History Characters / ElCid2020KingdomOfLeon

* TheArcher: He's not a particularly skilled swordsman, but he soon becomes a crack shot with a crossbow, even saving Ruy's life at Graus.

* GutturalGrowler: Has an impressively growling voice when speaking.

* TheHighQueen: As Queen of León, she is seen as regal, dignified, and still beautiful by many, and it's frequently said in Season 1 that whatever legitimacy Fernando has comes from her. The truth of her is a bit more complex (see TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask).

* TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask: In public, she's as regal and dignified as TheHighQueen ought to be, and often takes on the role of [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]] when tempers flare at court. As a member of the conspiracy, she's firm that her involvement depends on ''her'' wishes being respected and her orders followed, and in general presents herself as both a formidable monarch and woman. In private, she's keenly aware she's walking a razor's edge due to her involvement in the plot against her husband, and is notably worried and cautious among others. [[spoiler: Towards the end of Season 1 she can't help but break down in front of Urraca when it's clear Fernando is going to die. In Season 2, her mask cracks completely during her final confrontation with Urraca, especially when realizing that ''she'' was the one responsible for Fernando's death]].

* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler: His accepting Jimena's request that her engagement to Orduño be anulled could be seen as PragmaticVillainy, given the implication that he plans to wed Orduño to Urraca once he gains power. However, when informing Orduño of the broken engagement, he seems genuinely infuriated that he tried to force himself on her. Ironic, [[{{Hypocrite}} given that he himself raped Ermesinda off-screen]] (though it could be that he views Jimena as having more worth than Ermesinda, hence is anger at Orduño)]].

* [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]:

* [[SilverFox Silver Vixen]]: Despite being in her middle age, she's considered beautiful. Ramiro laments that she wasn't given to him in marriage, and she and Fernando are shown to have a healthy sex life.

* WidowWoman: [[spoiler: After Season 1]].

* [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas Even Bad Girls Love Their Mamas]]: For all that she's a {{Jerkass}} to her family, and others, she clearly adores her mother. That said, their relationship becomes more strained in Season 2 due to her political maneouvering and Sancha's suspicions. [[spoiler: After Sancha's death, however, this trope is reinforced as Urraca suffers a crisis of conscience and breaks down crying in front of her tomb in the final episode]].

* [[ManipulativeBastard Manipulative Bitch]]: Part and parcel of her characterization, particularly as it goes hand-in-Hand with her [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]] tendencies.
* [[MommasBoy Momma's Girl]]: Far more devoted to her mother than to her father. It's made explicitly clear in Season 2 that it's a case of [[WellDoneSonGuy "Well Done, Daughter!" Gal]].

* [[WellDoneSonGuy "Well Done, Daughter!" Gal]]: In contrast to her hostility towards her father, it's clear that she's devoted to her mother. In Season 1, [[spoiler: she's ecstatic to learn she's conspiring to depose Fernando, and later poisons him believing her mother would not only be protected, but would also approve. This becomes explicit in Season 2, as despite their growing mutual hostility, Urraca admits in front of her mother's grave that she just wanted to be shown the same love that Sancho had]].

* [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]: Lacks Urraca's resentment, Sancho's [[HotBlooded wrathfulness]], Alfonso's [[AmbitionIsEvil ambition]], and unlike García genuinely ''doesn't'' want to rule. She even [[BigScrewedUpFamily lacks her parent's hangups]]. It's sometimes hard to believe she's related to them.

* WidowWoman: Is this at the start of the show, due to the death of her husband Diego.

* AnAxeToGrind: Owns an axe as well as a sword, and uses both to fight, though not simultaneously. [[spoiler: Sancho gifts it to his family after he's killed fighting at Graus]].

** Her resentment at being passed over for inheritance of the kingdom is understandable given that she ''is'' the eldest of all Fernando's children, and is not only be intelligent but also shows she has some genuine political and administrative talent.

* BigBadWannabe : Season 2 initially appers to set her up as the series' BigBad, and her scheming has far-reaching consequences, causing the conflict in the first episode while she maneouvers to become Alfonso's NumberTwo. She even admits to [[spoiler: encouraging the disgruntled Mendes to march on Toro, making her partly responsible for the war between Castile and Galicia]]. However, [[spoiler: her AccidentalMurder of Sancha inflicts such a severe VillainousBreakdown that she spends the rest of the season trying desperately [[TheAtoner to atone]] for what she's done, and minimize the damage caused by the war. It's Sancho, meanwhile, who undergoes BigBadSlippage]].

