The

Matter of Britain The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the list of legendary kings of Britain, legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It ...

stories, focusing on

King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...

, are one of the most popular literary subjects of all time, and have been adapted numerous times in every form of media. This list enumerates some of the notable works.

Modern literature

* Adam Ardrey: ''

Finding Merlin ''Finding Merlin: The Truth Behind The Legend'' is a 2007 book by Scottish advocate Adam Ardrey, in which he puts forward the theory that Merlin was a Scottish druid, politician and scholar. The book claims that Merlin was born in 540 CE in Cadzow ...

'' (2007) *

A. A. Attanasio Alfred Angelo Attanasio, born on September 20, 1951, in Newark, New Jersey, is an author of fantasy and science fiction. His science fiction novel ''Radix'', winner of the French literary award, the Prix Cosmos 2000, was also nominated for the ...

: ''The Dragon and the Unicorn'' (1994), ''The Eagle and the Sword'' (1997), ''The Wolf and the Crown'' (1998), and ''The Serpent and the Grail'' (1999) *

T. A. Barron Thomas Archibald Barron (born March 26, 1952) is an American writer of fantasy literature, books for children and young adults, and nature books. Biography Barron spent his early childhood in Harvard, Massachusetts, a town full of apple orcha ...

: ''The Merlin Saga'', about the life of

Merlin Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...

(1996-2011). *

Donald Barthelme Donald Barthelme (April 7, 1931 – July 23, 1989) was an American short story writer and novelist known for his playful, postmodernist style of short fiction. Barthelme also worked as a newspaper reporter for the ''Houston Post'', was managing ...

: ''The King'' (1990), in which Arthurian characters fight in WWII and the atomic bomb has characteristics of the

Holy Grail The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracul ...

. *

Derek Benz ''Derek Benz'' (born October 27, 1971)"Biography of Derek Benz"
''Derek Benz''. Giselle Camp ...

and J.S. Lewis: '' The Revenge of the Shadow King'' (2006) reveals an alternate history of Arthur who was betrayed and murdered by his half-sister

Morgan le Fay Morgan le Fay (, meaning 'Morgan the Fairy'), alternatively known as Morgan , Morgain /e Morg e, Morgant Morge , and Morgue namong other names and spellings ( cy, Morgên y Dylwythen Deg, kw, Morgen an Spyrys), is a powerful ...

, who is portrayed as an evil immortal being known as the Black Witch, for possession of a sacred book which had been passed down father-to-son for thousands of years. In this case, Arthur was betrayed when he refused to pass the book on to his illegitimate son. The book was passed to Arthur's true son, and from Arthur's son came the

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

. * Thomas Berger: ''

Arthur Rex ''Arthur Rex: A Legendary Novel'' is a 1978 novel by American author Thomas Berger. Berger offers his own take on the legends of King Arthur, from the heroic monarch's inauspicious conception, to his childhood in bucolic Wales, his rise to the ...

'' (1978) is a tragicomic retelling of the Arthurian legend. *

Marion Zimmer Bradley Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley (June 3, 1930 – September 25, 1999) was an American author of fantasy, historical fantasy, science fiction, and science fantasy novels, and is best known for the Arthurian fiction novel ''The Mists of Avalon'' an ...

: ''

The Mists of Avalon ''The Mists of Avalon'' is a 1983 historical fantasy novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which the author relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters. The book follows the trajectory of Morgaine (Mo ...

'' (1983) is the classic of modern reinterpretations of the Arthurian legend through the points of view of powerful women behind Camelot, namely Morgaine, Gwenhwyfar, and Morgause. *

Gillian Bradshaw Gillian Marucha Bradshaw (born May 14, 1956) is an American writer of historical fiction, historical fantasy, children's literature, science fiction, and contemporary science-based novels, who lives in Britain. Her serious historical novels are oft ...

: The ''Down the Long Wind'' trilogy ''

Hawk of May ''Hawk of May'' is the first installment in Gillian Bradshaw’s ''Down The Long Wind'' trilogy. Published initially in 1980 by Simon and Schuster, ''Hawk of May'' is a bildungsroman set in the time of King Arthur and centered on Gwalchmai ap Lot ...

'' (1980), ''

Kingdom of Summer ''Kingdom of Summer'' is the second book in a trilogy of fantasy novels written by Gillian Bradshaw. The novel tells of the ascendancy of King Arthur and the planting of the seeds of his downfall. The tale is recounted by Rhys ap Sion, a Dumnoni ...

