The Last Kingdom Season 5 Ending Explained: Who will be the New Lord of Bebbanburg?

The Last Kingdom Season 5 has finally arrived on Netflix, and Season 5 is said to be the end of the series. 

For those who do not know about the series, it is adapted from the best-selling novel, The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell. 

Produced by Carnival Films, The Last Kingdom Season 5 is the finale season of the series, and the rest of the story will be followed by a spin-off movie called Seven Kings Must Die, where Alexander Dreymon will be the lead as The Uthred of Bebbanburg. 

The series mainly focuses on Uhtred of Bebbanburg, played by Alexander Dreymon. He was a warrior born as a Saxon, but then he got raised as a Dane. This was set up in the ninth and tenth centuries of England.

Aethelstan was the first-born son of King Edward. Uhtred was responsible for training him to be a warrior, but his ambitions were planned for something even more significant. 

To achieve his ambitions, he must come face-to-face with his biggest enemy and go through many losses. This season 5 was made on the 9th and 10th books out of the 13 books in the series.

Those who have missed out on the epic tale of Uthred of Bebbanburg do not worry. In this article, we will explain the complete ending explained of The Last Kingdom Season 5. 

The Last Kingdom Season 5 Ending Explained: Did King Edward and Uthred manage to defeat King Constantin and Lord Aethelhelm’s men? 

In The Last Kingdom Season 5 end, we witness Lord Aethelhelm join forces with Constantin with his grandson beside Aelfweard to start a rebellion against King Edward and Saxons. 

Lord Aethelhelm ultimately wants to overthrow King Edward to secure the throne for his grandson Aelfweard. 

Lord Aethelhelm allied with King Constantin by giving him false information, such as King Edward’s next target in the north and the Scottish Lands. 

He also provokes King Constantin by telling him that King Edward murdered his daughter Aelflaed, whereas it was Lord Aethelhelm’s men who killed her. 

“King Edward killed by own daughter and made whole of Wessex believed it was the Danes.” 

Apart from this, Aethelhelm also gives examples of the disposal of the Elderman and the death of Sigtryggr and completely brainwashed the minds of King Constantin against King Edward. 

When King Constantin asks if it is vengeance, he seeks Lord Aethelhelm to reveal his plans. 

He says he wants King Constantin’s help to raise a rebellion against King Edward in turn. Once they defeat King Edward, his grandson Aelfward will be the new King of Wessex under Arthelhelm’s guidance, guaranteeing no incursion on Scottish land. 

Plus, when King Constantin asked if the treaty didn’t last long, they attacked Scotland. So to guarantee that Aethelhelm said apart from this, once their Rebellion is successful and they overthrow King Edward, they will provide half a profit of Mercia each year with the sealed marriage bond between lady Aelfwynn and King Constantin. 

So Constantin, therefore, agrees on Aethelhelm to help raise a Rebellion against King Edward and informs Whitinger to host Aethelhelm in Bebbunbarg till that time. 

In the final episode, we see Uthred, King Edward, and his army march towards Bebunburg to save lady Aelfwynn from the hands of Lord Aethelhelm. 

The final battle takes place in Bebbanburg, where Lord Aethelhelm and King Constantin, Whittaker, were in the main chamber where Aethelhelm suggested that they would play a waiting game as he is confident that King Edward’s siege won’t be successful and they will not be able to break in. 

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Lord Aethelhelm suggested that they use this time to marry King Edward and Lady Aelfwynn. But King Constantin, however, is a Scottish King; he doesn’t want to stay inside the castle and get married while the enemies are trying to breach the gates. 

So King Constantin decides they will attack as well, but Constantin has a plan for that he wants to push his army to fight from the front and from the rear end. 

He wants to take King Edward by Suprise. These all plans were heard by Uthred, Finn and Sithric, who snuck into the palace and were hiding to recapture Lady Aelfwynn and to escort her to safety.

Whittaker wanted to threaten King Edward by keeping a knife in lady Aelfwynn’s throat. But Uthred intervened and saved Aelfwynn but informed Finn to escort her to safety, and inside, the fight starts between Uthred and his arch-nemesis Whittaker. 

The battle now begins as King Edward, with his army led by Aethelstan, tries to attack the doors of Bebbunbarg. Uthred tries to warn them about King Constantin’s plans but is unsuccessful because as he tries to show his face from the fortresses, King Edward’s Archer army targeted anyone by throwing arrows. So, therefore, Uthred was unable to reveal King Constantin’s plans to King Edward. 

Soon King Constantin now decides to open the gates of Bebbanburg to lure the enemies in because, as per their plan, they will also lunch an attack from behind. 

After opening the gates, we see King Edward fall in King Constantin’s trap and marches head-on but soon realize from the rear end the Scottish Armies has also started attacking them. 

The fight goes hand in hand; countless people are killed, and King Constantin has the upper advantage. He and his soldiers try to push King Edward and his men from the cliff. Aldhelm also got heavily injured in the process. 

Uthred noticed her daughter Stiorra and the Danes at the outskirts of the battle from the fort of Bebbunbarg and went to meet her as King Edward desperately needs help now else the battle will be lost. 

Stiorra is still mourning the death of her husband Sigtryggr and is not sure whether she should join Uthred and his purpose. 

But Uthred gave a speech here that all he wants is the Saxons and the Danes living together peacefully, and by retrieving his birthright, he will make sure that Danes and Saxons both will have a place here which will be home to everyone. 

