Why Young Men Are Obsessing Over The Leper King

Unless you learned about him in history class, many people aren’t familiar with King Baldwin IV — the teenage king of Jerusalem known for his courage, bravery, and determination despite battling leprosy. Though his story was told in the 2005 movie, ‘Kingdom of Heaven,’ his legacy was largely left in the past…until now.

University of Chicago Medieval History Professor Dr. Rachel Fulton Brown discusses why ‘The Leper King’ is now trending among Gen Z-ers — with content about King Baldwin amassing over 29 million views on TikTok, and how this reflects many young people’s craving for strong, masculine role models.

Follow Sean & Rachel on Twitter: @SeanDuffyWI & @RCamposDuffy