Steapa

Steapa is a hulking royal guardsman in Wessex, first seen as a looming threat to Uhtred rather than an ally. Silent, immovable, and utterly loyal to Alfred, he carries himself like a weapon the king keeps sheathed until needed. He fights, watches, and says little, giving nothing away about what he actually thinks.

He starts as a wall of muscle and menace, the obstacle before the friendship, and the show slowly lets him become one of its warmest surprises. Adrian Bouchet plays him with a dry, understated humor that sneaks up on you, turning a stock intimidating-bodyguard type into someone whose loyalty and quiet decency you end up genuinely treasuring.