http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/AgeOfEmpiresIIDefinitiveEdition

Characters appearing in the campaigns introduced during and after the release of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, including the Expansion Packs/DLCs Lords of the West, Dawn of the Dukes, Dynasties of India, The Mountain Royals and Victors & Vanquished.

For the following characters, check the following pages:

Original AoE2: William Wallace, Edward Longshanks, Joan of Arc, and Reynald de Chatillon.

open/close all folders

The Last Khans Campaigns

Tamerlane (Tatars)

Tamerlane

Leader of the Timurid Empire, represented by a cavalry archer.

Ascended Extra: Tamerlane was one of the names used by AI Mongol players in the original Age of Kings as well as an unused hero unit. In Definitive Edition, he received his own campaign.
Combat Pragmatist: As part of his strategic prowess, when facing off against the Sultan of Delhi's armored elephants, he sent a small brigade of camels carrying burning hay. The sight of flaming camels spooked the elephants enough to stampede in the other direction.
From Nobody to Nightmare: He wasn't descended from a Khan, and yet he picked up several pieces of the old Mongol empire and conquered vast amounts of land from Persia to Delhi.
Handicapped Badass: He's called "Timur the Lame" because arrow wounds in his right leg and hand impeded his movement. He is still a highly cunning individual who earned his leadership by throwing his helmet at an end post in a foot race. His cunning had proven rather deadly on the battlefield.
Implacable Man: He swears he will find Tokhtamysh to make him rue his betrayal. In the last outro, he made good on this promise.
Large Ham: Everytime you hear him speak, he is always over the top.
Only a Flesh Wound: In the first map, his unit can be killed as many times as you please, he will always spawn back into his castle.
Pet the Dog: In spite of his taste for genocidal ravages, Tamerlane spared many artisans and philosophers, deporting them to Samarkand instead. ^note
Rape, Pillage, and Burn: Pretty much all of his campaign and easily the worst of them all. Makes Attila and Genghis Khan looks tame by comparison.
Villain Protagonist: He's fiendishly brutal for a conqueror. Since he apparently styled himself The Scourge of God, he probably enjoyed it, too.
Wicked Cultured: He actually has a policy of systemic deportation to Samarkand regarding artists and craftsmen, wanting for his capital city to become a rich blend of cultures and sciences.

Tokhtamysh Khan

Khan and starting ally to Tamerlane. Represented by a unique Steppe Lancer.

…And That Little Girl Was Me: Downplayed, but he's the beddragled refugee relating all of Tamerlane's atrocities to the rich lord in the framing device.
Horse Archer: Represented by one, and during Tamerlane's campaign into Persia provided him with some.
How the Mighty Have Fallen: Formerly the ruler of the Blue Horde portion of the Golden Horde, he made the big mistake of betraying Tamerlane. It leads him to become a terrified, starving refugee ranting about his rival's cruelty and pressing people to flee instead of fighting. Subverted when he returns as an ally during Vytautas scenario in the Polish campaign. His son also show up as a hirable mercenary in the final Polish scenario.
Like a Son to Me: How Tamerlane viewed him. Tokhtamysh deciding to backstab him wasn't well-received as a consequence.
The Starscream: Tokhtamysh betrayed Tamerlane after the latter destroyed enough Persian cities. He vastly underestimated Tamerlane's ability in combat and fled north to the Golden Horde, then west to Lithuania after meeting his respective defeats.

Ivaylo (Bulgarians)

Ivaylo

The main character of the Bulgarian campaign, represented by an unique cavalry unit who can dismount like a Konnik.

Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Inverted. He's betrayed three times during the campaign, likely steming from his lowborn background (and the connections among his opponents).
Deconstructed Character Archetype: So, the valiant swineherd who rightfully defended peasants' rights finally gains his happy ending after toppling the tyrant and becoming king instead, right? Not so much when his whole court is filled with classist snobs who hate him for killing the previous king.^note
From Nobody to Nightmare: Started off as a simple swineherd, and inspired peasants to take up arms against the marauding Tatars. When the corrupt bolyars focused on putting the militia down rather than fight off said Tatars, the rebellion was born with him at the helm.
Heir-In-Law: Marrying the Empress Dowager who was also regent to her young son was a good way to consolidate his claim to the throne. However, it wasn't enough, as Ivaylo literally had no other supporters, within Bulgaria or overseas.
Heroes Prefer Swords: While he's based on a Konnik, his weapons are a simple wooden shield and a sword.
Historical Hero Upgrade: The campaign paints him as a humble man fighting to liberate the common man. While much of Ivaylo's character may be lost to time, history is fairly certain he was abusive to Maria. ^note
Multiple Life Bars: Despite the unique sprite, he has the same gimmick of the Konnik: as such, a "slain" Ivalyo is merely dismounted, though he will die for real if he's killed when on foot.
Rebel Leader: Deconstructed. In Ivaylo's time, being a leader of what type of rebels determined your fate. If you are a leader of rebels who hailed from nobility, your chances of succeeding are higher (e.g. Konstantin). If you are a peasant rebel leader, you had to deal with bolyars who had proven themselves hostile repeatedly to even tsars from nobility, never mind about a peasant tsar.
Shoot the Shaggy Dog Story: Poor guy only wanted the aristocracy to stop dumping on peasants, and as such led a rebellion against his own government. Even after he became king, the nobility hated him so much they couldn't wait to usurp him immediately when he left for a moment, sending his wife and child into exile and making Ivaylo's followers lose any hope of the situation bettering itself. His plea for Nogai Khan to help him regain his throne sees him forced to assault innocent people for the Khan to consider hearing his request, and he's ultimately murdered when Nogai decides to reject his offer.
The Hero Dies: Killed by Nogai Khan rather unceremoniously.
Working-Class Hero: He started life as a swineherd. The nobility never forgave him for this. Reflected in his hero unit, which is without armor save for a square wooden shield and carries a simple sword as his weapon.
Won the War, Lost the Peace: Ivaylo defeated Konstantin in war and was never defeated in battle, but he never had a stable reign, and his situation became untenable after George Terter's coup.

