rattled at Heaven's gates some time ago. It was the hope of this meeting that has kept me alive.
• Perfectly Arranged Marriage: To Ælswith. He married her when his brother was still king to foster closer ties to Mercia. They end up being Happily Married.
• Pet the Dog: In his final meeting with Uhtred, he admits he has never forgotten nor stopped being grateful to Iseult for saving the life of Edward as a baby, genuinely surprising Uhtred, who'd assumed Alfred had forgotten her.
  Alfred: It seems just yesterday... that I gave Edward over to you as a dying infant. I feared my prayers had not been answered, and I gave him to you... and to Iseult.
  Uhtred: (surprised) You remember her?
  Alfred: (smiles softly) Always.
• Reluctant Ruler: Despite being incredibly good at it and in spite of what Æthelwold might think, there are hints that Alfred had little actual desire to wear the crown.
  Beocca: Should your brother die, it is to you the people would turn.
  Alfred: Oh pray God he does not. What kind of a king would I be?
  • Brought up again in season 3 in a conversation with Edward:
  Alfred: Do you think I wished for my brother to die and the crown to be placed upon my head? I did not.
• Thicker Than Water: Even though Æthelwold is clearly a backstabbing weasel Alfred keeps him around out of loyalty to his brother and even spares his life after his nephew tries to desert him.
• The Spymaster: He takes the maxim of 'know thy enemy' to heart, with information so extensive that it astonishes Uhtred and impresses Guthrum.
  • However, he's not infallible in this regard, as the Danes steal a march on him, nearly destroying Wessex.
• Took a Level in Kindness: After being humbled by being driven into the swamps of Athelney, then accepting the tonics of Iseult (which greatly relieve his illness) and her healing of his son and finally seeing the lengths Uhtred goes to in order to protect him and his family, he gets nicer and lets go much of his antipathy to paganism.
  • This appears to have been largely forgotten by the midpoint of series 2, where Alfred is still unable to bring himself to trust Uhtred largely because Uhtred is not a Christian, even though Uhtred has proven his loyalty in other ways many, many times over. Alfred would rather put his faith in a relatively unknown Christian like Æthelred of Mercia than in the tried and tested pagan Uhtred.
  • Zig-Zagged In Season 3. The differences between them reach a boiling point and their relationship becomes worse than ever with Uhtred outright leaving him for the Danes. But ultimately played straight when his immense guilt over it eventually leads to the pair reconciling during his final days.
• True Companions: For all their antipathy and Teeth-Clenched Teamwork at times, at the end of the day, Alfred and Uhtred recognise they could not have accomplished as much as they have without the other.
  Alfred: To Uhtred, the true Lord of Bebbanburg. A man whom I will never understand, but without whom, I would not die a King.
  Uhtred: [Alfred] was a man I could never be, nor did I wish to be. He was a man I loved and despised, but it was never less than an honour to serve him! He was my King!
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Alfred does a lot of unethical and borderline villainous things but it is all to minimize bloodshed and create a more peaceful England.
• The Wise Prince: Is this prior to becoming The Good King.
• Your Days Are Numbered: His health takes a turn for the worse in season 3 and he is fully aware he is not going to recover this time. He spends what little time he has left desperately trying to ensure his kingdom will survive his death and that he will leave behind a legacy that his descentants can be proud of.
  Ælswith: You will see England's birth, you will grow strong-
  Alfred: My dear, I will not see another year. We know it.

Ælswith

Lady Ælswith

Portrayed By: Eliza Butterworth

Alfred’s wife Ælswith is fiercely loyal, and protective of her husband and king. Pious, haughty, and acerbic, she is an unpopular figure in Alfred’s court. Ælswith takes an immediate dislike to Uhtred, who she sees as a threat to her beloved husband.

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• Anger Born of Worry: Her heartbreak over Alfred's illness brings out the worst in her.
  Alfred: She is angry because I am dying. And that does not make her heartless. It is her heart that is hurting.
  • Her grief over Æthelflaed's terminal illness in Season 5 causes Ælswith to lash out particularly at Eadith.
• Badass Boast: Gets to make one in Season 5 while saving Eadith from Bresal.
  Bresal ( throttling Eadith) Don't fight it. Death is the fate of all men.
  Ælswith: ( stabs Bresal in the throat) We are not men! And we are not so easy to kill!
• Beware the Nice Ones: As doting as she appears to be, she shows a shocking viciousness when it comes to dealing with pagans of any stripe. She pushes openly and eagerly for Uhtred's death, despite him being an ally.
• Break the Haughty: She goes through this during Episode 7 of Season 1 as a result of the conquest of Wessex and the illness of her baby son, Edward. She goes through this again in Episode 10 of Season 3, after seeing Edward forgive Uhtred and welcome him back into the court of Wessex, in full view of the citizens of Winchester.
• Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Despite surviving to the Season 5 finale, she's conspicuously absent from Seven Kings Must Die. Given the approximately decade-long Time Skip that occurred, it's possible she simply died of old age.
• Even Evil Has Standards: She has no love for her grandchildren through Edward's first wife but she finds Æthelhelm's suggestion to murder them utterly reprehensible and does not take him up on the offer.
• Evil Is Petty: She's even mean to her blameless servants.
• The Fundamentalist: To Ælswith, the purity of the Christian faith must be held above all else. Because of this, she loathes all pagans, focusing her hatred on Uhtred after he enters Alfred's service. Towards the end of Season 3, this is taken up to eleven. She fiercely defies her family's wish to forgive Uhtred, prepares to dismiss Beocca for his association with pagans (Uhtred and Thyra in particular) and tries to cause a Miscarriage of Justice to ensure Uhtred's banishment or, preferably, execution. All this in the face of an imminent attack by a Danish army, which Ælswith believed can be defeated through faith alone. These actions demonstrated that she prioritizes her faith over common sense, justice and even her own family.
• Happily Married: For all her sourness, she clearly loves Alfred. She forgives him for his infidelities and contrary to her Ice Queen exterior, is very affectionate with him in private when he returns after a time away.
• I Have Your Wife: In Season 2, having her daughter abducted and held hostage by Danish raiders. Even Uhtred sympathises with her over it.
• Heel–Face Turn: A downplayed example, but in Seasion 4 Uhtred voluntarily relinquishing the throne of Mercia to Æthelflaed finally makes it clear to her that Uhtred is a friend to Alfred's vision of an England, not an enemy.
  Ælswith: My husband saw things in Uhtred none of us understood.
  Pyrlig: Lady, we all understood it. I think it was just you that didn't.
• Heel Realization: After being displaced from her role in court by her in-laws, she takes some time to reflect and starts to regret how she's treated Uhtred and Edward's first wife.
• Holier Than Thou: She considers herself to be above just about everyone, and her religious fervor only seems to increase when she's ordering someone's death.
• Jerkass: Ælswith is self-righteous, snobbish, short-tempered and rude to just about everyone. She's a little softer around her family, but even to them she can be condescending and controlling.
• Jerkass Has a Point: She makes a good point in that Æthelwold will be a serious threat to Edward's claim to the throne of Wessex.
  • She insists that Ælfweard accompany her in paying respect to the soldiers of Wessex slain at Tettenhall. When Ælflaed protests her son is too young for such things, Ælswith correctly points out that as King, Ælfweard may have to send men into battle, and thus needs to recognise the consequences of such a choice.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: When her party and Uhtred's are ambushed by Haesten, she offers no resistance and tells Stiorra not to fight their captors.
• Mama Bear: She is frenzied with worry when her son is ill. She also fusses over Alfred during his stomach pains and is genuinely heartbroken by Alfred's death and the news Æthelflaed is terminally ill. She's also very protective of her grandchildren, with her spending most of Season 5 trying to protect Ælfwynn from being sold as a political tool.
• Murder by Inaction: Averted. When news reaches her about Uhtred being sold into slavery, her first act is to try to persuade Alfred to do absolutely nothing. When Æthelflaed tries to speak up on Uhtred's behalf, she is angrily silenced by her mother. Fortunately, Alfred consents to sending a small team led by Ragnar Ragnarson to rescue Uhtred.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Her urging her husband and son to make closer ties with Æthelhelm in Season 3 result in him effectively usurping her position as the monarch's chief advisor and Edward having little to no interest in any advice she has to offer by Season 4. Father Beocca even points out when she laments her circumstances that the situation is entirely her own fault.
  Beocca: You cannot invite a serpent into the garden and then act surprised when it slithers upon the ground.
• Not Now, Kiddo: She has a tendency to do this when her children call her out on something. She especially does it when they're trying to defend Uhtred.
• "Oh, Crap!" Smile: Has one of these when after angrily dismissing Eadgifu as another of Edward's whores, her son bluntly retorts Eadgifu is his new wife and the expectant mother of Ælswith's next grandchild.
• Out of Character Is Serious Business: In Season 2 when Æthelflaed is being held hostage by Danish raiders, she tries to convince Alfred to repeal his banishment of Uhtred from Winchester and make him part of the efforts to free their daughter, noting that despite her personal distaste for Uhtred, Æthelflaed trusts him and the sight of Uhtred working to free her might lift the girl's spirits.
• Pet the Dog: When taken captive in Winchester, she tells her captors that Æthelstan and Stiorra are Danes taken as slaves so that the children will be treated better. Brida sees through it, but Ælswith deserves credit for trying.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: She is openly disdainful of anyone who doesn't share her faith to the same extent, especially pagans. She's deeply hostile towards even pagan allies like Uhtred and she seems incapable of not saying something horrible to or about them whenever they're mentioned.
• Silk Hiding Steel: I'm Season 5, she uses a Chastity Dagger to kill one of Æthelhelm's goons holding her, Eadith and Ælfwynn hostage.
• Took a Level in Kindness:
  • Season 4 shows a more sympathetic side to her. She realizes the selfishness of tearing apart Edward's original family for personal gain and finally begins to show Uhtred some respect.
  • This continues into Season 5. She's proudly and openly acknowledging Æthelstan as her grandson, after she had once rejected. Her relationship with Uhtred is much more pleasant and her prejudice towards Pagans has decreased to the point she happily decides to spend retirement in Uhtred's independent Northumbria where Saxons and Danes will co-exist peacefully.
• Spared by the Adaptation: The historical Ælswith died only three years after Alfred did. Here, she survives for over a decade afterwards, long enough to outlive her daughter Æthelflaed.
• Uncertain Doom: She is still alive at the end of Season 5, but she is neither seen nor mentioned in Seven Kings Must Die. Given her age, it is implied she died during the Time Skip.
• Ungrateful Bastard: She has always hated Uhtred and constantly looks for opportunities to kill him, despite the fact that he has served Wessex faithfully many times over and even saved the lives of her own children, Edward and Æthelflaed.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: During Alfred's final days, Ælswith takes a more direct role in ruling Wessex and her attitude towards pagans begins to rub off on a few of Winchester's less scrupulous citizens. Thyra is sexually harassed by a racist Saxon thug who later followed her to her house and burned it to the ground, with Thyra herself still inside. After this, a grieving Beocca realizes that Ælswith's religious intolerance would eventually destroy the Wessex that Alfred worked all his life to build, resulting in him begging Uhtred to not abandon Wessex.
• Was Too Hard on Him: After at the beginning in Season 4, after Father Beocca tells her a few hard truths and Ælswith responds by having him barred from court, she ultimately comes to the realisation Beocca was right and asks Father Pyrlig to bring Beocca to her so she can try and reconcile with him. Unfortunately, Pyrlig tells her that Beocca has left Winchester with Uhtred and has no intention to return.
• You Called Me "X"; It Must Be Serious: She only ever calls her husband "Lord", "My lord" or "Lord King", even in private. The only time she uses his given name is when he is about to go into battle even though he can barely stand due to his illness, and she is fully aware he might not return.

