The Last Kingdom season 4 aired on Netflix all the way back in April 2020, leaving fans to wonder for almost two years when we’d get to see the show’s next season. The speculation only intensified when it was announced that season 5 of the show was slated to be its last. Though that makes the return of The Last Kingdom a little more bittersweet, we’re still more than ready to get back to 10th century England and see how the tale of Uhtred son of Uhtred is going to end. Will he ever get back to Bebbanburg? Will England ever be united into one country? (Go away history buffs, yes we can look at a map but we’re getting invested in the narrative here!)
The good news is that as of early February, we have tons of new details about The Last Kingdom season 5, including exactly when it’s coming to Netflix. Let’s break down everything we know.
The Last Kingdom season 5 release date
After going through lengthy production delays due to COVID-19, Netflix has finally announced that The Last Kingdom season 5 will premiere on March 9. The entire season is expected to drop at once, meaning this one is primed for binge-watching.
Netflix even released a pretty cool poster to tease the show’s return, featuring Uhtred sporting his best war-face while dual-wielding his trademark sword and seax:
The Last Kingdom season 5 cast
It should come as no surprise that basically all of our favorite characters from the show are returning this year. (Those who are still alive, at least.) Alexander Dreymon will of course be returning as Uhtred, along with series mainstays Emily Cox (Brida), Eliza Butterworth (Aelswith), Mark Rowley (Finan), Arnas Fedaravicius (Sihtric), Adrian Schiller (Aethelhelm), Cavan Clerkin (Pyrlig), Millie Brady (Aethelflaed), Timothy Innes (King Edward), Ewan Mitchell (Osferth) and James Northcote (Aldhelm).
The Last Kingdom is also adding quite a few new cast members for season 5 as well. That includes Ewan Horrocks (Aelfweard), Harry Gilby (Aethelstan), Patrick Robinson (Father Benedict), Harry Anton (Bresal), Rod Hallett (Constantin), Ryan Quarmby (Cynlaef), Sonya Cassidy (Eadgifu), Micki Stoltt (Rognvaldr), Phia Saban (Aelfwynn) and Jaakko Ohtonen (Wolland).
As you can see, the show’s cast has gotten pretty large by this point. But considering we’re in the final stretch of the series and there are epic battles and clandestine political maneuvers ahead, it’s only to be expected.
The Last Kingdom season 5 synopsis
In addition to the cast listings, release date, trailer, and all that other good stuff, Netflix was also kind enough to release an official synopsis:
"Years have passed since the events of the last season, and King Edward is still forging ahead with his ambitions to unite the Saxon Kingdoms to fulfill his late father’s dream. Although a long-standing peace between Danes and Saxons now exists, that harmony is under threat. Not only by a new Danish invasion but a Saxon rebellion. Uhtred has been entrusted with protecting Edward’s illegitimate son, the future King of England, Aethelstan. But the treacherous Lord Aethelhelm has ambitions for his grandson Aelfweard, Edward’s other son, to rule.We follow Uhtred as he faces his greatest enemies, and suffers immeasurable loss, on his quest towards fulfilling his destiny. Meanwhile, Edward treads a fine line between peace-keeper and authoritarian as he battles to bring together the fractured Kingdoms of the land. In a surprising twist of fate, Uhtred discovers that the quest to unite England may well be linked to his own personal destiny."
The Last Kingdom season 5 trailer
Of course, what would all this information be without a trailer to go along with it? Words, nothing but words! We’re interested in watching TV, not reading it! Thankfully, this is another area where Netflix obliged us. A brand new trailer for The Last Kingdom’s final season went live on February 9, exactly one month before the season is set to premiere.
Is this the end of The Last Kingdom?
With all this new information at our fingertips, it’s the perfect time to start rewatching and preparing for season 5 of The Last Kingdom. But you may be wondering: is this actually the end of the show?
The Last Kingdom is based on the Saxon Stories books by author Bernard Cornwell, a long-running series which spans 13 novels. The show has been adapting more or less two novels per season, and as you can tell that math doesn’t quite add up. Is Netflix cutting the story short?
Thankfully, the answer is no. Even though this is the final season of The Last Kingdom television show, it is not the end of the story itself. Netflix has announced that it’s also producing a follow-up movie to finish out the tale, called Seven Kings Must Die.
What’s more, thanks to a recent set update from Alexander Dreymon himself, we know that Seven Kings Must Die began filming on January 31, 2022. So while the end of season 5 is sure to be an emotional rollercoaster, we’ll at least get one more adventure with Uhtred and his companions.
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