「惡魔之子」。母親塞西莉養育的約克家三男理查，比誰都愛慕父親約克公爵理查。父親理查宣布：「我將在這個國家掀起狂風暴雨，定會得到黃金之冠，凱旋而歸。」這便是白薔薇的約克家與紅薔薇的蘭開斯特家之間爭奪王位的內戰薔薇戰爭的開端。被蘭開斯特俘虜的理查逃出後，在森林中與牧羊的青年相遇。

理查希望與父親約克公爵共赴戰場，但卻被母親塞西莉阻止。她說：「你的話語將詛咒人破滅死亡。」語畢便將他關入塔中。理查被關在塔中，得知亨利六是也被囚禁於此，他想殺了亨利，將王冠獻給父親。此時的約克公爵，與瑪格麗特王妃率領的蘭開斯特軍大戰後被俘。

父親約克公爵被殺，沃里克伯爵擁立約克家長男愛德華，而愛德華也應允了。約克家與蘭開斯特家在倫敦郊外展開決戰，理查在戰場中揮舞著渴求鮮血的劍。「在黑暗中，只看到鮮血，所以將世界染成鮮紅。」鮮血宛如薔薇花瓣般散落…。最後約克家贏得勝利，造王者沃里克伯爵，策劃著愛德華國王的婚事。

愛德華的心，早已被出現在宴會中的寡婦伊麗莎白所奪走，總是以狩獵為藉口跟伊麗莎白幽會。理查幫愛德華隱瞞時，出現在他面前的，是曾與他邂逅的牧羊人亨利。互相不知對方來歷的兩人，因大雨留宿在別莊。亨利說「我不在乎你的來歷，因為我喜歡的是你本人。」理查聽聞，以沉默回應。夜已深，大雨仍不停。

愛德華語伊麗莎白結婚，使得約克家與沃里克伯爵之間的關係發生龜列。此時，理查與白金漢公爵相遇：「理查，你沒想過嗎？其實你也能成為王…。」這番話，令理查感到困惑；父親約克公爵的聲音在心中響起：「將吾之名留於後世，此乃王之名。」理查站在父親的肖像畫前時，沃里克出現了。

伊麗莎白誕下了一位公主，使得愛德華與弟弟喬治之間的嫌隙越來越深。另一方面沃里克伯爵正籌備次女與喬治的婚禮，甚至開始接近曾是敵人的蘭開斯特家族。瑪格麗特王后為了得到沃里克的的忠誠，要求沃里克將長女安嫁給蘭開斯特家皇太子愛德華為妻；但皇太子愛德華在結婚前，有個想見面的人物，那就是曾經相遇過的理查。

理查正前往救助，被囚禁的兄長愛德華；此時卻遇到蘭開斯特家的愛德華王太子，兩人互相隱瞞自己的身份，一起行動。途中，愛德華問理查：「你沒有即便犯罪，也想得到的東西嗎？」這句話，在理查心中迴響著。接著，兩人來到愛德華被囚禁的米德漢城。

亨利六世再次坐上王位，但他卻感到非常痛苦。另一方面，愛德華委託理查，給與沃里克和蘭開斯特家族結盟的喬治弟弟一面約克家的旗幟做為最後通牒。理查一行人秘密行動，卻被蘭開斯特派的貴族發現，刀劍相向了一番。理查在戰鬥中受了傷，卻在此時，竟然遇見了正在巡禮中的亨利。

月光照亮森林，理查與亨利共享黑夜，兩人相處的時間無法長久，理查與來迎接他的蓋茲比一同離去。亨利說：「我們約好，在那顆樹下，再次相逢。」理查聽聞，壓抑著內心的眾多情感，與亨利做了約定後，前去找喬治。此時喬治喝醉，正自責著是否選錯了道路…而父親約克公爵的亡魂出現在眼前…。

安因沃里克伯爵的命令與愛德華王太子結婚，但兩人之間並無產生愛情；然而在船上旅途中，訴說著彼此的心裡話，而產生了友情。另一方面，沃里克伯爵終於在戰場中與愛德華對峙，沃里克的兵力較多，對他較有利；但原本加入蘭開斯特派的喬治，卻再次倒戈愛德華，兩方平分秋色，戰況進入膠著狀態。理查讓白金漢假扮自己，而自己卻單獨衝入敵陣。

「說好在那座森林重逢。」理查終於知道跟自己約定的人是殺父之仇的亨利六世，陷入對亨利的情感與背叛約克的情緒中，可望一死了之。白金漢逼迫他，想死就繼續瘋狂殺敵吧，讓理查有所自覺，這是對自己的懲罰。另一方面，蘭開斯特的瑪格麗特王后，雖努力持續對抗，但仍之戰況不利，因此將王太子愛德華的性命託付給安。