Æthelwold

Æthelwold

Portrayed By: Harry McEntire

Alfred’s oldest nephew, Æthelwold would have taken Alfred’s place as King if it weren’t for his age, and so holds a grudge against Alfred.

A little younger than Uhtred, Æthelwold has led a sheltered life, and is an immature, petulant rebel, who wants to stake his claim on the throne.

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• Ain't Too Proud to Beg: Integrity and courage have never been Æthelwold's grandest virtues, so it's little surprise when he begs for Uhtred to spare his life. It doesn't work.
  Æthelwold: Please, Uhtred, I will go far from here, anywhere you wish!
  Uhtred: You will go to Hell!
  • Also tries to get out of his punishment for treason this way.
  Æthelwold: Lord, please, I have repented, I have confessed my sins, lord, please! Uncle!
• Big Bad: Of Season 3. It's his machinations that drive many of the plots, even if he sometimes gets played himself and occasionally wavers between this and Big Bad Wannabe.
• Character Development: Unfortunately, he develops from merely an immature, selfish person into a conniving, dangerously ambitious man. He does a lot of growing up, eventually learning to manage his vices in favour of playing a much longer game. By Season 3, he's become a genuine threat to everyone.
• The Corrupter: The Danes he allies with see this as about the only use he has for them.
  Ragnar the Younger: What exactly is your worth?!
  Cnut: His worth is he can drip poison in Saxon ears!
  Æthelwold: Exactly.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Ethandun proves that he can actually fight, although he's really not much of a physical threat otherwise.
• Deadpan Snarker: He's very quick with a witty comment.
  Ceolwulf: Each time I talk of swords and spears and yet you insist of speaking of unions...and of...
  Ælswith: A cup of water for Lord Ceowulf? A cup of water?
  Ceolwulf: (Promptly dies of a heart attack)
  Æthelwold: I think perhaps a hole in the ground.
• Dirty Coward: He has no compunction about using dirty tricks to survive, be it begging or humiliating himself or abandoning others to save his own skin. In Season 3, Æthelwold kills Ragnar Ragnarson in his sleep out of fear that Ragnar would kill him for turning Uhtred firmly against the Danes. In the final battle, when he sees Uhtred coming to kill him to avenge Ragnar, Æthelwold tries to flee the field, and when finally caught, desperately begs for his life.
• Dumbass Has a Point: When Beocca asks Uhtred why he is not returning with them to Winchester after the disastrous attack on London that resulted in Æthelflaed's capture, Æthelwold points out that Alfred has made it clear Uhtred is persona non grata at court.
  Beocca: Uhtred, where are you going?
  Uhtred: I'm going home to Coccham, where Alfred has ordered me to remain, and where I left my wife!
  Beocca: But the King may need you!
  Æthelwold: The King, in his wisdom, has all but banished him, Father Beocca.
  • He points out to Æthelred and Aldhelm that their plans to scapegoat Uhtred for the disaster at Lundene are idiotic because Uhtred is the only man who can clean up their mess and rescue Æthelflaed.
  Æthelwold: Let me remind you that the only man capable of cleaning up this puddle of shit is the man you are desperate to blame. Uhtred.
  • He also agrees with Odda the Elder that it's foolish to pay a ransom for Æthelflaed to Siegfried and Erik when they'll just use it to finance an army for the invasion of Wessex, and when Alfred tries to defend his actions by saying Æthelwold's father would have done the same thing, Æthelwold replies that would be unlikely, given how much of a disappointment he was to Æthelred.
  Æthelwold: (looking at chests of silver for Æthelflaed's ransom) They pay for the swords that will slay them.
• In Season 3, he protests Ragnar allowing Uhtred and his men to leave Dunholm, pointing out that Uhtred will surely go back to Alfred and alert him to their plans to conquer Wessex.
• Everyone Has Standards: When Guthrum leads his Danes in capturing Winchester, Æthelwold briefly looks disgusted with the amount of violence inflicted upon the Christians and seeing women getting raped. This doesn't stop him from siding with them later, though
• Eye Scream: Alfred sentences him to lose an eye for conspiring with the Danes.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: There are times during the first two seasons when he is allied to Uhtred and Wessex, but even then his presence is merely tolerated rather than welcomed. When he aligns himself with the Danes in Season 3, he serves the exact same role for them, with Cnut sending him back to Wessex on a near Suicide Mission that costs him an eye and openly telling Brida he will dispose of Æthelwold once he has helped them overrun Wessex.
• Hate Sink: By Season 3, especially after the way he killed Ragnar, Æthelwold loses all his humorous and redeeming features, becoming absolutely loathsome in process. That and along with being a cowardly piece of crap, watching Uhtred kill him was immensely satisfying.
• Heel–Face Revolving Door: He is never not dreaming of usurping Alfred's throne, but during the first two seasons he swings back and forth between being an active (if ineffectual) antagonist and an uneasy friend of Uhtred, fighting alongside him in Cornwallum and at Ethandun. The door stops revolving in season 3, where he becomes one of the central antagonists and remains such until Uhtred puts a sword through him.
• Hidden Depths: While initially portrayed simply as a drunken lech, he shows a remarkable talent for playing to a crowd and to everyone's surprise, for fighting, when he's finally put in a battle (and afterwards, he comes off as considerably more mature). He's also very perceptive of others, and is perfectly capable of seeing that Odda the Younger is attracted to Mildrith. He's still a drunken lech, though.
  Æthelwold: I'm an educated man. I simply enjoy hiding it.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Uhtred, having seemingly accepted Æthelwold's plea to go into exile in exchange for his life, tosses Æthelwold a bag of what he claims is silver to pay for his voyage. The second Æthelwold catches it, Uhtred stabs him in the heart through the bag (it contained Thyra's blood instead, Uhtred having been told for Ragnar to reach Valhalla, his killer had to die by a blade marked with the blood of either Ragnar or one of his family)
• Inadequate Inheritor: Considered one by pretty much everyone in Wessex. After his father's death in battle, the Witan unilaterally agree to have Æthelwold shut up in a monastery and give the crown to Alfred rather than have the incompotent Æthelwold ruling in a time of war.
• Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: In the first two seasons. He is perpetually scheming to overthrow Alfred, but Alfred has so little respect for him that he doesn't even bother to treat this as a real threat. Everyone at court sees him as a useless drunk and idiot manchild, with his every attempt at usurping the crown dying almost as soon as it starts. His plots becomes much more ruthless in season 3, and he correspondingly loses all his sympathetic qualities.
• Kick the Dog: Killing Ragnar in his bed, unarmed, and taking his sword when he tries to reach for it, thus barring him from entry to Valhalla.
• Kick Them While They're Down: In Season 2, after Alfred and Odda the Elder have chewed Æthelred out for allowing Aethelflaed to be captured, Æthelwold adds his own two cents on the matter.
• Large Ham: His "I love tits" monologue is proof of that.
• Let Me Get This Straight...: Invokes the spirit of this, with a heavy amount of sarcasm when he's instructed by Cnut to go back to Wesex, rally Saxon allies for the Danes against Alfred and Edward, and assassinate Uhtred should the opportunity arise, knowing that Alfred will likely have him executed for treason the moment he shows his face in Winchester.
  Æthelwold: So, I am journeying to Wessex to become a corpse, and from my grave, I am to raise an army and kill the greatest warrior in the land?
• Like Father, Unlike Son: From what we see and hear of Æthelred, he was intelligent, just and valorous. Æthelwold, by contrast, is a slimy, cowardly weasel who only cares about himself.
  Beocca: [to Æthelwold, disgusted] Your father would be ashamed of you.
• Malicious Slander: After he is punished for conspiracy by having an eye removed, Æthelwold spreads malicious rumours about Alfred's family in an attempt to destabilize Winchester in preparation for a Danish attack.
• Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: Jokingly invoked by Æthelwold's own father.
  Æthelred: I'm not convinced he is my son. If his mother weren't already dead, I'd have her beheaded for adultery.
• Manipulative Bastard: In Season 3, he manipulates events to ensure that Uhtred will not ally with Wessex in the event of Alfred's death. Fortunately for Wessex, Uhtred himself would eventually come around due to the persuasions of his friends and his own conscience, personified by the long-dead Leofric.
• Never Heard That One Before: His reaction to people like Finan, Beocca and Pyrlig making wise-cracks about his blinded eye.
• Not-So-Harmless Villain: Initially his status as The Resenter is treated as something of a joke. By Season 3, however, his scheming to gain the throne has become much more sinister and has turned him into a genuine threat.
• Not Worth Killing: Invokes this while desperately pleading with Uhtred for his life. It doesn't work.
• Oh, Crap!: In Season 3's finale, a remark from Brida makes him realise she knows he killed Ragnar. It's also his reaction to seeing a vengeful Uhtred and Brida lock eyes with him across the battlefield.
• Pet the Dog:
  • After Leofric's death at the Battle of Ethandun, Æthelwold promises he'll personally see to Uhtred's specifications for Leofric's burial.
  • Æthelwold smuggles a dagger to Odda the Elder so he can commit suicide rather than be executed for treason by Alfred, even though his defying Alfred saved Wessex from Sigefried and Erik. He, along with Odda the Elder, is one of the few people who supports Uhtred in the court of Wessex against Alfred's hostility during season 2.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: He gives one to Uhtred before the final battle of Season 3, pointing out that Uhtred has effectively alienated himself from the Danes and that despite all his efforts, the Saxons will never acknowledge nor appreciate everything he's done for them. Judging by Uhtred's expression, Æthelwold clearly struck a nerve.
  Uhtred: Will you be marching for Edward?
  Æthelwold: Like Sigebriht, I will be there and I will be praying for a great victory.
  Uhtred: For Saxon or Dane?
  Æthelwold: Do you care? You belong to neither. I did once fear you, Uhtred, but I see now you are nothing but a sword, a lump of metal. Yes, you have reputation, but that will fade, and you will die unthanked and forgotten. You will go neither to Heaven, nor Valhalla.
• Relative Button: He uses this to goad Uhtred, by mocking the latter about Ragnar (this is before Uhtred learns Æthelwold was Ragnar's murderer).
  Æthelwold: Forgive me, Uhtred. I have not offered you my condolences for Ragnar's death. Your brother deserved a warrior's death. I'm sorry you will not see him in Valhalla.
• The Resenter: To his uncle Alfred, who he believes nicked his throne. Seems to get over it by the Season 1 finale. But he becomes this to Edward in Season 3.
• This Cannot Be!: His reaction to his seeming ally Sigebriht's Cavalry Betrayal.
• Villainous Breakdown: Suffers a complete one during the final battle of Season 3 when his seeming ally Sigebriht turns on him and reinforces Prince Edward, Haesten tries to kill him, considering his failure to provide the Danes with Saxon allies one too many, and then he sees a vengeful Uhtred and Brida coming for him.

