The Last Kingdom: 10 Mind-Blowing Reasons Season 6 Reigns Supreme Over the Netflix Movie!

Summary

The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die rushes through events and underwhelms compared to the rest of the series.

Aethelstan's character arc in the movie appears rushed and would have benefited from further development in a sixth season.

The prophecy mentioned in Seven Kings Must Die could have been more easily understood, and having an entire season dedicated to it would have allowed for deeper exploration.

The Last Kingdom officially concluded with its Netflix sequel film, The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die, however, there are 10 reasons why the series would have benefited from ending with a sixth season instead of a film. The Last Kingdom is a highly successful historical drama on Netflix, adept at bringing Bernard Cornwell's renowned Saxon Stories novels to life with meticulous attention and skill. The series delves into the creation of a unified English Kingdom, offering an array of captivating storylines and well-crafted characters.

Although The Last Kingdom effectively paces events and skillfully develops its characters, Seven Kings Must Die struggles in these aspects. Despite the advantage of being built upon characters established throughout five seasons of television, the film somewhat falters in their story arcs, rushing through events. Consequently, the abrupt ending of Seven Kings Must Die leaves viewers dissatisfied, ultimately failing to meet the high standards set by the majority of The Last Kingdom. Taking into consideration these 10 reasons, the show would have been better served by producing a sixth season instead of a sequel film.

10 The Last Kingdom Season 6 Could Have Fleshed Out Aethelstan's Arc

Although Seven Kings Must Die addresses the issue with Aethelstan in the series by portraying him in a more complex manner, it falls short in fully exploring his character development. Aethelstan's descent into manipulation by Ingilmundr and his subsequent actions unfold abruptly, without much development or explanation. In one moment, he is depicted as a thoughtful individual, and in the next, he becomes a murderer, executing loyal advisors. The problem lies not in the structure of his character arc but in its rushed execution. By dedicating additional screen time, The Last Kingdom season 6 could have avoided this issue and provided a more comprehensive portrayal of Aethelstan's story.

9 Uhtred's Other Children Could Have Appeared In The Last Kingdom Season 6

The absence of Uhtred's eldest children, Stiorra and Young Uhtred, in Seven Kings Must Die is one of the notable character omissions. It is mentioned that Young Uhtred is in Rome for his studies on Christian texts, while Stiorra simply vanishes after the events of The Last Kingdom season 5. Had the series continued with a sixth season instead of a sequel film, there would have been an opportunity to include these characters and give them proper closure. Perhaps, if any spinoffs of The Last Kingdom are developed, there remains a chance for their inclusion to complete their respective storylines. As it stands now, however, both characters are left with unfinished tales.

8 Seven Kings Must Die's Prophecy Could Have Been Clearer

7 The Last Kingdom's Uhtred Could Have Had A Less Ambiguous Ending

Seven Kings Must Die revolves around an important prophecy that declares the necessity of seven kings sacrificing their lives for the unification of England. Sadly, the depiction of these kings in The Last Kingdom movie mostly consists of future rulers, which may leave audiences slightly disappointed. Had the show continued with a sixth season, there would have been ample opportunity to delve deeper into the prophecy and provide more clarity. Additionally, the credibility of the prophecy could have been enhanced by attributing it to a seer rather than simply being based on a dream experienced by Finan's wife.

Uhtred's conclusion in Seven Kings Must Die leaves room for interpretation, which was perhaps a deliberate choice given the film's time constraints. However, The Last Kingdom season 6 had the opportunity to offer a more definitive conclusion for Uhtred, allowing for better closure. With a full season at hand, the show could have depicted Uhtred's life in Bebbanburg and the fulfillment of his dreams, paralleling the events in the books. This would have been a gratifying resolution, as Uhtred could have witnessed the realization of Alfred's vision of a united England through the achievements of Aethelstan.

6 The Last Kingdom's King Edward Could Have Been Given Closure

King Edward is another character who deserved a proper ending but was completely ignored in the movie adaptation of The Last Kingdom. Edward's crucial role in England's unification is apparent in both real life and The Last Kingdom. Unfortunately, Seven Kings Must Die fails to acknowledge the progress he made between the fifth season of The Last Kingdom and the movie, leaving his accomplishments unnoticed. Despite not being the most popular character, it would have been satisfying to witness his story coming to a closure in The Last Kingdom season 6.

5 Uhtred Could Have Had A Final Love Interest In The Last Kingdom Season 6

Uhtred, the protagonist of The Last Kingdom and The Saxon Stories, engages in multiple romantic relationships throughout the series. Fans eagerly anticipated a significant love interest featured in Seven Kings Must Die. Regrettably, the movie's time constraints prevented the development of a substantial relationship, resulting in Uhtred concluding the story on his own. In the books, Uhtred forms a temporary union with Eadith, a highly esteemed character in the series. Therefore, a potential sixth season of The Last Kingdom could have explored their romantic connection, providing Uhtred with a fitting final romance.

4 The Last Kingdom's Finan And Sihtric Could Have Had Proper Arcs

Finan and Sihtric, the much-loved characters from The Last Kingdom, were sadly relegated to mere supporting roles in Seven Kings Must Die, missing out on the opportunity to have their own compelling storylines. In an ideal scenario, these two remarkable individuals would have been given the chance to fully develop their characters rather than simply serving as Uhtred's companions. With the potential of a sixth season, The Last Kingdom would have had the time to explore these fan favorites and grant them the prominent screen-time they truly deserved.

3 Seven Kings Must Die's Anlaf Could Have Been Properly Developed

One of the main issues with Seven Kings Must Die revolves around the sudden appearance of its primary antagonist, Anlaf. The potential for improvement lies with The Last Kingdom's sixth season, as it could have meticulously developed Anlaf's motives and depicted him as a more shrewd and complex character. Rather than the somewhat one-dimensional portrayal in the film, a concluding season of the television series could have added depth to his persona, resulting in a more captivating and compelling antagonist.

2 The Last Kingdom Season 6 Could Have Better Shown The Unification Of England

1 The Last Kingdom Season 6 Could Have Moved At A More Reasonable Pace

Furthermore, another drawback of Seven Kings Must Die is that it minimizes the significance of the unification of England. Unlike The Last Kingdom, which has always placed emphasis on this historical event, the film devotes limited attention to this achievement. Consequently, the portrayal feels insufficient and fails to capture the true essence of The Last Kingdom's narrative. To rectify this issue, an improved approach could have been taken in The Last Kingdom season 6, effectively highlighting the importance of these events and reinforcing the show's original purpose. Addressing this inadequacy is primarily hindered by the constraint of time, which could have been overcome by expanding the storyline into a full season of television rather than a single film.

One major flaw with Seven Kings Must Die is its excessively fast pacing. The film feels like a hurried sprint from point A to point B, lacking substantial content in between. Opting for a final season of The Last Kingdom would have allowed for a more balanced narrative progression and better exploration of the story's depth. A more measured pace of events could have also addressed some of the other shortcomings in Seven Kings Must Die, particularly the insufficient development of various character arcs.