Is ‘The Last Kingdom’s Uhtred the Sexiest Man on Netflix?

There are a lot of sexy men on Netflix. There’s grunting Geralt on The Witcher, teenage dreamboat John B on Outer Banks, and even fur-trapping Jason Momoa in Frontier. However, upon rewatching early seasons of The Last Kingdom last week, I started to wonder: is there a sexier man on Netflix than Uhtred, son of Uhtred? I think not. Sure, The Last Kingdom star Alexander Dreymon is a stone cold fox, but Uhtred is also a charismatic warrior, natural leader, and most importantly, a hopeless romantic.

The Last Kingdom is a rip-roaring adventure series set in the Dark Ages. Great Britain is divided into a series of kingdoms, some ruled by invading Danes, with Wessex as the titular last kingdom ruled by a Saxon king, Alfred (David Dawson). The series follows Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Alexander Dreymon), a Saxon ruler by birth who watches his father get murdered by invading Danes as a child. The Danes, violent though they are, decide to spare Uhtred and raise him as one of their own. Because of this, Uhtred is one of the few Saxon nobles who can claim they belong to both cultures.

Now that’s the basic set up of the show. In truth The Last Kingdom is a wild ride that is full of insane turns and dramatic episodic B-plots that would span seasons on other shows. It’s violent, complex, and full of soap opera-esque romances. Specifically speaking, Uhtred gets a lot of love interests. In just the first season, he falls in love with his tomboy best friend, Brida (Emily Cox), and then breaks up with her when she wants to go off with their Danish brother. Then he marries the sweet Saxon lady Mildrith (Amy Wren), but they have a falling out over religion. Later he falls in love with the shadow queen of Cornwall, an insanely beautiful sorceress with the power to see the future named Iseult (Charlie Murphy). She, tragically, is killed by his enemies. That’s just Uhtred’s love life in Season 1! I haven’t even gotten to his second wife Gisela (Peri Baumeister) or his flirtation with the Princess Aethelflaed (Millie Brady).

Here’s the thing: normally when a cocky warrior character gets to indulge in a string of passionate love affairs, it comes across as chauvinistic. Think about Bond girls, and the bad wrap they get for being disposable within the franchise. However, even though the speed with which Uhtred falls for these ladies can give me whiplash, I believed each and every romance. Uhtred is a man who loves love and he loves women, and the women he loves are all fascinating characters in their own right.

Indeed, the sexiest thing about Uhtred isn’t his abs, his fabulous long hair, or his fighting prowess; It’s the way he respects women. His first love, Brida, is marked by her ferocious independence, and after she leaves Uhtred, the two are able to stay on good terms because their bond is rooted in respect, not just lust. Towards the end of Season 1, Uhtred saves a nun, Hild (Eva Birthistle), from sexual assault. In Uhtred’s company, Hild becomes a self-assured warrior, and Uhtred keeps her as a platonic friend. (Not something you see too often in historical epics!)

Even as a child, Uhtred is fiercely devoted to loving and respecting women. One of the most pivotal moments in the entire series is when Uhtred, as a child, saves Thrya (later played by Julia Bache-Wiig) from sexual assault. The moment not only sets a deadly feud into motion, but shows the chivalry that is baked into Uhtred’s soul. He might be arrogant, ruthless, and violent, but Uhtred has a good heart.

Much of The Last Kingdom deals with the idea of inheritance. Uhtred feels that the kingdom of Babbenburg is his birthright, while others see him as perverted by his acceptance of pagan Danish culture. Nevertheless, Uhtred is truly noble. It’s not because he’s Uhtred, son of Uhtred, or because he’s the man who killed Ubba. What sets Uhtred apart is his wildly romantic spirit. He has a kind heart, voracious for love, and utterly in love with the fabulous women he meets. That is what makes the man so sexy, and why he’s the sexiest man on Netflix.

Watch The Last Kingdom on Netflix