History UsefulNotes / Skanderbeg

* AwesomeMcCoolName: His name translates to "Lord Alexander", which is meant to invoke Alexander the Great.

* MeaningfulName: Gjerg is the Albanian form of George, as in Myth/SaintGeorge, while his Islamic name Skanderbeg was based on Alexander the Great, an unconquered military leader which would make [[MeaningfulRename his rename practically prophetic]].

* NiceHat: He bore an helmet made of white metal with an bronze goat on top.

* TheRedBaron: Besides his name, he was also known by a number of other ones like "The Dragon of Albania" and "Defender of Christendom". The official replica of his helmet also refers to him as "King of Albania and Epirus", "[[TheDreaded Terror of the Ottomans]]" and "[[WarriorPrince Prince of Emathia]]", though those were possibly written by descendants.

* MeaningfulName: Gjerg is the Albanian form of George, as in Myth/SaintGeorge, while his Islamic name Skanderbeg was based on Alexander the Great, an unconquered military leader.

* BadassGrandpa: He was 62 at the time of his death and still kicked a lot of ass. He wasn't even killed in combat, instead he died out of natural causes.

And so began the Albanian rebellion lead by Skanderbeg who established the League of Lezhë which also had support from the Republic of Venice. However, they were never able to field a number greater than 15,000 men against the Ottomans who commanded superior forces, so Skanderbeg had to use SaltTheEarth tactics to disperse the enemy so they could become easy pickings for their guerrilla forces. This was shown in the [[DavidVsGoliath Battle of Torviolli]], where Skanderbeg faced against 40,000 Ottoman forces and used the mountainous terrain to his advantage and hiding his forces in the woods to encircle the unprepared enemies. The battle was an decisive Albanian victory, since they dealt a devastating defeat to the Ottomans estimated to be anywhere between 8,000-22,000 while Albanians suffered minimal losses (they were thought to have lost only 120 men, but realistic expectations put it around 4,000), gave a morale boost for European Christians and Skanderbeg was declared "Defender of Christianity" by the Pope himself and formally inducted into the Order of the Dragon by King Alfonso V of Aragon. This battle in particular started the 25-year old Albanian-Ottoman War.

Albania became an buffer state between Western Europe and the Empire, and the Sultan knew that it had to defeat Skanderbeg so they can continue their west-ward expansion and [[{{Determinator}} the Albanians were very effective in resisting]]. Murad II and his son/future heir Mehmed attempted to besiege Skanderbeg's seat of power Kruje at least three times, and each times was an failure - the same couldn't be said about the other Albanian lords that weren't as skilled as their leader. To make matters worse, the Republic of Venice declared war against Albania due to a dispute over a fortress and they even threw their lot with the Ottomans to overthrow Skanderbeg and placed a price on his head. But Skanderbeg being [[MemeticBadass Skanderbeg]] defeated both the Venetian and Ottoman force sent on his way. While he won by pressuring the Venetians to sue for peace, this had the unfortunate effect of stretching thin his resources due to fighting in two fronts.

[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skanderbeg Gjergj Kastrioti]] (1405-1468), better known as Skanderbeg, was a medieval nobleman that is regarded as UsefulNotes/{{Albania}}'s national hero. Seriously, it can't be understated how beloved this guy is among his people, even among those one wouldn't expect, but there is a [[MemeticBadass very good reason why]].

Gjergj was born a Eastern Orthodox in the Principality of Kastriot during a time when the Christian states of the Balkans were struggling against the ever-expanding UsefulNotes/OttomanEmpire, and Albania itself was highly divided between feudal lords fighting over fiefs. When Gjergj was 18 years old, his father Gjon became a vassal of the Ottomans and was forced to pay tribute to Sultan Murad II by handing over four of his children as part of the devşirme, a military system that conscripted Christian boys being taken from their families, converted to UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} and indoctrinated as unquestioning servants of the Sultan, or in their case, being turned into [[PraetorianGuard Janissaries]]. Gjergj was [[MeaningfulRename renamed Skanderbeg]] (Iskander Bey or "Lord Alexander" in Turkish after UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat) following his conversion to Islam, and quickly rose through the ranks after being trained in the Ottoman tactics and warfare, and gaining several victories for his liege.