Edward & Family

Edward

King Edward

Portrayed By: Timothy Innes

Alfred's son and heir.

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• A Child Shall Lead Them: By the end of Season 3, Alfred is dead and he is king. Even prior to that, he leads men into battle against the Danes, in support of Uhtred.
• Age Lift: Inverted. The real life Edward was 25 when he inherited the throne. Given the way he's treated here, it's obvious he's meant to be much younger.
• Ambition Is Evil: In Season 5, his drive to see his father's dream of a unified England complete compels Edward to use more brutal tactics against rivals and dissenters.
• Attack! Attack! Attack!: His first attempt to retake Winchester from Sigtryggr is essentially this. Unsurprisingly, it ends in disaster.
• Beard of Evil: By Season 5, he's let his facial hair grow out and his actions as king have become a lot more ruthless and morally questionable.
• Big Damn Heroes: Leads Wessex's soldiers into battle to save Uhtred from being massacred by Haesten.
  • He also brings Wessex reinforcements to save his sister and her Mercian army at the Battle of Tettenhall.
• Calling the Old Man Out: Angrily berates his father for Alfred's seeming willingness to let Uhtred be killed by Haesten's minions before attacking the Danes. In truth, it was a Secret Test of Character to test if Edward would have the courage to take command of the army.
• Can't Take Criticism: His response to Uhtred, his advisors, his son and his own mother telling him he is a fool to hold back from attacking Bebbanburg, rescuing Aelfwynn and leaving Northumbria to fall under the rule of Scotland is to have his guards hold them at swordpoint and threaten to kill them all if they try to leave Eoforwic.
  Finan: Not sure things are going your way, Lord King. ( Edward signals his guards, who punch Finan down and hold the hall's remaining occupants at swordpoint)
  Edward: I will brook no more defiance. I am a just king, but think on those who I have crushed. Think on the ealdormen. Think of Sigtryggr.
• The Chains of Commanding: He's considerably colder and more stressed out throughout Season 4 due to all the pressures of ruling. After his breakdown in the finale, some of his old self starts to shine through when he asks Uhtred to shelter Æthelstan.
• Cold Sniper: Saves his sister at Tettenhall from one of Cnut's minions by shooting the Dane through the throat.
• Evil Uncle: Zigzagged in Season 5. He clearly loves his niece Ælfwynn, as evidenced by him comforting her at her mother's deathbed, but he also usurps the rule of Mercia instead of letting Ælfwynn succeed to the throne as her mother wanted, and is willing to let his niece be held captive by his enemies to buy him time to deal with them, since rescuing her could jeopardise his plans.
• Freak Out: After Sigtryggr takes his two sons hostage and tells him to choose which one he'll go free, he breaks down screaming in his tent until he can only sob and mutter that he can't for fear of what will happen to the one he doesn't pick.
• Generation Xerox: Seems to have inherited Alfred's weakness for women. After inheriting the throne, he also becomes increasingly like his father in personality and ethics, although this is implied to be at least in part a deliberate affectation.
• Hidden Depths: He's smart and courageous, more than his father gives him credit for. The plan to use Uhtred as bait to lure Haesten into a trap is Edward's idea; after the resulting Saxon victory, when Alfred accuses Uhtred of manipulating his son for his own ends, Uhtred retorts that the plan was Edward's and Alfred would do better to acknowledge his son's bravery and intelligence than use Edward as an excuse to snipe at Uhtred.
  Alfred: My son has courage, he has proven that...but he has also proven he can be manipulated. You used him for your own ends.
  Uhtred: No, lord. Your son saw an opportunity to weaken an enemy; the Danes have been halted, they will not march this winter. You do your son a disservice, lord, all to accuse me of manipulation.
• I Did What I Had to Do: His justification in Season 5 for slaughtering the Mercian Witan and usurping the rule of Mercia that Æthelflaed wanted to go to her daughter; as Edward reasons, better he take the reins of power than allow a corrupt Witan to place their puppet in charge, or let his niece lead Mercia to ruin because she's not up to the task, as well as avoiding a repeat of the Succession Crisis that followed Æthelred's death.
  Edward: The choice was mine alone and I was forced to act. The Ealdormen had already accepted bribes to sway their minds away from my sister's wishes. These men were standing in the way of progress. I merely acted to remove the corruption.
  Æthelhelm: This is not how succession is determined!
  Edward: Until my sister's rule, succession was always determined by bloodshed. I did not want it to be so again. Better the blood of the few, than the blood of the many.
• I Gave My Word: He promises Uhtred soldiers of Wessex to attack Haesten and he delivers.
• Inadequate Inheritor: At the end of Season 5, Uhtred tells him he's not the man to complete his father's grand dream of creating a unified England. Uhtred is confident that day will come, but it will be Edward's descendants who make it a reality, not Edward himself.
• Jerkass Has a Point:
  • While his slaughter of the Mercian Witan doesn't endear Edward to many, even those appalled by his actions agree he's not wrong that his niece Aelfwynn is not up to the task of ruling Mercia as her mother wanted.
  • His demanding Æthelstan's opinion regarding fighting or negotiating with Constantin is clearly meant to drive a wedge between his son and Uhtred, but as Edward points out, with Ælfweard having betrayed him, Æthelstan is a prospective heir to England's throne and may have to fight battles against the Scottish in the future should he become king, so he is owed a say in matters that might affect his future rule.
  Edward: Aethelstan, my boy, what do you say? Should we take the fight to the Scots, risking decades of conflict, or seek a solution that profits both sides yet denies Uhtred his ancestral home?
  Uhtred: You do not have to answer, Aethelstan.
  Edward: And yet he should. Since Ælfweard has shown himself disloyal, Æthelstan could be the king to face the Scots.
• Like Father, Like Son:
  • He shares his father's weakness for womanizing. He already has two bastard children fathered on a peasant woman.
  • In Season 4, a lot of Edward's behaviour is out of character for the Nice Guy he was previously, but can be easily seen as Edward consciously modelling his behaviour after the kind of king he perceived his father to be, though with much less success.
• Nice Guy: In contrast to his father, Edward is much more openly pleasant and appreciative of Uhtred. Unfortunately, this wanes by Season 4 and is completely gone by Season 5 as the burden of being king and his ambition to fulfil his father’s dream makes him increasingly ruthless.
• Oh, Crap!: His reaction to seeing how badly injured Æthelred was at Tettenhall (to clarify, Æthelred barely knows what day it is and thinks Edward is there on business from his father). Edward goes from being about to berate Æthelred for leaving Mercia at Cnut and Brida's mercy to realising he has to start figuring out who's the best option to rule Mercia when Æthelred inevitably dies.
• Parental Favouritism: He's implied to prefer Æthelstan over Ælfweard, his son by Ælflaed.
• Plot-Triggering Death: Seven Kings Must Die opens with his funeral. The ensuing power vacuum brings his sons Aethelstan and Aelfweard into conflict, driving the plot of the first half of the film.
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: He overrides his father's orders to hold position, instead leading the attack on Haesten and saving Uhtred.
  • He also stops his mother's efforts to get Uhtred banished from Wessex via a miscarriage of justice, authenticating his father's pardon of Uhtred and welcoming him back into his court.
• Sucksessor: Hinted to be seen as this, much to his fury and resentment.
• Take a Third Option: Rather than let the Mercian noblemen Aethelhelm has bribed put a puppet in charge of Mercia, or foist the job on his unready niece, Edward has the Mercian Witan massacred and declares himself King of all Saxons.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: Partly due to the influence of his father-in-law, partly due to The Chains of Commanding, but King Edward by Season 4 has started to resemble his father in his more ruthless moments.
• Tranquil Fury: Although he hides it well, he is clearly livid that his mother and sister went behind his back to force his hand into fighting against Cnut in a battle that cost a great many men their lives, including Steapa. He also is calm but seething when he confronts Æthelhelm about deliberately misinterpreting his commands to suit him and effectively banishes his father-in-law back to Wessex.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: He clearly wants his father's approval. Even Uhtred sees it and calls Alfred out about it.
  Uhtred: You do your son a disservice, lord.
  • Ælswith, confronting him over his rash decisions in Season 5, insinuates that even years after his father's death, Edward is still living in Alfred's shadow and fear of failing to live up to his father's legacy.
  Ælswith: You are afraid, my son. Not of battle, not of death, afraid of Alfred. Of failing his legacy.
• We Used to Be Friends: The end of Season 5 has him and Uhtred part on very bad terms. Edward is furious that Uhtred decided to make Northumbria an independent territory, preventing Edward from fulfilling his father's dream within his lifetime. Uhtred, on the other hand, is disgusted with Edward for abandoning his morals in pursuit of power and believes he is unworthy of completing Alfred's legacy.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Angrily accuses Uhtred of betraying everything Edward's family has done for him after learning Uhtred has agreed to a deal with Constantin to keep Northumbria as a separate kingdom out of the influence of Wessex and Scotland, thus thwarting his ambitions to rule a unified England. Uhtred bluntly retorts that Edward's cruelty and impulsiveness have proved he is not the man to complete his father's dream of creating England.
  Edward: (seething) After everything we've given you, you choose now to betray the House of Wessex?
  Uhtred: I betray nothing. The House of Wessex will unite England eventually, I'm sure of it. I believe you are the true king of the lands you hold, but the man who can unify this country must be a figure behind which the people can stand together as one. You have shown that you are not that man. You have sown discord between Saxon and Dane.
• You Called Me "X"; It Must Be Serious: While beseeching Alfred to launch an attack to rescue Uhtred and his men from being massacred by Haesten's army, Edward directly addresses Alfred as his father, rather than Lord King as he had previously done.
  Edward: Lord King, they are being slaughtered! Lord King! FATHER! We cannot wait, we cannot!
• Young Future Famous People: He's just a lad right now but if you know your history, you'll know that he will have a long and prosperous reign as "Edward the Elder" and father of Æthelstan, the first real King of England.

