Henry of Skalitz, the central figure in Kingdom Come: Deliverance, stands apart from most protagonists in medieval RPGs. He is not a noble-born knight or chosen saviour, but the illiterate son of a blacksmith, thrust into a brutal world following the sack of his hometown. His story is one of survival, identity, and the slow and often painful growth into responsibility.
A Commoner in a Noble’s World
Henry begins life in Skalitz, a small mining town in Bohemia, during the early 15th century. The game’s opening is rooted in historical events, particularly the conflict surrounding King Wenceslas IV and the invasion by Sigismund of Hungary. Henry’s father is a respected smith, and their life is modest but steady.
That peace ends when Sigismund’s forces, led by the fearsome Cumans, raze Skalitz to the ground. Henry loses everything in a single day. His family is murdered. His home is destroyed. What follows is not the rise of a mythic hero, but the halting, bloodied path of a young man learning to navigate a kingdom torn by civil war.
Reluctant Transformation
Henry is not a swordsman. He can barely read. His early efforts are clumsy, marked by mistakes and moments of fear. But this realism is part of what makes his journey compelling. Training is slow. Skills improve with repetition, not divine intervention. His advancement through the ranks of society happens not through fate, but perseverance, hard choices, and earned alliances.
Working as a squire, spy, and eventually a knight’s confidant, Henry proves himself through loyalty, grit, and a quiet determination to find justice for his family. Along the way, he is forced to confront questions of morality, politics, and his own sense of identity. His origins as a blacksmith’s son are never far behind him, even as he is drawn deeper into court intrigue and war.
Real History, Real Stakes
The setting of Kingdom Come: Deliverance is rooted in the real-world chaos of Bohemia in 1403. Henry interacts with historical figures such as Sir Radzig Kobyla, Divish of Talmberg, and the leaders of opposing factions vying for control of the region. Unlike fantasy RPGs, there is no magic here. Battles are brutal and grounded. Armour must be maintained. Hunger and fatigue matter.
The game’s designers intentionally made Henry feel like a real person, someone who grows into competence rather than being born into it. This makes his return in the upcoming sequel even more intriguing.
What Lies Ahead in the Sequel
In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 he is more experienced and possibly more hardened. His relationship with Sir Hans Capon, hinted at as a continuing thread, suggests further political entanglements and perhaps a more active role in shaping Bohemia’s future.
However, much of Henry’s core appeal lies in his grounding. He is not infallible. He makes enemies. He can be petty, reckless, or compassionate, depending on player choices. The sequel is expected to expand his world, but how much Henry himself has changed remains a central question.
The Quiet Strength of Henry’s Story
Henry of Skalitz is, at heart, a man shaped by loss. His heroism is reluctant, even accidental at times. Yet it is precisely this vulnerability that makes him resonate. He is not conquering the world. He is surviving it, learning to navigate its cruelty while trying to retain some measure of honour and dignity.
As players step back into his boots, they are not continuing the journey of a conqueror. They are following a man who never asked for this fight but found purpose within it. That thread of reluctant strength may well define his legacy more than any blade or title.