Tsar Konstantin

Tsar of Bulgaria in "A Most Unlikely Man", represented by a three-horse chariot. He was chronologically the second Tsar in Maria's narration, as he forced Mitso Asen (Ivan III's father) into exile.

Altar Diplomacy: Konstantin's marriage to Maria was to secure an alliance with the Byzantine Empire, although complications soon developed ^note. Although not mentioned in-game, Konstantin married his second wife Irene because of her connections as well ^note.
Handicapped Badass: Got paralyzed from the waist down after falling off his horse, and so got confined to a chariot. Statswise, he has as much attack as a Paladin, and so can put up a fight, assuming he attacks at all.
How the Mighty Have Fallen: Once governed Bulgaria well, and kept the Byzantines and Tatars in check. Then he fell off his horse, ensuring that the nobles assumed greater power. To set the scene of the Rebellion, Ivalyo had him killed by the end of the first scenario.
Ungrateful Bastard: One way through the first scenario is to ally with him, then defeat the Tatars and the remaining two bolyars. Instead of making Ivaylo a bolyar as he promised, Konstantin then sets off to crush the rebellion while scoffing at Ivaylo's status as peasant.

Maria Kantakouzena

(Former) empress of Bulgaria

Artistic License – History: Maria downplayed Konstantin's reign considerably, as Konstantin was able-bodied for more than a decade, which is longer than the reigns of many of his predecessors and successors ^note. Similarly, she downplayed her own role in Konstantin's reign after his paralysis; historically, Maria was regent during this period of time and so played her part in the decline of Bulgaria.
Black Widow: All three of Maria's husbands died violently, although mostly not of her doing. ^note
The Exile: She is exiled to Constantinople after Ivaylo loses power. ^note
Odd Couple: Deconstructed to hell — the nobility was infuriated to see the Empress marry a swineherd who led a rebellion against them and killed her former husband. ^note
One Degree of Separation: Not discussed in-game, but historically, she's linked to almost every major player in the Ivaylo campaign. She's a wife to Konstantin and Ivaylo, and cousin-in-law to Ivan Asen III and Nogai Khan.
Narrator All Along: Though it's not much of a surprise.
Politically-Active Princess: As mentioned, Maria was a niece of Byzantine emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos and thus a cousin of the wives of Nogai Khan and Ivan Asen III. According to her contemporary Georgius Pachymeres, Maria supported her uncle's military coup d'etat and she prompted him to blind the legitimate emperor John IV Laskaris, who was a brother of Bulgarian empress Irene, the second wife of Tsar Konstantin.^note She was also the regent after Konstantin's paralysis and during most of Ivaylo's (short) reign.
Tell Me About My Father: Ultimately, the whole campaign is Maria explaining to her (unnamed) daughter what kind of man fathered her.
Women Prefer Strong Men: In the second mission, she comments that Ivaylo's military successes are really alluring. The post-mission cutscene has her marrying him.

Ivan Asen III

Bulgarian noble and rival to Ivaylo. A son, nephew, grandson, great-grandnephew and great-grandson of tsars of Bulgaria.

Ain't Too Proud to Beg: According to Nogai Khan, Ivan went groveling to him, begging for help just like Ivaylo. Nogai still considers Ivaylo better than him.
The Bad Guy Wins: Ivan did rule as tsar for about a year after Ivaylo's reign. Ivan's successor George Terter I was also his brother-in-law^note. Of Ivaylo's opponents, only Ivan and George Terter escaped a violent death; Ivan eventually returned to the Asen estates in the Troad (the Biga Peninsula in the northwestern part of Anatolia, Turkey) and died there in 1303^note. Also, not only did Ivan die in peace, his descendants thrived in Byzantium as a noble dynasty for generations.
Dirty Coward: Everybody was very unimpressed when he ran away because it was evident he wouldn't be able to vanquish Ivaylo on his own. ^note
Heroic Lineage: Although not mentioned in-game, Ivan's claim to the Bulgarian tsardom was not only from his father; his mother was a daughter of Tsar Ivan Asen II and granddaughter of Ivan Asen I (his namesake and one of the co-founders of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which was independent from the Byzantines); two of Ivan III's uncles were also Tsars of Bulgaria.
History Repeats: Just like his father, Ivan reigned for about a year, and got himself exiled to the Byzantine Empire where he lived out his days.
Nepotism: Although not elaborated in-game, Ivan is actually Nogai Khan's brother-in-law. ^note
Smug Snake: In the second scenario he makes some very smarmy taunts at Ivaylo. He even has a breakdown when his troops are unable to recover the Church in time.
Unfit for Greatness: Despite his Heroic Lineage, he was the last Asen who was Tsar of Bulgaria. ^note

Nogai Khan

Leader (but not khan) of the Golden Horde. Represented by a heroic horse archer.

Blood Knight: Apparently, the smell of burnt flesh and the taste of blood are a joy to him.
Eye Scream: Lost one eye when fighting his brother for the post of commander of the Golden Horde. He's very chill about it, though.
Graceful Loser: His reaction when Ivaylo burns his great tent is to laugh and call him a Worthy Opponent.
Heroic Lineage: More infamous than heroic, but he's a great-great-grandson to Genghis Khan.
Karmic Death: Although not depicted, Nogai died a violent death slightly less than 20 years after he killed Ivaylo.
Kick the Dog: After forcing Ivaylo to take part in the attack against the Poles, he listens to his plea for help, only to have him unceremoniously killed a little later.
The Man Behind the Man: The reason why he doesn't take command over the Golden Horde. He already rules it from the shadows and prefers it this way. ^note
Third-Person Person: Possibly to sound more grandiose or unhinged, Nogai Khan refers to himself in this fashion.
Worthy Opponent: Praises Ivaylo's strength right after being defeated by him.

George Terter

Bulgarian noble and one-time ally of Ivaylo. He proclaimed himself Tsar of Bulgaria after Ivan Asen III fled Tarnovo. Represented by a heroic cavalry unit.

