Robin Hood (BBC 2006 character)

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For the general character, see Robin Hood. For the Robin of Sherwood character, see Robin of Sherwood
Character
Name: Robin Hood/Robin of Locksley
Occupation: robbing the rich, helping the poor, saving England and the King from the Black Knights
Relationships: love interest of Marian of Knighton whom he marries on her deathbed in the Holy Land, enemy-turned-friend of Guy of Gisborne, half-brother of Archer, former master of Much the Miller's son
Fandom: Robin Hood (BBC 2006)
Other:
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Robin Hood or Robin of Locksley is the lead character in the BBC television series (2006–9) of Robin Hood, an incarnation of the Robin Hood legend. The show uses the Earl of Huntingdon origin story for the character. He is played by Jonas Armstrong.

In Canon

Robin of Locksley (Robin Hood or “Hood”) fought for King Richard in Acre, during the Third Crusade, together with his manservant Much whom Robin makes a free man after his return from the Holy Land.

Not wishing to tolerate injustice, Robin openly defies Sheriff Vaisey and saves the peasants from hanging. Robin loses his lands, house and title and is outlawed, becoming the people of Nottinghamshire's only hope and starting the gang of outlaws in Sherwood.

Robin Hood is the main protagonist on the show. Robin creates the precedent by becoming the first noble who publicly opposes tyranny in England by robbing the rich and helping those in need and trouble. On the show, Robin is shown as both the people’s hero and the King’s man who is staunchly loyal to King Richard after his return from the Crusade. Robin and his gang fight with Sheriff Vaisey and the Black Knights who are actively plotting to assassinate King Richard and make Prince John the next King of England.

Robin Hood is in love with Marian of Knighton (Marian Fitzwalter or "Maz"), his childhood sweetheart. He is surprised that she is still unmarried after his return. In S1, Marian is hostile and aloof to him because Robin left for the Holy Land and she felt he abandoned her. Robin tries to charm Marian and flirts with her, but she usually rejects him. In S2, they are more affectionate with each other. In S2 Finale, Robin marries Marian when she is dying, stabbed by Guy of Gisborne after her confession in her love for Robin Hood.

Robin is an exceptionally selfless and altruistic person who always puts other people's needs before his own, willing to risk his own life if he needs to save his friends and other people. He is clever, mischievous, conniving, heroic, and undaunted by authority, always ready to stand up to people of higher status if necessary. Robin sees the world either in black or white colors, he possesses a strong sense of idealism, but when this image was shattered he could become reckless and neurotic.

Robin is very loyal to his friends, King Richard, and Marian. Loyalty seems to be in Robin’s blood. Robin remains loyal to King Richard even after Richard accuses him of alleged treason and orders to have Robin and the outlaws executed in S2 Finale, because he knows that Sheriff Vaisey "spun him a story" and that it wasn't the King's fault. At times, Robin’s unconditional loyalty to the King prompts him to show some dark traits when faced with treachery: Robin is even willing to use torture on Guy of Gisborne after discovering the wolf’s head tattoo on Guy’s forearm that proves that Guy attempted to assassinate King Richard in the Holy Land.

In Fandom

There are many fans of Robin Hood, some of them love Robin and are passionately devoted to his heroics. But some people consider Robin Hood in BBC’s interpretation an arrogant and spoiled brat, a glory-hunter and a womanizer. Many fans of Robin think that those who dislike Robin don’t understand his true character: according to Amaranthe Athenais, "Robin is a very difficult character to analyze as the hero is always keeping his true emotions to himself, covers his insecurities with a mask of a cheeky rogue, and prefers to seem invincible and insufferable to others."[citation needed]

Most fans of Robin consider him a complex character with many different layers of personality. While being a kind-hearted, brave, honest, self-sacrificing, and altruistic man, Robin is “not all good”. He can be rather unkind and cruel towards those whom love him and whom he loves. Robin can be rather callous towards Much when he is frustrated and vulnerable, like it happens in S1E13 (A Clue: No) when Much finds Robin on the hill overlooking the village of Locksley and Robin, devastated in the light of Marian’s marriage to Guy, rudely sends him away. But generally, Robin is very charitable towards other people in the sense of wanting to help them and thinking the best of them, except when they have disappointed and betrayed him and especially when he thinks those people are being driven by greed and/or material self-interest. Fans of Robin always dig deeply into the life and thoughts of the hero, analyzing the effect of the holy war on Robin and the inner darkness in him.

