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* AscendedExtra: After only existing as a SacrificialLamb in a single scenario, Nobunaga becomes the main character of the Japanese campaign in ''Victors and Vanquished''.

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* BuryMeNotOnTheLonePrairie: The ending cutscene of "Pax Mongolica" ("Pax Mongolia" before the Definitive Edition) states his body was transported back to the River Onon in Mongolia, home of the legendary Blue Wolf and Fallow Doe, and was buried in an unmarked grave which was then trampled by a thousand horses to disguise it (one of the more plausible accounts of his burial).



** In "TheHorde Rides West", Genghis sends two assassins disguised as merchants to kill the Shah of Khorezm without being at war with him yet. In the event that inspired this scenario, a caravan of actual Mongol merchants were rounded up by a Khorezmian governor [[KickTheDog and executed]] [[VillainBall for no apparent reason]] (and [[LeeroyJenkins without informing the Shah to boot]]). When the Shah refused to punish the governor for this (mostly because said governor was also his uncle) and executed the Mongol envoys demanding restitution, the Khan's outrage resulted in Genghis' RoaringRampageOfRevenge and the [[DisproportionateRetribution complete destruction of Khorezm as a state]] (Genghis also tried to assassinate the Shah later, but he escaped to an island in the Caspian Sea; the game's mission is therefore a combination of multiple events). Even historians sympathetic to Genghis agree that [[StrawmanHasAPoint he used merchants as spies anyway]], however.

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** In "TheHorde Rides West", Genghis sends two assassins disguised as merchants to kill the Shah of Khorezm without being at war with him yet. In the event that inspired this scenario, a caravan of actual Mongol merchants were rounded up by a Khorezmian governor [[KickTheDog and executed]] [[VillainBall for no apparent reason]] (and [[LeeroyJenkins without informing the Shah to boot]]). When the Shah refused to punish the governor for this (mostly because said governor was also his uncle) and executed the Mongol envoys demanding restitution, the Khan's outrage resulted in Genghis' RoaringRampageOfRevenge and the [[DisproportionateRetribution complete destruction of Khorezm as a state]] (Genghis also tried to assassinate the Shah later, but he escaped to an island in the Caspian Sea; the game's mission is therefore a combination of multiple events). Even historians sympathetic to Genghis agree that [[StrawmanHasAPoint he used merchants as spies anyway]], anyway, however.
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* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Played horribly in the Burgundian Campaign in the Grand Dukes of the West. Turns out that a brave, idealistic peasant teenager with a banner and a belief in God can only do so much in the face of political inertia, powerful and cunning enemies among the enemy [[WeAreStrugglingTogether and her own side]], and brutal factionalism. This results in her overreaching and being captured, ending by defiantly berating a cynical enlightened despot to his face that he is a traitor to his nation and God's design, which [[KillItWillFire ends poorly for her.]]

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* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Played horribly in the Burgundian Campaign in the Grand Dukes of the West. Turns out that a brave, idealistic peasant teenager with a banner and a belief in God can only do so much in the face of political inertia, powerful and cunning enemies among the enemy [[WeAreStrugglingTogether and her own side]], and brutal factionalism. This results in her overreaching and being captured, ending by defiantly berating a cynical enlightened despot to his face that he is a traitor to his nation and God's design, which [[KillItWillFire [[KillItWithFire ends poorly for her.]]

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* OutOfCharacterMoment: In the Barbarossa Campaign, he appears with a small force outside the Saracen's walls surrounding Jerusalem, but sounds more fatalistic and stoic. He is also very likely to die and only serves as a brief distraction for your enemies. Averted in ''Definitive Edition'', where he starts out with a large base and more troops, finally more than a match for the Saracens.

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* OutOfCharacterMoment: OutOfCharacterMoment:
**
In the Barbarossa Campaign, campaign in the original and HD versions, he appears with a small force outside the Saracen's walls surrounding Jerusalem, but sounds more fatalistic and stoic. He is also very likely to die and only serves as a brief distraction for your enemies. Averted in ''Definitive Edition'', where he starts out with a large base and more troops, finally more than a match for the Saracens.

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Updated several entries.


A French knight working for the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the first enemy of the Saladin campaign. Is represented by the KnightlyLance hero unit.

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A French knight working for the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the first enemy of the Saladin campaign. Is represented by the KnightlyLance hero unit. In the expansion ''The Mountain Royals'', he is revealed to be the narrator of the Thoros the Great campaign.



* ArcVillain: Is the initial antagonist of the first half of Saladin's campaign. In Thoros the Great's campaign, he is this again in the third mission as he assists UsefulNotes/TheKnightsTemplar on behalf of the Byzantine Emperor, though he later turns against his employer when it becomes clear he is not going to fulfill his end of their bargain.



%%* KnightlyLance: Like most French campaign commanders.

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* NarratorAllAlong: The opening of the third mission of Thoros the Great's campaign reveals him to be the knight who had been acting as the narrator of the campaign.
%%* KnightlyLance: Like most French campaign commanders.commanders, he is represented in-game as an elite knight armed with a lance and shield.

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* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Even his heroic unit is quite powerful, you just never get to use him.


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* RankScalesWithAsskicking: Even though his heroic unit is quite powerful, you just never get to use him.

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Not what Black Knight is. You can't be The Dragon of a place, The Dragon means being the Big Bad's second in command. Don't change tropes' names. The description of the Climax Boss examples explains that it's not an example.


* TheLancer: To Joan.

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* %%* TheLancer: To Joan.



* TheBigGuy: To Joan in the third scenario and to Guy in the sixth.

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* %%* TheBigGuy: To Joan in the third scenario and to Guy in the sixth.



* BlackKnight: He is a knight and a complete psychopath.
* TheDragon: For Jerusalem, in the battle of Hattin.
* FieryRedhead: Has red hair and moustache.

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* BlackKnight: He is a knight and a complete psychopath.
* TheDragon: For Jerusalem, in the battle of Hattin.
*
%%* FieryRedhead: Has red hair and moustache.



* KnightlyLance: Like most French campaign commanders.

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* %%* KnightlyLance: Like most French campaign commanders.



* WorthyOpponent: Ends up being one for Saladin after Acre.

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* %%* WorthyOpponent: Ends up being one for Saladin after Acre.



%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]



* TheHorde: Leads one.

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* %%* TheHorde: Leads one.



* LargeHam: In the one speaking role he has.

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* %%* LargeHam: In the one speaking role he has.



* TheHorde: Leads one.

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* %%* TheHorde: Leads one.



* TheHorde: Leads the ones that conquer Russia and Hungary.

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* %%* TheHorde: Leads the ones that conquer Russia and Hungary.



* FieryRedhead: Barbarossa means "Red Beard" in Italian. While the cutscenes are not colorized, his expansion-available unit hows him with red hair and beard.

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* %% (Doesn't explain the "fiery" part)* FieryRedhead: Barbarossa means "Red Beard" in Italian. While the cutscenes are not colorized, his expansion-available unit hows him with red hair and beard.



* FaceHeelTurn: Twice.

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* %%* FaceHeelTurn: Twice.



** His HistoricalVillainUpgrade.

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** %%** His HistoricalVillainUpgrade.



* {{Put on a B|us}}oat: He marches to exile in England after betraying Barbarossa a second time.

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* {{Put on a B|us}}oat: PutOnABus: He marches to exile in England after betraying Barbarossa a second time.



* TheHorde: Leads a brutal one into Europe.

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* %%* TheHorde: Leads a brutal one into Europe.



* RapePillageAndBurn: The whole Attila Campaign can be summed as this.

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* %%* RapePillageAndBurn: The whole Attila Campaign can be summed as this.



* EvilVersusEvil: His conflict with Attila.

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* %%* EvilVersusEvil: His conflict with Attila.



* ClimaxBoss: Though you never see him directly in game, the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields count as this.
* HeroAntagonist: Technically for Attila's Campaign.

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* ClimaxBoss: Though you never see him directly in game, the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields count as this.
*
%%* HeroAntagonist: Technically for Attila's Campaign.



* WorthyOpponent: To Attila.

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* %%* WorthyOpponent: To Attila.
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The Hero is Definition-Only and an exampleless supertrope.


* TheHero: Of the First Campaign, though you only get to use him later in the last scenario.



* TheHero: Of the second campaign. The game credits her with turning the tide of UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar and turning the French feudal levies into an unified national army.



* TheHero: Though some people may consider him a VillainProtagonist.



* TheHero: Undisputed, even by his enemies.



%%* TheHero



%%* TheHero



%%* TheHero: Of Kyoto.
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[-'''Civilizations:''' ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIOriginalCivilizations Age of Kings/The Conquerors]]'' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIHDEditionCivilizations HD Edition]]'' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIDefinitiveEditionCivilizations Definitive Edition]]''\\

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[-'''Civilizations:''' ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIOriginalCivilizations Age of Kings/The Conquerors]]'' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIHDEditionCivilizations HD Edition]]'' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIDefinitiveEditionCivilizations Definitive Edition]]''\\Edition]]'' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresI Return to Rome (AoE1)]]''\\

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'''Campaigns:''' '''''Age of Kings/The Conquerors''''' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIHDEdition HD Edition]]'' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIDefinitiveEdition Definitive Edition]]'' -]]]]]

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'''Campaigns:''' '''''Age of Kings/The Conquerors''''' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIHDEdition HD Edition]]'' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIDefinitiveEdition Definitive Edition]]'' Edition]]''\\
'''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIUnits Non-Unique Units]]'''
-]]]]]

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Bonus Boss was renamed by TRS


* BonusBoss: In the third scenario he will personally storm your base with some elite troops if you destroy one of the English Castles, but neither killing him nor defeating his ''bloody tough'' armies is vital to win the scenario.


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* OptionalBoss: In the third scenario he will personally storm your base with some elite troops if you destroy one of the English Castles, but neither killing him nor defeating his ''bloody tough'' armies is vital to win the scenario.

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And Thats Terrible requires a narrator or character saying that it's terrible, wether this is the case in the game or not is not indicated in the example. Trope slashing is forbidden.


* AndThatsTerrible: He stole the Coronation Stone and crowned himself King of Scotland!!



%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]



[[folder:Sieur Betrand and Sieur de Metz]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_5_sieurbertrandsieurdemetz.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Sieur Bertrand (Left) and Sieur de Metz (Right)]]
Two French knights who escorted Joan of Arc to Chinon so that she may meet the Dauphin.
----

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[[folder:Sieur %%[[folder:Sieur Betrand and Sieur de Metz]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.%%[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_5_sieurbertrandsieurdemetz.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Sieur %%[[caption-width-right:350:Sieur Bertrand (Left) and Sieur de Metz (Right)]]
Two %%Two French knights who escorted Joan of Arc to Chinon so that she may meet the Dauphin.
----%%----



[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dauphin Charles VII]]
The Dauphin (Prince) of France. Joan's mission is making him King of France, instead of the English.

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[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dauphin
%%[[/folder]]

%%[[folder:Dauphin
Charles VII]]
The %%The Dauphin (Prince) of France. Joan's mission is making him King of France, instead of the English.English.
%%----
%%[[/folder]]

%%[[folder:Duke Jean d' Alençon]]
%%A French duke who aids Joan of Arc in breaking the siege of Orleans.
%%----
%%[[/folder]]

[[folder:La Hire]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_6_lahire.jpg]]
A French BloodKnight, represented by an extremly powerful champion. He serves as TheLancer to Joan first, and then Guy.



* ArtisticLicenseHistory: La Hire was long dead before the Battle of Castillon, yet he's present in "A Perfect Martyr", which represents said battle.
* {{BFS}}: The unit representing him, the strongest infantry swordsman, wields one.
* TheBigGuy: To Joan in the third scenario and to Guy in the sixth.
* BloodKnight: Sounds almost psychotic.
-->'''La Hire:''' The blood on La Hire's sword is almost dry.
* LargeHam: "Ah, La Hire wishes to kill something".
* MadeOfIron: La Hire is the ONLY unit in all of Age of Empires 2 who is simply "grievously wounded" if he gets killed in the 3rd Joan of Arc scenario, in spite of you being able to see his corpse rot. Gameplay limitations aside, he reappears for the 6th scenario but if he falls in battle there, it will be confirmed that he has perished.
* NeckSnap: His plan for a few English soldiers at Patay, according to Josseline.
* RedBaron: La Hire means "[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Wrath]]". For the curious, [[AllThereInTheManual the historical La Hire's name was]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Hire Etienne de Vignolles.]]
* ThirdPersonPerson: La Hire never says the word "I". Just "La Hire."



[[folder:Duke Jean d' Alençon]]
A French duke who aids Joan of Arc in breaking the siege of Orleans.

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[[folder:Duke Jean d' Alençon]]
A French duke who aids
[[folder:Sir John Falstolf]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_7_sirjohnfastolf.jpg]]
An extremely arrogant English knight, and the antagonist of the third level in
Joan of Arc in breaking Arc. Represented by the siege of Orleans.KnightlyLance hero unit.



* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Continuously dismisses Joan's forces as a bunch of worthless rams and cattle. It counts as HypocriticalHumor, given that most of the time he's just sending [[WeHaveReserves wave upon wave]] of knights and rams to attack your base.
* BonusBoss: In the third scenario he will personally storm your base with some elite troops if you destroy one of the English Castles, but neither killing him nor defeating his ''bloody tough'' armies is vital to win the scenario.
%%* EvilBrit
* FaceDeathWithDignity: If killed, he says "I die for England."
* HistoricalBadassUpgrade: He actually survived the battle of Patay in real life, and was labelled as a DirtyCoward for ''the next 13 years'' for it. Even after that his reputation never fully recovered, and [[{{Flanderization}} Shakespeare immortalizing him as the buffoonish Falstaff did not help]].
* HypocriticalHumor: He mocks Joan's reliance on knights and rams while commanding a force of nothing but knights and rams himself.
* KnightlyLance: As is typical of commanders in the Joan of Arc campaign.
* MirrorBoss: As a unit, his base stats are identical to Joan's aside from having worse line of sight. He also attacks you with knights and rams in a scenario where you're likely to use a lot of knights and rams yourself.
* WakeUpCallBoss: "Fastolf's Army advanced to the Imperial Age." He is the first enemy AI that hits the Imperial Age, all while the player can only advance to the Castle Age. A battle with him becomes Cavaliers and Capped Rams vs the player's Knights and Battering Rams. Thankfully, he seems somewhat handicapped and only has a few Imperial Age technologies available to him.
* WeHaveReserves: He never runs out of knights.



[[folder:La Hire]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_6_lahire.jpg]]
A French BloodKnight, represented by an extremly powerful champion. He serves as TheLancer to Joan first, and then Guy.

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[[folder:La Hire]]
%%[[folder:Jean de Lorrain]]
%%[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_8_jeandelorrain.jpg]]
%%A French cannoneer who fought in the Siege of Paris.
%%----
%%[[/folder]]

%%[[folder:Lord de Graville]]
%%[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_9_lorddegraville.jpg]]
%%----
%%[[/folder]]

[[folder:Constable Richemont]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_6_lahire.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_10_constablerichemont.jpg]]
A The Breton nobleman and commander of the French BloodKnight, represented by an extremly powerful champion. He serves as TheLancer to Joan first, and then Guy.army.



* ArtisticLicenseHistory: La Hire was long dead before the Battle of Castillon, yet he's present in "A Perfect Martyr", which represents said battle.
* {{BFS}}: The unit representing him, the strongest infantry swordsman, wields one.
* TheBigGuy: To Joan in the third scenario and to Guy in the sixth.
* BloodKnight: Sounds almost psychotic.
-->'''La Hire:''' The blood on La Hire's sword is almost dry.
* LargeHam: "Ah, La Hire wishes to kill something".
* MadeOfIron: La Hire is the ONLY unit in all of Age of Empires 2 who is simply "grievously wounded" if he gets killed in the 3rd Joan of Arc scenario, in spite of you being able to see his corpse rot. Gameplay limitations aside, he reappears for the 6th scenario but if he falls in battle there, it will be confirmed that he has perished.
* NeckSnap: His plan for a few English soldiers at Patay, according to Josseline.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname[=/=]RedBaron: La Hire means "[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Wrath]]". For the curious, [[AllThereInTheManual the historical La Hire's name was]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Hire Etienne de Vignolles.]]
* ThirdPersonPerson: La Hire never says the word "I". Just "La Hire."

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* ArtisticLicenseHistory: La Hire He was long dead before involved in the Battle of Castillon, yet he's Patay but doesn't appear in "The Cleansing of the Loire," and he wasn't present in the Battle of Castillon but he appears in "A Perfect Martyr", which represents said battle.
* {{BFS}}: The unit representing him, the strongest infantry swordsman, wields one.
* TheBigGuy: To Joan in the third scenario and to Guy in the sixth.
* BloodKnight: Sounds almost psychotic.
-->'''La Hire:''' The blood on La Hire's sword is almost dry.
* LargeHam: "Ah, La Hire wishes to kill something".
* MadeOfIron: La Hire is the ONLY unit in all of Age of Empires 2 who is simply "grievously wounded" if he gets killed in the 3rd Joan of Arc scenario, in spite of you being able to see his corpse rot. Gameplay limitations aside, he reappears for the 6th scenario but if he falls in battle there, it will be confirmed that he has perished.
* NeckSnap: His plan for a few English soldiers at Patay, according to Josseline.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname[=/=]RedBaron: La Hire means "[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Wrath]]". For the curious, [[AllThereInTheManual the historical La Hire's name was]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Hire Etienne de Vignolles.]]
* ThirdPersonPerson: La Hire never says the word "I". Just "La Hire.
Martyr."



[[folder:Sir John Falstolf]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_7_sirjohnfastolf.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
An extremely arrogant English knight, and the antagonist of the third level in Joan of Arc. Represented by the KnightlyLance hero unit.

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[[folder:Sir John Falstolf]]
[[folder:Jean Bureau]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_7_sirjohnfastolf.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
An extremely arrogant English knight,
org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_11_jeanbureau.jpg]]
A French artillery commander
and siege engineer in the antagonist Battle of the third level in Joan of Arc. Represented by the KnightlyLance hero unit.Castillon.



* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Continuously dismisses Joan's forces as a bunch of worthless rams and cattle. It counts as HypocriticalHumor, given that most of the time he's just sending [[WeHaveReserves wave upon wave]] of knights and rams to attack your base.
* BonusBoss: In the third scenario he will personally storm your base with some elite troops if you destroy one of the English Castles, but neither killing him nor defeating his ''bloody tough'' armies is vital to win the scenario.
%%* EvilBrit
* FaceDeathWithDignity: If killed, he says "I die for England."
* HistoricalBadassUpgrade: He actually survived the battle of Patay in real life, and was labelled as a DirtyCoward for ''the next 13 years'' for it. Even after that his reputation never fully recovered, and [[{{Flanderization}} Shakespeare immortalizing him as the buffoonish Falstaff did not help]].
* HypocriticalHumor: He mocks Joan's reliance on knights and rams while commanding a force of nothing but knights and rams himself.
* KnightlyLance: As is typical of commanders in the Joan of Arc campaign.
* MirrorBoss: As a unit, his base stats are identical to Joan's aside from having worse line of sight. He also attacks you with knights and rams in a scenario where you're likely to use a lot of knights and rams yourself.
* WakeUpCallBoss: "Fastolf's Army advanced to the Imperial Age." He is the first enemy AI that hits the Imperial Age, all while the player can only advance to the Castle Age. A battle with him becomes Cavaliers and Capped Rams vs the player's Knights and Battering Rams. Thankfully, he seems somewhat handicapped and only has a few Imperial Age technologies available to him.
* WeHaveReserves: He never runs out of knights.

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* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Continuously dismisses Joan's forces as a bunch of worthless rams and cattle. It counts as HypocriticalHumor, given that most of PaperTiger: He somehow has the time he's just sending [[WeHaveReserves wave upon wave]] of knights and rams to attack your base.
* BonusBoss: In the third scenario he will personally storm your base with some elite troops if you destroy one of the English Castles, but neither killing him nor defeating his ''bloody tough'' armies is vital to win the scenario.
%%* EvilBrit
* FaceDeathWithDignity: If killed, he says "I die for England."
* HistoricalBadassUpgrade: He actually survived the battle of Patay in real life, and was labelled as a DirtyCoward for ''the next 13 years'' for it. Even after that his reputation never fully recovered, and [[{{Flanderization}} Shakespeare immortalizing him as the buffoonish Falstaff did not help]].
* HypocriticalHumor: He mocks Joan's reliance on knights and rams while commanding a force of nothing but knights and rams himself.
* KnightlyLance: As is typical of commanders in the Joan of Arc campaign.
* MirrorBoss: As a unit, his base
worst stats are identical compared to Joan's aside from having worse line of sight. He also attacks you with knights and rams in a scenario where you're likely to use a lot of knights and rams yourself.
* WakeUpCallBoss: "Fastolf's Army advanced to the Imperial Age." He is the first enemy AI that hits the Imperial Age, all while the player can only advance to the Castle Age. A battle with him becomes Cavaliers and Capped Rams vs the player's Knights and Battering Rams. Thankfully, he seems somewhat handicapped and only has a few Imperial Age technologies available to him.
* WeHaveReserves: He never runs out of knights.
normal Bombard Cannon.



[[folder:Jean de Lorrain]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_8_jeandelorrain.jpg]]

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[[folder:Jean de Lorrain]]
!!Saladin (Saracens)

[[folder:Saladin]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_8_jeandelorrain.jpg]]org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_12_saladin.jpg]]



A French cannoneer who fought in the Siege of Paris.

to:

A French cannoneer who fought The leader of the Saracens, and the protagonist of his campaign, as well as a FinalBoss of the Barbarossa campaign. Does not appear in-game, but in the Siege of Paris.expansions he's introduced as an heroic Mameluke unit.



* CulturedBadass: The narrator highlights how refined and educated he, and the rest of the Saracen civilization, is.
* TheGhost: He never appears in the campaigns.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: As the narrator noted, he became more and more ruthless as the crusaders continued the war. However, his admiration for Richard the Lionhearted seems to restore his gallantry, as he provides food and medical aid to him after the Siege of Acre and signs a peace treaty with the Crusaders the following year.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: In reality, the gentle treatment of prisoners mentioned by the narrator after the battle of Hattin only extended to barons and higher-ranked nobles (except Reynald). The other captured knights and soldiers were sold into slavery if they couldn't afford a ransom, while Templars and Hospitallers were beheaded (except the Master of the Templar, who was ransomed), as were turcopoles (locally recruited Christian horse archers), as Saladin considered them traitors to Islam.
* SilentProtagonist: He has no lines of dialogue; even when he specifically appears as an enemy player in the last Barbarossa mission, the Saracen reaction to the Teutons' arrival in the Holy Land is spoken by "Saracens" instead of Saladin himself. Averted in the ''Definitive Edition'', where the aforementioned line of dialogue ''is'' said by Saladin.
* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: The narrator, a captured crusader, routinely notes how different Saladin and [[HeroWithBadPublicity his portrayal by Europeans]] is.
* TheWorfEffect: In ''Battles of the Forgotten'', it is mentioned that Saladin was often defeated by Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade, after the siege of Acre (which he lost, by the way).