Ælflaed

Queen Ælflaed

Portrayed By: Amelia Clarkson

The daughter of Æthelhelm and Prince Edward's young wife.

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• Arranged Marriage: Ælswith arranges the marriage solely to have Æthelhelm's wealth and soldiers to back Edward when he becomes king. The couple do seem taken with each other upon meeting, however.
• A Shared Suffering: Something that Ælflaed and Edward find common ground on at the start of their relationship is the fact they've grown up with an extremely overbearing parent.
• Awful Wedded Life: Her father's influence at court has caused her marriage to deteriorate by season 5: Edward openly admits he despises her and is frequently sleeping with other women at court.
• Dead Guy on Display: Not realising who she was, Ælflaed's killers hang her corpse from a tree, hoping to pass the murder off as an attack by Danish raiders.
• Didn't Think This Through:
  • While a captive in Winchester, when she believes Sigtryggr means to kill a hostage, Ælflaed tries to offer Æthelstan in place of her own son. A disgusted Ælswith remarks that the Danes will take one look at her, see a Hysterical Woman lying to them and take her son anyway.
  • She makes Edward publicly contribute to a pilgrimage to Lindisfarne she's financing as a show of piety, only for Edward to privately berate her afterwards, since King Constantin of Scotland will see it as Edward trying to lay claim to Lindisfarne, which Constantin considers his, potentially risking a war between Wessex and Scotland.
  Ælflaed: I didn't know.
  Edward: (coldly) You did not ask.
• Dirty Coward: Granted, it's out of a desire to protect her own son, but she's all too quick to offer Æthelstan up when she believes Sigtryggr intends to kill a hostage to send a message to Edward. Both Sigtryggr and Ælswith are disgusted with her cowardice.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: She has blond hair and is a rather sweet person initially. The power her father helps her attain in Season 4 makes her haughtier.
• Heel–Faith Turn: Season 5 indicates Ælflaed has taken to finding comfort in piety to cope with her husband's hatred of her and his constant infidelity.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Whatever her faults and complicity in her father's schemes, she willingly pretends to be someone she is not and dies in her place when her father's men attack them on the road.
• Nice Girl: Compared to her obnoxious father, certainly.
  • Averted when she becomes complicit in Ælswith's poisoning.
• Unwanted Spouse: By Season 5, Edward has completely fallen out of love with Ælflaed, and she knows it.
• The Woobie: It's hard not to feel sorry for Ælflaed given her situation in Season 5. Her husband loathes her and admits it openly, along with throwing his infidelities in her face, and her father frequently disparages her for costing Æthelhelm his influence with Edward. Her only comforts are her son, who seems the only person who genuinely cares about her, and her religious faith.

Æthelstan

Æthelstan

The First King of England

Portrayed By: Caspar Griffiths (child), Harry Gilby (adult)

Edward's eldest son, born from his first marriage (which was annulled on his father's order) and disinherited in favour of his younger half brother.

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• Bash Brothers: With his best friend Cynlaef.
• Bastard Angst: An odd case, as he technically is not a bastard, but is merely treated as one by Alfred, who desires a more advantageous marriage alliance for his son. As such, the marriage between Æthelstan's peasant mother and Edward is annulled, she is packed off to a nunnery, and Æthelstan is quietly sent away from court, treated very much as if he were illegitimate.
• Big "NO!": When he realises Æthelhelm intends to kill himself.
• Casual Danger Dialogue: As his father's herald at the siege of Bebbanburg, he rides up to the gates and demands Wihtgar hand over Ælwynn and Æthelhelm or no mercy will be shown to Bebbangburg's defenders. In response, Wihtgar's right hand men looses an arrow at Æthelstan's feet.
  Æthelstan: [looking at said arrow] Shall I take that as a refusal?
• Cain and Abel: Murders his half-brother Ælfweard to prevent him from posing any future threat to his claim to the throne.
• Celibate Hero: In contrast to his friends, Æthelstan is never seen interacting with women outside his immediate family, such as his aunt, grandmother and cousin, and never shows any interest in them. Historically, the real Æthelstan never married and died childless, leaving the throne to his younger half-brother Edmund. In Seven Kings Must Die, Æthelstan has a love interest in Lord Ingilmundr, explaining his previous disinterest in romance. He has no problem agreeing to Uhtred's requirement that he never marry or have children to ensure his younger half-brother Edmund succeed him as King in order to receive Northumbria.
• Childhood Friend: With his cousin Ælfwynn. Season 4 indicates they grew up at her mother's estate and they are close as teenagers.
• Combat Pragmatist: Uhtred has clearly taught him to be this, as in Season 5, he stabs a hired thug of Æthelhelm's to death with a broken piece of deer antler, and bites off several fingers from a Dane who tried to kill him in his sleep.
• Commonality Connection: He's quite amicable with his half-uncle Osferth in Season 5, both of them joking over the shared fact they're both the bastard sons of kings.
• Cruel Mercy: He refuses to kill Æthelhelm, insisting the old bastard can live with the guilt and grief of having killed his daughter and having lost his grandson's love and respect. Æthelhelm chooses suicide instead.
• Cruel to Be Kind: Invoked in Season 5 when he forces Æthelhelm to confess to Ælfweard about his involvement in Ælflaed's death: Æthelstan admits that he's sorry for breaking his half-brother's heart, but insists Ælfweard deserves to know the truth about how his mother died and that his grandfather is unworthy of his love and trust.
• Daddy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You:
  • In Season 3, Alfred has Æthelstan, along with his mother and sister, quietly given to the Church to free Edward to make a more politically advantageous marriage.
  • In Season 4, despite having come to realise how much he loves his son in the wake of Æthelstan and Ælfweard being held hostage by Sigtryggr, Edward recognises he cannot raise Æthelstan in Winchester, as doing so would just make the boy a target for Ælflaed and Æthelhelm, as well as sowing the seeds of a Succession Crisis, so he asks Uhtred to take in Æthelstan and raise him to be a warrior.
  Edward: My mother cannot care for him.
  Uhtred: How could I?
  Edward: Please, Uhtred. I know you will not swear to me, but this child deserves more than a monastery. He is a brave and a good-hearted boy, but he will need guidance. Protect him and take him to safety. One aetheling is enough for Winchester. Bring him within the palace, it would create a strife to rival that of Æthelwold. That is politics.
  Uhtred: What would you have me do with him?
  Edward: Teach him how to be a warrior and all you know of the Danes.
• Everyone Has Standards: He's appalled by his father's slaughter of the Mercian ealdormen. Edward remarks that Æthelstan's clearly inherited Uhtred's sense of morality.
• Founder of the Kingdom: Not yet, but he is destined to be the first king to rule over a completely united England.
• Gayngst: In Seven Kings Must Die, as a devout Catholic king in the 10th century, he struggles with his attraction to Lord Ingilmundr and becomes fixated on absolving his sin by spreading the Christian faith across Britain.
• Like a Son to Me: It's clear Uhtred cares for him this way in Season 5.
• My God, What Have I Done?: After spending more than half of the movie The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die taking Ingilmundr's advice and bitterly rejecting old friendships, Æthelstan is finally forced to admit Ingilmundr's betrayal when he learned that Ingilmundr murdered his own garrison in preparation for Anlaf's invasion. After this, Æthelstan almost resigned himself to a hopeless battle with Anlaf and his allies, deciding that his own death would be a suitable punishment for his misdeeds. Fortunately, he survived with Uhtred's intervention.
• Screw The Crown I Have Principles: He refuses an offer from his father to make Æthelstan his heir in exchange for supporting Edward's plan to negotiate with Constantin, supporting Uhtred's wish to attack Bebbanburg and rescue Ælfwynn.
• Shipper on Deck: To a degree between his cousin Ælfwynn and his best friend Cynlaef.
• Strong Family Resemblance: Ælswith and Æthelflaed both remark Æthelstan is the spitting image of his father at the same age.
• Sudden Sequel Heel Syndrome: Becomes incredibly ruthless in Seven Kings Must Die, where after becoming king by murdering his brother with his own hands, he exiles Uhtred, executes Aldhelm, and leads vicious raids into Northumbria and Scotland in the name of stamping out heathenry, forcing the other kings of Britain to team up against him. Most of this is due to Ingilmundr's influence, and once Æthelstan realizes he's been played he immediately tries to make right what he wronged.
• Surpassed the Teacher: Æthelstan's final scene in Season 5 has him beat Uhtred in a sparring match for what's implied to be the first time.
• Take Me Instead: While a child hostage in Winchester, Æthelstan offers himself instead of his younger half-brother when Sigtrygger wants to use a hostage to send a message to Edward. Sigtryggr genuinely seems impressed by the little boy's courage.
• Young Future Famous People: His introduction makes who he will become abundantly clear by subtitling him as 'Æthelstan, First King of the English.'