Those fans who like or love Robin will never say that he is a simple character. Some even say that Robin’s character is even more conflicted than Guy’s because Robin’s conflicts are the conflict of loyalties to England, the King, the people, and Marian, as well as the conflict between his the high ideals and noble ideas he wants to realize and the things he can achieve in harsh reality. Fans of Robin may call Robin “a fascinating and human flawed hero”. Most fair and rather widespread piece of fanon is portraying Robin as a flawed hero not putting him on a high pedestal.

Some who dislike Robin often defend Guy and say that Guy is a more interesting and complicated character than Robin. Nevertheless, Robin and Guy have different character arcs and each of them is interesting and original in their own ways. Such categorical statements about Robin and Guy led to Ship Wars and bashing of Robin Hood.

Fannish Responses

I actually think that Robin Hood was full of moral nuances and shades of gray. Guy isn’t "all bad," and Robin and Marian are not "all good." Robin is very flawed and even dark at times, not just in his fanatical devotion to the King but in his callousness toward those who love him (especially Much). (LadyKate)[1]

I like that the showrunners made Robin Hood a great man and yet a flawed hero because it makes Robin more human. Robin's real spiritual world is hidden behind the mask of arrogance and self-assurance. He might give an impression of a carefree, spoiled, and arrogant man, going through his life like a light breeze, but this impression is wrong. Robin has a lot of regrets and burdens, but he never shares them with others; he never complains and carries his burdens alone, preferring to appear invincible to all people and the world. In reality, Robin is a clever and quite contemplative man when he talks about his true feelings and shows his true soul, his “naked” soul, which he does very rarely on the show. Robin seems to be a reserved man by nature and he rarely shows his true emotions, but it is very likely that he became even more reserved after his return from the Holy Land.

Robin is a kind and compassionate man, but he can also be very dark when he has to protect his King or when he deals with treachery. There is the undercurrent darkness in Robin’s heart which he buried in himself after his return from the Holy Land, and he is fighting with himself to control this darkness, not wishing to take a human life, to do things he will regret and loathe himself for later. But sometimes something snaps within Robin and he becomes a soldier again, for example when he thinks that Marian died in the cave and the Sheriff’s guards have the outlaws cornered. Robin is deadly with a sword and a bow, he fought in the Holy Land and he killed many Saracens, but he still manages to control the darkness in himself when he was in Nottingham. I respect Robin for his moral strength and tremendous self-control, which Guy of Gisborne doesn’t have, unfortunately.

I think that Robin remains a nobleman even in the forest after he was outlawed. He gives up his titles and helps people because it is a right thing to do and because he can do that, he knows he can. Robin seems to have a confidence that he is a nobleman who has a duty to his King, people, and England, and, in this understanding, Robin has a feeling of superiority and patronage and protection of his King, country, and people. The above makes him righteous and self-assured and full of himself and proud, but it also shows his good understanding of human values, his courage and his moral strength, in the core, in his heart. But I believe that Robin’s righteousness, superiority, and cockiness are a part of his charm and his inner strength, and they make his character more appealing to me. If he hadn't been so confident in himself and in his position in the world, he wouldn't have achieved so much: he saved his King during the Crusade, saved and helped many people in Nottinghamshire, and was able to make such a significant difference among the nobility.

Robin is an amazingly balanced man in terms of his positive and negative qualities and features of character: his righteousness, arrogance, and self-assurance, I dare say often very annoying things, are balanced by his inner strength, courage, honesty, loyalty, ability to stand up for justice, and his conniving mind. (Amaranthe Athenais)[2]

Robin is a very complex character, and I think that's precisely why he is so great. Ever since he came back to England we've seen him walking around Nottingham as if nothing can harm him, if I'm not mistaken, I think even Marian calls him out on this at some point too, but we also see a tortured soul. I mean, come on, look at the first episode! He got outlawed because he refused to watch his peasants die! How more selfless can one be? He is arrogant, he does want people to look up to him, but I think those are signs of how insecure he is deep down, of how much harm the war did to him. That's also why I love his relationship with Much so much because they are two sides of the same coin: while Much wears his heart on his sleeve, Robin runs from everything that is remotely meaningful. It's fascinating.

