History Characters / Braveheart

* TheBadGuyWins: Subverted: He captures and kills Wallace, and remains in control of Scotland by the time he dies. But it's a hollow victory, as he learns that his line will end with Edward II and be replaced with Wallace's descendants. Later, after his death, the Scottish finally regained their independence.

* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: He may be a bastard, but he did lead the English to victory at Falkirk (even if it was on the sidelines).

* DeviousDaggers: Has a thing for knives, keeping at least one hidden, and is quick and agile wielding them in battle.
--> Smart enough to get a dagger past your guards, old man!

* MessianicArchetype: He gathers and leads his people to free them from English oppression, gets betrayed by several of his fellow Scots, is tied onto and executed on a cross, and in death, becomes an InspirationalMartyr for the Scots who cheer his name at Bannockburn. And before his execution, he prays to God to give him strength to face his death.

** At Falkirk, he has Stephen convince the Irish conscripts to switch sides, disrupts the English formations with ArrowsOnFire and like at Stirling, orders the Scottish cavalry to flank the English. [[SpannerInTheWorks Except this time]], Mornay and Lochlan abandon him, having been bribed beforehand [[OutGambitted by Longshanks]].

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: {{Lampshades}} this in his opening narration, pointing out that English historians will accuse him, the narrator, of being a liar. He then invokes WrittenByTheWinners in response.[[note]]Despite the fact that the Scots were the winners, not the English.[[/note]]

* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: He repeatedly switches allegiance between the Scottish and the English throughout the film. His last scene is him about to submit to the English, before changing his mind and leading the Scots into battle.

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Downplayed. Many of his more underhanded and self-serving actions are never shown in the film, particularly his ruthless murder of his chief rival Comyn in a church. He also waged a civil war against supporters of the late Comyn while fighting the English, finally defeating them through RapePillageAndBurn of their lands and subjects, all Scotsmen in fact. Previously, he had fought on the English side against then-King John Balliol, because he knew he would never be King of Scots while Balliol reigned.

* LaughingMad: Owing to his brief sanity slippage, he laughs rather creepily to Craig while theorizes out loud that Wallace may try to kill him.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: He is haunted by his betrayal of Wallace, and suffers a Thousand-Yard Stare after observing the carnage at Falkirk. He vows to never betray the Scottish again.

* YoungFutureFamousPeople: Is portrayed as still a young Scottish noble, albeit a contender for the throne. He becomes king by the end of the film though.

* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: {{Averted|Trope}} and then PlayedStraight. She’s badly bleeding from the mouth after her attempted rape and subsequent capture by the English, but her execution is shot so that nothing of her throat-slit is shown, not even a little blood.

* {{Elopement}}: Marries Wallace in secret, against her father’s wishes and to avoid suffering from Prima Nocta.

* TalkToTheFist: Ends to arguments with Wallace with this method.

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Downplayed. The real Robert de Bruce had no part in Wallace’s capture. However, he did officially side with the English like the film, but the film version is doing so because he hopes it will ensure his son’s claim, while the historical Robert de Bruce did so just because he didn’t want to lose his own titles, and was even willing to disown the younger Robert if he sided with the English. In any case, while he opposed the Scots, he had little impact himself.

* BigBadFriend: He appears to be Bruce’s friend, but is secretly in league with the English.

* PetTheDog: When Bruce tries to stop the English soldiers arresting Wallace and they turn on him, Craig charges into the fray and pulls Bruce to safety.

* TraitorShot: He makes an aside glance to men in hiding at Wallace’s meeting, which alerts Bruce to the betrayal.

A Scottish noble who initially assists Wallace in the rebellion, before betraying him at Falkirk.

* BestServedCold: His wife stops him from fighting off Bottoms's guards as she is taken away, knowing that he was outnumbered. Later, after taking his base of operations, Morrison is free to exact his revenge on Lord Bottoms.

The film’s antagonist; he is the King of England and seeks to rule over Scotland. In the meantime, he is concerned with an apparent succession-crisis regarding his son, and he is also busy forming an alliance with his chief rival, France. He takes the Scottish rebellion more seriously after Stirling and York and seeks to capture and execute Wallace.

* TheBadGuyWins: Subverted: He captures and kills Wallace, and remains in control of Scotland by the time he dies. But it's a hollow victory, as he learns that his line will end with Edward II and be replaced with Wallace's descendants. Later, after his death, the Scottish finally regain their independence.

