Outlaw

First and foremost he is known as an outlaw:

Free spirit of the forest - his place of refuge from the law was always Sherwood Forest. He is sometimes seen as a real person behind the Green Man, the spirit of life in the woodland.

Robber - Robin was definitely an enemy of the law and the church.

Rebel

 Robin was a thorn in the side of the establishment.

Champion

 Robin was, and still is, on the side of the poor and oppressed.

Great archer - Since the beginning of the tales, Robin's been known as the greatest archer ever. Although he could sometimes be beaten when fighting with a sword or a staff, he was always the best with a longbow.

Yeoman

 Yeomen were not the farmers of the land we think of today, but a specific position in a very rigid social structure. Ranked just below that of knight, they could rarely expect to rise to the level of knight and become part of the great tradition of chivalry.

This must have led to some resentment against those above them. This explains a lot about Robin’s character which has shaped our modern legend, a man of rebellion against the establishment, especially the church with all their wealth and power. Incidentally, a yeoman did not fight with the sword - a knight's privilege - the longbow became their weapon of choice.

From the beginning Robin had the makings of a great hero, not a superhero, he is flesh and blood. He needs his band of friends to help him in his fight against his enemies.

The excerpts on this page are from The Little Gest of Robin Hood.