Not only was robin an outlaw but he was a leader of professionally trained fighters, the Merry Men. They were a selection of people who accompanied robin. Some say they were a small outlaw group while others believe there could’ve been around 150 merry men.  Many of Robin’s men are never named though a few are mentioned several times. These people include Little John, Will Scarlett and Friar Tuck.

Little John: Little John was Robin’s best friend from the very beginning. Although his name is “little”, John was quite the opposite, known to be 7 feet tall. Little John wasn’t necessarily his real name, it could’ve been John Naylor or Le Nailer. John was believed to come from Hathersage in Derbyshire, a shire very close to Nottingham. Little John and Robin had many things in common but at the same time managed to be each other’s complete opposite. Little John was patient and calm; while Robin’s bad temper got him into fights and all sorts of trouble. John would always be there to help Robin with his skill in archery. They weren’t always that close however. It is told that Robin and John first met at a narrow stream of water. Crossing the bridge at the same time, Robin and John argued about who was going to cross the river first. They both agreed to fight. After a long battle John pushed Robin into the water below and Robin asked him to join his Merry Men. Little John was commonly known to be a “loyal friend” to Robin. His grave located in a churchyard in Hathersage. 

Will Scarlett: “Will Scarlett’s” real name could’ve been written as Scadlock, Scalok or Scarlock. Today we often identify Will by the colour red as he was the only outlaw from the Merry Men who didn’t wear green. He was also known as the man who carried a red rose and being musical. It was believed that Will was Robin’s “cousin” but in fact he was Robin’s nephew. Robin and Scarlett naturally found themselves in an argument which led to a sword fight that Will managed to win. Robin asked when Will was from and he responded with "In Maxfield was I bred”. This was how Scarlett joined the merry men. It was believed that he was killed by the Sheriff of Nottingham’s men.

Friar Tuck: Friar Tuck was overweight and known for his love of food. He was a very happy man who loved drink and was at times hilariously foolish. But don’t underestimate him as he was extremely dangerous when it came to battle. His real name was Michael Tuck.  Robin and Tuck met at a river. Robin jumped on Friar’s back and ordered him to carry him across the river. Half way across Tuck dumped him into the water. They had started a battle when Tuck blew his horn calling his “friends” in from the bushes to help him. This is how the rest of the Merry Men were formed.