Characters / Blackadder: Edmund Blackadder

The main character(s) and other members of the Blackadder dynasty. For the other characters, click here, and for the main characters, click here.

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In General

A lineage that officially began with Prince Edmund, who called himself the "Black Adder", with several members ended up having identical physical features to each other as well as the same name. The dynasty also includes the Puritan Whiteadders as well as the Scottish MacAdder clan.

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• Affably Evil: Downplayed as they're not usually that nice, but all of them, even Mr Blackadder, the most villainous of the Blackadders, have moments of this. They are self-serving and a Jerkass to many, but they are still capable of being cordial and charming and can often be the Only Sane Man (as Prince Edmund and Edmund III were) in a world of chaos. This is especially highlighted with Lord Blackadder, who even while being tortured by the enemy (who can't speak English) is capable of patiently teaching the man basic English so they can communicate properly. Similarly, Captain Blackadder, while still not nice, does have a lot more Pet the Dog moments and his goal is far less selfish as much as it is purely survival instinct; he doesn't want to die in a pointless war.
• Bastard Bastard: All of the Blackadders are highly unpleasant people, and evidence suggests that the main four Blackadders must have had an illegitimate child for the bloodline to continue. Prince Edmund (whose personal legitimacy is questionable) died when his wife was just barely old enough to be capable of having children. Lord Blackadder died a bachelor. Mr Blackadder would have had one legitimate child, Princess Charlotte, but no other legitimate heirs, and no legitimate grandchildren (his one legitimate child died childless). Captain Blackadder also appears to have been a bachelor at death, but the existence of King Edmund implies he fathered a son prior to his death.
• Been There, Shaped History: Many of them have been involved in any (British) historical event that happens near them. According to the beginning of Back & Forth, one of them was the one who fired the famous shot at Hastings, while the book The Whole Damn Dynasty reveals that the earliest known Blackadder was a druid named Edmun who helped construct Stonehendge.
• Black Sheep: Ebenezer Blackadder, the only member of the family to not be a berk. At first, anyway. Then he's shown what'll happen if he keeps being a doormat.
• Born Unlucky: As Lord Edmund puts it: "My path through life is strewn with cowpats straight from the Devil's own satanic herd!" That might be an understatement, all things considered.
• Broken Win/Loss Streak: Mr Blackadder, King Edmund and Grand Admiral Blackadder are the only members of the family to end up in triumphant position.
• Bullying a Dragon: They all have a bad habit of mouthing off at people they shouldn't. Witchsmellers, baby-eating bishops, Prime Ministers with grudges, Flashheart...
• Catchphrase:
  • "Oh, God!"
  • "Well, quite."
• Deadpan Snarker: Every one of the Blackadders is possessed with an incredible wit, even Prince Edmund, who downplays it compared to his descendants.
• Identical Grandson: All of the Blackadders are played by Rowan Atkinson.
• Laughably Evil: All of them do villainous (or at least immoral) things, but thanks to Rowan Atkinson, all of them do said terrible things with passion or at least Machiavellian charm, get some great lines and often make light of their terrible situations, making them great fun to watch.
• Quickly-Demoted Leader: With each generation of The Blackadder family line, it becomes quite noticeable of how each successive member loses at least one step in the British Noble Hierarchy. From Prince of England; to Heir of the Duchy of Edinburgh; to Royalist soldier; to Butler of Prince George; to Victorian shop owner; and to Trench Captain of the First World War. However to balance this out each generation gets progressively smarter and more cunning. Which lasts until the 20th century Lord Blackadder fiddles with a time machine to become King of England. His descendant Grand Admiral Blackadder goes on to rule the entire universe!
• Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Someone named Blackadder should raise a lot of alarm. Well at least, they are all Laughably Evil.
• Only Sane Man: From Lord Blackadder onward, Edmund tends to be the only person in the room with more than half a functioning brain.
• Retcon: Despite the first series showing that the dynasty began with Prince Edmund, who's title would become the last name of his descendants, Back & Forth and The Whole Damn Dynasty would reveal that there where several other individuals with names similar to Blackadder that predated the prince. Robin Hood would noticeably mistake King Edmund as the Lord Blackadder of his era, despite this being three centuries before Prince Edmund would adopt the title of the Black Adder.
• Tall, Dark, and Snarky: As comes of being played by Rowan Atkinson. Even the slimy Prince Edmund gets in a few solid burns here and there.
• Tempting Fate: A common flaw among all of them, which the laws of comedy demand be repaid with the worst possible answer each time.

2nd Century

Centurion Blaccadius

Blaccadius

Played by: Rowan Atkinson

A Roman centurion who was stationed at Hadrian's Wall during the Roman occupation of Britain. Chronologically, he's the earliest seen member of the Blackadder dynasty outside of books which mention other Blackadders.

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• Contrived Coincidence: His name is actually pretty similar to the random title his 15th century descendant would use, which in turn would become the surname for all his future descendants.
• Flat Character: Only has a few lines of dialogue, meaning he doesn't have a distinct personality to the other Blackadders.

15th Century

Prince Edmund "The Black Adder" Plantagenet

Prince Edmund "The Black Adder" Plantagenet, Duke Of Edinburgh

"I wonder if it was the wine..."

Played By: Rowan Atkinson

"If we lose, I'll be chopped to pieces. My arms will end up at Essex, my torso in Norfolk, and my private parts stuck up a tree somewhere in Rutland."