Aelfweard

Aelfweard

Portrayed By: Ewan Horrocks

Edward's son by Aelflaed and half-brother to Aethelstan, Aelfweard is a kind and gentle young man, but his father's dislike of him and his grandfather's influence set him on a dangerous path.

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• Do with Him as You Will: Tells Aethelstan this after learning Aethelhelm's scheming got his mother killed.
• Don't Make Me Destroy You: Invoked in the final battle of Season 5 where he finds Aethelstan holding Aethelhelm at swordpoint, pleading with his half-brother not to harm his grandfather because he doesn't want to fight Aethelstan.
• Horrible Judge of Character: His love for his mother and grandfather blind Aelfweard to the kind of people they really are.
• The Ingenue: A inverted male example. He's nice-natured, gentle, loves his family regardless of their flaws or coldness towards him, but he's hopelessly naive about the nature of politics and ruling, to the point he's genuinely shocked when Wihtgar openly explains to Aelfweard they're planning to kill his father to make him king.
• I Owe You My Life: He's much more friendly to his half-brother than either his mother or grandfather, acknowledging he remembers Aethelstan putting himself in danger to spare Aelfweard when they were captives of Sigtryggr in Winchester.
• Momma's Boy: He's a lot closer to his mother than his father. Learning that Aethelhelm was responsible for Aelflaed death is what turns Aelfweard against his grandfather.
• Morality Pet: Though Aethelhelm clearly wants to be the power behind the throne with Aelfweard, he does genuinely love and want what's best for his grandson, doing his best to shield Aelfweard from the more grisly aspects of what Aethelhelm is doing to secure power for the boy. Aelfweard denouncing Aethelhelm for his involvement in Aelflaed's death and abandoning him to Aethelstan's mercy drives Aethelhelm to suicide.
• Nice Guy: Certainly compared to his parents and grandfather. Even knowing his father doesn't love him, Aelfweard is still reluctant to kill Edward to claim the crown. He's also fond of his half-brother Aethelstan and his cousin Aelfwynn, to the point he insists he won't force Aelfwynn into a marriage alliance with King Constantin of Scotland against her will, even when his grandfather insists such an alliance will give him military power to challenge his father.
• Non-Action Guy: Compared to Aethelstan, he's never seen fighting. It's implied to be another reason why his father dislikes him.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Enraged by his father's hasty marriage to his pregnant mistress and believing Edward plans to disinherit him in favour of his new child, Aelfweard blackmails Father Benedict into escorting him to Bebbanburg to join forces with his grandfather in exchange for Aethelhelm annuling Benedict's debts to him.
• Sudden Sequel Heel Syndrome: as a consequence of compressing the last two books into a two hour movie, Aelfweard abruptly betrays Aethelstan at the start of Seven Kings Must Die.
• This Is Unforgivable!: Learning the part his grandfather played in getting his beloved mother killed turns Aelfweard completely against Aethelhelm.
• The Un-Favourite: Aelfweard is not close to his father, owing to Edward's dislike of Aelflaed and Aethelhelm.
• Unfit for Greatness: Aelfweard is a kind-hearted boy but, despite his grandfather's large ambitions for him, is not very popular as an heir.
  Aethelhelm: In the meantime, find out what is said among the common people of my grandson Aelfweard.
  Bresal: No one speaks of him, lord.
• Unwitting Pawn: In his grandfather's schemes for the final part of Season 5.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Aelfweard is genuinely outraged when he finds his father hastily marrying his pregnant mistress so soon after Aelflaed's death.
• You Will Be Spared: The last scene of Aelfweard in Season 5 has him being kept in genteel imprisonment in Bebbanburg. Historically, the real Aelfweard did succeed his father as King of Wessex, only to die sixteen days after Edward.

Edmund

Edmund

Portrayed By: Zak Sutcliffe

Edward's son by Eadgifu. He would eventually succeed his elder half-brother Æthelstan as King of the English, continuing the bloodline that all English monarchs today descend from.

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• Unexpected Successor: His succession to the throne was contingent on Æthelstan producing an heir. Since Æthelstan agreed to Uhtred's conditions to never marry or produce a successor for Northumbria (and probably never intended to do so anyway), this guaranteed Edmund would be able to become King without having to fight through a power vacuum like his elder half-brother did.
• Young Future Famous People: His role in the story is minimal at best, since he's but a very small child when the story ends, but he would eventually become Edmund, King of the English.

Royal Advisors

Beocca

Father Beocca

Portrayed By: Ian Hart

Beocca is Uhtred’s father’s priest, and as such has seen Uhtred grow from boy to man and knows his true birth‐right. Pious and devout, but with a wry sense of humour, Beocca is also a clever and strategic thinker, whose opinion Alfred values. In fact, Beocca goes on to become one of Alfred’s most trusted advisors. Ever hopeful of turning stubborn Uhtred from his pagan ways, Beocca maintains a strong paternal affection for his wayward charge.

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• Adaptational Attractiveness: Beocca in the book is described as very ugly, having a club foot and a palsied eye. Ian Hart is a perfectly fine looking older gentleman and Beocca is plain at worst.
• Adaptational Badass: Unlike his book counterpart Beocca is much more physically able in the TV series, lacking many of his physical deformities such as his club foot and palsied eye. He also managed to throw a spear from the fourth rank in the Saxon lines and over the Viking shield wall for Uhtred to catch on the other side. Not a javelin, but an infantry spear!.
• Age-Gap Romance: He falls in love with Thyra. One of the reasons a relationship doesn't start sooner is that he's uncomfortable about how he's old enough to be her father. Or much older brother, as he puts it.
• Badass Boast: Delivers one in the final battle to Skorpa after he presents Iseult's severed head to taunt Uhtred.
  Beocca: You will be struck down by my spear! And you will spend eternity in the fires of Hell!
• Badass Preacher: He is a deeply devout man who takes his role as a priest very seriously. However, when need arises he will not shy away from violence and at the Battle of Ethandun (Edington) he is in the thick of fighting, throwing Uhtred the spear that he uses to kill Skorpa.
  • Prior to this, he laid down some serious smack-talk on Skorpa after the Dane had tried to torment Uhtred with details of how his adopted sister was being raped by Sven (unbeknownst to either of them, Uhtred already knew) and after Skorpa told him that he'd seek him out personally in the coming battle, nonchalantly tells Skorpa he'll be waiting.
  Skorpa: (seething) I will look for you first across the battlefield!
  Beocca: I will be there, and I will not be hard to find.
• Beware the Nice Ones: He's generally a nice guy, but when he's pushed too far, he's terrifying: He beats the shit out of a racist, mysognist thug who has been harrassing Thyra, and threatens Aethelwold multiple times for his constant attempts to manipulate events in the leadup to Alfred's death. When Aethelwold's manipulations directly lead to Thyra's death, Beocca just barely stops himself from actually murdering the guy with an axe.
• Brutal Honesty: Despite treating Uhtred better than most Christians, he still thinks he'll go to Hell. Though, to his credit, he doesn't place the blame on Uhtred but Aelfric for driving Uhtred from his home to begin with.
• Carry a Big Stick: His weapon of choice in season 2.
• Due to the Dead: Does this in Episode 8 when he tells Uhtred the priests have restored Iseult's mutilated body so she can be given a proper burial. When Uhtred replies that she would want a funeral pyre, Beocca respectfully assures him it will be done.
• Deadpan Snarker: From time to time, usually directed at Uhtred or Brother Asser, and at Finan and Sihtric in later seasons.
• Good Is Not Soft: Beocca is one of the kindest men you could ever meet. He is far from a pushover, will make his opinions known and is right there in the middle of battle. Where Skorpa murders Iseult, Beocca furiously declares Skorpa will die by his spear and be damned to hell forever.
• Heroic Sacrifice: During the botched attempt to reclaim Bebbanburg, Beocca jumps in the path of a bolt aimed for Uhtred's son, saving the boy at the cost of his own life.
• Manly Tears: Beocca breaks down weeping at King Alfred's bedside after Alfred dies in his sleep.
• Odd Friendship: With Thyra. Seeing her for the injured creature she is, Beocca approached Thyra calmly, confidently, winning her trust by showing no fear and presenting no threat, assuring her that her suffering is over, promising to help her through her trauma and complimenting her on her strength to have endured such abuse for so long.
• Papa Wolf: Verbally and spiritually towards Uhtred (when it comes to physically, Uhtred can more than look after himself), warning him of Aelfric's intention to ransom him in order to kill him, swiping the deeds to Bebbanburg on Uhtred's behalf, constantly standing up for him in Alfred's court (even when Uhtred's less than appreciative of this) and unhesitatingly declaring that if Uhtred is as soulless as Brother Asser claims, then he will be Uhtred's soul and intercede with God for him.
• Parental Substitute: He treats Uhtred like a son and has been looking out for him since he was a young boy. Uhtred even subtly calls Beocca his father to his face in Season 4 and views his death as losing one of the last family he had.
• Real Men Love Jesus: Beocca is a devout Christian and sees it as the source of his strength. He is one of the most incorruptible characters on the whole show.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Delivers a short but cutting one to Aethelwold in Season 3, berating him for the fact his attempts to manipulate the power struggles for his own ends as Alfred comes closer to death are encouraging violence and unrest.
  Beocca: This rotten air that fills Winchester is because of you and the likes of you! Wessex is a land for all tribes to live in peace! Your father would be ashamed of you.
  • He delivers another one to Aelswith in Season 4, shutting down her haughty attitude by reminding her that Edward just barely tolerates her presence at court.
  Aelswith: Did I not have you removed from the court, Father Beocca?
  Beocca: Yes. Another one of your rash judgements.
  Aelswith: It is unwise to remain somewhere you are not wanted.
  Beocca: And yet you choose to remain here too.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: In season 4, after Aelswith has him banished from the palace for telling her some harsh truths, Beocca decides there's nothing left for him in Winchester and joins Uhtred's expedition to reclaim Bebbanburg.
• Servile Snarker: He has his moments when dealing with people at the court of Winchester who outrank him.
• Threat Backfire: Does this when Odda the Younger tries to intimidate him over his loyalty to Uhtred.
  Odda the Younger: You might do well to examine your loyalties, Father.
  Beocca: My loyalties are to God and to the king, in that order, lord. Are you suggesting I'm wrong?
  Odda the Younger: I'm suggesting nothing of the sort, but I am watching you.
  Beocca: And God is watching over us all.
• Undying Loyalty: As covered under Papa Wolf. He has issues with Uhtred but loves him like a son despite his faults.
• You Need to Get Laid: Uhtred teases him about it, encouraging him to get with Thyra and start sleeping with her. He says it'll make them both happier.

