Robin Hood (TV series)/Characters

The characters of the BBC series (2006-2009) Robin Hood:

Robin Hood (Jonas Armstrong)


The Hero of the piece, this Robin is a younger, cheekier, and more easy-going variation of the traditional character. The Earl of Huntington and Lord of Locksley, Robin returns from five years fighting with King Richard in the Holy Land, to find that his lands and estates are now under the control of Guy of Gisborne.

After refusing to conform to the corrupt laws that are now in place, Robin escapes into Sherwood Forest and begins a campaign of guerrilla warfare against the Sheriff, complete with the familiar “rob from the rich to give to the poor” system of wealth distribution.


 * Achilles in His Tent: In Tattoo, What Tattoo?
 * A Father to His Men
 * The Archer: Obviously.
 * Being Good Sucks
 * Blue Eyes
 * Bow and Sword In Accord
 * Catch Phrase: "I have a plan...half a plan."
 * Inverted at one point in the series 2 finale, when Much asks him if he has a plan; when Robin says he doesn't, Much asks him if he has half a plan, to which Robin replies "I don't have half a plan, Much!"
 * Chronic Hero Syndrome
 * Cunning Like a Fox
 * Dating Catwoman: With Isabella.
 * Determinator
 * Dying Alone: Averted, as Marian's spirit comes to fetch him.
 * Famed in Story: He is Robin Hood.
 * First Guy Wins: Actually, Marian's first meetings with both Guy and Robin happen prior to the start of the show, but it's indicated that she knew Robin first (and was betrothed to him before he joined the Crusades).
 * The Hero
 * Iconic Item: For this particular Robin, his Saracen bow (as opposed to the long-bow that most traditional Robin Hoods carry).
 * I Just Want to Be Loved
 * I Kiss Your Hand: To Marian in Tattoo, What Tattoo, just before he slips Guy's engagement ring off her finger.
 * Indy Ploy
 * : At the end of season three.
 * Last Kiss: Played straight with Marian, deliberately Averted with Kate.
 * Love Triangle: With Marian and Guy; later with Kate and Isabella.
 * Playing Possum
 * Protagonist-Centered Morality
 * Rousing Speech: His specialty, ranging from "Will You Tolerate This?" in the first episode, to "Isn't That Something Worth Fighting For?" in the finale.
 * Suicidal Overconfidence
 * Technical Pacifist: Robin says that he only kills when it's absolutely necessary, but has no qualms about shooting dead dozens of castle guards (often in the back).

Much (Sam Troughton)


"Much: I know that’s what you think. Much talks too much. And eats too much. Worries too much. It’s easy for you to say because if I don’t do it, then who does?"

"Robin: You are already more of a man than I will ever be. You are Much. And you are my best friend."

Robin’s faithful manservant who accompanies him to the Holy Land and who is promised an Earldom by Robin on their return to England. Disappointed at the loss of Bonchurch Estate and all the comforts that it entails, but too devoted to Robin to do anything but follow him into Sherwood, Much is simultaneously the most loyal and most reluctant member of the gang.


 * Asexuality: According to Sam Troughton, Much was asexual. Apparently, the writers disagreed.
 * Bumbling Sidekick
 * Blue Eyes
 * Butt Monkey
 * The Caretaker
 * Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass
 * Ho Yay: With Robin.
 * Iconic Item: His shield and hat.
 * Lethal Chef
 * Man Child
 * Only One Name
 * Stalker with a Crush: Much, sweetie, when a girl tells you that you're dirty and you smell and that nothing can ever happen between you, it means that she's really not interested.
 * Team Chef
 * Those Two Guys: With Allan in season three.

Little John (Gordon Kennedy)


"John: I have never killed - except to defend myself. I robbed, to survive, but now I rob to help others... I am one of Robin Hood’s men."

"Isabella: You don't say much, do you."

Outlawed prior to the show’s commencement for reasons that are never specified, Little John is the leader of a team of outlaws before he throws his lot in with Robin. Believed dead by his wife Alice, and having never even met his son John, Little John is the champion of women and children, and the Team Dad of the outlaws.