Over the years, Skanderbeg lost almost all his possessions to the Ottomans except for Kruje in no small part to the ever-changing allegiances of his allies, like his own nephew [[EvilNephew Hamza Kastrioti]], who deserted him for the Ottomans after the chance of becoming his uncle's heir was robbed by his marriage and birth of his son. While Murad II's death and the ascension of Mehmed as Sultan gave the Albanians reprieve, since he was focused on putting down the Karamanids and Menteshe in the East, UsefulNotes/TheFallOfConstantinople by his hands made him turn his attention West. Skanderbeg would prove to be undefeated in combat and would only eventually die of malaria, since no mortal men could have been able to slay him. The Albanian resistance would fall a decade later and became Islamicized unlike most Balkan countries under Turkish occupation. His death was mourned across the Europe since he had already achieved reputation as TheHero during his own time and Mehmed is alleged to have said, "[[OurHeroIsDead Woe to Christendom, for it has lost its sword and shield]]" upon hearing news of his passing. Nonetheless, his efforts proved significant in halting the Ottoman advance and allowing Europe to properly prepare for future incursions.

He became largely forgotten in both his homeland and in Christian Europe, specially in the aftermath of the UsefulNotes/SiegeOfVienna which is regarded as the point where the Ottomans ceased to be a threat to Europe and there was no need for an InspirationalMartyr. It wouldn't be until the 19th Century when he was rediscovered by Albanian nationalists that wanted independence from Turkey. They gave him HistoricalBadassUpgrade treatment by saying he had a CoolSword with magical powers and his AutomatonHorse could send the enemies running with fear. However, the religious aspects surrounding his motivations were de-emphasized because it could divide Albanians and it was in their interest to [[PatrioticFervor unite both Muslims and Christians into one people]]. He is revered by Albanian Muslims just as much as by Albanian Christians; case in point, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zog_I_of_Albania King Zog I of Albania]] was an Sunni Muslim that took the parallel name Skanderbeg III by claiming to be indirectly descendant from him through Skanderbeg's sister. Even the Communist leader [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enver_Hoxha Enver Hoxha]] considered himself Skanderbeg's heir and it was especially during the communist regime that his figure was mythologized to give legitimacy to the government. To this day, criticizing Skanderbeg is considered [[SeriousBusiness very offensive]] to Albanian national honor since he is an important symbol for their identity as an people, regardless of faith and creed.

Curiously, Skanderbeg was a contemporary to UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler from UsefulNotes/{{Romania}} and fellow Order of the Dragon member, and they share many parallels such as waging war against the Ottomans after becoming their hostages, utilizing similar tactics that they learned from their enemies and being regarded as the defender of their nations and Christianity. However, Vlad is better known due to serving as inspiration for Literature/{{Dracula}} and his association with vampire myth, while Skanderbeg is relatively unknown outside of his own country in no small part due to Albania becoming an ''very'' reclusive CommieLand during the Cold War.

* AFatherToHisMen: Besides his skill as an war and general, he also commanded great respect from his soldiers which is one of the reasons why Albanians were so effective. When his men lost the Siege of Svetigrad, the surviving garrison returned to him begging for mercy. Skanderbeg pardoned his men and even thanked them for holding out as much as they did.

* An Albanian tv series titled ''Skanderbeg'' telling his life story.

!Tropes associated with Skanderbeg

!Works featuring Skanderbeg
* In the dystopic thriller ''Literature/{{Caliphate}}'', Skanderbeg's tale is used to inspire a young Janissary to rebel against his masters.

