| This article needs an update. Following information need to be revised: Season 3: Episodes 10 - 12 |
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| Guy of Gisborne | |
|---|---|
| Biographical information | |
| Gender |
Male |
| Ethnic group | |
| Eye colour |
Blue |
| Hair colour |
Dark Brown |
| Born |
1158 |
| Died |
1194, Nottingham (aged 36) |
| Family |
Sir Roger (father) † |
| Origin |
Locksley (mother from France) |
| Residence | |
| Occupation |
Former Sheriff of Nottingham |
| Title(s) | |
| Statistics | |
| Weapon(s) owned |
Sword, Dagger |
| Affiliation | |
| Behind the scenes | |
| First appearance | |
| Last appearance | |
| Cause |
Death (Killed by Vaisey) |
| Episode count |
37< |
| Portrayer |
Richard Armitage |
"Are you surprised the King has enemies? He has no idea! He will make peace with a Turk. There will NEVER be peace with a Turk!" Guy of Gisborne to Robin Hood.
Sir Guy of Gisborne, played by Richard Armitage, is a dark, brooding man always clad in black leather. He is the third main character in the first two series after Robin and Marian, and the second main character in the third series after Robin only. Guy is the Sheriff of Nottingham's second-in-command, and manages the Locksley estate in Robin's absence. He is reluctant to relinquish control over it and takes a dark satisfaction in being named its permanent lord after Robin is outlawed. His eagerness for land of his own comes from bitterness over having no actual Gisborne estate, and he contemplates renaming Locksley to Gisborne.
Biography
Series 1 Guy fathers a baby Seth, with a servant girl, Annie, and later abandons him in the forest, only for the baby to be found and rescued by Robin and his men. In the words of the Radio Times, Gisborne is "the chief dispenser of the Sheriff's rough justice... seen killing a man in front of his own son".
As in other tellings of the Hood legends, he is a suitor of Marian, but she does not return his affections. In episode seven, he practically forces her into an engagement with him. It is later revealed that Guy was the masked assassin that Robin was wounded by in the Holy Land as he tried to prevent him from killing King Richard. Robin slashed his tattoo with a sword during the fray, and Robin realises that it was Guy when he sees his tattoo with an identical scar through it. A very angry Robin kidnaps and tortures Guy after he finds out, and attempts to reveal Guy's treachery to the public with proof, but so far has been unsuccessful.
Just before their wedding is due to go ahead, Marian disguises herself as the vigilante Night Watchman and attempts to steal a chest of money from Guy, which she describes to her father as "a final fling to make me more comfortable in my marriage". Unaware that it is his fiancée, Guy stabs her in the stomach. After being cared for by Robin and Djaq, she recovers for the wedding, but decides not to marry Guy at the last minute - she punches him and runs from the altar.
Gisborne is evidently not pure evil as he lacks the Sheriff's sadistic glee and even seems at times to disapprove. When three young boys witness an incriminating event during the episode "Childhood," Gisborne attempts to spare their lives even though the Sheriff demands they be disposed of. He risks his own life to help Marian when the Earl of Winchester demands Marian as part of a deal with the Sheriff in "For England!". He does show remorse for his villainous ways in the final episode of the first season, and lets Marian go after she warns Robin of the Sheriff's plan.
In "Get Carter!", Guy breaks down and confesses to Marian his desire for a home and her love. She resists him at first, saying that she needs time to grieve her father's recent death. But when Guy is turning to leave, the two share a passionate kiss (though it is to protect a fleeing Robin from Guy's view); taking their formerly more platonic and rather strained relationship to an entirely new, if not dangerous, level.
Series 2
In the first part of the season two finale, "A Good Day to Die, Marian offers Guy her hand in marriage if he assassinates the Sheriff before he can oversee the murder of King Richard (at this time she believes Robin to be dead). Guy instead alerts the Sheriff of Marian's offer and decides to wed her anyway—with or without her consent. During the final battle between Robin's men and the Sheriff's Saracen assassins, King Richard is wounded and left to the mercy of an advancing Gisborne. Realizing that Guy is consumed with power and greed, Marian stands between Guy and the king, informing him that she loves only Robin and would die before marrying Gisborne. An enraged Gisborne finally snaps and stabs Marian with his sword, fatally injuring her, but seems genuinely shocked and devastated by his own actions. He flees the scene with The Sheriff on horseback, as Marian dies from her wounds.
Series 3
In series three his younger sister, Isabella, arrives in Nottingham after Prince John disbands the Black Knights.
Guy of Gisborne returns as a much more relentless and darker persona in series three following his killing of Marian. He threatens a young girl's life and throws Robin off a cliff in the first episode of season three. Soon after he disobeys a direct order from the sheriff and goes so far as to threaten Vaisey's life, prompting Vaisey to turn Sir Guy over to Prince John's soldiers. Guy later returns with Prince John's imperial guard, released with orders to slay Robin Hood. After Prince John plays Gisborne and the Sheriff off against each other, Gisborne stabs the sheriff in the heart. The sheriff's apparent last words are to warn Gisborne not to trust Prince John.
