Robin Hood, a fox, is a roguish bandit and an honorable thief.  He has taken to a secret lair in Sherwood Forest, along with his best friend Little John, in an effort to combat the corruption of Prince John and his henchmen (including the Sheriff of Nottingham), and their abuses of the common folk of Nottingham.  Robin and Little John actively engage in banditry and deception to rob from the rich (including and most especially Prince John himself) in order to support and defend the poor.  No matter how horribly Prince John taxes the poor, Robin Hood is there to give something back and to stand up for them.  The Nottingham citizens love him for it, and view him as a courageous and stalwart hero.

Robin Hood has a carefree, mischievous and even somewhat boyish personality, and is always eager to engage in daring exploits against the Sheriff and his men, and Prince John's soldiers.  He is also a master of disguise and role-play.  He is, however, honorable and heroic, and is very sympathetic to the Nottingham citizens, whom he deeply cares for and protects.  He is an expert marksman with a bow, and adept with a sword.

Robin longs for the day when King Richard will return from the Crusades and restore himself to the throne, and depose the usuper Prince John.  He is also profoundly in love with Maid Marian, King Richard's niece.  They were friends in their childhood, and had a rather innocent and playful romance going then.  But Robin lost contact with her when she left for London, to be schooled in the noble and genteel arts of being a lady.  But he never forgot her, and longed to marry her (which, of course, he finally was able to do by the end of the movie).

Robin's signature outfit is a dark green tunic and a feathered yellow cap.

Origins of the character: The character of Robin Hood has emerged from centuries of literary and film tradition, which is not in any way unified.  According to The Robin Hood Project, by the Robbins Library of the University of Rochester (New York):

"Speak the name Robin Hood and immediately an audience will conjure images of the green-clad archer of Sherwood Forest, or the noble robber who steals from the rich to give to the poor, or the humble leader of the Merry Men, or the one man who will stand up to injustice and tyranny in the Middle Ages. These images of Robin Hood are common, even universal, yet they are not the result of a single, unified tradition—rather, they are the product of a metatextual tradition, one which surpasses and overrides every individual representation of the character. The character of Robin Hood is thus remarkably elusive, despite—or perhaps due to—centuries of intense cultural investment in the legend's stability."