Little John is a companion of Robin Hood who serves as his chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men.

He is one of only a handful of consistently named characters who relate to Robin Hood and one of the two oldest Merry Men, alongside Much the Miller's Son.

His name is an ironic reference to his giant frame, as he is usually portrayed in legend as a huge warrior – a 7-foot-tall (2.1-metre) master of the quarterstaff.

The first known reference in English verse to Robin Hood is found in The Vision of Piers Plowman, written by William Langland in the second part of the 14th century.

Starting from the ballad tradition, Little John is commonly shown to be the only Merry Man present at Robin Hood's death.

Despite a lack of historical evidence for his existence, Little John is reputed to be buried in a churchyard in the village of Hathersage, Derbyshire.

The site now has a 15th century Grade 2 listed ex-farmhouse and barn built on it, called Nether House[3] at Offerton.

Despite the loss of his left hand making it impossible for him to use a bow, he is still a skilled enough fighter to intercept Robin's arrows with only his staff and soon adapts to the use of his metal-clad stump as another weapon in combat.

In the British television show Fact or Fiction, episode 4, hosted by Tony Robinson, it is postulated that "Little John" is in actuality Reynolde Greenleaf from near Beverley in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Little John has been argued to play a crucial role in illustrating the ties between the servant and the master, and his actions can be seen as challenging the power hierarchy of the depicted society.