Nasir

Real Name: Nasir Malik Kemal Inal Ibrahim Shams ad-Dualla Wattab ibn Mahmud

Identity/Class: Normal human

Occupation: Outlaw; former Hashashin

Affiliations: Robin Hood's band, former member of the Hashashins; former agent of Simon deBelleme

Enemies: Sarak, Gulnar, Sheriff of Nottingham, Guy of Guisborne, Simon deBelleme

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Sherwood Forest

First Appearance: "Robin Hood and the Sorcerer" part 1, Robin of Sherwood (HTV and Goldcrest for ITV, 28th April 1984)

Powers/Abilities: Nasir was a master of killing, his particular speciality being the use of double scimitars.

History: Nasir was a member of the order of Hashashins operating in Palestine around the time of the Third Crusade (1187-1192), but after clashing with fellow Hashashin Sarak, he quit the order, becoming a fugitive. At some point he was captured by Crusader and secret devil worshipper Simon deBelleme, who bewitched Nasir's mind, forcing him to serve deBelleme; Nasir accompanied his new master to England. When deBelleme's kidnapping of Marion of Leaford brought the sorcerer into conflict with outlaw Robin of Loxley, Nasir fought Robin, but after Robin slew deBelleme a grateful Nasir joined Robin's outlaw followers. He was one of the more taciturn members of the group, in part because of his nature, but also because, initially at least, he apparently spoke very little English; he became more talkative once he learned the language, but was never exactly verbose. A year or so later Nasir's past caught up with him when he ran into a vengeful Sarak, who now served Philip Mark, a.k.a. the Butcher of Lincoln, a brutal and sadistic Norman lord appointed as the new Sheriff of Nottingham by King John in the hopes of ending the outlaw problems in the region. Ultimately Nasir slew Sarak in a duel to the death.

Comments: Created by Richard Carpenter, played by Mark Ryan. Nasir was originally introduced with the intention of killing him off at the end of the pilot episode of Robin of Sherwood, but Ryan proved such a hit on set that they kept the character on, shifting him from being a servant of the villain Simon deBelleme to being one of the Merry Men. Watching the episodes in hindsight with this in mind, it's clear he wasn't meant to be there, as for the entire first season he has barely any lines of dialogue; none had been written for him! Luckily, as a Saracen, he could get away with no speaking at first, since the character presumably took a while to pick up English.

Strictly speaking Nasir shouldn't be in the historical section, as he was introduced to the Robin Hood legend in the 1980's for a TV show. But since the rest of the Merry Men are in the Mythical and Historical section, and since his presence has come to permeate other versions of the story (witness similar characters, such as Morgan Freeman's Azeem, in later versions), I've decided to include him.

CLARIFICATIONS:

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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