Character Analysis
Miles
Miles is Rannulf's original squire. He's usually seen busy with his work alongside Wenstan, singing songs about women. Sadly, though, he is lost overboard when their ship, the Saint Agnes, gets caught in a bad storm. Miles, we hardly knew ye.
Sebastiano Nero
Sebastiano is the ship's blustery, Italian captain, "a short, heavyset, man with a bronze laugh" (14.9). He provides energy to the crew and likes a good chuckle, two things that are pretty important when everyone is preparing for war and half the crew is seasick.
Father Urbino
Edmund likes Father Urbino because unlike other priests who are sent on the mission, he's approachable: "Such traveling priests were often scholars and the sons of gentlemen, and so I appreciated the kind smile Father Urbino gave me" (18.6). He joins the crew in Venice and is a happy addition to the group.
Father Urbino's job is to take care of spiritual matters on board, like leading them in prayer and blessing the dead. He's also helpful for morale, reminding them of why they're fighting in the first place.
Guy de Renne
Guy de Renne is the fancy French steward of their camp in Acre. He's described as having "an amazingly upright posture, all the more remarkable in a man who appeared so quickly in one place and then another" (22.37). As the French are typically described (especially when among the English), he has lots of flair and sass. He's kind of a novelty to everyone, and "Hubert was sure Guy never slept or passed water" (22.43). Sure…
King Richard the Lionheart
King Richard is kind of portrayed as a wildcard in this book. He's a legendary historical figure whose big ambition was to lead the Crusades rather than stay at home and rule. He was known for his piety but also for his aggressive battle techniques—like when he slaughters the thousands of prisoners from Acre.
The king is described as both a pious man and a sinner. When he first arrives on the shores of the Holy Land, he is "a broad-shouldered, yellow-haired man, with a thick, muscular neck, and a face set in pious thanksgiving, or weariness, or some inner brooding" (26.46). Basically, everything you'd expect from a king whom you both fear and love.
Rannulf, however, gives a different account of him: "King Richard is a great sinner" (31.19), he says. He questions King Richard's brazen military tactics and implies that he's far from perfect. Yeah, King Richard has his kingly aura, but he makes mistakes just like anybody else. Maybe don't tell him we said that, though.
Saladin
Saladin's only referenced in the story, but it's helpful to give a little explanation of who this bad guy is—it's nice to put a face to a name.
He's the Sultan leader of the Muslim army that's trying to take the Holy Land. Historically, he was kind of seen as Richard the Lionheart's rival. In the story, we pretty much just hear about his battle strategies against the Crusader army, and hear him referenced as part of the resistance.
Otto
We don't really get to know Otto, but we hear from Edmund that he's a big-hearted, lovable cheat. He's naught but a simple coiner for the king, but that doesn't stop him from loving the finer things in life: "My master loved a touch of luxury, and he wore a coney-skin ruff at his church-day collar" (1.10). Well ooh la la.
He's also important to the story because he's Edmund's father-figure: "I felt a dash of pride at the spirit of the man who had become, in a sense, my father" (1.18). Because of this, Edmund really has to wrestle with his principles when it comes to Otto. He knows that Otto's wrong to take money from the king, but he can't help but feel compassion for him anyway:
For all the qualities of my master Otto—his welcoming smile, his gentle laugh, and his store of Frankish phrases—he had one sure defect. He had cheated the king. (2.29)
Depending on how you feel about cheating the king, that's a lot of good qualities compared to only one bad.
Maud
Poor Maud is left to fend for herself after Otto, her husband, is killed for being dishonest to the king. Where Otto is Edmund's father-figure, Maud's as close to a mother as Edmund has. He says that "while always quick with her opinions, she viewed the world through the impatient cheerfulness of her own spirit" (9.4). In other words, she's a nice and happy lady. When Edmund rides through town on the way to the Crusades, she is there to see him off with a hug.
Elvira
Elvira is the merchant's daughter, but more importantly, she is Edmund's lady fair. We see her for about 3.5 seconds while Edmund is riding through the streets of town before leaving on the Crusade. She is (at least in Edmund's mind) the epitome of grace and beauty. When he sees her as he's leaving he notes that "even in waving farewell, Elvira was graceful, one hand to her throat to keep the shawl in place against the chill" (9.8). Be still our beating hearts.