'' (1982), and '' In Winter's Shadow'' (also 1982) looks at the King Arthur legend through the eyes of a

classical scholar Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

. *

James Herbert Brennan James Herbert "Herbie" Brennan (born Ireland, 5 July 1940) is a lecturer and the author of over 100 fiction and non-fiction books for adults, teens, and children. Biography Brennan's ''Man, Myth & Magic (role-playing game), Man, Myth & Magic' ...

: The ''

GrailQuest GrailQuest is a series of gamebooks by J. H. Brennan. The books are illustrated by John Higgins. The stories follow the adventures of a young hero named Pip, who is often called upon by Merlin to right wrongs and save the realm from evil. The ser ...

'' (1984–87)

gamebook A gamebook is a work of printed fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making choices. The narrative branches along various paths, typically through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages. Each narrative typically does not ...

s center on the kingdom of King Arthur. *

Sallie Bridges Sarah Bridges Stebbins, a Philadelphian better known under the pen name Sallie Bridges (1830-1910), was an American poet, best known today for her adaptations of Arthurian legend. Writing career Bridges's ''Marble Isle'' (1864) is a collection of ...

(1830-1910): ''Marble Isle'' (1864) is a collection of poems based on episodes in Malory. *

Bryher Bryher ( kw, Breyer "place of hills") is one of the smallest inhabited islands of the Isles of Scilly, with a population of 84 in 2011, spread across . History The name of the island is recorded as ''Brayer'' in 1336 and ''Brear'' in 1500. Ge ...

: ''Ruan'' (1960) is a historical novel in Britain immediately after Arthur's death. *

Meg Cabot Meggin Patricia Cabot (born February 1, 1967) is an American novelist. She has written and published over 50 novels of young adult and adult fiction and is best known for her young adult series ''Princess Diaries'', which was later adapted by W ...

: ''

Avalon High ''Avalon High'' is a young adult novel by Meg Cabot, published in 2005. Plot Ellie Harrison has just moved to Annapolis, Maryland. Her new school, Avalon High, seems like a typical high school with the stereotypical students: Lance the Jock ( ...

'' (2005) is a novel in which high school students find themselves to be reincarnations of characters from the

Arthurian cycle The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Western ...

. *

Mark Chadbourn Mark Chadbourn is an English fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, and horror author with more than a dozen novels (and one non-fiction book) published around the world. Born in the English Midlands from a long line of coal miners. he g ...

: '' The Age of Misrule'', '' The Dark Age'' and '' Kingdom of the Serpent'' trilogies (2000–09) take a modern twist of Arthurian legend and Celtic mythology, using them as a basis for a dark series of novels set in modern Britain, in which the Celtic gods return to take back the land. *

Douglas Clegg Douglas Clegg (born April 1, 1958) is an American horror and dark fantasy author, and a pioneer in the field of e-publishing. He maintains a strong Internet presence through his website. Early life Born in Alexandria, Virginia to a "family of ...

: '' Mordred, Bastard Son'' (2006) centers on a sympathetic

Mordred Mordred or Modred (; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a figure who is variously portrayed in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein he ...

, who enters into a romance with

Lancelot Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...

. * Molly Cochran and

Warren Murphy Warren Burton Murphy (September 13, 1933 – September 4, 2015) was an American author, most famous as the co-creator of '' The Destroyer'' series, the basis for the film '' Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins''. Early life Murphy was born in ...

: '' The Forever King'' (1992) is a trilogy of books set in modern-day about a boy who is King Arthur reincarnated and his protector Hal, a former police officer who is the reincarnation of Galahad. *

Susan Cooper Susan Mary Cooper (born 23 May 1935) is an English author of children's books. She is best known for '' The Dark Is Rising'', a contemporary fantasy series set in England and Wales, which incorporates British mythology such as the Arthurian le ...

: ''

The Dark Is Rising Sequence ''The Dark Is Rising Sequence'' is a series of five contemporary fantasy novels for older children and young adults that were written by the British author Susan Cooper and published from 1965 to 1977. The first book in the series, ''Over Sea, ...

'' is a five volume young adult fantasy collection (1965–77). * Cemaah (author): " The Shadows Tetralogy" (2022-) is a four-volume series of which two are released about Mordred, with the latter as the protagonist. *

Bernard Cornwell Bernard Cornwell (born 23 February 1944) is an English-American author of historical novels and a history of the Waterloo Campaign. He is best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe. He has also written ''The Saxon ...

: ''

The Warlord Chronicles ''The Warlord Chronicles'' or ''The Warlord Trilogy'' is a series of three novels about Arthurian Sub-Roman Britain, Britain written by Bernard Cornwell. The story is written as a mixture of historical fiction and Arthurian legend. The books were ...