Re-watching certain scenes from the show I noticed that Robin is not always the glory-seeker (if that is even a term) he is often said to be. He does care for his people and I do think that the sacrifices he makes are ultimately for his people, rather than for his King, though he will do everything to protect and save his King even if he has to sacrifice his life to let the King live.

I have a clear picture of what Robin is in my mind. I think Robin once was a young boy who's had to grow up very quickly much too soon. I see Robin as someone who hides behind a façade of cockiness and nonchalance, but someone who is, in truth, very burdened by the things he's gone through. I think of him as someone who probably wasn’t taken seriously by the other nobles, in part because he had to take over his estate when he was still but a boy, but also precisely because he never lets anyone close enough to see his true self, which leads people to think that he actually is a selfish brat, rather than the complex character he really is. Most likely, it's precisely because of this that he went to the Holy Land, not so much to follow the King, but to prove his self-worth. I think it was the war that forged Robin's admiration for Richard, rather than the other way around. I also think he is completely in love with Marian, so much so that he's actually scared. Because as someone who's lost his family very young, he doesn't remember what being loved is. Much and Marian, I think, are the closest things the pre-Crusades Robin has to a family, and he is constantly pushing them away as a way of protecting himself (if he is the one who chases them away he is in control; they can't leave him when he doesn't expect it). It's for this reason that I imagine teenage Robin flirting with other girls, even when already betrothed to Marian: I see him as sort of testing how far he can go. I don't believe things ever went any further than casual flirting, and if they did, I don't think it meant anything. (Lady Marianne)[3]

I personally see Robin as being too idealistic and seeing the best in others, no matter the vibe characters like Pitts, Joseph, and Isabella give off when they first meet him. I think it's a byproduct of being part of King Richard's guard in the Holy Land, where he was constantly on guard and wary, and when he comes back... he actively wants to avoid that. By being more open and trusting, it gives plenty of people opportunity to take advantage of him.

First impressions also figure pretty heavily. Robin's not impressed by Guy throwing his weight around in the pilot, nor of Vaisey's indifference to the peasants' plight. So in that respect, he's not completely clueless if he doesn't like them at first glance.

Now that I think about it, I wish Robin had been more closed-off and introverted in Season 3 than he was (MPC)[4]

I get the feeling that by the time we meet Robin, his character has already undergone its most major developments, and in many he’s no longer the same person who left Locksley to fight in the Crusades. His assumptions have been challenged, his idealism has been replaced with a more realistic understanding of people and the world, and he’s been as honest as he can be when it comes to questioning his former beliefs and, I think, brave about molding his actions to fit his new beliefs. There’s a sense that he has regrets and sorrows, and that many of his more juvenile antics are a cover for these things. One of the things that I think is so great is how they manage to convey all of this right away, within the first few episodes. So yes, there isn’t as far for him to go as a character because he kind of enters the narrative as a changed man, even if this is something he tries to conceal. Now that I think about it, I wish Robin had been more closed-off and introverted in Season 3 than he was (sylvi10)[5]

Robin vs. Guy

Posts on various forums sometimes concentrate on the differences between Guy and Robin and attempt to explain why one is a better character than the other. It is often said that Guy is a better character because Guy grows, learns from his mistakes, and finally changes himself, becoming a better man in S3. It is stated that Robin doesn’t grow in contrast to Guy and that Robin makes no progress toward correcting his flaws, remaining essentially the same throughout the show, never correcting his flaws (vanity, ego, arrogance). Some people even say that Robin regresses by largely giving up on his initial policy to avoid killing. However, other fans disagree with this interpretation of Robin's character development.

Robin's problem, I think, is that he's the hero. He's the title character. People have certain expectations about him. The thing is, the guy really can't win. If he's on his best behavior at all times, he's boring/unrealistic/predictable. If he isn't, he's self-centered/not that much of a hero after all/a hypocrite. I think the writers tried to find some sort of middle ground: They introduced him as this brave/self-sacrificing character who also needs a lot of attention and doesn't treat his friends as well as the people he's trying to feed. Take away those flaws and you're stuck once more with a character who has nowhere to go.

