Who Is Anlaf in ‘Seven Kings Must Die’? Was He a Real Person?

Anlaf (Pekka Strang) was the real villain in Seven Kings Must Die, working in the shadows to weaken Aethelstan and unify his enemies before eventually coming for his prize at the battle of Brunanburgh. His ability to plant spies so close to Aethelstan without getting noticed still baffles many fans. Anlaf is one of the most dangerous villains that Uhtred faced in The Last Kingdom saga, which has left many people wondering who plays Anlaf in Seven Kings Must Die and whether he was based on a real person.

Anlaf is the Dane King of Irland who lands on English shores after receiving news of King Edward’s ill health, hoping to cash in on the chaos after Edward’s death to take over England. He leads a dreadful army of vicious fighters known as the Wolf Warriors onto the coast of Northumbria, leading to the events that result in the Battle of Brunanburgh. The character is in line with the real-life 10th-century king of Dublin, Anlaf/Olaf Guthfrithson, who died in AD 941. However, many variations exist between the real-life Anlaf and his character in Seven Kings Must Die.

Fans always expected Anlaf to be a villain, but the threat posed by the character in Seven Kings Must Die was beyond anything that the book and the show’s fans expected. The movie’s version of the character proved to be more interesting than the book version because of his impact on the plot. So, why didn’t Uhtred anticipate Anlaf’s tricks, and was the real-life Anlaf as meticulous as the one in Seven Kings Must Die? Let’s delve into it.

Who plays Anlaf in Seven Kings Must Die?

In Seven Kings Must Die, Anlaf is portrayed by the Finnish-Swedish actor Pekka Strang, famous for playing Toivonen in Backstrom.

Strang has over two decades of experience in acting, having made his debut as Dani Baxar in the 2001 Finnish drama Drakarna över Helsingfors.

Strang’s performance received positive reviews, especially his ability to humanize Anlaf by giving the character a warm sense of humor.

He managed to bring out Anlaf as a war-hardened Dane king that could rival Uhtred on the battlefield but still gave the character a carefree attitude that made him interesting to watch.

In the movie, Anlaf is a meticulous planner that planted spies in Aethelstan’s court long before Edward died. His relationship with his daughter Astrid also proves that he is a good father.

Unlike Aethelstan, whose advisers easily manipulate, Anlaf is a strong, independent king who weighs his moves carefully before making any decisions.

Strang brings out all the aspects of Anlaf in a light-hearted manner, humanizing the character, which makes him a more interesting villain to watch than Ingilmundr.

Who was Anlaf in real life?

Anlaf is the same as Olaf Guthfrithson, an Irish Viking/Dane who ruled Dublin after inheriting the throne from his father, Gofraid Ua Ímair (Godfraid of Ivar), from AD 934.

Anlaf was the great-grandson of Ímair, a lineage linked to Ivar the Boneless, which made him one of the most powerful Vikings in Irland in the 10th century.

His father took and ruled Northumbria shortly in 927 but later lost it, so Anlaf was determined to retake it from Aethelstan.

He allied with the Scottish king Constantine alongside other chieftains and kings and went to war against Aethelstan, just like he does in the movie, leading to the battle of Brunanburgh in 937.

Aethelstan defeated Anlaf despite being heavily outnumbered, after which Anlaf returned to Irland and only attempted to take Northumbria again after Aethelstan died in 939.

Anlaf later made a deal with Aethelstan’s half-brother Eadmund to divide Northumbria between the two of them, although he continued to encroach into Eadmund’s lands.

By the time of his death in 941, Anlaf was considered one of the greatest kings of the Danes in Ireland and Northumbria. There are no details about an alliance between him and Ingilmundr as the movie suggests in most historical accounts though.

Seven Kings Must Die also introduced Anlaf’s daughter Astrid (Agnes Born), who spied on Aethelstan’s camp for her father before the battle. However, there is no mention of Astrid in the historical accounts.

What happens to Anlaf in Seven Kings Must Die?

Anlaf is left abandoned by all his allies after being defeated in the battle of Brunanburgh, during which he also lost his daughter Astrid.

He is partly to blame for losing the battle since he ordered all his men to the frontlines when Astrid was hit by an arrow, exposing the army to Uhtred’s trap of a hidden army.

Anlaf had bet everything on the battle, using Ingilmundr and his daughter to infiltrate Aethelstan’s army and try to separate him from Uhtred.

Anlaf’s plan works throughout the movie, including separating Uhtred from Aethelstan after Ingilmundr poisoned the king’s mind into banishing Uhtred.

His plan to unite the other kings against Aethelstan also worked because the kings of Orkney, Strathclyde, Isle of Man, and Scotland joined his army against Aethelstan because Ingilmudr turned the king into a tyrant.

After Uhtred was banished, Anlaf’s people picked him up and took him to his camp, where he saw Ingilmundr and realized that Anlaf was the mind behind everything.

When Anlaf sent Uhtred to kill Aethelstan, Uhtred instead told Aethelstan the truth about Ingilmundr, leading to Aethelstan’s change of mind that enabled him to work with Uhtred on the battle plans to defeat Anlaf.

Therefore, his plans for the Battle of Brunanbugh were perfect until Ingilmundr left England and came to his camp uninvited while Uhtred was still there.

Does Anlaf die in the books?

In Cornwell’s book War Lord, Uhtred names the people that died in the battle of Brunanbugh, and Anlaf is among them, which means he didn’t survive.

The movie took a totally different approach to the idea of seven kings dying because it focused on heirs of the thrones rather than the kings themselves.

Anlaf’s daughter dying on the battlefield is, therefore, used to suggest that the future of his throne is in limbo rather than Anlaf himself dying.

In War Lord, Uhtred also says that some of the kings that died in the battle ruled over less land than he does and are, therefore, not deserving of the title of a king.

However, even in the books, only five kings are mentioned, so the number doesn’t add to seven, even with Anlaf’s death either.

The variation between Anlaf’s ending in the movie as compared to the books sets up the possibility of a spin-off that focuses on the character as he later returns to try and take England from Aethelstan’s half-brother.