# Don Diego de Espinosa y Valdez — Captain Blood character guide

> Don Diego de Espinosa y Valdez in Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Don Diego, Diego, young Espinosa

**First appearance:** 0009-x-don-diego

## Snapshot

A young Spanish nobleman whose ransom is refused by his own father, leaving him to negotiate with pirates for his life and his honor.

## Who they are

Taken captive by Blood, Don Diego belongs to the great Espinosa family of Castile, but the admiral who shares his name will not pay to redeem him. He must broker his own ransom through intermediaries and parole, caught between Spanish pride and the practical arithmetic of survival. His captivity draws Blood deeper into the Espinosa feud, making the young man both a bargaining chip and a mirror of the code that separates gentlemen from pirates.

## In the story

### [VIII: Spaniards](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/captain_blood_se/chapters/viii-spaniards)

Spanish commander of the Cinco Llagas; leads the attack on Barbados and demands ransom from Governor Steed.

### [X: Don Diego](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/captain_blood_se/chapters/x-don-diego)

Awakens confused and injured, learns he is Blood's prisoner, and agrees to navigate to Curaçao under parole.

### [XI: Filial Piety](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/captain_blood_se/chapters/xi-filial-piety)

Betrays Blood by steering toward his brother's flagship; is captured and lashed to a cannon as a hostage.

### [XVII: The Dupes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/captain_blood_se/chapters/xvii-the-dupes)

Referred to as Don Francisco, the Deputy-Governor who offers to raise ransom.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/captain_blood_se/characters/don_diego_de_espinosa
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/captain_blood_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/captain_blood_se/characters