The Last Kingdom fans are still hoping a Season 6 will be eventually released.
The hit Netflix series is based on Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Stories which consists of 13 novels. The Last Kingdom Season 5 explored the 9th and 10th books of the story (The Warriors of the Storm and The Flame Bearer), and it premiered on the streaming service in March 2022.
Will Netflix Release The Last Kingdom Season 6?
In an interview with RadioTimes in March 2022, The Last Kingdom actor Alexandar Dreymon, who played Uhtred of Bebbanburg, explained that the show was not cancelled, noting that the producers "always planned" for a five-season run:
"That press release was slightly misconstrued. We had always planned for it to be five seasons only so it came as a surprise to no one really. When we started off, there were only 10 books and so that was the arc that we had planned out... I’m quite happy with the way that it went.”
The Last Kingdom executive producer Nigel Marchant also shared in the same interview that the series ending in five seasons was a "joint decision" between production company Carnival and Netflix, noting that it came at the "right time."
Still, Netflix managed to finish Uhtred's story in the sequel film, Seven Kings Must Die.
The movie was released on April 14, 2023, and it served as a standalone epilogue that covered the last three novels of the series (War of the Wolf, Sword of Kings, and War Lord).
At this point, it is unlikely Netflix will release Season 6, mainly because there is no story left to cover.
How Seven Kings Must Die Wraps The Last Kingdom's Story
Seven Kings Must Die explores the ramifications of King Edward's death with Uhtred at the center of it all.
King Edward's older sons, Aethelstan and Aelfweard, clash over the throne, with the former betraying and ultimately killing the latter.
Aethelstan's rule as king over Mercia, Wessex, and East Anglia leads to an authoritarian takeover where he gets rid of anyone who is in his way, such as his former allies Edmund and Osbert, and even banishes Uhtred to Shetlands.
Despite Aethelstan's heel turn, he eventually regains his composure and brings back his friends after he learns that a Norse leader named Anlaf is gathering his forces to kill him.
The film's final clash is the AD 937 battle of Brunanburh, culminating with Anlaf's defeat and Uthred's apparent demise.
Seven Kings Must Die ends with King Aetehlstan uniting the land, essentially being viewed as the greatest medieval king of England.
Although the sequel movie managed to end The Last Kingdom's narrative, Uthred actor Alexander Dreymon teased in an interview with RadioTimes that there's an "ambiguity" in the character's final moments:
"I'm actually very happy with the way that it ends because there's that ambiguity. You see everything that he's fought for his whole life and he’s believed in… because the idea of Valhalla and heaven has been such a big character in the show in a way."
The Netflix star's comment about Uthred's fate suggests that the character may be alive and well, faking his death to start his lone-wolf adventure. On the flip side, exploring more of Valhalla and his journey in that realm could be an interesting story to tackle in future projects.
If this happens, then these potential stories could be the main storyline for a possible Season 6 if Netflix decides to give The Last Kingdom another run.
All seasons of The Last Kingdom and its sequel film, Seven Kings Must Die, are streaming on Netflix.
