The Entire Timeline Of The Kingsman Films Explained

Don't let these gentleman spies fool you. They're cunning, deadly, and are sticklers for manners. After all, "manners maketh man." Director Matthew Vaughn has a clear-cut affinity for the work of comic book writer Mark Millar. After combining the right amount of comedy, edginess, and bloody action sequences, Vaughn directed the Millar comic book series "Kick-Ass" for the big screen in 2010. In 2014, he turned his sights to the "Kingsman" series. Since then, he's endeavored to bring audiences thrilling and mature espionage-like action in multiple films through the lens of the gentleman spy agency known as Kingsman.

Vaughn and Millar have created a rich history and lore behind each of the films' primary characters. Eggsy and his modern exploits against the villainous Richmond Valentine and Poppy Adams are just the tip of the iceberg. "The King's Man" demonstrates that there's nearly an entire century of the Kingsman agency unaccounted for. Vaughn has expressed deep interest in continuing the franchise, according to an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. While we wait for the future of the Kingsman franchise to unfold, let's look at the timeline of the series as it currently stands today.

The saga all begins with Orlando (Ralph Fiennes), Duke of Oxford, and his family. As he visits his friend and associate General Kitchener (Charles Dance) in South Africa at a concentration camp during the Second Boer War, he endeavors to provide aid to the ailing, hungry, and impoverished as part of the Red Cross. Meanwhile, Orlando's young son, Conrad, is waiting in the carriage with the family servant Shola (Djimon Hounsou). Conrad's mother Emily (Alexandra Maria Lara) counsels her son on the responsibility of using their resources to help others. Because their family is wealthy, she feels they have a duty to uphold to lead by example. It's a message that will stick with Conrad for the rest of his life.

After Conrad's mother leaves the carriage to go check on her husband, a Boer sniper opens fire and shoots Orlando in the leg, wounding him. In the scuffle, and before Shola is able to kill the hostile shooter, Emily takes a fatal bullet wound to the stomach. In her dying breath, she asks Orland to protect their son from the world and "never let him see war again." She forces Orlando to make this promise, and it's one commitment that drives his attitudes toward the treatment of his son.

12 years have passed since Emily died. Orlando has since established an intelligence network that operates beyond the bounds of governments. One of the nannies, Polly Watkins (Gemma Arterton), and the family servant Shola have both been brought into the organization. Ultimately, Orlando intends to keep Britain out of the burgeoning conflict that will ultimately be known as World War I (aka the Great War). While Conrad has trained alongside Shola for combat, Orlando refuses to allow his son anywhere near a combat theater or even to travel abroad, as he vigorously seeks to uphold his promise to his late wife. While Conrad loves his father, he also clearly resents him for not allowing him to join the British Army and fight for his country.

Lord Kitchener approaches Orlando at the Kingsman tailor parlor asking for his assistance in protecting the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, believing that the Archduke's political ambitions have put his life in jeopardy. Meanwhile, a shadowy court led by the Shepherd commissions Gavrilo Princip to assassinate the Archduke. While Conrad foils Princip's initial attempt at assassinating the Archduke with a bomb, the assassin later guns down both Ferdinand and his wife. This political killing leads to Austria's conflict with Serbia.

The Great War has its aggressors. According to Kingsman history, however, tensions mounted between Russia, Germany, and Britain thanks to the machinations of the shadowy group under the mysterious Shepherd's command. A group of zealots known as "the Flock" include notable historical figures such as Grigori Rasputin, the Archduke's assassin Gavrilo Princip, and Erik Jan Hanussen, among others who are loyal to the Shepherd. They are all given orders by the Shepherd to sow discord in Europe in an effort to expand the heights of the Great War.

The Shepherd, who is later revealed to be Maximillian Morton posing as Lord Kitchener's right-hand man, is disgusted by the monarchies and the elite class. He wishes to see the downfall of Europe's dynasties. But most importantly, he wants to wreak bloody vengeance on Britain for its rule over Scotland, his homeland. Each of the Shepherd's agents are pivotal figures in the quest to achieve the dramatic heights that World War I would inevitably reach. As such, Orlando and his network of spies must find and destroy the Flock.

The Shepherd commands Rasputin to force Russia's Tsar to back out of the fight, so Germany can focus all of its aggression on Britain. In order to gain dominion over the Tsar, Rasputin poisons his son and blackmails him with the antidote. The Tsar agrees and Russia stands down. Conrad learns of this incident thanks to his sources. Orlando, Conrad, Shola and Polly head to Russia to wipe Rasputin off the Shepherd's chess board.

While Orlando poses as a dignitary at a Christmas party hosted by Prince Felix Yusupov, he is able gain Rasputin's attention and get him all alone. He attempts to poison Rasputin with baked goods. Rasputin eats the cake knowing that it's laced with cyanide. Since he's built an immunity to the poison, it doesn't affect him. After a brutal fight where Rasputin shows off his ballet skills, Conrad and Shola join the tussle. By the end, Rasputin is stabbed, drowned, and eventually shot by Polly before exiting the mortal plane.

The Shepherd continues to use his assets to manipulate the war. He commands Erik Jan Hanussen to coax Germany into to sending the infamous Zimmermann Telegram, a secret communication from the German government that would propose an alliance with Mexico and asks for Mexico to invade the United States. It's the distraction the Shepherd would need to keep America from fully entering the war at Britain's side, which would swiftly end the war. The telegram was intercepted by British intelligence, which was then recovered by Orlando's spy ring. Polly is then tasked with cracking the code. Orlando hopes the US will see the telegram and join the war efforts with Britain, but President Woodrow Wilson refuses, claiming there's not enough evidence to substantiate the telegram's legitimacy.

Meanwhile, Conrad is of age to enlist in the British Army. He does so and goes through proper training before being deployed. Orlando uses his prestige and influences King George V to have Conrad stationed in London. Conrad circumvents his father's strategy for keeping him out of harm's way by switching places with Archie Reed, a member of the Scottish Battalion Black Watch. Conrad, as Archie Reid, and volunteers for a mission into No Man's Land to retrieve sensitive data from a British spy caught in the middle of the battlefield. He eventually retrieves the data successfully but is immediately suspected by a soldier who knows Archie Reed personally. Assuming Conrad is a spy, the soldier executes him at point blank range. Orlando is devastated and retreats into his own grief. The recovered data, however, validates the Zimmerman Telegram.

Despite Conrad's efforts to retrieve intel on the Zimmerman Telegram, President Woodrow Wilson still refuses to join the war. Why? Because he is being blackmailed with footage of his intimate relations with another member of the Flock, Mata Hari (Valerie Pachner). Orlando finds Mata at the American embassy and removes her from the equation. He locates the region in which the Shepherd's base lies by analyzing her cashmere scarf's wool material and its origins. Orlando, Shola, and Polly plan to infiltrate the base and eliminate the Shepherd. They find that Max Morton is the Shepherd and manage to kill him after a grueling fight. They then deliver the blackmail video to the President so he can destroy it and enter America into the war efforts.

A year after the war concludes in 1918, Orlando acquires the Kingsman Tailor Shop. He begins using the business to disguise the true spy organization within. Orlando assigns all of his operatives — which include Shola, Polly, and even the real Archie Reed who replaced Conrad in the war — with codenames from the tale of King Arthur, a story Conrad greatly admired.

Meanwhile, Erik Jan Hanussen has replaced Morton as the Shepherd ... and introduces his associate to a young Adolf Hitler.

Lee Unwin had recently become a full-fledged member of the Kingsman. He is now operating in the field alongside Harry Hart (Colin Firth). In 1997, the Kingsman agents engage in a clandestine mission in the Middle East, where they meet resistance. Harry, going by his codename Galahad, subdues a hostile, but fails to spot the explosive he is brandishing. In an effort to spare the lives of all of the Kingsman agents present, agent Lee Unwin jumps on the explosive, sacrificing himself for the cause.

Harry later visits Lee's wife Michelle (Samantha Womack) and his young son Gary, who goes by the nickname Eggsy (Alex Nikolov). He delivers the sad news of Lee's death, but offers a medal with a number to call should they ever need a favor. When speaking to the operator, the passcode "Oxfords, not brogues" should be said. While Michelle bitterly rejects the gesture, Harry gives the medal to Eggsy, asking him to keep it safe.

Eggsy (Taron Egerton) is now full-grown and he has led a rather tumultuous life. Despite his high aptitude and physical capability, he dropped out of the military and gained a record full of petty crimes. He often comes to blows with his stepfather, Dean. One day, Eggsy and his friends pull a fast one on Dean's gang, stealing their car and joyriding through town. The police eventually catch up with Eggsy and he is detained. Eggsy thinks to use the number on the medal. After reciting the password, he's greeted with a welcoming message. He's soon released from police custody, with Harry standing outside waiting for him.

Harry takes Eggsy under his wing and introduces him to the Kingsman, a clandestine organization that operates out of the Kingsman tailor shop. After Harry demonstrates his combat prowess at the local pub by taking out Dean's angry cohorts (who want payback for the car incident), Eggsy quickly believes what he is being told about the spy agency. Harry taps Eggsy to replace an agent who had just perished during a mission to retrieve a college professor named James Arnold. The professor had been kidnapped by businessman and philanthropist Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson).

Meanwhile, Eggsy undergoes training alongside other candidates that include Roxy Morton (Sophie Cookson) and rival Charlie Hesketh (Edward Holcroft). Charlie comes from a prestigious family and puts far too much stock in his own family's clout. He snobbishly belittles Eggsy throughout training.

While Eggsy is going through the selection process, Harry investigates the sudden reappearance of Professor Arnold. After making contact with the professor, the man's head explodes. Harry makes a quick escape, though he's injured and slips into a coma.

Agent Merlin (Mark Strong) continues to lead the training of the would-be Kingsman putting them through rigorous sequences that test their physical and mental acuity. They're even provided with puppies and expected to bond with, care for, and train by the time their own training is complete. After narrowly averting drowning in their own quarters, pancaking onto the Kingsman's front lawn from a high-altitude jump, and potentially sacrificing their lives to not divulge Kingsman secrets, Eggsy and Roxy are the last two candidates standing. When tied to a train track and threatened with his life as part of the test, Charlie divulged everything, ending his ambitions in the Kingsman organization.

Harry awakens from his coma and once again sets his sights on Richmond Valentine. Valentine is planning to hand out free SIM cards to the world that are capable of making free calls and accessing free internet. Professor Arnold had one of these SIM cards implanted in his neck.

Meanwhile, Eggsy is ordered by Agent Arthur (Michael Caine) to take his now grown dog, J.B., and shooting him. Of course, Eggsy has bonded with the dog and can't fathom shooting his canine compadre. So, he backs down and is kicked out of the running to become a Kingsman agent. Harry is deeply disappointed in Eggsy and explains to him that the gun was loaded with a blank and was only a test of will. Roxy completed the task and was granted the title of Lancelot.

The Kingsman agents ultimately learn that Richmond Valentine intends to save the planet from humanity by culling the herd, so to speak. He knows that not everyone will obtain a free SIM card, but he plans to use the frequencies emitted from those that do have them to make the entire population violent. Valentine plans to use a radical church (that is truthfully a malicious hate group) in Kentucky to test his plan.

Discovering that Valentine has a connection with this particular church, Harry heads there to investigate. He sits among the congregation, only to hear a vulgar display of hate speech from the church's pastor. Valentine then activates the SIM cards remotely, and everyone in the church begins fighting in a brilliant display of brutality and bloodshed. Harry, being the skilled agent that he is, kills countless people. Eventually, he is the last one standing. When he emerges from the church, he asks Valentine what the evil megalomaniac did to him. He explains his plot, and then shoots Harry point blank in the face, seemingly killing him.