Despite his more ruthless nature, Sir Guy's more humane side still lingers and has reared its head on more that one occasion. He shows genuine pain at his sister Isabella's betrayal and ultimately turns against Prince John, calling him "ruthless" and "a coward". Gisborne is outlawed for this, and, feeling his sister is responsible, he attacks her. Isabella tells him he "killed" her when he sold her at young age. Guy shows genuine shock and remorse at ths, and is unable to press his attack. It also seems that without the heavy-handed influence of the Sheriff, Guy seems to have lost some of his hatred for Robin Hood, and even follows his advice not to kill Prince John, as that would cause anarchy.
In "A Dangerous Deal" Gisborne was set to be executed for his crimes and had resigned himself to his fate. While awaiting his death, Gisborne meets Meg, a woman imprisoned by Isabella's husband. Despite some initial hostility, the two begin to soften towards one another, and Meg helps Guy to see the wrongfulness of his past crimes. After being freed by Isabella, Meg returns to offer Guy food, and admits she's developed feelings for him. Guy refuses the food, but thanks him for bringing out the goodness in him he thought had died, and also says that she reminds him of Marian. When Meg later tries to help Gisborne escape, they are caught by Isabella, who decides to execute both of them despite Guy's pleas to spare Meg's life. They are spared by the unlikely interference of Robin Hood, who (for once) agreed with Guy in the respect of Meg's innocence. Unfortunately, Meg is stabbed during the escape while defending Guy from a soldier, and she dies in Guy's arms in a scene reminiscent of Marian's death in the preceding season. Gisborne's allegiances remain unclear, though his time with Meg and away from Sheriff Vaisey's influences has clearly changed him.
Not long after, Robin encounters a fugitive Gisborne hiding in the forest; the two duel briefly before a hooded figure knocks them out with darts. They awake to find themselves bound and the stranger sitting beside them. The hooded stranger informs them that he brought them together so that the bad blood between them can be put to rest and they can work together. Gisborne tells the stranger "the bad blood is there for a reason". Through a series of flashbacks, it is revealed that Robin and Guy knew one another as children: a series of events which led to Guy nearly being hanged for an accident Robin caused, and Guy's father being publicly humiliated and banished to a leper colony upon his return from the Crusades, precipitated the overarching years of hatred between the two; as Gisborne was never able to forgive Locksley. Relations between the two soured further when Gisborne discovered his mother was having an affair with Robin's father, which led to the birth of their half-brother Archer; yet his mother was still visiting his father in the leper colony. The young Gisborne was incensed to discover this, feeling it was unfair that he be robbed of a father while his mother betrayed her husband one moment and looked after him the next. Guy went to the leper colony to challenge his father, chiding him for leaving them without a fight. Guy's father returned to the village in secret to confront Robin's father—only to find him in the embrace of his own wife. While he approved of Lord Locksley's support of his wife while he was in the leper colony, he was horrified to learn of a full-fledged affair, and attacked Robin's father in a heat of passion. Guy didn't witness the fight, but both his parents were found dead afterwards, leading him to believe he had inadvertently caused their deaths by going to visit his father in the first place. The stranger then filled in the gaps, explaining in detail how during the fight a fire broke out, and Guy's mother was killed by accident trying to stop the fight while his father burned in the fire.
Guy and Robin leave the outlaws and ride to York to rescue Archer, who has been sentenced to execution by the Sheriff of York. Archer had been having an affair with York's wife, and when Guy and Robin rescue him, Archer rides off by himself.
Gisborne, determined to get revenge on Isabella for killing Meg, helps Robin and Much enter Nottingham Castle but is nearly drowned in limestone, a trap set by Archer and Isabella. He is rescued by Kate and Archer.
Finally, in "Something Worth Fighting For (Part 2)", Sheriff Vaisey (who, it turns out, was never dead) and Isabella ambush Robin. Gisborne leaps in the way, saving Robin but receiving mortal wounds. In the midst of the ensuing battle, Robin cradles Guy's body in his last moments. He refers to his former rival as "friend," recognizing that they will both soon face death together. Guy utters his last words: "I'm sorry. At least you have someone waiting for you: Marian...the love of my life. She was always yours. I lived in shame, but because of you I die proud...and free."
Isabella walks through the tunnel and sees her brother's dead body. She starts to feel sentimental for what she did to him with the Sheriff, but Vaisey, not caring at all about the death of his former lieutenant, stops Isabella.
What unintentionally makes sense is if one was to walk down the false grave (leading to the tunnel) it could be thought of as the huge grave with Gisborne's body if the tunnel wasn't destroyed after the castle blew up.