 * The Artifact: There's one John-centric episode per season (which is invariably a filler), but most of the time he's just sort of there.
 * Badass Longcoat
 * Barrier-Busting Blow
 * Bear Hug: He gives one to Marian in Get Carter after her father dies.
 * The Big Guy
 * Catch Phrase: Several; "We go to Nottingham!", "Him I do not like" (Inverted to "Him I liked" on occasion), "A good day to die" and "We are Robin Hood!" The last one is more the group's catch phrase, but he's the most likely to shout it out as a way of raising morale.
 * Death Seeker: it is revealed that John feels incredible guilt for having abandoned his wife, and his "a good day to die" catchphrase was because to him, any day is a good day to die. He gets over it
 * Friend to All Children
 * Load-Bearing Hero: A couple of times, notably in Treasure of the Nation and Something Worth Fighting For.
 * Simple Staff: His traditional weapon of choice.
 * Team Dad
 * Unwitting Instigator of Doom: John telling Isabella he believes Robin has eyes for Kate has disastrous consequences.

Allan-a-Dale (Joe Armstrong)


"Allan: I've learnt which side my bread's buttered on."

"Djaq: I believe you're a good man, Allan-a-Dale."

A opportunistic thief, con-artist, pick-pocket and compulsive liar, this Allan strays far from his traditional role as a minstrel. The only outlaw that has no personal investment in the cause that Robin Hood is fighting (and often pointing out that as a poor person himself, he should have a share of any stolen goods) Allan sticks around just for the fun of it – or perhaps for want of anything better to do.

In early season two he is approached by Guy of Gisborne and coerced into becoming a spy. After a short stint as The Mole, he is found out and openly joins Guy as his right-hand man.


 * Blue Eyes: In a cast full of blue eyes, his are by far the bluest.
 * Breakout Character: In season two, only to be Demoted to Extra in season three.
 * Catch Phrase: "I'm not being funny, but..."
 * Did Not Get the Girl
 * Dropped a Bridge on Him
 * Easily Forgiven: Though it's more a case of "easily forgiven, not easily forgotten".
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold
 * Loveable Rogue
 * Face Heel Turn, followed by a Heel Face Turn
 * Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Allan convinces himself that this is the reason behind his Face Heel Turn, on account of Robin not taking better care of his men.
 * The Mole
 * Out-of-Character Moment: Breaking character in The King is Dead and giving away the outlaws plan to Sheridan.
 * Redemption Equals Death: A belated example; at the end of series 3 it turns out the gang still don't trust him after his betrayal, setting off a sequence of events that results in his death.
 * The Resenter: Toward Robin. "You were always in the sun, Robin. And I'm always in the shade."
 * Sticky Fingers
 * Token Evil Teammate
 * Welcome Back, Traitor

Will Scarlett (Harry Lloyd)


An apprentice carpenter in Locksley, Will’s mother died of starvation in the attempt to keep Will and his little brother alive, and his father lost his hand after taking the punishment for his children when they steal food to eat. The youngest member of the gang at eighteen, Will joins the gang after Robin saves him from hanging and due to his deep hatred of the Sheriff, something that can often cause his low-simmering temper to rise up.

The most sensible, moral and sensitive member of the gang, Will falls in love with Djaq and decides to stay with her in the Holy Land at the conclusion of season two.


 * Accidental Pervert: He approaches a topless Djaq whilst she's cleaning herself for prayer. He doesn't realize she's a woman until his eyes suddenly drop to chest-level.
 * An Axe to Grind
 * Battle Couple: With Djaq.
 * Beware the Nice Ones: When he loses it, he really loses it.
 * Beta Couple: Again, with Djaq.
 * Blue Eyes
 * Huge Guy, Tiny Girl
 * Now or Never Kiss: With...Djaq!
 * Put on a Bus: Along with Djaq, at the end of season two.
 * The Quiet One
 * Roaring Rampage of Revenge: After his father dies.
 * Single-Target Sexuality: There is no other woman in the world except Djaq.
 * The Stoic
 * You Killed My Father: Narrowly Averted in The Angel of Death.

Djaq (Anjali Jay)


"Djaq: I had a brother. He was killed in your crusades. I became him, his name was Djaq."

"Much: Apart from being a girl, Djaq is one of the lads."

Following in the newer tradition of having a Saracen character join Robin Hood’s gang, Djaq is the first female to hold the honour, making her a Twofer Token Minority. Contributing her skills as a physician, scientist, linguist and swordswoman to the team, she came across as less of a Mary Sue than she had any right to, largely due to the genuine affection she had for her fellow outlaws, and her role as Deadpan Snarker.