Uthred’s words motivate all the Danes, and at the same time, Stiorra also felt moved by his father’s words and hence decides to help King Edward against King Constantin, Whittaker and Lord Aethelhelm. 

As King Edward and his men were about to throw down from the cliff, the Danes now joined the fight and attacked the Scottish army from behind. 

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The battle now favours King Edward and his men, Uthred, Finn and other joins as well. 

Finally, King Edward and his men successfully defeated the Scottish army as the remaining people of King Constantine’s men surrendered and flew from the battlefield.

But Uthred now switched his focus towards Whittaker as he had a score to settle with him. Uthred fought off all of Whittaker and his men. Finally, Uthred gets his hand on Whittaker. 

He wants Whittaker to confess he had killed his own father to take over the Kingdom. He wants him to confess that Uthred is the true heir of Bebbanburg, but Whittaker doesn’t want to surrender. He says: 

“I will never surrender. Kill me as I killed my father; that is the legacy of our life. Do this, and your son will kill you as well.” 

Uthred finally had heard enough, and he pushed Whittaker from the top of the main chamber, and he dies after he fell, and a knife plunges through his heart. Finally, Uthred had gotten his much-awaited revenge from Whittaker. 

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What happens to Lord Aethelhelm? and Who Killed Him? 

Once King Constantine and his men had lost the battle, we see Athelstan confronting Lord Aethelhelm in front of his grandson Aelfweard. 

Athelstan asks for one good reason why he shouldn’t gauge Lord Aethelhelm’s eyeballs from his skull. 

Aelfweard intervenes and begs for his grandfather’s life and tells Athelstan if he kills him, then Aelfweard will have to fight his brother. 

Athelstan says you must be a fool to ask for his life ask how many people he has killed, including your mother. 

Aelfweard was shocked to hear about his mother now; he couldn’t believe what Athelstan was saying. Was Lord Aethelhelm killed her mother? He also confronted Aethelhelm and asked him to reveal the truth behind it. 

Lord Aethelhelm was hesitant to speak of it, so Athelstan reveals to his brother that he is the one who will tell his mother to start a war with the Danes. 

Lord Aethelhelm says it was an accident, and there was a reason behind it, revealed she was not the target, and it was a tragedy.

Aelfweard was enraged. He counters his grandfather and asks him

“But you said my father is to blame for this? Lord Aethelhelm replies it was his father’s fault and disregard, which sent her mother to pilgrims, and he didn’t know she would be going. Hence it was a tragedy.”

Aelfweard heard all these; he was devastated he had no words, so he told Athelstan to deal in his way. He doesn’t want to see Lord Aethelhelm’s face anymore. 

Athelstan says: “I said you will live if you spoke true and you did now face the agony you caused, Lord Aethelhelm replies tell my grandson I’m a man of honour and then takes out a knife to take his own life.”

Who will the Lord of Bebbanburg now? And What happens between Uthred and King Edward at the end? 

Uthred will be the Lord of Bebbanburg now. After killing Whittaker successfully, Uthred took back his birthright to rule Bebbanburg as he was the original heir to the throne. 

King Constantine of the Scottish Empire acknowledged Uthred as the rightful heir of the fortress and recognized his authority on the land. 

Uthred asks to return the men he had captured to free his nephew in return. Uthred further added that this land is a Saxon land where Danes can thrive. 

King Constantine replies these lands are disputed, and he will always claim them, but he agrees to free Uthred’s men. 

King Constantine suggested a bargain for more prolonged peace. Uthred replies to Constantine that he doesn’t have the power to get any deals. 

Constantine replies, “I can always summon men as lost battles do not mean lost wars.” 

Uthred says he is not afraid to fight him either however Uthred agrees to the long peace and negotiate the terms with King Constantine. 

Back in the Bebbanburg Fortress, King Edward arrives after the battle, acknowledges Uthred’s heroism, and says he and the Saxons will forever owe Uthred their lives.  

King Edward also thanked the Danes for joining the battle at the late hour and finally helping them to defeat the Scots. 

King Edwards announced, “Lord Uthred of Northumbria, I congratulate you on restoring your birthright. You honour your children to bring them solace and healing. May your descendants hold these lands for eternity may your sons and his sons profit for a generation.” 

As the celebration went on, King Edward asked Uthred to have dinner together before taking the oath as they are one step closer to the idea of a whole England now, and they can defeat the Scottish claim on these lands once for all. 

Uthred responds, “Constantine has withdrawn his claims to these lands. Edward asks why did he do that? Uthred replies because Uthred offered not to cede these lands to Edward, that’s why. Instead, we will remain between the two, sworn to neither, to ensure peace. 

King Edward replies that people here are of Saxons blood. Uthred says they recognize King Edward as their overlord and will pay homage, but the people here don’t belong to his Kingdom, and they will not become a part of England in a lifetime. 

King Edward gets enraged by all these responses of Uthred and says, after all, they have given, how he can Uthred choose the betray the House of Wessex. 

Uthred replies he didn’t betray the House of Wessex. He is sure that the House of Wessex will unite England eventually and tells Edward that he is the true King of the lands he holds, but the man who will be unifying this country must be a figure that the people can stand together as one. But Edward has shown that he is not that man as he has previously demonstrated discord between Saxon and Dane. But the future will come. Wait for it. 

Uthred finally proclaims “To Bebbanburg”, indicating the accomplishment of his birthright after so much struggle, death of his loved ones, betrayal. 

Our boy of Bebbunbrug came so far and faced so many challenges along the way and finally managed to accomplish his birthright.