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Plot Summary

The Last King (2016) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2016 · 99 min · Norwegian
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Directed by
Nils Gaup

Amidst the dawn of a turbulent medieval Norway, a seasoned nobleman and a fierce Viking chieftain join forces. Their dangerous quest is to protect the young heir, the last hope for peace, while civil war engulfs the kingdom. Facing betrayal and constant threat, the warriors must demonstrate unwavering loyalty to secure the future of Norway and confront those who seek to claim the throne by force.

On this page (4)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Every angle
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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in The Last King: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of The Last King (2016) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

In Norway 1204, Birkebeiners and king Haakon Sverresson possess the throne in Nidaros. They are threatened by Baglers, a rebel faction who have taken power in Eastern Norway, with help from Denmark.

In Nidaros, after having sex, Gisle (Pal Sverre Valheim Hagan), a corrupt aristocrat and Bagler supporter, conspires with the former queen Margaret (Lia Boysen) to have king Haakon (Benjamin Helstad) murdered, promising to return her to power as queen. Margaret's daughter Kristin overhears this and confronts her, but her mother claims that exposing the plot would mean certain death for them, scaring Kristin into secrecy.

Margaret poisons Haakon and departs Norway for her native Sweden. Before he dies, however, Haakon reveals he has a son with a woman named Inga, and has sent Torstein (Kristofer Hivju) and Skervald (Jakob Oftebro), two Birkebeiner agents, to find him. Gisle later frames his brother Inge and plans to marry Kristin.

After initially securing Inga and her son Haakon, Skervald returns home, only to be seized by Baglers led by the knight Orm (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), having been led there by a Birkebeiner traitor. After Skervald reluctantly reveals Haakon's location, Orm murder his wife and infant child, though he narrowly escapes.

Skervald arrives at the Birkebeiner camp to warn them of the impending attack. After he reveals that he told the Baglers their location, however, the fort leader plans to execute Skervald. Distracted by this, the Birkebeiner guards are ambushed and overwhelmed by the Baglers, though this allows Skervald to break free with Torstein, Inga and Haakon.

After numerous attacks by Baglers, Torstein and Skervald arrive at a village and rally the locals for a final fight. In the battle, Skervald protects Inga and Haakon, while managing to kill Orm, though he is fatally wounded in the process.

On the day of Gisle's planned wedding to Kristin, Torstein and the other Birkebeiners enter Nidaros and free Inge.

Gisle is subsequently seized and taken away, presumably to be executed. Haakon is officially secured as the next king, and a text explains that "during his reign, there was peace in Norway".

Last updated: October 26, 2026 at 13:28

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Movie threads

More Movies Like The Last King, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Last King tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies like The Last King: Perilous Last-Heir Quests

An heir becomes the fulcrum as rival forces threaten a fractured kingdom. If you liked The Last King, explore movies like The Last King in which a child or endangered heir stands between rival factions. These tense historical dramas and adventures combine succession threats, warrior alliances, betrayal, constant peril, and a fiercely fought effort to preserve national unity.

  • heir under threat
  • civil war
  • betrayal
  • warrior alliance
  • constant peril
  • political intrigue
  • Tone: tense, grim, heroic
  • Pacing: fast, urgent
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These stories typically place an innocent or vulnerable claimant at the center of a struggle for power. A hardened protector and a volatile ally must cross hostile territory, expose conspiracies, and survive ambushes while rivals exploit civil conflict. The quest succeeds only if personal loyalty survives family loss and repeated betrayal, leaving unity hard won rather than effortless.

Why they belong together: They share a linear, urgent objective: keep the legitimate heir alive and out of hostile hands. Fast-moving journeys and battles make every alliance precarious, while the succession stakes connect battlefield action to political intrigue and the fate of the realm.

Bittersweet War Movies Like The Last King

Savagery and personal loss give way to fragile hope after the rebellion falls. Find movies like The Last King with the same grim blend of brutal warfare, political betrayal, and fast-moving rebellion. If you enjoyed its heavy emotional toll and hard-earned sense of peace, these tense action dramas pair sustained danger with tragic losses and a fiercely hopeful final resolution.

  • brutal warfare
  • grief
  • betrayal
  • patriotic hope
  • grim victory
  • constant danger
  • Tone: grim, bittersweet, heroic
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The emotional arc moves from danger and intrigue into grief, desperation, and violent confrontation. Victories remain costly because characters lose family members, allies, and moral certainty while protecting what comes next. When the threat finally collapses, relief arrives, but the ending carries mourning rather than uncomplicated triumph.

Why they belong together: These films share a grim, fast-moving register in which sustained peril repeatedly interrupts any sense of safety. Their climaxes deliver collective relief, yet assassinations, slaughter, and personal bereavement ensure that the restored future feels fragile, patriotic, and bittersweet.

Every angle

The Last King (2016) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Last King in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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