The 25 Best Characters on The Last Kingdom

13) SIGEFRID

You can’t talk about Erik without bringing up his wild and vicious brother, Sigefrid (Bjorn Bengtsson). This guy is all Viking raider, a human fighting bull constantly ready to kill. As a leader, he’s skilled at stirring his warriors’ bloodlust to a boil. He always has his eyes on the biggest prize: Wessex, Alfred’s kingdom, and he’ll chop up anyone who stands in his way.

While Erik develops great respect for Uhtred, the ambitious Sigefrid loathes him. When Uhtred and his men raid his Viking encampment in the middle of season 2, Uhtred cuts off Sigefrid’s right hand in a fight. Constantly in pain afterwards, Sigefrid has a large blade attached to the stump of his wrist. That’s enough for anyone to develop a grudge.

Once the brothers design a plan to counter Aethelred’s attack on Lunden and abduct the princess Aethelflaed, the Vikings are in a perfect position: they will use Alfred’s ransom money to fund their invasion of Wessex, and become English kings themselves.

You already know what happens next. Erik falls for Aethelflaed, and despite Sigefrid’s best efforts, tries to rescue and flee with her. “Erik, do not do this,” Sigefrid begs his brother. “Do not dare to do this!…She’s our fortune! She’s our reputation!”

Sigefrid’s pleas fall on deaf ears. The brothers fight, and Sigefrid wins. Weeping, Sigefrid makes sure his brother has his sword in hand as he dies, so he can enter Valhalla. “You, you did this,” he says. “You have killed us both.”

The distraught Sigefrid and his men pursue Uhtred, Aethelflaed and the rescuers until they reach the combined Saxon armies of King Alfred and Odda the Elder. Ready to die, Sigefried leads his outnumbered Vikings in a wild charge. In the end it is Aethelflaed herself who delivers to Sigefrid the killing blow, a sword thrust through the back.

Yes, Sigefrid was a bad guy, but he genuinely loved his brother Erik, and Erik did screw him over. We’ll miss his fury, and the dynamism he brought to the show.