Azeem

"English! English! Behold, Azeem Edin Bashir Al Bakir. I am not one of you, but I fight! I fight with Robin Hood. I fight against a tyrant who holds you under his boot! If you would be free men, then you must fight! Join us now, join Robin Hood!"

- Azeem, rallying the English to fight Nottingham.

Azeem Edin Bashir Al Bakir, beter known as Azeem, was a secondary protagonist from the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

After Robin of Loxely was captured near Jerusalem, he was held in a Moorish prison in the city. There he met Azeem, who was being held there for having an affair with a woman, and soon to be executed. When Robin was able to overpower the guards and he was able to break himself and his friend Peter Dubois free from their chains. Azeem realized there was no way Robin could free all the prisoners and asked Robin to free him, telling the young Englishman that if they did not free him the guards would come and kill all three of them. Robin cut Azeem free.

At that moment Azeem swore an oath to save Robin's life in return for Robin saving his life. He proceeded to guide Robin and Peter out of the prison and into the streets of Jerusalem. Peter was mortally wounded by an arrow fired by a Moorish guard, and sacrificed himself - distracting the guards so that Robin and Azeem could escape.

Some months later Robin came back to England. Azeem remained with him as his bodyguard and became his friend and trusted advisor. When they came to the Loxely manor they saw the place in ruins, with the decaying corpse of Robin's father trapped inside a gibbet. Giving his father a proper burial Robin swore to avenge his father's murder. Now outlaws themselves Robin and Azeem left for the Dubois castle with the Loxely family servant Duncan to deliver a ring Peter asked Robin to give Maid Marian. After delivering the ring they were forced by the Sheriff of Nottingham's men to flee into Sherwood Forest.

Encountering John Little, Will Scarlet, and a bunch of other common men in the forest Robin and Azeem helped train them to effectively resist the sheriff, and take back what the sheriff had taken from them in taxes. Azeem was able to put his skills to good use, making things like telescopes and gunpowder to give Robin's forces an advantage. Azeem became friends with a number of the people in the camp. When asked by a child if God painted him, he responded that Allah loved variety. Despite their religious differences Azeem became good friends with Friar Tuck.

After a Celt attack that resulted in a number of Robin's men being taken prisoner, Azeem helped Robin, Little John, Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck, and Fanny keep the prisoners from being hanged. When the English people started to flee Azeem rallied them to join Robin Hood in fighting the tyrant Sheriff of Nottingham.

Mortianna for her part greatly feared Azeem. Given a vision of the death of both her and the Sheriff she realized that Azeem, whom she called the Painted Man, was the man who would cause her death. She would later be proven correct that it was Azeem who would end her life. When she moved to attack Robin Azeem finally busted down the door to the chamber where Robin and Marian were located, and threw his scimitar which impaled the witch and threw her against a wall.

Following the defeat of the Sheriff, Marian and Robin were married in a ceremony at Sherwood Forest. Azeem was in attendance to witness the wedding.

Trivia

 * The role of Azeem was played by Morgan Freeman.


 * Azeem seems to have been based on the character of Nasir.