Baron Alwin, whose name also appears as Alwyn or Alwine, is the primary antagonist of the series and holds the position of Baron of Nottingham. He is a ruthless, greedy, and cunning nobleman who serves as the story’s driving force of conflict. His oppressive rule and cruel actions directly force the protagonist, Robin, into a life of banditry. The Baron is directly responsible for the inciting incident of the plot, as he orders the assassination of Robin’s parents and the complete destruction of the Huntington family castle, leaving Robin and his cousins homeless and forced to flee into Sherwood Forest. His character design and personality are heavily based on the traditional figure of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

The Baron’s primary motivation is a combination of personal greed and a desire for absolute power. He ruthlessly taxes the common people of Nottingham, keeping them in poverty and forcing them into labor for his own benefit. Beyond exploiting the poor, he seeks to expand his influence through any means necessary. One of his major schemes involves his accomplice, the greedy Bishop Hartford. Together, they attempt to have Marian Lancaster adopted by the Bishop in order to seize the Lancaster family’s wealth. The Baron is also intensely interested in a golden cross-shaped pendant that Marian wears, believing it holds a secret or a map to a great treasure, which further motivates his pursuit of her. His determination to eliminate Robin and his band of outlaws is a constant driver of the plot, and he will go to great lengths, such as hiring mercenaries like Guy of Gisborne, to achieve this goal.

Throughout the story, Baron Alwin is portrayed as ingenious and crafty, showing a particular passion for creating fantastic siege engines and deadly war machines to use against his enemies. He takes advantage of the weak and defenseless to fill his coffers, and on several occasions leads attacks personally, such as when he tries to force a family named Dickson to sell him their land. In his role as the arch-villain, he commands a force of soldiers and maintains a working relationship with powerful but unscrupulous allies. A key relationship is with Bishop Hartford, who serves as his accomplice in the plot against Marian. He also frequently employs the services of dangerous knights and mercenaries, most notably the skilled and ruthless knight Gilbert, who serves the Baron for a significant portion of the series.

Baron Alwin is not a static villain and undergoes a notable, if temporary, character development. In the second half of the series, after a near-death experience and suffering constant defeats at Robin’s hands, he begins to show signs of a change for the better, hinting at a potential redemption. However, this change is short-lived. When presented with a new opportunity to take over the entire kingdom, his inherent greed and ambition resurface, and he reverts to his original, inconsiderate, and power-hungry self. His final, grand plan to usurp the throne is ultimately thwarted by Robin Hood and the returned King Richard the Lionheart.