[[folder:Lord de Graville]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_9_lorddegraville.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]

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[[folder:Lord [[folder:Reynald de Graville]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_9_lorddegraville.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
Chatillon]]
A French knight working for the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the first enemy of the Saladin campaign. Is represented by the KnightlyLance hero unit.



* ArchEnemy: Ends up becoming one for Saladin.
* BlackKnight: He is a knight and a complete psychopath.
* TheDragon: For Jerusalem, in the battle of Hattin.
* FieryRedhead: Has red hair and moustache.
* FrenchJerk: He's referred to as a "wicked French knight" by the narration.
* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: Considering how brutal the real Reynald was, what the game lists his actions are is arguable tame by comparison.
* KnightlyLance: Like most French campaign commanders.
* OffWithHisHead: Captured and beheaded by Saladin himself.



[[folder:Constable Richemont]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_10_constablerichemont.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
The Breton nobleman and commander of the French army.

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[[folder:Constable Richemont]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_10_constablerichemont.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
[[folder:Richard the Lionhearted]]
The Breton nobleman and commander FinalBoss of the French army.Saladin campaign, a minor ally in the final level of Barbarossa and the protagonist of the Cyprus scenario in the Battles of the Forgotten. Represented by a powerful paladin unit.



* ArtisticLicenseHistory: He was involved in the Battle of Patay but doesn't appear in "The Cleansing of the Loire," and he wasn't present in the Battle of Castillon but he appears in "A Perfect Martyr."

to:

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: He was involved in AscendedExtra: Becomes the Battle main protagonist of Patay but doesn't appear Cyprus.
* GeniusBruiser: A resourceful tactician and an expert warrior. Subverted
in "The Cleansing of Cyprus, where his answer to hostilities from the Loire," local Sicilians and Cypriots is to steamroll their defenses and crush them until they surrender, with no finesse whatsoever.
* GratuitousFrench: Mentioned that
he wasn't present in spoke French, rather than English.
* {{Jerkass}}: Even
the Battle narration of Castillon but Cyprus admit that, despite his military prowess he has many social faults and his behaviour outside of combat leaves much to be desired. This may explain why Philip August of France and King Tancred of Sicily aren't too fond of him.
* OutOfCharacterMoment: In the Barbarossa Campaign,
he appears with a small force outside the Saracen's walls surrounding Jerusalem, but sounds more fatalistic and stoic. He is also very likely to die and only serves as a brief distraction for your enemies. Averted in "A Perfect Martyr."''Definitive Edition'', where he starts out with a large base and more troops, finally more than a match for the Saracens.
** In ''Battles of the Forgotten'', he appears instead as a rather rude, straightforward monarch who adopts brute force to solve any situation he's in (like forcefully invade and conquer Messina and Cyprus), and his later tactical exploits against Saladin depicts him as a military genius so great you'd think they're describing your standard MaryTzu. (While he indeed won against Saladin multiple times, he was unable to actually conquer Jerusalem, as stated in the narration).
* WorthyOpponent: Ends up being one for Saladin after Acre.



[[folder:Jean Bureau]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_11_jeanbureau.jpg]]

to:

[[folder:Jean Bureau]]
!!Genghis Khan (Mongols)

[[folder:Genghis Khan]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_11_jeanbureau.jpg]]org/pmwiki/pub/images/74f665a8_5ece_4a5c_b95d_8f35828ae21d.png]]



A French artillery commander and siege engineer in the Battle of Castillon.

to:

A French artillery commander and siege engineer The protagonist of the Mongols campaign. Appears only in the Battle of Castillon.first level, as a powerful mangudai unit. Voiced by Rick May.



* PaperTiger: He somehow has the worst stats compared to a normal Bombard Cannon.

to:

* PaperTiger: He somehow has AchillesInHisTent: Slipping into TheGhost, the worst stats compared second scenario of his campaign commands you to defend Genghis's tent from his enemies, but he does not appear as an unit. It is at best unclear if he's ''inside'' the tent; if the tent is destroyed, the narrator will [[DeadpanSnarker merely quip]] that the Khan will not like it.
* AdvertisedExtra: He only appears at the beginning of the first scenario and is never playable.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Even his heroic unit is quite powerful, you just never get to use him.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Infamous for inflicting horrible tortures and executions on prisoners and defeated.
* ForTheEvulz: After destroying Khorezm, the Mongols enjoy themselves making mountains out of the decapitated heads of men, women, children, horses, dogs and cats, and sow the Khorezmian fields with salt.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the campaign, you have to defend Genghis Khan's tent during he second scenario, which is represented by
a normal Bombard Cannon.lavish Mongol wonder. In reality, Genghis Khan was famous for keeping the same modest lifestyle he was born in, sleeping in a common yurt even at the height of his conquests. The cutscenes are true to the latter.
* GreaterScopeVillain: His conquest of Cumania ultimately leads to the events of the Kotyan Khan campaign, but Genghis himself is only mentioned once, and most of the actual fighting is overseen by his lieutenant Subotai.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade:
** The cutscene after "Crucible" says that Genghis ordered the chiefs who refused to follow him to be boiled alive. According to "The Secret History of the Mongols", it was Genghis's rival Jamukha (who is not referenced in the campaign) who had Genghis's generals boiled alive after capturing them.
** In "TheHorde Rides West", Genghis sends two assassins disguised as merchants to kill the Shah of Khorezm without being at war with him yet. In the event that inspired this scenario, a caravan of actual Mongol merchants were rounded up by a Khorezmian governor [[KickTheDog and executed]] [[VillainBall for no apparent reason]] (and [[LeeroyJenkins without informing the Shah to boot]]). When the Shah refused to punish the governor for this (mostly because said governor was also his uncle) and executed the Mongol envoys demanding restitution, the Khan's outrage resulted in Genghis' RoaringRampageOfRevenge and the [[DisproportionateRetribution complete destruction of Khorezm as a state]] (Genghis also tried to assassinate the Shah later, but he escaped to an island in the Caspian Sea; the game's mission is therefore a combination of multiple events). Even historians sympathetic to Genghis agree that [[StrawmanHasAPoint he used merchants as spies anyway]], however.
* TheHorde: Leads one.
%%* HorseArcher
* LargeHam: In the one speaking role he has.
* ModestRoyalty: Despite owning half of Asia, he dies in a yurt as humble as the one he was born in. The narrator hints that his descendants won't be as humble.
* RagsToRiches: His mother hunted rodents to not die of starvation. His children eat from Persian gold plates.
* RapePillageAndBurn: "Four Mongol tribes follow the standard of Genghis Khan. The rest of the world will soon learn ''fear''". Oh, indeed.
* TakeUpMySword: He gets his son Ogatai to take his bow, and continue the Mongol conquest into Europe.
* VillainProtagonist: Arguably he can be considered one.
* YouAreInCommandNow: According to the narrator, in his deathbed he "refuses to die" until one of his sons agrees to take control of his horde and invade Europe, upon which he names him his heir.



!!Saladin (Saracens)

[[folder:Saladin]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_12_saladin.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
The leader of the Saracens, and the protagonist of his campaign, as well as a FinalBoss of the Barbarossa campaign. Does not appear in-game, but in the expansions he's introduced as an heroic Mameluke unit.

to:

!!Saladin (Saracens)

[[folder:Saladin]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_12_saladin.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
The leader of
[[folder:Ornlu the Saracens, and Wolf]]
A wolf carrying a minor role in
the protagonist of his campaign, as well as a FinalBoss of the Barbarossa Genghis Khan campaign. Does not appear in-game, but in The task to convince the expansions he's introduced as an heroic Mameluke unit.Uighurs to join Genghis, is to kill Ornlu and his pack. A renamed version of him, called Son of Ornlu, inexplicably appears in Montezuma. He is a very powerful wolf.



* CulturedBadass: The narrator highlights how refined and educated he, and the rest of the Saracen civilization, is.
* TheGhost: He never appears in the campaigns.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: As the narrator noted, he became more and more ruthless as the crusaders continued the war. However, his admiration for Richard the Lionhearted seems to restore his gallantry, as he provides food and medical aid to him after the Siege of Acre and signs a peace treaty with the Crusaders the following year.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: In reality, the gentle treatment of prisoners mentioned by the narrator after the battle of Hattin only extended to barons and higher-ranked nobles (except Reynald). The other captured knights and soldiers were sold into slavery if they couldn't afford a ransom, while Templars and Hospitallers were beheaded (except the Master of the Templar, who was ransomed), as were turcopoles (locally recruited Christian horse archers), as Saladin considered them traitors to Islam.
* SilentProtagonist: He has no lines of dialogue; even when he specifically appears as an enemy player in the last Barbarossa mission, the Saracen reaction to the Teutons' arrival in the Holy Land is spoken by "Saracens" instead of Saladin himself. Averted in the ''Definitive Edition'', where the aforementioned line of dialogue ''is'' said by Saladin.
* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: The narrator, a captured crusader, routinely notes how different Saladin and [[HeroWithBadPublicity his portrayal by Europeans]] is.
* TheWorfEffect: In ''Battles of the Forgotten'', it is mentioned that Saladin was often defeated by Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade, after the siege of Acre (which he lost, by the way).

to:

* CulturedBadass: The narrator highlights how refined and educated he, and BreakoutVillain: Despite his minor role, he is the rest best remembered of the Saracen civilization, is.
fictional characters invented for the game. The fan made expansion ''Forgotten Empires'' gives Ornlu his very own Hero icon. Yep, the fans decided that spending their time making a Hero icon for only scenario-available Ornlu the Wolf was worth the time and effort.
* TheGhost: He never appears MythologyGag: There are references to him in both Age of Mythology and Age of Empires III. And he turns up in the campaigns.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: As the narrator noted, he became more
Montezuma campaign and more ruthless as the crusaders continued the war. However, his admiration for Richard the Lionhearted seems to restore his gallantry, as he provides food and medical aid to him after the Siege of Acre and signs a peace treaty with the Crusaders the following year.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: In reality, the gentle treatment of prisoners mentioned by the narrator after the battle of Hattin only extended to barons and higher-ranked nobles (except Reynald). The other captured knights and soldiers were sold into slavery if they couldn't afford a ransom, while Templars and Hospitallers were beheaded (except the Master of the Templar, who was ransomed), as were turcopoles (locally recruited Christian horse archers), as Saladin considered them traitors to Islam.
* SilentProtagonist: He has no lines of dialogue; even when he specifically appears as an enemy player
Vinlandsaga missions in the last Barbarossa mission, the Saracen reaction to the Teutons' arrival in the Holy Land Conquerors as well.
* SavageWolves: Ornlu
is spoken by "Saracens" instead of Saladin himself. Averted in the ''Definitive Edition'', where the aforementioned line of dialogue ''is'' said by Saladin.
* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: The narrator,
such a captured crusader, routinely notes how different Saladin and [[HeroWithBadPublicity his portrayal by Europeans]] is.
* TheWorfEffect: In ''Battles of the Forgotten'', it is mentioned
problem for a particular tribe that Saladin was often defeated by Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade, after the siege of Acre (which they will pledge loyalty to Genghis if he lost, by the way).resolves it for them.



[[folder:Reynald de Chatillon]]
A French knight working for the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the first enemy of the Saladin campaign. Is represented by the KnightlyLance hero unit.

to:

[[folder:Reynald de Chatillon]]
A French knight working for the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the first enemy
[[folder:Kushluk]]
The antagonist
of the Saladin campaign. Is represented second level of Genghis Khan. Represented by the KnightlyLance hero a cavalier unit.



* ArchEnemy: Ends up becoming one for Saladin.
* BlackKnight: He is a knight and a complete psychopath.
* TheDragon: For Jerusalem, in the battle of Hattin.
* FieryRedhead: Has red hair and moustache.
* FrenchJerk: He's referred to as a "wicked French knight" by the narration.
* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: Considering how brutal the real Reynald was, what the game lists his actions are is arguable tame by comparison.
* KnightlyLance: Like most French campaign commanders.
* OffWithHisHead: Captured and beheaded by Saladin himself.

to:

* ArchEnemy: Ends up becoming one for Saladin.
* BlackKnight:
DirtyCoward: He is a knight and a complete psychopath.
flees as soon as he sees Genghis' men coming.
* TheDragon: For Jerusalem, in TheHorde: Leads one.
* GetBackHereBoss: Flees immediately after
the battle defeat of Hattin.
* FieryRedhead: Has red hair and moustache.
* FrenchJerk: He's referred to as a "wicked French knight" by
the narration.
Khara Khitai.
* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: Considering how GoodScarsEvilScars: He sports a brutal the real Reynald was, what the game lists one over his actions are left eye, who is arguable tame by comparison.
* KnightlyLance: Like most French campaign commanders.
* OffWithHisHead: Captured and beheaded by Saladin himself.
missing.
%%* WarmupBoss



[[folder:Richard the Lionhearted]]
The FinalBoss of the Saladin campaign, a minor ally in the final level of Barbarossa and the protagonist of the Cyprus scenario in the Battles of the Forgotten. Represented by a powerful paladin unit.

to:

[[folder:Richard the Lionhearted]]
The FinalBoss of the Saladin campaign, a minor ally in the final level of Barbarossa
[[folder:Subotai]]
TheLancer to Genghis,
and the protagonist of the Cyprus scenario in the Battles of the Forgotten. later, Ogatai. Represented by a powerful paladin unit.cavalry archer. Also appears in the Kotyan Khan campaign as the antagonist.



* AscendedExtra: Becomes the main protagonist of Cyprus.
* GeniusBruiser: A resourceful tactician and an expert warrior. Subverted in Cyprus, where his answer to hostilities from the local Sicilians and Cypriots is to steamroll their defenses and crush them until they surrender, with no finesse whatsoever.
* GratuitousFrench: Mentioned that he spoke French, rather than English.
* {{Jerkass}}: Even the narration of Cyprus admit that, despite his military prowess he has many social faults and his behaviour outside of combat leaves much to be desired. This may explain why Philip August of France and King Tancred of Sicily aren't too fond of him.
* OutOfCharacterMoment: In the Barbarossa Campaign, he appears with a small force outside the Saracen's walls surrounding Jerusalem, but sounds more fatalistic and stoic. He is also very likely to die and only serves as a brief distraction for your enemies. Averted in ''Definitive Edition'', where he starts out with a large base and more troops, finally more than a match for the Saracens.
** In ''Battles of the Forgotten'', he appears instead as a rather rude, straightforward monarch who adopts brute force to solve any situation he's in (like forcefully invade and conquer Messina and Cyprus), and his later tactical exploits against Saladin depicts him as a military genius so great you'd think they're describing your standard MaryTzu. (While he indeed won against Saladin multiple times, he was unable to actually conquer Jerusalem, as stated in the narration).
* WorthyOpponent: Ends up being one for Saladin after Acre.

to:

* AscendedExtra: Becomes the main protagonist of Cyprus.
* GeniusBruiser: A resourceful tactician and an expert warrior. Subverted in Cyprus, where his answer to hostilities from the local Sicilians and Cypriots is to steamroll their defenses and crush them until they surrender, with no finesse whatsoever.
* GratuitousFrench: Mentioned that he spoke French, rather than English.
* {{Jerkass}}: Even the narration of Cyprus admit that, despite his military prowess he has many social faults and his behaviour outside of combat leaves much to be desired. This may explain why Philip August of France and King Tancred of Sicily aren't too fond of him.
* OutOfCharacterMoment: In the Barbarossa Campaign, he appears with
AssistCharacter: The Wolves gain a small force outside the Saracen's walls surrounding Jerusalem, but sounds more fatalistic and stoic. He is also very likely to die and only serves as a brief distraction for your enemies. Averted in ''Definitive Edition'', where he starts out with a large base and more troops, finally more than a match for the Saracens.
** In ''Battles of the Forgotten'', he appears instead as a rather rude, straightforward monarch who adopts brute force to solve any situation he's in (like forcefully invade and conquer Messina and Cyprus), and his later tactical exploits against Saladin depicts him as a military genius so great you'd think
speed boost when they're describing your standard MaryTzu. (While directed at enemies, attack very quickly, and have the healing factor bestowed upon all Hero units.
* BigBad: For the first half of the Kotyan Khan campaign.
* BigDamnHeroes: In the last scenario after forty minutes of Hungarian siege,
he indeed won against Saladin multiple times, he arrives followed by a generous amount of saboteurs to save the day.
* CanineCompanion: His two hunting wolves. Possibly a reference to his title of "Dog of War."
* TheHeavy: Set in motion Kotyan's evacuation from Cumania, after suppressing the Kipchaks then laying [[CurbStompBattle a brutal beat down on the combined Cuman-Rus' forces]] in the Battle of Kalka River. He continued to pursue Kotyan with an elite army and Chinese siege weapons.
* HistoricalBeautyUpdate: Subotai
was unable to actually extremely obese and had to be pulled around in a cart. He was such an asset to the Mongol army as a strategist that nobody minded hauling him around. Age of Kings presents Subotai as a rather lean man and the fastest military unit in the game.
* TheHorde: Leads the ones that
conquer Jerusalem, as stated Russia and Hungary.
%%* HorseArcher
* TheLancer: To Genghis and later his son.
* TheQuietOne: He has lines, but they are short.
-->'''Subotai:''' Subotai's here!
** Averted
in the narration).
Kotyan Khan campaign, where he's ''very'' [[TheComputerShallTauntYou taunt-ative]].
* WorthyOpponent: Ends up being one for Saladin after Acre.RightHandAttackDog: His wolves.
* ThirdPersonPerson: His BadassBoast when he arrives in the last scenario.



!!Genghis Khan (Mongols)

[[folder:Genghis Khan]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/74f665a8_5ece_4a5c_b95d_8f35828ae21d.png]]

to:

!!Genghis Khan (Mongols)

[[folder:Genghis Khan]]
!!Barbarossa (Teutons)

[[folder:Frederick Barbarossa]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/74f665a8_5ece_4a5c_b95d_8f35828ae21d.org/pmwiki/pub/images/737092a7_3f20_4ce2_80f3_2d017cbd7311.png]]



The protagonist of the Mongols campaign. Appears only in the first level, as a powerful mangudai unit. Voiced by Rick May.

to:

The protagonist of the Mongols teuton campaign. Appears only in the first final level, after his death, as the "Emperor in A Barrel" unit, which is a trade cart with more health. The expansions added him as a powerful mangudai unit. Voiced by Rick May.unique Teutonic Knight unit.



* AchillesInHisTent: Slipping into TheGhost, the second scenario of his campaign commands you to defend Genghis's tent from his enemies, but he does not appear as an unit. It is at best unclear if he's ''inside'' the tent; if the tent is destroyed, the narrator will [[DeadpanSnarker merely quip]] that the Khan will not like it.
* AdvertisedExtra: He only appears at the beginning of the first scenario and is never playable.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Even his heroic unit is quite powerful, you just never get to use him.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Infamous for inflicting horrible tortures and executions on prisoners and defeated.
* ForTheEvulz: After destroying Khorezm, the Mongols enjoy themselves making mountains out of the decapitated heads of men, women, children, horses, dogs and cats, and sow the Khorezmian fields with salt.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the campaign, you have to defend Genghis Khan's tent during he second scenario, which is represented by a lavish Mongol wonder. In reality, Genghis Khan was famous for keeping the same modest lifestyle he was born in, sleeping in a common yurt even at the height of his conquests. The cutscenes are true to the latter.
* GreaterScopeVillain: His conquest of Cumania ultimately leads to the events of the Kotyan Khan campaign, but Genghis himself is only mentioned once, and most of the actual fighting is overseen by his lieutenant Subotai.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade:
** The cutscene after "Crucible" says that Genghis ordered the chiefs who refused to follow him to be boiled alive. According to "The Secret History of the Mongols", it was Genghis's rival Jamukha (who is not referenced in the campaign) who had Genghis's generals boiled alive after capturing them.
** In "TheHorde Rides West", Genghis sends two assassins disguised as merchants to kill the Shah of Khorezm without being at war with him yet. In the event that inspired this scenario, a caravan of actual Mongol merchants were rounded up by a Khorezmian governor [[KickTheDog and executed]] [[VillainBall for no apparent reason]] (and [[LeeroyJenkins without informing the Shah to boot]]). When the Shah refused to punish the governor for this (mostly because said governor was also his uncle) and executed the Mongol envoys demanding restitution, the Khan's outrage resulted in Genghis' RoaringRampageOfRevenge and the [[DisproportionateRetribution complete destruction of Khorezm as a state]] (Genghis also tried to assassinate the Shah later, but he escaped to an island in the Caspian Sea; the game's mission is therefore a combination of multiple events). Even historians sympathetic to Genghis agree that [[StrawmanHasAPoint he used merchants as spies anyway]], however.
* TheHorde: Leads one.
%%* HorseArcher
* LargeHam: In the one speaking role he has.
* ModestRoyalty: Despite owning half of Asia, he dies in a yurt as humble as the one he was born in. The narrator hints that his descendants won't be as humble.
* RagsToRiches: His mother hunted rodents to not die of starvation. His children eat from Persian gold plates.
* RapePillageAndBurn: "Four Mongol tribes follow the standard of Genghis Khan. The rest of the world will soon learn ''fear''". Oh, indeed.
* TakeUpMySword: He gets his son Ogatai to take his bow, and continue the Mongol conquest into Europe.
* VillainProtagonist: Arguably he can be considered one.
* YouAreInCommandNow: According to the narrator, in his deathbed he "refuses to die" until one of his sons agrees to take control of his horde and invade Europe, upon which he names him his heir.

to:

* AchillesInHisTent: Slipping into TheGhost, the second scenario of his campaign commands you to defend Genghis's tent from his enemies, but he does not appear as an unit. It is at best unclear if he's ''inside'' the tent; if the tent is destroyed, the narrator will [[DeadpanSnarker merely quip]] that the Khan will not like it.
* AdvertisedExtra: He only appears at the beginning of the first scenario and is never playable.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Even his heroic unit is quite powerful, you just never get to use him.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Infamous for inflicting horrible tortures and executions on prisoners and defeated.
* ForTheEvulz: After destroying Khorezm, the Mongols enjoy themselves making mountains out of the decapitated heads of men, women, children, horses, dogs and cats, and sow the Khorezmian fields with salt.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the campaign, you have to defend Genghis Khan's tent
AntiClimax: His death during he second scenario, which is represented by a lavish Mongol wonder. In reality, Genghis Khan was famous for keeping the same modest lifestyle he was born in, sleeping in a common yurt even at long march towards the height of his conquests. The cutscenes are true to Holy Land; he drowns in the latter.
* GreaterScopeVillain: His conquest of Cumania ultimately leads to the events of the Kotyan Khan campaign, but Genghis himself is only mentioned once, and most of the actual fighting is overseen by his lieutenant Subotai.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade:
** The
cutscene after "Crucible" says the penultimate mission.
* EscortMission: Technically the last one, where the player has to make sure
that Genghis ordered a cart containing Barbarossa's ''body'' reaches Jerusalem.
* FieryRedhead: Barbarossa means "Red Beard" in Italian. While
the chiefs who refused to follow cutscenes are not colorized, his expansion-available unit hows him with red hair and beard.
* TheGhost: Never actually seen in game.
* TheHero: Though some people may consider him a VillainProtagonist.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: The real Barbarossa had
to be boiled alive. According put down rebellions in Germany, but not one [[PragmaticAdaptation seemingly comprised of all electoral princes going up in arms at once right after his election]]. He wasn't the leading man in Germany's expansion to "The Secret History the east, but something that Henry the Lion did mostly on his own (Henry ruled Saxony, which was by the frontier then, so any expansion of the Mongols", it was Genghis's rival Jamukha (who is not referenced in the campaign) who had Genghis's generals boiled alive after capturing them.
** In "TheHorde Rides West", Genghis sends two assassins disguised as merchants to kill the Shah of Khorezm without being at war with him yet. In the event that inspired this scenario, a caravan of actual Mongol merchants were rounded up by a Khorezmian governor [[KickTheDog and executed]] [[VillainBall for no apparent reason]] (and [[LeeroyJenkins without informing the Shah to boot]]). When the Shah refused to punish the governor for this (mostly because said governor was also his uncle) and executed the Mongol envoys demanding restitution, the Khan's outrage
frontier resulted in Genghis' RoaringRampageOfRevenge the Lion's own land and wealth being increased). And his conflict with the Lion himself wasn't as black and white as presented in the game (see below).
* PragmaticAdaptation: Barbarossa launched ''five'' wars in Italy,
and the [[DisproportionateRetribution complete destruction conflict with the Pope (who was sometimes on the side of Khorezm as the Emperor against the Italian rebels and often had different goals than them) was far more tortuous and complicated than just a state]] (Genghis dispute over who had authority over the other. It also tried to assassinate the Shah later, but he escaped to an island involved several popes, including ''three'' of them at once (rather than two as in the Caspian Sea; game), and Barbarossa switched allegiance between two popes more than once.
* PuppetKing: The UsefulNotes/HolyRomanEmpire is an ElectiveMonarchy and
the game's mission is therefore a combination of multiple events). Even historians sympathetic to Genghis agree that [[StrawmanHasAPoint he used merchants as spies anyway]], however.
* TheHorde: Leads one.
%%* HorseArcher
* LargeHam: In
electoral princes, the one speaking role he has.
* ModestRoyalty: Despite owning half of Asia, he dies in a yurt as humble as
Church and the one he was born in. The narrator hints that his descendants won't be as humble.
* RagsToRiches: His mother hunted rodents
Italian merchant cities have grown accostumed to not die of starvation. His children eat from Persian gold plates.
* RapePillageAndBurn: "Four Mongol tribes follow
consider the standard of Genghis Khan. The rest of the world will soon learn ''fear''". Oh, indeed.
* TakeUpMySword: He gets his son Ogatai
imperial title meaningless. Barbarossa's long time objective is to take his bow, and continue the Mongol conquest into Europe.
* VillainProtagonist: Arguably he can be considered one.
* YouAreInCommandNow: According
put an end to the narrator, in his deathbed he "refuses to die" until one of his sons agrees to take control of his horde and invade Europe, upon which he names him his heir.this.



[[folder:Ornlu the Wolf]]
A wolf carrying a minor role in the Genghis Khan campaign. The task to convince the Uighurs to join Genghis, is to kill Ornlu and his pack. A renamed version of him, called Son of Ornlu, inexplicably appears in Montezuma. He is a very powerful wolf.

to:

[[folder:Ornlu [[folder:Henry the Wolf]]
A wolf carrying a minor role
Lion]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fc87fb8f_6efc_4a96_acc9_0cab81d96f6f.png]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
TheStarscream to Barbarossa, later revealed to be the narrator of his campaign, commanding forces
in the Genghis Khan campaign. The task to convince the Uighurs to join Genghis, is to kill Ornlu second and his pack. A renamed version of him, called Son of Ornlu, inexplicably appears in Montezuma. He is a very powerful wolf.fourth levels though he does not appear as an unit until ''Definitive Edition'', where he's an heroic knight. Voiced by Spencer Prokop.



* BreakoutVillain: Despite his minor role, he is the best remembered of the fictional characters invented for the game. The fan made expansion ''Forgotten Empires'' gives Ornlu his very own Hero icon. Yep, the fans decided that spending their time making a Hero icon for only scenario-available Ornlu the Wolf was worth the time and effort.
* MythologyGag: There are references to him in both Age of Mythology and Age of Empires III. And he turns up in the Montezuma campaign and Vinlandsaga missions in the Conquerors as well.
* SavageWolves: Ornlu is such a problem for a particular tribe that they will pledge loyalty to Genghis if he resolves it for them.

to:

* BreakoutVillain: Despite his minor role, ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: In the game, he betrays Barbarossa and tries to usurp the Imperial throne, is defeated but forgiven, then betrays him again at the absolute worst time. [[PutOnABus The second time is the best remembered of the fictional characters invented last.]]
* TheDragon: He was meant to be Barbarossa's Dragon in-game. He ends up turning on Barbarossa twice and becomes The Dragon
for the game. The fan Lombard League the second time.
* DragonWithAnAgenda: He has his own interests and betrays Barbarossa twice when they conflict with his.
* FaceHeelTurn: Twice.
* TheGhost: Never seen in game.
* HistoricalInJoke: His final narration ("I'm an old man now. What harm could I possibly do?") [[note]]Henry was ''notorious'' for destroying the city of Bardowick in 1189, when he was in his late 50s/early 60s. ''Only the churches of the city were left standing after he was done''.[[/note]]
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade:
** In reality, Henry the Lion never tried to usurp the Imperial throne and title from Barbarossa, nor took up arms against him while Barbarossa was fighting Poland. Henry the Lion was the one that
made expansion ''Forgotten Empires'' gives Ornlu his very own Hero icon. Yep, the fans decided that spending their time making a Hero icon for only scenario-available Ornlu the Wolf was worth the time and effort.
* MythologyGag: There are references to him in both Age of Mythology and Age of Empires III. And he turns up
war in the Montezuma east (against the last remaining Pagan tribes in the Pomerania region, rather than the actual Kingdom of Poland) [[StrawmanHasAPoint though it was to serve his own interest and his troops were renowned for their cruelty]].
** His part in the campaign(s) against Milan, where he served Barbarossa faithfully, is not mentioned.
** The Lion didn't rebel and ally with the Lombard League against Barbarossa either. All he did was not providing troops for Barbarossa's fifth Italian
campaign (having supported and Vinlandsaga missions fought himself for him in other previous ones) because he was waging another war in the Conquerors as well.
east at the time. When Barbarossa was defeated he blamed it on Henry, declared him an outlaw and stripped him of all his lands. The fact that Henry (who was actually Barbarossa's cousin) had collected ''a lot'' of land and power during Barbarossa's reign made him the perfect scapegoat, because many other nobles resented him already for that. The Lion did, however, return to Germany with a vengeance when Barbarossa left on Crusade, but was defeated and submitted to Barbarossa's son's authority years later.
* SavageWolves: Ornlu NarratorAllAlong: Implied in the last cutscene. Henry the Lion and the narrator share the same voice actor, but this is such also true of [[ActingForTwo many unrelated characters]] in the game, so they disregarded it before TheReveal.
* PragmaticAdaptation:
** His HistoricalVillainUpgrade.
** In the cutscenes, he goes into exile in England and when his identity is revealed, he claims to be too old to take up arms again. In real life, he took exile in Normandy (part of France, but ruled by the King of England [[note]]Henry II, who was also his father-in-law; this also makes Henry Richard the Lionheart's brother-in-law [[/note]], destroyed
a problem city (Bardowick) in revenge for siding with Barbarossa against him, was defeated by Barbarossa's son, accepted to submit in exchange for a particular tribe that they will pledge loyalty minimal part of his former lands, and ''then'' decided he was too old to Genghis if fight and became a quiet patron of the arts.
* {{Put on a B|us}}oat: He marches to exile in England after betraying Barbarossa a second time.
* TheStarscream: He appears twice, and
he resolves it for them.betrays Barbarossa twice.
* YouAllMeetInAnInn: He tells the story to the player in a tavern.



[[folder:Kushluk]]
The antagonist of the second level of Genghis Khan. Represented by a cavalier unit.

to:

[[folder:Kushluk]]
! ''The Conquerors'' Campaigns

!!Attila (Huns)

[[folder:Attila the Hun]]
The antagonist protagonist of the second level of Genghis Khan. Represented by a cavalier unit.Hunnic campaign. Is an extra powerful cataphract unit in the HD version, and an unique cavalry unit in ''Definitive Edition''.



* DirtyCoward: He flees as soon as he sees Genghis' men coming.
* TheHorde: Leads one.
* GetBackHereBoss: Flees immediately after the defeat of the Khara Khitai.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: He sports a brutal one over his left eye, who is missing.
%%* WarmupBoss

to:

* DirtyCoward: He flees as soon as he sees Genghis' AntiClimax: As with Barbarossa. Death by nosebleed in his wedding night seems pretty anticlimatic for such a ruthless, powerful leader. [[note]]His funeral was still pretty badass. His men coming.
considered tears unmanly and so cut their bodies to shed blood.[[/note]]
* BadBoss: The cutscene leading to the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields has Attila throwing the first spear and then turning back to his army to say that whoever remains still while Attila fights is a dead man.
%%* BeardOfEvil
* CainAndAbel: With Bleda, though it is [[EvilVersusEvil impossible to say who's who]].
* CoolSword: Wields a rusty blade, which he claims to be Mars' sword.
* EvilVersusEvil: There is no love lost in his fight for power with Bleda.
* ForTheEvulz: After massacring his way through Gaul, he puts the heads of his victims in a line of stakes. There are enough to cover all the way from Gaul to Pannonia (modern Hungary).
* HiddenDepths: The stories of the Franks and Romans portray him more as a monster than a man and he leads his Huns in plenty of RapePillageAndBurn campaigns. However, he personally negotiates an alliance with the Scythians, he eats from a wooden plate and cup instead of using the huge quantities of gold he obtains for his Huns, he spares one of the narrators, Father Armand, after the Battle of Châlons and he decides to turn his army around when at the gates of Rome.
* HistoricalBadassUpgrade: The first scenario begins with Bleda's death (at least in most plays) and Attila leading the Huns alone against Persians and Romans. In real life, Bleda and Attila ruled together during the invasion of Persia and the first invasion of the Roman-held Balkans... and the surviving sources imply that Bleda dominated over Attila.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade:
** A very minor one, if the player so chooses. In real life Attila killed Bleda in a calculated power grab. If the player chooses to save Bleda from the Iron Boar then in the mission Attila still has to kill Bleda in self-defense.
** Later on, Attila has the chance to rescue some Hunnic Villagers and a Scythian prince that are prisoners of the Romans. The prince allows you to ally with the Scythians against the Romans and Persians. In real life, the Huns demanded the Romans to hand over several tribes who had willingly defected to them over their opposition to Bleda and Attila, and had their leaders crucified for converting to Christianity. It was the Huns who took Roman prisoners and negotiated their release for gold. And the Huns didn't as much ally with the Scythians as simply invade their lands and force them to serve in their army.
* HopelessWar: The [[AllPropheciesAreTrue Hunnic shamans predict]] that Attila will lose at the Catalaunian Fields, but that the enemy's leader will be killed. Attila considers it a just trade and fights anyway.
* TheHorde: Leads one.
* GetBackHereBoss: Flees immediately after the defeat of the Khara Khitai.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: He sports
a brutal one over into Europe.
* ModestRoyalty: Attila continues to eat from a simple, wooden bowl while plundering the Romans.
* OutWithABang: Maybe it's not as glorious as dying in battle, but having a fatal nosebleed while getting to know
his left eye, who is missing.
%%* WarmupBoss
brand-new wife has quite the appeal.
* RapePillageAndBurn: The whole Attila Campaign can be summed as this.
* RedBaron: "The Scourge of God."
* SilentProtagonist: Despite being a playable unit in the first and last scenarios, he never speaks, barring the Huns' generic military unit sounds shared with the Mongols.
* SinisterScimitar: In ''Definitive Edition'', his hero model wields a single-edged curved saber fitting a nomad marauder.
* StarCrossedLovers: The Roman emperor's sister offered him her hand, and he was very aboard the idea ([[AltarDiplomacy mainly because it gave him a claim on the Empire]]). Unfortunately, the Emperor really wasn't hot about it, and Attila ultimately never even met the gal face to face.
* VillainProtagonist: Despite the upgrades, the narrator clearly thinks of him and the rest of the Huns as wicked.



[[folder:Subotai]]
TheLancer to Genghis, and later, Ogatai. Represented by a cavalry archer. Also appears in the Kotyan Khan campaign as the antagonist.

to:

[[folder:Subotai]]
TheLancer to Genghis,
[[folder:Bleda the Hun]]
The brother of Attila,
and later, Ogatai. a WarmupBoss in his campaign. Represented by a cavalry archer. Also appears in the Kotyan Khan campaign as the antagonist.Mangudai with melee damage, inexplicably. In Definitive Edition he's an heroic Steppe Lancer instead.



* AssistCharacter: The Wolves gain a speed boost when they're directed at enemies, attack very quickly, and have the healing factor bestowed upon all Hero units.
* BigBad: For the first half of the Kotyan Khan campaign.
* BigDamnHeroes: In the last scenario after forty minutes of Hungarian siege, he arrives followed by a generous amount of saboteurs to save the day.
* CanineCompanion: His two hunting wolves. Possibly a reference to his title of "Dog of War."
* TheHeavy: Set in motion Kotyan's evacuation from Cumania, after suppressing the Kipchaks then laying [[CurbStompBattle a brutal beat down on the combined Cuman-Rus' forces]] in the Battle of Kalka River. He continued to pursue Kotyan with an elite army and Chinese siege weapons.
* HistoricalBeautyUpdate: Subotai was actually extremely obese and had to be pulled around in a cart. He was such an asset to the Mongol army as a strategist that nobody minded hauling him around. Age of Kings presents Subotai as a rather lean man and the fastest military unit in the game.
* TheHorde: Leads the ones that conquer Russia and Hungary.
%%* HorseArcher
* TheLancer: To Genghis and later his son.
* TheQuietOne: He has lines, but they are short.
-->'''Subotai:''' Subotai's here!
** Averted in the Kotyan Khan campaign, where he's ''very'' [[TheComputerShallTauntYou taunt-ative]].
* RightHandAttackDog: His wolves.
* ThirdPersonPerson: His BadassBoast when he arrives in the last scenario.

to:

%%* BeardOfEvil
%%* CainAndAbel: With Attila.
* AssistCharacter: The Wolves gain a speed boost when they're directed DirtyCoward: Bleda challenges Attila to hunt the "Iron Boar" at enemies, the beginning of the first Attila the Hun campaign scenario. He has Archers hidden in the place where the Iron Boar lairs. If Attila decides to betray Bleda and return to camp, the Archers will testify against him to the rest of the Hun army causing half of the army to attack very quickly, Attila. If Attila saves Bleda from the Boar, Bleda will order his archers to attack Attila.
* EvilVersusEvil: His conflict with Attila.
* HealingFactor: Subverted in that Bleda is actually a named, regular unit
and have lacks the healing factor bestowed upon all Hero units.
* BigBad: For the first half
of the Kotyan Khan campaign.
* BigDamnHeroes: In
Hero units of the last scenario after forty minutes of Hungarian siege, he arrives followed by a generous amount of saboteurs to save the day.
* CanineCompanion: His two hunting wolves. Possibly a reference to his title of "Dog of War."
* TheHeavy: Set in motion Kotyan's evacuation from Cumania, after suppressing the Kipchaks then laying [[CurbStompBattle a brutal beat down on the combined Cuman-Rus' forces]]
game. Even in the Battle of Kalka River. He continued to pursue Kotyan with an elite army map editor, he appears under the regular units tab and Chinese siege weapons.
* HistoricalBeautyUpdate: Subotai
not under the Hero units tab. This was actually extremely obese and had to be pulled around fixed in a cart. He was such an asset to the Mongol army as a strategist that nobody minded hauling him around. Age of Kings presents Subotai as a rather lean man and the fastest military unit in the game.
''The African Kingdoms''.
* TheHorde: Leads the ones that conquer Russia and Hungary.
%%* HorseArcher
* TheLancer: To Genghis and later his son.
* TheQuietOne: He has lines, but they are short.
-->'''Subotai:''' Subotai's here!
**
HorseArcher: Technically. Averted completely in the Kotyan Khan campaign, ''Definitive Edition'', where he's ''very'' [[TheComputerShallTauntYou taunt-ative]].
* RightHandAttackDog: His wolves.
* ThirdPersonPerson: His BadassBoast when he arrives in
represented as a Steppe Lancer (albeit with 0 range instead of the last scenario.usual 1).
* ImprobableWeaponUser: Bleda uses the same model as the Mongol unique unit, the Mangudai... which makes no sense because the Mangudai is a horse archer and Bleda is a melee unit. This results in Bleda running up to units and firing an arrow from his bow at point blank range upward away from his enemies...
** Rectified in ''Definitive Edition'', where he gets to wield a spear instead.
* UngratefulBastard: If Attila kills the Iron Boar before it can kill Bleda, then Bleda will order hidden archers to kill Attila. He actually acknowledges that Attila saved his life before giving this order.



!!Barbarossa (Teutons)

[[folder:Frederick Barbarossa]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/737092a7_3f20_4ce2_80f3_2d017cbd7311.png]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
The protagonist of the teuton campaign. Appears in the final level, after his death, as the "Emperor in A Barrel" unit, which is a trade cart with more health. The expansions added him as a unique Teutonic Knight unit.

to:

!!Barbarossa (Teutons)

[[folder:Frederick Barbarossa]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/737092a7_3f20_4ce2_80f3_2d017cbd7311.png]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
[[folder:Flavius Aetius]]
The protagonist West Roman general fighting Attila in the latter part of the teuton campaign. Appears in the final level, after his death, as the "Emperor in A Barrel" unit, which is a trade cart with more health. The expansions added him as a unique Teutonic Knight unit.campaign, although he never appears.



* AntiClimax: His death during the long march towards the Holy Land; he drowns in the cutscene after the penultimate mission.
* EscortMission: Technically the last one, where the player has to make sure that a cart containing Barbarossa's ''body'' reaches Jerusalem.
* FieryRedhead: Barbarossa means "Red Beard" in Italian. While the cutscenes are not colorized, his expansion-available unit hows him with red hair and beard.
* TheGhost: Never actually seen in game.
* TheHero: Though some people may consider him a VillainProtagonist.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: The real Barbarossa had to put down rebellions in Germany, but not one [[PragmaticAdaptation seemingly comprised of all electoral princes going up in arms at once right after his election]]. He wasn't the leading man in Germany's expansion to the east, but something that Henry the Lion did mostly on his own (Henry ruled Saxony, which was by the frontier then, so any expansion of the frontier resulted in the Lion's own land and wealth being increased). And his conflict with the Lion himself wasn't as black and white as presented in the game (see below).
* PragmaticAdaptation: Barbarossa launched ''five'' wars in Italy, and the conflict with the Pope (who was sometimes on the side of the Emperor against the Italian rebels and often had different goals than them) was far more tortuous and complicated than just a dispute over who had authority over the other. It also involved several popes, including ''three'' of them at once (rather than two as in the game), and Barbarossa switched allegiance between two popes more than once.
* PuppetKing: The UsefulNotes/HolyRomanEmpire is an ElectiveMonarchy and the electoral princes, the Church and the Italian merchant cities have grown accostumed to consider the imperial title meaningless. Barbarossa's long time objective is to put an end to this.

to:

* AntiClimax: His death during ClimaxBoss: Though you never see him directly in game, the long march towards Battle of the Holy Land; he drowns in the cutscene after the penultimate mission.
Catalaunian Fields count as this.
* EscortMission: HeroAntagonist: Technically for Attila's Campaign.
%%* TheGhost
* MightyWhitey: He was raised among
the last one, where the player has to make sure that a cart containing Barbarossa's ''body'' reaches Jerusalem.
* FieryRedhead: Barbarossa means "Red Beard" in Italian. While the cutscenes are not colorized, his expansion-available unit hows
Huns, making him [[ToKnowHimIMustBecomeHim Rome's best choice to deal with red hair and beard.
them]].
* TheGhost: Never actually seen in game.
* TheHero: Though some people may consider him a VillainProtagonist.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: The real Barbarossa had to put down rebellions in Germany, but not one [[PragmaticAdaptation seemingly comprised of all electoral princes going up in arms at once right
RetiredBadass: Retires after his election]]. He wasn't the leading man in Germany's expansion to the east, but something that Henry the Lion did mostly on his own (Henry ruled Saxony, which was by the frontier then, so any expansion battle of the frontier resulted in Catalaunian Fields, allowing Attila to invade Rome.
* ToKnowHimIMustBecomeHim: Lived among
the Lion's own land Huns before joining Rome's army and wealth being increased). And his conflict with the Lion himself wasn't as black and white as presented in the game (see below).
fighting them.
* PragmaticAdaptation: Barbarossa launched ''five'' wars in Italy, and the conflict with the Pope (who was sometimes on the side of the Emperor against the Italian rebels and often had different goals than them) was far more tortuous and complicated than just a dispute over who had authority over the other. It also involved several popes, including ''three'' of them at once (rather than two as in the game), and Barbarossa switched allegiance between two popes more than once.
* PuppetKing: The UsefulNotes/HolyRomanEmpire is an ElectiveMonarchy and the electoral princes, the Church and the Italian merchant cities have grown accostumed to consider the imperial title meaningless. Barbarossa's long time objective is to put an end to this.
WorthyOpponent: To Attila.