What strikes me as typical to say the least is that terribly flawed characters are often called interesting because of these flaws; that they're fascinating because of their internal struggles and what have you. But the moment Robin struggles with his behavior, he doesn't get nearly as much sympathy. Like I said, this probably has everything to do with the fact that he carries the burden of being the "hero", but I still think it's a bit unfair to dislike Robin based on qualities that aren't nearly as bad as, say, Guy's or even Allan's. If the writers had treated him as though he were a Saint who can do no wrong, I might have understood the irritation with his less attractive behavior. But they didn't. They presented him as a conflicted character who needs to be called out on his behavior constantly. He gets less (obvious) development than Guy, true, but the development he does get is pretty fascinating!

I'm not sure Robin's character development can be classified as "bad" or "good". He grows less idealistic over the course of the series. Less naive too, I think, and certainly less optimistic. He grows up. It's ironic that he does so after Marian's death, though he showed signs of becoming less invested in the people's well-being and more invested in politics during S2 too. In S3, the no-killing policy is thrown out of the window (along with the gang's screen time). I would like to blame this on crappy writing, but his character is more bitter in the third series, and he's learnt the hard way that not everyone can be saved; that his fight results in casualties. I'm not saying this to justify his killings, btw, I'm just stating that he used to care about preserving everyone's lives and apparently doesn't feel this way anymore in S3. This change of heart must come from a dark place. However, does his change of heart make him a terrible character? I'm not sure. It seems like a fairly believable change to me, especially because the cause isn't a laughing matter to him anymore. He wants to succeed. He wants to stop PJ and the Sheriff. He is willing to kill to do this. I actually think his character development is incredibly tragic – there's this sense of acceptance in S3; the acceptance that he's never going to succeed; that the last few years of his lives have pretty much been in vain (from a political POV; he still fed a lot of people), but he keeps fighting anyway. (Jammeke)[6]

I've been thinking about the differences between Robin and Guy's character arcs and I think maybe Guy's path to redemption is a bit more accessible to the viewer as it is a classic, mythic arc in which a character who essentially has a good heart is broken down by hardship/tragic circumstances, etc and becomes a "bad guy" but eventually redeems themselves through love, selflessness, etc. It is the Darth Vader arc. Guy's position and character, for the most part are not relatable to the average viewer (as such struggles are not something the average viewer has to face in real life) although it is easy to invest it as it is complex and interesting and who doesn't love a good redemption arc?

Robin's arc for the most part is the classic hero's journey - the Luke Skywalker arc (and in that respect is probably just as unrelatable to the viewer). Most of the journey happens prior to the show's commencement so we don't get to see a lot of it. Robin's journey based on what we see in the show, however, could be seen as a lot more relatable to the viewer as, really, at it's core it is about Robin growing up and the transition from child to adult - something we all have to face. Again, most of this happens pre-show, yet what we do see happening to Robin over three seasons is the transformation from the idealized, zealous youth into the more somber, somewhat disillusioned but determined adult.

Robin at the beginning of the series is essentially a college student or someone just out of high school, if I can draw a modern parallel. He is no longer a child with a limited sphere of life-experience, but has been out there, seeing the world from a different perspective, different cultures and ways of life and is just brimming with new ideas, concepts and idealism. He thinks he knows everything and is going to change the world. Robin's decided to embrace a pacifistic outlook and has firm ideas about social justice - he's even pretty showy and almost preachy about his religious and cultural tolerance and modern thinking.

But as it does with most people, life gets in the way and slowly that idealism is tempered by reality - he is in a position of great responsibility and hardship and often he compromises his ideals - abandoning the no-killing policy for example, or finding that Richard is not the man he thought he was, or the death of Marian almost making him give up the will to fight on. Although it is on a far larger and more dramatic scale in the show, Robin's character arc is a coming-of-age story which shares a great deal with the issues many people face in their lives, being young and idealistic and then after being out in world for a while having to look at things a bit more realistically (I, at least, can relate to that!)

And I think, in an escapist fantasy like Robin Hood it may seem like a minor character arc, but it is there and I think far from remaining static over the course of the show, Robin does change - not in a profound or obvious way, but in a way which is (imo) very realistic. (lotusflower85)[7]

When I hear that Guy is a more interesting character than Robin, I always strongly disagree with that. Each of them is an interesting character, but in their own ways. Guy is a dark character with bleak “rays” of light in his heart, but he is not completely dark and his heart is not entirely black. Robin is a kind and light hero with dark shadows and hidden undercurrent darkness. Guy is a tormented soul with a potential for absolution and redemption, a soul that must be guided to the light from the darkness, to find the way to redemption; in my opinion, Guy is a morally weaker man and less stable man than Robin is.

