Line #539 Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIOriginal


1	[[WMG:[[center:''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII'' [[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresII Character sheets]]\
2	[-'''Civilizations:''' ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIOriginalCivilizations Age of Kings/The Conquerors]]'' \| ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIHDEditionCivilizations HD Edition]]'' \| ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIDefinitiveEditionCivilizations Definitive Edition]]'' \| ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresI Return to Rome (AoE1)]]''\
3	'''Campaigns:''' '''''Age of Kings/The Conquerors''''' \| ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIHDEdition HD Edition]]'' \| ''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIDefinitiveEdition Definitive Edition]]''\
4	'''[[Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIUnits Non-Unique Units]]''' -]]]]]
5	----
6	Characters appearing in the campaigns introduced by ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII: the Age of Kings'' and the ExpansionPack ''The Conquerors''.
7	----
8	[[foldercontrol]]
9
10	! ''The Age of Kings'' Campaigns
11	!!William Wallace (Celts)
12
13	[[folder:William Wallace]]
14	[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_1_williamwallace.jpg]]
15	%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
16	The main protagonist of the Celtic learning campaign that bears his name. Appears in the final map as a champion unit.
17	----
18	* 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.
19	* 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]]).
20	* {{BFS}}: Equipped with a five foot long claymore, his model in game wields one too.
21	* 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.]]
22	* 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.]]
23	* HeroAntagonist: Since he is the enemy in the Edward Longshanks campaign, he is your major opponent in the "Hammer of the Scots" scenario.
24	* 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.
25	* 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.]]
26	* 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.]]
27	* OneManArmy: One of the strongest heroic units.
28	* 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).
29	* 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.]]
30	[[/folder]]
31
32	[[folder:Edward I "Longshanks"]]
33	[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_2_edwardlongshanks.jpg]]
34	%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
35	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.
36	----
37	* 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.
38	* 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.
39	* BigBad: Of the first campaign. Is PromotedToPlayable in ''Lords of the West''.
40	* EvilBrit: He is the King of England and a very naughty boy.
41	* 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.
42	* 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.
43	* 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.
44	* 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.
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	!!Joan of Arc (Franks)
48
49	[[folder:Joan of Arc]]
50	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_3_joanofarc.jpg]]
51	[[caption-width-right:350:As "Joan the Maid" and "Joan of Arc"]]
52	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.
53	----
54	* {{Breastplate}}: Averted, even in cutscenes she wears a perfectly functional full plate armor.
55	* AChildShallLeadThem: She becomes the head of the French army before 18.
56	* CoolSword: Owned by Charlemagne, or so is said.
57	* 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.
58	* 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.
59	* 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.
60	* 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.
61	* HeroAntagonist: She is the enemy of the Burgundian in the Grand Dukes of the West campaign.
62	* TheHeroDies: After the fifth scenario, though this is much a ForegoneConclusion.
63	* HistoricalBadassUpgrade: Both playable versions of Joan are capable of combat, even though their historical counterpart was reputed to have never killed a person.
64	* 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.
65	* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: The game glosses over her historical willingness to threaten massacres in order to obtain surrenders.
66	* PluckyGirl: The game shows Joan as a seventeen years old girl determined to chase the English out of her country at any cost.
67	* SilentProtagonist: Her unit doesn't have dialogue, other than the standard French female villager responses.
68	* 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 [[KillItWithFire ends poorly for her.]]
69	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Only female warrior featured in the game.
70	* TookALevelInBadass: Goes from being a powered up villager to powered up cavalry unit after the first mission.
71	* UndyingLoyalty: To the Dauphin Charles.
72	* WorkingClassHero: A common peasant girl that rises morale for her faith in victory.
73	[[/folder]]
74
75	[[folder:Guy de Josselyne]]
76	[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_4_guyjosselyne.jpg]]
77	The fictional narrator of the Joan of Arc campaign. Has an unique model as cavalry in the final level. Voiced by Spencer Prokop.
78	----
79	* 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.]]
80	* 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]]
81	%%* TheLancer: To Joan.