[[folder:Henry the Lion]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fc87fb8f_6efc_4a96_acc9_0cab81d96f6f.png]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
TheStarscream to Barbarossa, later revealed to be the narrator of his campaign, commanding forces in the second and fourth levels though he does not appear as an unit until ''Definitive Edition'', where he's an heroic knight. Voiced by Spencer Prokop.

to:

[[folder:Henry [[folder:Father Armand]]
The source of information for Attila's campaign and his atrocities, as he tells Attila's tale to
the Lion]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fc87fb8f_6efc_4a96_acc9_0cab81d96f6f.png]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
TheStarscream
narrator. A peaceful monk who's troubled by what he had to Barbarossa, later revealed to be the narrator of his campaign, commanding forces in the second and fourth levels though he does not appear as an unit until ''Definitive Edition'', where he's an heroic knight. Voiced by Spencer Prokop.witness... or maybe not.



* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: In the game, he betrays Barbarossa and tries to usurp the Imperial throne, is defeated but forgiven, then betrays him again at the absolute worst time. [[PutOnABus The second time is the last.]]
* TheDragon: He was meant to be Barbarossa's Dragon in-game. He ends up turning on Barbarossa twice and becomes The Dragon for the Lombard League the second time.
* DragonWithAnAgenda: He has his own interests and betrays Barbarossa twice when they conflict with his.
* FaceHeelTurn: Twice.
* TheGhost: Never seen in game.
* HistoricalInJoke: His final narration ("I'm an old man now. What harm could I possibly do?") [[note]]Henry was ''notorious'' for destroying the city of Bardowick in 1189, when he was in his late 50s/early 60s. ''Only the churches of the city were left standing after he was done''.[[/note]]
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade:
** In reality, Henry the Lion never tried to usurp the Imperial throne and title from Barbarossa, nor took up arms against him while Barbarossa was fighting Poland. Henry the Lion was the one that made war in the east (against the last remaining Pagan tribes in the Pomerania region, rather than the actual Kingdom of Poland) [[StrawmanHasAPoint though it was to serve his own interest and his troops were renowned for their cruelty]].
** His part in the campaign(s) against Milan, where he served Barbarossa faithfully, is not mentioned.
** The Lion didn't rebel and ally with the Lombard League against Barbarossa either. All he did was not providing troops for Barbarossa's fifth Italian campaign (having supported and fought himself for him in other previous ones) because he was waging another war in the east at the time. When Barbarossa was defeated he blamed it on Henry, declared him an outlaw and stripped him of all his lands. The fact that Henry (who was actually Barbarossa's cousin) had collected ''a lot'' of land and power during Barbarossa's reign made him the perfect scapegoat, because many other nobles resented him already for that. The Lion did, however, return to Germany with a vengeance when Barbarossa left on Crusade, but was defeated and submitted to Barbarossa's son's authority years later.
* NarratorAllAlong: Implied in the last cutscene. Henry the Lion and the narrator share the same voice actor, but this is also true of [[ActingForTwo many unrelated characters]] in the game, so they disregarded it before TheReveal.
* PragmaticAdaptation:
** His HistoricalVillainUpgrade.
** In the cutscenes, he goes into exile in England and when his identity is revealed, he claims to be too old to take up arms again. In real life, he took exile in Normandy (part of France, but ruled by the King of England [[note]]Henry II, who was also his father-in-law; this also makes Henry Richard the Lionheart's brother-in-law [[/note]], destroyed a city (Bardowick) in revenge for siding with Barbarossa against him, was defeated by Barbarossa's son, accepted to submit in exchange for a minimal part of his former lands, and ''then'' decided he was too old to fight and became a quiet patron of the arts.
* {{Put on a B|us}}oat: He marches to exile in England after betraying Barbarossa a second time.
* TheStarscream: He appears twice, and he betrays Barbarossa twice.
* YouAllMeetInAnInn: He tells the story to the player in a tavern.

to:

* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: In DistressedDude: Attila decided to abduct him after the game, he betrays Barbarossa Battle of the Catalaunian Fields, and tries to usurp the Imperial throne, is defeated but forgiven, then betrays made him again at the absolute worst time. [[PutOnABus The second time is the last.]]
* TheDragon: He was meant to be Barbarossa's Dragon in-game. He ends up turning on Barbarossa twice
complicit in his following raids and becomes The Dragon for the Lombard League the second time.
brutalities.
* DragonWithAnAgenda: He has EvilFeelsGood: After relating to his own interests and betrays Barbarossa twice when they conflict with his.
* FaceHeelTurn: Twice.
* TheGhost: Never seen in game.
* HistoricalInJoke: His final narration ("I'm an old man now. What harm could I possibly do?") [[note]]Henry was ''notorious'' for destroying the city
young acolyte all of Bardowick in 1189, Attila's crimes, Armand actually confesses ''he misses when he was in his late 50s/early 60s. ''Only participated to the churches bloodbath.''
* RetiredMonster: His tale first presents him as a victim
of the city were a tribal chief's cruelty, right until Armand admits he ''enjoyed'' serving Attila.
* ShellShockedVeteran: The Catalaunian Fields
left standing after he was done''.[[/note]]
a ''deep'' impression on him.
%%* OriginalCharacter
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade:
** In reality, Henry the Lion never tried to usurp the Imperial throne and title from Barbarossa, nor took up arms against him while Barbarossa was fighting Poland. Henry the Lion was the one that made war in the east (against the
WhamLine: His last remaining Pagan tribes in the Pomerania region, rather than the actual Kingdom of Poland) [[StrawmanHasAPoint though it was to serve his own interest and his troops were renowned for their cruelty]].
** His part in the campaign(s) against Milan, where he served Barbarossa faithfully, is not mentioned.
** The Lion didn't rebel and ally with the Lombard League against Barbarossa either. All he did was not providing troops for Barbarossa's fifth Italian
words about being forced into Attila's campaign (having supported and fought himself for as a soldier. "Sometimes... [[EvilFeelsGood I miss it]]."
* YouWillBeSpared: Attila was reluctant to kill a holy man, so he integrated
him in other previous ones) because he was waging another war in the east at the time. When Barbarossa was defeated he blamed it on Henry, declared him an outlaw and stripped him of all to his lands. The fact that Henry (who was actually Barbarossa's cousin) had collected ''a lot'' of land and power during Barbarossa's reign made him the perfect scapegoat, because many other nobles resented him already for that. The Lion did, however, return to Germany with a vengeance when Barbarossa left on Crusade, but was defeated and submitted to Barbarossa's son's authority years later.
* NarratorAllAlong: Implied in the last cutscene. Henry the Lion and the narrator share the same voice actor, but this is also true of [[ActingForTwo many unrelated characters]] in the game, so they disregarded it before TheReveal.
* PragmaticAdaptation:
** His HistoricalVillainUpgrade.
** In the cutscenes, he goes into exile in England and when his identity is revealed, he claims to be too old to take up arms again. In real life, he took exile in Normandy (part of France, but ruled by the King of England [[note]]Henry II, who was also his father-in-law; this also makes Henry Richard the Lionheart's brother-in-law [[/note]], destroyed a city (Bardowick) in revenge for siding with Barbarossa against him, was defeated by Barbarossa's son, accepted to submit in exchange for a minimal part of his former lands, and ''then'' decided he was too old to fight and became a quiet patron of the arts.
* {{Put on a B|us}}oat: He marches to exile in England after betraying Barbarossa a second time.
* TheStarscream: He appears twice, and he betrays Barbarossa twice.
* YouAllMeetInAnInn: He tells the story to the player in a tavern.
retinue instead.



! ''The Conquerors'' Campaigns

!!Attila (Huns)

[[folder:Attila the Hun]]
The protagonist of the Hunnic campaign. Is an extra powerful cataphract unit in the HD version, and an unique cavalry unit in ''Definitive Edition''.

to:

! ''The Conquerors'' Campaigns

!!Attila (Huns)

[[folder:Attila the Hun]]
!!El Cid (Spanish and Saracens)

[[folder:Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, a.k.a. "El Cid"]]
The protagonist of the Hunnic campaign. Is an extra powerful cataphract unit in the HD version, and an unique cavalry unit in ''Definitive Edition''.Spanish campaign, represented by a Champion at first, but after acquiring [[CoolHorse Bavieca]], a KnightlyLance.



* AntiClimax: As with Barbarossa. Death by nosebleed in his wedding night seems pretty anticlimatic for such a ruthless, powerful leader. [[note]]His funeral was still pretty badass. His men considered tears unmanly and so cut their bodies to shed blood.[[/note]]
* BadBoss: The cutscene leading to the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields has Attila throwing the first spear and then turning back to his army to say that whoever remains still while Attila fights is a dead man.
%%* BeardOfEvil
* CainAndAbel: With Bleda, though it is [[EvilVersusEvil impossible to say who's who]].
* CoolSword: Wields a rusty blade, which he claims to be Mars' sword.
* EvilVersusEvil: There is no love lost in his fight for power with Bleda.
* ForTheEvulz: After massacring his way through Gaul, he puts the heads of his victims in a line of stakes. There are enough to cover all the way from Gaul to Pannonia (modern Hungary).
* HiddenDepths: The stories of the Franks and Romans portray him more as a monster than a man and he leads his Huns in plenty of RapePillageAndBurn campaigns. However, he personally negotiates an alliance with the Scythians, he eats from a wooden plate and cup instead of using the huge quantities of gold he obtains for his Huns, he spares one of the narrators, Father Armand, after the Battle of Châlons and he decides to turn his army around when at the gates of Rome.
* HistoricalBadassUpgrade: The first scenario begins with Bleda's death (at least in most plays) and Attila leading the Huns alone against Persians and Romans. In real life, Bleda and Attila ruled together during the invasion of Persia and the first invasion of the Roman-held Balkans... and the surviving sources imply that Bleda dominated over Attila.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade:
** A very minor one, if the player so chooses. In real life Attila killed Bleda in a calculated power grab. If the player chooses to save Bleda from the Iron Boar then in the mission Attila still has to kill Bleda in self-defense.
** Later on, Attila has the chance to rescue some Hunnic Villagers and a Scythian prince that are prisoners of the Romans. The prince allows you to ally with the Scythians against the Romans and Persians. In real life, the Huns demanded the Romans to hand over several tribes who had willingly defected to them over their opposition to Bleda and Attila, and had their leaders crucified for converting to Christianity. It was the Huns who took Roman prisoners and negotiated their release for gold. And the Huns didn't as much ally with the Scythians as simply invade their lands and force them to serve in their army.
* HopelessWar: The [[AllPropheciesAreTrue Hunnic shamans predict]] that Attila will lose at the Catalaunian Fields, but that the enemy's leader will be killed. Attila considers it a just trade and fights anyway.
* TheHorde: Leads a brutal one into Europe.
* ModestRoyalty: Attila continues to eat from a simple, wooden bowl while plundering the Romans.
* OutWithABang: Maybe it's not as glorious as dying in battle, but having a fatal nosebleed while getting to know his brand-new wife has quite the appeal.
* RapePillageAndBurn: The whole Attila Campaign can be summed as this.
* RedBaron: "The Scourge of God."
* SilentProtagonist: Despite being a playable unit in the first and last scenarios, he never speaks, barring the Huns' generic military unit sounds shared with the Mongols.
* SinisterScimitar: In ''Definitive Edition'', his hero model wields a single-edged curved saber fitting a nomad marauder.
* StarCrossedLovers: The Roman emperor's sister offered him her hand, and he was very aboard the idea ([[AltarDiplomacy mainly because it gave him a claim on the Empire]]). Unfortunately, the Emperor really wasn't hot about it, and Attila ultimately never even met the gal face to face.
* VillainProtagonist: Despite the upgrades, the narrator clearly thinks of him and the rest of the Huns as wicked.

to:

%%* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking
* AntiClimax: As with Barbarossa. Death by nosebleed in his wedding night seems pretty anticlimatic for such a ruthless, powerful leader. [[note]]His funeral was still pretty badass. {{BFS}}: His men considered tears unmanly and so cut their bodies to shed blood.[[/note]]
* BadBoss: The cutscene leading to the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields has Attila throwing the first spear and then turning back to his army to say that whoever remains still while Attila fights is a dead man.
%%* BeardOfEvil
* CainAndAbel: With Bleda, though it is [[EvilVersusEvil impossible to say who's who]].
* CoolSword: Wields a rusty blade, which he claims to be Mars' sword.
* EvilVersusEvil: There is no love lost in his fight for power with Bleda.
* ForTheEvulz: After massacring his way through Gaul, he puts the heads of his victims in a line of stakes. There are enough to cover all the way from Gaul to Pannonia (modern Hungary).
* HiddenDepths: The stories of the Franks and Romans portray him more as a monster than a man and he leads his Huns in plenty of RapePillageAndBurn campaigns.
sword Tizona. However, while on horseback he personally negotiates an alliance with wields a jousting lance instead.
* BigDamnHeroes: In
the Scythians, fourth scenario, where he eats has to save King Alfonso's troops from a wooden plate and cup instead of using the huge quantities of gold he obtains for Black Guards.
* CoolHorse: Bavieca.
* DashingHispanic: Probably the most iconic hispanic badass.
* ElCidPloy: [[TropeNamers Obviously.]] The player can't let the enemy damage [[OfCorpseHeIsAlive
his Huns, he spares one of tied-up corpse]] in the narrators, Father Armand, after the Battle of Châlons and he decides to turn his army around when at the gates of Rome.
* HistoricalBadassUpgrade: The first
last scenario begins with Bleda's death (at least in most plays) or the ruse will be discovered.
* TheHero: Undisputed, even by his enemies.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: A lot is made of his honorability
and Attila leading the Huns alone against Persians and Romans. In real life, Bleda and Attila ruled together during the invasion of Persia and the first invasion of the Roman-held Balkans... and the surviving sources imply that Bleda dominated over Attila.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade:
** A very minor one, if the player so chooses. In real life Attila killed Bleda in a calculated power grab. If the player chooses to save Bleda from the Iron Boar then in the mission Attila still has to kill Bleda in self-defense.
** Later on, Attila has the chance to rescue some Hunnic Villagers and a Scythian prince that are prisoners of the Romans. The prince allows you to ally with the Scythians against the Romans and Persians.
religious tolerance. In real life, the Huns demanded first things he did after taking Valencia were burning alive the Romans to hand over several tribes who had willingly defected to them over their opposition to Bleda governor and Attila, and had their leaders crucified for converting to Christianity. It was turning the Huns who took Roman prisoners and negotiated their release for gold. And the Huns didn't as much ally with the Scythians as simply invade their lands and force them to serve in their army.
* HopelessWar: The [[AllPropheciesAreTrue Hunnic shamans predict]] that Attila will lose at the Catalaunian Fields, but that the enemy's leader will be killed. Attila considers it a just trade and fights anyway.
* TheHorde: Leads a brutal one
main mosques into Europe.
* ModestRoyalty: Attila continues to eat from a simple, wooden bowl while plundering
churches (even though his forces also included Muslims and he was ''de jure'' under the Romans.
command of a Muslim lord, Mutamid).
%%* KnightInShiningArmor
* OutWithABang: Maybe it's not as glorious as dying in battle, but having KnightlyLance: El Cid Campeador is represented by a fatal nosebleed while getting to know Knight unit.
* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Which made him famous for
his brand-new wife has quite loyalty.
* OneManArmy: Probably
the appeal.
strongest hero unit the player is ever given control of.
* RapePillageAndBurn: The whole Attila Campaign can be summed as this.
* RedBaron: "The Scourge of God."
RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: He becomes King after taking Valencia.
* SilentProtagonist: Despite being a playable unit Doesn't speak in his campaign.
* WorkingClassHero: While an aristocrat, he's a minor noble and
the first and last scenarios, he never speaks, barring the Huns' generic military unit sounds shared crux of his conflcit is with the Mongols.
* SinisterScimitar: In ''Definitive Edition'', his hero model wields a single-edged curved saber fitting a nomad marauder.
* StarCrossedLovers: The Roman emperor's sister offered him her hand, and he was very aboard the idea ([[AltarDiplomacy mainly because it gave him a claim on the Empire]]). Unfortunately, the Emperor really wasn't hot about it, and Attila ultimately never even met the gal face to face.
* VillainProtagonist: Despite the upgrades, the narrator clearly thinks of him and the rest of the Huns as wicked.
far more powerful King Alfonso.



[[folder:Bleda the Hun]]
The brother of Attila, and a WarmupBoss in his campaign. Represented by a Mangudai with melee damage, inexplicably. In Definitive Edition he's an heroic Steppe Lancer instead.

to:

[[folder:Bleda [[folder:Jimena Díaz]]
The wife of El Cid, and
the Hun]]
The brother
narrator of Attila, and a WarmupBoss in his campaign. Represented Voiced by a Mangudai with melee damage, inexplicably. In Definitive Edition he's an heroic Steppe Lancer instead.Melinda Renna.



%%* BeardOfEvil
%%* CainAndAbel: With Attila.
* DirtyCoward: Bleda challenges Attila to hunt the "Iron Boar" at the beginning of the first Attila the Hun campaign scenario. He has Archers hidden in the place where the Iron Boar lairs. If Attila decides to betray Bleda and return to camp, the Archers will testify against him to the rest of the Hun army causing half of the army to attack Attila. If Attila saves Bleda from the Boar, Bleda will order his archers to attack Attila.
* EvilVersusEvil: His conflict with Attila.
* HealingFactor: Subverted in that Bleda is actually a named, regular unit and lacks the healing factor of the Hero units of the game. Even in the map editor, he appears under the regular units tab and not under the Hero units tab. This was fixed in ''The African Kingdoms''.
* HorseArcher: Technically. Averted completely in the ''Definitive Edition'', where he's represented as a Steppe Lancer (albeit with 0 range instead of the usual 1).
* ImprobableWeaponUser: Bleda uses the same model as the Mongol unique unit, the Mangudai... which makes no sense because the Mangudai is a horse archer and Bleda is a melee unit. This results in Bleda running up to units and firing an arrow from his bow at point blank range upward away from his enemies...
** Rectified in ''Definitive Edition'', where he gets to wield a spear instead.
* UngratefulBastard: If Attila kills the Iron Boar before it can kill Bleda, then Bleda will order hidden archers to kill Attila. He actually acknowledges that Attila saved his life before giving this order.

to:

%%* BeardOfEvil
%%* CainAndAbel: With Attila.
* DirtyCoward: Bleda challenges Attila to hunt DelayedNarratorIntroduction: She only clarifies her true part in El Cid's story when the "Iron Boar" at second mission starts.
* HappilyMarried: To El Cid.
* TheHighQueen: Is
the beginning wife of El Cid, and becomes sole-reigning queen of Valencia after the first Attila the Hun campaign scenario. He has Archers hidden defeat of Yusuf.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The only female narrator, until Maria
in the place where the Iron Boar lairs. If Attila decides to betray Bleda and return to camp, the Archers will testify against him to the rest of the Hun army causing half of the army to attack Attila. If Attila saves Bleda from the Boar, Bleda will order his archers to attack Attila.
* EvilVersusEvil: His conflict with Attila.
* HealingFactor: Subverted in that Bleda is actually a named, regular unit and lacks the healing factor of the Hero units of the game. Even in the map editor, he appears under the regular units tab and not under the Hero units tab. This was fixed in ''The African Kingdoms''.
* HorseArcher: Technically. Averted completely in the ''Definitive Edition'', where he's represented as a Steppe Lancer (albeit with 0 range instead of the usual 1).
* ImprobableWeaponUser: Bleda uses the same model as the Mongol unique unit, the Mangudai... which makes no sense because the Mangudai is a horse archer and Bleda is a melee unit. This results in Bleda running up to units and firing an arrow from his bow at point blank range upward away from his enemies...
** Rectified in ''Definitive Edition'', where he gets to wield a spear instead.
* UngratefulBastard: If Attila kills the Iron Boar before it can kill Bleda, then Bleda will order hidden archers to kill Attila. He actually acknowledges that Attila saved his life before giving this order.
Ivaylo campaign.



[[folder:Flavius Aetius]]
The West Roman general fighting Attila in the latter part of the campaign, although he never appears.

to:

[[folder:Flavius Aetius]]
[[folder:King Sancho]]
The West Roman general fighting Attila king of Castille, and an useful ally to El Cid in the latter part of first map, until he dies. Represented by the campaign, although he never appears.non-combatant king unit.



* ClimaxBoss: Though you never see him directly in game, the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields count as this.
* HeroAntagonist: Technically for Attila's Campaign.
%%* TheGhost
* MightyWhitey: He was raised among the Huns, making him [[ToKnowHimIMustBecomeHim Rome's best choice to deal with them]].
* RetiredBadass: Retires after the battle of the Catalaunian Fields, allowing Attila to invade Rome.
* ToKnowHimIMustBecomeHim: Lived among the Huns before joining Rome's army and fighting them.
* WorthyOpponent: To Attila.

to:

* ClimaxBoss: Though you never see him directly in CainAndAbel: The Abel to Alfonso.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the cutscenes, Sancho is bearded and Alfonso is not. In the scenarios, it's the opposite.
* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: In the
game, he is portrayed as the Battle victim of Alfonso's ambition. In reality, Sancho was the Catalaunian Fields count as this.
* HeroAntagonist: Technically for Attila's Campaign.
%%* TheGhost
* MightyWhitey: He was raised
greedy ruler who wanted to add his brother's crown to his own list of titles. [[note]] Their father Ferdinand divided his kingdom among his three sons in his will: the Huns, making him [[ToKnowHimIMustBecomeHim Rome's best choice eldest, Sancho, received Castile; the second, Alfonso, León; and from the latter, the region of Galicia was carved off to deal with them]].
* RetiredBadass: Retires
create a separate state for García. Ferdinand's two daughters each received cities: Elvira that of Toro and Urraca that of Zamora. In giving them these territories, he expressed his desire that they respect his wishes and abide by the split. However, soon after Fernando's death, Sancho and Alfonso turned on García and defeated him. They then fought each other, the battle of victorious Sancho reuniting their father's possessions under his control in 1072. However, Sancho was killed that same year and the Catalaunian Fields, allowing Attila territories passed to invade Rome.
Alfonso, as depicted in-game.[[/note]]
* ToKnowHimIMustBecomeHim: Lived among the Huns before joining Rome's army and fighting them.
TheGoodKing: As part of his HistoricalVillainDowngrade.
* WorthyOpponent: To Attila.SacrificialLion: Is assassinated between maps by Alfonso.



[[folder:Father Armand]]
The source of information for Attila's campaign and his atrocities, as he tells Attila's tale to the narrator. A peaceful monk who's troubled by what he had to witness... or maybe not.

to:

[[folder:Father Armand]]
[[folder:King Alfonso]]
The source villainous king of information for Attila's campaign León, and his atrocities, as he tells Attila's tale to after Sancho's death, of Castile. He is constantly fighting and allying with El Cid through several maps. Represented by the narrator. A peaceful monk who's troubled by what he had to witness... or maybe not.non-combatant king unit.



