An aging Robin Hood is a trusted captain fighting for Richard the Lion-Heart in the Crusades. When he is ordered to take a castle that is rumored to hold a great treasure, he refuses since it is held by a single old man, sheltering harmless women and children. Richard is furious and orders Robin's execution, but before it can take place, the king is fatally wounded by an arrow from the old man. Richard then orders the massacre of the residents.
When Richard dies, Robin and Little John return to England and are reunited with old friends Will Scarlett and Friar Tuck in Sherwood Forest. When Robin casually inquires about Maid Marian, they tell him she has become a nun. When he goes to see her, she finds him as impossible as ever. He learns that his old nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham, has ordered her arrest. She goes willingly, but Robin objects and rescues her against her will.