The legend of Robin Hood has survived in ballads, books, poems, plays, and modern media. The story of Robin Hood has attracted great interest among a select group of historians. It is much debated whether he actually existed. Many historical texts of the time describe outlaws who closely match the description of Robin Hood. The legend of Robin Hood was originally based on a real person. Over the years, the legend of Robin Hood has undergone great changes. Through each generation, the story has acquired new characters, narratives, expanded themes, and some new historical contexts to suit audience interests. Over time, the legend collected many fragments of other stories. Furthermore, over time the character of Robin Hood has undergone many changes. Originally, Robin Hood was portrayed as a small landowner, then transformed into a mistreated nobleman, then into an Englishman protesting Norman domination, and finally, through modern adaptation, he became known as a social rebel who takes give to the rich and give to the poor. There is no way to guarantee that a certain historical figure was actually the basis for Robin Hood, however there are many possible candidates. To find a possible identity that fits the persona of Robin Hood, it is necessary to examine the earliest literary works that mention his name. For hundreds of years, historians have written about when Robin Hood lived. However, many of these dates conflict with each other. One of the earliest surviving ballads from a manuscript collection, written around 1450 and describing a man called "Robyn Hode", is conventionally known as Robin Hood and the Monk. This work also included a prayer against thieves and robbers, and... in the center of the sheet... we used the pseudonym Robin Hood in their crimes. For example, in 1498, a man named Roger Marshall led a 100-person riot and used the alias Robin Hood claiming that his actions were typical of the legendary figure. There's a good chance that a real man may have inspired these aliases. However, British historian Barrie Dobson argues that Robin Hood was perhaps just a nickname for criminals. In conclusion, it is impossible, as far as we know, to know for sure whether Robin Hood was a real person, based on a real person, or was simply legend. There is strong evidence that Robin Hood was based on a real person and there are many possible candidates for the real-life Robin Hood, but there is no firm evidence for any of them. The true identity of the legendary Robin Hood may one day be known if more evidence presents itself.