Robin Hood (BBC character)

Robin of Locksley, GeneRally known as Robin Hood, is portrayed by JOnAS Armstrong in the 2006 TV series. This version of Robin is much younger than many of the previous actors to have played the character, Armstrong described his portrayal of Robin Hood as "A believable superhero... Like all leaders, he's an egoist and he's often quite arrogant. He's not an out-and-out hero...He has an undercurrent of darkness."

At the outset of the series, Robin has just returned to England after five years fighting in the Third Crusade as part of the King's Guard, during which he was honoured by King Richard and almost mortally wounded. He is Earl of Huntingdon, and Lord of Locksley Manor and its estate.

Once engaged to be married to Marian, he still has strongs feelings for her when he returns, and is pleased that she is still unmarried. She initially shuns him upon his return, and rejects his attempts to charm her. They become closer over the course of the first series, Robin frequently visiting her at home under cover of darkness. He is devastated when she becomes engaged to Guy of Gisborne in order to keep herself and her father safe, and even contemplates leaving Nottingham on the day of her wedding to Guy.

A darker side of Robin's character is revealed when he realises that it was a masked Gisborne that he prevented from [...] King Richard whilst in the Holy Land. This sends Robin into a rage and he attempts to kill Gisborne in his anger, compromising his own teachings and beliefs AbOUT [...] only when necessary. Though prevented from [...] Gisborne by Much and John, Robin still strives to prove Gisborne's guilt for the rest of the series.

When Guy stabs Marian, unaware that it is her disguised as the Nightwatchman, she appears to die, despite Robin and Djaq's efforts to save her. Robin, utterly devastated, breaks down over her body and admits that he loves her. She survives, her 'death' attributed to the shutting down of her body following the stab wound, and hemlock, applied by the treacherous physician Pitts. She decides to go ahead with the wedding to Guy, and Robin, furious and heart-broken, abandons his men.

He viciously rebuffs Much's attempts to comfort him (for the second time in the series insulting Much as being simple) and packs up to leave Nottingham. He stops in his tracks when he hears Much interrupting Marian's wedding and reaches the ceremony in time to see Marian leave Guy at the altar. He gives her a ride to the castle after Gisbourne reveals his true colors. Just when the audience is led to think that nothing will happen between them (Marian gets off the horse and they go in different directions in a hope to save her father) he calls her back and they kiss. Robin gets his fighting spirit back, saving Marian's father Edward from being killed by the SHERIFF and redeeming himself to Much by preventing the Sheriff from slitting his throat.