Character Relationship Map: The Professionals

Characters

• Dolworth (played by Burt Lancaster) — protagonist

  Explosives expert and one of the hired professionals. Previously fought under Pancho Villa and respects Raza as a soldier. He triggers canyon explosives to block Chiquita and Raza, stays behind to cov...

• Fardan (played by Lee Marvin) — protagonist

  Weapons specialist among the hired professionals. He infiltrates Raza's camp to assassinate him but spares him upon discovering Maria's presence. At the border, he helps protect Maria and Raza from Gr...

• Ehrengard (played by Robert Ryan) — supporting

  Horse wrangler and one of the four professionals hired by Grant. His role primarily involves managing the group's mounts during the mission to Mexico.

• Jake (played by Woody Strode) — supporting

  Traditional Apache scout hired as one of the professionals. Highly skilled with a bow and arrow, he accompanies the team on the rescue mission through Mexican territory.

• Chiquita (played by Marie Gomez) — supporting
• Revolutionary (played by Carlos Romero) — minor
• Maria (played by Claudia Cardinale) — supporting

  Initially presented as Grant's kidnapped wife, she is actually Raza's lover who escaped an arranged marriage. She reveals the truth to the professionals, attempts to return to Raza, and is ultimately...

• Grant (played by Ralph Bellamy) — supporting

  American rancher who hires the four professionals to rescue his supposed kidnapped wife. At the US border, he attempts to execute the captured Raza but is thwarted by the professionals, who then aband...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Dolworth → Chiquita (Romantic Former Lovers) — A past romantic relationship complicated by their opposing positions.

  The professionals observe Chiquita among the bandit's followers, and the plot identifies her as someone who was once in a relationship with Dolworth.

• Grant → Maria (Family Arranged Spouse) — A coercive marriage arrangement presented publicly as a kidnapping.

  Maria reveals that Grant bought her in an arranged marriage and that she escaped from it at the earliest opportunity.

• Grant → Jake (Professional Employer) — Grant employs Jake for scouting and field support.

  Grant hires Jake as the traditional Apache scout among the four professionals sent into Mexico.

• Grant → Ehrengard (Professional Employer) — Grant employs Ehrengard for his specialized equestrian role.

  Grant hires Ehrengard, identified as the team's horse wrangler, for the mission into Mexico.

• Grant → Fardan (Professional Employer) — A contractual employer relationship that breaks down over the final execution order.

  Grant hires Fardan as a weapons specialist to rescue his supposed kidnapped wife and formally declares the contract completed at the border.

• Grant → Dolworth (Professional Employer) — Grant initially controls Dolworth through the rescue contract.

  Grant hires Dolworth as the explosives expert and later tells Fardan that the contract has been satisfactorily concluded.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Jake → Maria (Alliance Protector) — Jake supports Maria's escape from Grant's control.

  Jake is one of the professionals who protect Maria and the wounded captive when Grant orders an execution at the border.

• Ehrengard → Maria (Alliance Protector) — Ehrengard supports the team's final defense of Maria.

  Ehrengard is among the professionals who step in to protect Maria and the wounded captive at the border.

• Fardan → Maria (Alliance Protector) — Fardan's decisions repeatedly prevent Maria from being treated as Grant's property.

  Fardan spares the camp leader after seeing Maria with him and later joins the professionals in protecting Maria at the border.

• Dolworth → Maria (Narrative Protector) — Dolworth shifts from extracting Maria to protecting her freedom and survival.

  Dolworth blocks Maria's escape by collapsing the canyon, then stays behind so the other professionals can escape with her.

• Maria → Chiquita (Conflict Opposing Allegiances) — Their positions place Maria's escape and Chiquita's loyalty on opposite sides.

  Maria attempts to return to her true love, while Chiquita remains among the armed followers opposing the professionals' escape.

• Jake → Revolutionary (Conflict Pursued Opponents) — Jake is part of the team's resistance against the pursuing forces.

  Jake accompanies the professionals when the group takes refuge in the canyon lands while pursued by armed followers.

• Ehrengard → Revolutionary (Conflict Pursued Opponents) — Ehrengard and the team are threatened by the pursuing armed group.

  The professionals, including Ehrengard, are pursued by the bandit's men after the train is retaken.

• Dolworth → Revolutionary (Conflict Enemy Combatant) — Dolworth directly obstructs and fights the pursuing forces.

  Dolworth plants explosives to block the canyon as the armed followers close in and stays behind to cover the team's escape.

• Fardan → Revolutionary (Conflict Enemy Combatant) — Fardan opposes the revolutionary-bandit forces during the mission.

  Fardan infiltrates the camp to kill its leader while the professionals are pursued by the leader's armed followers.

Story Analysis

A hired rescue team discovers that its mission serves a coercive marriage and chooses personal freedom over contractual obedience.

Plot Progression

1. The Contracted Rescue — Grant hires four specialists to recover his supposed kidnapped wife. The team enters Mexico with distinct skills and a shared contractual objective.
2. Tracks Through Violence — The professionals witness a government train massacre and follow the captured train to its destination. Their pursuit brings them within sight of the armed camp.
3. The Kidnapping Deception — Fardan infiltrates the camp but discovers Maria's willing relationship with the camp leader. Maria later explains that Grant's account concealed an arranged marriage and her true allegiance.
4. Canyon Siege — Maria tries to ride back to her lover, while Dolworth seals the canyon with explosives. The professionals face the pursuing forces, and the camp leader is wounded and captured.
5. Freedom Across the Border — Grant attempts to enforce his claim by ordering the wounded captive's execution. The professionals reject the contract's original purpose and send Maria and her lover back to Mexico.