Character Relationship Map: Medieval

Characters

• Jan Žižka (played by Ben Foster) — protagonist

  Jan Žižka is a skilled knight and mercenary who leads a group of former nobles, soldiers, and criminals. He kidnaps Kateřina for a political mission, then protects her from rival forces while fighting...

• Torak (played by Roland Møller) — supporting

  Torak is Jan Žižka's former mentor and a commander of the Cuman forces serving král Zikmund. He attacks Trocnov, burns Jan Žižka's home, captures Jaroslav, and repeatedly hunts the mercenary group. To...

• Lars (played by Magnus Samuelsson) — supporting

  Lars is a Norse berserker serving in Jan Žižka's mercenary group. He travels with the group during the kidnapping and escape involving Kateřina, and later takes part in the effort to reach the castle....

• Mick (played by Christopher Rygh) — minor
• Barbara (played by Jennifer Armour) — minor
• Cyril (played by Guy Roberts) — minor
• Giovanni (played by David Bowles) — minor
• Freddy (played by Alistair Brammer) — minor

  Freddy is an archer serving in Jan Žižka's mercenary group and takes part in the group's escapes and battles. His most significant individual action occurs after Conrad betrays the group: Freddy ident...

• Conrad (played by Vinzenz Kiefer) — minor

  Conrad is a greedy soldier in Jan Žižka's mercenary group who participates in the campaign surrounding Kateřina. He eventually betrays the group by making a deal with Torak and appears with the opposi...

• Rožmberk (played by Til Schweiger) — supporting

  Rožmberk is the most powerful nobleman in the country and the force effectively ruling it while Václav IV struggles as king. He secretly hires attackers against Lord Boreš, refuses to support the poli...

• Jaroslav (played by William Moseley) — supporting

  Jaroslav is Jan Žižka's brother and a covert supporter of the rebels, using money from Jan's mercenary work to aid them. Torak's forces capture him after destroying Trocnov and use him in an exchange...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Jaroslav → Jan Žižka (sibling)
• Jan Žižka → Conrad (Professional Commander And Soldier) — Conrad serves under Jan before abandoning the company.

  Conrad is described as a soldier in Jan's mercenary outfit and acts within the company before making a separate deal.

• Jan Žižka → Mick (Professional Recruiter And Recruit) — Jan converts Mick from an enemy survivor into a member of his company.

  After saving Lord Boresh from brigands, Jan recruits Mick, the only surviving brigand, into his group.

• Jan Žižka → Freddy (Professional Commander And Archer) — Freddy serves Jan as a ranged fighter and remains loyal during the internal crisis.

  Freddy is identified as an archer in Jan's mercenary outfit and later kills Conrad after Conrad's betrayal.

• Jan Žižka → Lars (Professional Commander And Berserker) — Lars is one of Jan's specialized combat followers.

  Lars is identified as a Norse berserker in Jan's mercenary outfit and participates in the group's operations.

• Jan Žižka → Cyril (Professional Commander And Spearman) — Cyril serves Jan directly and sacrifices himself during the retreat.

  Cyril is listed as a spearman in Jan's outfit and covers Jan's escape before dying from wounds.

• Jan Žižka → Giovanni (Professional Commander And Veteran) — Giovanni is Jan's senior veteran and a dependable battlefield subordinate.

  Giovanni is described as the most senior member of Jan's mercenary group and fights under Jan during the rescue operations.

Story Dynamics

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

• Jaroslav → Rožmberk (related)
• Lars → Freddy (Alliance Company Comrades) — They belong to the same military team.

  Lars and Freddy are both explicitly listed among the members of Jan's mercenary outfit.

• Giovanni → Cyril (Social Company Comrades) — They share membership in Jan's close-knit fighting company.

  Both Giovanni and Cyril are named members of Jan's mercenary outfit and fight during the same rescue campaign.

• Conrad → Freddy (Conflict Betrayer And Executioner) — Their relationship culminates in Freddy's lethal response to Conrad's treachery.

  Conrad betrays Jan's outfit, and Freddy shoots Conrad after discovering the betrayal at the village massacre.

• Torak → Giovanni (Conflict Battlefield Opponent) — Torak's campaign contributes directly to Giovanni's death.

  Torak's forces pursue and ambush Jan's group; Giovanni is mortally wounded during the fighting and dies.

• Torak → Jaroslav (Conflict Hostage Taker) — Jaroslav becomes a hostage in Torak's campaign against Jan.

  Torak's forces kidnap Jaroslav and intend to exchange him for Katherine.

• Jan Žižka → Barbara (Alliance Rebel Ally) — Barbara becomes a crucial link between Jan's company and the rebels.

  Barbara survives the attack on Trocnov, warns Jan, and later accompanies Jan and his outfit to the rebel camp.

• Jan Žižka → Torak (Conflict Arch Enemy) — Their conflict develops from a personal mentor relationship into the film's central rivalry.

  Torak leads the forces pursuing Jan, destroys his home village, captures Jaroslav, and repeatedly confronts Jan before dying in the final struggle.

Story Analysis

A wounded mercenary transforms personal loss, political violence, and loyalty to the oppressed into a wider struggle for freedom.

Plot Progression

1. A Kingdom in Debt — Jan Žižka is introduced as a mercenary leader operating in a politically weakened Bohemia. After rescuing a nobleman, he recruits Mick and receives a mission connected to royal power.
2. The Hostage Pursuit — Jan's company abducts a politically valuable hostage and transports her away from Prague. The operation provokes pursuit by royal forces, Torak's Cumans, and a personal guard.
3. Ashes of Trocnov — Torak attacks Jan's home village, tortures his nephew, and takes Jaroslav hostage. Barbara brings Jan to the rebels, where the company helps prepare them for war.
4. A Company Under Siege — Jan defeats a mountain ambush but loses Giovanni and Cyril while escaping further attacks. Wounded and isolated, he continues fighting to protect the hostage and confronts betrayal within his own comp...
5. The River Sacrifice — After learning that the hunting castle has been seized, Jan rallies peasants for a final rescue attempt. Torak dies in the river, but the hostage also dies, leaving Jan with her ring and a future army...