Magellan

In 1511, Magellan participates in the Capture of Malacca under Afonso de Albuquerque and is wounded in combat. After the battle, he buys a Cebuano slave named Enrique and brings him along on his return to Portugal.

Magellan is nursed back to health by Beatriz Barbosa, whom he marries. The Cebuano slave Enrique remains devout to his native gods, keeping his beliefs private. These personal ties foreshadow later conflicts and loyalties.

Years later, King Manuel I rejects Magellan’s proposal to circumnavigate the globe to reach a spice route that avoids Spanish competition. Frustrated, Magellan travels to Spain to seek support for his voyage. This move marks the turning point toward the planned circumnavigation.

After securing support in Spain, Magellan departs for his voyage in 1519, leaving behind his pregnant wife Beatriz. He seeks a westward route to reach the Indies. The departure sets the stage for the historic circumnavigation.

During the voyage, a crewmember is put to death for homosexual acts, illustrating harsh discipline aboard the ships. A mutinous crew member and a priest are marooned at Patagonia as punishment for disobedience. These episodes foreshadow the extreme conditions the expedition endures.

Several mutinies lead to the loss of multiple ships, with crew members being executed or restrained as punishment. The crew's morale plummets as supplies dwindle during the long Pacific crossing. These internal conflicts complicate Magellan's voyage and threaten its completion.

Enrique identifies the island of Cebu and leads Magellan's men ashore. Acting as translator, he helps forge contact with Rajah Humabon, initiating the pivotal first contact with the islanders. This moment marks a dramatic shift in the voyage's alliances.

Magellan presents a Santo Niño statue and medical aid to Humabon's sick son, which leads to the boy's recovery. Humabon and his wife Juana are baptized; the local population converts to Christianity, and a blood compact is formed. The alliance with Humabon solidifies, but tensions soon grow.

Days after the baptisms, Magellan’s forces burn the islanders' ancestral images (anitos). Juana warns that their gods will seek retribution for the act. The religious and cultural frictions foreshadow impending conflict.

Humabon spreads rumors of Datu Lapu-Lapu, a supposed threat to Magellan's authority. Magellan, skeptical of Lapu-Lapu, is lured into a confrontation with him by the natives' defiance. The decision to engage sets the stage for the subsequent battle.

Magellan and his troops are overwhelmed in battle and Magellan collapses after fighting. The expedition suffers severe losses as the islanders resist fiercely. Humabon and his people celebrate the apparent victory with Magellan's fate sealed.

In a voice-over, Enrique reveals that there was no Lapu-Lapu and that Humabon attacked Magellan. He admits to participating in the massacre of most of Magellan’s remaining men in a bid to regain his freedom. The truth casts the expedition's end in a harsh light and explains the battle's consequences.