A member of the secret royal family wiped from history once Henry VII becomes king, Prince Edmund plots to take the throne from his father. Unfortunately for him, he's really, really stupid.

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• Accidental Misnaming: His father addresses him as Edwin, Edgar, Edward, Edith, Egbert, Osmond or Edna... at least, when he can be bothered to remember that Edmund exists.
  • And of course: "THE BLACK... DAGGER!"
• Anti-Villain: Sure, he's a slimy, contemptible, amoral schemer... but given that his father alternately despises him and forgets he exists, his peers treat him with disgust, and his only friends are sycophantic Yes Men... it's not hard to see why.
• Atrocious Alias: Before Baldrick suggested "the Black Adder", Edmund's first choice for his new sobriquet was "the Black... Vegetable."
• The Baby of the Bunch: He's the younger son of King Richard IV, and is persistently annoyed by the fact that older brother Harry tends to get all the good jobs and titles while he is perpetually stuck with the task of managing the privies.
• Big Bad Wannabe: He really doesn't belong in charge of a Legion of Doom because he is not quite as evil as he wants to be. Even when he's finally taking the glove off over his plot to usurp the throne, he's genuinely taken aback when his evil confederates recommend butchering the royal family rather than his suggestion of merely exiling them. Even beforehand he finds himself heavily outranked in wrath, manipulation or pure mania by the likes of McAngus, Witchsmeller Pursuivant and even his own uncle Richard III, with Edmund only outliving them due to others' interference or them having an even worse stroke of luck than him.
• Butt-Monkey: His attempts to seize the throne only make things turn in his brother's favour.
• Cain and Abel: The cretinous Cain to Harry's clueless Abel.
• Cool Horse: "He rides a pitch-black steed..." Which considers itself too cool for him, since Black Satin overthrows him and goes to stand alone in the spotlight.
• Deadpan Snarker: By no means to the extent of his descendants, but he has a sarcastic comment for every occasion.
• Death by Disfigurement: Dies after having his ears and hands cut off, and his coddlings ground. Amusingly he still survives, but then makes the mistake of drinking that wine...
• Dirty Coward: Gets second thoughts at the battle of Bosworth Field and has to go relieve himself immediately. He does challenge the Duke of Argyll to a duel, but blubbers for his life when MacAngus chops his sword in half.
• The Ditz: He is quite stupid, much unlike his successors — though he has enough moments of brilliance that he occasionally comes across as a Genius Ditz, he tends to get carried away and make stupid decisions at the crucial moment.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Edmund is a snivelling coward who looks down on the peasants, but he's not entirely heartless.
  • Initially, he dismisses the claims of the Black Plague as "anything to get off a decent day's work" on the peasants' part, but when he actually goes down to the slums personally...
  (peasant lies dead right in front of him)
  Edmund: Well... obviously there are some genuine cases...
  • He's disturbed by the Witchsmeller Persuivent's bloodlust and willingness to kill innocent people over nothing more than a "feeling" they were evil or worshipping the devil. He's also genuinely upset by the peasants burning women (and their cats) because they were told they were witches.
  • He not only has absolutely no intention of bedding his wife, who is a child of about eight, but also treats her in an uncharacteristically kind way.
• The Evil Prince: A pathetically spineless version, despite his claims that he is the real deal.
• Evil Wears Black: Only after he becomes a prince does he start wearing black and begin his machinations towards the throne. And accordingly he chooses the black pudding basin and the black shoes.
• Expy: Of Edmund, a scheming illegitimate son of a king who plots to take the crown for himself.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: The Sanguine — the snivelling, squeaking idiot.
• Bastard Bastard: Tried to uncover a love letter between the queen and McAngus written around Harry's birth to dethrone him. However, it turned out that the letter was written after Harry's birth.
  Blackadder: As you can see, these letters are dated —
  Harry: Nine months after I was born!
  McAngus: Or nine months before you were born, Edmund.
  Blackadder: You... bastard!
  Harry: No, I think you'll find that you're the bastard, Edmund.
• Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: It is hard not to feel bad for the poor, snivelling schmuck. While he has at least a hand in a lot of scheming, he often ends up with both of his hands full thanks to his father and other villains dragging him around and victimising him because of their own sinister agendas.
• Kind Hearted Cat Lover: Heavily downplayed, but he has a number of pets, from his cat Bubbles to his horse Black Satin, whom he is reported to be close to. When the scheming Witchsmeller announces that Black Satin "died" randomly the night before and signed a confession before his death, Edmund is genuinely upset that his horse was murdered and furiously curses out the Witchsmeller.
• The Kingslayer: Unfortunately for him, the only person he manages to kill at the Battle of Bosworth Field is his own uncle, Richard III, when the king tries to take his horse.
• Let's Get Dangerous!: He takes the gloves of finest mole off on his plot to seize the throne after being stripped of his titles except for Lord of the Privvies for no real reason. He comes pretty close as well.
• Not-So-Harmless Villain: In "The Black Seal" he actually comes close to gaining the throne... until his minions betray him, in a fit of cosmic irony.
• Oh, Crap!: Finds out the one who tried to borrow his horse was King Richard III too late.
• Only Sane Man: Not quite to the level of his descendants or his Baldrick (he's pretty much a Cloud Cuckoo Lander at times), but he is sceptical of witch hunts, some of Percy's more bizarre ramblings, and Morris Dancing.
• Paper-Thin Disguise: To go incognito while the plague's about, he just puts a strip over his face. He can't even remember his supposed identity, and the villagers still see through it instantly.
• The Poorly Chosen One: Much of his actions is driven by meeting a trio of witches who had him convinced that he, the son of Richard IV, would become king. It's only after he leaves that the audience learns the witches assumed they were talking to Henry Tudor.
• Prince Charmless: Prince Edmund's idiocy makes him quite repulsive around the court.
• Prophecy Twist:
  • While the witches mistakenly prophesized him to be king (they thought Edmund to be Henry Tudor), the prophecy does end up being fulfilled. After the entire court is fatally poisoned, and with both his father and his brother already dead, Edmund becomes King of England...For less than a minute, as he soon dies after he foolishly drinks the poisoned wine.
  • And technically two men named Edmund also became king: Mr Edmund Blackadder steals the identity of the prince and would be known as King George IV, while another would become King Edmund III after altering history. Both are descended from Prince Edmund and use his title as a surname.
• Rage Breaking Point: He puts up with quite a lot over the series, but being stripped of all his titles apart from Lord of the Privvies in "The Black Seal" is what finally causes him to snap.
• Red Baron: At this stage, "The Black Adder" was a personal nickname, but his descendants adopted it as a surname.
• Shout-Out to Shakespeare: Possibly a parody to another bastard called Edmund.
• Sexless Marriage: His Arranged Marriage with Princess Leia of Hungary ends up being one of these as it turns out Leia is still a child, and he ends up assuming a kind of quasi-paternal role to her instead (one of his very few Pet the Dog moments in the series).
• Sinister Minister: Briefly becomes Archbishop of Canterbury. Played with in that he was forced into this position by his father. Edmund only considered it as an afterthought to use it to make money, by following other ministers' examples of selling fake holy objects. He initially believed these "relics" were real.
• Small Name, Big Ego: He's cowardly, sniveling, conniving, incompetent and all-around unlikeable. He spends most of his time taking credit for his much more clever squire's ideas, usually only after he's tried his own dunder-headed plan and failed miserably.
• Smug Snake: The smug adder is an even more deluded example than the usual ones and things rarely go his way for long enough, for it to last.
• The Starscream: A particularly incompetent example.
• To the Pain: His fate at the hands of The Hawk is particularly gruesome. His ears and hands are chopped off, a spike sent through his nethers, followed by the Coddling Grinder and then... he's tickled with feathers.
• Un Evil Laugh: He emits a high-pitched, creaky, wimpy-sounding laugh whenever he's feeling particularly wicked.
• The Unfavorite: So unfavorite that he is forgotten at the best of times.
• Villain Protagonist: A caricature of a Shakespearean villain who lusts after the power that his father and brother possess and who will try his best (which admittedly is not much) at every treacherous trick to get it and often mistreat others through it.
• Wrong Genre Savvy: He thinks he's a Shakespearean malcontent and Manipulative Bastard pulling off fantastic scheming, unaware he's a complete idiot who'd be dead if not for his Hypercompetent Sidekick.

