Some of the most notable differences come in the time periods Kevin and the time bandits visit and the famous historical figures they meet. Though the premise is the same, the Time Bandits series makes it a point to not copy the original movie in this way. This is another positive of the movie being made into a TV show, as Time Bandits season 1 has 10 episodes to give viewers brief history lessons with funny twists. With the potential Time Bandits season 2, even more historical periods and people could be explored.
Every Historical Figure In Time Bandits Season 1
Character
Episode #
Madame Chung
1
Ajax The Lesser, Odysseus & Diomedes
1
Xanthus & Ophelestes
Cassandra
1
Lady Sak K’uk’ & K’inich Janaab’ Pakal
2
Bumpy Johnson
4
Madame Queenie
4
Madame Chung
A Famous Chinese Pirate In The Early 1800s
In Time Bandits season 1, episode 1, Kevin and the time bandits end up in Macau in 1810 when the thieves accidentally go through a transtemporal portal located in Kevin’s room. To escape Supreme Being, they go back through the portal and unexpectedly find themselves on a Chinese pirate ship during a battle against the British Navy. It turns out that Kevin is a huge fan of their leader, whom he calls Madame Chung, having read about her in the fictional Pirates, Swashbucklers, and Filthy Scoundrels.
In real life, according to World History Encyclopedia, Madame Chung was named Zheng Yi Sao, also known as Ching Shih. She was born in 1775 in Guangdong, and in 1801, married Zheng Yi, a famous local pirate. Her husband initially fought in his cousin’s fleet, but when he was captured and executed, Zheng Yi took control of the family fleet and fled to China. In 1805, he united the local pirates into the Guangdong Pirate Confederation, which Zheng Yi Sao helped greatly with. When he fell overboard and died in 1807, she took over.
At the time she appeared in Time Bandits, she had the largest pirate fleet in history, with 70,000 pirates in her crew. When they met, Kevin advised her to hide up the Canton Rivers to defeat the English. This helped her win the battle, somewhat changing history. In 1810, Zheng Yi Sao officially surrendered to the Qing authorities, which allowed her to retain a substantial fleet and avoid prosecution. Madame Chung wanted Kevin to stay with her as a soothsayer in Time Bandits, but Penelope claimed him instead.
Ajax The Lesser, Odysseus & Diomedes
Greek Heroes & Key Figures In The Trojan War
Later in Time Bandits season 1, episode 1, the bandits took Kevin to Troy, as they wanted to steal the Trojan Horse. However, the time bandits have limited knowledge of history, underestimating its size and not knowing about the Greek soldiers inside. The story of the Trojan Horse was first told in the Odyssey by Homer, an epic Greek mythology poem written in the 8th century BC. While the time bandits couldn’t steal the Horse, Greek legend Ajax the Lesser allowed the bandits into the Trojan Horse and bragged about their brilliant plan.
As he was known for his arrogance, Ajax the Lesser was portrayed as an overconfident fool in Time Bandits. The hero of the Odyssey was Odysseus, a king of Ithaca known for his courage and wisdom, who was credited with creating the Trojan Horse plan. When things went awry in Time Bandits season 1, episode 1, Odysseus took the blame, even though it was Ajax the Lesser’s fault. He even apologized to another Greek hero inside, Diomedes. It was a brief scene, but it featured multiple Greek legends.
Xanthus & Ophelestes
Trojan Soldiers Who Were Killed In The Trojan War
Kevin and the time bandits boarded the Trojan Horse because it was the only way they could sneak into Troy undetected and reach the portal inside. Unfortunately, their plan backfired when two Trojan soldiers came to accept the supposed gift from the Greeks and found it “suspicious.” The soldiers were Xanthus and Ophelestes, who were both killed by the Greeks during the Trojan War, according to Homer’s Iliad. Xanthus was killed by Diomedes, and Ophelestes was killed by an arrow from Teûktros, a leader of the Salaminian troops.
Their appearance in Time Bandits season 1, episode 1 is also brief and purely comedic. They admired the horse, but immediately realized it was too good to be true and set fire to it. Ajax the Lesser, Diomedes, Odysseus, the other Greek soldiers, Kevin, and the time bandits were only saved when one of their superiors stopped them from burning such a beautiful gift. Xanthus and Ophelestes are minor figures in Greek mythology, but they were a funny inclusion in Time Bandits.
Cassandra
A Trojan Prophetess
The most impactful historical figure during the bandits and Kevin’s visit to Troy in Time Bandits season 1, episode 1 was Cassandra, another Greek mythological character in Homer’s Iliad. She wasn’t born a prophetess, but the god Apollo promised her the power of prophecy if she complied with his desires. When she accepted the power but refused to do the favors, Apollo cursed her, making it so that her prophecies, while accurate, would never be believed.
