What Happened to Hild in ‘The Last Kingdom’?

The warrior nun Hild (Eva Birthstle) was one of the most conspicuous absentees in Seven Kings Must Die. Most fans expected her to play a big role in Uhtred’s life as he rode to war one last time, having been such a big part of him in The Last Kingdom. Fans saw the nun in the show’s last season as she introduced Osbert to his father, which is why many wonder what happened to Hild in The Last Kingdom and why she was absent in Seven Kings Must Die.

Hild was last seen in the fifth season of The Last Kingdom with Uhtred’s son Osbert who was raised in the monastery after his mother, Gisela, died after giving birth to him. After fighting alongside Uhtred, Hild requested Uhtred for permission to build a nunnery in Coccham after she removed her armor and decided to return to her vows. Despite meeting and helping Uhtred multiple times throughout the show, Hild is believed to still reside in Coccham, where she became an abbess.

She still found time to come to Uhtred’s aid even after returning to her vows in The Last Kingdom, but she never did it in Seven Kings Must Die. Hild was still Uhtred’s most trusted adviser, especially after Beocca’s death, so her absence from the movie couldn’t go unnoticed. So, who exactly was Hild, and what happened to the warrior nun after she delivered Osbert to Bebbanburg? Let’s look into it.

Who is Hild in The Last Kingdom?

Hild was a nun in Wessex who was rescued by Uhtred, Iseult, and Leofric while being raped by Dane soldiers after Guthrum attacked Wessex in the first season of The Last Kingdom.

Despite being a true believer in her Christian vows, Hild proved that she wasn’t sanctimonious as she grabbed Iseult’s dagger and killed the man that raped her right in front of her saviors.

After being rescued by Uhtred, Hild became Uhtred’s adviser and loyal soldier despite being a nun. She accompanied Uhtred to rescue Guthred, who later betrayed Uhtred and sold him to the slavers.

It was Hild who went back to Alfred to request help in rescuing Uhtred, which led to the release of Young Ragnar and Brida to search and rescue Uhtred and Finan from the slavers.

After accompanying Uhtred to avenge his family by killing Kjartan, Hild felt she needed to return to her oath as a nun despite proving herself a powerful warrior.

Uhtred allowed her to build a nunnery in Coccham, from where she frequently visited Wessex. After constructing the nunnery, she stayed in Coccham most of the time with Uhtred’s wife and children.

Hild actually looked after Uhtred’s children after Gisela’s death. She continued to help Uhtred and his friends while she stayed in Wessex until the fourth season of the show, when her appearances diminished considerably.

She remained close friends with Uhtred and even gave him the silver cross for protection when he tried to retake Bebbanburg the first time, resulting in defeat and Beocca’s death.

The character is played by the Irish actress Eva Birthistle whose performance received positive reviews. Birthistle humanized the warrior nun with her intense performance while staying warm.

Hild and Uhtred’s relationship explained

Hild saw the good in Uhtred and liked him despite their religious differences. She actually believed that Uhtred was a Christian at heart even though he lived like a Dane.

Uhtred also had a similar influence on Hild as he allowed her to be a warrior and express herself freely, something other Christian lords would never allow.

Hild became an adviser to Uhtred, always coming to his aid when he was in trouble and always telling him the hard truth even when it wouldn’t be pleasant.

She admonished him when he failed as a husband to Gisela, abandoning her in her time of need. Hild also warned Uhtred about the danger of getting involved with Iseult.

She became more like a mother to Uhtred, a role that Beocca could not fill. She also took care of Coccham when Uhtred was away and became the babysitter for his children after Alfred took them away.

Hild understood Uhtred’s inner conflict regarding his identity as he struggled to choose between Christianity and the Dane gods while being pressured to choose one side.

She also cared for Osbert and brought him to Uhtred when he finally took over Bebbanburg, meaning Hild was practically part of Uhtred’s family.

Why is Hild missing in Seven Kings Must Die?

Having become an abbess, Hild stopped fighting to focus on her holy vows and spend her life as a nun rather than as a warrior on the battlefield.

She told King Alfred that she didn’t find peace with the sword in her hand. Despite being a skilled warrior and becoming close friends with Uhtred, Hild was happier as a nun.

Since she stopped fighting, her presence in the show diminished in the fourth season because she was only present in Wessex scenes, and Seven Kings Mst Die didn’t have much focus on Wessex.

In reality, Eva Birthistle left the cast of The Last Kingdom to focus on her role as Ursula Flynn in Bad Sisters. She reduced her time on the show in 2019 as she was also playing the role of Danielle in The Delinquent Season.

The book version of the character is in line with the show as well since her story stops after she becomes an abbess with Uhtred’s help.

Seven Kings Must Die had to concentrate all the storylines from the show’s five seasons into two hours, meaning some of the characters had to be left out.

It doesn’t mean that Hild died, though, because the show’s last season revealed she was successful as an abbess and still cared about Uhtred.

Osbert was the greatest beneficiary of Hild’s kindness because she became his mother after Gisela died. Uhtred wouldn’t have succeeded in raising Osbert alone since he spent most of his time fighting for Alfred’s dream.

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