16th Century

Lord Edmund Blackadder

Edmund Blackadder, The Lord Blackadder, Heir to the Duchy of Edinburgh

Played By: Rowan Atkinson

"Well, it is said, Percy, that civilised man seeks out good and intelligent company, so that through learned discourse he may rise above the savage and closer to God. Personally, however, I like to start the day with a total dickhead, to remind me I'm best."

Two generations later, the Blackadder dynasty has gotten some steps up the intelligence ladder, but also has fallen some steps from the social ladder. Now a courtier to Queen Elizabeth, he has to put up with her antics and avoid being beheaded.

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• Anti-Hero: Type V: He is an Opportunistic Bastard through and through but spends most of the time trying to earn the Queenie's favour (at least once by doing her evil bidding) and avoiding an appointment with Choppy.
• Aristocrats Are Evil: A self-interested scheming bastard.
• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: For all his blithe contempt for his bondsman, this Blackadder seems to have a slight but genuine fondness for "Balders" — at his master's announcement of a celebratory slap-up binge at Mrs Miggins' Pie Shop, notice Baldrick's delighted grin.
• Bastard Bastard: Though his own parents were married, his family line is likely the result of his great-grandfather Prince Edmund having an illegitimate affair, as his only wife was still a child when he died.
• Beard of Evil: He's more scheming than his ancestor and the first Blackadder to be depicted with facial hair.
• Breakout Character: Has the most appearances of any Blackadder. He reappears in the Christmas special, and the Blackadder in Back and Forth is stated to be based on him.
• Byronic Hero: Honestly, his only possible excuse is that being in Queenie's inner circle is incredibly stressful.
• Can't Hold His Liquor: A drop of the stuff and he's flat on his face singing about goblins.
• Cornered Rattlesnake: Faced with horrible, impending, hot poker-related bottom agony, Edmund despairs at his lot in life. A remark by Baldrick that everyone already thinks he's a piece of shit spurns Blackadder into vengeful but determined action to save himself, and it works.
• Deadpan Snarker: Makes a full-time career out of this, unlike his predecessor.
• Didn't Think This Through: Arguably his Fatal Flaw, as despite his wit, Edmund is very impulsive and tends to act on the moment. This is frequently the reason for his many near-death experiences throughout the series, and his more than-near death. In fact his recklessness is reflected by the mere fact that he chooses to spend every day of his life by trying to impress the Grim Reaper in human form, in Queenie form that is.
• Ditzy Genius: A transitional Blackadder, having gained a lot of cunning and suave that would grow with each of his successors, but still having some blithering, pitiful shades of the previous Edmund. Very apparent by the number of times that he gets in over his head, in every single episode that is, because of not thinking things through, even if his plans are more founded on paper than most of his ancestor's.
• Dumbass No More: He's considerably smarter than Prince Edmund, though at the same time his failures are often the result of his own mistakes.
• Easily Forgiven: No matter how much he abuses Baldrick and Percy, they'll stick by him always (much to his chagrin).
• Everyone Has Standards: At the lowest ebb of his financial woes, he openly states that he'd rather die than resort to prostitution himself. Though he's perfectly willing to pimp out Baldrick if necessary. And Percy, as it turns out.
• Evil Is Petty: His evilness is always small and petty, as it is directed at the small and petty such as Baldrick, whom he beats and insults, Percy and whoever else is insignificant enough that he can get away with the behavior. Edmund himself reacts with Disproportionate Retribution whenever he is on the receiving end of any insult. He never stopping trying to make the most out of a short-term profit. This also explains his Con Man ways, despite being an aristocrat.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: The Phlegmatic — the suave, calm aristocrat.
• Hell-Bent for Leather: He's almost always dressed in black leather finery.^note Word of God says that when Rowan Atkinson first turned up on set in full costume and make-up, all the women in the area were... most impressed.
• Impoverished Patrician: A good example of this trope in its early stages — he still has a title and a place at court, but no actual money or estates. Seemingly his father blew the family fortune on "wine, women and amateur dramatics." Although he's still better off than his descendants in this respect.
• Jerkass: Towards everyone but the Queenie.
• Manipulative Bastard: Neither as smug as his ancestor nor as magnificent as his descendants, he falls nicely in the middle.
• Mock Millionaire: While he is from a wealthy family, the family fortune was long since squandered by his father.
  • Though he does later manage to blackmail several thousand pounds out of the church, and at the end of "Beer" his wealthy aunt and uncle are quite well disposed to him and ready to discuss his inheritance.
• Nerves of Steel: Much unlike his cowardly great-grandfather, he remains calm in the face of danger. To the point of casual talk about his potential dismemberment. Subverted a few times against Queenie however. He eventually reaches his own limits, and spends the final half of "Head" on the verge of a breakdown.
• Odd Friendship: He was schoolyard chums with Lord Flashheart, despite their contrasting personalities. Genuine friends, even, given Flashheart shows up for his wedding... only to then steal the bride.
• Only Sane Man: Along with Melchett. Most of the time.
• Punch-Clock Villain: At least once he was forced into becoming the Lord High Executioner under pain of being himself executed. What made him this more than Forced into Evil is the fact that his only emotional problem with that job was that he was in constant danger from the Queenie's whims and treated it with cold indifference, even changing the dates so that he could get time some time off.
• The Scrooge: He's very reluctant to part with what little money he actually has. After giving ten pounds to his prospective father in-law as a "Begone" Bribe, he casually mentions to Kate he'll have Baldrick take it back later.
• Sitcom Archnemesis: With Lord Melchett, the closest to an intellectual rival he has. They really despise one another.
• Surrounded by Idiots: Then again, some of it is deliberate, as indicated by the quote up there.
• Sweet on Polly Oliver: Blackadder is infatuated with Kate/Bob, his manservant who is disguised poorly as a man.
• Talks Like a Simile: Constantly. He talks almost like a similar Captain in the First World War who uses similes to point out similarities and to conquer his fear over likely death.
• Tall, Dark, and Snarky: He would like to believe that he also has a deep booming voice, but it was this far...
• Tempting Fate: Remarks that anyone stupid enough to fall for someone asking "excuse me, meester" before hitting them over the head, deserves what's coming to them. This promptly happens to him.
• Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: He's a self-involved ruthless jerk, who constantly insults everyone around him. What makes him still somewhat likeable is that he's genuinely witty, and the people around him are idiots, who pretty much deserve all of his put-downs.
• Villain Protagonist: Well when he isn't spending his wit to fawn over the despot that is the Queenie, he uses it to abuse Baldrick and Percy. He also uses Baldrick as an enforcer to rob the people that he makes deals with off their money (through biological war one would presume). Though it's arguably downplayed compared to his immediately previous and subsequent incarnations, who are a lot more actively scheming and malevolent. For all his nastiness, Lord Edmund seems to just want to have an easy ride through life. If you leave him alone, he's fairly inclined to do the same.
• Worthy Opponent: He and Melchett may not like each other, but they do at least treat each other like equals.
• Would Hurt a Child: He shoots a child with a bow and arrow for singing an insulting rhyme. Admittedly, it was a very annoying child.

17th Century

Sir Edmund Blackadder

Sir Edmund Blackadder

Played By: Rowan Atkinson

A Baronet in the English Civil War, he's unfortunately found himself choosing the wrong side by staying loyal to King Charles.

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• Dirty Coward: He leaves Baldrick to die.
• Identical Grandson: He looks like every other Blackadder until the end, where it turns out that he's actually wearing a wig and a fake beard through most of his single appearance, and he's actually blond.
• Only Sane Man: He's unfortunately stuck being the only competent person between King Charles and Baldrick.
• Sole Survivor: According to the narration, he's the sole descendant of the Blackadder dynasty. This implies that the Whiteadders of the 16th century had died out before 1648, or at least had fallen into obscurity and the name was no longer used. This confirms that all future Blackadders, along with the Scottish MacAdder family, originate from him.