82	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Determined to avenge Joan in the sixth and last scenario of the Frankish campaign.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	%%[[folder:Sieur Betrand and Sieur de Metz]]
86	%%[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_5_sieurbertrandsieurdemetz.jpg]]
87	%%[[caption-width-right:350:Sieur Bertrand (Left) and Sieur de Metz (Right)]]
88	%%Two French knights who escorted Joan of Arc to Chinon so that she may meet the Dauphin.
89	%%----
90	%%* ThoseTwoGuys
91	%%[[/folder]]
92
93	%%[[folder:Dauphin Charles VII]]
94	%%The Dauphin (Prince) of France. Joan's mission is making him King of France, instead of the English.
95	%%----
96	%%[[/folder]]
97
98	%%[[folder:Duke Jean d' Alençon]]
99	%%A French duke who aids Joan of Arc in breaking the siege of Orleans.
100	%%----
101	%%[[/folder]]
102
103	[[folder:La Hire]]
104	[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_6_lahire.jpg]]
105	A French BloodKnight, represented by an extremly powerful champion. He serves as TheLancer to Joan first, and then Guy.
106	----
107	* ArtisticLicenseHistory: La Hire was long dead before the Battle of Castillon, yet he's present in "A Perfect Martyr", which represents said battle.
108	* {{BFS}}: The unit representing him, the strongest infantry swordsman, wields one.
109	%%* TheBigGuy: To Joan in the third scenario and to Guy in the sixth.
110	* BloodKnight: Sounds almost psychotic.
111	-->'''La Hire:''' The blood on La Hire's sword is almost dry.
112	* LargeHam: "Ah, La Hire wishes to kill something".
113	* 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.
114	* NeckSnap: His plan for a few English soldiers at Patay, according to Josseline.
115	* 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.]]
116	* ThirdPersonPerson: La Hire never says the word "I". Just "La Hire."
117	[[/folder]]
118
119	[[folder:Sir John Falstolf]]
120	[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_7_sirjohnfastolf.jpg]]
121	An extremely arrogant English knight, and the antagonist of the third level in Joan of Arc. Represented by the KnightlyLance hero unit.
122	----
123	* 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.
124	%%* EvilBrit
125	* FaceDeathWithDignity: If killed, he says "I die for England."
126	* 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]].
127	* HypocriticalHumor: He mocks Joan's reliance on knights and rams while commanding a force of nothing but knights and rams himself.
128	* KnightlyLance: As is typical of commanders in the Joan of Arc campaign.
129	* 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.
130	* 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.
131	* WeHaveReserves: He never runs out of knights.
132	[[/folder]]
133
134	%%[[folder:Jean de Lorrain]]
135	%%[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_8_jeandelorrain.jpg]]
136	%%A French cannoneer who fought in the Siege of Paris.
137	%%----
138	%%[[/folder]]
139
140	%%[[folder:Lord de Graville]]
141	%%[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_9_lorddegraville.jpg]]
142	%%----
143	%%[[/folder]]
144
145	[[folder:Constable Richemont]]
146	[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_10_constablerichemont.jpg]]
147	The Breton nobleman and commander of the French army.
148	----
149	* 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."
150	[[/folder]]
151
152	[[folder:Jean Bureau]]
153	[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_11_jeanbureau.jpg]]
154	A French artillery commander and siege engineer in the Battle of Castillon.
155	----
156	* PaperTiger: He somehow has the worst stats compared to a normal Bombard Cannon.
157	[[/folder]]
158
159	!!Saladin (Saracens)
160
161	[[folder:Saladin]]
162	[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoe2_12_saladin.jpg]]
163	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.
164	----
165	* CulturedBadass: The narrator highlights how refined and educated he, and the rest of the Saracen civilization, is.
166	* TheGhost: He never appears in the campaigns.
167	* 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.
168	* 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.
169	* 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.
170	* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: The narrator, a captured crusader, routinely notes how different Saladin and [[HeroWithBadPublicity his portrayal by Europeans]] is.
171	* 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).