Gjergj was born a Roman Catholic in the Principality of Kastriot during a time when the Christian states of the Balkans were struggling against the ever-expanding UsefulNotes/OttomanEmpire, and Albania itself was highly divided between feudal lords fighting over fiefs. When Gjergj was 18 years old, his father Gjon became a vassal of the Ottomans and was forced to pay tribute to Sultan Murad II by handing over four of his children as part of the devşirme, a military system that conscripted Christian boys being taken from their families, converted to UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} and indoctrinated as unquestioning servants of the Sultan, or in their case, being turned into [[PraetorianGuard Janissaries]]. Gjergj was [[MeaningfulRename renamed Skanderbeg]] (Iskander Bey or "Lord Alexander" in Turkish after UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat) following his conversion to Islam, and quickly rose through the ranks after being trained in the Ottoman tactics and warfare, and gaining several victories for his liege.

And so began the Albanian rebellion lead by Skanderbeg who established the League of Lezhë which also had support from the Republic of Venice. However, they were never able to field a number greater than 15,000 men against the Ottomans who commanded superior forces, so Skanderbeg had to use SaltTheEarth tactics to disperse the enemy so they could become easy pickings for their guerrilla forces. This was shown in the [[DavidVsGoliath Battle of Torviolli]], where Skanderbeg faced against 40,000 Ottoman forces and used the mountainous terrain to his advantage and hiding his forces in the woods to encircle the unprepared enemies. The battle was an decisive Albanian victory, since they dealt a devastating defeat to the Ottomans estimated to be anywhere between 8,000-22,000 while Albanians suffered minimal losses (they were thought to have lost only 120 men, but realistic expectations put it around 4,000), gave a morale boost for European Christians and Skanderbeg was declared "Defender of Christianity" by the Pope himself. This battle in particular started the 25-year old Albanian-Ottoman War.

Albania became an buffer state between Western Europe and the Empire, and the Sultan knew that it had to defeat Skanderbeg so they can continue their west-ward expansion and were very effective in resisting. Murad II and his son/future heir Mehmed attempted to besiege Skanderbeg's seat of power Kruje at least three times, and each times was an failure - the same couldn't be said about the other Albanian lords that weren't as skilled as their leader. To make matters worse, the Republic of Venice declared war against Albania due to a dispute over a fortress and they even threw their lot with the Ottomans to overthrow Skanderbeg and placed a price on his head. But Skanderbeg being [[MemeticBadass Skanderbeg]] defeated both the Venetian and Ottoman force sent on his way. While he won by pressuring the Venetians to sue for peace, this had the unfortunate effect of stretching thin his resources due to fighting in two fronts.

Curiously, Skanderbeg was a contemporary to UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler from UsefulNotes/{{Romania}} and many parallels happened between them such to waging war against the Ottomans after becoming their hostages, utilizing similar tactics that they learned from their enemies and being regarded as the defender of their nations and Christianity. However, Vlad is better known due to serving as inspiration for Literature/{{Dracula}} and his association with vampire myth, while Skanderbeg is relatively unknown outside of his own country in no small part due to Albania becoming an ''very'' reclusive CommieLand during the Cold War.

* ChurchMilitant: He was celebrated as a Christian bulwark against Islamic imperialism.

Most importantly, Skanderbeg became an important symbol for the Albanians by strengthening their roots to their national identity, regardless of faith and creed. While his fame survived in Christian Europe, it gradually faded in his homeland until the 19th Century where he was rediscovered by Albanian nationalists that wanted independence from Turkey. They gave him HistoricalBadassUpgrade treatment by saying he had a CoolSword with magical powers and his AutomatonHorse could send the enemies running with fear. However, the religious aspects surrounding his motivations were de-emphasized because it could divide Albanians and it was in their interest to [[PatrioticFervor unite both Muslims and Christians into one people]]. He is revered by Albanian Muslims just as much as by Albanian Christians; case in point, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zog_I_of_Albania King Zog I of Albania]] was an Sunni Muslim that took the parallel name Skanderbeg III by claiming to be indirectly descendant from him through Skanderbeg's sister. Even the Communist leader [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enver_Hoxha Enver Hoxha]] considered himself Skanderbeg's heir and it was especially during the communist regime that his figure was mythologized to give legitimacy to the government. To this day, criticizing Skanderbeg is considered [[SeriousBusiness very offensive]] to Albanian national honor.

Curiously, Skanderbeg was a contemporary to UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler from UsefulNotes/{{Romania}} and many parallels happened between them such to waging war against the Ottomans after becoming their hostages, utilizing similar tactics that they learned from their enemies and being regarded as the defender of their nations and Christianity. However, Vlad is better known due to serving as inspiration for Literature/{{Dracula}} and his association with vampire myth, while Skanderbeg is relatively unknown outside of his own country.

* ''Literature/ChildrenOfEarthAndSky'' depicts a fantasy version of him named "Skandir", a [[CrystalDragonJesus Jaddite]] warlord who continues the fight against the Osmanlis as a guerrilla, even though he has no hope of ever defeating them.

Over the years, Skanderbeg lost almost all his possessions to the Ottomans except for Kruje in no small part to the ever-changing allegiances of his allies, like his own nephew [[EvilNephew Hamza Kastrioti]], who deserted him for the Ottomans after the chance of becoming his uncle's heir was robbed by his marriage and birth of his son. While Murad II's death and the ascension of Mehmed as Sultan gave the Albanians reprieve, since he was focused on putting down the Karamanids and Menteshe in the East, UsefulNotes/TheFallOfConstantinople by his hands made him turn his attention West. Skanderbeg would prove to be undefeated in combat and would only eventually die of malaria, since no mortal men could have been able to slay him. The Albanian resistance would fall a decade later and became Islamicized unlike most Balkan countries under Turkish occupation. His death was mourned across the Europe since he had already achieved reputation as TheHero during his own time and Mehmed is alleged to have said, "Woe to Christendom, for it has lost its [[TheChampion sword and shield]]" upon hearing news of his passing. Nonetheless, his efforts proved significant in halting the Ottoman advance and allowing Europe to properly prepare for future incursions.

* ArchEnemy: Murad II and his son Mehmed the Conqueror whom he previously served. Skanderbeg might have fought with the Venetians from time to time, but the Sultan represented the bigger threat to him and his people.

* MultinationalTeam: Though most of his men were obviously Albanians, he also had Greeks, Serbs, Vlachs and other peoples from territories occupied by the Ottomans, as well as Christian Turks that converted under him.

* ''The Great Warrior Skanderbeg'', an Albanian-Soviet biopic directed by Sergei Yutkevich in 1953.

Albania became an buffer state between Western Europe and the Empire, and the Sultan knew that it had to defeat Skanderbeg so they can continue their west-ward expansion and were very effective in resisting. Murad II and his son and future heir Mehmed attempted to besiege Skanderbeg's seat of power Kruje at least three times, and each times was an failure. The same couldn't be said about the other Albanian lords that weren't as skilled as him. To make matters worse, the Republic of Venice declared war against Albania due to a dispute over a fortress and they even threw their lot with the Ottomans to overthrow Skanderbeg and put a price on his head. But Skanderbeg being [[MemeticBadass Skanderbeg]] defeated both the Venetian and Ottoman force sent on his way. While he won by pressuring the Venetians to sue for peace, this had the unfortunate effect of stretching thin his resources due to fighting in two fronts.

Over the years, Skanderbeg lost almost all his possessions to the Ottomans except for Kruje in no small part to the ever-changing allegiances of his allies, like his own nephew [[EvilNephew Hamza Kastrioti]], who deserted him for the Ottomans after the chance of becoming his uncle's heir was robbed by his marriage and birth of his son. While Murad II's death and the ascension of his son Mehmed as Sultan gave the Albanians reprieve, UsefulNotes/TheFallOfConstantinople by his hands reignited the conflict in the European theater. Skanderbeg would prove to be undefeated in combat and would only eventually die of malaria, since no mortal men could have been able to slay him. The Albanian resistance would fall a decade later and became Islamicized unlike most Balkan countries under Turkish occupation. His death was mourned across the Europe since he had already achieved reputation as TheHero during his own time and Mehmed is alleged to have said, "Woe to Christendom, for it has lost its [[TheChampion sword and shield]]" upon hearing news of his passing. Nonetheless, his efforts proved significant in halting the Ottoman advance and allowing Europe to properly prepare for future incursions.