The Bad Guy Wins: Another example from the campaign after Ivan Asen III. George ruled as tsar for more than a decade. Although he was forced into exile at the end of his reign, he was allowed to return to Bulgaria after his son Theodore Svetoslav seized the throne and exchanged thirteen high-ranking Byzantine officers captured in a campaign for him. Theodore then settled George in a life of luxury in an unidentified city until his death. ^note
Face–Heel Turn: Starts off as an ally to Ivaylo, even helping him protect the Bulgarian village in Echoes of Heroes, only to run to Tarnovo after Ivaylo defeated the Romans and declare himself Tsar before sending murderers after Ivaylo.
Refuge in Audacity: Another trope which describes his accession. Before his accession, George was a Bulgarian bolyar with little to distinguish him from his peers (His ancestors were unknown and his wealth unremarkable). Then, by being at the right place (Tarnovo) and the right time (Ivan Asen III losing his marbles and fleeing the capital, and Ivaylo away fighting for his life), he rallied the bolyars and seized the throne.
To Win Without Fighting: How he won the tsardom. Ivan Asen III fled the capital, while Ivaylo was away fighting for his life, so he rallied the bolyars to proclaim him Tsar.

Kasim Beg

A Tatar mercenary who helps Ivaylo on his quest. Represented by a heroic Keshik.

Jousting Lance: Being a Keshik, Kasim wields a spear from horseback.
The Lancer: Plays this role a surprising humber of time for Ivaylo, being playable in three of the five scenarios and loyal to the man even when his own compatriots have turned their backs on him.
Pet the Dog: When a lone and poor Ivaylo is fleeing Bulgaria, Kasim is willing to go to Nogai Khan and intercede for him. He's even at the outpost assigned to Ivaylo in the last portion of the scenario.
Right-Hand Attack Dog: In his first appearence, he's seen with a hunting wolf beside him.
Spanner in the Works: In his first appearence, he suggests Ivaylo to slay the Khans among the Cumans and Tatars to make them revolt against the Mongols, while in the second one he and his raiders can pillage the back of the Roman base, depriving them of gold and wood.
Token Heroic Orc: From the Bulgarian's point of view, the Tatar Kasim may as well be a Noble Demon.

Kotyan Khan (Cumans)

Kotyan Khan

Leader of the Cuman tribes, represented by a unique Horse Archer unit.

Cool Mask: Wears a traditional Cuman metal mask over his face.
The Exile: Courtesy of the Mongol invasions.
The Hero Dies: He was murdered by the very nobility he wanted to trust. Cue Roaring Rampage of Revenge from his grieving warriors.
Hope Bringer: To his followers, who refused to be brought low by their plight as they still had him with them.
Universally Beloved Leader: Alas for the Hungary nobles, Kotyan was extremely beloved by his bloodthirsty, warrior subjects. So when he was murdered, they didn't take it well. At all.

Béla IV

King of Hungary, represented by a King unit.

Altar Diplomacy: At the end of the campaign, his son - the future Stephen V - married Kotyan's daughter Elizabeth, sealing the goodwill between the two peoples.
The Good King: Welcomed the Cumans into his realm. Shame he couldn't stop suspicious nobles from assassinating Kotyan. Even after the Cumans ravaged the countryside in response, he requested their assistance after being taken advantage of by Duke Frederick.
Only Sane Man: The only person in Hungary to think the Cumans could peacefully live there, and maybe protect it from the Mongols. Unfortunately, his nobles had to murder Kotyan.

Frederick II

Duke of Austria.

Big Bad: For the second half of the campaign, especially after Kotyan got murdered under his auspices.
Manipulative Bastard: Nominally went to Hungary to help protect it from Mongols, but mostly took advantage of King Béla IV. He schemed with Hungarian nobles to have Kotyan murdered, with the assumption that the Cumans would be too disorganized to fight back, only to say that the Cumans shouldn't have been trusted when they ravaged the countryside in vengeance. He then forced Béla to swear fealty to the Holy Roman Empire after the Mongols left the latter in a desperate situation.
One-Steve Limit: Mentioning his title is vitally important when talking about him, as his liege is also Frederick II, but that one was Holy Roman Emperor.
Villainous Breakdown: In the final scenario, he will react with disbelief and outrage when he's defeated by the Cuman/Hungarian forces.

Pachacuti (Incas)

Viracocha Inca

The eighth Sapa Inca of the Kingdom of Cusco (beginning around 1410), represented by a unique Slinger.

Decoy Protagonist: The narrator in the first mission pretty much established him as the hero of the story, until he runs away in the second mission which establishes Cusi Yupanqui as the actual hero and the titular Pachacuti.
Dirty Coward: He flat-out dumped his subjects and fled with his favourite son when a warlord marched on Cuzco.
Founder of the Kingdom: He was the first ruler of the Inca Empire. ^note
God-Emperor: There's hints he considered himself this trope — a firm belief he was The Chosen One designated by the gods, and his towering ego. Bonus point for being named after an actual deity.
Like Father, Unlike Son: The reason why Cusi is The Un Favourite, as he would rather stay and fight along his subjects than preserving his own skin.
Parental Favoritism: Urqu is his favorite son and the one he wishes to be his successor, even after Cusi has proven to be the more capable leader.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When the Chancas threaten to march on Cuzco, Viracocha runs away like a coward and abandons his people to their fate, though Cusi Yupanqui decides otherwise.
Smug Snake: He boasted of being a military genius, but his successes were mainly the contribution of his two generals.

Cusi Yupanqui/Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui

The actual protagonist of the campaign, represented by a heroic unique unit.

