During a mission in the Middle East in 1997, probationary Secret Agent Lee Unwin (Jonno Davies) sacrifices himself to protect his superior Harry "Galahad" Hart (Colin Firth). Hart, blaming himself, returns to London to give Lee's widow Michelle (Samantha Womack) and her young son Gary "Eggsy" (Alex Nikolov) a medal engraved with an emergency assistance number. Seventeen years later, Eggsy (Taron Egerton), having dropped out of training for the Royal Marines despite his intelligence and capability, has become a chav. After being arrested for stealing a car, Eggsy calls the number. Hart arranges his release. Hart explains that he is a member of Kingsman, a private intelligence service founded by wealthy British individuals who lost their heirs in World War I. Hart, code-named "Galahad", explains there is a position available, as Agent "Lancelot" was killed by the assassin Gazelle (Sofia Boutella) while trying to rescue Professor James Arnold (Mark Hamill) from kidnappers. Eggsy becomes Hart's candidate. Other candidates are eliminated through dangerous training tests run by operative "Merlin" (Mark Strong), until only Eggsy and Roxy (Sophie Cookson), a candidate he befriended, are left. Eggsy refuses to complete the final test, shooting a Pug puppy he has raised during the training process (unaware that the gun holds blanks), and Roxy is named the new "Lancelot".