* CoolOldGuy: Even though he's elderly, ailing and rotten to the core, he still has enough fighting strength in him to throw a man out the window, and he effortlessly beats down his much younger son. In terms of disposition, he also seems to have no respect for [[ProfessionalButtKisser suckups and yes-men]], as shown when he institutes Primae Nocte:

* DeadpanSnarker: He is very snide and sharp-tongued, which comes through dry comments about things he finds amusing, or foolish.

%% * {{Foil}}: He's an elderly ruler who commands behind his troops and almost never gets his hands dirty, while Wallace is the younger hero who leads from the front and gets into the thick of battle. Both are calculating strategists, but Wallace insists he's no liar while Longshanks is willing to outright commit perfidy %% Needs more elaboration
* HairTriggerTemper: When he doesn't have his way, Longshanks displays a very aggressive temper, and will even kill people if they rub him the wrong way.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Played with: While a very controversial king, many of his nefarious actions in the film are either exaggerated or entirely fictional. He never mandated Primae Noctis, for one, never murdered his son’s lover, would likely have never killed his own troops for victory, and never murdered his own subjects. His scoffing at charity is also unlikely, since he was very generous in real life, though this was mandated by the Church. He was also a loving husband and family man, despite his attitude towards women and his treatment of his son in the movie.
* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: The film also manages to downplay or ignore all the other acts Edward has done such as invading Wales because the leader of Wales sided with the barons and murdering and imprisoning him and his family, and how he was an active anti-Semite to boot, making an edict expelling Jews in England (although paradoxically granting them safe passage) until Oliver Cromwell would re-admit them in the 17th century.
* IncurableCoughOfDeath: He suffers from this, and eventually dies.
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: He politely allows Isabella to attend his court despite having sent for Prince Edward instead, under the pretense of teaching her how to rule. He then proceeds to outline his plan to reinstate Prima Nocta in Scotland, all the while staring at her intently, as though he knows it would make her uncomfortable.

** He reveals his plan for Prima Nocta in front of Isabella, implicitly because he knows it would make her uncomfortable as a woman.

* LackOfEmpathy: This shows when he suddenly kills his son’s lover right in front of him and then proceeds to beat him (granted, in self-defense), before sitting down to plot while his son lies crying on the floor.

* {{Misogyny}}: Implied by his attitude towards Isabella and his reinstatement of Prima Nocta. However, PragmaticVillainy forces him to avoid acting on this with Isabella.

---> "Who can I send? Not I, for if I were to fall under the sword of that murderer it might be my head in a basket. And not my... ''gentle'' son, for the bare sight of him would only encourage an enemy to take over the whole country."

* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: He may be a bastard, but he did lead the English to victory at Falkirk (even if it was at the sidelines).

* VillainDecay: Gradually becomes older and sicker of the years before being completely bed-ridden.

* WouldHurtAChild: Among the nobles he tricked and hanged during the prologue is a boy no older than William Wallace at the time, who may have been a noble's son or squire attending the meeting. Also his abuse of his son is implied to have been going on for a long time, as nobody seems too surprised or outraged by it.

The Prince of England and Longshanks’ incompetent and ineffectual son. He has no interest in his wife Isabella, posing something of a succession crisis for the monarchy.

* FlatCharacter: Edward gets little characterization outside of being Longshanks’ incompetent and weak son, with only his homosexuality giving him some depth. His role is mostly meant to drive aspects of the narrative: his neglect of Isabella is partly why she goes to Wallace, and his homosexuality leads to a succession crisis that culminates in Isabella getting the last laugh on Longshanks. Furthermore, he serves as a contrast to both Wallace and, more ironically, his own father, where his weaknesses serve to highlight their own strengths as the protagonist and antagonist.

* HarmlessVillain: He's so pathetic that he can't even defeat an old man in combat, let alone manage his kingdom and army effectively.

* SmugSnake: Scoffs at Isabella after she begs for Wallace’s life. Little does he know that she is pregnant with Wallace’s child, and intends to eventually depose Edward, wiping out his line.

* NoNameGiven: His historical counterpart was known, however, as William Heselrig, who was the Sheriff of Lanark that was killed by William Wallace at the start of his uprising.

* SmallNameBigEgo: Overlaps with TooDumbToLive. A man with no apparent lands or titles, he somehow thinks he can talk to the King of England not only out of turn but also address him as though they were peers. As a court dandy he also has the gall to claim skill "in the arts of war and military tactics" to a hardened veteran. Longshanks actually shows remarkable restraint by first ignoring him then trying to verbally remind him of his place, and only kills the guy after he repeatedly fails to take the hint.