* DistressedDude: Attila decided to abduct him after the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields, and made him complicit in his following raids and brutalities.
* EvilFeelsGood: After relating to his young acolyte all of Attila's crimes, Armand actually confesses ''he misses when he participated to the bloodbath.''
* RetiredMonster: His tale first presents him as a victim of a tribal chief's cruelty, right until Armand admits he ''enjoyed'' serving Attila.
* ShellShockedVeteran: The Catalaunian Fields left a ''deep'' impression on him.
%%* OriginalCharacter
* WhamLine: His last words about being forced into Attila's campaign as a soldier. "Sometimes... [[EvilFeelsGood I miss it]]."
* YouWillBeSpared: Attila was reluctant to kill a holy man, so he integrated him to his retinue instead.

to:

%%* AristocratsAreEvil
* DistressedDude: Attila decided ArtisticLicenseHistory: While Alfonso did historically betray a brother, that brother was García, not Sancho. In fact, Alfonso and Sancho double-teamed on García before turning on each other.
* BeardOfEvil: He sports one in the animated cutscenes, [[GameplayAndStorySegregation although he is clean-shaven in the scenarios.]]
* CainAndAbel: The Cain
to abduct him Sancho.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: He keeps backstabbing El Cid even
after being rescued by him.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In
the Battle of cutscenes, Sancho is bearded and Alfonso is not. In the Catalaunian Fields, and made him complicit in his following raids and brutalities.
scenarios, it's the opposite.
* EvilFeelsGood: After relating HistoricalVillainUpgrade: In the game, he seems to his young acolyte all of Attila's crimes, Armand actually confesses ''he misses lack any positive trait.
%%* KarmaHoudini
* PetTheDog: His one redeeming moment was
when he participated to insisted on attending El Cid's funeral in the bloodbath.''
* RetiredMonster: His tale first presents him as a victim of a tribal chief's cruelty, right until Armand admits he ''enjoyed'' serving Attila.
* ShellShockedVeteran: The Catalaunian Fields left a ''deep'' impression on him.
final cutscene.
%%* OriginalCharacter
{{Slimeball}}
* WhamLine: His last words about being forced into Attila's campaign as a soldier. "Sometimes... [[EvilFeelsGood I miss it]]."
* YouWillBeSpared: Attila was reluctant to kill a holy man, so he integrated him to his retinue instead.
UngratefulBastard: Is one towards El Cid.



!!El Cid (Spanish and Saracens)

[[folder:Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, a.k.a. "El Cid"]]
The protagonist of the Spanish campaign, represented by a Champion at first, but after acquiring [[CoolHorse Bavieca]], a KnightlyLance.

to:

!!El Cid (Spanish and Saracens)

[[folder:Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, a.k.a. "El Cid"]]
[[folder:Yusuf]]
The protagonist leader of the Spanish campaign, represented by a Champion at first, but after acquiring [[CoolHorse Bavieca]], a KnightlyLance.Black Guard Berbers that invade Spain to stop the Christian advance in the Reconquista. Never appears in game.



%%* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking
* {{BFS}}: His sword Tizona. However, while on horseback he wields a jousting lance instead.
* BigDamnHeroes: In the fourth scenario, where he has to save King Alfonso's troops from the Black Guards.
* CoolHorse: Bavieca.
* DashingHispanic: Probably the most iconic hispanic badass.
* ElCidPloy: [[TropeNamers Obviously.]] The player can't let the enemy damage [[OfCorpseHeIsAlive his tied-up corpse]] in the last scenario or the ruse will be discovered.
* TheHero: Undisputed, even by his enemies.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: A lot is made of his honorability and religious tolerance. In real life, the first things he did after taking Valencia were burning alive the governor and turning the main mosques into churches (even though his forces also included Muslims and he was ''de jure'' under the command of a Muslim lord, Mutamid).
%%* KnightInShiningArmor
* KnightlyLance: El Cid Campeador is represented by a Knight unit.
* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Which made him famous for his loyalty.
* OneManArmy: Probably the strongest hero unit the player is ever given control of.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: He becomes King after taking Valencia.
* SilentProtagonist: Doesn't speak in his campaign.
* WorkingClassHero: While an aristocrat, he's a minor noble and the crux of his conflcit is with the far more powerful King Alfonso.

to:

%%* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking
* {{BFS}}: His sword Tizona. However, while on horseback he wields a jousting lance instead.
* BigDamnHeroes: In
BigBad: Of the fourth scenario, where he has to save King Alfonso's troops from the Black Guards.
* CoolHorse: Bavieca.
* DashingHispanic: Probably the most iconic hispanic badass.
* ElCidPloy: [[TropeNamers Obviously.]] The player can't let the enemy damage [[OfCorpseHeIsAlive his tied-up corpse]] in the last scenario or the ruse will be discovered.
* TheHero: Undisputed, even by his enemies.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: A lot is made
later half of his honorability and religious tolerance. In real life, the first things he did after taking Valencia were burning alive the governor and turning the main mosques into churches (even though his forces also included Muslims and he was ''de jure'' under the command of a Muslim lord, Mutamid).
%%* KnightInShiningArmor
* KnightlyLance:
El Cid Campeador is represented by a Knight unit.
* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Which made him famous for his loyalty.
* OneManArmy: Probably the strongest hero unit the player is ever given control of.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: He becomes King after taking Valencia.
* SilentProtagonist: Doesn't speak in his
Cid's campaign.
* WorkingClassHero: While an aristocrat, he's EnemyCivilWar: Is gone after his defeat in the fourth mission, because he has to take care of a minor noble Berber civil war in Africa.
* TheFaceless: Jimena notes that his face is always covered.
* TheFundamentalist: In contrast to the local Muslim rulers like Mutamid.
* TheGhost: Never appears in person.
* GoneHorriblyWrong: The Iberian Muslims call him to help them against the Christians, but then he proceeds to submit ones
and the crux of his conflcit is others alike.
* OutsideContextProblem: Christians and Muslims have been fighting each other in Spain for centuries. The Almoravids then arrive
with the far more powerful King Alfonso.intention to swallow everything for themselves.



[[folder:Jimena Díaz]]
The wife of El Cid, and the narrator of his campaign. Voiced by Melinda Renna.

to:

[[folder:Jimena Díaz]]
[[folder:Mutamid]]
The wife friendly Muslim King of Zaragoza. He puts El Cid, and the narrator of Cid at his campaign. Voiced service after he is exiled by Melinda Renna.King Alfonso. Never appears in game.



* DelayedNarratorIntroduction: She only clarifies her true part in El Cid's story when the second mission starts.
* HappilyMarried: To El Cid.
* TheHighQueen: Is the wife of El Cid, and becomes sole-reigning queen of Valencia after the defeat of Yusuf.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The only female narrator, until Maria in the Ivaylo campaign.

to:

* DelayedNarratorIntroduction: She only clarifies her true part in El Cid's story when CompositeCharacter: A combination of three historical kings: al-Mutamid of Seville, al-Qadir of Toledo, and al-Mutaman of Zaragoza.
%%* TheGoodKing
* IdleRich: No wonder
the second mission starts.
* HappilyMarried: To
moment El Cid.
* TheHighQueen: Is the wife of El Cid,
Cid is not by his side, his kingdom goes down and becomes sole-reigning queen of Valencia after the defeat of he is deposed by Yusuf.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The only female narrator, until Maria in the Ivaylo campaign.%%* NiceGuy



[[folder:King Sancho]]
The king of Castille, and an useful ally to El Cid in the first map, until he dies. Represented by the non-combatant king unit.

to:

[[folder:King Sancho]]
[[folder:Count Berenguer]]
The king Count of Castille, Barcelona, trying to expand his territories by attacking the Moorish cities of Zaragoza and an useful ally to Valencia that El Cid is tasked to protect. Does not appear in the first map, until he dies. Represented by the non-combatant king unit.person.



* CainAndAbel: The Abel to Alfonso.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the cutscenes, Sancho is bearded and Alfonso is not. In the scenarios, it's the opposite.
* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: In the game, he is portrayed as the victim of Alfonso's ambition. In reality, Sancho was the greedy ruler who wanted to add his brother's crown to his own list of titles. [[note]] Their father Ferdinand divided his kingdom among his three sons in his will: the eldest, Sancho, received Castile; the second, Alfonso, León; and from the latter, the region of Galicia was carved off to create a separate state for García. Ferdinand's two daughters each received cities: Elvira that of Toro and Urraca that of Zamora. In giving them these territories, he expressed his desire that they respect his wishes and abide by the split. However, soon after Fernando's death, Sancho and Alfonso turned on García and defeated him. They then fought each other, the victorious Sancho reuniting their father's possessions under his control in 1072. However, Sancho was killed that same year and the territories passed to Alfonso, as depicted in-game.[[/note]]
* TheGoodKing: As part of his HistoricalVillainDowngrade.
* SacrificialLion: Is assassinated between maps by Alfonso.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:King Alfonso]]
The villainous king of León, and after Sancho's death, of Castile. He is constantly fighting and allying with El Cid through several maps. Represented by the non-combatant king unit.
----



* ArtisticLicenseHistory: While Alfonso did historically betray a brother, that brother was García, not Sancho. In fact, Alfonso and Sancho double-teamed on García before turning on each other.
* BeardOfEvil: He sports one in the animated cutscenes, [[GameplayAndStorySegregation although he is clean-shaven in the scenarios.]]
* CainAndAbel: The Cain to Sancho.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: He keeps backstabbing El Cid even after being rescued by him.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the cutscenes, Sancho is bearded and Alfonso is not. In the scenarios, it's the opposite.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: In the game, he seems to lack any positive trait.
%%* KarmaHoudini
* PetTheDog: His one redeeming moment was when he insisted on attending El Cid's funeral in the final cutscene.
%%* {{Slimeball}}
* UngratefulBastard: Is one towards El Cid.

to:

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: While Alfonso did historically betray a brother, that brother AdaptedOut: His [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Berenguer_II,_Count_of_Barcelona twin brother]], who was García, not Sancho. In fact, Alfonso and Sancho double-teamed on García his co-ruler for a while, before turning on each other.
* BeardOfEvil: He sports one in
the animated cutscenes, [[GameplayAndStorySegregation although he is clean-shaven in the scenarios.]]
* CainAndAbel: The Cain to Sancho.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: He keeps backstabbing El Cid even after being rescued by him.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the cutscenes, Sancho is bearded
brothers fell out and Alfonso is not. In the scenarios, it's the opposite.
divided their possessions between them.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: In the game, he seems to lack any positive trait.
%%* KarmaHoudini
* PetTheDog:
ArrangedMarriage: His one redeeming moment was when he insisted on attending [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Berenguer_III,_Count_of_Barcelona nephew]] is married to El Cid's funeral in daughter to unite them after the final cutscene.wars. [[note]]Said nephew was also his co-ruler, due to the circumstances of his brother's death.[[/note]]
* BigBad: He has nothing to do with Yusuf, but whenever he isn't around, Berenguer can be trusted as an opponent.

%%* {{Slimeball}}
* UngratefulBastard: Is TheGhost: Never appears in person.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Zig-zagged due to the reverse treatment given to El Cid, and the fact that Berenguer himself was suspected of fratricide[[note]]His brother, Ramon Berenguer, died in a HuntingAccident, which is widely blamed on him. It was because of this accusation that his rule was troubled, and he eventually had to appoint his nephew as co-ruler (the
one towards who married El Cid.Cid's (second) daughter)[[/note]].
* KarmaHoudini: Although he is briefly imprisoned, he escapes real punishment.[[note]]Historically, he resigned in 1097, leaving his nephew as sole ruler of Barcelona. After the resignation, records on his life became more obscure. Still living under the accusations of his brother's assassination, the guilt of which may have been determined by trial by combat, which he lost, he went to Jerusalem, either on pilgrimage, as a penance, or as part of the First Crusade, and perished there between 1097 and 1099.[[/note]]



[[folder:Yusuf]]
The leader of the Black Guard Berbers that invade Spain to stop the Christian advance in the Reconquista. Never appears in game.

to:

[[folder:Yusuf]]
!!Montezuma (Aztecs)

[[folder:Montezuma]]
The leader focal character of the Black Guard Berbers Montezuma campaign, though arguably not the protagonist; that invade Spain to stop the Christian advance in the Reconquista. would probably be his nephew, Cuauhtemoc. Never appears in game.person.\\\

* DecoyProtagonist: [[NeverTrustATitle Despite giving his name to the campaign]], the real protagonist is Cuauhtemoc.
* DistressedDude: For part of the campaign.
* TheGhost: Never seen in person in the campaign.
* IdleRich: Never seen doing anything towards the maintainence of his empire.
* NonActionGuy: A major problem during the invasion of the Spanish.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cuauhtemoc]]
The protagonist and narrator of the Montezuma campaign, becoming emperor after his uncle's death. A Jaguar Warrior in La Noche Triste is heavily implied to be him, and was later made into an actual hero unit in the shape of an Eagle Warrior.



* BigBad: Of the later half of El Cid's campaign.
* EnemyCivilWar: Is gone after his defeat in the fourth mission, because he has to take care of a Berber civil war in Africa.
* TheFaceless: Jimena notes that his face is always covered.
* TheFundamentalist: In contrast to the local Muslim rulers like Mutamid.
* TheGhost: Never appears in person.
* GoneHorriblyWrong: The Iberian Muslims call him to help them against the Christians, but then he proceeds to submit ones and others alike.
* OutsideContextProblem: Christians and Muslims have been fighting each other in Spain for centuries. The Almoravids then arrive with the intention to swallow everything for themselves.

to:

* BigBad: Of AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: Cuauhtemoc is the later half narrator for the Montezuma campaign. The story is some sort of El Cid's journal or a chronicle written down by him. The first scenario starting cutscene is prefaced with "Passed down to you by Cuauhtemoc, Eagle Warrior of Tenochtitlan." The second starts with him as Cuauhtemoc, Jaguar Warrior of Tenochtitlan. The fifth mission dramatically and slowly starts with Cuauhtemoc, Emperor of Tenochtitlan. He then relates his crowning by the priests, which is not so awesome because Tenochtitlan had just been wracked by warfare and the only reason he succeeded was due to Montezuma's death. [[note]]Historically, Cuauhtemoc also ascended the throne after his predecessor's death. However, said predecessor is Cuitláhuac (Montezuma's brother), not Montezuma himself. Cuitláhuac died after a reign of 80 days, likely due to smallpox.[[/note]]
%%* CarryABigStick
* NemeanSkinning: Expected when he is Jaguar Warrior, to wear a Jaguar skin.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: The Jaguar Warrior armed with a very high attack during the fourth scenario of the campaign is implied to be Cuauhtemoc; at the time of the scenario, Cuauhtemoc is a Jaguar Warrior and the particular Jaguar has the same voice actor. He is the sole unit you begin the scenario with and recruits other soldiers to eventually retake the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. However, he is not a Hero unit and if he dies it is not mentioned and the scenario continues.
* WarriorPrince: Cuauhtemoc mentions a few times that he's Montezuma's nephew, and seems to be the unseen commander of your troops during the
campaign.
* EnemyCivilWar: Is gone after his defeat YouAreInCommandNow: After Montezuma dies in La Noche Triste. [[note]]Historically, the fourth mission, because he has to take care details of a Berber civil war in Africa.
* TheFaceless: Jimena notes that his face is always covered.
* TheFundamentalist: In contrast to the local Muslim rulers like Mutamid.
* TheGhost: Never appears in person.
* GoneHorriblyWrong: The Iberian Muslims call him to help them against the Christians, but then he proceeds to submit ones and others alike.
* OutsideContextProblem: Christians and Muslims have been fighting each other in Spain for centuries. The Almoravids then arrive
Montezuma's death are unknown, with the intention to swallow everything for themselves.different versions of his demise given by different sources.[[/note]]



[[folder:Mutamid]]
The friendly Muslim King of Zaragoza. He puts El Cid at his service after he is exiled by King Alfonso. Never appears in game.

to:

[[folder:Mutamid]]
[[folder:Hernán Cortés]]
The friendly Muslim King antagonist of Zaragoza. the Montezuma campaign. He puts El Cid at his service after he is exiled by King Alfonso. Never never appears in game.person.



* CompositeCharacter: A combination of three historical kings: al-Mutamid of Seville, al-Qadir of Toledo, and al-Mutaman of Zaragoza.
%%* TheGoodKing
* IdleRich: No wonder the moment El Cid is not by his side, his kingdom goes down and he is deposed by Yusuf.
%%* NiceGuy

to:

* CompositeCharacter: A combination of three historical kings: al-Mutamid of Seville, al-Qadir of Toledo, and al-Mutaman of Zaragoza.
%%* TheGoodKing
* IdleRich: No wonder
BigBad: Of the moment El Cid is not by his side, his kingdom goes down and he is deposed by Yusuf.
Aztecs' campaign.
%%* NiceGuyTheGhost
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: A common trait among the conquistadors although they do fight for glory as well (their own or Spain's).
* OutsideContextProblem: To the Aztecs. The Tlaxcalans have a few skirmishes with him, but soon become allies.



[[folder:Count Berenguer]]
The Count of Barcelona, trying to expand his territories by attacking the Moorish cities of Zaragoza and Valencia that El Cid is tasked to protect. Does not appear in person.

to:

[[folder:Count Berenguer]]
!Battles of the Conquerors (Several)

[[folder:Henry V]]
The Count protagonist and leader of Barcelona, trying to expand his territories by attacking the Moorish cities of Zaragoza and Valencia that El Cid is tasked to protect. Does not appear Britons in person.the Agincourt scenario. Represented by a powerful Paladin unit.



%%* AristocratsAreEvil
* AdaptedOut: His [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Berenguer_II,_Count_of_Barcelona twin brother]], who was his co-ruler for a while, before the brothers fell out and divided their possessions between them.
* ArrangedMarriage: His [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Berenguer_III,_Count_of_Barcelona nephew]] is married to El Cid's daughter to unite them after the wars. [[note]]Said nephew was also his co-ruler, due to the circumstances of his brother's death.[[/note]]
* BigBad: He has nothing to do with Yusuf, but whenever he isn't around, Berenguer can be trusted as an opponent.
* TheGhost: Never appears in person.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Zig-zagged due to the reverse treatment given to El Cid, and the fact that Berenguer himself was suspected of fratricide[[note]]His brother, Ramon Berenguer, died in a HuntingAccident, which is widely blamed on him. It was because of this accusation that his rule was troubled, and he eventually had to appoint his nephew as co-ruler (the one who married El Cid's (second) daughter)[[/note]].
* KarmaHoudini: Although he is briefly imprisoned, he escapes real punishment.[[note]]Historically, he resigned in 1097, leaving his nephew as sole ruler of Barcelona. After the resignation, records on his life became more obscure. Still living under the accusations of his brother's assassination, the guilt of which may have been determined by trial by combat, which he lost, he went to Jerusalem, either on pilgrimage, as a penance, or as part of the First Crusade, and perished there between 1097 and 1099.[[/note]]

to:

%%* AristocratsAreEvil
AuthorityEqualsAsskicking
%%* TheHero
* AdaptedOut: His [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Berenguer_II,_Count_of_Barcelona twin brother]], who was his co-ruler for a while, before EscortMission: Becomes one by the brothers fell out and divided their possessions between them.
* ArrangedMarriage: His [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Berenguer_III,_Count_of_Barcelona nephew]] is married
end of the map, when your only objective becomes taking him back to El Cid's daughter to unite them England.
* HistoricalDowngrade: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. The scenario opens with him fleeing
after the wars. [[note]]Said nephew a failed siege of Harfleur. In real life, Henry V successfully captured Harfleur, though his victory was also his co-ruler, due costly, forcing him to retreat to the circumstances English-controlled port of his brother's death.[[/note]]
* BigBad: He has nothing to do with Yusuf, but whenever he isn't around, Berenguer can be trusted as an opponent.
* TheGhost: Never appears in person.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Zig-zagged due to the reverse treatment given to El Cid, and the fact that Berenguer himself was suspected of fratricide[[note]]His brother, Ramon Berenguer, died in a HuntingAccident, which is widely blamed on him. It was because of this accusation that his rule was troubled, and he eventually had to appoint his nephew as co-ruler (the one who married El Cid's (second) daughter)[[/note]].
* KarmaHoudini: Although he is briefly imprisoned, he escapes real punishment.[[note]]Historically, he resigned in 1097, leaving his nephew as sole ruler of Barcelona. After the resignation, records on his life became more obscure. Still living under the accusations of his brother's assassination, the guilt of which may have been determined by trial by combat, which he lost, he went to Jerusalem, either on pilgrimage, as a penance, or as part of the First Crusade, and perished there between 1097 and 1099.[[/note]]
Calais.
%%* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething
%%* StiffUpperLip



!!Montezuma (Aztecs)

[[folder:Montezuma]]
The focal character of the Montezuma campaign, though arguably not the protagonist; that would probably be his nephew, Cuauhtemoc. Never appears in person.\\\

* DecoyProtagonist: [[NeverTrustATitle Despite giving his name to the campaign]], the real protagonist is Cuauhtemoc.
* DistressedDude: For part of the campaign.
* TheGhost: Never seen in person in the campaign.
* IdleRich: Never seen doing anything towards the maintainence of his empire.
* NonActionGuy: A major problem during the invasion of the Spanish.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cuauhtemoc]]
The protagonist and narrator of the Montezuma campaign, becoming emperor after his uncle's death. A Jaguar Warrior in La Noche Triste is heavily implied to be him, and was later made into an actual hero unit in the shape of an Eagle Warrior.

to:

!!Montezuma (Aztecs)

[[folder:Montezuma]]
The focal character of
%%[[folder:William the Montezuma campaign, though arguably not the protagonist; that would probably be his nephew, Cuauhtemoc. Never appears in person.\\\

* DecoyProtagonist: [[NeverTrustATitle Despite giving his name to the campaign]], the real protagonist is Cuauhtemoc.
* DistressedDude: For part of the campaign.
* TheGhost: Never seen in person in the campaign.
* IdleRich: Never seen doing anything towards the maintainence of his empire.
* NonActionGuy: A major problem during the invasion of the Spanish.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cuauhtemoc]]
The
Conqueror]]
%%The
protagonist and narrator leader of the Montezuma campaign, becoming emperor after his uncle's death. A Jaguar Warrior in La Noche Triste is heavily implied to be him, and was later made into an actual hero unit Franks in the shape Hastings scenario, represented by a paladin unit.
%%----
%%* TheHero
%%* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Much like in RealLife.
%%[[/folder]]

[[folder:Harold the Saxon]]
The antagonist
of an Eagle Warrior.the Hastings scenario, the leader of the Saxons. Does not appear in person.



* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: Cuauhtemoc is the narrator for the Montezuma campaign. The story is some sort of journal or a chronicle written down by him. The first scenario starting cutscene is prefaced with "Passed down to you by Cuauhtemoc, Eagle Warrior of Tenochtitlan." The second starts with him as Cuauhtemoc, Jaguar Warrior of Tenochtitlan. The fifth mission dramatically and slowly starts with Cuauhtemoc, Emperor of Tenochtitlan. He then relates his crowning by the priests, which is not so awesome because Tenochtitlan had just been wracked by warfare and the only reason he succeeded was due to Montezuma's death. [[note]]Historically, Cuauhtemoc also ascended the throne after his predecessor's death. However, said predecessor is Cuitláhuac (Montezuma's brother), not Montezuma himself. Cuitláhuac died after a reign of 80 days, likely due to smallpox.[[/note]]
%%* CarryABigStick
* NemeanSkinning: Expected when he is Jaguar Warrior, to wear a Jaguar skin.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: The Jaguar Warrior armed with a very high attack during the fourth scenario of the campaign is implied to be Cuauhtemoc; at the time of the scenario, Cuauhtemoc is a Jaguar Warrior and the particular Jaguar has the same voice actor. He is the sole unit you begin the scenario with and recruits other soldiers to eventually retake the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. However, he is not a Hero unit and if he dies it is not mentioned and the scenario continues.
* WarriorPrince: Cuauhtemoc mentions a few times that he's Montezuma's nephew, and seems to be the unseen commander of your troops during the campaign.
* YouAreInCommandNow: After Montezuma dies in La Noche Triste. [[note]]Historically, the details of Montezuma's death are unknown, with different versions of his demise given by different sources.[[/note]]

to:

* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: Cuauhtemoc is EvilGloating: As the narrator for the Montezuma campaign. The story is some sort of journal or a chronicle written down by him. The first scenario starting cutscene is prefaced with "Passed down to you by Cuauhtemoc, Eagle Warrior of Tenochtitlan." The second starts with him as Cuauhtemoc, Jaguar Warrior of Tenochtitlan. The fifth mission dramatically and slowly starts with Cuauhtemoc, Emperor of Tenochtitlan. He then relates his crowning by the priests, which is not so awesome because Tenochtitlan had just been wracked by warfare and the only reason antagonist, he succeeded was due to Montezuma's death. [[note]]Historically, Cuauhtemoc also ascended the throne after his predecessor's death. However, said predecessor is Cuitláhuac (Montezuma's brother), not Montezuma himself. Cuitláhuac died after gloats a reign of 80 days, likely due to smallpox.[[/note]]
%%* CarryABigStick
* NemeanSkinning: Expected when he is Jaguar Warrior, to wear a Jaguar skin.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: The Jaguar Warrior armed with a very high attack
whole lot during the fourth scenario of the campaign is implied to be Cuauhtemoc; at the time of the scenario, Cuauhtemoc is mission. As soon as William's forces get in a Jaguar Warrior transport ship and the particular Jaguar has the same voice actor. He is the sole unit you begin the scenario set for England, he says, with all due smugness:
--> '''Harold''': ''Go home, young William. This island will remain Saxon!''
* TheGhost: He's never seen.
* SmugSnake: Constantly gloats
and recruits other soldiers brags to eventually retake the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. However, he is not a Hero unit and if he dies it is not mentioned and the scenario continues.
* WarriorPrince: Cuauhtemoc mentions a few times that he's Montezuma's nephew, and seems to be the unseen commander of your troops during the campaign.
* YouAreInCommandNow: After Montezuma dies in La Noche Triste. [[note]]Historically, the details of Montezuma's death are unknown, with different versions of
William, even when his demise given by different sources.[[/note]]defeat is imminent.



[[folder:Hernán Cortés]]
The antagonist of the Montezuma campaign. He never appears in person.

to:

[[folder:Hernán Cortés]]
The antagonist
[[folder:Harald Hardraade]]
A Berserker and leader
of the Montezuma campaign. He never appears Vikings appearing in person.Hastings, whom can be allied with William, if the player chooses, and can be used as an army. Represented by a ranged berserker unit.



* BigBad: Of the Aztecs' campaign.
%%* TheGhost
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: A common trait among the conquistadors although they do fight for glory as well (their own or Spain's).
* OutsideContextProblem: To the Aztecs. The Tlaxcalans have a few skirmishes with him, but soon become allies.

to:

* BigBad: Of TheBerserker: He is a Berserker. That throws axes.
%%* FieryRedhead
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: He can live up to
the Aztecs' campaign.
very end of the scenario and even participate in the final objective of destroying Harold the Saxon's Castle even though he is your rival to the throne, as opposed to RealLife where there wasn't any significant contact between them and Harald launched his own invasion that was separate from William's. The endgame cutscene mentions him dying at the Battle of Stamford Bridge before Harold fights William.
%%* TheGhost
HornyVikings
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: A common trait among the conquistadors although TheLancer: To William, if they do fight for glory choose to ally.
* TookALevelInBadass: He was actually present in ''Age of Kings'' under the name Harold Hardraade, being essentially a glorified Monk (with extra HP,
as well (their own or Spain's).
* OutsideContextProblem: To
as twice the Aztecs. The Tlaxcalans have speed and conversion rate of a few skirmishes with him, but soon become allies.normal monk). From ''Conquerors'' onward, he's a powerful warrior who can chop enemies to pieces by lobbing axes at them.



!Battles of the Conquerors (Several)

[[folder:Henry V]]
The protagonist and leader of the Britons in the Agincourt scenario. Represented by a powerful Paladin unit.

to:

!Battles of [[folder:Erik the Conquerors (Several)

[[folder:Henry V]]
Red]]
The protagonist and leader of the Britons in the Agincourt scenario. Represented Vinlandsaga scenario, represented by a powerful Paladin Berserker unit.



%%* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking
%%* TheHero
* EscortMission: Becomes one by the end of the map, when your only objective becomes taking him back to England.
* HistoricalDowngrade: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. The scenario opens with him fleeing after a failed siege of Harfleur. In real life, Henry V successfully captured Harfleur, though his victory was costly, forcing him to retreat to the English-controlled port of Calais.
%%* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething
%%* StiffUpperLip

to:

* TheBerserker: As any good viking hero should be.
* BoldExplorer: Notable because, unlike most other heroes, he is not a warlord or aristocrat in any way. He is actually a fairly common viking man, and not doing conquest, actually just exploring instead. If anything, he's trying to save his fellow vikings from famine by searching for a better land.
* CompositeCharacter: Erik the Red was forced out of Norway, went to Iceland, was forced out of Iceland, founded the first Viking settlement in Greenland. Erik stayed in Greenland while his son, Leif Erikson, founded the first settlement in Vinland. In the game, Erik is forced out of Norway, but Iceland is not in the map. Instead, he goes directly to Greenland, which is already settled by (hostile) Norse, and then founds a settlement in Vinland.
%%* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking
FieryRedhead
%%* TheHero
* EscortMission: Becomes one by the end of the map, when your only objective becomes taking him back to England.
* HistoricalDowngrade: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. The scenario opens with him fleeing after a failed siege of Harfleur. In real life, Henry V successfully captured Harfleur, though his victory was costly, forcing him to retreat to the English-controlled port of Calais.
HornyVikings
%%* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething
%%* StiffUpperLip
WorkingClassHero



[[folder:William the Conqueror]]
The protagonist and leader of the Franks in the Hastings scenario, represented by a paladin unit.

to:

[[folder:William the Conqueror]]
[[folder:Charles Martel]]
The protagonist and leader of the Franks in the Hastings Tours scenario, represented by a paladin Throwing Axeman unit.



%%* TheHero
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Much like in RealLife.

to:

%%* TheHero
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Much like TheHeroDies: He can, and it's one of the few times where the Hero CAN die without any consequence. One of his soldiers claim the Franks hearts will not be in RealLife.the fighting, but there are zero repercussions. He survived the battle in real life and the ending cutscene treats him as if he survived regardless of gameplay events.
* RedBaron: "The Hammer"



[[folder:Harold the Saxon]]
The antagonist of the Hastings scenario, the leader of the Saxons. Does not appear in person.

to:

[[folder:Harold the Saxon]]
[[folder:Yi Sun Sin]]
The antagonist of the Hastings scenario, the protagonist and leader of the Saxons. Does not appear Koreans in person.the Noryang Point scenario, represented by a Turtle Ship.



* EvilGloating: As the antagonist, he gloats a whole lot during the mission. As soon as William's forces get in a transport ship and set for England, he says, with all due smugness:
--> '''Harold''': ''Go home, young William. This island will remain Saxon!''
* TheGhost: He's never seen.
* SmugSnake: Constantly gloats and brags to William, even when his defeat is imminent.

to:

* EvilGloating: As the antagonist, he gloats a whole lot during the mission. As soon as William's forces get CoolBoat: He rides around in a transport suped-up Turtle Ship, the only Hero ship unit. He also invented them.
%%* FatherNeptune
* TheHeroDies: An inversion of Charles Martel. He can die in the game
and set for England, the scenario will continue on. HOWEVER, after winning the mission the narrator states that he says, died in the fighting as he did in real life but the Koreans still won the battle and eventually the war [[ElCidPloy with all due smugness:
--> '''Harold''': ''Go home, young William. This island will remain Saxon!''
* TheGhost: He's never seen.
* SmugSnake: Constantly gloats
his nephew putting on his armor and brags to William, even when his defeat pretending that he is imminent.still alive until the battle is won]].
* OneManArmy: His personal ship is fully capable of finishing the mission on its own once the player gets it.



[[folder:Harald Hardraade]]
A Berserker and leader of the Vikings appearing in Hastings, whom can be allied with William, if the player chooses, and can be used as an army. Represented by a ranged berserker unit.

to:

[[folder:Harald Hardraade]]
[[folder:Oda Nobunaga]]
A Berserker and leader of samurai in the Vikings appearing Kyoto map, who is executed in Hastings, whom can be allied with William, if the player chooses, and can be used as an army. Represented beginning, leading to the revenge wished by a ranged berserker his second Hideyoshi. Is represented by the samurai unit.



* TheBerserker: He is a Berserker. That throws axes.
%%* FieryRedhead
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: He can live up to the very end of the scenario and even participate in the final objective of destroying Harold the Saxon's Castle even though he is your rival to the throne, as opposed to RealLife where there wasn't any significant contact between them and Harald launched his own invasion that was separate from William's. The endgame cutscene mentions him dying at the Battle of Stamford Bridge before Harold fights William.
%%* HornyVikings
* TheLancer: To William, if they choose to ally.
* TookALevelInBadass: He was actually present in ''Age of Kings'' under the name Harold Hardraade, being essentially a glorified Monk (with extra HP, as well as twice the speed and conversion rate of a normal monk). From ''Conquerors'' onward, he's a powerful warrior who can chop enemies to pieces by lobbing axes at them.

to:

* TheBerserker: He is a Berserker. That throws axes.
EverythingsBetterWithSamurai: Is represented by Japan's unique unit, the Samurai. Although subverted, since he inevitably dies.
%%* FieryRedhead
FailureIsTheOnlyOption: His "rescue" attempt.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: He can live up to the very end of the HistoricalHeroUpgrade: The scenario and even participate in begin with Mitsuhide's betrayal, but none of Nobunaga's ruthless deeds, many of which are speculated to be the final objective cause of destroying Harold the Saxon's Castle even though he is your rival said betrayal, are mentioned.
* SacrificialLamb: Dies just
to the throne, as opposed allow Hideyoshi to RealLife where there wasn't any significant contact between them and Harald launched his own invasion that was separate from William's. The endgame cutscene mentions him dying at the Battle of Stamford Bridge before Harold fights William.
%%* HornyVikings
* TheLancer: To William, if they choose to ally.
* TookALevelInBadass: He was actually present in ''Age of Kings'' under the name Harold Hardraade, being essentially a glorified Monk (with extra HP, as well as twice the speed and conversion rate of a normal monk). From ''Conquerors'' onward, he's a powerful warrior who can chop enemies to pieces by lobbing axes at them.
swear revenge.



[[folder:Erik the Red]]
The protagonist of the Vinlandsaga scenario, represented by a Berserker unit.

to:

[[folder:Erik the Red]]
[[folder:Toyotomi Hideyoshi]]
The protagonist of the Vinlandsaga scenario, represented by a Berserker unit.Kyoto map, and the antagonist of the Noryang Point map, leading Japanese in both occasions. Does not appear in person.



* TheBerserker: As any good viking hero should be.
* BoldExplorer: Notable because, unlike most other heroes, he is not a warlord or aristocrat in any way. He is actually a fairly common viking man, and not doing conquest, actually just exploring instead. If anything, he's trying to save his fellow vikings from famine by searching for a better land.
* CompositeCharacter: Erik the Red was forced out of Norway, went to Iceland, was forced out of Iceland, founded the first Viking settlement in Greenland. Erik stayed in Greenland while his son, Leif Erikson, founded the first settlement in Vinland. In the game, Erik is forced out of Norway, but Iceland is not in the map. Instead, he goes directly to Greenland, which is already settled by (hostile) Norse, and then founds a settlement in Vinland.
%%* FieryRedhead
%%* HornyVikings
%%* WorkingClassHero

to:

%%* BigBad: Of Noryang Point.
%%* TheHero: Of Kyoto.
* TheBerserker: As any good viking hero should be.
* BoldExplorer: Notable because, unlike most other heroes, he is not a warlord or aristocrat in any way. He is actually a fairly common viking man, and not doing conquest, actually just exploring instead. If anything, he's trying to save
RoaringRampageOfRevenge: After his fellow vikings from famine by searching for a better land.
* CompositeCharacter: Erik the Red was forced out of Norway, went
master's death, he destroys three cities to Iceland, was forced out of Iceland, founded the first Viking settlement in Greenland. Erik stayed in Greenland while his son, Leif Erikson, founded the first settlement in Vinland. In the game, Erik is forced out of Norway, but Iceland is not in the map. Instead, he goes directly to Greenland, which is already settled by (hostile) Norse, and then founds a settlement in Vinland.
%%* FieryRedhead
%%* HornyVikings
%%* WorkingClassHero
get revenge.




[[folder:Charles Martel]]
The protagonist and leader of the Franks in the Tours scenario, represented by a Throwing Axeman unit.
----
* TheHeroDies: He can, and it's one of the few times where the Hero CAN die without any consequence. One of his soldiers claim the Franks hearts will not be in the fighting, but there are zero repercussions. He survived the battle in real life and the ending cutscene treats him as if he survived regardless of gameplay events.
* RedBaron: "The Hammer"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Yi Sun Sin]]
The protagonist and leader of the Koreans in the Noryang Point scenario, represented by a Turtle Ship.
----
* CoolBoat: He rides around in a suped-up Turtle Ship, the only Hero ship unit. He also invented them.
%%* FatherNeptune
* TheHeroDies: An inversion of Charles Martel. He can die in the game and the scenario will continue on. HOWEVER, after winning the mission the narrator states that he died in the fighting as he did in real life but the Koreans still won the battle and eventually the war [[ElCidPloy with his nephew putting on his armor and pretending that he is still alive until the battle is won]].
* OneManArmy: His personal ship is fully capable of finishing the mission on its own once the player gets it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Oda Nobunaga]]
A samurai in the Kyoto map, who is executed in the beginning, leading to the revenge wished by his second Hideyoshi. Is represented by the samurai unit.
----
* EverythingsBetterWithSamurai: Is represented by Japan's unique unit, the Samurai. Although subverted, since he inevitably dies.
* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: His "rescue" attempt.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: The scenario begin with Mitsuhide's betrayal, but none of Nobunaga's ruthless deeds, many of which are speculated to be the cause of said betrayal, are mentioned.
* SacrificialLamb: Dies just to allow Hideyoshi to swear revenge.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Toyotomi Hideyoshi]]
The protagonist of the Kyoto map, and the antagonist of the Noryang Point map, leading Japanese in both occasions. Does not appear in person.
----
* BigBad: Of Noryang Point.
* TheHero: Of Kyoto.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: After his master's death, he destroys three cities to get revenge.
[[/folder]]

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* FaceDeathWithDignity: If killed, he says "I die for England." He actually survived the battle of Patay in real life, and was labelled as a DirtyCoward for ''the next 13 years'' for it. Even after that his reputation never fully recovered, and Shakespeare immortalizing him as the buffoonish Falstaff did not help.

to:

* FaceDeathWithDignity: If killed, he says "I die for England." "
* HistoricalBadassUpgrade:
He actually survived the battle of Patay in real life, and was labelled as a DirtyCoward for ''the next 13 years'' for it. Even after that his reputation never fully recovered, and [[{{Flanderization}} Shakespeare immortalizing him as the buffoonish Falstaff did not help.help]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Quality upgrade. The portrait of the character.

Added DiffLines:

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Quality upgrade. The improvement for the character’s images.










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* DefiantToTheEnd: As per historical, being captured, stripped of her armor, and imprisoned by one of the greatest rulers of Europe only leads to her browbeating Philip the Good to his face about how he is a traitor to the French nation and working against God's design and His appointed Dauphin, and struggles with the English soldiers as they drag her to her trial and execution.

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* TheHero: Of the second campaign. The game credits her with turning the tide of UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar and turning the French feudal leves into an unified national army.

to:

* GoodCannotComprehendEvil: Though "Good" and "Evil" might be a bit strong, she is an idealistic, generally heroic French peasant girl claiming to follow God's will to save France. Her ultimate downfall comes against Phillip the Good, a charitable but cynical nobleman obsessed with building his dynasty at the expense of his enemies, including the French government. She does not comprehend him [[EvilCannotComprehendGood any more than he can understand her]] and also is left to rot by her patron the Dauphin.
* TheHero: Of the second campaign. The game credits her with turning the tide of UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar and turning the French feudal leves levies into an unified national army.


Added DiffLines:

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Moderate but there. She is portrayed as pretty purely a heroic patriot fighting the enemy with weapon in hand rather than someone who claimed to never hold anything but a banner as she ordered often-ruthless strategies against the English and their French collaborators.
* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: The game glosses over her historical willingness to threaten massacres in order to obtain surrenders.


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* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Played horribly in the Burgundian Campaign in the Grand Dukes of the West. Turns out that a brave, idealistic peasant teenager with a banner and a belief in God can only do so much in the face of political inertia, powerful and cunning enemies among the enemy [[WeAreStrugglingTogether and her own side]], and brutal factionalism. This results in her overreaching and being captured, ending by defiantly berating a cynical enlightened despot to his face that he is a traitor to his nation and God's design, which [[KillItWillFire ends poorly for her.]]
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* SparedByTheAdaptation: In his own titular tutorial campaign, the Scots defeat the English at Falkirk, destroy their castle, and are poised to threaten England, avoiding the historical crushing defeat at Falkirk and Wallace's fall from power and ultimate death. [[spoiler: When he re-appears in the Edward Longshanks campaign, this is utterly averted to the opposite extreme, where he seems to unhistorically be killed on the field of Falkirk rather than becoming a fugitive for years until eventually captured and executed.]]
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It's only this trope if the person ends up in charge because they kick ass.


* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: He is both a powerful unit in the campaign and noted for his fighting in the cutscenes.



* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Is a quite strong paladin unit.
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* ThoseTwoGuys

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* %%* ThoseTwoGuys

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* HistoricalBadassUpgrade: The narrator in the William Wallace campaign mentions Edward has waged successful campaigns in England, Wales, and France. The real-life Edward Longshanks had victories in a civil war and conquered Wales, but did not fight any successful wars in France.



* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking

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* %%* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking



* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething

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* HistoricalDowngrade: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. The scenario opens with him fleeing after a failed siege of Harfleur. In real life, Henry V successfully captured Harfleur, though his victory was costly, forcing him to retreat to the English-controlled port of Calais.
%%*
RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething
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[-[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIICivilizations Civilizations]]\\

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[-[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIICivilizations Civilizations]]\\[-'''Civilizations:''' ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIOriginalCivilizations Age of Kings/The Conquerors]]'' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIHDEditionCivilizations HD Edition]]'' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIDefinitiveEditionCivilizations Definitive Edition]]''\\
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'''Campaigns:''' '''Age of Kings/The Conquerors''' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIHDEdition HD Edition]]'' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIDefinitiveEdition Definitive Edition]]'' -]]]]]

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'''Campaigns:''' '''Age '''''Age of Kings/The Conquerors''' Conquerors''''' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIHDEdition HD Edition]]'' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIDefinitiveEdition Definitive Edition]]'' -]]]]]
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[[WMG:[[center:''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII'' [[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresII Character sheets]]\\
[-[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIICivilizations Civilizations]]\\
'''Campaigns:''' '''Age of Kings/The Conquerors''' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIHDEdition HD Edition]]'' | ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIDefinitiveEdition Definitive Edition]]'' -]]]]]
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* WidowWoman: In the last mission, since El Cid was killed right before it starts.
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Characters appearing in the campaigns introduced by ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII: the Age of Kings'' and the ExpansionPack ''The Conquerors''.
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[[/folder]]
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[[folder:Duke Jean d' Alencon]]

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[[folder:Duke Jean d' Alencon]]Alençon]]
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[[folder:Guy de Josseline]]

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[[folder:Guy de Josseline]]Josselyne]]

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[[foldercontrol]]

! ''The Age of Kings'' Campaigns
!!William Wallace (Celts)
[[folder:William Wallace]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_1_williamwallace.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
The main protagonist of the Celtic learning campaign that bears his name. Appears in the final map as a champion unit.
----
* AdvertisedExtra: Only controlled in the last scenario, when he arrives with his army to boost the player's forces after the battle has already been going for a while.
* BarbarianLonghair: Sports a magnificent mane in both the cutscenes and his unit icon. However, his sprites are those of a normal champion (we are probably expected to think that the man is hidden under the [[HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic helmet]]).
* {{BFS}}: Equipped with a five foot long claymore, his model in game wields one too.
* DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation: [[spoiler:In history, he evaded capture from the English until 1305 when a Scottish knight loyal to England, John de Menteith, turned him to the English. He was eventually was hanged, drawn and quartered by the English. In the game, he seems to have been killed in battle by the English, with his body drawn and quartered in the end.]]
* TheHero: Of the First Campaign, though you only get to use him later in the last scenario.
* TheHeroDies: [[spoiler:Though he is not the star of the Edward Longshanks campaign, he was the first focal character in Age of Empires II and he is killed in the final scenario of the Edward Longshanks campaign.]]
* HeroAntagonist: Since he is the enemy in the Edward Longshanks campaign, he is your major opponent in the "Hammer of the Scots" scenario.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Just like ''Film/{{Braveheart}}'', this media depicts Wallace as an ideal and romantic hero who fights against a tyrannical oppressor, while in real life things were... a tad different.
* KeystoneArmy: [[spoiler:In the "Hammer of the Scots" scenario, he leads a band of warriors against the English, as well as being protected by his bodyguards. However, killing him will cause his army to surrender.]]
* MakeAnExampleOfThem: [[spoiler:He was butchered and scattered throughout Scotland by Longshanks in order to warn the Scottish of anyone who might fancy themselves a heroic rebel. It did the complete opposite as Robert the Bruce renounce his vassalage and oppose England.]]
* OneManArmy: One of the strongest heroic units.
* SilentProtagonist: After much fanfare, he arrives in the last scenario to lead the last charge against the English, but he doesn't have spoken lines (other than the standard Celtic replies to the player's commands).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Edward I "Longshanks"]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_2_edwardlongshanks.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
The king of England in the William Wallace campaign, does not appear in person. In the expansion ''Lords of the West'' he gets his own campaign and appears throughout the campaign as a Paladin unit.
----
* AbusiveParents: His one word toward his son, Edward I. Decrying him as a craven and putting little faith in him, giving Aymer de Valence sole authority to suppress Robert the Bruce's rebellion.
* AntiHero: He's this in the Britons campaign from ''Lords of the West''. His son Edward II describes him as a cruel, foul-tempered king. He's not really a VillainProtagonist like John the Fearless though because his motives are more justified, as he is imprisoned by a band of rebels at a young age and inherits a deeply divided Britain. Additionally, he's shown to possess some redeeming traits and tries to be an effective king above all else, despite some of his brutal methods.
* AndThatsTerrible: He stole the Coronation Stone and crowned himself King of Scotland!!
* BigBad: Of the first campaign. Is PromotedToPlayable in ''Lords of the West''.
* EvilBrit: He is the King of England and a very naughty boy.
* TheGhost: While he appeared in the William Wallace campaign in cutscenes, he himself is not seen in the game. Obviously, this is averted in his own campaign.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: His villainy is far more accentuated in game. Probably to be blamed on an UnreliableNarrator. He's seen in a better light in his own campaign, though his nefarious traits aren't overlooked, either.
* StarterVillain: Rather competent by all accounts, even defeating Wallace at Falkirk. In game the least dangerous main opponent, justified of course since it's a tutorial campaign.
[[/folder]]

!!Joan of Arc (Franks)

[[folder:Joan of Arc]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_3_joanofarc.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:As "Joan the Maid" and "Joan of Arc"]]

The protagonist of the Frankish campaign. Appears as two different units: Joan the Maid, which walks on foot, has little attack and has no armor, and her more powerful knight version, who has high attack, but is not as strong as other mounted heroes.
----
* {{Breastplate}}: Averted, even in cutscenes she wears a perfectly functional full plate armor.
* AChildShallLeadThem: She becomes the head of the French army before 18.
* CoolSword: Owned by Charlemagne, or so is said.
* EscortMission: Many knights are tasked with protecting her through the campaign (Sieur Bertrand, Sieur de Metz, the Duke of Alençon, etc). They can be killed in battle but as long as Joan survives it's okay.
* TheFundamentalist: Her portrayal in the Grand Dukes of the West campaign verges on this; the final cutscene making it clear that the Burgundians consider her little more than a lunatic with an unrealistic BlackAndWhiteMorality view of the world.
* TheHero: Of the second campaign. The game credits her with turning the tide of UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar and turning the French feudal leves into an unified national army.
* HeroAntagonist: She is the enemy of the Burgundian in the Grand Dukes of the West campaign.
* TheHeroDies: After the fifth scenario, though this is much a ForegoneConclusion.
* HistoricalBadassUpgrade: Both playable versions of Joan are capable of combat, even though their historical counterpart was reputed to have never killed a person.
* PluckyGirl: The game shows Joan as a seventeen years old girl determined to chase the English out of her country at any cost.
* SilentProtagonist: Her unit doesn't have dialogue, other than the standard French female villager responses.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Only female warrior featured in the game.
* TookALevelInBadass: Goes from being a powered up villager to powered up cavalry unit after the first mission.
* UndyingLoyalty: To the Dauphin Charles.
* WorkingClassHero: A common peasant girl that rises morale for her faith in victory.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Guy de Josseline]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_4_guyjosselyne.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
The fictional narrator of the Joan of Arc campaign. Has an unique model as cavalry in the final level. Voiced by Spencer Prokop.
----
* AuthorAvatar: Sort of. One of the developers of the game, Creator/SandyPetersen, [[http://aok.heavengames.com/gameinfo/ask-sandyman/latest-ask-sandy/ has a French ancestor named Josselyne.]]
* BeenThereShapedHistory: Though fictional, he ends leading the French in the Battle of Castillon, that ended UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar and expelled the English from the continent.[[note]]Except for Calais.[[/note]]
* TheLancer: To Joan.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Determined to avenge Joan in the sixth and last scenario of the Frankish campaign.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sieur Betrand and Sieur de Metz]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_5_sieurbertrandsieurdemetz.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Sieur Bertrand (Left) and Sieur de Metz (Right)]]
Two French knights who escorted Joan of Arc to Chinon so that she may meet the Dauphin.
----
* ThoseTwoGuys
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dauphin Charles VII]]
The Dauphin (Prince) of France. Joan's mission is making him King of France, instead of the English.
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Duke Jean d' Alencon]]
A French duke who aids Joan of Arc in breaking the siege of Orleans.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder:La Hire]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_6_lahire.jpg]]

A French BloodKnight, represented by an extremly powerful champion. He serves as TheLancer to Joan first, and then Guy.
----
* ArtisticLicenseHistory: La Hire was long dead before the Battle of Castillon, yet he's present in "A Perfect Martyr", which represents said battle.
* {{BFS}}: The unit representing him, the strongest infantry swordsman, wields one.
* TheBigGuy: To Joan in the third scenario and to Guy in the sixth.
* BloodKnight: Sounds almost psychotic.
-->'''La Hire:''' The blood on La Hire's sword is almost dry.
* LargeHam: "Ah, La Hire wishes to kill something".
* MadeOfIron: La Hire is the ONLY unit in all of Age of Empires 2 who is simply "grievously wounded" if he gets killed in the 3rd Joan of Arc scenario, in spite of you being able to see his corpse rot. Gameplay limitations aside, he reappears for the 6th scenario but if he falls in battle there, it will be confirmed that he has perished.
* NeckSnap: His plan for a few English soldiers at Patay, according to Josseline.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname[=/=]RedBaron: La Hire means "[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Wrath]]". For the curious, [[AllThereInTheManual the historical La Hire's name was]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Hire Etienne de Vignolles.]]
* ThirdPersonPerson: La Hire never says the word "I". Just "La Hire."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sir John Falstolf]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_7_sirjohnfastolf.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
An extremely arrogant English knight, and the antagonist of the third level in Joan of Arc. Represented by the KnightlyLance hero unit.
----
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Continuously dismisses Joan's forces as a bunch of worthless rams and cattle. It counts as HypocriticalHumor, given that most of the time he's just sending [[WeHaveReserves wave upon wave]] of knights and rams to attack your base.
* BonusBoss: In the third scenario he will personally storm your base with some elite troops if you destroy one of the English Castles, but neither killing him nor defeating his ''bloody tough'' armies is vital to win the scenario.
%%* EvilBrit
* FaceDeathWithDignity: If killed, he says "I die for England." He actually survived the battle of Patay in real life, and was labelled as a DirtyCoward for ''the next 13 years'' for it. Even after that his reputation never fully recovered, and Shakespeare immortalizing him as the buffoonish Falstaff did not help.
* HypocriticalHumor: He mocks Joan's reliance on knights and rams while commanding a force of nothing but knights and rams himself.
* KnightlyLance: As is typical of commanders in the Joan of Arc campaign.
* MirrorBoss: As a unit, his base stats are identical to Joan's aside from having worse line of sight. He also attacks you with knights and rams in a scenario where you're likely to use a lot of knights and rams yourself.
* WakeUpCallBoss: "Fastolf's Army advanced to the Imperial Age." He is the first enemy AI that hits the Imperial Age, all while the player can only advance to the Castle Age. A battle with him becomes Cavaliers and Capped Rams vs the player's Knights and Battering Rams. Thankfully, he seems somewhat handicapped and only has a few Imperial Age technologies available to him.
* WeHaveReserves: He never runs out of knights.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jean de Lorrain]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_8_jeandelorrain.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
A French cannoneer who fought in the Siege of Paris.
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lord de Graville]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_9_lorddegraville.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Constable Richemont]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_10_constablerichemont.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
The Breton nobleman and commander of the French army.
----
* ArtisticLicenseHistory: He was involved in the Battle of Patay but doesn't appear in "The Cleansing of the Loire," and he wasn't present in the Battle of Castillon but he appears in "A Perfect Martyr."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jean Bureau]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_11_jeanbureau.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
A French artillery commander and siege engineer in the Battle of Castillon.
----
* PaperTiger: He somehow has the worst stats compared to a normal Bombard Cannon.
[[/folder]]

!!Saladin (Saracens)

[[folder:Saladin]]
[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_12_saladin.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
The leader of the Saracens, and the protagonist of his campaign, as well as a FinalBoss of the Barbarossa campaign. Does not appear in-game, but in the expansions he's introduced as an heroic Mameluke unit.
----
* CulturedBadass: The narrator highlights how refined and educated he, and the rest of the Saracen civilization, is.
* TheGhost: He never appears in the campaigns.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: As the narrator noted, he became more and more ruthless as the crusaders continued the war. However, his admiration for Richard the Lionhearted seems to restore his gallantry, as he provides food and medical aid to him after the Siege of Acre and signs a peace treaty with the Crusaders the following year.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: In reality, the gentle treatment of prisoners mentioned by the narrator after the battle of Hattin only extended to barons and higher-ranked nobles (except Reynald). The other captured knights and soldiers were sold into slavery if they couldn't afford a ransom, while Templars and Hospitallers were beheaded (except the Master of the Templar, who was ransomed), as were turcopoles (locally recruited Christian horse archers), as Saladin considered them traitors to Islam.
* SilentProtagonist: He has no lines of dialogue; even when he specifically appears as an enemy player in the last Barbarossa mission, the Saracen reaction to the Teutons' arrival in the Holy Land is spoken by "Saracens" instead of Saladin himself. Averted in the ''Definitive Edition'', where the aforementioned line of dialogue ''is'' said by Saladin.
* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: The narrator, a captured crusader, routinely notes how different Saladin and [[HeroWithBadPublicity his portrayal by Europeans]] is.
* TheWorfEffect: In ''Battles of the Forgotten'', it is mentioned that Saladin was often defeated by Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade, after the siege of Acre (which he lost, by the way).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Reynald de Chatillon]]
A French knight working for the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the first enemy of the Saladin campaign. Is represented by the KnightlyLance hero unit.
----
* ArchEnemy: Ends up becoming one for Saladin.
* BlackKnight: He is a knight and a complete psychopath.
* TheDragon: For Jerusalem, in the battle of Hattin.
* FieryRedhead: Has red hair and moustache.
* FrenchJerk: He's referred to as a "wicked French knight" by the narration.
* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: Considering how brutal the real Reynald was, what the game lists his actions are is arguable tame by comparison.
* KnightlyLance: Like most French campaign commanders.
* OffWithHisHead: Captured and beheaded by Saladin himself.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Richard the Lionhearted]]
The FinalBoss of the Saladin campaign, a minor ally in the final level of Barbarossa and the protagonist of the Cyprus scenario in the Battles of the Forgotten. Represented by a powerful paladin unit.
----
* AscendedExtra: Becomes the main protagonist of Cyprus.
* GeniusBruiser: A resourceful tactician and an expert warrior. Subverted in Cyprus, where his answer to hostilities from the local Sicilians and Cypriots is to steamroll their defenses and crush them until they surrender, with no finesse whatsoever.
* GratuitousFrench: Mentioned that he spoke French, rather than English.
* {{Jerkass}}: Even the narration of Cyprus admit that, despite his military prowess he has many social faults and his behaviour outside of combat leaves much to be desired. This may explain why Philip August of France and King Tancred of Sicily aren't too fond of him.
* OutOfCharacterMoment: In the Barbarossa Campaign, he appears with a small force outside the Saracen's walls surrounding Jerusalem, but sounds more fatalistic and stoic. He is also very likely to die and only serves as a brief distraction for your enemies. Averted in ''Definitive Edition'', where he starts out with a large base and more troops, finally more than a match for the Saracens.
** In ''Battles of the Forgotten'', he appears instead as a rather rude, straightforward monarch who adopts brute force to solve any situation he's in (like forcefully invade and conquer Messina and Cyprus), and his later tactical exploits against Saladin depicts him as a military genius so great you'd think they're describing your standard MaryTzu. (While he indeed won against Saladin multiple times, he was unable to actually conquer Jerusalem, as stated in the narration).
* WorthyOpponent: Ends up being one for Saladin after Acre.
[[/folder]]

!!Genghis Khan (Mongols)

[[folder:Genghis Khan]]
The protagonist of the Mongols campaign. Appears only in the first level, as a powerful mangudai unit. Voiced by Rick May.
----
* AchillesInHisTent: Slipping into TheGhost, the second scenario of his campaign commands you to defend Genghis's tent from his enemies, but he does not appear as an unit. It is at best unclear if he's ''inside'' the tent; if the tent is destroyed, the narrator will [[DeadpanSnarker merely quip]] that the Khan will not like it.
* AdvertisedExtra: He only appears at the beginning of the first scenario and is never playable.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Even his heroic unit is quite powerful, you just never get to use him.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Infamous for inflicting horrible tortures and executions on prisoners and defeated.
* ForTheEvulz: After destroying Khorezm, the Mongols enjoy themselves making mountains out of the decapitated heads of men, women, children, horses, dogs and cats, and sow the Khorezmian fields with salt.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the campaign, you have to defend Genghis Khan's tent during he second scenario, which is represented by a lavish Mongol wonder. In reality, Genghis Khan was famous for keeping the same modest lifestyle he was born in, sleeping in a common yurt even at the height of his conquests. The cutscenes are true to the latter.
* GreaterScopeVillain: His conquest of Cumania ultimately leads to the events of the Kotyan Khan campaign, but Genghis himself is only mentioned once, and most of the actual fighting is overseen by his lieutenant Subotai.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade:
** The cutscene after "Crucible" says that Genghis ordered the chiefs who refused to follow him to be boiled alive. According to "The Secret History of the Mongols", it was Genghis's rival Jamukha (who is not referenced in the campaign) who had Genghis's generals boiled alive after capturing them.
** In "TheHorde Rides West", Genghis sends two assassins disguised as merchants to kill the Shah of Khorezm without being at war with him yet. In the event that inspired this scenario, a caravan of actual Mongol merchants were rounded up by a Khorezmian governor [[KickTheDog and executed]] [[VillainBall for no apparent reason]] (and [[LeeroyJenkins without informing the Shah to boot]]). When the Shah refused to punish the governor for this (mostly because said governor was also his uncle) and executed the Mongol envoys demanding restitution, the Khan's outrage resulted in Genghis' RoaringRampageOfRevenge and the [[DisproportionateRetribution complete destruction of Khorezm as a state]] (Genghis also tried to assassinate the Shah later, but he escaped to an island in the Caspian Sea; the game's mission is therefore a combination of multiple events). Even historians sympathetic to Genghis agree that [[StrawmanHasAPoint he used merchants as spies anyway]], however.
* TheHorde: Leads one.
%%* HorseArcher
* LargeHam: In the one speaking role he has.
* ModestRoyalty: Despite owning half of Asia, he dies in a yurt as humble as the one he was born in. The narrator hints that his descendants won't be as humble.
* RagsToRiches: His mother hunted rodents to not die of starvation. His children eat from Persian gold plates.
* RapePillageAndBurn: "Four Mongol tribes follow the standard of Genghis Khan. The rest of the world will soon learn ''fear''". Oh, indeed.
* TakeUpMySword: He gets his son Ogatai to take his bow, and continue the Mongol conquest into Europe.
* VillainProtagonist: Arguably he can be considered one.
* YouAreInCommandNow: According to the narrator, in his deathbed he "refuses to die" until one of his sons agrees to take control of his horde and invade Europe, upon which he names him his heir.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ornlu the Wolf]]
A wolf carrying a minor role in the Genghis Khan campaign. The task to convince the Uighurs to join Genghis, is to kill Ornlu and his pack. A renamed version of him, called Son of Ornlu, inexplicably appears in Montezuma. He is a very powerful wolf.
----
* BreakoutVillain: Despite his minor role, he is the best remembered of the fictional characters invented for the game. The fan made expansion ''Forgotten Empires'' gives Ornlu his very own Hero icon. Yep, the fans decided that spending their time making a Hero icon for only scenario-available Ornlu the Wolf was worth the time and effort.
* MythologyGag: There are references to him in both Age of Mythology and Age of Empires III. And he turns up in the Montezuma campaign and Vinlandsaga missions in the Conquerors as well.
* SavageWolves: Ornlu is such a problem for a particular tribe that they will pledge loyalty to Genghis if he resolves it for them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kushluk]]
The antagonist of the second level of Genghis Khan. Represented by a cavalier unit.
----
* DirtyCoward: He flees as soon as he sees Genghis' men coming.
* TheHorde: Leads one.
* GetBackHereBoss: Flees immediately after the defeat of the Khara Khitai.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: He sports a brutal one over his left eye, who is missing.
%%* WarmupBoss
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Subotai]]
TheLancer to Genghis, and later, Ogatai. Represented by a cavalry archer. Also appears in the Kotyan Khan campaign as the antagonist.
----
* AssistCharacter: The Wolves gain a speed boost when they're directed at enemies, attack very quickly, and have the healing factor bestowed upon all Hero units.
* BigBad: For the first half of the Kotyan Khan campaign.
* BigDamnHeroes: In the last scenario after forty minutes of Hungarian siege, he arrives followed by a generous amount of saboteurs to save the day.
* CanineCompanion: His two hunting wolves. Possibly a reference to his title of "Dog of War."
* TheHeavy: Set in motion Kotyan's evacuation from Cumania, after suppressing the Kipchaks then laying [[CurbStompBattle a brutal beat down on the combined Cuman-Rus' forces]] in the Battle of Kalka River. He continued to pursue Kotyan with an elite army and Chinese siege weapons.
* HistoricalBeautyUpdate: Subotai was actually extremely obese and had to be pulled around in a cart. He was such an asset to the Mongol army as a strategist that nobody minded hauling him around. Age of Kings presents Subotai as a rather lean man and the fastest military unit in the game.
* TheHorde: Leads the ones that conquer Russia and Hungary.
%%* HorseArcher
* TheLancer: To Genghis and later his son.
* TheQuietOne: He has lines, but they are short.
-->'''Subotai:''' Subotai's here!
** Averted in the Kotyan Khan campaign, where he's ''very'' [[TheComputerShallTauntYou taunt-ative]].
* RightHandAttackDog: His wolves.
* ThirdPersonPerson: His BadassBoast when he arrives in the last scenario.
[[/folder]]

!!Barbarossa (Teutons)

[[folder:Frederick Barbarossa]]
The protagonist of the teuton campaign. Appears in the final level, after his death, as the "Emperor in A Barrel" unit, which is a trade cart with more health. The expansions added him as a unique Teutonic Knight unit.
----
* AntiClimax: His death during the long march towards the Holy Land; he drowns in the cutscene after the penultimate mission.
* EscortMission: Technically the last one, where the player has to make sure that a cart containing Barbarossa's ''body'' reaches Jerusalem.
* FieryRedhead: Barbarossa means "Red Beard" in Italian. While the cutscenes are not colorized, his expansion-available unit hows him with red hair and beard.
* TheGhost: Never actually seen in game.
* TheHero: Though some people may consider him a VillainProtagonist.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: The real Barbarossa had to put down rebellions in Germany, but not one [[PragmaticAdaptation seemingly comprised of all electoral princes going up in arms at once right after his election]]. He wasn't the leading man in Germany's expansion to the east, but something that Henry the Lion did mostly on his own (Henry ruled Saxony, which was by the frontier then, so any expansion of the frontier resulted in the Lion's own land and wealth being increased). And his conflict with the Lion himself wasn't as black and white as presented in the game (see below).
* PragmaticAdaptation: Barbarossa launched ''five'' wars in Italy, and the conflict with the Pope (who was sometimes on the side of the Emperor against the Italian rebels and often had different goals than them) was far more tortuous and complicated than just a dispute over who had authority over the other. It also involved several popes, including ''three'' of them at once (rather than two as in the game), and Barbarossa switched allegiance between two popes more than once.
* PuppetKing: The UsefulNotes/HolyRomanEmpire is an ElectiveMonarchy and the electoral princes, the Church and the Italian merchant cities have grown accostumed to consider the imperial title meaningless. Barbarossa's long time objective is to put an end to this.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Henry the Lion]]
TheStarscream to Barbarossa, later revealed to be the narrator of his campaign, commanding forces in the second and fourth levels though he does not appear as an unit until ''Definitive Edition'', where he's an heroic knight. Voiced by Spencer Prokop.
----
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: In the game, he betrays Barbarossa and tries to usurp the Imperial throne, is defeated but forgiven, then betrays him again at the absolute worst time. [[PutOnABus The second time is the last.]]
* TheDragon: He was meant to be Barbarossa's Dragon in-game. He ends up turning on Barbarossa twice and becomes The Dragon for the Lombard League the second time.
* DragonWithAnAgenda: He has his own interests and betrays Barbarossa twice when they conflict with his.
* FaceHeelTurn: Twice.
* TheGhost: Never seen in game.
* HistoricalInJoke: His final narration ("I'm an old man now. What harm could I possibly do?") [[note]]Henry was ''notorious'' for destroying the city of Bardowick in 1189, when he was in his late 50s/early 60s. ''Only the churches of the city were left standing after he was done''.[[/note]]
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade:
** In reality, Henry the Lion never tried to usurp the Imperial throne and title from Barbarossa, nor took up arms against him while Barbarossa was fighting Poland. Henry the Lion was the one that made war in the east (against the last remaining Pagan tribes in the Pomerania region, rather than the actual Kingdom of Poland) [[StrawmanHasAPoint though it was to serve his own interest and his troops were renowned for their cruelty]].
** His part in the campaign(s) against Milan, where he served Barbarossa faithfully, is not mentioned.
** The Lion didn't rebel and ally with the Lombard League against Barbarossa either. All he did was not providing troops for Barbarossa's fifth Italian campaign (having supported and fought himself for him in other previous ones) because he was waging another war in the east at the time. When Barbarossa was defeated he blamed it on Henry, declared him an outlaw and stripped him of all his lands. The fact that Henry (who was actually Barbarossa's cousin) had collected ''a lot'' of land and power during Barbarossa's reign made him the perfect scapegoat, because many other nobles resented him already for that. The Lion did, however, return to Germany with a vengeance when Barbarossa left on Crusade, but was defeated and submitted to Barbarossa's son's authority years later.
* NarratorAllAlong: Implied in the last cutscene. Henry the Lion and the narrator share the same voice actor, but this is also true of [[ActingForTwo many unrelated characters]] in the game, so they disregarded it before TheReveal.
* PragmaticAdaptation:
** His HistoricalVillainUpgrade.
** In the cutscenes, he goes into exile in England and when his identity is revealed, he claims to be too old to take up arms again. In real life, he took exile in Normandy (part of France, but ruled by the King of England [[note]]Henry II, who was also his father-in-law; this also makes Henry Richard the Lionheart's brother-in-law [[/note]], destroyed a city (Bardowick) in revenge for siding with Barbarossa against him, was defeated by Barbarossa's son, accepted to submit in exchange for a minimal part of his former lands, and ''then'' decided he was too old to fight and became a quiet patron of the arts.
* {{Put on a B|us}}oat: He marches to exile in England after betraying Barbarossa a second time.
* TheStarscream: He appears twice, and he betrays Barbarossa twice.
* YouAllMeetInAnInn: He tells the story to the player in a tavern.
[[/folder]]