* DemotedToExtra: Hard to say how much since his history is [[ShroudedInMyth mixed with legend]], but his real counterpart apparently resided in León until the death of Fernando I, was involved in the education of his children (and El Cid himself), acted as the executor of Fernando's will, and moved to Zamora with Urraca. In the show he seems to have been in Zamora all along and does not appear until she arrives. However his more notable actions are still to be portrayed in the show, so he might play a bigger part in Season 3.

* HeirClubForMen: León's inheritance laws are presented as being patrilineal, with Sancho being set to inherit the kingdom as the eldest ''Infante'', with his brothers next in line. This situation is a major part of why Fernando's first-born child, Urraca, is TheResenter, as she feels she's been cheated out a kingdom solely for not having been born a man.

* CruelMercy: Ends up inflicting this on a captive [[spoiler: García]] in one of his few [[spoiler: KickTheDog moments. He won't harm his brother, but he also doesn't want him staying in León and continuing to press his claim to the throne of Galicia, so he exiles him, telling García outright that he doesn't care where he goes, so long as it's far away]].

* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: A flashback at Atapuerca shows that he was mortally wounded when a Navarrese man-at-arms ran him through with a sword. Somehow, he was not only able to keep fighting, he ended up ''kiling'' the King of Navarre.

* MightMakesRight: The essence of the speech he gives to Urraca in the throne room in episode 4. As he says, he conquered the throne of León by force, sooner or later one has to use force to defend a throne in order to preserve legitimacy and authority.

* ParentalFavoritism: [[ImpliedTrope Implied]], not towards Sancho but ''Alfonso'', despite the latter believing his father favours the former. He appears to approve of Alfonso's knowledge of the law in episode 1, refuses to allow him to put himself in harm's way during the Navarrese invasion, and [[spoiler: on the eve of his death, he grants Sancho his lands of Castile while giving León, the largest, richest and strongest of the three kingdoms, to Alfonso, as well as the Imperial title "King of the Goths", implicitly granting him sovereignty over ''all'' the Christian kingdoms of Spain. Season 2 has Urraca imply that she had a hand in it, so it's unclear how much of this was truly Fernando's will]].[[labelnote:''Historically'':]] Fernando giving León to Alfonso, his second-born son, instead of to Sancho, has often been taken by historians as a sign that Fernando favoured Alfonso over his more hot-headed older brother.[[/labelnote]]

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: [[ImpliedTrope Implied]] to have been this in the past through his conquest of León and defeating his brother at Atapuerca. By the time of the series, he delegates authority to Sancho [[spoiler: when Ramiro invades Zaragoza]], and while he'll still go on the field of battle, he stays behind the lines and tries to find an alternatives to mass bloodshed.

* CoolCrown: An impressive gem-studded one [[spoiler: which is inherited by Alfonso]].

* TheChainsOfCommanding: At the ''Infantes''' cavalier attitude when suggesting killing off García's infant son to prevent the Kingdom Navarre's attack, he grimly tells his sons that he hopes they never have to experience what it's like to face one's own brother on the battlefield.

* CruelMercy: [[spoiler: Ends up inflicting this on a captive García in one of his few KickTheDog moments. He won't harm his brother, but he also doesn't want him staying in León and continuing to press his claim to the throne of Galicia, so he exiles him, telling García outright that he doesn't care where he goes, so long as it's far away]].

* TheGoodKing: [[PlayingWithTropes Played with]] in Season 2. His moments of being a ReasonableAuthorityFigure, and his [[PetTheDog Petting the Dog]], mean that he’s as close to this trope as one can be in this show. He even mentions having passed what are essentially Health & Safety laws for León's markets, to make them more sanitary and appealing. [[spoiler: That said, he’s still willing to engage in dirty {{Realpolitik}} and is one of the season's primary antagonists to Ruy and Sancho, at least until his capture]].
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: [[spoiler: When surrounded and held at swordpoint at Golpejera by Sancho and his men, he considers making a LastStand, but at Sancho's forceful urging, wisely puts down his sword and surrenders]].