* VillainousValor: He personally leads the English infantry into battle at Stirling and was willing to face Wallace in single combat.

* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Campbell calls him insane. Stephen responds by revealing a knife he had snuck past the Scottish guards. Later on, it’s also revealed he wasn’t necessarily lying when he said Ireland was his island, after somehow convincing Longshank’s Irish conscripts to fight for the Scottish.
* DeadpanSnarker: “The Almighty says, ‘don’t change the subject, just answer the fucking question!’”

* TraitorShot: Subverted. After endearing himself to the Scots, he initially appears to be stalking Wallace with Faudron, and then charges at him with a sword. However, he instead throws it at Faudron, revealing that he was only stalking Faudron to protect Wallace. He is loyal for the remainder of the film.

* AgeLift: A very glaring example. The real Isabella was much younger than the film example, being two years old at the start of the rebellion in real life while her film counterpart is an adult at this time and has just married Edward. Given that she was about ten years old by the time of his execution, and still unwed, it’s very unlikely that she ever met Wallace, let alone slept with him.

--> A lordship, and titles, gold...that [[Literature/TheBible I should become Judas]]?

* InTheBack: He attempts to duel Wallace during his uprising, but Hamish kills him with an axe in the back.

* ShutUpHannibal: His last words to his father are, "My hate… will die… with you."

* TranquilFury: His Shut Up Hannibal to his father is this.

* MadeOfIron: Gets shot at Lanark with an arrow, has his hand chopped off at Stirling, and is struck in the gut with an axe at Falkirk. The last one is what finally kills him.

* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Campbell calls him insane. Stephen responds by revealing a knife he had snuck past the Scottish guards. Later on, it’s also revealed he wasn’t necessarily lying when he said Ireland was his island, after somehow convincing Longshank’s Irish mercenaries to fight for the Scottish.

* MessianicArchetype: He gathers and leads the Scots to free them from English oppression, is executed on a cross, and in death, becomes an InspirationalMartyr for the Scots who cheer his name at Bannockburn.

* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: Refuses Longshanks' bribe.

%% * {{Foil}}: He's an elderly ruler who commands behind his troops and almost never gets his hands dirty, while Wallace is the younger hero who leads from the front and gets into the thick of battle. %% Needs more elaboration

* JerkassHasAPoint: His murdering Phillip personally makes sense from the point of view that he is a potential liability. At the very least he's clearly never fought a battle in his entire life and isn't qualified to be advising a prince or a king on matters of state, so the danger of him being the power behind the Prince's future throne has to be averted. If he is influencing his son, then the guy has got to go.

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Is executed by being hanged, drawn, and quartered.

* ISurrenderSuckers: Appears to be turning himself in to the magistrate, but then suddenly attacks his men.

* ShroudedInMyth: It's apparently believed among the Scottish that he is a seven-foot OneManArmy capable of consuming the English with fireballs from his eyes, and bolts of lightning from his arse.

* TheStrategist: How he beats the English at Stirling despite fewer numbers.
* TogetherInDeath: Has a vision of Murron just before getting beheaded.

* TogetherInDeath: Appears before Wallace just before his death, smiling.

* OutlivingOnesOffspring: After the murder of his daughter. He is so stunned that he can't even weep at her funeral.

* CoolOldGuy: Even though he's elderly, ailing and rotten to the core, he still has enough fighting strength in him to throw a man out the window, and he effortlessly beats down his much younger son. In terms of disposition, he also seems to have no respect for [[ProfessionalButtKisser suckups and yes-men]], as shown when he institutes Prima Nocte:
-->'''Nobleman:''' "A most excellent idea, your majesty!"
-->'''King Edward:''' ''*with palpable irritation*'' "'''Is it?'''"

* KickTheDog: He reveals his plan for Prima Nocta in front of Isabella, implicitly because he knows it would make her uncomfortable as a woman. Murders his son’s gay lover (ostensibly for giving unsolicited advice, which isn’t any better than homophobia), then literally kicks his son for retaliating.

* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: The film also manages to downplay or ignore all the other acts Edward has done such as invading Wales because the leader of Wales sided with the barons and murdering and imprisoning him and his family, and how he was an active anti-Semite to boot, making an edict expelling Jews in England.

* ReligiousBruiser: He regularly invokes God, and even claims to speak with him. Also doubles as Token Religious Teammate, as he is more openly devout than the Scots.

* SmugSnake: To Longshanks, gloating that his bloodline will die with her husband and continue with Wallace.