The Zorro character is most often associated with the historical figure Joaquin Murrieta. He is also called The Robin Hood of the West.

Joaquin Murrieta became a famous outlaw in California in the 1850s. The state of California offered a reward of $5,000 for Joaquin “dead or alive.” It was reported that he was killed in 1853, but the news of his death was disputed and myths about his survival lingered for a long while.