We found a Pygame project at https://github.com/StevePaget/PythonJoust. Read through it to get an idea for how it does the player images.
SpriteExample1.py is recreating a simple version of it.
SpriteExample2.py adds functionality to flip the player left or right.
We found a cool spritesheet at https://opengameart.org/content/minotaur (cc3 Clint Bellanger)
It has a 2D spritesheet, which is a little more advanced. See if you can make it work!
SpriteExample3.py is a finished version. Don't show the student.
SpriteExample4.py includes swinging the axe functionality.