I believe that Robin is also a tormented soul seeking for absolution. On the show, he says several times that he regrets going to the Holy Land and that there is no glory on the battlefield. Robin regrets that he fought the pointless war for the holy case and is disappointed in the Crusade, even if he is loyal to King Richard. Robin feels remorse for killing many infidels, even if he killed them in battles. That’s why I’ve always believed that Robin’s decision to save the four innocent people from execution in S1E1 is partly the result of his unwillingness to tolerate bloodshed in his country and his attempt to atone for the “crimes” he committed in the Holy Land in the name of God and his King.

Guy is also a tormented soul as he is torn between the good and the bad, between his desire to have power and wealth and his secret desire to find redemption. Both Robin and Guy are tormented souls in their own ways.

Guy and Robin have different character arcs, but they both are conflicted characters. Robin's conflict is between his loyalty to England and the King, as well as his loyalty to the people and his love for Marian. Guy's conflict is mainly between the light and the darkness battling for dominance in his heart. Guy's conflict is also between his desire to have power and his ability to understand that power doesn't give happiness. Also, Robin's second conflict is between idealism and realism because he is fighting for ideals which are different from reality; he has a conflict between how he wants the world to be and how the world can be regardless of his wishes and efforts to make it better. Guy doesn't have this conflict because he is a realist and he accepts the world as it is, unlike Robin.

Robin is a protagonist that is struggling to overcome an internal opposition – his past experience in the Holy Land, the horrors of the war he wants to forget, and his failure to take care of the people during his long absence in the Holy Land, while he faces an external opposition – the Sheriff and Guy and Marian's initial rejection of him and their feelings. Robin's arc development is to become a fuller, better person, who matures throughout the show and finally becomes relatively disillusioned.

Guy's case is different. Guy is destined to change on the show in S3; he is a character whose fundamental values will undergo more radical transformation than Robin's values. It doesn't mean that Guy's character changes from an unlikely fellow into a savior and a hero, but the transformation is anyway quite radical as he is slowly moving closer to the point when he is ready to break from the Sheriff and becomes his own man and his own savior. Guy changes drastically as the plot develops and it means that Guy's arc character is the change arc.

Character arcs for Robin and Guy are different, and the growth they show throughout the series is different. Robin is supposed to grow up and become a fuller person, while Guy changes, grows up, and become a fuller person.

I think Robin is a more tragic character than Guy but not because Robin dies in the legend and on the show in the S3 Finale. Robin is an idealist who fights for absolute justice and universal peace, for King Richard who is only one man and doesn't care about the people very much but cares about foreign wars and power. But can we have universal peace and absolute justice? The answer is NO! Tomorrow King Richard will die and Robin's fight will lose its sense, while in the long run there will always be injustice and bloodshed because these things are an essential part of the world, especially in the Medieval era. I have to say a very painful thing for fans of Robin and for myself: Robin's fight for justice and for King Richard is ultimately futile – it is the fight for ideals that are destined to remain a dream, nothing more than a dream. And this is the tragedy of Robin Hood and the outlaws. (Amaranthe Athenais)[8]

I’m not sure Robin’s storyline is really meant to be about how he develops as a person, but more about how the person he’s become functions in a place like Nottingham, tries to live up to all of his ideals, and support what he believes in. While he certainly has his internal struggles, he also has so many external ones that are all about fighting injustice however he encounters it - Vaisey, the Black Knights, treason, poverty, hunger. If we compare him to someone like Guy, I think Guy was a character who began in one place and was absolutely meant to develop from it. I wouldn’t say Robin doesn’t develop at all, but it clearly isn’t going to be as dramatic, and I don’t think that was really the intention and wasn't really a failure or shortcoming of the character. Personally, I think Robin makes for a really interesting hero. I understand finding the hero sort of dull sometimes, which is why I usually prefer secondary characters myself, but Robin is definitely one of my favorite characters on the show – top three for sure. I guess I find Robin sufficiently complicated just as he is – with all of his flaws and vulnerabilities and hopes and ideals – and I don’t require him to develop dramatically as a person. And in fact, not every character on a show can do that. It would be madness! I think he's kind of brilliantly portrayed as a heroic person and a compelling leader who has his own share of human weaknesses that come out in very realistic and unpleasant ways sometimes. I sympathize. And I like that he's an imperfect person who doesn't stop trying to do good. (sylvi10)[9]