 * Affirmative Action Girl
 * Badass Adorable
 * Battle Couple: With Will.
 * Beta Couple: Again, with Will.
 * Bifauxnen
 * Brown Eyes
 * Captain Obvious: A few times, though it could be argued that because English was not her first language, she felt the need to state the obvious just to make sure she knew exactly what was going on.
 * Combat Pragmatist: "Pepper! Ouch!"
 * Cute Bruiser
 * Even the Girls Want Her: The yellow dress.
 * Fan Service: The yellow dress.
 * Fan Service Pack
 * Fish Out of Water
 * Gender Flip: The first Saracen to be played by a woman; previous incarnations include Nasim in Robin of Sherwood and Azeem in Kevin Costner's Prince of Thieves.
 * Hey, Wait!: When Djaq sneaks into the castle in the yellow dress, she passes Guy, who tells her to stop...and to not forget to keep the Sheriff's cup filled.
 * Important Haircut: Happened prior to her first appearance, when she cuts her hair to disguise herself as a man.
 * Love Triangle: A minor one, with Will and Allan, who both admit to liking her.
 * Meaningful Rename: Djaq was her twin brother's name. She adopted after his death, both in memory of him and as part of her male disguise.
 * The Medic
 * Combat Medic
 * My Sibling Will Live Through Me: Her real name is Saffiya, but she goes by the name "Djaq" in memory of her dead twin brother.
 * Now or Never Kiss: With Will.
 * One of the Boys
 * Only One Name
 * Outdoor Bath Peeping: How Will inadvertently discovers her gender, when he interrupts her bathing in preparation for prayers.
 * Pint-Sized Powerhouse
 * Plucky Girl
 * Puppy Dog Eyes
 * Put on a Bus: Along with Will, at the end of season two.
 * Samus Is a Girl
 * She Cleans Up Nicely: Have we mentioned the yellow dress?
 * Shorter Means Smarter
 * Show Some Leg: Right here.
 * Standard Female Grab Area: Beautifully subverted, as she gets herself out of one, by herself, in seconds.
 * Twofer Token Minority

Royston White (William Beck)


"Roy: My name is Royston White. I fight for Robin Hood and King Richard!"

An original member of Little John's outlaws, who dies in the fourth episode of the series.


 * Anyone Can Die / Dead Star Walking: The first major character to get killed off, though perhaps mildly Subverted considering he was the only character not to appear in any of the legends.
 * Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas
 * Forgotten Fallen Friend: After his death, no one ever mentions him again. However, Little John does keep his outlaw tag and later passes it onto his son, somewhat fitting considering he says that Roy "was like a son to me."
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He loves his mother, and dies for a baby.
 * The Mole: For one episode, when his mother is held captive and he's ordered to kill Robin in order to spare her life.
 * Redemption Equals Death
 * Sacrificial Lamb

Brother Tuck (David Harewood)


"Tuck: We're supposed to be inspiring these man to stand up and fight for themselves, giving them real hope."

A mysterious monk who arrives from travelling the world (having left the church after he became disillusioned) at the start of season three, and who joins the outlaws after inspiring Robin to recommit to the cause.


 * Advertised Extra: Tuck was heavily promoted in the lead-up to season three, but after the first three episodes, he's Demoted to Extra and basically just hangs out in the background. He gets a bit more coverage in the last two episodes, but given the amount of hype surrounding him he's very low-key.
 * Badass Preacher
 * Black Viking
 * Magical Negro
 * Token Minority

Kate (Joanne Froggatt)


A village girl who joins the team. Is what happens when writers decide they need a girl just for the sake of it.