Pyrlig

Father Pyrlig

Portrayed By: Cavan Clerkin

A tenacious fighter who left the thrill of battle in favour of a life in the church, Pyrlig is a gregarious priest experienced in matters of both love and war. Uhtred takes a shine to him, and the two find themselves side-by-side as ambassadors for Alfred’s cause in matters of the grave political severity.

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• Badass Preacher: Pyrlig might be a priest, but put a sword in his hands and he's a demon. Uhtred tricks Sigefried into making the captured Pyrlig fight for his freedom, which Sigefried is only happy to do by setting his most formidable warrior against the prisoner priest he's been tormenting. Every one of the Danes are shocked when Pyrlig soundly defeats said warrior without even killing him. Sigefried is so impressed he tries to get Pyrlig to join him.
• Dark and Troubled Past: He implies every so often that he has a pretty blood-soaked history, and he got those fighting skills from somewhere.
• Deadpan Snarker: He's very snarky indeed, even when confronted with likely death.
• Defiant Captive: Even while a prisoner of Sigefried and Erik, Pyrlig never stops giving them lip. He also shows no fear to Brida's frequent threats to torture and/or kill him.
• Distressed Dude: Gets captured and held hostage by Brida and her cultists fleeing Eoforwic.
• Enemy Mine: He's a Briton, not a Saxon; the Saxons are to him what the Danes are to the Saxons. The only reason he fights alongside the Saxons is because the Danes are even worse.
• Hope Spot: While helping Brida through her grief over her daughter's death, Pyrlig urges Brida to let go of her anger and make amends with those she's wronged, particularly Uhtred, to the point Brida is convinced to travel with Pyrlig to be reconciled with Uhtred. But when Brida hears of the conflict between Edward and Sigtryggr and realises Pyrlig hid it from her, she abandons any thought of reconciliation, stabs Pyrlig and tells him to pass a message to Uhtred she'll be waiting for him at Loidis for a final confrontation.
• Made of Iron: Manages to make it back to Eoforwic despite being left with a severe stab wound by Brida and makes a full recovery.
• Pet the Dog: Despite having no love for Brida, in season 5, Pyrlig consoles Brida in her grief over her daughter's death, assures Brida her daughter was an innocent who will find peace in the afterlife, and performs a funeral for the girl.

Household Guard

Steapa

Steapa

Portrayed By: Adrian Bouchet

Alfred’s formidable warrior, whose duty is often to keep an eye on Uhtred on behalf of the king. Though ferocious in battle, he is a patient tutor and trains Aethelflaed in swordskill.

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• Double Agent: Sent by Alfred to serve Uhtred, with orders to kill him if he threatens the peace.
• Fire-Forged Friends: While Steapa initially distrusts Uhtred and vice versa, both men learn to respect each other during battles in which they have to watch each other's backs. While he still isn't exactly Uhtred's friend, Steapa would gladly follow him into battle and not harm Uhtred if he can help it, though his loyalty to the royal family of Wessex always comes first.
• Screaming Warrior: He attempts to teach Aethelflaed to do the same, to little avail.
• Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: To Finan.
• Undying Loyalty: To Alfred and Aethelflaed.
• Your Head Asplode: In the Battle of Tettenhall: as he attempts to protect King Edward, he is knocked down by a horse and a Dane smashes his head with a mace before he could even get up.

Cenric

Cenric

Portrayed By: Máté Haumann

• Cold-Blooded Torture: At Aethelhelm's command, he savagely beats Uhtred to try and force him to give up Aelfwynn's location. Cenric clearly doesn't like what he's doing, but obeys his lord.
• The Dragon: He serves as one to Aethelhelm.
• Punch-Clock Villain: He doesn't particularly relish his role, but does as he's told without question.
• Shoot the Messenger: What kills him; Cenric delivers a demand from Edward that Sigtryggr's army withdraw from Wessex or the Saxons will spare no one when they storm the city. Brida responds by filling him with arrows.

Alfred's Court

Erkenwald

Bishop Erkenwald

Portrayed By: Kevin Eldon

The Bishop of Winchester, Erkenwald is a powerful and ambitious man who, while recognising Uhtred's use in defending Wessex, is distrustful of his influence over Alfred and Edward, and is more than willing to assist Aelswith in her vendetta against Uhtred. He is loyal to the king and Wessex, but Erkenwald is not without his own plans.

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• Corrupt Church: Not as bad as some examples, but still there. Uhtred is less than amused to find Erkenwald and his priests feasting on Coccham's winter supplies when half the village is starving.
• The Dragon: To Aelswith. As Alfred's illness grows worse and she starts trying to assume power, Erkenwald more and more becomes Aelswith's mouthpiece.
• Everyone Has Standards: Erkenwald is appalled when Brother Godwin (at Aethelwold's behest to drive a wedge between Uhtred and Alfred) starts openly insulting the recently deceased Gisela to her grieving husband's face.
• Fantastic Racism: He's not as bad about it as some of his cohorts in the Church, but he's certainly not adverse to it. The fact he goes along with Aelswith's attempts to exile Uhtred out of no more reason than prejudice proves that.
• Jerkass Has a Point: He's admittedly got a point that Uhtred's track record is hardly a glowing endorsement of him.
  Uhtred: I am not an enemy of the King.
  Erkenwald: Even if that were true, what you are is a most dangerous ally.
• Nerves of Steel: He flatly refuses to compromise his faith and remove the cross hung at Coccham, even when Uhtred threatens to make a gift of Erkenwald and his fellow priests to Skade.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Disappears completely after Season 3.

Edward's Court

Aethelhelm

Aethelhelm

Portrayed By: Adrian Schiller

Ealdorman of Wiltunscir, a wealthy and powerful landowner in Wessex who marries his daughter to Edward, Alfred's heir.

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• Ambition Is Evil: Aethelhelm is very eager to see his family ascend to the greatest heights imaginable, and will stop at nothing to see it happen.
• Big Bad: Of Season 5.
• Bribing Your Way to Victory: Aethelhelm bribes the ealdormen of Mercia to name his grandson Aelfweard as Lord of Mercia in the wake of Aethelflaed's death. Unfortunately, Edward gets wind of the plan and outmanoeuvres his father-in-law by having the bribed noblemen massacred and declaring himself King of Mercia and Wessex.
• Broken Tears: After Aethelstan forces him to confess to his grandson that he got Aelflaed killed and a disgusted Aelfweard abandons him to Aethelstan's mercy, Aethelhelm is reduced to this.
• Can't Kill You, Still Need You: The situation at the beginning of Season 5; Edward despises his father-in-law and wife and would like nothing more than to rid his court of both of them, but Aethelhelm's wealth and political influence make it impossible. That problem becomes easier when Uhtred exposes Aethelhelm for having commiting treason.
• Dirty Coward: When his army is attacked by a vengeful Sigtryggr, Aethelhelm orders his personal guard to protect him at all cost and flees, leaving his soldiers to die.
• Driven to Suicide: With his plans in ruins, his daughter dead thanks to his machinations and his grandson having disowned him after finding out about the former, Aethehelm kills himself.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: After he learns he has inadvertently ordered the death of his own daughter, he very nearly kills himself, only being talked down from doing so when his Dragon points out that doing so would leave his grandson without allies. He also clearly dotes on his grandson Aelfweard, doing his best to try and shield Aelfweard from the more grisly aspects of what he's doing. Aelfweard cutting ties with im is what ultimately provokes his suicide.
• Even Evil Has Standards: He's genuinely appalled by Edward's massacre of the Mercian Witan. Of course, the fact his bribing them put targets on the Witan's backs never occurs to him.
• Evil Chancellor: To Edward. Aethelhelm often purposefully misinterprets Edward's orders to benefit himself, such as imprisoning a political rival.
• Evil Is Petty: Deliberately flouts Edward's wishes and orders Saxon troops not to support Sigtryggr's efforts to retake Eoforwic from Brida and her cultists in retaliation for Sigtryggr holding him prisoner.
• Expecting Someone Taller: Aethelhelm bursts out laughing and invokes this when he learns Wihtgar is Lord of Bebbanburg and thus Uhtred's nemesis.
  Aethelhelm: You are the man who has tormented Uhtred so? I expected someone...different.
• Get Out!: After Edward finds out Aethelhelm has been deliberately misinterpreting the king's commands to suit him, Aethelhelm swiftly finds himself banished back to Wessex.
• Hate Sink: While he was never particularly likeable, he really turns into this in Season 5: an arrogant and racist Smug Snake who causes immense amount of grief for everyone in England, going so far as to invite its enemies into its lands for no other reason than to spite Uhtred and Edward.
• It's Personal: His time in captivity in Season 4 has left Aethelhelm with a deep hatred of Danes by Season 5.
• Jerkass: Never misses a chance to be rude to whoever he's speaking to. Even when it's the king of Wessex himself.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: After he is taken captive and Sigtryggr asks if he wants to fight or yield, Aethelhelm grudgingly surrenders to save lives. He, along with his daughter and grandson are spared, but Brida leads the invaders in massacring his men.
• The Man Behind the Man: What he aspires to be in Season 5: having completely lost his influence with Edward, Aethelhelm hopes to either convince Edward to name his grandson Aelfweard as heir or, failing that, arrange Edward's death in battle to allow Aelfweard's ascension so he can manipulate his grandson.
• Manipulative Bastard: Aethelhelm is a natural schemer, whispering poison in Edward's ear and guiding him down a mercilessly pragmatic path.
• Murder Is the Best Solution: Once he learns about Edward's children from his abolished marriage, he not so subtly suggests to Aelswith they be taken care of. Despite contemptuously dismissing them as bastards just moments before, even she seems disgusted.
  • He also sends assassins to murder Aethelstan to force Edward to name his son by Aelflaed as his heir.
• My God, What Have I Done?: His reaction to learning Aelflaed was killed as a result of his plotting against Edward.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: His machinations to cause war between Edward and Sigtryggr gets Aelflaed killed. His trying to bribe the Mercian Witan to name Aelfweard as Lord of Mercia after Aethelflaed's death prompt Edward to wipe them out and declare himself King of Wessex and Mercia.
• Obnoxious Inlaws: His daughter seems like a nice girl, but unluckily for Edward, her father is a condescending ass.
• Pet the Dog: He holds the hand of a dying young Wessex soldier during the Dane invasion of Winchester.
• The Rival: To Aelswith, with both of them currying for Edward's favour.
• Talking Your Way Out: Tries to negotiate with Brida when Winchester falls and he is taken captive, offering to make her a rich woman. Unfortunately, Brida isn't interested in anything he has to offer.
• Villainous Breakdown: Although he recovers quickly and begins scheming again, he clearly does not take it well when he learns he was inadvertently responsible for the murder of his own daughter.
• Villain Teamup: With Wihtgar and King Constantin of Scotland against Edward and Uhtred.

