Fans of the gritty medieval saga The Last Kingdom have just over a month to binge the entire series on Netflix in the United States. The streaming giant has confirmed that all five seasons of the beloved historical epic will be pulled from its US catalog on December 9, 2026. The news comes as part of a broader wave of removals that have hit several shows once marketed as Netflix Originals, including The End of the F***ing World and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.
Why the sudden exodus? It all boils down to distribution rights. Netflix doesn't own these shows outright; it licenses them for a set period. According to What's on Netflix, the streamer had the option to renew the license for The Last Kingdom but chose not to. This is a familiar story for fans of other Netflix titles that have vanished over the years.
A Show That Rose From the Ashes of Game of Thrones
The Last Kingdom first aired on BBC Two in 2015, but it wasn't until Netflix picked up international distribution in 2018 that it found a massive global audience. The streamer began co-producing the show after its first season, right as the industry was scrambling to find the next Game of Thrones. While Netflix has yet to replicate that level of fantasy dominance, The Last Kingdom certainly carved out its own loyal following.
Based on Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories novels, the series stars Alexander Dreymon as Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon-born warrior raised by Danes, and Tobias Santelmann as King Alfred. The show earned critical acclaim, boasting a 91% critics' score and a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Netflix's own viewership reports indicate the series amassed around 155 million views between 2023 and 2025, proving its enduring popularity.
What Happens to the Spin-Off?
Good news for fans: the 2023 follow-up film, The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die, will remain on Netflix until 2033. That movie, which holds an 82% Rotten Tomatoes score, continues Uhtred's story after the series finale. So while the main show is leaving, there's still a way to revisit the world—at least for now.
The removal only affects the US library. In the UK and Australia, the series will stay available until 2028. Canadian subscribers already lost the show earlier this year.
Why Netflix Keeps Losing Its "Originals"
This isn't an isolated incident. Netflix has been shedding titles it once touted as originals, often because it only held distribution rights for certain regions. Vikings, another historical epic that aired on the History Channel, had a similar arrangement. Netflix even produced its spin-off, Vikings: Valhalla, which ran from 2022 to 2024. But the original Vikings series has also been subject to licensing shifts.
For fans of The Last Kingdom, the clock is ticking. If you haven't finished the saga of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, now's the time to dive in before it disappears from US Netflix. And if you're looking for something else to fill the void, check out this underrated sci-fi gem or the latest Netflix hit that's dominating the charts.
Stay tuned for more updates on what's leaving and staying on your favorite streaming platforms.