172	[[/folder]]
173
174	[[folder:Reynald de Chatillon]]
175	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.
176	----
177	* 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.
178	* ArchEnemy: Ends up becoming one for Saladin.
179	%%* FieryRedhead: Has red hair and moustache.
180	* FrenchJerk: He's referred to as a "wicked French knight" by the narration.
181	* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: Considering how brutal the real Reynald was, what the game lists his actions are is arguable tame by comparison.
182	* 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.
183	%%* KnightlyLance: Like most French campaign commanders, he is represented in-game as an elite knight armed with a lance and shield.
184	* OffWithHisHead: Captured and beheaded by Saladin himself.
185	[[/folder]]
186
187	[[folder:Richard the Lionhearted]]
188	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.
189	----
190	* AscendedExtra: Becomes the main protagonist of Cyprus.
191	* 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.
192	* GratuitousFrench: Mentioned that he spoke French, rather than English.
193	* {{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.
194	* OutOfCharacterMoment:
195	** In the Barbarossa 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.
196	** 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).
197	%%* WorthyOpponent: Ends up being one for Saladin after Acre.
198	[[/folder]]
199
200	!!Genghis Khan (Mongols)
201
202	[[folder:Genghis Khan]]
203	[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/74f665a8_5ece_4a5c_b95d_8f35828ae21d.png]]
204	The protagonist of the Mongols campaign. Appears only in the first level, as a powerful mangudai unit. Voiced by Rick May.
205	----
206	* 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.
207	* AdvertisedExtra: He only appears at the beginning of the first scenario and is never playable.
208	* 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).
209	* DisproportionateRetribution: Infamous for inflicting horrible tortures and executions on prisoners and defeated.
210	* 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.
211	* 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.
212	* 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.
213	* HistoricalVillainUpgrade:
214	** 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.
215	** 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 he used merchants as spies anyway, however.
216	%%* TheHorde: Leads one.
217	%%* HorseArcher
218	%%* LargeHam: In the one speaking role he has.
219	* 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.
220	* RagsToRiches: His mother hunted rodents to not die of starvation. His children eat from Persian gold plates.
221	* RankScalesWithAsskicking: Even though his heroic unit is quite powerful, you just never get to use him.
222	* RapePillageAndBurn: "Four Mongol tribes follow the standard of Genghis Khan. The rest of the world will soon learn ''fear''". Oh, indeed.
223	* TakeUpMySword: He gets his son Ogatai to take his bow, and continue the Mongol conquest into Europe.
224	* VillainProtagonist: Arguably he can be considered one.
225	* 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.
226	[[/folder]]
227
228	[[folder:Ornlu the Wolf]]
229	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.
230	----
231	* 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.
232	* 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.
233	* SavageWolves: Ornlu is such a problem for a particular tribe that they will pledge loyalty to Genghis if he resolves it for them.
234	[[/folder]]
235
236	[[folder:Kushluk]]
237	The antagonist of the second level of Genghis Khan. Represented by a cavalier unit.
238	----
239	* DirtyCoward: He flees as soon as he sees Genghis' men coming.
240	%%* TheHorde: Leads one.
241	* GetBackHereBoss: Flees immediately after the defeat of the Khara Khitai.
242	* GoodScarsEvilScars: He sports a brutal one over his left eye, who is missing.
243	%%* WarmupBoss
244	[[/folder]]
245
246	[[folder:Subotai]]
247	TheLancer to Genghis, and later, Ogatai. Represented by a cavalry archer. Also appears in the Kotyan Khan campaign as the antagonist.
248	----
249	* 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.
250	* BigBad: For the first half of the Kotyan Khan campaign.
251	* BigDamnHeroes: In the last scenario after forty minutes of Hungarian siege, he arrives followed by a generous amount of saboteurs to save the day.
252	* CanineCompanion: His two hunting wolves. Possibly a reference to his title of "Dog of War."
253	* 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.
254	* 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.
255	%%* TheHorde: Leads the ones that conquer Russia and Hungary.