Odda's Household

Odda the Elder

Odda the Elder

Portrayed By: Simon Kunz

The Ealdorman of Devonshire, father of Odda the Younger and one of Alfred's most powerful and respected lieutenants, Odda the Elder is one of the most powerful and influential noblemen in Wessex, and one of the few not immediately indisposed to be hostile to Uhtred.

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• The Alcoholic: His love for wine is commented on by multiple characters. He admits to Uhtred in private he mainly does out to overcome his guilt and fear his life has been wasted.
• All for Nothing: Admits to Uhtred in Season 2 he fears that with his son dead and Alfred refusing more and more to heed his advice, his life has been wasted.
  Odda the Elder: I'm getting old, Uhtred. I'm getting old with no son to follow me. It is as though my time has been wasted.
• Better to Die than Be Killed: Takes his own life rather than be executed by Alfred
• Conflicting Loyalty: Between Alfred, his King, and Wessex, his Kingdom.
• The Consigliere: Serves this role to Alfred.
• Everyone Has Standards: To the point he is willing to kill his treacherous son for allying with the Danes and disparaging Alfred in public.
  • In Season 1, despite not liking Uhtred at that point, he is still angered to learn his son stole from Mildrith's dowry to spite Uhtred and orders Odda the Younger to repay what Uhtred is owed.
• A Father to His Men: He admits to Uhtred he's reluctant to commit to battle with Ubba because he personally knows his men and doesn't want to risk their lives unless he can be sure of victory.
• Handicapped Badass: Takes a serious axe wound at Cynuit in the middle of Season 1. Though he survives, his recovery leaves him housebound for the rest of the Season.
• Honest Advisor: Not afraid to make his thoughts known to Alfred, even when it might upset him.
• I Gave My Word: He promises to bring Saxon reinforcements to save Uhtred at Cynuit and keeps his word, despite his son's attempts to convince him to leave Uhtred to be killed.
• It Has Been an Honor: Invokes the spirit of this in his final conversation with Uhtred, knowing Alfred will kill him for what he plans to do.
  Odda the Elder: If I do not see you again, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, I wish you good luck, wherever fate may take you.
• Offing the Offspring: When he realises his son has committed treason against Alfred and Wessex, Odda personally sticks a knife in his son's gut.
  Odda the Elder: [to his dying son] May your mother forgive me, and may you be forgiven for your treason.
• Pet the Dog: He supports Hild in trying to convince Alfred to send a rescue mission to find Uhtred, and advocates Ragnar be freed from captivity to lead it. He is also one of Uhtred's biggest supporters in the Witan against Alfred's distrust in Season 2.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Compared to his odious son, certainly.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Odda delivers a stinging and accurate one to Aethelred in Season 2 after Aethelflaed's capture, calling him an arrogant idiot who has jeopardised all Saxon kingdoms with his stupidity in putting her at risk.
  Odda: Do you know what you've done? Possibly not, as you are as useless as you are arrogant.
  Aethelred: I have done nothing but carry out the king's orders-
  Odda: You have put at risk the entire kingdom. All kingdoms! You're a toad. A fool. An idiot with ambition far above your capability, and if I can see this, be sure Alfred can see it.
• To Be Lawful or Good: His dilemma in Season 2. Either obey Alfred or do what he believes necessary to keep Wessex safe. He chooses the latter.
• The Spock: Certainly does not let emotion weigh into his advice, even if it costs his own son.
• Took a Level in Kindness: He's a lot more sympathetic and supportive of Uhtred in Season 2, after being mildly dismissive of him in Season 1 (though not to the extent of his son).
• Undying Loyalty: To Alfred and especially to Wessex, his arc in Season 2 is driven by the conflict between these.

Odda the Younger

Odda the Younger

Portrayed By: Brian Vernel

Odda the Younger lives in the shadow of his respected father but has few of his qualities. Slippery, dishonourable and morally corrupt, he wants the quick and easy path to power. Odda has particular contempt for Uhtred, and is jealous of his marriage to Mildrith. His ambition leads him into deep waters.

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• Arch-Enemy: He's Uhtred's main political enemy during Season 1. Odda despises Uhtred for being raised a Dane, gaining the trust of the King and marrying Mildrith; he expends a great deal of energy into undermining Uhtred at every opportunity.
• Dirty Coward: He never gets his hands dirty and seems to be in constant fear for his own wellbeing; when it comes to battle, he prefers to run and only argues if he's well-protected by others. It doesn't stop him from taking credit for the victories of others.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Despite his many faults, he genuinely cares for Mildrith and offers her sanctuary.
• Evil Is Petty: Odda is an absolute jackass in every aspect of his life; he even steals from Uhtred and Mildrith's wedding dowry. He later tries to have Ubba's body cut into pieces, out of pure spite and bigotry.
• Hypocrite: When Guthrum's army invades Winchester, Odda orders the soldiers to hold their ground and fight, and yet he is one of the first to flee the city.
• It's All About Me: He only seeks to elevate himself and his ego.
• Like Father, Unlike Son: A conniving, treacherous and self-serving weasel utterly unlike his honourable, just and wiser father.
• The Resenter: His envy of seemingly every other living creature is one of his defining traits. In particular he resents Uhtred for a multitude of reasons.
• Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: He's executed by his own father, no less, for abandoning Alfred and trying to ally with Skorpa. At Alfred's command, his body is also dumped in an unmarked grave with no proper funerary rites as punishment for his treachery, denying him access to Heaven.
  Skorpa: I am expected by the Lord Odda.
  Uhtred: Lord Odda is in the ground, buried as a traitor.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When Guthrum and Ragnar's army storms Winchester, Odda is one of the first to run for it.
• Stealing the Credit: Takes credit for Uhtred's killing of Ubba and the victory at Cynuit while his father and Uhtred are in no position to contradict him.
• Virgin-Shaming: Gets this from Uhtred.
  Uhtred: You should know that Mildrith is a joy to plow.
  Odda: [disgusted] You're a heathen.
  Uhtred: [smirking] And you are a virgin.
  Odda: No, I'm not! [storms off]
  Leofric: Yes, he is.

Leofric

Leofric

Portrayed By: Adrian Bower

A trusted Saxon, warrior Leofric is Odda the Elder’s military man. Weathered and worldly, Leofric is straight talking, uncomplicated, but far from stupid. Leofric initially dislikes Uhtred, who he renames ‘Arseling’ but a close bond is soon struck between crude curmudgeonly Leofric and fellow warrior Uhtred. Their friendship is put to the test in the course of the series, as is Leofric’s loyalty to his Saxon leaders.

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• Adaptational Attractiveness: In the books, he's described as being fairly squat and ugly. Here, he's tall, dark and fairly handsome in a weathered sort of way.
• The Conscience: By season 3, he is long dead but he manifests in Uhtred's mind as the voice calling for him to maintain his loyalty to Wessex and the Saxons, in memory of all they have fought for.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: He gets hit in the neck by a Dane's axe and slowly and painfully bleeds out.
• Dope Slap: Gives Halig one for teasing Uhtred and Iseult about their Relationship Upgrade.
• Due to the Dead: After Leofric's death, Uhtred places his sword in his hand as he would for a Dane warrior and insists he be buried as an ealdorman.
• The Heavy: To Odda the Elder and Alfred.
• Insult of Endearment: He enjoys calling Uhtred "arseling", first as a genuine slight but gradually as a term of endearment.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Superficially harsh and refers to Uhtred by an Insult of Endearment, while being more than willing to bounce Aethelwold's head off a table when he's being stupid, he's more patient with either of them than they really deserve.
• The Lancer: To Uhtred, after a fashion.
• Master Swordsman: He is the only warrior in the story who can defeat Uhtred in a fair fight.
• Sarcastic Devotee: To Uhtred. Leofric is a loyal friend, but he's very happy to let Uhtred know when he's being an idiot.
• So Proud of You: A posthumous example in his role as The Conscience in Season 3; Uhtred's last sight of him is of Leofric with a warm smile on his face as Uhtred remains loyal to both the memory of Alfred and Wessex.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: With Uhtred; they constantly snipe and snarl at each other, but they have a genuine bond of friendship. In season 3, this friendship goes a long way to convincing Uhtred to ultimately remain with Wessex.

Ealdormen of Wessex

Wulfhere

Wulfhere

Portrayed By: Sean Gilder

An ealdorman who formerly served Alfred.

