Anno Domini 1573

Petar and his father are out in Baron Franjo Tahy's forest when Tahy's men ambush them. Petar's father is forced to strip naked, then is chased down and killed by Tahy's dogs. The brutal killing signals the start of Tahy's terror over the region.

Petar returns to his village to find Tahy’s men stripping resources from the peasants and taking what they want. The nobility's cruelty spreads, as even young women are taken to Tahy’s castle. Rumors spread of the Oathed Brotherhood, a movement of peasant leaders preparing to rise.

A comedian troupe arrives in the village to mock the local nobility and church leadership, drawing crowds with their show. Tahy’s men approach, prompting the troupe to flee and hide. Petar begins to see them as potential allies in his search for the rebellion.

Petar encounters Ilija Gregorić, who is single-handedly fighting Imperial troops and killing them. Gregorić takes Petar in as his squire, and they travel together toward the next town.

En route, Gregorić is captured by Imperial soldiers just as an artist sketches him. Before he leaves, Gregorić tells Petar to head to a blacksmith to learn his fate.

Petar goes to the blacksmith and witnesses Gregorić escape from the soldiers. They flee together, with Gregorić planning to leave the area while Petar insists on staying to seek vengeance for his father.

Someone arrives with news that Gregorić is wanted at a meeting. At the gathering, Matija Gubec, Trgovac Mikula, and other peasant leaders reveal their plan to revolt and ask Gregorić to train and lead the troops.

Winter comes and the peasants, led by Gregorić and the other leaders, gather with their main force. Petar arrives with his mother and sisters among the rebels, and he joins the ranks with only a dagger.

The peasants march on Tahy's castle; Tahy underestimates them and sends servants to whip them away. The peasants press forward, Tahy hides, and the castle falls into their hands.

With the castle in rebel hands, the peasants issue a proclamation banning the nobility and the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, declaring independence from the nobility.

Mikula is brought forward on charges of confiscating property; Gubec orders his execution, insisting their goal is to change the customs of the nobles and ensure the peasant voice is heard. The plan continues, and it’s revealed that the artist who had drawn the leaders actually speaks Croatian, challenging a foreign facade.

News arrives that the Kaiser’s army is approaching. The peasant army defends Stubičko polje, luring a cavalry charge, then suffering a brutal turn as Imperial reinforcements arrive. The fighting brings heavy casualties, and Petar is wounded, losing an eye.

In the aftermath, Imperial and Roman Catholic authorities burn all records of the rebellion. Gubec is executed; brave rebels are paraded through the streets and taunted by nobles, culminating in Gubec's death as he endures a crown of hot metal before the throne is set aflame.

Petar returns to his land, finds the blacksmith's location burned, and begins a new life with Regica. He fathers a child and adopts the role of a jester, continuing to entertain as a comedian after all.

Petar and Regica sing together as they walk among the executed peasants hanging from torture wheels, a stark reminder that the struggle for equality will endure. The film closes on a note of defiant resolve for a second fight to come.