256	%%* HorseArcher
257	* TheLancer: To Genghis and later his son.
258	* TheQuietOne: He has lines, but they are short.
259	-->'''Subotai:''' Subotai's here!
260	** Averted in the Kotyan Khan campaign, where he's ''very'' [[TheComputerShallTauntYou taunt-ative]].
261	* RightHandAttackDog: His wolves.
262	* ThirdPersonPerson: His BadassBoast when he arrives in the last scenario.
263	[[/folder]]
264
265	!!Barbarossa (Teutons)
266
267	[[folder:Frederick Barbarossa]]
268	[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/737092a7_3f20_4ce2_80f3_2d017cbd7311.png]]
269	%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
270	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.
271	----
272	* AntiClimax: His death during the long march towards the Holy Land; he drowns in the cutscene after the penultimate mission.
273	* ArtisticLicenseHistory: Frederick was not buried at the Dome of the Rock, nor did his army siege Jerusalem. Attempts to preserve his body to do so failed, and thus his flesh was interred in the Church of St Peter in Antioch, his bones in the Cathedral of Tyre, and his heart and inner organs in Tarsus. Also, Richard the Lionheart was not in the holy lands yet when Barbarossa died, he arrived after.
274	* EscortMission: Technically the last one, where the player has to make sure that a cart containing Barbarossa's ''body'' reaches Jerusalem.
275	%% (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.
276	* TheGhost: Never actually seen in game.
277	* 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).
278	* 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.
279	* 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.
280	[[/folder]]
281
282	[[folder:Henry the Lion]]
283	[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fc87fb8f_6efc_4a96_acc9_0cab81d96f6f.png]]
284	%% [[caption-width-right:256:some caption text]]
285	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.
286	----
287	* 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.]]
288	* 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.
289	* DragonWithAnAgenda: He has his own interests and betrays Barbarossa twice when they conflict with his.
290	%%* FaceHeelTurn: Twice.
291	* TheGhost: Never seen in game.
292	* 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]]
293	* HistoricalVillainUpgrade:
294	** 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]].
295	** His part in the campaign(s) against Milan, where he served Barbarossa faithfully, is not mentioned.
296	** 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.
297	* 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.
298	* PragmaticAdaptation:
299	%%** His HistoricalVillainUpgrade.
300	** 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.
301	* PutOnABus: He marches to exile in England after betraying Barbarossa a second time.
302	* TheStarscream: He appears twice, and he betrays Barbarossa twice.
303	* YouAllMeetInAnInn: He tells the story to the player in a tavern.
304	[[/folder]]
305
306	! ''The Conquerors'' Campaigns
307
308	!!Attila (Huns)
309
310	[[folder:Attila the Hun]]
311	The protagonist of the Hunnic campaign. Is an extra powerful cataphract unit in the HD version, and an unique cavalry unit in ''Definitive Edition''.
312	----
313	* 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]]
314	* 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.
315	%%* BeardOfEvil
316	* CainAndAbel: With Bleda, though it is [[EvilVersusEvil impossible to say who's who]].
317	* CoolSword: Wields a rusty blade, which he claims to be Mars' sword.
318	* EvilVersusEvil: There is no love lost in his fight for power with Bleda.
319	* 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).
320	* 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.
321	* 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.
322	* HistoricalHeroUpgrade:
323	** 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.
324	** 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.
325	* 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.
326	%%* TheHorde: Leads a brutal one into Europe.
327	* ModestRoyalty: Attila continues to eat from a simple, wooden bowl while plundering the Romans.
328	* 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.
329	%%* RapePillageAndBurn: The whole Attila Campaign can be summed as this.
330	* RedBaron: "The Scourge of God."
331	* 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.
332	* SinisterScimitar: In ''Definitive Edition'', his hero model wields a single-edged curved saber fitting a nomad marauder.
333	* 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.
334	* VillainProtagonist: Despite the upgrades, the narrator clearly thinks of him and the rest of the Huns as wicked.
335	[[/folder]]
336
337	[[folder:Bleda the Hun]]
338	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.