* JustTheFirstCitizen: The only official title he assumed was "Lord of Albania", even though he was the closest thing Albania had to a king at the time due to uniting the fractured nation under [[TheAlliance the League of Lehze]].
* MultinationalTeam: Though most of his men were obviously Albanians, he also had Greeks, Serbs, Vlachs and other peoples from territories occupied by the Turks.
* TheRedBaron: Besides his name, he was also known by a number of names like "The Dragon of Albania" and "Defender of Christendom".

[[quoteright:285:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gjergj_kastrioti.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:285:The Dragon of Albania]]

Over the years, Skanderbeg lost almost all his possessions to the Ottomans except for Kruje in no small part to the ever-changing allegiances of his allies, like his own nephew [[EvilNephew Hamza Kastrioti]], who deserted him for the Ottomans after the chance of becoming his uncle's heir was robbed by his marriage and birth of his son. While Murad II's death and the ascension of his son Mehmed as Sultan gave the Albanians reprieve, UsefulNotes/TheFallOfConstantinople by his hands reignited the conflict in the European theater. Skanderbeg would prove to be undefeated in combat and would only eventually die of malaria, since no mortal men could have been able to slay him. His death was mourned across the Europe since he had already achieved reputation as TheHero during his own time and Mehmed is alleged to have said, "Woe to Christendom, for it has lost its [[TheChampion sword and shield]]" upon hearing news of his passing. Nonetheless, his efforts proved significant in halting the Ottoman advance and allowing Europe to properly prepare for future incursions.

Most importantly, Skanderbeg became an important symbol for the Albanians by strengthening their roots to their national identity, regardless of faith and creed. While his fame survived in Christian Europe, it gradually faded when Albania was Islamicized until he was rediscovered in the 19th Century. They gave him HistoricalBadassUpgrade treatment by saying he had a CoolSword with magical powers and his AutomatonHorse could send the enemies running with fear. However, the religious aspects surrounding his motivations were de-emphasized because it could divide Albanians and it was in their interest to [[PatrioticFervor unite both Muslims and Christians into one people]]. He is revered by Albanian Muslims just as much as by Albanian Christians; case in point, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zog_I_of_Albania King Zog I of Albania]] was an Sunni Muslim that took the parallel name Skanderbeg III by claiming to be indirectly descendant from him through Skanderbeg's sister. Even the Communist leader [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enver_Hoxha Enver Hoxha]] considered himself Skanderbeg's heir and it was especially during the communist regime that his figure was mythologized to give legitimacy to the government. To this day, criticizing Skanderbeg is considered [[SeriousBusiness very offensive]] to Albanian national honor.

Curiously, Skanderbeg was a contemporary to UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler from UsefulNotes/{{Romania}} and could be easily comparable to him due to waging war against the Ottomans after becoming their hostages, utilizing similar tactics that they learned from their enemies and being regarded as the defender of their nations and Christianity. However, Vlad is better known due to serving as inspiration for Literature/{{Dracula}} and his association with vampire myth, while Skanderbeg is relatively unknown outside of his own country.

* JustTheFirstCitizen: The only official title he assumed was "Lord of Albania", even though he was the closest thing Albania had to a king at the time due to uniting the fractured nation under the League of Lehze.

* TheRedBaron: Besides his name, he was also known as "The Dragon of Albania".

Albania became an buffer state between Western Europe and the Empire, and the Sultan knew that it had to defeat Skanderbeg so they can continue their west-ward expansion and were very effective in resisting. Murad II and his son and future heir Mehmed attempted to besiege Skanderbeg's seat of power Kruje at least three times, and each times was an failure. The same couldn't be said about the other Albanian lords that weren't as skilled as him. To make matters worse, the Republic of Venice declared war against Albania due to a dispute over a fortress and they even threw their lot with the Ottomans to overthrow Skanderbeg and kill him by any means. But Skanderbeg being Skanderbeg defeated both the Venetian and Ottoman force sent on his way. This had the unfortunate effect of stretching thin his resources due to fighting in two fronts.

* ArchEnemy: Murad II and his son Mehmed the Conqueror.

* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Not to the same extent as a Vlad III Dracula, but Skanderbeg was no stranger to this tactic either considering he was also taught by the Ottomans and used it against them.

* WorthyOpponent: To the Ottomans. Legend has it that they stormed his tomb and made bracelets out of his bones in hopes of gaining his bravery and badassery.

%%[[caption-width-right:285:some caption text]]

Gjergj was born a Roman Catholic in the Principality of Kastriot during a time when the Christian states of the Balkans were struggling against the ever-expanding UsefulNotes/OttomanEmpire, and Albania itself was highly divided between feudal lords fighting over fiefs. When Gjergj was 18 years old, his father Gjon became a vassal of the Ottomans and was forced to pay tribute to Sultan Murad II by handing over four of his children as part of the devşirme, a military system that conscripted Christian boys being taken from their families, converted to Islam and indoctrinated as unquestioning servants of the Sultan, or in their case, being turned into [[PraetorianGuard Janissaries]]. Gjergj was [[MeaningfulRename renamed Skanderbeg]] (Iskander Bey or "Lord Alexander" in Turkish after UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat) following his conversion to Islam, and quickly rose through the ranks after being trained in the Ottoman tactics and warfare, and gaining several victories for his liege.

Despite the gaining prominence and glory by serving the Empire, Skanderbeg was aware of the suffering and exploitation of his people and resentful over the deaths of his brothers who were poisoned under mysterious circumstances in the Turkish court. These factors alongside the struggle of the crusaders against the Ottomans inspired him to revolt. In 1443, during the Battle of Niš where the Ottoman host was fighting against a Crusader army from Poland, Hungary and Serbia led by John Hunyadi, Skanderbeg and 300 Albanians deserted their army by capturing the town of Krujë, as well as other forts occupied by Ottomans and uniting the squabbling Albanians. He declared himself the "avenger of the Albanian people" by renouncing Islam and reverting to Christianity, and gave an ultimatum to all those who embraced Islam or were Muslim colonists: baptism or death. Those that chose the latter were ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice.

[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skanderbeg Gjergj Kastrioti]] (1405-1468), better known as Skanderbeg, was an medieval nobleman that is regarded as UsefulNotes/{{Albania}}'s national hero. Seriously, it can't be understated how beloved this guy is among his people, even among those one wouldn't expect, but there is a [[MemeticBadass very good reason why]].

Gjergj was born a Roman Catholic in the Principality of Kastriot during a time when the Christian states of the Balkans were struggling against the ever-expanding UsefulNotes/OttomanEmpire, and Albania itself was highly divided between feudal lords fighting over fiefs. When Gjergj was 18 years old, his father Gjon became an vassal of the Ottomans and was forced to pay tribute to Sultan Murad II by handing over four of his children as part of the devşirme, a military system that conscripted Christian boys being taken from their families, converted to Islam and indoctrinated as unquestionable servants of the Sultan, or in their case, being turned into [[PraetorianGuard Janissaries]]. Gjergj was [[MeaningfulRename renamed Skanderbeg]] (Iskander Bey or "Lord Alexander" in Turkish after UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat) following his conversion to Islam, and quickly rose through the ranks after being trained in the Ottoman tactics and warfare and gaining several victories for his liege.

Over the years, Skanderbeg lost almost all his possessions to the Ottomans except for Kruje in no small part to the ever-changing allegiances of his allies, like his own nephew [[EvilNephew Hamza Kastrioti]], who deserted him for the Ottomans after the chance of becoming his uncle's heir was robbed by his marriage and birth of his son. While Murad II's death and the ascension of his son Mehmed as Sultan gave the Albanians reprieve, UsefulNotes/TheFallOfConstantinople by his hands reignited the conflict in the European theater. Skanderbeg would prove to be undefeated in combat and would only eventually die of malaria, since no mortal men could have been able to slay him. His death was mourned across the Europe since he had already achieved reputation as TheHero during his own time and Mehmed is alleged to have said "Woe to Christendom, for it has lost its [[TheChampion sword and shield]]" upon hearing news of his passing. Nonetheless, his efforts proved significant in halting the Ottoman advance and allowing Europe to properly prepare for future incursions.

