what happens to arthur in peaky blinders
Arthur Shelby goes through addiction, trauma, fake “death,” and brutal violence across Peaky Blinders, but he is still alive at the end of season 6, left damaged yet standing, with his future likely to be explored in the upcoming movie.
What happens to Arthur in Peaky Blinders?
Early seasons: trauma and failed suicide
- Arthur is the eldest Shelby brother and Tommy’s volatile right-hand man, scarred by his experiences in the Great War and his abusive father.
- In season 1 he suffers a breakdown and attempts to hang himself, but the rope snaps and he survives, highlighting his deep depression and sense of failure.
Crime, prison and escalating violence
- As the Peaky Blinders rise, Arthur becomes their main enforcer, taking part in beatings, killings, and violent enforcement of the gang’s interests.
- He is jailed at one point and beaten badly in prison, with even his own family joking darkly that the state will hang him after his earlier suicide attempts.
Addiction, religion and Linda
- Arthur marries Linda, who tries to pull him towards religion and away from violence, and for a time he becomes more controlled and seeks redemption.
- Over time he relapses, struggling with alcohol and drugs, and his self-hatred and violent impulses push Linda away, eventually destroying their relationship.
The “death” that was faked
- In season 4, Arthur appears to be killed when he is garroted during a boxing match by one of Luca Changretta’s men, and the family even holds a funeral.
- This turns out to be a ruse: Tommy and the Shelbys staged Arthur’s death to lure Changretta into a trap, and Arthur later reappears and shoots Luca in the head in revenge.
Final season: opium, guilt and survival
- By season 6, Arthur is a full-blown opium addict, barely functional and haunted by guilt, war trauma, and everything he has done in Tommy’s name.
- Tommy tries to pull him back from the brink, giving him purpose again and involving him in one last set of operations against their enemies.
End of the series: where Arthur is left
- In the finale, Arthur leads an ambush at the Garrison, killing Captain Swing (Laura McKee) and her IRA men in a vicious gunfight, showing he is still deadly but mentally stuck “back in France.”
- He discovers Tommy’s medical scans and learns that Tommy believes he is dying of an inoperable illness, and Tommy tells Arthur that when he dies, Arthur will be the one to cremate him.
- The series ends with Arthur alive but broken: addicted, traumatized, and emotionally tethered to Tommy’s fate, with fans often speculating that his story will continue or conclude in the planned Peaky Blinders movie.
Quick FAQ and forum-style chatter
- Does Arthur die in Peaky Blinders?
No, Arthur Shelby does not actually die in the series; only his death in season 4 is staged for strategic reasons.
- Is Arthur okay at the end?
He survives, but he is far from “okay”: he is an addict, deeply traumatized, and emotionally unstable, which many viewers see as one of the show’s most tragic outcomes.
- What do fans think might happen next?
A common fan theory is that if Tommy truly disappeared or was believed dead for good, Arthur might eventually kill himself, which some imagine as a possible dark opening for the movie.
In many forum discussions, people argue Arthur’s arc is one of the saddest in the show: he keeps living, but each season takes a little more of him away.
TL;DR: If you’re searching “what happens to Arthur in Peaky Blinders” and “latest news” or “forum discussion,” the core is: he suffers war trauma, failed suicide, addiction, fake death, and brutal violence, but he does not die on-screen; he’s left alive, heavily damaged, and poised for further story in the planned Peaky Blinders movie.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.