Pairings

In the majority of fanfiction, Robin Hood is paired with Marian (Robin/Marian) in het, mostly in life if Marian survives her mortal wound in S2 Finale or if she is not stabbed by Guy. Often Marian and Robin are shipped in death, including in the tragic S2 Finale or after Robin’s untimely death in S3 Finale.

Sometimes Robin is paired with Guy of Gisborne and with Much, his former manservant, in slash. The threesome is also sometimes written. Guy/Robin spans the spectrum from darkfic to domestic bliss in the Forest.

There are certain good fictions in which Robin is paired with Isabella of Gisborne and some interesting and fascinating OFCs, including Robin in an arranged political marriage, but there are a few stories giving Robin this storyline. Other pairings are rare, but partners include his little-liked S3 love interest Kate.

Example Fanworks

Fanfiction

Some Robin-centric fictions set in the pre-S1

  • A Birthday for Robin by muchbeddled – It’s set in the pre-S1. Queen Eleanor brings 12-year-old Prince John to Locksley for Robin's tenth birthday.
  • The Fruits of May by Glorious Clio – It’s set in the pre-S1. The tale about a particular day in May which makes a beautiful memory for Robin and Marian.
  • Fav Become the Stars by railise – It’s set in the pre-S1. Five-year-old Robin's father comforts him following the death of his mother.
  • Purpose by Kegel – It’s set in the pre-S1. While Robin is recovering in the Holy Land, he receives a gift.
  • Come Home by Lady Marianne – It’s set in the pre-S1. Four years after Robin left for the Holy Land, Marian receives word from him.
  • Battles And Scars by Amaranthe Athenais – It's set in the pre-series. It’s about a usual night, one of many nights, Robin spends near the walls of besieged Acre.
  • Killing Fields by lotusflower85 – The fiction about Robin’s life in the Holy Land. Robin justifies the holy war until he becomes the man who has to give the orders.
  • Killing For Nothing by exotic little bird – It’s set in pre-S1. Robin has to participate in the massacre of three thousand prisoners taken hostage by King Richard after the capture of Acre. He is not happy, and he considers it killing for nothing.
  • Robin and the Pirates by muchbeddled – It’s set in pre-S1. Many legends tell of Robin fighting pirates on his journey home from Acre. This is the author’s version.
  • The King's favorite and the masked Saracen by exotic little bird – It’s set in pre-S1. Robin is almost mortally wounded by the masked Saracen in the regicide attempt on King Richard's life in Acre. In reality, the masked Saracen is Guy of Gisborne. They fight and Guy fails to flee because he is gravely injured by Robin.

Some Robin-centric fictions

  • It's Not Over by jadey36 – Robin has returned from the Crusades to find that Guy of Gisborne has taken his place as Lord of Locksley. And that's not all he finds.
  • It's Not Easy by Emmithar – It’s set somewhere in S1. When Much disappears, Robin takes it upon himself to find his friend. Meanwhile, Marian faces the hangman's noose when her dealings with the outlaws is discovered, forcing Gisborne to take desperate measures.
  • Different Directions by Emmithar – Complete AU. Robin suddenly finds himself in a different world, a twist of time, in where he didn’t travel the Holy Land. He discovers that Marian is alive and is his wife, but King Richard is dead and Nottingham is far worse than he had ever imagined.
  • Out Of The Distance by Kegel – It’s set somewhere in S2. An encounter in the forest takes Robin away from his gang and the way back is not easy. Will serious mistakes lead Robin to make a last, fatal decision?
  • Affirmation by Kegel – It’s set somewhere in S2. After an ambush the outlaws make an unpleasant discovery. While trying to deal with the consequences, an injury of a single man leads on a path of disaster for all of them.
  • Better Days Will Come by Kegel – It’s set in the mid-S2. An unexpected offer give Robin new opportunities in his fight for both his people and country. It also brings new dilemmas, as he and the gang have to make hard choices to find their way when conflicts come to a head.
  • Everything Is A Choice by jadey36 – AU after S2 Finale. Marian is dead, and Robin wants revenge on Guy for killing Marian. But then events take an unexpected turn.
  • Never Surrender by Morgan – S1 AU. Marian marries Guy in S1E13 (A Clue: no) Robin is called back to the Holy Land by King Richard, paying for Marian’s choice.
  • Broken Arrow by alesh101 – It’s set after S2 Finale. Robin, now a broken man, broods in Acre after Marian's death.
  • Valiant Splinters by Zaedah – It’s set somewhere in S1 or S2. A great look at the mind and behavior of the dark Robin damaged by the war in the Holy Land
  • The War at Home by Zaedah – King Richard returns to England and there is no trip to Acre. The tale about the toll the war had taken on Robin is told from Marian’s POV.
  • Deserving by Jammeke – It’s set in S3. Maybe keeping Kate away from Much counted as a selfless act after all.
  • Learning to Love by Jammeke – It’s set in S3. Robin remembers Marian, the love of his life, and is brooding over his relationships with Isabella and Kate.