Most importantly, Skanderbeg became an important symbol for the Albanians by strengthening their roots to their national identity, regardless of faith and creed. While his fame survived in Christian Europe, it gradually faded when Albania was Islamicized until he was rediscovered in the 19th Century. They gave him HistoricalBadassUpgrade treatment by saying he had a CoolSword with magical powers and his AutomatonHorse could send the enemies running with fear. However, the religious aspects surrounding his motivations were de-emphasized because it could divide Albanians and it was in their interest to [[PatrioticFervor unite both Muslims and Christians into one people]]. He is revered by Albanian Muslims just as much as by Albanian Christians; case in point, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zog_I_of_Albania King Zog I of Albania]] was an Sunni Muslim that took the parallel name Skanderbeg III by claiming to be indirectly descendant from him through Skanderbeg's sister. Even the Communist leader [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enver_Hoxha Enver Hoxha]] considered himself Skanderbeg's heir and it was specially during the communist regime that his figure was mythologized to give legitimacy to the government. To this day, criticizing Skanderbeg is considered [[SeriousBusiness very offensive]] to Albanian national honor.

Curiously, Skanderbeg was an contemporary to UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler from UsefulNotes/{{Romania}} and could be easily comparable to him due to waging war against the Ottomans after becoming their hostages, utilizing similar tactics that they learned from their enemies and being regarded as the defender of their nations and Christianity. However, Vlad is more well-known due to serving as inspiration for {{Dracula}} and his association with vampire myth, while Skanderbeg is relatively unknown outside of his own country.

* ''The Great Warrior Skanderbeg'', an Albanian-Soviet movie biopic by Sergei Yutkevich in 1953.
* ''Literature/ChildrenOfEarthAndSky'' depicts a fantasy version of him named "Skandir", an [[CrystalDragonJesus Jaddite]] warlord that continues the fight against the Osmanlis as a guerrilla, even though he has no hope of ever defeating them.

Gjergj was born in the Principality of Kastriot during a time when the Christian states of the Balkans were struggling against the ever-expanding UsefulNotes/OttomanEmpire, and Albania itself was highly divided between feudal lords fighting over fiefs. When Gjergj was 18 years old, his father Gjon became an vassal of the Ottomans and was forced to pay tribute to Sultan Murad II by handing over four of his children as part of the devşirme, a military system that conscripted Christian boys being taken from their families, converted to Islam and indoctrinated as unquestionable servants of the Sultan, or in their case, being turned into [[PraetorianGuard Janissaries]]. Gjergj was [[MeaningfulRename renamed Skanderbeg]] (Iskander Bey or "Lord Alexander" in Turkish after UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat) following his conversion to Islam, and quickly rose through the ranks after being trained in the Ottoman tactics and warfare and gaining several victories for his liege.

And so began the Albanian rebellion lead by Skanderbeg who established the League of Lezhë which also had support from the Republic of Venice. However, they were never able to field a number greater than 15,000 men against the Ottomans who commanded superior forces, so Skanderbeg had to use SaltTheEarth tactics to disperse the enemy so they could become easy pickings for their guerrilla forces. This was shown in the [[DavidVsGoliath Battle of Torviolli]], where Skanderbeg faced against 40,000 Ottoman forces by merely using the mountainous terrain to their advantage and hiding their forces in the woods to would encircle the unprepared enemies. The battle was an decisive Albanian victory, since they dealt a devastating defeat to the Ottomans estimated to be anywhere between 8,000-22,000 while Albanians suffered minimal losses (they were thought to have lost only 120 men, but realistic expectations put it around 4,000), gave a morale boost for European Christians and Skanderbeg was declared Defender of Christianity by the Pope himself. This battle in particular started the 25-year old Albanian-Ottoman War.

