How old is Uhtred in season 5 of The Last Kingdom?

Netflix’s The Last Kingdom is based on the Saxon Stories novels by Bernard Cornwell, which follow the character of Uhtred Ragnarsson throughout his long life. A lot happens to him, from getting kidnapped by Danes at an early age to marrying a couple of times to finally retaking his family’s fortress of Bebbanburg and beyond.

Uhtred is born in the year 856 and is around 12 when he’s taken by Danes. Over the years, he gets mixed up in a lot of real-world events, including King Alfred hiding in the marshes in 878, the marriage of Aethelflaed to Aethelred in 886, the death of Alfred in 899, and Aethelflaed’s death in 918.

Uhtred and Aethelflaed are intimates on the show. She dies in season 5, which makes Uhtred around 62 years old when it happens.

Why doesn’t Uhtred age in The Last Kingdom?

You may be confused reading that, because Uhtred — played by 30-something actor Alexander Dreymon — does not look like a guy in his ’50s and ’60s in The Last Kingdom season 5. In fact, there’s a lot of that going around on The Last Kingdom. By season 5, the lady Aelswith (Eliza Butterworth) has a grandson who’s nearing adulthood, but she doesn’t even look like she’s in her ’30s yet.

What gives? Well, it’s clearly unrealistic, but it seems like the producers just ignore the issue rather than going through the laborious process of applying old age makeup to everyone or casting new actors every few seasons. “We don’t talk about age,” Dreymon once quipped. “That’s the first rule. Never mention age.”

The Last Kingdom season 5 adapts the ninth and tenth books in Cornwell’s saga. The upcoming Last Kingdom movie, Seven Kings Must Die, will push even later into the timeline; by the time the novel series comes to a close, Uhtred is in his ’80s. Will the movie reflect that, or will Uhtred look as youthful as ever? We’ll find out soon enough.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels

h/t Screen Rant