Eggsy is completely distraught over Harry's death. Despite the short time that he knew Harry, he was the only man who ever took an interest in Eggsy — making him the most father-like figure he has ever known. Despite his grief, Eggsy heads back to Kingsman HQ. He finds Arthur there, and the Kingsman leader offers Eggsy a drink in honor of Harry. Eggsy notices he has a scar for a SIM implant and switches the drinks when Arthur isn't looking. After they drink, Arthur reveals that he is in league with Valentine and that the villain has chosen many who will survive Valentine's apocalypse before activating the poison in the drink. Due to the drink switch, he inadvertently kills himself.

Eggsy, Merlin, and Roxy plan to stop Valentine. Using high-altitude balloons, Roxy is able to fire a missile at one of Valentine's satellites, disrupting his plans temporarily. Charlie, the failed Kingsman candidate, confronts Eggsy inside Valentine's hideout, but Eggsy is able to take him out of commission. After both Merlin and Eggsy find themselves cornered, Eggsy suggests that Merlin hack the implanted chips and trigger their destruction in Valentine's followers. In a wild display, nearly everyone in the compound and those among the world leadership with SIM chips die as their own heads explode. Valentine then activates the signal, causing worldwide chaos as people everywhere begin attacking each other. Eggsy is able to kill Gazelle, Valentine's partner, before killing Valentine himself and halting the villainous plot. Eggsy then rescues the captured Scandinavian Princess Tilde. Later, Eggsy is recognized as the new Galahad, replacing Harry in the title.

Some time after the Kingsman saved the world from Valentine's plot, Eggsy emerges from the Kingsman tailor shop as an official agent, only to be approached by Charlie Hesketh. This time, Charlie is outfitted with a robotic arm and a voice modulator. He forces Eggsy into his taxi and the two begin to square off as the cab speeds away from Charlie's back-up. After a grueling fight, Charlie is ejected from the car with his robotic arm remaining behind, and Eggsy is able to use supporting missiles to take out the pursuing hostiles. Merlin learns that when Eggsy used his taser on Charlie at Valentine's compound, it caused his chip to malfunction. Instead of his head exploding, he only lost an arm and his vocal chords.

As Eggsy heads for an underwater Kingsman safehouse, he quickly departs via the sewers to arrive in time for a dinner with his girlfriend Princess Tilde and his friends. Unbeknownst to him, however, Charlie's robotic army is remotely operated and hacks into the vehicle obtaining sensitive data on the locations of all Kingsman agents. The next evening when Eggsy is having dinner with Tilde and her parents, Charlie's new superior, Poppy Adams (Julianne Moore), uses the stolen Kingsman data to launch a missile strike, single-handedly killing all of the Kingsman across the globe — including Roxy. Eggsy's friend, who is dog-sitting J.B., is also killed alongside the pup. Eggsy and Merlin are the only Kingsman agents that remain. Merlin was spared simply because he never input his home data into the Kingsman database.

As the only remaining Kingsman agents left, Merlin tells Eggsy that they must activate the Doomsday Protocol. Merlin isn't even sure what the Doomsday Protocol entails. However, they locate the Doomsday safe and open it, up only to find a bottle of Statesman whiskey. Unsure what to do with the bottle, they both share a drink over their lost comrades. Eggsy then notices at the bottom of the bottle that Statesman whiskey is made in Kentucky. The two stake out the distillery in Kentucky, only to be cornered and subdued by a Statesman agent named Tequila (Channing Tatum).

The pair learns that the Statesman are the American equivalent of the Kingsman. They use the whiskey business as a front for their spy operations, much like the Kingsman do with the tailor shop. Tequila only realizes he can trust the two once Ginger Ale (Halle Berry) reveals that their Doomsday locker had a Kingsman umbrella in it. The Statesman leader Champ (Jeff Bridges) explains that the founder of Statesman used a Kingsman tailor, which obviously linked the two agencies in an alliance should they ever need to call upon one another. Tequila also revealed that they have Harry Hart, who was recovered shortly after he was shot in the previous film. Both Eggsy and Merlin are shocked and elated to see Harry. But their happiness is quickly sullied but the fact that Harry doesn't remember who he is. He only believes himself to be a lepidopterist, one who studies butterflies.

