Odda the Younger

Son of the powerful Ealdorman Odda, Odda the Younger is a Saxon nobleman who wants the glory his father commands without doing the work to earn it. He resents Uhtred on sight, jealous of his skill and his claim on Mildrith, and prefers scheming and self-advancement to the battlefield.

He's a useful kind of villain: not a warlord but a courtier, dangerous because he understands politics and reputation better than swords. Brian Vernel plays him with a petulant, entitled chill rather than obvious menace, so his cowardice and ambition curdle together convincingly, making him a credible obstacle precisely because he's so unheroic.