18th Century

Mr Edmund Blackadder Esq.

Mr. Edmund Blackadder Esq.

Played By: Rowan Atkinson

"A man may fight for many things: his country, his principles, his friends, the glistening tear on the cheek of a golden child. But personally, I'd mud-wrestle my own mother for a ton of cash, an amusing clock and a stack of French porn."

Down the social ladder and up the intelligence rung again, the treacherous third Blackadder serves as the butler to the brainless Prince George.

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• Bad Boss: Frequently beats, insults, or coerces Baldrick into committing crimes.
• Badass Longcoat: In accordance with Regency fashions.
• The Bad Guy Wins: In fairness, if George had had the sense to keep mum until Wellington actually left, Blackadder wouldn't have become king... but Blackadder certainly leaps at the opportunity.
• Beleaguered Assistant: To the Prince, although he fleeces him handily in revenge.
• Berserk Button: Don't treat him as though he's somehow stupid or incompetent for being a "mere butler". He quite happily arranged for two obnoxious but otherwise innocent actors to be executed on false charges for doing so.
• Byronic Hero: He is an utter bastard, but he does an ignominious job for a total moron. While knowing that his sires were nobility and kings.
• Card-Carrying Villain: He has no illusions about what kind of person he is. When Napoleon advertises for a "treacherous, malicious, unprincipled cad" to be King of Sardinia, Blackadder gives it serious consideration.
• Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: He has to try and get George to realize that, first of all, the play is fiction. Second, the bomb that an anarchist just threw at him is not. (He fails in the latter.)
• Deadpan Snarker: Like his predecessor, he is always snarking, especially at those who annoy him.
• The Dog Bites Back: When he has to switch places with George, he is more than happy to mimic Wellington and punch the disguised Regent in the face. Multiple times.
• Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Subverted. He doesn't really care for his mum at all and even admits that he's the type of man who would gladly mud-wrestle his own mother if it meant obtaining an exorbitant amount of wealth.
• Even Evil Has Standards:
  • He's disgusted by the trend of the French eating horse cocks in the episode about the Scarlet Pimpernel.
  • Despite mocking Dr. Johnson and his accomplishments, he's aghast when he discovers that Baldrick allegedly threw the only known copy of the dictionary on the fireplace.
  Edmund: You burnt the life's work of England's most foremost man of letters?!
  • Hearing about some of the standards and practices of the Hellfire Club are enough to make even him scream and interrupt the Prince. He really doesn't want to know anything more.
• Exact Words: He becomes a highway robber, with Baldrick serving as his horse. He promises to share the money they stole equally. He then points a gun at Baldrick to hand over his half as part of a separate robbery.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: Choleric — the irritable, task-oriented worker, infuriated by the foolishness of those around him.
• Gold Digger: Wanted to marry Amy Hardwood so he could get her money and then escape to the West Indies.
• Hidden Depths: He's obviously highly intelligent, but you wouldn't expect a man with so little romance in his soul to write one of the greatest novels in the history of the English language.
  • Also apparently writes some very romantic poetry, in order to woo a girl for George.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Most of the events of his first episode are entirely his own fault, starting with fleecing Prince George out of thousands of socks. Everything just sort of snowballs from there.
• Hypercompetent Sidekick: Can do anything from rigging elections to impersonating his master.
• Imperturbable Englishman: Downplayed. Generally, and specifically in the presence of Prince George, he maintains suave calm in the face of any hurdle. However, he sometimes finds discreet release of his consternation.
  Blackadder: {on learning his novel to have been burnt} Thank you, Baldrick. Seven years of my life up in smoke. {to Prince George} Your Highness, would you excuse me?
  Prince George: By all means.
  Blackadder: {outside} OH, GOD, NOOO!! {calmly re-enters} Thank you, sir.
• Impoverished Patrician: He's aware of his ancestry, but all the Blackadder land, titles and money are gone by this point, and unlike his aristocratic predecessors he simply goes by "Mr Blackadder".
  "God, I'm wasted here. It's no life for a man of noble blood being servant to a master with the intellect of a jugged walrus and all the social graces of a potty.
• The Jeeves: Subverted. While he's certainly much smarter and more competent than his master, he has zero true loyalty to the prince and only ever acts with his own interests in mind.
