“And as the world comes to an end
I'll be here to hold your hand
Cause you're my king and I'm your lionheart”
- King and Lionheart, Of Monsters and Men
RAY: “It’s out of your jurisdiction. There’s too many moving parts, parts that we can’t control.”
MICKEY: “That may be true, but you’re still doing it.”
RAY: “I accept that… But can’t you send Fraser instead?”
MICKEY: “No, I can’t send Fraser, you’re my best man. I want you.”
- The Gentlemen, dir. Guy Ritchie
I have not been able to find out where the term King and Lionheart originated or by whom it was popularized but to the best of my knowledge it gained traction in the last couple of years. King and Lionheart refers to a very specific character dynamic, namely, a hero tasked with great power and responsibility and a loyally devoted friend, who is their rock and protector. This relationship can, but definitely does not have to, be romantic. The classic example, of course, would be the trope’s implied namesakes, a king and their trusted knight, it can, however, also be understood metaphorically as any variation of leader of the group and second-in-command. It is important that the lionheart-character is faithful and devoted to the king-character and the king in return trusts the lionheart like no other.
Now, this dynamic is, of course, beautiful and I enjoy seeing it immensely. What interests me even more, however, is its villainous counterpart, which I will be calling Crime Lord and Right-Hand Man (I know it’s not quite as catchy, if someone has a better idea, let me know).
In its broad strokes it is equivalent to King and Lionheart. The crime lord is a leader tasked with great power, the right-hand man their loyal and devoted protector. The crime lord is maybe a gang leader, a tyrant, the head of a criminal enterprise or other, the right-hand man is maybe an assassin, maybe a second-in-command, maybe a mercenary, but whatever they are, they are, for whatever reason, fiercely loyal to their crime lord. The differences are where it gets interesting.
Where the dynamic differs strongly is at the level of equality and reciprocity that can be achieved in such a relationship. While technically kings do have some power over the lionheart, it is mostly rendered a moot point since the lionheart follows and protects the king voluntarily and the king’s respect puts them on their level. And even though I’d argue that the right-hand man’s agency in choosing - and choosing to stay with - their crime lord is crucially important (more on that later) and the trust and respect their crime lord has for them is vital, there is a certain power imbalance inherent in their dynamic. Because the implication is always that the crime lord would sacrifice their right-hand man if it came down to it, up until killing them themself if they had to. Furthermore, the crime lord is unquestionably in charge and gives out orders. The right-hand man might provide input or advice but ultimately the decision lies with the crime lord and only with them and the right-hand man is expected to shut up and comply.
Of course, the right-hand man gets something out of that dynamic as well, and it’s not only money and second-hand power. No, a right-hand man is exactly where they want to be, one step behind and to the side of their crime lord. They either don’t have the taste for the duties necessary to sustain the criminal enterprise themself, are more chaotically inclined or obsessed with the crime lord. Their fierce devotion is necessary for this dynamic to function because loyalties in the world of the crime lord are usually tenuous at best. This devotion often reaches excessive heights - willing to torture, maim, murder, die - and puts the right-hand man in a special position no one else can occupy.
Due to their unique position the right-hand man is also potentially a unique liability for the crime lord, because no one knows their business, no one knows them, better than the right-hand man and a crime lord typically has a host of enemies who would just love to use the knowledge of the right-hand man against them. This is where the right-hand man’s agency comes in. It is absolutely necessary that they want to follow, support, and protect their crime lord, that their devotion is based on choice not on fear or practicality. They would never betray their crime lord not because they fear possible repercussions but because they don’t want to, no promise of money or power could sway them.
And that’s what fascinates me.
 |
| Birds of Prey |
Examples of this include:
- Cesare Borgia and Micheletto (Showtime Borgia, the fictionalized characters specifically and not the real people that existed)
- Black Mask and Victor Zsasz (Birds of Prey, again, specifically their portrayal there)
- Mickey Pearson and Raymond Smith (The Gentlemen)
- Wilson Fisk and James Wesley (Daredevil Netflix show)
If you have more examples, please send them to me.
Satori over and out
P.S. I feel the need to clarify that I’m using “relationship” in this post in its most general sense meaning the connection between two or more people.
P.P.S. Take this meme from tumblr that fits:
