The first season introduces Rodrigo, or Ruy, as the son of a low-ranking nobleman wronged by Fernando, formerly the Count of Castile, now King of León. Upon his father's death, he's taken by his grandfather Rodrigo to the capital of the Kingdom of León, where he becomes squire to the Infante Sancho, first-born son of King Fernando and crown prince of León. Ruy's loyalty will be tested among battles, love, and a conspiracy to overthrow Fernando by the Leonese nobility.
The series was renewed for a second season, which was released on the 15th of July 2021.
Now has a Character Sheet.
The series contains examples of:
- Acceptable Breaks from Reality:
- Heraldry is an useful tool to tell the kingdoms apart, as well as visually appealing and synonymous in modern pop-culture with the Medieval period, but it mostly developed as a consequence of the First Crusade in 1099, the year El Cid died, and arrived in Spain even later.
- Occasional old-fashioned word added for flavor aside, the main language of the show is thoroughly modern Castilian; King Fernando even uses the word "second" in one scene to speak of time, even though clocks that can measure them have not been invented. This is deliberate since accurate 11th century-Romance would be unintelligible to modern audiences anyway.
- The Muslims use the well known generic name "Franks" for the Christians, as is common in historical fiction. However while the Iberian Moors used "Franks" for the Catalans, they actually referred to the people of León and Castile as "Galicians".note This would only add confusion given the existence of a separate Kingdom of Galicia, so "Frank" is a good Translation Convention.
- Accidental Murder: In Season 2, a heated argument between Urraca and Sancha culminates in the two briefly tussling, and Urraca unintentionally throwing her mother off the balcony they're on. Sancha dies instantly when she lands on the hard stone floor below. After that, everything goes to hell for everyone.
- The Ace: Perhaps unsurprisingly, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar: Skilled swordsman, archer, horseman and, by Season 2, he's developing into a crafty tactician to boot.
- Adaptation Name Change: In order to enforce One-Steve Limit, a few characters have their names changed from what they were historically: Ramiro of Aragon's son is named Beltrán Ramírez in the show, when in reality he was Sancho Ramírez. Likewise Jimena's father's name is changed from Diego Fernández to Celso Fernández (presumably to avoid confusion with Ruy's own father, also named Diego).
- Affably Evil: Bishop Bernardo is a Church Militant who preaches holy war and, in Season 1, is Count Flaín's Dragon, working to have king Fernando overthrown and killed. He's also generally polite and unfailingly formal to those he speaks to and seldom raises his voice against anyone.
- Anachronistic Soundtrack: Downplayed Trope. Onscreen players make Medieval music, but ambient music often uses modern instruments (without lyrics).
- Anachronism Stew: Several of the costume pieces and armour used in the show dip firmly into this. For more details, see Artistic License - History.
- Animated Credits Opening: Episode 1 of Season 1 sets up the show's historical context through a stylized animated sequence combining 2D and 3D animation, overlaid with Ruy's narration. The 2D sequence uses high medieval illustrations, while the 3D sequence has kings and armies looking like wooden figurines/chess pieces.
- Animal Lover: Apart from his affinity towards animals (see below), Ruy is also kind towards horses, frequently brushing them down himself even when his rising station means he no longer has to (he says it reminds him of who he is).
- Animal Motifs: Young Ruy is frequently linked to birds: They often appear before important events in his life, he's able to recognize different species and recite common sayings associated with them, and Season 2 shows him having an affinity with hawks. Abu Bakr of Zaragoza even calls him Chico de los pájaros ("Boy of the birds").
- Anticlimax: Even people only vaguely familiar with the characters will be surprised that the Siege of Zamora doesn't end before the second season, but drags into the third while Sancho sends Ruy away for insubordination. It is a big wonder how the show will solve the latter, given that it goes against both recorded history and the literary cycle.
- Antiquated Linguistics: The show's characters speak in modern Castilian Spanish, but mix in several antiquated expressions to make the language feel different from what is spoken today. These include expressions such as Foder (the equivalent to the modern Joder, or fuck), Hidepucha(s) (equivalent to Hijo(s) de puta, son(s) of a whore), or Folgar (equivalent to Follar, or screw).
- Arc Villain: Count Flaín, played by Carlos Bardem, serves as this in Season 1, being at the head of a conspiracy to kill King Fernando of León while manipulating Queen Sancha in a bid to take the throne for himself and trying to eliminate Ruy as a threat. After his death at the end of Season 1, Urraca starts to take up the role of Big Bad, only for her Accidental Murder of her own mother to send her spiralling into guilt and remorse, attempting to become The Atoner. Instead, by the end of Season 2, it's arguably Sancho who's begun Slowly Slipping Into Evil.
- Aristocrats Are Evil: In Season 1, Flaín is the Count of León and the Big Bad. In Season 2, the Galician nobles are depicted, by and large, as untrustworthy and willing to go back on oaths of fealty in favour of stronger players. Meanwhile, Jimena's father Celso is a Jerkass and a domestic abuser.
- Armor Is Useless: Played With. While Mooks get impaled or slashed apart with their armour doing little to save them, several named character's lives are explictly saved by their chainmail hauberks, such as Lisardo (who's stabbed in the torso and left with a nasty wound, yet is able to survive) and even Ruy (whose chainmail saves his life when he's attacked by Sádaba during their Season 2 duel).
- Artistic License – Geography: The very opening of the series shows a map of the Iberian Peninsula with a few glaring mistakes. For instance, it shows the Kingdom of Castile, which wasn't created until two years after the events of the story, as well as a Kingdom of Navarra, which historically would have been named the Kingdom of Pamplona-Nájera at the time. It also places León too on the left, while at the same time placing the tag of Castilla where the real León should have been, and gives the impression León was a diminutive land compared to Navarra and Aragón.
- Artistic License – History: Enough for its own article.
- Assassin Outclassin': Two examples in Season 1.
- The assassin set by Flaín in Episode 1 to assassinate Fernando at the joust is foiled by Ruy and ends up with a broken neck after an intense struggle.
- Pedro Vela, sent by Flaín to eliminate Ruy as a potential threat, has his throat cut from behind by Sádaba, just as he was about to strike at Ruy.
- Attempted Rape: In Season 1, a drunk Orduño attempts to force himself on Jimena (and it's implied to be motivated by his own Crazy Jealous Guy tendencies), though she's able to fight him off. To Orduño's credit, he appears to be genuinely remorseful of what he did, and is seemingly sincere in wanting to make amends.
- Badass Spaniard: Duh. Being set in 11th-century Spain, the majority of badass characters are this.
- Based on a Great Big Lie: Several elements of the plot are taken from popular yet not excessively accurate texts like the Cantar del mio Cid, like Rodrigo being of a low-standard family, which is considered Dated History today.
- Beard of Evil: In contrast to the full beards that many characters sport, Count Flaín sports a stylish full goatee, which his son Orduño also has.
- Beard of Sorrow: The final shot of Season 2 has Ruy, who has been thoroughly put through a Cynicism Catalyst in the last two episodes, having grown a noticeably thick stubble. Whether or not this becomes the beard he's traditionally depicted as having remains to be seen.
- Betty and Veronica: The series establishes this dynamic with Ruy's two main love interests in seasons 1 and 2, with Jimena playing the role of "Betty" (being kind, sensible and conventionally heroic) and Amina playing the role of "Veronica" (sensual, impulsive and passionate).
- Big Bad: After Flaín's death at the end of Season 1, Urraca starts to step into this role, and her conspiring against Ruy and her brother Sancho makes her responsible for much of what happens in Season 2. However, her unintentionally killing her own mother causes such a severe Villainous Breakdown that she starts working to minimize, and even atone for, her actions, making her more of a Big Bad Wannabe.
- Bilingual Bonus: The Moorish characters speak subtitled Arabic amongst each other. Bishop Bernardo delivers rites in untranslated Latin. This becomes a plot point in the final episode of Season 2: Urraca devises a plan to allow Alfonso to escape execution execution by taking a friar's vows and renouncing all worldly posession. Except instead of reading the vows, Bernardo (in league with Urraca) quotes a speech by the Ancient Roman author Seneca, rendering the ceremony null and void with only a select few of those present able to understand what's really happening.
- Bloodier and Gorier: Compared to previous adaptations of El Cid, the series is particularly violent, with copious amounts of carnage during the battle scenes. Season 1, in particular, has an on-screen decapitation, Fin Gore, and
an axe to the head. - Brother–Sister Incest: Alfonso and Urraca are plainly attracted to one another in Season 1. It's more downplayed In Season 2, though Alfonso does make a move on Urraca which she rebuffs with mild annoyance, making it unclear whether or not they're in a physical relationship at that point.
- Cain and Abel: A running theme in the series is that brothers who become kings will just not get along. At the start of Season 1, Fernando of León had warred with both his brothers (and one of them, García Sánchez of Navarre, died as a result) and those tensions are still present. In Season 2, relations degrade between kings Alfonso, Sancho and García until there's open war between them, with Sancho prepared to execute his brother Alfonso and his sister Urraca by the end of the season.
- Color-Coded for Your Convenience:
- In Season 1, Aragonese knights tend to wear a white surcoat over their chainmail hauberks.
- In Season 2, the Men-at-Arms of Zamora dress predominantly in red and black, and the Galicians often wear some blue.
- Combat Pragmatist: Ruy. In Season 1, he's willing to take advantage of his opponent's confidence during duels to make surprise attacks, or make use of Improvised Weapons at Graus. By Season 2, he's adopted this as his tactical mentality, willing to raid economically-rich civilian targets or conduct night attacks against unprepared foes. This was largely Truth in Television for his historical counterpart.
- Cool Crown: The monarchs of the different kingdoms that have appeared in both seasons wear crowns with distinctive designs. The crown of León is especially impressive, having large red gems embedded in it.
- Darker and Edgier: Notably a violent and cynical representation of Rodrigo Díaz's life and legend (especially when compared to the Charlton Heston film). The show deals with themes such as: inter-family hostility and violence, Brother–Sister Incest, Civil War, religious zealotry, Realpolitiking, Attempted Rape, and even Ruy being forced to kill his own grandfather.
- Deliberate Values Dissonance:
- Sexist attitudes are shown to be common in León. King Fernando firmly believes that the throne "Wouldn't last a second in the hands of a woman." due to not having the necessary ruthlessness and strength that he implicitly believes men have.
- Al-Muqtadir is consistently depicted as a Reasonable Authority Figure and, in Season 2, is even stated to have educated his daughter Amina to be a free spirit. He's still incensed when he discovers she had an affair with Ruy and orders that she be locked up in her rooms, only freeing her when Ruy demands her as a hostage on her mother's request.
- Despite trying to be a good father and an example of The Good King for his sons to follow, Fernando still won and kept his throne in a fratricidal war. Alfonso, in Season 2, is convinced that despite Fernando's guilt and attempt at atonement, his sin of kinslaying was too severe, and that he's burning in hell for what he did.
- Demythification: While no exempt from Artistic License or Hollywood History, the show makes some attempt to bring the story and characters from the Late Medieval romances closer to their 11th century inspiration.
- Disturbed Doves: At the moment that Ruy's mother, María, dies a white dove that had previously been sitting on the windowsill of her house flies off.
- Evil Old Folks: Bishop Bernardo is a religious zealot who aids Count Flaín in his conspiracy to depose and murder King Fernando while preaching a war against the muslims of Spain. That being said, he's also an example of an Affably Evil Smart Guy capable of making sharp observations, appears to have some standards, and occasionally coming across as one of the show's few Only Sane Men (particularly in Season 2).
- Evil Wears Black: Count Flaín dresses in dark colours in all his appearances and is Season 1's Arc Villain. After his death, Orduño starts dressing very similarly, though he's not quite as villainous as his old man.
- Eye Scream: How King Ramiro of Aragon dies at the Battle of Graus, courtesy of a javelin hurled by Sádaba.
- Faux Affably Evil: Count Flaín puts on a veneer of courtly manners and wisdom when in public. It vanishes in private where he's more openly slimy and ambitious. He's also abusive towards his son and threatens and even maims his subordinates, often without good reason.
- Foreign Cuss Word: Mendes's "¡qué carallo!" is the only sentence in Galician of the second season.
- Gratuitous Latin: Several instances throughout Seasons 1 & 2: Bishop Bernardo delivers rites in Latin (see Bilingual Bonus, above), Sancho recites the Lord's Prayer during the Battle of Graus, and one of Elvira's Ladies-in-Waiting recites a Latin passage from a book.
- Grey-and-Gray Morality: While the show's conflicts have some factions who are more sympathetic (such as the Kingdoms of León and Zaragoza in Season 1 and the Kingdom of Castile in Season 2), generally none of the players are wholly good nor wholly evil, with even more hostile kingdoms (such as Aragon and Navarre) having understandable motives for acting as they do. This is especially prevalent in Season 2's war between Castile, León and Galicia (particularly as Sancho, who starts off sympathetic, is by the end Slowly Slipping Into Evil).
- Hidden in Plain Sight: Amina escapes her brother's men by simply walking past them in the night. After all, it's the Middle Ages and only people who have met her previously know how she looks like. One of the men even looks at her and comments that she's beautiful, unaware of her indentity.
- Historical Badass Upgrade:
- The historical Sádaba (who killed King Ramiro of Aragon) would have been nothing to sniff at in Real Life, being allegedly able to effectively disguise himself as an Aragonese knight, infiltrate their camp, and carry out a successful assasination. The Sádaba of the series, however, is a Scary Black Man who can dismount from a horse at full gallop with Assassin's Creed-levels of agility, throw a javelin with laser-like precision, skillfully dual-wield both sword and dagger, and even comes within a hair's-breadth of besting and killing Ruy in combat.
- Urraca also undergoes this during the Siege of Zamora, donning armour and actively participating in the defence of the fortress from the battlements, even managing to kick Ruy off a siege ladder. While the historical Urraca was present in Zamora during said siege and would presumably have been involved in overseeing its defence, there is no record of her fighting on the walls.
- Ruy and friends are given a prominent role in battles they are not documented to have taken part in (but not excluded either), like Graus (1063), Zaragoza (1065), or Santarem (1071).
- Almost nothing is known of the historical Queen Alberta besides the fact that she married Sancho. In the series, she's a statuesque Barbarian warrior queen that wants to join Sancho in battle and eventually fights by his side in the siege of Zamora.
- Historical Downgrade: King Fernando "the Great" is only shown in battle during a flashback to the Battle of Atapuerca (1054), spending the entire first season in the city of León. In real life, he conquered Coimbra in 1064 and invaded Zaragoza and Valencia in 1065.
- Historical Hero Upgrade: The show generally presents a heroic version of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, portraying him as being a Politically Correct Hero and eventually becoming disgusted with Sancho's Revenge Before Reason mindset, deserting him during the siege of Zamora at the end of Season 2, something that did not happen in Real Life. That being said, Season 2 does try to add some grey to him by showcasing his Real Life Combat Pragmatist tendencies (such as the burning of the Zaragozan silk fields - an explicitly civilian target - and his idea to launch a surprise night attack on the unprepared Leonese army at Golpejera).
- Historical In-Joke: A slightly forced instance of It Will Never Catch On and This Is Going to Be Huge in the first episode, with both Ruy and Orduño commenting that nobody will remember the first while people sing the feats of the latter for centuries.
- Historical Relationship Overhaul:
- Season 2 ends with tensions between Rodrigo and Sancho building until they can barely tolerate each other during the siege of Zamora, culminating with Sancho sending Rodrigo away. In Real Life, sources are unanimous that they got along perfectly and Rodrigo was in Zamora until the siege ended.
- FlaÃn was the brother of Jimena's father and possibly also a distant relative of Diego LaÃnez. In the show they are unrelated and he arranges his son's marriage to Jimena
- Historical Villain Upgrade:
- Urraca, eldest daughter of king Fernando of León, is hit with this, being portrayed as a scheming Chessmaster, resentful of her brother's priviledge, and even being responsible for the deaths of both her father and mother. That being said, she is horrified by her Accidental Murder of her mother, and spends the rest of the season trying to atone and minimize the damage her actions caused.
- King Ramiro I of Aragon is portrayed largely as an agressive warmongering brute with barely-concealed hostility towards his brother Fernando, and who even tries to have his own nephew Sancho killed at the Battle of Graus (though he does have a redeeming quality in that he appears to be a good parent to his son).
- The obscure Count Flaín is turned into the first season's Big Bad, a serial rapist, and a Moustache Twirling Villain who schemes to assassinate Fernando I and replace him both as king of Leon and Queen Sancha's husband (despite Sancha having five adult children already and being unlikely to produce more). The historical Flaín was also Jimena's uncle, while in the show he is the father of Orduño, Jimena's barely-less-evil husband-to-be and Ruy's enemy.
- Jimena's father, about whom little is known besides his name, family, and title, and who was possibly dead already by the time of the show, is portrayed as a jerkass and domestic abuser purely so Jimena has something else to deal with.
- Hollywood Tactics: The battles in the show tend to devolve into confusing Hollywood-esque one-on-one melees among footsoldiers with little to no use of formations, with Season 1's Battle of Graus involving a frontal charge by two cavalry forces that soon turns into said melee. That being said, there are times when characters try to avert this (Your Mileage May Vary on how successful the attempted aversion is):
- Season 1's Battle of Graus has the Zaragozan Moors - who are explicitly stated to be skilled yet small in number - keep their forces on a hill, overlooking the clash between the Castillians and the Aragonese. Once the larger Aragonese army is fully committed and worn-down, the Zaragozans charge into their flank, further disordering them and creating an opening to king Ramiro (which Sádaba uses to kill him) while minimizing their own losses.
- Season 2's Battle of Golpejera has the Leonese ambush the combined Castillian-Zaragozan army on the march, trapping them in a column formation with little space to maneouvre. The Castillians, for their part, try to form a defensive shieldwall formation against the Leonese cavalry charge (though to little effect). The Zaragozan cavalry, for their part, appear to immediately cut and run, only to return at a critical point and charge against the Leonese, giving the Castillians the vital opening they need to retreat, indicating that they weren't fleeing so much as hastily maneouvering into a position where their charge would actually be effective.
- Hot-Blooded: Young Ruy in Season 1 is impetuous and often acts before clearly thinking things through. The Infante Sancho is this as well, though arguably he only gets worse during Season 2.
- Hotter and Sexier: Especially when compared to other, more chaste adaptations of the material. The show has moments where it indulges in Fanservice, Male Gaze (and even some Female Gaze in Season 2 when Nuño washes himself), and occasionally GoT-levels of nudity and sex.
- In Medias Res: Season 1 begins with Ruy in the aftermath of the Battle of Graus, being cheered by Leonese men-at-arms and Zaragozan Moors with the name Campeador ("Champion", or "Master of the Field"). Episodes 1-4 then serve to show How We Got Here.
- Irony: The city of Zamora, repopulated and well fortified by Fernando I to withstand a Muslim siege, ends fighting a brutal siege by the new King of León.
- Jerkass: Orduño, the show's Romantic False Lead and main Rival to Ruy. Consistently an asshole towards Ruy for his lower social station (and, it's implied, because of Jimena's feelings towards him), he constantly works to undermine and even kill Ruy throughout both seasons. Even the knowledge that Ruy didn't kill his father, or that his life was spared by Sancho because of Ruy's intervention, isn’t enough to make him change his view of Ruy.
- Karmic Death: Count Flaín starts Season 1 trying to have King Fernando assassinated with a richly-ornamented dagger. He then tries to have Ruy killed as well, also with the same dagger. He ends the season unexpectedly assassinated, with that dagger plunged into his back.
- Manly Facial Hair: Extremely common throughout the show. A notable exception, for now, is Rodrigo himself, who despite being The Ace is clean-shaven in Seasons 1 & 2 (at least until the very end. See Beard of Sorrow).
- Matricide: Urraca, by the end of the second episode of Season 2, has also killed her mother, Sancha, as well as her father Fernando. That said, Sancha's death is an Accidental Murder, and causes Urraca to suffer a Villainous Breakdown and Heel Realization.
- Mirror Character: Sancho and Urraca: Both are first-born children (Urraca being the first-born daughter, Sancho the first-born son), both feel they deserve power and authority befitting their status and their actions, and both are locked in a fierce rivalry for what they feel is their birthright. However, Season 2 does make them different in a crucial way: Urraca is able to realize the damage she causes and tries to become The Atoner. Sancho, on the other hand, keeps falling further and further into Revenge Before Reason.
- Moral Event Horizon: Two In-Universe examples in In Season 2:
- Urraca considers her Accidental Murder of her mother Sancha to be this, and it's severe enough that she undergoes a Villainous Breakdown and attempts to become The Atoner.
- Ruy views Sancho's decision to starve the civilians of Zamora to death before killing his sister as this. It's bad enough that he openly argues with Sancho and heads back to Vivar in disgust.
- Not the Fall That Kills You…: Queen Mother Sancha suffers a Surprisingly Sudden Death when Urraca unintentionally throws her off a balcony and onto a hard stone floor.
- Old Soldier: Ruy's grandfather, Rodrigo, and the Master-At-Arms Orotz are straight examples of this, being able to kick ass even while being significantly older than other characters.
- Patricide: Towards the end of Season 1, Urraca successfully poisons her father, King Fernando, out of a combination of lifelong resentment and a mistaken belief that it's what her mother wants in order to ascend the throne. Then, in Season 2...
- Perfectly Arranged Marriage:
- In Season 1, Jimena and Orduño start as this, being betrothed to each other thanks to an agreement made by their parents but having genuine affection for each other. However, their relationship becomes strained as Jimena's attraction to Ruy slowly grows, and with it Orduño's jealousy. It's irreparably damaged when a drunk Orduño tries to force himself on Jimena, leading to her requesting the betrothal be annulled.
- In Season 2, Sancho and Oiubreda/Alberta. While Sancho is initially unsure about the union - particularly when he discovers his wife is an Amazonian Beauty - they end up having a passionate and loving marriage. Helped in no small part to Sancho discovering he actually likes women who are stronger than him.
- Politically Correct History: Present to an extent:
- Season 2 has Queen Alberta/Oiubreda openly fighting at Sancho's side on the battlefield, with only Sancho being initially uncomfortable with the idea. Even Urraca undergoes Historical Badass Upgrade during the siege of Zamora. In reality such a thing would, at the very least, have been eyebrow-raising.
- Ruy is noticeably lacking prejudice against the Muslim Moors (and approves of Oiubreda fighting at Sancho's side in Season 2). Note that the historical Rodrigo Díaz did interact extensively with the Moorish kingdoms in his time, served Zaragoza during his exile, incorporated Moorish warriors into his own host, and in general appears to have been less hostile to Muslims than his legend later claimed, so it can be argued that this is largely Truth in Television.
- The show attempts to avert this with how the Kingdom of León treats women, presenting it as an Heir Club for Men environment. However, this is actually inaccurate (see Artistic License - History for more details).
- The presence of Sádaba in the court of Zaragoza is actually an example where this is Truth in Television. Al-Andalus, under the Caliphate of Córdoba, had extensive contact with North African peoples, including sub-Saharan tribes, and said contact continued during the Taifa period. It would not have been all that unusual to see black Africans in Muslim Spain, either as slaves, fighting as mercenaries, or serving at court.
- Race Lift: Appears to be the case with Sádaba. Whoever he was in Real Life, he was apparently able to convincingly disguise himself as an Aragonese knight, suggesting he may have been physically similar in appearance. In the series he's played by Emilio Buale, who is of black African descent (specifically from Equatorial Guinea).
- Rank Scales with Asskicking: Many of the kings and princes in the show are Frontline Generals, and some are particularly dangerous on the battlefield. Sancho is a clear example, and as he rises in station, Ruy is slowly but surely becoming this.
- Real Men Love Jesus: Unsurprisingly for the time period, all major characters are quite religious (it's slightly more Downplayed with Ruy, but still present). A notable example has the Infante Sancho reciting the Lord's Prayer in Latin while fighting at Graus.
- Realpolitik: Somewhat present in Season 1, but especially visible in Season 2, with the most prominent example being the Taifa of Zaragoza. Despite being vassals to León, Zaragoza is still a relatively small city-state and a tempting target due to their wealth and small army. As a result, they're willing to keep even their allies divided while collaborating with the most powerful or dangerous kingdoms. In Season 2 they intentionally help spark the Civil War between Castile, Galicia and León, presumably to see who'll come out on top and adjust their strategy accordingly while eliminating any kingdom that could potentially threaten their safety in the future.
- Reasonable Authority Figure:
- Al-Muqtadir of Zaragoza. He's willing to listen to different opinions in his court in order to consider all options, gives his allies the opportunity to prove themselves and shows gratitude for their aid, and in general tries to avoid making political decisions based on emotions or past resentments.
- Played With regarding King Fernando of León. Privately, he has visible moments of being a Jerkass and an Ungrateful Bastard (something that Ruy vividly remembers) and his Stay in the Kitchen attitude towards his daughter Urraca is only harmful in the long run. Publicly, he tries to govern according to rule of law, involving his sons as much as he can and delegating authority to the nobility when appropriate. He also sees far more value in keeping the Moorish Taifas as vassals rather than destroying them as enemies (and, economically, he has a point).
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Alfonso delivers a scathing one to Sancho on the eve of his execution, distmantling the latter's I Did What I Had to Do mentality and belief that he can be forgiven for killing his brother.Alfonso: What do you want? My absolution? My forgiveness? What you have to do is between you and the Almighty, to whom you will one day answer. Do you think father, who killed his brothers, sits in the Kingdom of Heaven, at the right hand of God? Father burns in hell! If you're going to kill me, do not come seeking my understanding. You wanted the crown? Then bear its weight.
- Related in the Adaptation: Count Flaín is the father of Orduño, who replaces García Ordóñez as El Cid's lifelong enemy. The historical Flaín and García were not related.
- Rewatch Bonus: In Episode 5 of Season 2, Alfonso looks noticeably confused as Bernardo reads out the friar's vows. That's because Bernardo is actually reading out a random Roman author, nullifying the whole ceremony and allowing Alfonso to retain his royal authority. Sancho, whose grasp of Latin isn't as strong, is none the wiser.
- Sacred Language: Depending on the religion, prayers are made in Latin, Arabic, or Hebrew.
- Scary Black Man: Sádaba is al-Muqtadir's right-hand man and is heavily implied to serve the Emir's family as their personal assassin. As noted under Historical Badass Upgrade, he's one of the deadlier combatants in the show.
- Sequel Escalation: Season 2 is this compared to Season 1: It has more battles (including an assault on a heavily-defended castle), more locations, and higher stakes for the characters involved.
- Shown Their Work: Present in some instances, in spite of the show's other issues with historical accuracy:
- The sets created for the show are generally accurate, in particular St. Isidore's Basilica which is done in purely Romanesque style, since the stereotypically Medieval Gothic style had not appeared yet. Its altar crucifix is a replica of the ivory "Crucifix of Ferdinand and Sancha", which the royal couple donated to the Basilica around 1063.
- Sancho of Castile was indeed recorded as being married to a woman named Alberta, and she appears in Season 2. However, other than her name, not much is known about her, so the show takes some liberties with her character.
- Ruy's rise to fame starts in Season 1 after besting the Navarrese champion Jimeno in Combat by Champion. This is taken from the Carmen Campidoctoris, from the late 11th century, and the Historia Roderici, written in the late 12th century. Both state that Rodrigo defeated a champion named Jimeno, from the Kingdom of Pamplona, in single combat early in his career.
- Even when the show changes names to enforce One-Steve Limit, the names used are true to the period (and often unusual or obsolete in the modern day), and patronymics are used instead of modern surnames.
- While foreign warriors may get anachronistic or fantasy-like armor, at least those from the Spanish Christian kingdoms are decked in accurate Norman-style mail and conical helmets, not plate as in so many productions before. The series also avoids Helmets Are Hardly Heroic.
- Urraca and Alberta donning armor and fighting in battle at all are pretty big Artistic License in themselves. However, it's commendable that the show still has them wearing long dresses under the armor, as any woman wearing a man's clothing would have been a crime against modesty in the Middle Ages.
- Sibling Yin-Yang:
- Sancho and Alfonso: Sancho is Hot-Blooded, full of personal bravery, prone to fits of anger and pride, and a Warrior Prince through and through. By contrast, Alfonso is quieter, more calculating and careful, prefers to outmaneouver rather than outfight his enemies, and is more willing to admit that he feels fear while still facing danger. Rather than complement each other, their differences only drive the brothers increasingly apart.
- The Moorish princes Mundir and Yusuf of Zaragoza have a similar dynamic, with Mundir being a brash Warrior Prince and Yusuf being a more cultured Reasonable Authority Figure.
- Slowly Slipping Into Evil:
- Orduño, despite not wanting to, is slowly starting to resemble his father Flaín more and more.
- Despite warring with both his brothers, Sancho is largely sympathetic throughout Season 2, particularly when Alfonso begins to maneouver against him. Then, when he's finally won León and has everything he wanted, he prepares to execute Alfonso (though it's clear he's unhappy about it). Then Alfonso escapes to Toledo and Urraca fortifies herself in Zamora. By the end, when he's declaring his intention to starve the people of Zamora to death before humiliating and beheading Urraca, there's no doubt left that he isn't driven by anything other than Revenge Before Reason.
- Spotting the Thread: When in Fernando's quarters, examining the convalescing king, Abu Bakr notices Fernando's favourite dog lying dead on the floor. While he keeps quiet about it, the Season 1 finale shows him purchasing the dog's corpse, then examining its organs. This leads him to the conclusion that Fernando, who had a habit of feeding the dog his table scraps, was poisoned.
- Tampering with Food and Drink: It's heavily implied in Episode 4 of Season 1 that Fernando's favourite dish, sheep brains, are poisoned by Urraca, which results in his slow death. This is confirmed by Abu Bakr in Season 2.
- The Tooth Hurts: In the first episode of Season 1, resident Jerkass Orduño antagonizes Ruy, leading to a confrontation in which Ruy punches Orduño hard enough to break one of his teeth and leave him with the Embarrassing Nickname Boquituerto ("Wry-Mouth" or "Crooked-Mouth"). note
- Took a Level in Badass: García, in Season 2. The youngest and least experienced of Fernando's sons, previous episodes implied he hadn't been properly prepared to assume royal authority, and when he becomes king of Galicia he immediately makes a critical blunder that turns most of his nobility against him. Yet, after Nuño's death, he goes to fight Sancho in person, gives a Rousing Speech to his men, fights Sancho one-on-one (unlike Alfonso), manages to give him a scar, and comes close to defeating him. Afterwards, when held prisoner, he attempts a hunger strike and still demands both his release and that Galicia be returned to him. In Urraca's words: "He grew up."
- Translation Convention: Modern Castilian Spanish with the odd old-fashioned word is used in place of the various Iberian Romance languages, which were largely intelligible and seen as the same in the 11th century. The Moors are fluent in it
but use Arabic when talking among themselves. - Undying Loyalty: This being the High Middle Ages, loyalty to one's lord is viewed as a prime virtue, with many characters adopting a My Master, Right or Wrong mentality. Ruy, especially in Season 2, is practically defined by his loyalty to Sancho. At least until Sancho goes off the deep end.
- Unrelated in the Adaptation:
- The historical Flaín was Jimena's uncle and possibly a distant relative of Ruy himself. Not here.
- Zig-Zagged Trope with Alvar. In the literary circle he was The Lancer to El Cid and variously said to be his nephew or cousin. Historical evidence suggests that he didn't serve El Cid (at least when both made their mark in the historical record) and doesn't indicate a blood relation (though it doesn't exclude it either). In the show, there is no indication of them being related, but they are friends, and Ruy is a rank above Alvar while both serve Sancho - so he still receives orders from Ruy.
- Villainous Breakdown: Urraca starts Season 2 as a smirking chessmaster. However, her Accidental Murder of her mother Sancha leaves her horrified, fearful of eternal damnation, and suffering from bouts of insmonia. She also tries to halt her own descent into villainy.
- Wham Line: Two at the end of Season 2. Ruy proves that his Undying Loyalty towards Sancho has its limits with just one word: "No." The very last scene of the season has him before his father's grave, repeating Diego Laínez's words, but adding a signifcant twist to them.Ruy: You told me to be loyal to the king, and now I curse the king!
- Worthy Opponent:
- Despite being on opposing sides, the Infantes Beltrán Ramírez of Aragón and Sancho of León appear to view each other as this, grasping each other's forearms as a mark of respect before the Battle of Graus.
- Sádaba also views Ruy as this. He saves Ruy's life before Graus, stating that he prefers to have him at his side if there's a battle. When he attempts to assassinate Ruy in Season 2, he does so by approaching him openly and engaging him in a one-on-one fight, giving him a chance to defend himself.
- Would Not Shoot a Civilian: Ruy refuses to allow harm to come to defenceless civilians during war. When conducting a punitive raid on the Zaragozan silk fields, he's adamant that only the silk and the trees be burned and the people not harmed, and goes berserk when a Castilian soldier attempts to rape a Moorish woman. The breaking point between him and Sancho comes when Sancho declares that he'll starve the ordinary citizens of Zamora to death in a protracted siege to punish them, and Urraca, for their defiance.
- Young Future Famous People: The first season shows Rodrigo Díaz, Jimena, Urraca, and the future kings Sancho Fernández, Sancho Ramírez (under the name Beltrán Ramírez), Alfonso, García, al-Mutaman, and al-Mundir as teenagers in their elders' court. Orduño sort of qualifies too, given that he replaces García Ordóñez, who is mostly known for his conflict with El Cid and the 1108 Battle of Uclés.
