Störtebeker is a sailor in search of justice for the brutal murder of his parents. When he realizes there's no way of obtaining retribution because the murderers are the powerful Konrad von Wallenrod and his son, Simon, he becomes a pirate, repudiating the rules of a hypocritical society and living by his own law. But his keen sense of justice and solidarity make him a target for the hatred of the powerful, who hound him relentlessly.