• Karma Houdini Warranty: He appears to get away with stealing the Prince Regent's identity, who is instead killed. However history remembers King George IV as an intelligent man who wasted his own talents due to his gluttony and laziness, had an unhappy marriage, lost his daughter to childbirth and eventually passed away due to his own hedonistic lifestyle.
• Kick the Dog: When he walks into the kitchen after a bad day, he boots a cat across the room For the Evulz. He explains to Baldrick that this works down the evolutionary ladder, with the cat pouncing on a mouse and the mouse attacking Baldrick in the britches.
  Edmund: You are last in God's great chain, Baldrick. Unless there's an earwig somewhere you'd like to victimize.
  • He also shuts down Mrs. Miggins' crush on him with a swift and brutal line.
  Edmund: Mrs. M., if you, me and Baldrick were the only three people left in the world, I'd be trying to start a family with Baldrick.
• Manipulative Bastard: He can pretty easily manipulate George into doing whatever Blackadder wants. Also surpasses the party of the Prime Minister at political manipulation.
• Money, Dear Boy: By far the greediest Blackadder, which is saying something considering his ancestry, and is quite open about it too. He'll even walk into certain death for it, though in that case it requires a lot of incentive.
• No Sense of Humor: He can't take a joke at his expense.
  "They say, Mrs. M., that verbal insults hurt more than physical pain. They are of course wrong, as you will soon discover when I stick this toasting fork in your head."
• Not So Above It All: One of his defining traits is that he often ends up doing popular things shortly after arrogantly criticising them and considering them as beneath him. At times like with Johnson's dictionary, his rejection is more in response to the perceived disdain that Johnson showed for his magnum opus first and of course it disappeared once it turned out that he didn't discard it at all. Its telling about how thick-skinned he really is that even Baldrick and George can get under it with a few insulting words.
• Only Sane Employee: Not that we ever see any palace staff apart from him and Baldrick.
• Servile Snarker: Being butler to the Prince Regent doesn't stop him from making snide remarks to everyone, his master included.
• Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: He weaponises this, and uses it against Dr Johnson.
• The Snark Knight
  "What a way to die. Shot by a transvestite on an unrealistic grassy knoll."
• The Starscream: Although he tries to protect George from Wellington for pragmatic reasons, he immediately decides to continue the charade and take the throne after the prince is shot.
• Surrounded by Idiots: Part of the reason he's so pissed off all the time is that most people he has to be around or interact with, with few exceptions, tend to not be particularly gifted in the brain department. The fact he lives with the Prince Regent and Baldrick, doesn't help and can't be good for his mental health.
• Tall, Dark, and Snarky: Triple check. Mr. Blackadder is the snarkiest one of the entire dynasty.
• Took a Level in Badass: The family as a whole took two big levels actually as he is even less impulsive and prone to mistakes than Lord Blackadder.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: By far the most evil of all the Blackadders, he's a ruthless and unrepentant murderer. He's also the one to resort to violence the quickest.
• Troll: One of the few joys this Blackadder has is trolling people (especially the rich and famous) For the Lulz. Just look at how he makes up words when Dr. Johnson claims to have written down every known word in his dictionary, or this classic exchange between him and the superstitious actors:
  Keanrick: Being but a mere butler, you would not know the great theatre tradition that one must NEVER mention the name of the Scottish play!
  Edmund: What, Macbeth?
  (they scream and perform an "excercism" ritual)
  Edmund: Good lord, you mean you have to do that every time I say "Macbeth"?
  Mossop: Will you stop saying that?! Always call it the Scottish Play!
  Edmund: So you want me to say "the Scottish play"?
  Both actors: YES!
  Edmund: (smiles) Rather than Macbeth?
  (they scream and perform yet another ritual)
• Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Through virtue of being the most unrepentant and heartless of the Blackadders, yet still having his actions Played for Laughs.
• Vetinari Job Security: The Prince wouldn't last five minutes without him.
  Blackadder: Four minutes and twenty-two seconds, Baldrick, you owe me a groat^note fourpence (pre-decimal, note the spelling).
• Villain Protagonist: Arguably the most cold-hearted member of the dynasty; he kills or otherwise causes the deaths of at least seven people in six episodes, namely the voter and returning officer for Dunny-on-the-Wold; Lords Topper and Smedley (though more justifiably the second one because he mistook Smedley for an enemy); the actors Keanrick and Mossop; and Amy Hardwood, the Shadow (who was herself a murderer and intended to also kill Blackadder, but his main motivation for capturing and killing her was the reward he would get, rather than wanting to bring her to justice).