Cain and Abel: The victory at Cuzco only served to turn his father into a Green-Eyed Monster and turn Urqu against him because he is The Unfavorite.
Hope Bringer: He is not a military genius at first, but his courage has inspired many soldiers including the two generals to stay in Cuzco and defend it despite Viracocha choosing to abandon it.
Meaningful Name: Yupanqui was Quechua for "with honour", so he's fittingly the Wise Prince.
On One Condition: He refused to formally name his son Topa Yupanqui his successor until the youth proved he could rule, and rule well.
Red Baron: "Son of the Sun", for he led the Incas out of the darkness and into a golden age of prosperity.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: He's a prince of the Kingdom of Cusco, and even if he's rather green in matters of command and war, he still tries to do right by his people.
The Un Favourite: Despite most commoners and nobles respecting him a lot more compared with Urqu, his father still much prefered Urqu over him.
The Wise Prince: Inca-flavoured.

Lords of the West Campaigns

Edward Longshanks (Britons)

Edward II

The heir of England and son of Edward Longshanks. He is the narrator of the Edward Longshanks campaign.

Inadequate Inheritor: Since his father done so much while he did so little, he was already in a bad shape. He hoped that studying his father's success will teach him something, it left him indecisive about how he should follow his father's example. If you read up his reign and learn that he was defeated by Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn and was forced to abdicate in 1327, his reign was a failure.
Narrator: He serves as the narrator of the campaign, studying his father's accomplishment in order to be a good king.

Gilbert de Clare

Earl of Gloucester and a powerful Marcher Lord who defects from the Baronial cause and aids Longshanks in taking down Simon de Montfort.

Opportunistic Bastard: Edward II's narration implies he switched his support to Longshanks largely because he saw de Montfort's faction starting to fracture and wanted to back the inevitable winner.

Simon de Montfort

Earl of Leicester, French aristocrat and leader of the rebel baronial faction that seizes power from the weak Henry III and imprisons the young Longshanks.

Llywelyn ap Gruffydd

A Welsh nobleman who supported Simon de Montfort's rebellion.

Bullying a Dragon: He initially supports Simon de Montfort's rebellion, and despite Longshanks utterly crushing the Baronial revolt, later goes out of his way to antagonise Longshanks, going so far as to marry de Montfort's daughter Eleanor. This backfires horribly for him when Edward - already looking to expand the Kingdom of England - retaliates with a full-scale invasion of Wales.
Large Ham: To say the least, he doesn't seem to fancy the thought of submitting to the English crown.

Baibars

The sultan of the Mamluk Sultanate.

Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Despite promising vengeance by the end of the second mission, he becomes a complete non-entity for the remainder of the campaign as soon as Edward begins his conquest of Wales.
The Siege: He leads the siege of Acre and Tripoli. He was forced to lift the siege after an hour of a war of attrition by Edward Longshanks and his allies.

Dafydd ap Gruffydd

Llywelyn's brother siding with him against Longshank's conquest of Wales.

John Balliol

The King of Scotland installed by Edward Longshanks after King Alexander III died without a male heir.

Embarrassing Nickname: After he was defeated by Edward Longshanks, he gave him the name "Toom Tabard," which means 'empty coat.'
The Puppet Cuts His Strings: He was installed into the Scottish throne by Longshanks so that he can influence the land. He promises Edward that he can handle the rebellion in Berwick, only to do nothing to stop the city's soldiers and eventually deciding Edward's military intervention against the uprising is going too far, at which point he leads the Scottish army in open revolt against the English.

Aymer de Valence

A Franco-English earl of Pembroke.

You Are in Command Now: He is given command by Edward Longshanks to suppress Robert the Bruce's rebellion due to his failing health. When asked if he should be giving command alongside Edward I, Longshanks chide that his craven of a son will only improve Scottish's morale.

Robert the Bruce

The Scottish vassal of Edward Longshanks.

Brave Scot: A Scottish vassal turned rebel leader and King of Scotland.
Historical Villain Upgrade: His portrayal here is less than flattering, to say the least. He revels in having murdered John Comyn in a church, and mocks Aymer de Valence's sense of chivalry. Once he turns on you he spends much of the rest of the scenario throwing obnoxious taunts in your direction.
The Starscream: He eventually betrays you by rallying the Scottish as well as murdering John Comyn to lay claim to the Scottish crown.

The Grand Dukes of the West (Burgundians)

John the Fearless

Just Desserts: Considering his treatment towards the Armagnacs, it should be no surprise that he is assassinated after meeting to discuss diplomacy with them.
Villain Protagonist: In just the first mission, he murders the entire families of innocent civilians and forces the 15-year-old son of the slain duke to publicly forgive him, largely out of petty drama. If you thought sheer ruthlessness was reserved only for leaders of The Horde, think again.

Philip the Good

Break Them by Talking: Tries to do it to no less than Joan of Arc in an understated and superficially civil fashion, highlighting how the Dauphin abandoned her to the Burgundians and English and challenging her claim to God's patronage.
Don't Create a Martyr: His ultimate failure in the outro of the Burgundian Campaign. The narrator and he seem to assume that Joan's death will lead to the complete collapse of French resistance and the ascendency of a transnational Anglo-Burgundian aristocratic dominance. Reality, of course, is very, very different.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: For a relative definition of "Evil" and "Good", but while he is by far the most ethical and humane monarch among the Burgundian protagonists he is still a ruthless, cynical politician dedicated to expanding his dynasty's power at any cost. As such, he is utterly baffled by Joan, a teenage peasant from the village of Arc who rose to power by claiming God spoke to her to save France in the name of the Dauphin and claims the Burgundians are traitors to the French Nation. The meeting between them is only thinly civil, with Philip being confused and disgusted by Joan's righteous lecture to him and Joan apparently unable to understand that Philip is not the man to set his Empire, ambitions, and familial grievances aside because God supposedly said so.
Foil: To Joan of Arc. Whereas Joan is a passionate idealist, Philip is a prudent pragmatist who sees everything as a means to and end. To a degree, he's also a foil to John the Fearless. While both are Machiavellian leaders, their methods are extremely different. Whereas John commits heinous acts of cruelty on innocent civilians just to assert superiority over the Armagnacs, Philip does not hold grudges and even goes as far as to eventually spare mercy to Jacqueline of Hainaut, despite her being his greatest threat to power. He's also charitable to fellow noblemen who can prove beneficial to his own goals, earning him his nickname.
Good Is Not Soft: The most charitable interpretation of his character and nickname. Compared to his precursors and historical son as well as many other monarchs in the game, Philip is practically a saint as a reasonably enlightened and even merciful lord who tends the Duchy of Burgundy into a great, undeclared Empire. However, he is an utterly pragmatic, ruthless cynic who is prepared to utterly destroy his opposition, culminating in him turning over a teenage girl to a Kangaroo Court to be agonizingly burnt at the stake in a (misguided) attempt to cement his power.
Non-Indicative Name: Depending on your perspective, of course. Although he's civilized and charitable, he doesn't hesitate capturing Joan of Arc and selling her to the English and burns down enemy camps
Nothing Personal: His last words to Joan of Arc as she was taken away by the English.
"Alas, Joan, it is nothing personal. It is only politics."
Opportunistic Bastard: Despite his public goodwill, his goals are extremely self-serving and he is described as a ruthless politician by the narrator.
Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: The campaign's narrator explicitly assumes and Philip seems to believe that capturing Joan and having the English execute her will destroy the inspirational symbol of French resistance and lead to the downfall of the Armagnacs and the French Government, establishing that the Great Lords of Burgundy and England will dictate the future of Europe because they see all things as "a means to an end." The player, who has most likely completed Joan's own campaign and knows history, realizes this will instead galvanize the French to obtain complete victory over England and force Burgundy back into subjugation.