339	----
340	%%* BeardOfEvil
341	%%* CainAndAbel: With Attila.
342	* 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.
343	%%* EvilVersusEvil: His conflict with Attila.
344	* HorseArcher: In the original version, he uses the model of a Mangudai, who attacks at melee range with a bow. In ''Definitive Edition'', he's represented as a Steppe Lancer (albeit with 0 range instead of the usual 1).
345	* 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...
346	** Rectified in ''Definitive Edition'', where he gets to wield a spear instead.
347	* 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.
348	[[/folder]]
349
350	[[folder:Flavius Aetius]]
351	The West Roman general fighting Attila in the latter part of the campaign, although he never appears.
352	----
353	%%* HeroAntagonist: Technically for Attila's Campaign.
354	%%* TheGhost
355	* MightyWhitey: He was raised among the Huns, making him [[ToKnowHimIMustBecomeHim Rome's best choice to deal with them]].
356	* RetiredBadass: Retires after the battle of the Catalaunian Fields, allowing Attila to invade Rome.
357	* ToKnowHimIMustBecomeHim: Lived among the Huns before joining Rome's army and fighting them.
358	%%* WorthyOpponent: To Attila.
359	[[/folder]]
360
361	[[folder:Father Armand]]
362	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.
363	----
364	* DistressedDude: Attila decided to abduct him after the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields, and made him complicit in his following raids and brutalities.
365	* EvilFeelsGood: After relating to his young acolyte all of Attila's crimes, Armand actually confesses ''he misses when he participated to the bloodbath.''
366	* RetiredMonster: His tale first presents him as a victim of a tribal chief's cruelty, right until Armand admits he ''enjoyed'' serving Attila.
367	* ShellShockedVeteran: The Catalaunian Fields left a ''deep'' impression on him.
368	%%* OriginalCharacter
369	* WhamLine: His last words about being forced into Attila's campaign as a soldier. "Sometimes... [[EvilFeelsGood I miss it]]."
370	* YouWillBeSpared: Attila was reluctant to kill a holy man, so he integrated him to his retinue instead.
371	[[/folder]]
372
373	!!El Cid (Spanish and Saracens)
374
375	[[folder:Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, a.k.a. "El Cid"]]
376	The protagonist of the Spanish campaign, represented by a Champion at first, but after acquiring [[CoolHorse Bavieca]], a KnightlyLance.
377	----
378	%%* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking
379	* {{BFS}}: His sword Tizona. However, while on horseback he wields a jousting lance instead.
380	* BigDamnHeroes: In the fourth scenario, where he has to save King Alfonso's troops from the Black Guards.
381	* CoolHorse: Bavieca.
382	* DashingHispanic: Probably the most iconic hispanic badass.
383	* 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.
384	* 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).
385	%%* KnightInShiningArmor
386	* KnightlyLance: El Cid Campeador is represented by a Knight unit.
387	* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Which made him famous for his loyalty.
388	* OneManArmy: Probably the strongest hero unit the player is ever given control of.
389	* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: He becomes King after taking Valencia.
390	* SilentProtagonist: Doesn't speak in his campaign.
391	* WorkingClassHero: While an aristocrat, he's a minor noble and the crux of his conflcit is with the far more powerful King Alfonso.
392	[[/folder]]
393
394	[[folder:Jimena Díaz]]
395	The wife of El Cid, and the narrator of his campaign. Voiced by Melinda Renna.
396	----
397	* DelayedNarratorIntroduction: She only clarifies her true part in El Cid's story when the second mission starts.
398	* HappilyMarried: To El Cid.
399	* TheHighQueen: Is the wife of El Cid, and becomes sole-reigning queen of Valencia after the defeat of Yusuf.
400	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The only female narrator, until Maria in the Ivaylo campaign.
401	[[/folder]]
402
403	[[folder:King Sancho]]
404	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.
405	----
406	* CainAndAbel: The Abel to Alfonso.
407	* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the cutscenes, Sancho is bearded and Alfonso is not. In the scenarios, it's the opposite.