19th Century

Mr Ebenezer Blackadder

Mr Ebenezer Blackadder

Played By: Rowan Atkinson

The White Sheep of the Blackadder family line, he is the nicest and most generous man of all of England while being the humble owner of a "moustache shop". Then, after a night of his generosity being abused by everyone he met, he's visited by the Spirit of Christmas who unintentionally changes Ebenezer's life.

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• Ambiguous Situation: Back & Forth showed a picture of another Victorian era Blackadder with Queen Victoria. It's unknown whether this is Ebenezer or another member of the Blackadder family.
• Face–Heel Turn: Because of the Spirit, he comes to believe that "bad guys have all the fun" and decides to become just like his ancestors.
• Heroic Bastard: Given that A Christmas Carol was published in 1843 and is generally set in the mid 19th century in adaptions, it can be presumed that Ebenezer is the grandson, or possibly great-grandson, of Mr Blackadder who due to stealing the identity of the Prince Regent would have have died in 1830. Mr Blackadder is considered the most evil out of all the Blackadders, so it's surprising that his grandson would be the most kindhearted.
• What If?: Ebenezer actually asked the Spirit what would happen if he remained good and what if he became bad, learning that his descendants would become the slaves of Baldrick's descendants in the former. But in the latter, then his descendant Grand Admiral Blackadder will become the ruler of the universe.
• White Sheep: Along with the Whiteadders, he's one of the few members of the Blackadder family to be good, though unlike them he's far nicer. Until the ending, when he becomes just as cruel and selfish as his ancestors.

20th Century

Capt. Edmund Blackadder

Capt. Edmund Blackadder DSO

Played By: Rowan Atkinson

"For us, the Great War is finito, a war which would be a damn sight simpler if we just stayed in England and shot fifty thousand of our men a week."