Jacqueline of Hainaut

Big Bad: She's the most powerful threat to Philip the Good among fellow Burgundians.
Lady Macbeth: She often berates her husband Humphrey for his cowardice and is the main opponent that Philip the Good must defeat in their two missions, in contrast to Humphrey only being optional the second time.
Recurring Boss: She's the main antagonist of both the fourth and fifth missions, having escaped prison in-between to seek vengeance against Philip the Good.
The Smurfette Principle: Averted. She is only the first of two female arch-rivals to Philip the Good.
Unholy Matrimony: With Humphrey of Lancaster. Even the title of the fourth mission^note"An Unholy Marriage" is synonymous with this trope.
Worthy Opponent: She ultimately becomes this to Philip the Good. He is impressed by her strength and skill regardless of her gender and status, and he allows her to retain most of her holdings after defeating her a second time.

Humphrey of Lancaster

The Lord Protector of England who aids Jacqueline of Hainaut

Dirty Coward: For all his big talk, he never fights Philip the Good in-person and mostly sits comfortably in England while Jacqueline does most of the fighting for him alongside his comparatively small army. Both Philip and Jacqueline have little respect for him by the end.
We ARE Struggling Together: He's the Lord Protector of England, acting as regent for the young Henry VI. At this point England is *allied* to Burgundy in the Hundred Years' War, yet Humphrey, via his marriage to Jacqueline, is waging his own private war against Philip. This comes back to bite him in "An Unholy Marriage"; once defeated it's mentioned that the English nobility are *not* impressed with his antics in waging war on an ally; by the events of "The Hook and Cod Wars" he's so bogged down in English politics his actual support for Jacqueline is far less than she'd hoped for.

The Hautevilles (Sicilians)

Frederick Roger

The young boy who the narrator is speaking to during the cutscenes. He is the grandson of Frederick Barbarossa on his paternal side, and of Roger II of Sicily on his maternal side. He would later become King of Sicily and Holy Roman Emperor (remembered as Emperor Frederick II). Though not specifically seen or mentioned, he is also the leader of the Germans in Genghis Khan 5, "The Promise".

A Child Shall Lead Them: He's already king of Sicily by the time of the narration, a title he held since the age of three (his mother, Constance of Sicily, was Queen in her own right and his Co-Regent).
Dead Guy Junior: Is named after both his grandfathers, the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and Roger II, King of Sicily. At birth, he was originally named Constantine after his mother until his baptism.
The Good King: The narrator implies he'll grow into this. History would largely agree with caveats as Emperor Frederick II was referred to as Stupor Mundi (the Wonder of the World) by contemporary chroniclers. He was a polyglot, speaking 6 languages, would help establish the Scilian language which would later influence modern Italian among many other cultural achievements, though he became infamous for his brutality to his enemies, opposition to church reform, and repeat excommunications.

Robert Guiscard

The founder of the Hauteville dynasty, who took the lands of Southern Italy from the other Norman barons who settled there, along with his brother who settled in Italy first.

Ambition Is Evil: Described as ruthless and cunning by the narrator. He took advantage of his reputation to gain an audience with a Norman baron and then seized their lands for himself. While not mentioned by name, he is the leader of the enemy Normans in the final scenario of Bari.
Frontline General: A brave fighter, willing to fight up front against his foes. Justified, as Normans are the same as Vikings who only respect strength and skill in battle. As long he fights on the front, more Normans will flock to him.
Red Baron: The Italians called him "Guiscard", or "Clever Fox" as his reputation grew.
Young Conqueror: In his youth, he carved out the Italian half of the Kingdom of Sicily and fought off the Lombards and Byzantines.

Roger Bosso

Younger brother to Robert Guiscard, Roger Bosso was the first to claim the island of Sicily to rule.

The Chessmaster: He lends Bohemond some knights during "Bohemond and the Emperor", feigning being a concerned uncle and encourages him to go East to find his fortune, as his father did. So that when Guiscard dies while Bohemond is both away from Italy and sick, Roger can in turn encourage the Normand lords to pick Sikelgaita's son as their king, who is much more easily manipulated than the wily and combative Bohemond, securing Roger's unchallenged rule over Sicily.
Frontline General: Same as his brother, only more focused on taking down enemy generals to take their lands.
Honor Before Reason: Averted. He knew the limits of honor and was a smart and patient man.
Knight in Shining Armor: Unlike Robert, Roger was patient and chivalrous. His chivalry made him a very popular ruler with his men.

Bohemond

Bastard child of Robert Guiscard, he leads the Normans of Sicily to war against the Byzantines and during the crusades.

Heroic Bastard: So much that plenty of Normans still wants to follow his lead in combat.