 * Adult Child: There's never a clear indication of how old Kate is, but certain factors suggest she's a young teenager. In which case, it's a little awkward to watch a woman in her late twenties in the role.
 * And Starring: The opening credits of Season Three ended with "And Joanne Froggatt."
 * Betty and Veronica: Betty.
 * Cassandra Truth: Robin doesn't believe her when she tells him Isabella can't be trusted.
 * Cat Fight
 * The Chick
 * Clingy Jealous Girl: She hates Isabella on sight for seemingly no other reason but that she's standing next to Robin.
 * Complaining About Rescues They Don't Like
 * Dirty Harriet
 * Distress Ball: Grabs a firm hold of it immediately, and doesn't let go for a single moment of screen-time.
 * Damsel in Distress
 * The Dulcinea Effect: Particularly on Much.
 * Faux Action Girl: She needs to be rescued no less than fifteen times over the course of eleven episodes, despite her insistence that she can look after herself.
 * Final Girl
 * Forceful Kiss: How she lets Robin know she's interested.
 * Fridge Logic: Her motivation throughout her first three episodes is explicitly stated as being the desire to protect her family (not that she's any good at it), and yet once in the forest she is endangering them by openly fraternising with outlaws. The fact that the Scarlett and Little families had to leave the community due to Will and John's outlawry is a major plot point in previous seasons, yet Kate takes no similar measures to secure the safety of her mother and sister (sure enough, Isabella eventually goes a-knocking at their door). And why the outlaws want her on the team in the first place is a mystery since she has no specialized skills to offer them and does nothing but endanger their lives both before and after she joins up.
 * Green-Eyed Monster: Toward Isabella.
 * Girl Next Door
 * Informed Ability: The BBC profile on Kate lists "her imagination" as her specialized weapon. Fans have yet to figure out what on earth this means.
 * Improbable Hairstyle: The infamous forehead braid. Having black roots in the 11th century doesn't help either.
 * Jerk Sue
 * Last Kiss: Denied!
 * The Load: And holy shit how!
 * Murder the Hypotenuse: Kate makes a couple of very serious attempts to get rid of Isabella, directly and indirectly.
 * Moral Event Horizon: Her demanding that Isabella be left to die at the hands of her Complete Monster of a husband strikes many as this.
 * Name's the Same: Angel had a regular guest-star called Kate Locksley (who predated this one), whilst this character was Kate of Locksley. Ironically, neither character was popular with the fan-base, of account of each being a Replacement Love Interest.
 * Negated Moment of Awesome: In the final episode Kate manages to sneak herself out of the besieged Nottingham Castle in order to fetch King Richard, promising the others that she'll "be back with an army." The move that might well have salvaged this character in the eyes of many is negated due to the fact that King Richard isn't even in the country yet.
 * New Neighbors As the Plot Demands
 * Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Poor Matthew stood a better chance of survival in the army considering his sister botches four separate attempts to save him from his enforced conscription. When she's taken captive by Gisborne, Matthew dies trying to save her.
 * Single Girl Seeks Most Popular Guy
 * Smitten Teenage Girl
 * Small Name, Big Ego
 * This Looks Like a Job For Aquaman: Subverted. At no point do Kate's skills as a potter come in handy.
 * Too Dumb to Live: But she does.
 * Well, Excuse Me, Princess!

Lady Marian (Lucy Griffiths)


"Marian: Everything's a choice. Everything we do."

"Guy: You must be the least easily won woman in England."

Dropping the usual “maid” part of her name in favor of "lady", this version of Marian operated as Robin’s eyes and ears within the castle, but also had an agenda of her own what with her secret identity as the Nightwatchman, a masked and hooded figure who distributed food parcels amongst the poor.

The centre of a love triangle between Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne, she at the end of season two. Yes, you read that right. .


