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El Zorro is a well-known character and is instantaneously recognizable. He was a fighter for justice and protects the weak against the strong, a Robin Hood figure. This character has become something of a cultural figure, especially in California. Moreover, the character has been very influential in the development of the ‘super-hero’ genre. It is generally accepted that the Californian outlaw inspired the creation of Batman. The character also inspired many other well-known figures in ‘pulp fiction’ works, cartoons, and comics. Like many popular fictional heroes, the figure of Zorro was based on a real-life or historical figure. Below is a discussion of the candidates that inspired the character of the Californian hero.

[[File: Zorro One.jpg |200px|thumb|left|The cover of the first Zorro novel]]

Zorro was created by the pulp-fiction writer Johnston McCulley (1883-1958). He was a prolific author and wrote hundreds of short stories and novels. In 1919, he wrote the book The Curse of Capistrano, which introduced Zorro, to the world . McCulley did not intend to write any more works based on the Californian character. The book was bought by a Hollywood studio who made a movie based on the novel, called the Mark of Zorro, starring Douglas Fairbanks, a superstar at the time <ref>Curtis, Sandra. Zorro Unmasked: The Official History (LA, Hyperion, 1998), p. 12</ref>. This motion picture was a sensation and Hollywood executives persuaded McCulley to write more stories based on the dashing outlaw. McCulley was to write Zorro stories for almost 40 years. The novel The Curse of Capistrano has sold over 50 million copies and is one of the most commercially successful novels of all time. The Californian hero has appeared in countless books, movies and theatrical productions <ref>Curtis, p. 19</ref>. In recent years there have even been video games based on the famous character.

[[File: Zoro Two.jpg |200px|thumb|left|An artist’s impression of Joaquin Murrieta Carrillo]]

==The biography of the character==

The name Zorro comes from the Spanish for fo x. The character lives in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in what was Spanish California (1760-1821). The territory now part of the state of California was then part of the Spanish Empire. However, the Spanish neglected it until 1767, when they took direct control of the region, out of fear that one of their European competitors would seize the area <ref>Chapman, Charles Edward. A history of California: the Spanish period. (London, Macmillan, 1921), p. 114</ref>. The Spanish colonial authorities were very harsh and oppressed the native peoples in particular. This is the setting for the adventures of Zorro. Although some later versions of the story set his story in Mexican California (1812-1850). He is typically portrayed as masked and a great swordsman, who also uses a whip to great effect. Zorro is the champion of the poor and the exploited and a friend to the native tribes. He is shown fighting for their rights against the oppressive Spanish officials and soldiers <ref> Alexander, p 89</ref>. The character is shown as wearing a black cape and a sombrero. He often publicly humiliates officials and soldiers as punishment for their treatment of Californians. Zorro often marks the oppressors of the people with a Z, his personal mark. Because of his struggles with the colonial government he is outlawed and has a bounty placed on his head but is loved by the common people, who help him. Zorro is a great swordsman and his favorite weapon is a rapier. He has amazing powers of endurance and is practically uncatchable on his horse ‘Tornado’. However, Zorro is, in reality, the alter-ego of a young Californian aristocrat Don Diego de la Vega. He is the only son of the richest man in all California, whose mother died many years ago. Diego went to university in Spain where he studied swordsmanship <ref>McCulley, Johnston. The mark of Zorro (London, Penguin, 2005), p 19<ref>. He returns home after he hears of the oppression of the Spanish in California. Diego adopts the persona of Zorro so that he can fight the cruel and corrupt officials in California. In order to escape suspicion, he acts like a spoiled playboy with no interest in the troubles and injustice of his times <ref>McCulley, p 34</ref>. He pretends to be a coward who is afraid of fighting and is widely despised in California. Diego loves Lolita Pulido, a poor noblewoman, but she dislikes him and indeed loves his alter-ego. In the stories Zorro is shown as being pursued by the local Caballeros but over time he wins them around to his cause and they offer him invaluable help. In some iterations of the story, Zorro would pass the mantle on to younger men who would assume his identity and carry on his fight for justice.