The Last Kingdom concluded its main series after its fifth season primarily because it had fully adapted the available source material, Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Stories novels, in line with the show's original long-term plan.
The Show's Original Design and Source Material
From its initial conception in 2015, the popular historical drama was structured with a clear adaptation strategy in mind:
- Book-to-Season Ratio: Each season was consistently designed to adapt two of Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Stories novels. This approach allowed the series to systematically cover the extensive saga of Uhtred of Bebbanburg.
- Novel Availability: By the time The Last Kingdom aired its fifth season, Bernard Cornwell had published a total of ten books in The Saxon Stories series. Following the established two-books-per-season model, Season 5 naturally completed the adaptation of these ten novels, bringing the main narrative arc to its intended close.
This consistent adaptation pace meant that Season 5 served as the planned culmination of the primary storyline, depicting Uhtred's journey, his quest for Bebbanburg, and his pivotal involvement in the forging of England based on the available source material.
While the series wrapped up with Season 5, the story received a definitive conclusion through a follow-up feature film, Seven Kings Must Die, which premiered after the series finale. This film provided an epilogue to Uhtred's saga, tying up loose ends and depicting the final major events in the unification of England.
For more details on why the series concluded, you can read articles discussing its ending, such as this piece from Collider.