! ''The Conquerors'' Campaigns

!!Attila (Huns)

[[folder:Attila the Hun]]
The protagonist of the Hunnic campaign. Is an extra powerful cataphract unit in the HD version, and an unique cavalry unit in ''Definitive Edition''.
----
* AntiClimax: As with Barbarossa. Death by nosebleed in his wedding night seems pretty anticlimatic for such a ruthless, powerful leader. [[note]]His funeral was still pretty badass. His men considered tears unmanly and so cut their bodies to shed blood.[[/note]]
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: He is both a powerful unit in the campaign and noted for his fighting in the cutscenes.
* BadBoss: The cutscene leading to the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields has Attila throwing the first spear and then turning back to his army to say that whoever remains still while Attila fights is a dead man.
%%* BeardOfEvil
* CainAndAbel: With Bleda, though it is [[EvilVersusEvil impossible to say who's who]].
* CoolSword: Wields a rusty blade, which he claims to be Mars' sword.
* EvilVersusEvil: There is no love lost in his fight for power with Bleda.
* ForTheEvulz: After massacring his way through Gaul, he puts the heads of his victims in a line of stakes. There are enough to cover all the way from Gaul to Pannonia (modern Hungary).
* HiddenDepths: The stories of the Franks and Romans portray him more as a monster than a man and he leads his Huns in plenty of RapePillageAndBurn campaigns. However, he personally negotiates an alliance with the Scythians, he eats from a wooden plate and cup instead of using the huge quantities of gold he obtains for his Huns, he spares one of the narrators, Father Armand, after the Battle of Châlons and he decides to turn his army around when at the gates of Rome.
* HistoricalBadassUpgrade: The first scenario begins with Bleda's death (at least in most plays) and Attila leading the Huns alone against Persians and Romans. In real life, Bleda and Attila ruled together during the invasion of Persia and the first invasion of the Roman-held Balkans... and the surviving sources imply that Bleda dominated over Attila.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade:
** A very minor one, if the player so chooses. In real life Attila killed Bleda in a calculated power grab. If the player chooses to save Bleda from the Iron Boar then in the mission Attila still has to kill Bleda in self-defense.
** Later on, Attila has the chance to rescue some Hunnic Villagers and a Scythian prince that are prisoners of the Romans. The prince allows you to ally with the Scythians against the Romans and Persians. In real life, the Huns demanded the Romans to hand over several tribes who had willingly defected to them over their opposition to Bleda and Attila, and had their leaders crucified for converting to Christianity. It was the Huns who took Roman prisoners and negotiated their release for gold. And the Huns didn't as much ally with the Scythians as simply invade their lands and force them to serve in their army.
* HopelessWar: The [[AllPropheciesAreTrue Hunnic shamans predict]] that Attila will lose at the Catalaunian Fields, but that the enemy's leader will be killed. Attila considers it a just trade and fights anyway.
* TheHorde: Leads a brutal one into Europe.
* ModestRoyalty: Attila continues to eat from a simple, wooden bowl while plundering the Romans.
* OutWithABang: Maybe it's not as glorious as dying in battle, but having a fatal nosebleed while getting to know his brand-new wife has quite the appeal.
* RapePillageAndBurn: The whole Attila Campaign can be summed as this.
* RedBaron: "The Scourge of God."
* SilentProtagonist: Despite being a playable unit in the first and last scenarios, he never speaks, barring the Huns' generic military unit sounds shared with the Mongols.
* SinisterScimitar: In ''Definitive Edition'', his hero model wields a single-edged curved saber fitting a nomad marauder.
* StarCrossedLovers: The Roman emperor's sister offered him her hand, and he was very aboard the idea ([[AltarDiplomacy mainly because it gave him a claim on the Empire]]). Unfortunately, the Emperor really wasn't hot about it, and Attila ultimately never even met the gal face to face.
* VillainProtagonist: Despite the upgrades, the narrator clearly thinks of him and the rest of the Huns as wicked.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Bleda the Hun]]
The brother of Attila, and a WarmupBoss in his campaign. Represented by a Mangudai with melee damage, inexplicably. In Definitive Edition he's an heroic Steppe Lancer instead.
----
%%* BeardOfEvil
%%* CainAndAbel: With Attila.
* DirtyCoward: Bleda challenges Attila to hunt the "Iron Boar" at the beginning of the first Attila the Hun campaign scenario. He has Archers hidden in the place where the Iron Boar lairs. If Attila decides to betray Bleda and return to camp, the Archers will testify against him to the rest of the Hun army causing half of the army to attack Attila. If Attila saves Bleda from the Boar, Bleda will order his archers to attack Attila.
* EvilVersusEvil: His conflict with Attila.
* HealingFactor: Subverted in that Bleda is actually a named, regular unit and lacks the healing factor of the Hero units of the game. Even in the map editor, he appears under the regular units tab and not under the Hero units tab. This was fixed in ''The African Kingdoms''.
* HorseArcher: Technically. Averted completely in the ''Definitive Edition'', where he's represented as a Steppe Lancer (albeit with 0 range instead of the usual 1).
* ImprobableWeaponUser: Bleda uses the same model as the Mongol unique unit, the Mangudai... which makes no sense because the Mangudai is a horse archer and Bleda is a melee unit. This results in Bleda running up to units and firing an arrow from his bow at point blank range upward away from his enemies...
** Rectified in ''Definitive Edition'', where he gets to wield a spear instead.
* UngratefulBastard: If Attila kills the Iron Boar before it can kill Bleda, then Bleda will order hidden archers to kill Attila. He actually acknowledges that Attila saved his life before giving this order.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Flavius Aetius]]
The West Roman general fighting Attila in the latter part of the campaign, although he never appears.
----
* ClimaxBoss: Though you never see him directly in game, the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields count as this.
* HeroAntagonist: Technically for Attila's Campaign.
%%* TheGhost
* MightyWhitey: He was raised among the Huns, making him [[ToKnowHimIMustBecomeHim Rome's best choice to deal with them]].
* RetiredBadass: Retires after the battle of the Catalaunian Fields, allowing Attila to invade Rome.
* ToKnowHimIMustBecomeHim: Lived among the Huns before joining Rome's army and fighting them.
* WorthyOpponent: To Attila.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Father Armand]]
The source of information for Attila's campaign and his atrocities, as he tells Attila's tale to the narrator. A peaceful monk who's troubled by what he had to witness... or maybe not.
----
* DistressedDude: Attila decided to abduct him after the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields, and made him complicit in his following raids and brutalities.
* EvilFeelsGood: After relating to his young acolyte all of Attila's crimes, Armand actually confesses ''he misses when he participated to the bloodbath.''
* RetiredMonster: His tale first presents him as a victim of a tribal chief's cruelty, right until Armand admits he ''enjoyed'' serving Attila.
* ShellShockedVeteran: The Catalaunian Fields left a ''deep'' impression on him.
%%* OriginalCharacter
* WhamLine: His last words about being forced into Attila's campaign as a soldier. "Sometimes... [[EvilFeelsGood I miss it]]."
* YouWillBeSpared: Attila was reluctant to kill a holy man, so he integrated him to his retinue instead.

!!El Cid (Spanish and Saracens)

[[folder:Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, a.k.a. "El Cid"]]
The protagonist of the Spanish campaign, represented by a Champion at first, but after acquiring [[CoolHorse Bavieca]], a KnightlyLance.
----
%%* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking
* {{BFS}}: His sword Tizona. However, while on horseback he wields a jousting lance instead.
* BigDamnHeroes: In the fourth scenario, where he has to save King Alfonso's troops from the Black Guards.
* CoolHorse: Bavieca.
* DashingHispanic: Probably the most iconic hispanic badass.
* ElCidPloy: [[TropeNamers Obviously.]] The player can't let the enemy damage [[OfCorpseHeIsAlive his tied-up corpse]] in the last scenario or the ruse will be discovered.
* TheHero: Undisputed, even by his enemies.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: A lot is made of his honorability and religious tolerance. In real life, the first things he did after taking Valencia were burning alive the governor and turning the main mosques into churches (even though his forces also included Muslims and he was ''de jure'' under the command of a Muslim lord, Mutamid).
%%* KnightInShiningArmor
* KnightlyLance: El Cid Campeador is represented by a Knight unit.
* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Which made him famous for his loyalty.
* OneManArmy: Probably the strongest hero unit the player is ever given control of.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: He becomes King after taking Valencia.
* SilentProtagonist: Doesn't speak in his campaign.
* WorkingClassHero: While an aristocrat, he's a minor noble and the crux of his conflcit is with the far more powerful King Alfonso.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jimena Díaz]]
The wife of El Cid, and the narrator of his campaign. Voiced by Melinda Renna.
----
* DelayedNarratorIntroduction: She only clarifies her true part in El Cid's story when the second mission starts.
* HappilyMarried: To El Cid.
* TheHighQueen: Is the wife of El Cid, and becomes sole-reigning queen of Valencia after the defeat of Yusuf.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The only female narrator, until Maria in the Ivaylo campaign.
* WidowWoman: In the last mission, since El Cid was killed right before it starts.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:King Sancho]]
The king of Castille, and an useful ally to El Cid in the first map, until he dies. Represented by the non-combatant king unit.
----
* CainAndAbel: The Abel to Alfonso.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the cutscenes, Sancho is bearded and Alfonso is not. In the scenarios, it's the opposite.
* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: In the game, he is portrayed as the victim of Alfonso's ambition. In reality, Sancho was the greedy ruler who wanted to add his brother's crown to his own list of titles. [[note]] Their father Ferdinand divided his kingdom among his three sons in his will: the eldest, Sancho, received Castile; the second, Alfonso, León; and from the latter, the region of Galicia was carved off to create a separate state for García. Ferdinand's two daughters each received cities: Elvira that of Toro and Urraca that of Zamora. In giving them these territories, he expressed his desire that they respect his wishes and abide by the split. However, soon after Fernando's death, Sancho and Alfonso turned on García and defeated him. They then fought each other, the victorious Sancho reuniting their father's possessions under his control in 1072. However, Sancho was killed that same year and the territories passed to Alfonso, as depicted in-game.[[/note]]
* TheGoodKing: As part of his HistoricalVillainDowngrade.
* SacrificialLion: Is assassinated between maps by Alfonso.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:King Alfonso]]
The villainous king of León, and after Sancho's death, of Castile. He is constantly fighting and allying with El Cid through several maps. Represented by the non-combatant king unit.
----
%%* AristocratsAreEvil
* ArtisticLicenseHistory: While Alfonso did historically betray a brother, that brother was García, not Sancho. In fact, Alfonso and Sancho double-teamed on García before turning on each other.
* BeardOfEvil: He sports one in the animated cutscenes, [[GameplayAndStorySegregation although he is clean-shaven in the scenarios.]]
* CainAndAbel: The Cain to Sancho.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: He keeps backstabbing El Cid even after being rescued by him.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the cutscenes, Sancho is bearded and Alfonso is not. In the scenarios, it's the opposite.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: In the game, he seems to lack any positive trait.
%%* KarmaHoudini
* PetTheDog: His one redeeming moment was when he insisted on attending El Cid's funeral in the final cutscene.
%%* {{Slimeball}}
* UngratefulBastard: Is one towards El Cid.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Yusuf]]
The leader of the Black Guard Berbers that invade Spain to stop the Christian advance in the Reconquista. Never appears in game.
----
* BigBad: Of the later half of El Cid's campaign.
* EnemyCivilWar: Is gone after his defeat in the fourth mission, because he has to take care of a Berber civil war in Africa.
* TheFaceless: Jimena notes that his face is always covered.
* TheFundamentalist: In contrast to the local Muslim rulers like Mutamid.
* TheGhost: Never appears in person.
* GoneHorriblyWrong: The Iberian Muslims call him to help them against the Christians, but then he proceeds to submit ones and others alike.
* OutsideContextProblem: Christians and Muslims have been fighting each other in Spain for centuries. The Almoravids then arrive with the intention to swallow everything for themselves.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mutamid]]
The friendly Muslim King of Zaragoza. He puts El Cid at his service after he is exiled by King Alfonso. Never appears in game.
----
* CompositeCharacter: A combination of three historical kings: al-Mutamid of Seville, al-Qadir of Toledo, and al-Mutaman of Zaragoza.
%%* TheGoodKing
* IdleRich: No wonder the moment El Cid is not by his side, his kingdom goes down and he is deposed by Yusuf.
%%* NiceGuy
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Count Berenguer]]
The Count of Barcelona, trying to expand his territories by attacking the Moorish cities of Zaragoza and Valencia that El Cid is tasked to protect. Does not appear in person.
----
%%* AristocratsAreEvil
* AdaptedOut: His [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Berenguer_II,_Count_of_Barcelona twin brother]], who was his co-ruler for a while, before the brothers fell out and divided their possessions between them.
* ArrangedMarriage: His [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Berenguer_III,_Count_of_Barcelona nephew]] is married to El Cid's daughter to unite them after the wars. [[note]]Said nephew was also his co-ruler, due to the circumstances of his brother's death.[[/note]]
* BigBad: He has nothing to do with Yusuf, but whenever he isn't around, Berenguer can be trusted as an opponent.
* TheGhost: Never appears in person.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Zig-zagged due to the reverse treatment given to El Cid, and the fact that Berenguer himself was suspected of fratricide[[note]]His brother, Ramon Berenguer, died in a HuntingAccident, which is widely blamed on him. It was because of this accusation that his rule was troubled, and he eventually had to appoint his nephew as co-ruler (the one who married El Cid's (second) daughter)[[/note]].
* KarmaHoudini: Although he is briefly imprisoned, he escapes real punishment.[[note]]Historically, he resigned in 1097, leaving his nephew as sole ruler of Barcelona. After the resignation, records on his life became more obscure. Still living under the accusations of his brother's assassination, the guilt of which may have been determined by trial by combat, which he lost, he went to Jerusalem, either on pilgrimage, as a penance, or as part of the First Crusade, and perished there between 1097 and 1099.[[/note]]
[[/folder]]

!!Montezuma (Aztecs)

[[folder:Montezuma]]
The focal character of the Montezuma campaign, though arguably not the protagonist; that would probably be his nephew, Cuauhtemoc. Never appears in person.\\\

* DecoyProtagonist: [[NeverTrustATitle Despite giving his name to the campaign]], the real protagonist is Cuauhtemoc.
* DistressedDude: For part of the campaign.
* TheGhost: Never seen in person in the campaign.
* IdleRich: Never seen doing anything towards the maintainence of his empire.
* NonActionGuy: A major problem during the invasion of the Spanish.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cuauhtemoc]]
The protagonist and narrator of the Montezuma campaign, becoming emperor after his uncle's death. A Jaguar Warrior in La Noche Triste is heavily implied to be him, and was later made into an actual hero unit in the shape of an Eagle Warrior.
----
* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: Cuauhtemoc is the narrator for the Montezuma campaign. The story is some sort of journal or a chronicle written down by him. The first scenario starting cutscene is prefaced with "Passed down to you by Cuauhtemoc, Eagle Warrior of Tenochtitlan." The second starts with him as Cuauhtemoc, Jaguar Warrior of Tenochtitlan. The fifth mission dramatically and slowly starts with Cuauhtemoc, Emperor of Tenochtitlan. He then relates his crowning by the priests, which is not so awesome because Tenochtitlan had just been wracked by warfare and the only reason he succeeded was due to Montezuma's death. [[note]]Historically, Cuauhtemoc also ascended the throne after his predecessor's death. However, said predecessor is Cuitláhuac (Montezuma's brother), not Montezuma himself. Cuitláhuac died after a reign of 80 days, likely due to smallpox.[[/note]]
%%* CarryABigStick
* NemeanSkinning: Expected when he is Jaguar Warrior, to wear a Jaguar skin.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: The Jaguar Warrior armed with a very high attack during the fourth scenario of the campaign is implied to be Cuauhtemoc; at the time of the scenario, Cuauhtemoc is a Jaguar Warrior and the particular Jaguar has the same voice actor. He is the sole unit you begin the scenario with and recruits other soldiers to eventually retake the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. However, he is not a Hero unit and if he dies it is not mentioned and the scenario continues.
* WarriorPrince: Cuauhtemoc mentions a few times that he's Montezuma's nephew, and seems to be the unseen commander of your troops during the campaign.
* YouAreInCommandNow: After Montezuma dies in La Noche Triste. [[note]]Historically, the details of Montezuma's death are unknown, with different versions of his demise given by different sources.[[/note]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hernán Cortés]]
The antagonist of the Montezuma campaign. He never appears in person.
----
* BigBad: Of the Aztecs' campaign.
%%* TheGhost
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: A common trait among the conquistadors although they do fight for glory as well (their own or Spain's).
* OutsideContextProblem: To the Aztecs. The Tlaxcalans have a few skirmishes with him, but soon become allies.
[[/folder]]

!Battles of the Conquerors (Several)

[[folder:Henry V]]
The protagonist and leader of the Britons in the Agincourt scenario. Represented by a powerful Paladin unit.
----
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking
%%* TheHero
* EscortMission: Becomes one by the end of the map, when your only objective becomes taking him back to England.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething
%%* StiffUpperLip
[[/folder]]

[[folder:William the Conqueror]]
The protagonist and leader of the Franks in the Hastings scenario, represented by a paladin unit.
----
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Is a quite strong paladin unit.
%%* TheHero
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Much like in RealLife.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Harold the Saxon]]
The antagonist of the Hastings scenario, the leader of the Saxons. Does not appear in person.
----
* EvilGloating: As the antagonist, he gloats a whole lot during the mission. As soon as William's forces get in a transport ship and set for England, he says, with all due smugness:
--> '''Harold''': ''Go home, young William. This island will remain Saxon!''
* TheGhost: He's never seen.
* SmugSnake: Constantly gloats and brags to William, even when his defeat is imminent.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Harald Hardraade]]
A Berserker and leader of the Vikings appearing in Hastings, whom can be allied with William, if the player chooses, and can be used as an army. Represented by a ranged berserker unit.
----
* TheBerserker: He is a Berserker. That throws axes.
%%* FieryRedhead
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: He can live up to the very end of the scenario and even participate in the final objective of destroying Harold the Saxon's Castle even though he is your rival to the throne, as opposed to RealLife where there wasn't any significant contact between them and Harald launched his own invasion that was separate from William's. The endgame cutscene mentions him dying at the Battle of Stamford Bridge before Harold fights William.
%%* HornyVikings
* TheLancer: To William, if they choose to ally.
* TookALevelInBadass: He was actually present in ''Age of Kings'' under the name Harold Hardraade, being essentially a glorified Monk (with extra HP, as well as twice the speed and conversion rate of a normal monk). From ''Conquerors'' onward, he's a powerful warrior who can chop enemies to pieces by lobbing axes at them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Erik the Red]]
The protagonist of the Vinlandsaga scenario, represented by a Berserker unit.
----
* TheBerserker: As any good viking hero should be.
* BoldExplorer: Notable because, unlike most other heroes, he is not a warlord or aristocrat in any way. He is actually a fairly common viking man, and not doing conquest, actually just exploring instead. If anything, he's trying to save his fellow vikings from famine by searching for a better land.
* CompositeCharacter: Erik the Red was forced out of Norway, went to Iceland, was forced out of Iceland, founded the first Viking settlement in Greenland. Erik stayed in Greenland while his son, Leif Erikson, founded the first settlement in Vinland. In the game, Erik is forced out of Norway, but Iceland is not in the map. Instead, he goes directly to Greenland, which is already settled by (hostile) Norse, and then founds a settlement in Vinland.
%%* FieryRedhead
%%* HornyVikings
%%* WorkingClassHero
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Charles Martel]]
The protagonist and leader of the Franks in the Tours scenario, represented by a Throwing Axeman unit.
----
* TheHeroDies: He can, and it's one of the few times where the Hero CAN die without any consequence. One of his soldiers claim the Franks hearts will not be in the fighting, but there are zero repercussions. He survived the battle in real life and the ending cutscene treats him as if he survived regardless of gameplay events.
* RedBaron: "The Hammer"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Yi Sun Sin]]
The protagonist and leader of the Koreans in the Noryang Point scenario, represented by a Turtle Ship.
----
* CoolBoat: He rides around in a suped-up Turtle Ship, the only Hero ship unit. He also invented them.
%%* FatherNeptune
* TheHeroDies: An inversion of Charles Martel. He can die in the game and the scenario will continue on. HOWEVER, after winning the mission the narrator states that he died in the fighting as he did in real life but the Koreans still won the battle and eventually the war [[ElCidPloy with his nephew putting on his armor and pretending that he is still alive until the battle is won]].
* OneManArmy: His personal ship is fully capable of finishing the mission on its own once the player gets it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Oda Nobunaga]]
A samurai in the Kyoto map, who is executed in the beginning, leading to the revenge wished by his second Hideyoshi. Is represented by the samurai unit.
----
* EverythingsBetterWithSamurai: Is represented by Japan's unique unit, the Samurai. Although subverted, since he inevitably dies.
* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: His "rescue" attempt.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: The scenario begin with Mitsuhide's betrayal, but none of Nobunaga's ruthless deeds, many of which are speculated to be the cause of said betrayal, are mentioned.
* SacrificialLamb: Dies just to allow Hideyoshi to swear revenge.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Toyotomi Hideyoshi]]
The protagonist of the Kyoto map, and the antagonist of the Noryang Point map, leading Japanese in both occasions. Does not appear in person.
----
* BigBad: Of Noryang Point.
* TheHero: Of Kyoto.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: After his master's death, he destroys three cities to get revenge.
[[/folder]]
----

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