Roger II of Sicily

Son of Roger Bosso, though he was raised mostly by his mother in a multi-cultural court, before rising as king of Sicily and Southern Italy. More a diplomat than a warrior like his father and uncle, Roger II's diplomacy would allow him to unite all the Norman conquests in Italy under his banner. He is the protagonist of the final mission of the campaign, where he must repel the invading Holy Roman Empire (Spurred by the Pope condemning Roger II's tolerance of other faiths), while placating the Italian City States, the Byzantine Emperor and Saracens to consolidate the kingdom of Sicily.

We ARE Struggling Together: Much of his mission consists of either allying or destroying some of the local rival powers to focus on the real one, the Holy Roman Empire. Many of these factions are also hostile to the Holy Roman Emperor.

Sikelgaita

Robert Guiscard's second wife and Lombard princess. She is Bohemond's stepmother.

Wicked Stepmother: Throughout the "Bohemond and the Emperor" scenario, she constantly mock Bohemond and brags that her son will inherit the family wealth.

Alexios Komnenos

Emperor of Byzantium, due to the conflict against Bohemond and the Normans he's kinda like an archenemy to him.

The Emperor: Of the Byzantine Empire.
Frontline General: He personally leads his army in the third scenario.

Tancred de Hauteville, Baldwin of Hainaut, Godfrey of Bouillon, Robert of Flanders, Robert Curthose

The leaders of the First Crusade, they accompany Bohemond in the defense of Antioch against the Seljuk siege.

Kerbogha

The Turkish leader that sieged Antioch during the First Crusade.

Keystone Army: Defeating him will end the scenario early. However, good luck trying to reach him as he has a massive army outside the walls and that's without the actual army that periodically attacks you.

Emperor Lothair III

The Holy Roman Emperor who partake in the Crusade against Roger II.

Bait-and-Switch Boss: He is your Teuton enemy at the start of "Wonder of the World." However, after some time passes, he eventually leaves and gives command to Henry the Proud, who is the father of Henry the Lion. The opponent's name even gets changed from the transition.

Robert of Selby

Roger II's English chancellor and adviser.

Blue Oni: To al-Idrisi. He is one who offers Roger II by the book and straightforward advises.

al-Idrisi

Roger II's Muslim adviser.

Red Oni: To Robert. He is one who offers Roger II with pragmatic and under the table approaches.

Dawn of the Dukes Campaigns

Algirdas and Kęstutis (Lithuanians)

Algirdas and Kęstutis

Lithuanian princes who fight together to protect and later rule their land against the multiple threats of German crusaders, rebellious Slavs and Tatars. Represented by heroic cavalry units armed, respectively, with a club and an axe.

Carry a Big Stick: Algirdas' weapon of choice is a mace.
Evil Uncle: Kęstutis ends up being this to Jogaila, thinking he's unworthy of Algirdas' legacy and putting him in jail to await execution when he makes a deal with the Teutonic Order.
Face–Heel Turn: Kęstutis starts off as a playable character as long as Algirdas is still alive, but in the last scenario, set after Algirdas' death, he becomes the main antagonist opposing Jagiello.
Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Kęstutis' famed escape from a Crusader's prison is only narrated through a cutscene.
Sibling Team: So formidable they manage to halt the invasion of crusaders from the west and keep eastern invaders such as Tatars and Slavs back.
The Usurper: In their first scenario, they depose their brother Jaunutis to foil his plans to submit Lithuania to the Teutonic Order.

Jaunutis

Elder brother of Algirdas and Kęstutis, with sympathies for the Teutonic Knights.

Cowardly Boss: According to Kęstutis, he always was all bark and no bite.
Les Collaborateurs: Which is why his brothers tagteam to dethrone him.
Starter Villain: An early antagonist who's well protected but can be defeated with ease.

Narimantas

Algirdas and Kęstutis' other brother, he supports Jaunutis with his army and has ties with the Tatars.

The Dragon: To Jaunutis in the first scenario, using more experienced and stronger soldiers to support his defenses.
Foreshadowing: Of the third scenario, which pits the Lithuanians against the Tatar hordes near Smolensk.
Starter Villain: An early antagonist who's on the offensive but not too difficult to overcome.

Dmitry of Moscow

Leader of the Muscovite Rus and rival of Mikhail of Tver, Algirdas and Kęstutis face him in Russia to help their ally Mikhail and breach his fortified city. Represented by a unique cavalry unit.

Climax Boss: The last big main obstacle fought by the two brothers before the final scenario.
Combat Pragmatist: He's content with staying inside the heavily fortified Kremlin and let the Lithuanians waste their forces against the rest of the city.
Hero of Another Story: While in the Lithuanian campaign he's just another enemy to fight, it's worth mentioning that Dmitry was the first prince to openly rebel to the Mongols and defeated the Tatars at the battle of Kolikovo in 1380.
Orcus on His Throne: He doesn't move from the Kremlin. After all, the Lithuanians cannot even dent its defenses.
Worthy Opponent: Recognized as such by both brothers and the scenario's title.

Jogaila/Władysław II Jagiełło

The narrator of the Lithuanian campaign and later the Grand Duke of Lithuania. Represented by a unique cavalry unit.

And Now for Someone Completely Different: Becomes the narrator of the Poles campaign's final scenario set years after the death of his queen Jadwiga and their child, and is still mourning their loss.
Deuteragonist: Of the Jadwiga campaign.
From Nobody to Nightmare: Not quite a nobody, being the son of Algirdas, but we first meet him chained in a cell, telling his father's and uncle's story to a fellow prisoner before being freed by his followers. He later becomes one of the most powerful men in eastern Europe. Under him the Polish-Lithuanian union would become for a time the largest nation in Europe, surpassing France and the Holy Roman Empire.
Heartbroken Badass: The untimely loss of Jadwiga and their daughter is still felt by him over a decade after their deaths, while he's at the height of his power.
Inadequate Inheritor: His uncle, Kęstutis, believed him to be a poor successor to his father Algirdas (Kęstutis' brother), when Jogaila made a deal with the Teutonic Order, who had raided Lithuania for years, after Algirdas' death. Jogaila... disagreed.
Meaningful Rename: He initially goes by his birth name of Jogaila, but before marrying Jadwiga of Poland he's baptized and takes the name of Władysław II Jagiełło to be closer to his Polish subjects. Jadwiga in her description mentions how for her he'll always be Jogaila.
Recurring Character: Appears across all of the Dawn of the Dukes campaigns.

