The 25 Best Characters on The Last Kingdom

15) MILDRITH

Mildrith (Amy Wren) is a tragic character. She’s honorable and good, but her devotion to Christianity puts her in direct conflict with her husband Uhtred. This gets her tangled up in Uhtred’s anger at Alfred — he’s too immature to separate the two — and ultimately dooms their relationship.

Once he brings Uhtred under his wing, Alfred decides the pagan should marry Mildrith, who is also Odda the Elder’s goddaughter. Alfred thinks Mildrith’s influence may draw Uhtred closer to the church, and he knows that her beauty will keep the young Uhtred attached. He’s not far off the mark. Though Uhtred and Mildrith meet only moments before they are married in season 1, Uhtred is indeed taken with her.

But it doesn’t last. Alfred’s choice to offer Uhtred the fair Mildrith as a wife is also a trap. Mildrith’s late father owed the church a huge sum of money, and once the unknowing Uhtred weds her, the debt falls upon him. This act of deception both infuriates Uhtred and keeps him under Alfred’s control. Uhtred confronts Alfred over the matter, but gets nowhere with the smug king.

Despite this deception, Uhtred and Mildrith’s mutual attraction blossoms into a love affair, and Mildrith bears Uhtred a son. But everything is shattered towards the middle of season 1 when Uhtred breaks the king’s peace and is forced to grovel in the filthy streets of Winchester. Humiliated by Alfred and stung by Mildrith’s continued adherence to her faith (she wants to have their son baptized as a Christian), Uhtred blows up, choosing to abandon his family and go drinking and whoring.

While raiding Corwalum soon after, Uhtred becomes infatuated with the Briton sorceress Iseult. He not only brings the pagan Iseult home to his estate, but sleeps with her in the barn. All of this is deeply insulting to Mildrith. Uhtred even rejects his infant son because Mildrith had the boy baptized without his consent. The marriage is ended.

Uhred later discovers that his son has died and that Mildrith now serves as a nun in Exanceaster, where she’s currently caring for the wounded Odda the Elder. It’s a sad spot for this virtuous, sweet character, and much of Mildrith’s misfortune can be put squarely on Uhtred’s immature shoulders. Mildrith deserved better. Perhaps she’ll get it before the end.