Recommended Robin/Marian fictions

  • Marian Through the Looking Glass by JAGNikJen – an epic Robin/Marian fic, quite popular among fans. Marian is thrown from her horse and finds herself in a situation she never could have ever imagined.
  • The Moment of Truth by Shadow Chaser – S2 AU with Robin/Marian and canon pairings. There is no trip to Acre in S2 Finale as King Richard returns to England and Robin and his gang must save their King.
  • A Legend Never Dies by Jammeke – Robin lifted his eyes to look at her. "They think I am a fox," he said slowly. " Robin & Marian short funny vignettes.
  • A Year and a Day by Glorious Clio – S2 AU starting from S2E10 (Walkabout). Marian is tired of being a pawn, and Robin is tired of waiting. Marian joins Robin in the forest.
  • The Final Tale by Jammeke – The story ignores the events of S3 Finale. Other than that the events are based on the canon. Robin/Marian, Robin/Kate.
  • Best Laid Plans by JAGNikJen – Robin and Marian plan to spend the day together. Thunder, lightning, and sex ensues. Mostly a PWP concept.
  • Paper Confessional by Zaedah – It’s set somewhere in S1 or S2. Until she’d handed over the letter, there was always the opportunity to recant the words.
  • Twelfth Night by muchbeddled – It’s set somewhere in pre-S1. Very interesting tale about Marian’s life in Nottingham and Robin’s adventures in the Holy Land.
  • You Must Have Had Suitors by muchbeddled – The fiction is set in pre-S1. Tales of some of Marian's suitors and Robin's adventures while he was in the Holy Land. Final chapter written by FireSpring Roses.
  • The Longest Time by Kegel – S2 AU after S2E10 (Lardner’s ring). When King Richard finally returned, Robin and the outlaws had to notice that things didn't turn out as they had always thought in the back of their minds.
  • Shattered Dreams by Amaranthe Athenais – It's set in the pre-series. Robin informs Marian about his decision to fight in the Holy Land for King Richard and England.
  • Aylesbury Ambushed! by muchbeddled – The fiction is set somewhere in S1. Former suitor of Marian, wimpy Martin of Aylesbury, is ambushed by Robin's gang in Sherwood. Sequel to You Must Have Had Suitors.
  • Committed by muchbeddled – After the siege of Nottingham by Prince John's army, Marian gives herself to Robin and now they even more committed to one another.
  • Heart Of The Matter by jadey36 – Robin returned from the Crusades, hoping to take up where he left off with Marian. Guy is also determined to woo her, and a mischief-maker on the loose, intent on causing trouble for the young couple.
  • Neither Timid nor Tame by bittersweetbetweenmyteeth – Vignettes featuring Marian & Robin, at various points in the series, starting at S1E13 (A Clue: No) and continuing on. Mostly romance, a little angst.