 * Action Girl
 * All Girls Like Ponies
 * Anachronism Stew: All of her costumes, particularly the infamous yellow cardigan.
 * Beauty Is Never Tarnished: To a rather ridiculous extent. In Treasure of the Nation Guy beats her within an inch of her life, and she walks away without a mark on her. And even as she lies, her hair and makeup look fantastic.
 * Blue Eyes
 * Classy Cat Burglar: It's unclear whether the Nightwatchman stole prior to Robin's return to England, but she certainly does so afterwards, particularly in The Return of the King when she breaks into Guy's house.
 * Decoy Damsel: She and Robin pull one of these off perfectly in Lardner's Ring.
 * Defrosting Ice Queen: Toward Robin in season one.
 * Deliberately Distressed Damsel: Most notably in Lardner's Ring.
 * : In Robin's arms.
 * Distress Ball: A couple of times, notably in The Return of the King when she tries to rob Guy's house, and again in Treasure of the Nation. The latter is especially painful considering she dresses up as the Night Watchman in the middle of the day, enters a village teeming with soldiers, breaks into a barn where the food supplies are kept, and is immediately caught by Allan and Guy. It's unclear how Marian was planning to get the heavy sacks of food out of the village by herself.
 * Damsel in Distress: A couple of times.
 * Dramatic Unmask: When Gisborne discovers who the Nightwatchman is.
 * Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette
 * Raven Hair, Ivory Skin
 * English Rose
 * Hair Decorations: Marian goes one better and actually stabs people with hers.
 * False Friend: Puts up a front of affection toward Gisborne in order to feed information to Robin. Somewhat Subverted in that she doesn't particularly enjoy deceiving him, and on a couple of occasions shows what may be legitimate feelings toward him.
 * Fake-Out Make-Out: With Count Frederick.
 * : Her wedding vows.
 * Important Haircut: As punishment for defying the Sheriff.
 * Traumatic Haircut
 * Improbable Hairstyle
 * Knife Nut
 * Lady of War
 * Last Kiss: With Robin.
 * Let's Get Dangerous: Whenever she dons the Night Watchman persona.
 * Letting Her Hair Down: When she joins the outlaws in Sherwood Forest.
 * Love Makes You Dumb
 * Love Triangle: With Robin and Guy.
 * Obfuscating Stupidity; Sometimes, usually in front of Guy.
 * Older Than They Think: Despite accusations of pandering to political correctness due to Marian's She Fu and exploits as the Nightwatchman, the oldest ballads that feature Marian portray her as an Action Girl who fights Robin for hours in Sherwood Forest whilst disguised as a man. Whether the creators/writers knew this is up for debate, but the portrayal of Marian as a fighter is hardly a new one, even in other versions of the legend such as Robin of Sherwood.
 * Revealing Injury: Averted in Turk Flu.
 * Rich Idiot With No Day Job: It's unclear where Marian gets the supplies to give to the peasants, but it's suggested that they come from her own larder and we never see her steal anything. As such, there's no real reason for her to wear a disguise when delivering food - one gets the sense that she just likes the thrill.
 * Samus Is a Girl: The Nightwatchman.
 * Secret Identity: Ditto.
 * She Fu
 * Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Though attracted to Guy, this trope is the reason Robin wins her heart.
 * Sixth Ranger
 * Ship Tease: Plenty with Guy, despite Foregone Conclusion of the Official Couple.
 * Stockholm Syndrome: Marian shows traces of this in early season two, when she must rely on Gisborne for her well-being despite the fact that he is largely responsible for endangering it.
 * Stuffed in The Fridge: The writers admitted that their reason for killing her off was in order to take away what was most important to Robin.
 * : The entire point of her final cameo.
 * Tsundere: Type A.
 * Virgin Tension: Despite dropping the "maid" part of her name, the show makes it very clear that Marian is a virgin. The Sheriff refers to her as a "maid" in a rather cruel way in Who Shot The Sheriff?, and in Get Carter, when Guy asks whether she's given herself to God (i.e. become a nun) Marian replies: "I haven't given myself to anyone yet." This double entendre means more to the audience than it does to Guy considering that Marian has been sleeping in the forest with Robin, and not at a convent as Guy's been lead to believe.
 * Woman in White: She's wearing a white dress.
 * Virgin Tension: Despite dropping the "maid" part of her name, the show makes it very clear that Marian is a virgin. The Sheriff refers to her as a "maid" in a rather cruel way in Who Shot The Sheriff?, and in Get Carter, when Guy asks whether she's given herself to God (i.e. become a nun) Marian replies: "I haven't given myself to anyone yet." This double entendre means more to the audience than it does to Guy considering that Marian has been sleeping in the forest with Robin, and not at a convent as Guy's been lead to believe.
 * Woman in White: She's wearing a white dress.

Guy of Gisborne (Richard Armitage)


"Guy: I have committed crimes... heinous crimes. But by taking Lady Marian in holy wedlock, I will wash away those crimes."

"Annie: He has a different side -- a side he cannot show."

The Sheriff of Nottingham’s right-hand man and competitor for Marian’s affections. The most incompetent assassin ever to screw up everything he’s ever been ordered to do with little exception, Guy makes up for it with his ability to strut around in black leather.