Over the years, Skanderbeg lost almost all his possessions to the Ottomans except for Kruje in no small part to the ever-changing allegiances of his allies, like his own nephew [[EvilNephew Hamza Kastrioti]], who deserted him for the Ottomans after the chance of becoming his uncle's heir was robbed by his marriage and birth of his son. While Murad II's death and the ascension of his son Mehmed as Sultan gave the Albanians reprieve, UsefulNotes/TheFallOfConstantinople by his hands reignited the conflict in the European theater. Skanderbeg would prove to be undefeated in combat and would only eventually die of malaria, since no mortal men could have been able to slay him. His death was mourned across the Europe since he had already achieved reputation as TheHero during his own time and Mehmed is alleged to have said "Woe to Christendom, for it has lost its sword and shield" upon hearing news of his passing. Nonetheless, his efforts proved significant in halting the Ottoman advance and allowing Europe to properly prepare for future incursions.

Most importantly, Skanderbeg became an important symbol for the Albanians by strengthening their roots to their national identity, regardless of faith and creed. While his fame survived in Christian Europe, it gradually faded when Albania was Islamicized until he was rediscovered in the 19th Century. However, the religious aspects surrounding his motivations were de-emphasized because it could divide Albanians and it was in their interest to [[PatrioticFevor unite both Muslims and Christians into one people]]. He is revered by Albanian Muslims just as much as by Albanian Christians; case in point, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zog_I_of_Albania King Zog I of Albania]] was an Sunni Muslim that took the parallel name Skanderbeg III by claiming to be indirectly descendant from him through Skanderbeg's sister. Even the Communist leader Enver Hoxha considered himself Skanderbeg's heir and it was specially during the communist regime that his figure was mythologized to give legitimacy to the government. To this day, criticizing Skanderbeg is considered [[SeriousBusiness very offensive]] to Albanian national honor.

-->Website/BadassOfTheWeek

Gjergj was born in the Principality of Kastriot during a time when the Christian states of the Balkans were struggling against the ever-expanding UsefulNotes/OttomanEmpire, and Albania itself was highly divided between feudal lords fighting over fiefs. When Gjergj was 18 years old, his father Gjon became an vassal of the Ottomans and was forced to pay tribute to Sultan Murad II by handing over four of his children as part of the devşirme, a military system that conscripted Christian boys being taken from their families, converted to Islam and indoctrinated as unquestionable servants of the Sultan, or in their case, being turned into [[PraetorianGuard Janissaries]]. Gjergj was renamed Skanderbeg (Iskander Bey or "Lord Alexander" in Turkish) following his conversion to Islam, and quickly rose through the ranks after being trained in the Ottoman tactics and warfare and gaining several victories for his liege.

Despite the gaining prominence and glory by serving, Skanderbeg was aware of the suffering and exploitation of his people and resentful over the deaths of his brothers who were poisoned under mysterious circumstances in the Turkish court. These factors alongside the struggle of the crusaders against the Ottomans inspired Skanderbeg to revolt. In 1443, during the Battle of Niš where the Ottoman host was fighting against a Crusader army from Poland, Hungary and Serbia led by John Hunyadi, Skanderbeg and 300 Albanians deserted their army by capturing the town of Krujë, as well as other forts occupied by Ottomans and uniting the squabbling Albanians. He declared himself the "avenger of the Albanian people" by renouncing Islam and reverting to Christianity, and gave an ultimatum to all those who embraced Islam or were Muslim colonists: baptism or death. Those that chose the latter were ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice.

Most importantly, Skanderbeg became an important symbol for the Albanians by strengthening their roots to their national identity, regardless of faith and creed. He is revered by Albanian Muslims just as much as by Albanian Christians; case in point, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zog_I_of_Albania King Zog I of Albania]] was an Sunni Muslim that took the parallel name Skanderbeg III by claiming to be indirectly descendant from him through Skanderbeg's sister.

Curiously, Skanderbeg was an contemporary to UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler from UsefulNotes/Romania and could be easily comparable to him due to waging war against the Ottomans after becoming their hostages, utilizing similar tactics that they learned from their enemies and being regarded as the defender of their nations and Christianity. However, Vlad is more well-known due to serving as inspiration for {{Dracula}} and his association with vampire myth, while Skanderbeg is relatively unknown outside of his own country.