Recommended Robin/OFC fictions

  • Quintessence Of Life: Mysteries of The Past by Amaranthe Athenais – Guy/Marian, Robin/Marian, Robin/OFC AU starting from S2E10 (Walkabout), part one of the long epic (trilogy). The novel has an exclusive and original plot that is largely focused on the triangle Robin/King Richard/Guy (no slash, just the triangle about the mysterious relationships of the past), and Marian is not killed by Guy in a jealous rage. It’s a great novel, and it’s popular among fans.
  • Quintessence Of Life: Mysteries Unveiled by Amaranthe Athenais – Guy/Marian, Guy/Meg, Robin/Marian, Robin/OFC AU starting from S2E10 (Walkabout), part two of the long epic (trilogy). The novel has an exclusive and original plot that is largely focused on the triangle Robin/King Richard/Guy (no slash, just the triangle about the mysterious relationships of the past). Marian is not killed by Guy in a jealous rage: someone else is mortally wounded by Vaisey. It’s a great novel, and it’s popular among fans.
  • Betrayal by HiddenAmongShadows – Robin/OC story with the interesting plotline as both King Richard and Marian are dead after the events of S2 Finale.
  • The Hatred I Feel by Ditzybea – S3 AU, Guy/OFC, Robin/OFC fiction. After the death of Marian, a visitor comes back to Nottingham after a 5 year absence, and maybe she is just what Robin needs for his revenge. But does this visitor have an entirely different agenda?

Recommended Robin/Isabella fictions

  • Rewind, Start Again by Sandrine Shaw – S3 AU starting from S3E6 (Do You Love Me?). Guy realizes that everyone chooses their own path. Isabella is in a relationship with Robin Hood.
  • All Nature Seems To Weary Now by Sandrine Shaw – It’s set in S3. A little fill-in scene between S3E6 (Do You Love Me?) and S3E7 (Too Hot to Handle) developing Robin and Isabella's relationship.
  • That Dizzy Edge by Antilochus – It’s set in S3. Robin intrigues; Isabella flirts. A pair of scenes of sunshine for two lovers.

S2 and S3 Finale AUs

Robin/Marian S3 AU fictions

  • The Force of Destiny by railise – S3 AU with Robin/Marian and canon pairings. In Acre, Marian survives thanks to a timely arrow from Robin that hits Guy in the arm. Everyone returns to England to await the King's arrival. Guy eventually turns against the Sheriff and joins forces with Robin
  • Robin Hood, Season 3 AU by SaraBethie – Robin/Marian S3 AU. A new take on Robin Hood Season 3. After Marian and Carter's recoveries in the Holy Land, the gang makes their way back to England.
  • A Life Less Ordinary by lotusflower85 – Robin/Marian S3 AU, quite popular among fans. Marian is mortally wounded by Guy but she survives her and later returns to England.
  • Sins of the Heart by sunnyday30 – Robin/Marian S3 AU. Marian had married Guy in S2E13 (We Are Robin Hood), thinking that Robin was dead. Then everyone returns to England, and Marian discovers that Robin survived his trip to Acre and also returned home.
  • We Are Robin Hood by Lady Marianne – Robin/Marian S3 AU. At the end of Season 2, Marian doesn't try to kill the Sheriff and consequently is never taken to the Holy Land. Robin and the gang travel to Acre to save the King, but not everything ends as they plan.
  • Quadrilateral by lotusflower85 – S3 AU after "Enemy of my Enemy". Marian returns to Sherwood, alive, to find Robin in a relationship with Kate, Guy as a member of the gang, and Isabella as Sheriff.
  • The Return of the King by muchbeddled – Marian/Robin S3 AU. Marian survived and is married to Robin. Gisborne wants revenge. King Richard finally returned to England.

Slash fictions

Threesomes

Gen

Fanvids

Meta

Achieves

Communities

References

  1. ^ me + richard armitage: Fan Showcase: LadyKate63 (accessed 29 May 2013)
  2. ^ Robin Hood Fan Community: Robin's character development (accessed 17 June 2014)
  3. ^ Robin Hood Fan Community: Robin's character development (accessed 17 April 2014)
  4. ^ Hood Fan Community: How good a judge of character is Robin? (accessed 17 April 2014)
  5. ^ Hood Fan Community: Robin's character development (accessed 27 April 2014)
  6. ^ Robin Hood Fan Community: Robin's character development (accessed 17 June 2014)
  7. ^ Robin Hood Fan Community: Robin's character development (accessed 17 April 2014)
  8. ^ Robin Hood Fan Community: Robin's character development (accessed 17 June 2014)
  9. ^ Robin Hood Fan Community: Robin's character development (accessed 27 April 2014)
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