 * Breakout Character
 * Dies Wide Open: Robin closes them.
 * The Dragon: For the Sheriff.
 * Easily Forgiven: Arguably. Though he's not accepted instantly into the gang, the fact that Robin forgives him at all after he brings this trope into play.
 * Epic Fail: Guy never manages to kill any of the major characters that he's been sent to assassinate. Not King Richard, not Prince John, and not the Sheriff of Nottingham. God only knows how he managed to screw that last one up, as after "killing" him he actually reaches into the Sheriff's mouth to retrieve his gold tooth, and somehow doesn't notice that the man is still alive. Apparently this trained assassin can only kill people if they're a) unarmed and b) standing directly in front of him.
 * He also declares that he's going to kill Isabella. All he ends up doing is providing her with the tools she needs to kill both him and Robin..
 * Erotic Dream: Marian massaging his shoulders. Who then turns into Allan.
 * Estrogen Brigade Bait
 * Even Evil Has Standards: Guy expresses reluctance to kill a group of children. Slightly odd considering he had no qualms about exposing his infant son to the elements in the first season.
 * Evil Gloating
 * Evil Is Sexy
 * Expository Hairstyle Change: How greasy his hair is in season three is usually indicative of his state of mind.
 * Expy: Sure, Guy of Gisbourne has been part of Robin Hood legends for centuries, but here? Give him an eyepatch and he'd be Space Commander Travis.
 * Face Death with Dignity: After a Karmic Stabbing Guy admits to Robin that he's wasted his entire life, and is just grateful for the chance to die with dignity.
 * Fan Service
 * Fatal Flaw: His temper.
 * Fetish Fuel: He gets tied up a lot.
 * Flaw Exploitation: Both Robin and Marian know that she is Guy's weak spot, and use this against him on several occasions, most notably in Lardner's Ring when Robin pretends to hold her hostage in order to facilitate their escape.
 * Freudian Excuse
 * Guyliner
 * Hair-Trigger Temper
 * Handsome Lech
 * Heel Face Turn: At the end of season three.
 * Hoist by His Own Petard: A lifetime of violence finally catches up to him in the form of his little sister.
 * Ho Yay: With the Sheriff, and Foe Yay with Robin.
 * I Die Free: His exact words.
 * If I Can't Have You
 * Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: At the Sheriff's hands, part of his Karmic Death.
 * Jerkass Woobie
 * Kill the Ones You Love: Despite repeated claims that he loves Marian and that "his world will turn to ash" without her, he ends up murdering her at the end of the second series. He spends the rest of the show guilt-ridden over her death, and even in his own dying moments he doesn't hold out any hope that he'll ever see her again in the afterlife.
 * He also gives his little sister a vial of poison so that she can kill herself, even after she tells him: "you loved me once."
 * Love Makes You Crazy
 * Love Redeems: Subverted big time. Guy and Marian's relationship seems to be following the predictable pattern of a good woman who awakens the inner nobility of a Cute but Troubled Bad Boy...only for Guy to when he finds out she's in love with someone else.
 * Love Triangle: With Robin and Marian.
 * Moral Event Horizon:.
 * Murder the Hypotenuse: Inverted. Guy puts a huge amount of time and effort into trying to kill the Hypotenuse, and ends up murdering his Love Interest instead. Oh, Guy.
 * Not Good with Rejection: Hoo boy...
 * Not in This For Your Revolution: When he joins the outlaws, or at least initially, as all he wants to do is get his revenge on Isabella for betraying him; by the end it's implied he's come round to Robin's reasons.
 * Plot Induced Stupidity: Guy's levels of competence fluctuated wildly, from brutally efficient, to so inept you wonder how he ties his shoelaces in the morning. Two prime examples are his encounters with Djaq in The Booby and the Beast and Kate in Cause and Effect. In the former case, Guy is observant enough to recognise the blonde with the silly-looking braid across her forehead that he had confronted earlier in the day, but in the latter case Guy has a Hey, Wait! moment with Djaq as she's disguised as a serving girl. Guy fails to recognise her, even though she's the only Saracen woman in the entire country.
 * Redemption Equals Death
 * Running Gag: The sheer amount of times that Guy is stabbed in the back, both figuratively and literally, is almost this. Essentially, it's every single character he ever interacts with: Prince John, the Sheriff, Isabella, Marian, Lambert, Tuck, Allan, Archer... Ironically, the only major character that doesn't betray him is
 * Selective Obliviousness: Guy is very careful to ignore the mounting evidence that Marian is working with Robin Hood. By the final episodes of season two, he's in complete denial.
 * Self-Made Orphan: Or so he thinks...
 * Smug Snake
 * Stalker with a Crush

The Sheriff of Nottingham (Keith Allen)


"Vaizey: Underneath this harsh surface, there's more harsh surface."

