Ossian Perret (Wihtgar) talks playing the new villain on The Last Kingdom

The fourth season of Netflix’s The Last Kingdom featured the debuts of several new characters, including Wihtgar, played by Ossian Perret. Unlike most of the other newbies, though, Wihtgar has no counterpart in Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Tales, the books on which the show is based.

Or at least we thought he didn’t. SPOILERS for The Last Kingdom season 4 follow below!

Early on in season 4, we learn that Wihtgar is the son of Aelfric, the current lord of Bebbanburg, but only because he stole it from main character Uhtred way back in the series premiere. Somewhat confusingly, in The Saxon Tales, Aelfric’s son is also named Uhtred. That perhaps explains why producers wanted to change the character’s name for the screen. After all, we already have Uhtred and his son, also named Uhtred. Did we need a third? (In the books, there’s a fourth Uhtred; don’t ask.)

“When I auditioned, the character had two names if I remember correctly, Wihtgar and Eadric,” Perret explained. “Eadric I thought was quite interesting, because it resonated a bit with the name Aelfric. But Wihtgar is a name that sounds quite alien compared to some of the others we’ve heard in the show, it’s neither quite Saxon nor Dane, which kind of makes him his own force. But perhaps it was simply chosen for the sake of simplicity and discretion. When I first heard the name Wihtgar it did make me think of a cartoon I read a long time ago called Hägar the Horrible by Dik Browne and so I’m hoping I can get Wihtgar ‘the Wild’ to stick somehow.”

Excuse us one moment as we google Hägar the Horrible (worth it).

Image: The Last Kingdom/Netflix

Anyway, Wihtgar quickly made an impact after capturing Uhtred’s son during Uhtred’s attempt to retake Bebbanburg. And eventually, Wihtgar murdered his own father, Aelfric. According to Perret, that’s a move Aelfric probably saw coming on some level. “I can’t remember if it was ever mentioned exactly in the books I’d have to delve in again a little. I’m sure Aelfric will have suspected at some point that his son would inherit his deceitfulness and his malicious temper.”

Aelfric certainly wasn’t a pleasant man, but patricide is taking things pretty far. Was Wihtgar holding a grudge of some kind against his father? “In my mind Wihtgar was exiled in order to grow a bit, ‘don’t return until you’re worthy to rule Bebbanburg in my stead’ kind of thing, witness the elements, toughen yourself up,” Perret said. “I’m sure Wihtgar’s upbringing was probably not what he would have wished for himself, so I reckon Aelfric will have sensed a threat in his son as he began to come of age.”

I mean, my dad was tough on me too but I never shot him through the head with a crossbow, but I get Perret’s point.

Aelfric usurped Bebbanburg and attempted to have Uhtred killed on more than one occasion over the years, so few were likely to shed a tear for him. However, we all shed tears for Father Beocca, another of Wihtgar’s victims. Aiming for Uhtred the Younger, Wihtgar murdered Beocca in cold blood. Uhtred had to flee Bebbanburg in defeat, and for a time lost his way. Uhtred was particularly upset that Beocca didn’t have a grave. What did Wihtgar do with the body instead? “As horrible as it is… threw it in the sea.”

Well, now we really hate the guy.

Image: The Last Kingdom/Netflix

As for what kind of ruler Wihtgar will be, and what he’ll do about those damn Scots, Perret was ready:

"Probably not dissimilar to his father was, I think he’s unfortunately a subject of nature and nurture both, and will definitely continue to viciously fend off the Scots. But I think having been away for so long at sea he’s probably quite happy to be back home, have a shave and a haircut. As much as he is a mercenary and enjoyed his journey south, he is also a young nobleman in a sense and he probably enjoys the comforts of home. That being said, he may eventually grow tired of the restrictions of domestic life, having spent so much time out in the open world. In the books he has a wife and a son, I would love to know if they introduce them in Season 5, it would expose a vulnerability in what seems to be an invulnerable character."

That son is the aforementioned fourth Uhtred, so hopefully if he is introduced in season 5, he has a different name.

Also interesting is the idea that Wihtgar and Uhtred would have grown up in Bebbanburg together, so there was a personal connection even before Wihtgar murdered Beocca, Uhtred’s father figure. “I think the age difference makes it hard for them to have developed anything more than a boyhood rivalry. But I imagine Aelfric will have twisted Wihtgar’s young mind to hate Uhtred, and not to rest until his downfall and that of all his kin,” Perret said.

That sounds like fertile ground for future seasons. For now, The Last Kingdom season 4 is streaming on Netflix.

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