408	* 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]]
409	* TheGoodKing: As part of his HistoricalVillainDowngrade.
410	* SacrificialLion: Is assassinated between maps by Alfonso.
411	[[/folder]]
412
413	[[folder:King Alfonso]]
414	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.
415	----
416	%%* AristocratsAreEvil
417	* 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.
418	* BeardOfEvil: He sports one in the animated cutscenes, [[GameplayAndStorySegregation although he is clean-shaven in the scenarios.]]
419	* CainAndAbel: The Cain to Sancho.
420	* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: He keeps backstabbing El Cid even after being rescued by him.
421	* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the cutscenes, Sancho is bearded and Alfonso is not. In the scenarios, it's the opposite.
422	* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: In the game, he seems to lack any positive trait.
423	%%* KarmaHoudini
424	* PetTheDog: His one redeeming moment was when he insisted on attending El Cid's funeral in the final cutscene.
425	%%* {{Slimeball}}
426	* UngratefulBastard: Is one towards El Cid.
427	[[/folder]]
428
429	[[folder:Yusuf]]
430	The leader of the Black Guard Berbers that invade Spain to stop the Christian advance in the Reconquista. Never appears in game.
431	----
432	* BigBad: Of the later half of El Cid's campaign.
433	* EnemyCivilWar: Is gone after his defeat in the fourth mission, because he has to take care of a Berber civil war in Africa.
434	* TheFaceless: Jimena notes that his face is always covered.
435	* TheFundamentalist: In contrast to the local Muslim rulers like Mutamid.
436	* TheGhost: Never appears in person.
437	* GoneHorriblyWrong: The Iberian Muslims call him to help them against the Christians, but then he proceeds to submit ones and others alike.
438	* 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.
439	[[/folder]]
440
441	[[folder:Mutamid]]
442	The friendly Muslim King of Zaragoza. He puts El Cid at his service after he is exiled by King Alfonso. Never appears in game.
443	----
444	* CompositeCharacter: A combination of three historical kings: al-Mutamid of Seville, al-Qadir of Toledo, and al-Mutaman of Zaragoza.
445	%%* TheGoodKing
446	* IdleRich: No wonder the moment El Cid is not by his side, his kingdom goes down and he is deposed by Yusuf.
447	%%* NiceGuy
448	[[/folder]]
449
450	[[folder:Count Berenguer]]
451	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.
452	----
453	%%* AristocratsAreEvil
454	* 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.
455	* 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]]
456	* BigBad: He has nothing to do with Yusuf, but whenever he isn't around, Berenguer can be trusted as an opponent.
457	* TheGhost: Never appears in person.
458	* 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]].
459	* 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]]
460	[[/folder]]
461
462	!!Montezuma (Aztecs)
463
464	[[folder:Montezuma]]
465	The focal character of the Montezuma campaign, though arguably not the protagonist; that would probably be his nephew, Cuauhtemoc. Never appears in person.
466	----
467	* DecoyProtagonist: [[NeverTrustATitle Despite giving his name to the campaign]], the real protagonist is Cuauhtemoc.
468	* DistressedDude: For part of the campaign.
469	* TheGhost: Never seen in person in the campaign.
470	* IdleRich: Never seen doing anything towards the maintainence of his empire.
471	* NonActionGuy: A major problem during the invasion of the Spanish.
472	[[/folder]]
473
474	[[folder:Cuauhtemoc]]
475	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.
476	----
477	* 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]]
478	%%* CarryABigStick
479	* NemeanSkinning: Expected when he is Jaguar Warrior, to wear a Jaguar skin.
480	* 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.
481	* 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.
482	* 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]]
483	[[/folder]]
484
485	[[folder:Hernán Cortés]]
486	The antagonist of the Montezuma campaign. He never appears in person.
487	----
488	%%* BigBad: Of the Aztecs' campaign.
489	%%* TheGhost
490	* OnlyInItForTheMoney: A common trait among the conquistadors although they do fight for glory as well (their own or Spain's).