Jadwiga (Poles)

Jadwiga

Protagonist of the Poles' campaign, a revered and capable heroic queen later revered as a Saint. Appears as a unique mounted Queen unit capable of converting enemy units.

Arranged Marriage: Was originally betrothed to Prince William of Austria whom she loved dearly, only for it to turn out to be a trap set for him, and she is instead made the wife of Jagiełło for political purposes, though in time she grows to love him as well.
Death by Childbirth: Tragically, neither Jadwiga nor her infant daughter live long past her birth.
Healing Hands: Her heroic unit has the traits of a monk and thus can both heal allies and convert enemies. When she levels up, her healing becomes more efficient.
The Needs of the Many: Puts the greater good of Poland and Lithuania ahead of everything else, even on her deathbed.
Red Baron: Eventually known as the Star of the Poles.
Warts and All: While she's a devout Catholic, she makes no attempt to justify the marauding commited by the Teutonic Order under pretense of spreading Christianity.

Vytautas the Great

Son of Kęstutis and pretender to the throne of Lithuania, he's Jogaila's rival. He first appears in the Lithuanian campaign and makes consistent appearences in the Polish campaign, eventually becoming playable. Represented by a unique, paladin-like unit.

And Now for Someone Completely Different: In the fifth scenario, the Jadwiga campaign takes a detour from its eponymous heroine to focus on Vytautas.
Boisterous Bruiser: Very loud and straightforward on the battlefied, anxious to fight his enemies head on. During the final battle he shows some tactical acumen by using the very same ambush strategy used against him to deal a decisive strike to the Teutonic Order.
Clashing Cousins: Vytautas' rival in the Lithuanian Civil War is Jogaila, his cousin.
Early-Bird Cameo: It's never explicitly stated, but Vytautas is a strong candidate for the anonymous lord narrating the Tamerlane campaign - particularly given that Tokhtamysh and Vytautas end up with a scenario of their own in Jadwiga's campaign.
Just You, Me, and My GUARDS!: Duel of Dukes starts off with Jogaila and Vytautas fighting each other for Lithuania. As he lose more cities, he'll summon Rus and Teutonic mercenaries to aid him in combat.
Large Ham: He is loud and boisterous in contrast to the calmer Jogaila.
- Ham-to-Ham Combat: With Ulrich in the final Polish scenario.
Know When to Fold 'Em: When Jogaila and Jadwiga are able to conquer most of the Lithuanian towns he controlled he submits to them and join forces, getting the title of Duke on the condition that he serves Jogaila.
The Lancer: Becomes Jogaila's ally in the Polish campaign following some negotiations, and supports him for the rest of the campaign
Pet the Dog: He sent Jadwiga a magnificent cradle made of silver and covered in engravings.
Promoted to Playable: He becomes fully playable near the end of the Polish campaign.
Realpolitik: While he's a pagan and his father fought hard to keep the Christians out of Lithuania, he's not adverse to bargaining with the Teutonic Order and even offer them Lithuanian lands to colonize for their service.
Recurring Character: He appears in all three campaigns.
Smug Snake: As seen in his portrait without his Cool Helmet, Vytautas is rather smug and a schemer.
Sore Loser: When you conquer one of his cities in Duel of Dukes he'll sometimes claim that "he never liked that city anyway", trying to downplay your victory. Subverted after the ambush of the Golden Horde, which actually gives him an idea for a future battle against the crusaders.
You Killed My Father: Strangely averted as Jadwiga pointed out. While knowing full well that Jogaila killed his father, all their feuds are purely political in nature and he otherwise have little to no interest in avenging is father.

Ulrich von Jungingen

The 26th Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, he leads his order from Prussia against Lithuania and Poland and serves as the main antagonist of the Polish campaign. Represented by a unique cavalry unit.

Big Bad: While the Teutonic Order is the main antagonistic force of the first two campaigns, Ulrich himself only shows up during the Polish campaign as antagonist and last obstacle to be eliminated.
Cool Helmet: Wears an imposing full helmet adorned with wing-like horns.
Defiant to the End: To his defense, he goes down fighting his enemy in a last-ditch attempt to turn the tides of the battle.
Evil Is Hammy: He always ensures that his presence known. When giving orders to his men, he always do it in over the top manner as well.
Final Boss: He's the last enemy fought in the campaign, both his faction and his hero unit itself (as killing him will cause the retreat of the enemy army).
The Fundamentalist: Initially led the Teutonic Order to invade Poland and Lithuania as a crusade against Pagans. He continued his hostility with Jogaila despite him already baptized and help to convert more Pagans to Christianity.
Horns of Villainy: The decoration of his helmets, if you exclude the wing-like decorations, are rather horn-like.
Insistent Terminology: Insultingly refers to Jogaila as "pagan king" despite the fact that Jogaila himself has cast away his pagan origins and was baptized.
Keystone Army: His death causes the retreat of his forces. Justified, as the Teutonic Knights were already on the losing side of the battle and his assault was an attempt to encourage his troops.
Tin Tyrant: He is never seen without his armor, with a helmet that completely covers his face.

Jan Žižka (Bohemians)

Jan Žižka

Protagonist of the titular campaign, Jan Žižka is a one-eyed experienced mercenary whose skills will lead Bohemia to greatness. Appears as a unique cavalry hero wielding a mace.

