Is The Final Kingdom primarily based on a real story and had been any of the characters actual folks?
5 min read
It is easy to think about there being a The Final Kingdom true story and a few followers is perhaps questioning whether or not the occasions of the present and Seven Kings Should Die actually occurred.
Set within the tenth century and following the exploits of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, The Final Kingdom on Netflix has amassed followers world wide because it landed in 2015. With ugly battles, excessive stakes and emotional moments, The Final Kingdom offers viewers an perception into time the place Anglo-Saxons and Vikings lived and fought. After sadly drawing to a detailed with season 5, The Final Kingdom film Seven Kings Should Die rounded off the present in dramatic type. However with so many characters and large plot factors you is perhaps questioning if there’s one The Final Kingdom true story the present and film had been telling.
Right here we reveal if there’s a definitive The Final Kingdom true story and whether or not any of the hit historic drama’s characters had been actual folks…
*Warning: Spoilers forward!*
(Picture credit score: Netflix)
Is The Final Kingdom primarily based on a real story?
In contrast to Transatlantic on Netflix and the emotional tales instructed by the narrator in Name the Midwife, for these questioning if there’s a The Final Kingdom true story the reply is technically no, however it’s set in an actual historic time interval. Each Netflix’s hit historic collection and the just lately launched The Final Kingdom film, Seven Kings Should Die, are each works of historic fiction and had been primarily based upon best-selling writer Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Chronicles books.
The collection consists of 13 novels that are set in Anglo-Saxon instances when England wasn’t but a united nation, however made up of the separate kingdoms – with Wessex that includes particularly prominently.
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023)
Because it’s a historic collection, many points of the plot mirror historical past, together with Alfred the Nice’s want to see a unified Kingdom of England. Everybody’s beloved Saxon-raised-by-Danes Uhtred of Bebbanburg who’s the principle protagonist of each the books and The Final Kingdom present and film by no means existed. Nevertheless, the character is known to have been primarily based upon a real-life Uhtred who lived in Bebbanburg which is now recognized by the trendy title of Bamburgh.
Bernard Cornwell has beforehand defined to The Guardian (opens in new tab) how he was impressed to put in writing The Final Kingdom collection after discovering he’s a descendant of Uhtred. The true Uhtred of Bamburgh died in 1016 and was alive lengthy after Uhtred in The Final Kingdom and Seven Kings Should Die, although he seemingly influenced the character.
Within the Seven Kings Should Die film, we see the Battle of Brunanburh (which did actually happen) being fought by a mixture of historic and fictional characters. So while there isn’t a direct The Final Kingdom true story that the present and film are primarily based on, Bernard’s books which function the principle inspiration for them do give attention to actual historic areas and occasions. In terms of the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings a lot of them did exist, although their representations in The Final Kingdom are fictionalized and don’t rigidly comply with historical past.
Which The Final Kingdom characters had been actual folks?
Which Anglo-Saxons in The Final Kingdom had been actual?
While there may not be any particular The Final Kingdom true story that the present and follow-up Seven Kings Should Die film are primarily based on, loads of the Final Kingdom characters actually existed. Actual-life Anglo-Saxon royals who seem within the present embody King Alfred the Nice, his spouse Ælswith, his son Edward, his daughter Æthelflæd, his son-in-law Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians, his granddaughter Ælfwynn, Girl of the Mercians, and his nephew Æthelwold.
(Picture credit score: © Carnival Movie & Tv Ltd.Photographer through Netflix)
As The Final Kingdom goes on we additionally obtained to see extra of Edward who succeeded Alfred as King. He was married 3 times, firstly to Ecgwynn, who we first noticed in season 3 of The Final Kingdom, and secondly to Ælfflæd who we met in season 4.
By the ultimate installment of the present Edward had met and married his third spouse Eadgifu in The Final Kingdom. He’s the daddy of a son Edmund along with her and he additionally has two extra sons, one by every of his different wives – Æthelstan and Ælfweard – that function prominently within the film which is ready after his loss of life.
(Picture credit score: Netflix)
Identical to we noticed within the Seven Kings Should Die ending, Æthelstan finally grew to become King and traditionally after him Edmund took the throne as King of a united England. Though not royals, Brother Asser and Erkenwald, the Bishop of London, had been additionally primarily based on actual folks and Uhtred of Bebbanburg did exist, albeit in a unique time interval and with a unique historical past to him than his fictional counterpart.
Which Vikings in The Final Kingdom had been actual?
Torn between two worlds, Uhtred of Bebbanburg has grown to like those that raised him and adopted their gods in favor of training Christianity. In The Final Kingdom and Seven Kings Should Die most of the Vikings had been actual folks too. This contains Guthrum who grew to become King of East Anglia, Ubba Ragnarsson (son of the good Ragnar Lodbrok who’s the principle character of fellow historic drama Vikings) and his brothers Ivar the Boneless and Halfdan.
(Picture credit score: Netflix)
Viking chieftain Hastein additionally existed, although he wasn’t rescued by Uhtred as we noticed within the present and Guthred who was a slave who rose to develop into King of Northumbria additionally actually existed. In Seven Kings Should Die, Anfar, the Viking King of Dublin additionally makes an look and he’s one other The Final Kingdom character that was actual.
By season 4, Ivar the Boneless’ grandson Sigtryggr additionally joins the solid and he as soon as dominated Dublin and Viking Northumbria. Cnut was additionally launched on this season and he’s thought to have been a real-life King of Northumbria.
Which different The Final Kingdom characters had been actual?
(Picture credit score: Netflix)
Because the collection went on followers had been launched to the likes of King Constantin of Alba, the title then given to Scotland, and his nephew Prince Domnal. They weren’t the one different royals that had been primarily based on actual folks and in Seven Kings Should Die we meet Owain ap Dyfnwal, the King of Strathclyde who did exist and Hywel Dda, the King of Deheubarth (the regional title for South Wales) additionally options within the film. He and his son Prince Rhodri ap Hywel, who was additionally a real-life determine, beforehand appeared in season 4 of the present.
The Final Kingdom seasons 1-5 and Seven Kings Should Die can be found on Netflix.