491	* OutsideContextProblem: To the Aztecs. The Tlaxcalans have a few skirmishes with him, but soon become allies.
492	[[/folder]]
493
494	!Battles of the Conquerors (Several)
495
496	[[folder:Henry V]]
497	The protagonist and leader of the Britons in the Agincourt scenario. Represented by a powerful Paladin unit.
498	----
499	%%* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking
500	* EscortMission: Becomes one by the end of the map, when your only objective becomes taking him back to England.
501	* 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.
502	%%* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething
503	%%* StiffUpperLip
504	[[/folder]]
505
506	%%[[folder:William the Conqueror]]
507	%%The protagonist and leader of the Franks in the Hastings scenario, represented by a paladin unit.
508	%%----
509	%%* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Much like in RealLife.
510	%%[[/folder]]
511
512	[[folder:Harold the Saxon]]
513	The antagonist of the Hastings scenario, the leader of the Saxons. Does not appear in person.
514	----
515	* 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:
516	--> '''Harold''': ''Go home, young William. This island will remain Saxon!''
517	* TheGhost: He's never seen.
518	* SmugSnake: Constantly gloats and brags to William, even when his defeat is imminent.
519	[[/folder]]
520
521	[[folder:Harald Hardraade]]
522	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.
523	----
524	* TheBerserker: He is a Berserker. That throws axes.
525	%%* FieryRedhead
526	* GameplayAndStorySegregation: He can live up to the very end of the scenario and even join forces with William against Harold the Saxon as opposed to RealLife, where Harald was William's rival to the throne, had little contact with him and 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.
527	%%* HornyVikings
528	* TheLancer: To William, if they choose to ally.
529	* 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.
530	[[/folder]]
531
532	[[folder:Erik the Red]]
533	The protagonist of the Vinlandsaga scenario, represented by a Berserker unit.
534	----
535	* TheBerserker: As any good viking hero should be.
536	* 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.
537	* 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 (original version) or Iceland (''Definitive Edition''), then goes to Greenland (Iceland is not on the map in the original version), which is already settled by (hostile) Norse, and then founds a settlement in Vinland.
538	%%* FieryRedhead
539	%%* HornyVikings
540	%%* WorkingClassHero
541	[[/folder]]
542
543	[[folder:Charles Martel]]
544	The protagonist and leader of the Franks in the Tours scenario, represented by a Throwing Axeman unit.
545	----
546	* 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.
547	* RedBaron: "The Hammer"
548	[[/folder]]
549
550	[[folder:Yi Sun Sin]]
551	The protagonist and leader of the Koreans in the Noryang Point scenario, represented by a Turtle Ship.
552	----
553	* CoolBoat: He rides around in a suped-up Turtle Ship, the only Hero ship unit. He also invented them.
554	%%* FatherNeptune
555	* 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]].
556	* OneManArmy: His personal ship is fully capable of finishing the mission on its own once the player gets it.
557	[[/folder]]
558
559	[[folder:Oda Nobunaga]]
560	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.
561	----
562	* AscendedExtra: After only existing as a SacrificialLamb in a single scenario, Nobunaga becomes the main character of the Japanese campaign in ''Victors and Vanquished''.
563	* EverythingsBetterWithSamurai: Is represented by Japan's unique unit, the Samurai. Although subverted, since he inevitably dies.
564	* FissionMailed: The first objective in Kyoto is to save Nobunaga and cannot be completed, since he dies very soon after the scenario begins. After this, the real mission begins--to storm Kyoto to avenge his death.
565	* 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.
566	* SacrificialLamb: Dies just to allow Hideyoshi to swear revenge.
567	[[/folder]]
568
569	[[folder:Toyotomi Hideyoshi]]
570	The protagonist of the Kyoto map, and the antagonist of the Noryang Point map, leading Japanese in both occasions. Does not appear in person.
571	----
572	%%* BigBad: Of Noryang Point.
573	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: After his master's death, he destroys three cities to get revenge.
574	[[/folder]]

Context Characters / AgeOfEmpiresIIOriginal