The gleefully sadistic Sheriff, who despite having ambitions to take over England, often seems to act the way he does just for the fun of it.


 * Ambition Is Evil
 * And Starring: An unusual example, as Keith Allen is credited 'and Keith Allen' despite coming fourth out of nine names in the opening credits.
 * Aristocrats Are Evil
 * Back for the Finale: In series 3, when he turns out to be Not Quite Dead.
 * Bond Villain Stupidity
 * Card-Carrying Villain
 * Catch Phrase: "A clue: no" (which became the title of the first series finale). Also "La-di-da-di-da!"
 * Dirty Old Man
 * The Dragon: To Prince John. Has one of his own, in Guy of Gisborne.
 * Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Averted. Though he's refered to as "the Sheriff" 99% of the time, he's actually given a first name: Vaizey.
 * Evilly Affable
 * Evil Gloating
 * Finger-Twitching Revival
 * Genre Savvy: Hardly ever, except in Brothers In Arms when he executes Allan's brother a full hour before Robin and the outlaws turn up to save him. His gloating in the courtyard is his very nasty Crowning Moment of Awesome.
 * Hoist by His Own Petard: Dies in an explosion caused by the Byzantine Powder that he himself brought into the castle.
 * Ho Yay: With...everyone really.
 * I'm Going to Hell For This: Inverted ("You're going to hell for this!"), then Played for Laughs ("Just for this?")
 * Karmic Death: The last thing he sees is a flaming arrow...
 * Large Ham: Keith Allen makes a meal of the scenery every episode.
 * Magnificent Bastard
 * Not a Game
 * Oh Crap: His expression just as he realises he's about to be blown up says it all.
 * Smug Snake
 * Would Hurt a Child

Isabella of Gisborne (Lara Pulver)


"Isabella: Now I know the only person I can trust is myself. I'm on my own."

Appearing in the third season as Guy’s never before seen or mentioned little sister, Isabella entered the show on the run from her sadistic husband. An enigmatic presence throughout her eight episodes, she is the centre of the political machinations that drove the final season. Initially introduced as a Replacement Love Interest for Robin and as The Mole within the castle, Isabella Subverted expectations by striking out on her own, flirting with Prince John, performing a Face Heel Turn and winning herself the position of Sheriff of Nottingham.


 * Alas, Poor Villain
 * Ambition Is Evil
 * Aristocrats Are Evil
 * Attempted Rape: What her husband Thornton is trying to do before she kills him.
 * Ax Crazy
 * Betty and Veronica: Veronica
 * Blue Eyes
 * Brother-Sister Incest: There are several rather suggestive scenes between herself and Guy.
 * Broken Bird
 * Cat Fight
 * Chronic Backstabbing Disorder
 * Dating Catwoman: With Robin.
 * Derailing Love Interests: For her first few episodes she's portrayed as intelligent, rational and compassionate; after Robin dumps her she's more or less a completely different character.
 * Disc One Final Boss: In Something Worth Fighting For.
 * Damsel in Distress: Portrayed as such in her first episode, but Subverted throughout the rest of the show.
 * Evil Costume Switch: She upgrades to leather as soon as she's made Sheriff.
 * Evil Is Sexy: See picture.
 * Expository Hairstyle Change
 * Face Heel Turn
 * Fan Service: Most of her outfits.
 * Freudian Excuse
 * Gorgeous Period Dress: See Fan Service.
 * Heel Face Revolving Door
 * I Fight for the Strongest Side
 * Lady in Red
 * Love Hurts
 * Love Makes You Crazy: And how!
 * Love Triangle: With Robin and Kate.
 * Magnificent Bastard
 * Never Found the Body: No way is this woman dead.
 * Not Good with Rejection: It runs in the family.
 * Sixth Ranger Traitor
 * Sympathetic Adulterer
 * Woman Scorned

Prince John (Toby Stephens)


King Richard's little brother, with his eye on the throne in his absence.