A weary and annoyed Captain in the thick of WW1, trying to find his way away from the front line before going over.

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• A Father to His Men: Well, A Cruel Abusive Stepfather To His Men maybe...
• Ambiguously Evil: It's debatable whether he is evil or not. He is a massive jerk, but clearly the least malicious Blackadder from the main series and he has his better moments, see Jerk with a Heart of Gold and the Heartwarming Entry for examples. Unless one counts his trips to Africa... but even then, as a member of the regular British Army during the late colonial period, he would arguably qualify as a Punch-Clock Villain.
• Anti-Hero: Type IV or V. Like the previous Blackadders, he's a self-serving Jerkass. Unlike them, however, he's not interested in attaining wealth or power. He only wants to escape the trenches.
• Badass on Paper: A Captain in the British army and the celebrated war hero of Mboto Gorge, however he freely admits that at the time of these exploits the army was "little more than a travel agency for men with unusually high sex drives" and fought colonial wars against enemies that rarely posed a significant threat. He was apparently quite shocked when confronted with 4,500,000 heavily-armed Germans and spends the rest of the war trying to avoid combat entirely.
• Byronic Hero: As usual, a selfish cad, but wanting to get out of World War I is an easy motivation to understand.
• The Captain: To a rather incompetent squad.
• Cowardly Lion: He spends most of the series trying to avoid going into battle, but oddly he arguably isn't actually cowardly at all. He very definitely doesn't want to die, but it's hard to blame him, since his death would be entirely pointless. And when he's unavoidably placed in genuinely very dangerous situations (crawling across a minefield, captured by Germans, facing a court martial, going over the top), he keeps his cool.
• Cultured Warrior/ Warrior Poet: His snarky remarks often border on poetic. His lines in the last episode in particular:
  Blackadder: The guns have stopped because we're about to attack. Not even our generals are mad enough to shoot our own men. They think it's far more sporting to let the Germans do it.
• Deadpan Snarker: Much like his ancestors, he always has a quip ready.
• Entertainingly Wrong: He comes to the conclusion that Nurse Mary is the spy in "General Hospital" and gives a perfectly coherent reason as to why. He's ultimately wrong though, the real "spy" was an unwitting George who sent letters to relatives in Germany.
• Everyone Has Standards:
  • Despite his own contemptuous streak, he shows a fair degree more restraint than previous Blackadders, who would outright murder out of petty spite. In particular during "General Hospital", Nurse Mary is perfectly willing to frame his nemesis Darling as a spy. For all Edmund loathed Darling, and tormented him earlier concerning it, he debunks this in favour of convicting who he believes is the real spy.
  • He's disgusted of the whole We Have Reserves mindset of Melchett and Haig and based on the way he says it, it comes off as legitimate disgust rather than just that he's one of said reserves.
  • He's happy to offer Darling "coffee" with milk and three sugars (having just learned that due to shortages, "coffee" is actually hot mud combined with Baldrick's dandruff and saliva as "sugar" and "milk" substitutes), but stops Baldrick from trying to come up with a substitute for "that brown stuff you sprinkle on the top".
• Face Death with Dignity: After all his efforts to avoid going over the top, you'd probably expect him to freak out when he learns there's no escape, but no, he handles it pretty well.
• Fake Ultimate Hero: To quote the man himself on his service in Africa (which made his reputation as a competent soldier), "[T]he prerequisite for any battle was that the enemy should under no circumstances carry guns". He became known as the 'Hero of Mboto Gorge' in 1892, where he had faced "ten thousand Watusi warriors armed to the teeth with kiwi fruit and dry guava halves". Needless to say, none of this prepared him at all for fighting in the trenches.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: The Melancholic — the most thoughtful and introspective member of the dynasty.
• Genre Blind: He should have known by "Corporal Punishment" that Baldrick and George are incredibly Literal-Minded.
• It's All About Me: When asked if there's anyone he cares about, after a moment's thought he just names himself. Asked to think again, he says "still me".
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Or at least, his heart contains trace amounts of gold. He's still not remotely a nice person, but on a few occasions he shows a surprising (for a Blackadder) degree of sympathy for Baldrick and George, incorporating them into his plans to escape at least twice when he didn't have to, and shows explicit concern for Baldrick during a bombing raid. In the final episode, the prospect of impending certain death makes him sober up and dial down the snarkiness; he evidently feels sympathy for Darling after the latter gets posted to the front line. He sincerely compliments George's paintings. Also, despite being a soldier, he is the only Blackadder in the four seasons not to commit murder, unless you count Speckled Jim.
  • Finally, there's his final line in the series, which in context is both heartwarming and a Tear Jerker:
    Blackadder: Good luck, everyone.
• Lovable Coward: As mentioned in Cowardly Lion above. It's debatable whether he is cowardly or not. Even if he is, he is often viewed as sympathetic to the audience because he is placed in WWI. Who can blame him for trying to get away, especially when his superior is an Ax-Crazy General Failure?
• Offscreen Villainy: Blackadder as seen can come across as vaguely sympathetic, but he shows absolutely no remorse at being deeply involved in the ugliest aspects of British colonialism in Africa, including off-handedly mentioning massacring the pygmies of Upper Volta.
• Older Than He Looks: Atkinson was in his late thirties while making the fourth series, but Blackadder is mentioned to have became known as the 'Hero of Mboto Gorge' in 1892, with series four being set in 1917. This means he has to be in his mid to late forties for this to make sense.
• Only Sane Man:
  • He notes that Melchett's strategy will get everyone killed and is looking for ways out of going over the top.
  • He's the only character unimpressed with Flashheart's narcissism. Sure, Flashheart may be a case of Awesome Ego to the audience, but he isn't someone you should hang out with.
• Pet the Dog:
  • Initially seems to play it straight when he tells Baldrick his latest cunning plan is good... then blown out the water when he brutally outlays all the reasons Baldrick's cooking is terrible and the plan, which relies on him being a good cook, is doomed to failure.
  • In the final episode Blackadder treats Darling very gently after Melchett sends him to the Front, respectfully addressing him as 'Captain Darling' when he shows up at the trench (somewhat reminiscent of King Richard and Edmund in the finale of the original series), and a few moments later asking him how he felt about going over the top. Pretty moving stuff considering they have spent the last five episodes hating each other. It is possible that Blackadder's main reason for hating Darling was that Darling had succeeded in what Blackadder had been trying to do for the entire war; get the hell out of the trenches. When it became clear that both he and Darling were not getting out of it, he didn't have any reason to hate Darling any more (although there's not much chance of Blackadder liking him any more because of it).
• Reluctant Warrior: He does everything in his power to avoid going into battle. A closer look at the series shows that he rarely carries his sidearm unless he has to (such as when visiting HQ) and even then, doesn't appear to keep it loaded (we see him loading it before going over the top in the finale). He mentions that he did enjoy being a soldier once, but that was during the African colonial wars, when most of the tribes they fought didn't have guns. When 3 million heavily armed Germans showed up, it took the shine off the job.
• Rules Lawyer: Combined with Loophole Abuse, Blackadder manages to get out of going over the top in "Corporal Punishment" by ignoring an order on the ground that it was addressed to "Catpain Blackudder".
• Shell-Shocked Veteran: More well adjusted than most though.
• Sitcom Archnemesis: With Darling, who hates him right back, and it's made completely clear neither would lose sleep if the other died.
• Tall, Dark, and Snarky: Which gives him little satisfaction.
• Took a Level in Kindness: He becomes much nicer in comparison to other series, especially in the final episode when he realizes that he can’t escape the trenches alive. Not once does he insult his men and he even shows respect towards Captain Darling.
• Uncertain Doom: He likely would have died when he and the others finally went over the top. However the presence of King Edmund would imply he somehow survived, unless he and Mary conceived a son during their brief fling.
• Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Although he's more sympathetic than his forebears. Nobody could blame him for wanting to escape the hellish insanity of the trenches.
• War Hero: A veteran of the British Army and hailed as "The Hero of Mboto Gorge", where he saved Field Marshall Haig's life when he was nearly killed by a pygmy woman with a sharpened mango.
• White Sheep: Comparatively speaking, he's the most benevolent Blackadder in the family line, not counting Ebeneezer Blackadder from the christmas special. Unlike his predecessors, his scheming is almost entirely centered around trying to avoid a brutal, pointless death in no-mans land, rather than acquiring wealth or power.