* LockedOutOfTheLoop: [[spoiler: Had no idea that Urraca had schemed to take Zaragoza's tribute away from Castile and make sure it went to León. Ruy's intervention, and the failure of that scheme, leads to Sancho angrily accusing Alfonso of trying to undermine him before their reigns have properly begun. When he discovers the truth, he's less than happy about it]].
* MiddleChildSyndrome: Tells Orduño in Season 1 that he feels like TheUnfavorite, saying that his father "Only has eyes for Sancho." He also seems to have doubts about whether or not he'd be a good ruler, despite it being clear that he does want to be king. [[spoiler: This trope is likely why he's as shocked as everyone else when he's named King of León before Fernando's death]].

* SpareToTheThrone: As Fernando's second-born son, he's keenly aware he's this. It's left him feeling he's TheUnfavorite compared to his older brother Sancho, and unsure of whether he'll ever be able to reign. [[spoiler: Imagine his surprise when he's named King of León at the end of Season 1]].

* UnexpectedSuccessor: [[spoiler: As the middle child of Fernando's sons, he wasn't expected to inherit after his father's death. Instead, he becomes king of the largest and wealthiest portion of León, and is even given the imperial title "King of the Goths", granting him symbolic authority over ''all'' the Christian kingdoms of Spain. He's just as shocked as everyone. Historically, Alfonso becoming king of León instead of Sancho has led many historians to believe that Fernando favoured him over his other children. In the show, Urraca implies in Season 2 that it was largely her doing]].

* TheUnreveal: Flaín says that [[spoiler: ''she'' is [[WhamLine to blame for Bermudo's death]], and she is taken aback by his comment - but this is never confirmed, so it is unclear if she is really to blame, thinks so, or is just scared that Flaín will use the claim against her regardless. [[spoiler: As pointed by both her and Fernando in the show, Bermudo died in battle when he invaded Fernando's land, so it's hard to imagine how it could be Sancha's fault]].

* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: [[spoiler: Her and Fernando genuinely care for one another, and she only joined the conspiracy against him to ensure he, and their children, wouldn't be harmed. He forgives her while on his deathbed, and when he dies she's griefstricken]].

* TheUnreveal: Flaín says that she is to [[WhamLine blame for Bermudo's death]], and she is taken aback by his comment - but this is never confirmed, so it is unclear if she is really to blame, thinks so, or is just scared that Flaín will use the claim against her regardless. As pointed by both her and Fernando in the show, Bermudo died in battle when he invaded Fernando's land, so it's hard to imagine how it could be Sancha's fault.

* JerkassHasAPoint: [[spoiler: His advice to Alfonso during the war against Sancho is almost-uniformly aggressive and primarily motivated by his hatred of Ruy (as correctly pointed out by Urraca). Nevertheless, he ''is'' correct that Alfonso, holds a distinct advantage over Sancho, who's still weakened after his invasion of Galicia, and should use that advantage before Sancho recovers his full strength and turns his attention to León]].

* AristocratsAreEvil: The Count of León and, by extension, one of the most powerful (if not ''the'' most powerful) nobleman in Fernando's court. He's also the BigBad of Season 1 and thoroughly despicable.

* CompositeCharacter: Bernardo is "the" Church in the show, doing anything worth of note that a clergyman did in real life. He is presumably named after Bernard of Sedirac, a Cluniac monk that arrived in León in 1080; he fills for the Astur-Leonese church reluctantly supporting Fernando's takeover and rule of León in Season 1; and in Season 2 he convinces Sancho to spare Alfonso (said of St. Hugh of Cluny) and [[spoiler:helps him escape]] (said of the Leonese abbot of Sahagún, [[spoiler:where Alfonso was forcefully interned as a monk]]).

* SilkHidingSteel:She's as elegant and dignified in public as one would expect a monarch to be, and in Season 1 she's not shy about firmly putting the other conspirators in place and refusing to be cajoled by them, and in Season 2 she has a firm hand when dealing with her children while acting as their advisor. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, her attempts to keep Flaín and Bernardo in line don't work because neither is sufficiently intimidated to fully respect her wishes. When she dies in season 2, it quickly becomes apparent that her steel was the one thing preventing her sons from going to war with each other]].

[[caption-width-right:271:''"My sword is thirsty for blood."'']]

* PluckyComicRelief: The straightest example in the series: His reactions to the situations that occur, as well as his habit of cracking jokes, provide most of the show's moments of levity. Not to mention his NakedPeopleAreFunny scene ([[spoiler: though the context leading up to it isn't [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness particularly funny]]]]).

[[caption-width-right:264:'"With Nuño, with Ruy, with my friends. '''That's''' where my loyalty lies."'']]