Personality and traits
In the beginning of the series, Guy of Gisborne was portrayed as pitiless, cold, cruel, arrogant, extremely malicious, sarcastic, bitter and sadistic. He unquestioningly obeyed the orders of Vaisey and had no qualms about resorting to torture or murder if he felt a situation demanded it. He possessed a great hatred of Robin Hood and tried to kill him on numerous occasions.
His rivalry with Robin over the affections of Lady Marian also escalated throughout the series, though he was never certain Marian had genuine feelings for Robin until the final episode of season two. He confessed to Marian that he was only working for the Sheriff for position, and even betrayed the sheriff by attempting to murder him when Prince John asked him to and nearly drowned Robin Hood and his sister Isabella in order to take Vaisey's place as the new sheriff. He was also shown to have a terrifying temper, and raised his voice very little but when he did, he terrified any who listened, even the Sheriff.
The reasons for his bitterness are revealed in series 3 to stem from incredibly severe childhood trauma, in that his father was a leper and that his mother agreed to marry Robin Hood's father. In his childhood, Guy was sly, extremely sarcastic and emotional. He is seen to have immense difficulty dealing with young Robin Hood's arrogance and has difficulty in maintaining respect from others despite his French heritage. He was extremely proud and valued his position with surprising importance.
He was shown in series 1 to be highly intelligent and extremely cunning, and seen by much of Nottingham as an iron-fisted, cruel and heartless individual but nobody could even begin to understand his inner potential. He was sadistic, as shown at the start of series 2 when he gleefully beats Robin Hood in front of the Sheriff.
Guy does not appear to be completely heartless, as he was in love with Marian and made genuine sacrifices—even risking his life at least once—on her behalf. Though he killed her in a heat of passion in the season two finale, Guy seemed genuinely horrified and devastated at this act, displaying an enormous degree of regret, and his guilt helped pull out his purer side in later episodes. It was also demonstrated that Gisborne was strongly opposed to the idea of killing children, and unlike Sheriff Vaisey, only murdered when necessary, and not out of personal pleasure. He became softer and less ruthless as the last season progressed, actually bringing himself to forgive Robin Hood and join his band of outlaws.
Abilities
Guy was an incredibly talented swordsman. He had an extremely aggressive fighting style which utilized stealth, force, cunning and psychological warfare. He was a master combatant and able to hold his own against Robin Hood on countless occasions. He was even shown to be outstandingly capable at hand-to-hand combat, a talented fist-fighter and unarmed combatant. He appears to be a cunning, unpredictable with incredible reflexes as a swordsman. Trained for war as both a soldier and an assassin, Guy displays the characteristics of a man who makes no mistakes.
He was a highly skilled assassin, and was a master of all forms of combat, frequently used as an attack dog by the Sheriff.
He also showed some skill with a bow, and was able to outshoot even Robin Hood on one occasion. Additionally, he was capable at knife-throwing as shown in series two in yet another showdown with Robin Hood.
He was an extremely skilled leader, and was one of the Sheriff's best lieutenants. He showed brutality, tenacity and cruelty towards some of his allies and seemed to avoid having any friends, with the exception of Marion. This is because if he has friends he is giving his enemies something to threaten him with. He dies in series 3 episode 13 from sword wounds from vaisey.
Appearances
- "Will You Tolerate This?" (First Appearance)
- "Sheriff Got Your Tongue?"
- "Who Shot The Sheriff?"
- "Parent Hood"
- "Turk Flu"
- "The Tax Man Cometh"
- "Brothers in Arms"
- "Tattoo? What Tattoo?"
- "A Thing or Two About Loyalty"
- "Peace? Off!"
- "Dead Man Walking"
- "The Return of the King"
- "A Clue: No"
- "Sisterhood"
- "The Booby and the Beast"
- "Childhood"
- "The Angel of Death"
- "Ducking and Diving"
- "For England...!"
- "Show Me the Money"
- "Get Carter!"
- "Lardner's Ring"
- "Walkabout"
- "Treasure of the Nation"
- "A Good Day to Die"
- "We Are Robin Hood!"
- "Total Eclipse"
- "Cause and Effect" (sent away to Prince John)
- "Let The Games Commence"
- "Do You Love Me?"
- "Too Hot to Handle"
- "The King is Dead, Long Live the King..."
- "A Dangerous Deal"
- "Bad Blood" (also young Gisborne)
- "The Enemy of My Enemy"
- "Something Worth Fighting For (Part 1)"
- "Something Worth Fighting For (Part 2)" (Death / Last Appearance)
External links
| Alive | Tuck • Little John • Much • Archer • Kate of Locksley |
| Away | Will Scarlett • Djaq • Prince John • Longthorn |
| Deceased | Robin Hood • Marian of Knighton • Guy of Gisborne • Vaisey of Nottingham • Allan A Dale • Royston White • Isabella Thornton • Malcolm of Locksley • Ghislaine of Gisborne • Roger of Gisborne |