愛德華重新登基，約克充滿喜悅，但理查的心卻沉入谷底。「光，一去不復返。」理查來到拘禁亨利的牢獄中，愛德華命令理查殺了亨利。「你總是突然出現，療癒我的傷口卻又撕裂之」理查手持短刀，對亨利述說自己的思念，甚至向亨利敞開自己的秘密。此時，亨利說……。

Ten years later, King Edward IV enjoys a future-predicting "destiny cake" at a banquet. The cake he grabbed was in the shape of a "G," but what does the wine-red "G" suggest about the future? At the banquet, Edward IV meets a woman named Jane. Meanwhile Richard, reappearing at the royal palace after many years, has married Anne, their son Edward growing up healthy and happy. But their happiness is only superficial. "When my soul died, I knew rest, for without a soul, there is no captivity."

Richard captures George for cursing Edward IV. However, Edward IV keeps hoping that George might come to his senses. Richard makes a decision: "Buckingham, kill George." Now Richard must convince Edward IV that it was the Woodville family that sent George to his death. George, cornered by Richard and Buckingham's plot, storms into the courtroom.

Richard is now taking care of Edward IV...but upon the king's death, Queen Elizabeth's brother Anthony plans to install a child prince as king and himself as regent. Anthony also attempts to arrest Richard for treason, but Buckingham also lurks behind the shadows. Finally, Buckingham learns the secret of Richard, who then reveals a dream: "If you can't escape your fate...then become the devil."

Richard and Buckingham embark on a majority-rule maneuver to gain the throne. It creates more suffering for Catesby, who has been trying to protect Richard while serving Hastings. Who is his loyalty truly for? Meanwhile, Hastings and the Queen Mother are planning a service for King Edward V. The service would publicize and solidify Elizabeth's power if held, and now Richard is gradually pushed into a position of inferiority.

Hastings and the Queen Mother carry out a plan to disqualify Richard...but it's revealed that Edward V, son of Edward IV and Elizabeth, had no rightful claim to the throne. So Edward V and his brother are imprisoned in the Tower of London. Thus Richard steadily closes in on the throne...but Cecily agitates the people against it, stating "the devil must not be made king!" Faced with throngs of angry citizens, Richard and Buckingham put on the play of the century.

At a rainy villa, a night spent with Henry VI springs back to Richard's memory. Buckingham, knowing who Richard once loved, joins hands with the king. "Say the name," he tells him, "my name." The villa is visited by Tyrell, the assassin who took George and the others. Buckingham is shocked when he realizes Tyrell is the spitting image of Henry VI. Meanwhile, in London, Richmond is on the move for the throne.

Rumors circulate that Richard is not the rightful king. This story leads to the escape of Edward V, son of the previous king, and his brother from the Tower of London. Richard suffers from poor health as he prepares for his coronation in York. A medical examination by the imprisoned witch Jane suggests a certain possibility. With that in mind, Richard visits Buckingham's castle. There, Buckingham's love for Richard grows to the point where he takes unprecedented action. "I can no longer keep my cool with you around."

Buckingham, determined to rebel, tries to win the cooperation of Bishop Ely and Stanley. Meanwhile, Richmond advises his father-in-law Stanley of the conditions under which he will join the rebellion. Those conditions: The death of King Edward V and his brother, who are imprisoned in the Tower of London. Buckingham believes Richard III, and no one else, must commit the murders. At the same time, Richard enters York and waits for Buckingham, who is expected to come. However, after the coronation, Richard is visited by the assassin Tyrell.

With Buckingham in open rebellion, an anguished Richard turns toward Catesby. "If only I hadn't been so intimate with him. If only I wasn't the son of the devil..." But that was no longer an option. Leaving his wife Anne and son Edward behind, Richard sets out for battle. Richard III and Buckingham cross swords in the Forest of Dean, just as they promised. "I will cross the border and abandon my name. I will stand by your side and cut through your thorns until the day I die. That...and the loyalty to your father that still binds you..."

Just as Richard has personally seen to the end of Buckingham, Anne confesses that her tuberculosis has returned. Anne begs Richard to disinherit their kind-hearted son Edward in order to protect him. Facing the cruel fate of loved ones drifting away, Richard desperate enough for the departed Buckingham to try replacing him with Catesby. But Catesby says he cannot, for "the heat of the body cannot warm the soul." In the midst of this, the battle with Richmond approaches.

"If this name, if this blood, was all an illusion...then what is the point of this battle?" Richard looks back at his past, guided by Tyrell in front of him. "Let us go home, even if it is a battlefield where not even sleep is allowed to us..."