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• Dirty Coward: Fear motivates him to abandon Alfred and join with the Danes, whom he believes have a better chance of winning the battle.
• Evil Former Friend: To Leofric, who seems to take his betrayal rather personally and kills him at Ethandun for betraying Wessex.
  Leofric: Wulfhere! I WILL HAVE YOUR GUTS, YOU TRAITOROUS BASTARD!
• Evil Sounds Deep: He has a very deep voice, and turns out to be much more of a traitorous coward than a badass.
• Face–Heel Turn: He joins the Danes after losing faith in Alfred.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: By Leofric's sword.
• Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Leofric buries his sword to the hilt in Wulfhere's heart.
  Leofric: Have that Wulfhere, you bastard!

Sigebriht

Sigebriht

Portrayed By: Ed Birch

An ealdorman of Cent, he is loyal to Wessex, but has grievances against Alfred and his son that their enemies seek to exploit.

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• A Father to His Men: He is genuinely horrified when Bloodhair starts executing prisoners taken from his lands in retaliation for Uhtred's capture of Skade, telling Alfred he knows all the captives.
• Cavalry Betrayal: He initially promises to do this to Edward in battle with the Danes, but when the time comes, he betrays the Danes and attacks them from behind while they're already under attack from Edward and Aethelflaed.
  Haesten: That is your man! And he's attacking US!
• The Dragon: To Aethelwold after Alfred's death.
• Enemy Mine: For all his grievances with Edward, at the end, Sigebriht sides with him because Aethelwold and his Danish masters will be even worse for Wessex.
• Redemption Equals Death: He initially plots with Aethelwold to help overthrow Edward, but ultimately decides that Edward is better for Wessex than Aethelwold and his Danish masters and fights for the prince. In the ensuing battle, Cnut kills him with a spear.
• The Resenter: Edward bedded and got the girl he wished to marry pregnant, and Alfred forced her into a nunnery to leave Edward free for a political marriage.

Other Wessex Residents

Hild

Abbess Hild

Portrayed By: Eva Birthistle

A spirited and resilient nun, Hild is devout without being sanctimonious, and offers sound advice and loyal support as one of Uhtred’s closest companions. The suffering she has experienced at the hands of Danes draws her to a life lived by the sword, as she tries to overcome her trauma.

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• Action Girl: She fights at Ethandun and holds her own quite well.
• The Bus Came Back: Season 5 reveals Hild has moved from Wessex to Lindisfarne.
• Demoted to Extra: She appears in 6 out of 8 episodes in Season 2, 5 out of 10 episodes in Season 3 and only 2 out of 10 episodes in Season 4.
• Don't Make Me Destroy You: While escaping Bebbanburg with Aelfwynn during the final battle of Season 5, they are attacked by one of Wihtgar's guards. Hild wounds and disarms the man, pleading with him not to fight on, but when the guard insists on going for his sword, Hild reluctantly kills him.
• Good is Not Nice: She might be fond of Uhtred, but she doesn't hesitate to criticize and nag him when it's required.
• Hidden Depths: Her own admissions hint she may have been a wife and a mother at some point before joining the Church.
• Martial Pacifist: She never loses her former combat skills but hates violence and would rather avoid it at all costs. When she is forced to kill one of Wihtgar's guards, she nearly breaks down.
• Morality Pet: She's definitely one for Uhtred.
  Uhtred: You will always be too good a woman for God alone.
• Odd Friendship: She claims to have developed one with Haesten in Season 5, given he's a frequent visitor to Lindisfarne. She looks genuinely saddened by his death.
• Pet the Dog: She urges Alfred and his advisors to free Uhtred, insists on accompanying Ragnar to find him and helps Uhtred out of his Heroic BSoD after Halig's death and his time in slavery.
• Religious Bruiser
• Rape as Backstory: When Uhtred and the gang are introduced to her, she's being raped by a Dane.
• These Hands Have Killed: She struggles with this from time to time.
• Unstoppable Rage: She's downright indomitable when she's enraged.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Her reaction when Uhtred kills Abbot Eadred.

Selbix

Father Selbix

Portrayed By: Lorcan Cranitch

A snarky priest who serves as one of King Alfred's advisors.

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• Deadpan Snarker: He has his moments.
  Selbix: [observing a bunch of Danes going in the opposite direction] Poor wretches.
  Uhtred: Then what are we, Father?
  Selbix: We are fortunate, lord. We know God! Though, I grant you, I'm in no hurry to meet him. Let us pray he feels the same way.
• Hope Spot: He seems to be getting somewhere in teaching Guthrum about Christianity...until a messenger relays that Ubba has returned, at which Guthrum promptly, in his own words, dispatches Selbix to meet his god.
• Oh, Crap!: When Alfred selects him to be one of the hostages given to Guthrum as a guarantee of peace.

Eadgifu

Lady Eadgifu of Cent

Portrayed By: Sonya Cassidy (Season 5) Elaine Cassidy (Seven Kings Must Die)

A Centish noblewoman and old childhood friend of King Edward's, when she comes to Winchester to request the king's aid in settling a dispute over land she inherited, Edward takes a liking to the spirited woman and the pair find themselves drawn more and more towards each other.

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• Age Lift: Historically, Eadgifu was born in 903 at the latest, making her Edward's junior by twenty-nine years, and married him when she would have been sixteen at the youngest and he would have been forty-five. Understandably, she is portrayed by a thirty-five-year-old Sonya Cassidy and is around the same age as Edward.
• All Girls Like Ponies: Edward reminisces that she was always on horseback in their childhood, and Eadgifu admits at that age, she was more interested in horses than boys.
• Babies Ever After: The final scene of Eadgifu in Season 5 is her presenting Edward with his newborn son, Edmund (who would go on to become the second king of a united England after his half-brother Aethelstan died without an heir).
• Childhood Friends: Edward recalls spending a lot of time at her father's estate when they were both children.
• Childhood Friend Romance: What ends up developing between her and Edward.
• Deadpan Snarker: She has a sharp tongue and dry wit.
  Eadgifu: [after Aethelhelm asks her price to leave Wessex and not come back] Thirty pieces of silver? That is the cost of betrayal, I believe.
• Exact Eavesdropping: She overhears a conversation between Aethelhelm and Aelflaed regarding the former's plan to bribe the Mercian nobility into naming Aelfweard as Lord of Mercia and brings the information to Edward's attention so he can make plans to thwart it.
• Honorable Marriage Proposal: Edward makes one of these to her after Aelflaed is killed in an ambush and their affair leaves Eadgifu pregnant.
• The Mistress: She becomes this to Edward, given their childhood affection and the fact Edward despises his wife.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: She talks Edward out of disinheriting Aelfweard after the latter runs away to join Aethelhelm, saying the boy is grieving for his mother and angry about their hasty marriage, admitting she'd want her son to feel the same way.
• Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: She flatly refuses anything Aethelhelm offers to try and bribe her into leaving Wessex.
• She Is All Grown Up: Edward's reaction to seeing her for the first time since their childhood.
• What the Hell, Hero?: She angrily confronts Edward after Aethelhelm tries to buy her off, assuming he did it at the King's behest to avoid a scandal. Edward hastily clears the matter up and makes it clear his father-in-law acted without his consent.
  • She also refuses to tolerate Edward lashing out at her in the wake of Aelflaed's death. Edward admits he was yelling out of grief and apologises.
  • She also supports Uhtred and Aelswith in challenging Edward over his refusal to march against his enemies at Bebbanburg.
• You Killed My Father: Her first appearance at Edward's court is to petition him to restore lands belonging to her family that her father's killer has stolen. Edward, already intrigued by her beauty and forthrightness is happy to oblige.

Bresal

Bresal

Portrayed By: Harry Anton

A hired mercenary in the service of Aethelhelm who does the dirty tasks his lord can't be seen doing as Aethelhelm tries to shore up his hold on power in the face of Edward's growing loathing for him.

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• Beard of Evil: He's got a reddish-brown beard and is a nasty piece of work.
• Canon Foreigner: A new character created for the series.
• Death by Irony: Killed by a woman he'd dismissed moments earlier as no threat. For added Laser-Guided Karma, Aelswith deals the fatal blow from behind, the same way Bresal did to Osferth.
• The Dragon: To Aethelhelm through Season 5.
• Fantastic Racism: Is as prejudiced against Danes as his lord, and is more than willing to carry out violent hate attacks on them at Aethelhelm's behest.
• Hero Killer: Fatally stabs Osferth from behind during the attack on Rumcofa.
• Impromptu Tracheotomy: Bresal dies from Aelswith stabbing him through the neck with a Chastity Dagger.
• Jerkass Has a Point: He makes a good one that Aelfwynn is far too quick to trust.
• Oh, Crap!: His reaction to Aethelstan putting up more of a fight than he anticipated, and when Father Benedict informs him that Aelflaed has gotten killed in one of her father's schemes against Edward, recognising both what it will to do to his lord personally, and the political firestorm the killing will unleash when word gets out.
• Pet Rat: One to Aethelhelm, doing the underhand and unscrupulous tasks Aethelhelm needs done yet can't be seen dirtying his hands with.
• Pet the Dog: A small one, but Bresal consoles Aethelhelm after Aelflaed is killed as collateral damage in one of her father's schemes, and talks Aethelhelm out of suicide by pointing out his grandson Aelfweard will be without any support if he kills himself.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After his attempt to kill Aethelstan goes badly awry, Bresal flees before Uhtred can arrive with reinforcements.
• This Cannot Be!: His final expression after Aelswith opens his throat.
• Underestimating Badassery: He only takes a handful of thugs with him to kill Aethelstan and has to run for it when the boy proves more of a challenge than expected, and his dismissal of Eadith and Aelswith as any threat gets him killed.
• Would Hit a Girl: At Aethelhelm's command, he leads a racist hate attack on Uhtred's settlement of Rumcofa that claims many lives, including women and children before his forces are driven off. He also agrees to one of his subordinates' advice they need to kill Eadith and Aelswith so they won't alert Edward to Aethelhelm's abduction of Aelfwynn, and when Eadith fights back, Bresal is strangling her to death when Aelswith kills him.