Robin Hood season 1 episode 8 ending explained: Who did Robert kill?

Robin Hood season 1 episode 8 sees Robert of Locksley kills Alwin. In the final scene of The True Price of Defiance, Robert shoots Alwin with an arrow after Alwin attempts to attack him with an axe. This moment concludes one of the darkest episodes so far in the series. The episode frames the killing as the result of betrayal, exposure, and immediate danger rather than a calculated execution.

By the end, the series places Robert at a moral crossroads, shaped by loss, leadership, and the irreversible consequences of defiance.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers. Read at your own discretion.

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Robin Hood season 1 episode 8 recap

Robin Hood season 1 (Image via Facebook/MGM+)

Robert kills Alwin in the final moments of Robin Hood season 1 episode 8. Alwin is a Saxon forester who once testified falsely against Hugh Locksley, Robert’s father. That testimony directly led to Hugh’s arrest and execution by the Normans.

Robert confronts Alwin in Sherwood, where Alwin admits to the betrayal and tries to excuse it as coercion. The explanation rings hollow. Saxon elders step in and stop Robert, warning that killing one of their own would undo the unity he has built. Robert backs away.

Moments later, Alwin grabs an axe and attacks. With no time to hesitate, Robert fires an arrow and kills him. Robin Hood season 1 frames Alwin’s death as the result of both his earlier betrayal and his final, reckless choice.

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Alwin’s betrayal

In the first season of Robin Hood, Alwin’s treachery serves as a major plot point. Norman oppression is expected and systemic, but Alwin’s actions come from within the Saxon community. Hugh Locksley treated him as family, which makes the betrayal more painful than the Sheriff of Nottingham’s open hostility.

Additionally, episode 8 reveals that the Sheriff relied on Alwin’s false testimony to legitimize Hugh’s execution. This detail reshapes Robert’s rebellion. The injustice that drives him stems from both Norman rule and Saxon complicity.

Alwin embodies moral decline driven by self-interest. He shows no remorse during the confrontation. His choices go beyond survival, favoring safety and advancement over loyalty. This context gives weight to Robert’s reaction without casting him as a judge or executioner.

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How the ending of Robin Hood season 1 episode 8 builds toward the killing

The structure of Robin Hood season 1 episode 8 carefully prepares for its final act. The Sheriff’s hostage plot forces Robert into an ethical trap. Surrender means ending the rebellion. Refusal risks innocent lives, including his uncle Gamewell.

Robert chooses action through the rescue mission. While the hostages are freed, the victory is incomplete. Henry Miller is killed, and the Sheriff successfully plants a spy among the Saxons. Loss follows every choice.

These events erode any illusion of clean resistance. By the time Robert learns the truth about Alwin, he is already carrying grief and responsibility. The episode repeatedly emphasizes restraint. Robert listens to counsel. He avoids unnecessary bloodshed. He does not kill the Sheriff when given the chance.

This context matters. When Alwin attacks, the killing does not feel premeditated. Robin Hood season 1 presents it as the moment where restraint collides with survival, shaped by years of unresolved injustice.

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Does Robert kill Alwin out of revenge or self-defense?

Robin Hood season 1 episode 8 draws a careful line between revenge and self-defense. Robert’s initial impulse is driven by rage and grief. However, he steps back when the elders intervene. This pause shows his awareness of the consequences of vengeance.

Alwin’s sudden attack changes the moral frame. Robert does not pursue Alwin after turning away. He reacts only when faced with immediate danger. The arrow is released in defense, not as punishment handed down by authority.

The episode reinforces this distinction through Robert’s reaction after the killing. There is no relief or triumph. He states that Alwin earned his fate, but the weight of the act remains.

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The true price of defiance

Robin Hood season 1 (Image via Facebook/MGM+)

The death of Alwin reveals that leadership demands moral clarity in situations designed to destroy it. Robert is not portrayed as infallible. He struggles, hesitates, and listens.

By resisting revenge and acting only when attacked, Robert maintains a boundary that separates him from the Sheriff’s methods. The Sheriff uses fear as policy. Robert reacts to threat as necessity.

The episode avoids framing the killing as definitive or conclusive. Questions remain about internal betrayal and its impact on future restraint. The series leaves these issues unresolved, aligning with the episode’s title and reinforcing its central theme.

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All episodes of the first season of Robin Hood are available for online streaming on Prime Video and MGM+.

Edited by Bea Melisse Ibañez