King Edmund Blackadder III (Spoilers for Back & Forth)

King Endmund III

Played By: Rowan Atkinson

A lord who decides to play a turn-of-the-millennium-prank on his friends by claiming that he has a time machine, only to find that Baldrick had in fact succeeded building one. Travelling across time, he ends up altering history so that he is now King Edmund, ensuring victory for the Blackadder family.

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• Ambiguously Related: Due to Captain Blackadder's Uncertain Doom, it's unclear whether Mary Fletcher-Brown is somehow related to him. If true, that might make Lady Elizabeth, who has the same actress as Mary, a cousin while potentially making him related to a number of other women that Miranda Richardson had played in the series.
• The Bad Guy Wins: This Blackadder succeeds in not only becoming king, but by doing so without stealing someone's identity.
• Expy: As admitted by Arkinson and the writers, King Edmund is essentially Lord Blackadder in a present day setting.
• The Good King: Surprisingly he's this, as the reporter notes that he is incredibly popular with the public.
• Pet the Dog: While he clearly still has all the power due to having ended parliament, Edmund did make Baldrick prime minister which shows that he does care about him.

Far Future

Grand Admiral Blackadder (Spoilers for Blackadder's Christmas Carol)

Grand Admiral Blackadder

Played By: Rowan Atkinson

In a distant future, Grand Admiral Blackadder is a successful and ruthless military commander of a galactic empire. Thanks to the actions of his ancient ancestor Ebenezer Blackadder, instead of being a slave to an incompetent Baldrick he is able to take over the empire and make Queen Asphyxia XIX his wife, making him the ruler of the entire universe.

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• Ambiguously Related: His ancestor King Edmund is Ambiguously Related to Mary Fletcher-Brown, who like Asphyxia was also played by Miranda Richardson. However due to how far in the future they live, even if they are related, it's likely to be too far in the distant past to really matter.
• The Bad Guy Wins: He becomes the ruler of a galactic empire, which according to Ebenezer makes him and his descendants the rulers of the universe.
• Flat Character: He doesn't have many characteristics that set him apart from the other Blackadders of history.
• History Repeats: Like Lord Blackadder before him, he has a romantic attachment towards a queen played by Miranda Richardson.
• Manipulative Bastard: His gift for the queen is actually a weapon that kills her husbands, allowing him to become the new ruler.

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