Agent Tequila begins developing a mysterious blue rash. Intelligence suggests the Golden Circle, a secretive drug cartel, is causing the spread of the blue rash. Tequila is benched and Agent Whiskey (Pedro Pascal) joins Eggsy in the mission. In an attempt to find the Golden Circle, the pair aim to plant a tracker on Charlie's ex-girlfriend, Clara Von Cluckfberg. When Eggsy realizes he has to implant the tracker through her genitalia, he calls Tilde to explain the mission demands. She hates the idea that he has to sleep with the woman, so she asks for him to commit to marriage in order for her to be at ease with the prospect. Eggsy fears being a public figure, as a Kingsman agent and can't commit, leaving their relationship on the rocks. Still, Eggsy plants the tracker and quickly leaves.

Eggsy then has the idea of jogging Harry's memory by purchasing him a puppy identical to the one he had as a young Kingsman agent. Once he gives Harry the puppy, he tells Harry he has to shoot the puppy, just like the famous Kingsman test. Harry hysterically tries to protect the puppy from Eggsy, before starting to relive his memories as a Kingsman agent. Eventually, it all comes flooding back and Harry's memory is restored.

Meanwhile, Poppy Adams broadcasts a message worldwide, explaining that her drugs are laced with an artificial virus that causes a blue rash followed by mania, paralysis, and eventual death. She demonstrates that she has the antidote by curing a captive of hers, Sir Elton John. She demands the US President end the war on drugs and grant her legal immunity before she distributes the antidote.

Harry heads back into the field and joins Eggsy and Whiskey on a mission. They track Clara at a facility in the mountains where the antidote is being made. The trio retrieve a sample and narrowly avoid a deathtrap from Charlie Hesketh before retreating to a remote cabin. There, they are assaulted by more men. Whiskey knocks the antidote vial out of Eggsy's hands as he pushes him to safety from gunfire. Instantly, Harry suspects Whiskey as a double-agent because of the act. Eggsy believes Harry isn't thinking clearly yet, but Harry shoots Whiskey. Eggsy frantically performs life-saving procedures on Whiskey and they manage an escape.

Tilde calls Eggsy and shows that she is one of millions who have turned to drugs and now has the blue rash. With a new sense of urgency, Eggsy pushes Harry and Merlin to join him in infiltrating Poppy's compound in Cambodia. There, Merlin sacrifices himself to eliminate some of Poppy's security detail and spare Eggsy from the fate of an active landmine. Eggsy and Harry then battle Poppy's henchmen, including her robot dogs and Charlie. Eggsy kills Charlie while Harry handles the machines. They then inject Poppy with her own drugs, blackmailing her into giving them the code for the antidote distribution. Before they can unleash the antidote, Whiskey arrives, fully healed. He reveals that he sides with the President's ultimate plan to let Poppy kill all drug users, thereby "winning" the war on drugs. Whiskey's wife was killed by drug users, giving him the motivation he needs to become a turncoat. Eggsy and Harry ultimately get the better of Whiskey and run him through Poppy's meat grinder. They then unleash the antidote, saving millions.

After the antidote is administered, many are relieved to be alive and well. The United States President's plot to allow Poppy's millions of victims to die surfaces and he is impeached. Champ also announces that the Statesman have acquired a new distillery in Scotland. The Statesman intend to use their vast resources and funding to help the Kingsman rebuild their agency after Poppy destroyed nearly everything they had. Ginger Ale is also promoted to a field agent and has taken on the title of Agent Whiskey.

Finally, Eggsy realizes what is most important after fearing that he might lose Tilde. He marries Princess Tilde in a big royal wedding attended by his friends, family, and allies in the Statesman. Seemingly, Agent Tequila has now become a member of the Kingsman. A brief scene shows Tequila in a suit and a bowler hat walking past the Kingsman tailor shop, which has apparently been rebuilt.