In Time Bandits season 1, episode 1, as in Greek mythology, she predicted the fall of Troy, but nobody believed her. This was another comedic bit, particularly when she predicted a guard would fall off a wall, and he didn’t take her seriously. This proved to Kevin that she wasn’t just a myth but a real prophetess, and it also potentially led to the guard’s death. Together, they bonded over not being believed, as the time bandits often dismissed Kevin and his knowledge.
Cassandra comforted Kevin, as he confessed he’d spent his entire life wishing he could go back in time, but now that he has, he wasn’t sure if he belonged. Though Kevin doubted it, Cassandra told him that he was important, as she saw his future. Based on what she saw, Cassandra also advised Kevin to “stick with [the] stupid thieves because [he was] going to save the universe.” Inadvertently, she also gave Kevin advice about a time portal he jumped through in Time Bandits season 1, episode 2, as she told him he’d jump off a cliff and survive.
Lady Sak K’uk’ & K’inich Janaab’ Pakal
A 6th Century Maya Queen & Future King
There are only two major historical figures in Time Bandits season 1, episode 2, “Mayans,” as Kevin and the bandits spent almost the entire episode in a Maya city. The city was ruled by a queen known as Lady Sak K’uk’. Her birthdate is unknown, but she was the second recorded female ruler of the city of Palenque. To legitimize her rule, she declared herself a creation goddess, though that wasn’t included in the Time Bandits episode.
In Time Bandits season 1, episode 2, Lady Sak K’uk’ was portrayed as a generous, welcoming queen, although Kevin was skeptical of her throughout. He had read the Maya took part in human sacrifice, and they were going to be their next victims and wanted to find a way out while the other bandits enjoyed their hospitality and looked for things to steal. Kevin’s information, which he got from Wikipedia, was proven wrong, and Lady Sak K’uk’ warned him against listening to invaders’ accounts of history.
This was an important moment, as it was one of the first times Kevin realized he didn’t know everything in Time Bandits. Kevin isn’t wrong often, as that role is usually reserved for the bandits, but it’s a reminder that he’s just an 11-year-old boy who loves history, not a historian. Time Bandits season 1, episode 2 also featured the son of Lady Sak K’uk’, K’inich Janaab’ Pakal. As noted by History of Royal Women, he would become known as one of the greatest Mayan kings when she abdicated three years into her reign to allow him to rule.
Bumpy Johnson
Famous Harlem Crime Boss
Time Bandits season 1, episode 4 saw Kevin and the time bandits travel to 1929 New York City during the Harlem Renaissance. The group spent Time Bandits season 1, episode 3 in medieval times and didn’t encounter any famous historical figures. Yet, they mistakenly found themselves in business with Bumpy Johnson in episode 4. In Time Bandits, Bumpy Johnson ran a gang that illegally bought and sold alcohol during Prohibition, with scenes hinting at him being more dangerous than he appeared.
Bumpy Johnson was a famous Harlem crime boss who, according to biography.com, murdered over 40 people as Stephanie St. Clair’s bodyguard and chief enforcer. St. Clair eventually handed her crime operation over to Bumpy, whose real name was Ellsworth. Johnson’s history with Stephanie St. Clair, also known as Madame Queenie, wasn’t shown in Time Bandits, though both their characters were featured in season 1, episode 4.
While Bumpy was feared, he was also loved and respected and referred to as “Robin Hood” for his good deeds, which included giving free meals and gifts to the people of Harlem. In 1951, he was given a 15-year prison sentence for conspiring to sell heroin in New York. He served most of his time at Alcatraz Prison in California and was released in 1963. Bumpy Johnson died five years later of a heart attack at 62.
Leader Of The 40 Thieves
In Time Bandits season 1, episode 4, Bumpy Johnson confused Penelope for Madame Queenie, the most famous crime boss in Harlem. His character both revered and feared her, though in real life, their characters worked together. As in the show, Madame Queenie was the leader of the local Harlem gang, the 40 Thieves. However, they didn’t deal with alcohol. Stephanie St. Clair was also known as Queen of the Policy Rackets, having developed a numbers racket.
St. Clair’s chief rival was Schutlz, who, along with Charlie “Lucky” Luciano’s Mafia, convinced her to turn her organization over. According to The Mob Museum, she turned to civil rights advocacy and was known as a fashion icon. In Time Bandits, Madame Queenie was portrayed as a ruthless crime boss with a soft spot for helping others. Madame Queenie died a year after Bumpy Johnson, who had been living with her, at 72.