 * Abel and Cain
 * And Starring: Credited as 'with Toby Stephens as Prince John'.
 * Aristocrats Are Evil
 * Big Bad
 * Catch Phrase: "Do you love me?" and "long live me" (although it's difficult to get a catchphrase when you only appear in three episodes, these were used more than once across those episodes.)
 * The Evil Prince
 * Freudian Excuse
 * He Who Must Not Be Seen: Up until season three he was oft-mentioned, but never seen.
 * Ho Yay: With Gisborne. The first line he ever utters on screen is "Do you love me, Gisborne?" During their conversation, he even cups Guy's head in his hands.
 * Large Ham
 * Magnificent Bastard
 * Moral Event Horizon: Though he initially seems Affably Evil, this moment comes swiftly on the heels of his first appearance when he orders that Locksley Church be burnt down whilst a wedding is going on inside it.
 * The Resenter
 * You Got Spunk: To Kate, whilst she's throwing a tantrum in front of him. The fact that John sounds so utterly bored when he describes her as "feisty" is what salvages the scene.

Sir Edward of Knighton (Michael Elwyn)
"Edward: Do not make the mistake I and others have made and make your dissent public."

Marian's father and the former Sheriff of Nottingham.


 * I Will Only Slow You Down
 * Overprotective Dad
 * Recurring Character: Though not in the opening credits, he's in almost every episode up until his death.
 * Senseless Sacrifice: Edward dies in order to deliver the Pact of Nottingham into Robin's hands, a McGuffin that the outlaws unfortunately forget to take to the Holy Land when they set off in pursuit of Marian. It would have provided King Richard with definitive proof that Prince John was plotting treason against him, and although Robin convinces him eventually, it's only after Richard sets off a chain of events that results in . The Pact is never mentioned in season three, but by that stage, it was worthless anyway.

Archer (Clive Standen)


"Malcolm: Remember the birthmark, shaped like an arrowhead. It is why your mother named him... Archer."

Guy and Robin's half-brother. Would have (presumably) become the new Robin but for the show's cancellation.


 * Dawson Casting: By the time-line provided by the show, Archer is only supposed to be twenty years old. Clive Standen was pushing thirty. Likewise, Archer was a full ten years younger than Robin, though Clive Standen was actually older than Jonas Armstrong.
 * God Mode Sue: He enters the show and is instantly toted as the star; throwing ninja stars, bedding another man's wife, stealing Guy's horse, running rings around Robin, getting instantly forgiven for trying to send his half-brothers to their deaths, and seemingly taking the position of leader over the outlaws when Robin dies.
 * Likes Older Women
 * Loveable Rogue: That was the idea, anyway.
 * Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: Archer is dressed like a pirate, armed like a ninja, and has the rat-tails of a Padawan Jedi.
 * Suspiciously Similar Substitute: There was actually some effort to avert this, as whilst Archer is clearly set up to be the new Robin, he has different views and ideals (even calling Robin out on condemning his peasant army to death).

Carter (Joseph Kennedy)
"Carter: He's not crying, he's laughing on the wrong side of his face."

A Crusader who returned to England from the Holy Land seeking revenge against Robin for his brother's death. Hired as an assassin by the Sheriff, he successfully infiltrates the outlaw camp, but performs a Face Heel Turn after Robin tells him the truth about how his brother died. Appearing in only two episodes, this guest star became surprisingly popular among the fanbase.


 * Back for the Finale
 * Dropped a Bridge on Him: He's killed by the Sheriff in a scene that lasts no more than two seconds, a death that is then entirely overshadowed by Marian's (though according to the DVD commentary, the grave next to Marian's with the shield belongs to him, so it can be assumed that the outlaws gave him some sort of funeral).
 * Ensemble Darkhorse
 * Ho Yay: With Robin.
 * Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome: Carter survives his first episode as a guest star, but is killed off in his next appearance.
 * Redemption Equals Death

Luke Scarlett (Jonathan Readwin/Christian Cooke)
Will Scarlett's little brother.


 * The Other Darrin: Was played by Jonathan Readwin in Will You Tolerate This?, and by Christian Cooke in The Angel of Death.
 * Lampshaded in his second appearance when he tells his brother that he's "not so little" anymore.