Became Their Own Antithesis: Denounces the Teutonic Order as a bunch of fanatics, though eventually Jan Žižka himself becomes a zealous fighter for the Hussite cause.
Carry a Big Stick: His weapon of choice is a large flanged mace, which is also the symbol of his campaign alongside a chalice.
Dying Wish: As he dies from the plague, he requests that his skin be used to fashion a drum so that with it he may continue to inspire his men from beyond the grave with its sound.
Early-Bird Cameo: He's one of the many mercenaries available for Jogaila to hire in the final mission of the Jadwiga campaign.
Eyepatch of Power: Lost his right eye during his youth and later loses his remaining good eye in battle. Not that it diminishes his military genius.
Genius Bruiser: A mighty warrior whose experience and tactics would turn the Bohemian army into a nigh-unstoppable juggernaut.
Handicapped Badass: He starts the campaign with only one eye, and loses the other later on to an arrow, after which he no longer takes to the field as a hero. This does not hinder his genius in any way as his genius military tactics allow him to win every battle until his death from the plague.
We Used to Be Friends: Before the Battle of Kutná Hora, Žižka recognises among the enemy ranks Zawisza the Black, his former comrade at Grunwald. He decides that he'll spare Zawisza for old time's sake, but other invaders will not be granted the same courtesy.

Emperor Sigismund

The main antagonist of the Bohemian campaign, he's the Holy Roman Emperor trying to suppress the Hussite revolt in Bohemia. Represented by a unique cavalry unit.

Beard of Evil: Has a full pointy beard that makes him look villainous.
Big Bad: The main antagonist force for the Hussite and Jan Žižka's most ferocious opponent.
The Emperor: The Holy Roman Emperor, to boot. Which is why he's bearing down on the Hussite.
Villainous Breakdown: He's initially smug, confident and considers his opponents as nothing more than armed rabble. By the time Jan Zizka has defeated him again in the snowy fields around Kutná Hora, Sigismund has become the shadow of his former self, and considers Jan Zizka something like a divine punishment against his hubris.

Zawisza

A Polish mercenary in service of Sigimsund and a former friend of Jan Zizka.

The Dragon: To Sigismund in the fifth scenario.
Graceful Loser: He takes his defeat in stride, all things considered. After all, Jan Zizka spares him and just ransom him back to Poland.
Only in It for the Money: He's a mercenary, so he's serving Sigismund for money.
Rhymes on a Dime: Uniquely, he speaks in rhymes when talks.

Dynasties of India Campaigns

Babur (Tatars and Hindustanis)

Zahir ud-Din

A descendent of Tamerlane who fled Transoxiana with his mother after the death of his father.

Momma's Boy: Zahir deeply loved his mother, even at the end of the campaign he still misses the simple time he spent with her.
Villainous Lineage: A twofer, as he's not only the descendent of Tamerlane, but Genghis Khan as well.

Rajendra (Dravidians)

Rajendra

A young man who is ever haunted by his fear of corruption after suddenly inheriting his fathers empire.

Foil: To his ally, Suryavarman whose campaign was released much earlier. Suryavarman started as a conqueror but settled down and became The Good King who cared for his people, while Rajendra started as an idealistic young man but gets darker after his subjects revolted numerous times despite of him trying to be a benevolent ruler.
Protagonist Journey to Villain: Begins his campaign as an idealistic youth weary of moral corruption, but ends up a ruthless conquer who casts such concerns away.
Perspective Flip: The Chola Empire appeared as Suryavarman's ally in the fourth scenario. The final scenario of Rajendra's campaign is the very same battle, but from Rajendra's point of view. The third scenario also show the continuation of the journey of the Khmer envoy sent to Rajendra.

Devapala (Bengalis)

The Mountain Royals Campaigns

Tamar (Georgians)

Thoros the Great (Armenians)

Ismail (Persians)

Ismail I

Artistic License – History: While it is true that Ismail's defeat after the Battle of Chaldiran (and the death of his wife) shattered his ego and made him take up drinking, he never took to roaming the streets like a beggar, as the framing story implies. He mostly just spent all his time in his palace and left his Vizier to run the country. The first of said vizier was in fact his drinking companion.
Glory Days: By the time of the frame story, Ismail has become a withdrawn and haggard man roaming the streets. As he tells the narrator of the good old days, the narrator remarks that this is the last place that she ever expected to find him, and finds it hard to believe that this wretched man used to be a galvanic prodigy whom she swore loyalty to.
Young Conqueror: Ismail starts his rebellion at the age of 12, crowns himself Shah of Iran at the age of 14, and has conquered most of Iran and Central Asia by the age of 23.

Victors and Vanquished Campaigns

Characters / Age Of Empires II Definitive Edition

The Last Khans Campaigns

Tamerlane (Tatars)

Ivaylo (Bulgarians)

Kotyan Khan (Cumans)

Pachacuti (Incas)

Lords of the West Campaigns

Edward Longshanks (Britons)

The Grand Dukes of the West (Burgundians)

The Hautevilles (Sicilians)

Dawn of the Dukes Campaigns

Algirdas and Kęstutis (Lithuanians)

Jadwiga (Poles)

Jan Žižka (Bohemians)

Dynasties of India Campaigns

Babur (Tatars and Hindustanis)

Rajendra (Dravidians)

Devapala (Bengalis)

The Mountain Royals Campaigns

Tamar (Georgians)

Thoros the Great (Armenians)

Ismail (Persians)

Victors and Vanquished Campaigns

Previous

Index

Next

Characters / Age Of Empires II Definitive Edition

Edit Locked

The Last Khans Campaigns

Tamerlane (Tatars)

Ivaylo (Bulgarians)

Kotyan Khan (Cumans)

Pachacuti (Incas)

Lords of the West Campaigns

Edward Longshanks (Britons)

The Grand Dukes of the West (Burgundians)

The Hautevilles (Sicilians)

Dawn of the Dukes Campaigns

Algirdas and Kęstutis (Lithuanians)

Jadwiga (Poles)

Jan Žižka (Bohemians)

Dynasties of India Campaigns

Babur (Tatars and Hindustanis)

Rajendra (Dravidians)

Devapala (Bengalis)

The Mountain Royals Campaigns

Tamar (Georgians)

Thoros the Great (Armenians)

Ismail (Persians)

Victors and Vanquished Campaigns

Previous

Index

Next