'' (1995–97) consist of three novels, ''Winter King'', ''Enemy of God'', and ''Excalibur'', and reintroduce many old characters into the tale. *

Kevin Crossley-Holland Kevin John William Crossley-Holland (born 7 February 1941) is an English translator, children's author and poet. His best known work is probably the Arthur trilogy (2000–2003), for which he won the Guardian Prize and other recognition. Cros ...

: ''

The Seeing Stone ''The Seeing Stone'', or ''Arthur: The Seeing Stone'', is a historical novel for children or young adults, written by Kevin Crossley-Holland and published by Orion in 2000, the first book of the Arthur trilogy (2000 to 2003). Set primarily i ...

'' (2000), ''At the Crossing-Places'' (2001), and ''King of the Middle-March'' (2003). *

Peter David Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...

: ''Knight'' trilogy depicts Arthur reappearing in the modern-day world. In the first novel, ''

Knight Life ''Knight Life'' (), is an Arthurian fantasy novel by American writer Peter David. The book was first published in 1987, and an expanded, updated edition of the book was published by Ace Books in 2002.David, Peter; Foreword to the 2002 version of ...

'' (1987), Arthur emerges from his thousand-year convalescence that followed the wound he sustained from Mordred to run for mayor of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. In
One Knight Only
' (2003), he faces another epic hero for possession of the

. In
Fall of Knight
' (2006), the villain Arthur encounters is a person from actual history, who possesses the

Spear of Destiny A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastene ...

, and wants to use it to destroy the Earth. * Bryan Davis: ''Dragons in Our Midst'' series (2004–05) & its sequels, ''Oracles Of Fire'' (2006–09), and ''Children of the Bard'' (2011-15) * Mihir Dhawan: ''Knighthood: Order of Chivalry'' (2021) *

David Drake David A. Drake (born September 24, 1945) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy literature. A Vietnam War veteran who has worked as a lawyer, he is now a writer in the military science fiction genre. Biography Drake graduated Phi ...

: '' The Dragon Lord'' (1979), a somewhat unconventional story involving a "King Arthur" who is more great military general than quasi-enchanted king; it takes place shortly after the fall of the Roman Empire and long before the Age of Chivalry. *

Robert W. Fuller Robert Works Fuller (born 1936) is an American physicist, author, social reformer, and former president of Oberlin College. Biography Robert Fuller attended Oberlin College, leaving without graduating in order to earn his Ph.D. in physics at ...

: ''The Rowan Tree'' (2013), a

political novel Political fiction employs narrative to comment on political events, systems and theories. Works of political fiction, such as political novels, often "directly criticize an existing society or present an alternative, even fantast ...

that casts the Arthurian legend in a modern historical setting. *

David Gemmell David Andrew Gemmell (; 1 August 1948 – 28 July 2006) was a British author of heroic fantasy, best known for his debut novel, ''Legend (Gemmell novel), Legend''. A former journalist and newspaper editor, Gemmell had his first work of fict ...

: ''Ghost King (1988)'', ''Last Sword of Power (1988)'', The entire series deals with the Stones of Power, also known as the Sipstrassi. The first two books contain a re-imaging of the Arthurian legend. *

Parke Godwin Parke Godwin (January 28, 1929 – June 19, 2013) was an American writer. He won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novella in 1982 for his story "The Fire When It Comes". He was a native of New York City, where he was born in 1929. He was the g ...

: '' Firelord'' (1980), ''Beloved Exile'' (1984), and ''The Last Rainbow'' (1985) *

Roger Lancelyn Green Roger Gilbert Lancelyn Green (2 November 1918 – 8 October 1987) was a British biographer and children's writer. He was an Oxford academic who formed part of the Inklings literary discussion group along with C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. ...

: ''

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table ''King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' is a retelling of the Arthurian legends, principally Thomas Malory's '' Le Morte d'Arthur'', by Roger Lancelyn Green. It was intended for a child audience. It was first published by Puffin Books ...

'' (1953) * Erik Hildinger: ''Quirinius, Brittania’s Last Roman'' (2021), a novel in which the Arthur character is a portrayed as a late Roman aristocrat fighting to protect the remains Roman culture against Saxons, Scots and the lassitude of his fellow Romanized provincials. *

Robert Holdstock Robert Paul Holdstock (2 August 1948 – 29 November 2009) was an English novelist and author best known for his works of Celts, Celtic, Nordic countries, Nordic, Goths, Gothic and Picts, Pictish fantasy literature, predominantly in the fanta ...

: The Merlin Codex series (2001–07) is a trilogy of

mythic fiction Mythic fiction is literature that is rooted in, inspired by, or that in some way draws from the tropes, themes, and symbolism of myth, legend, folklore, and fairy tales. The term is widely credited to Charles de Lint and Terri Windling. Mythic fic ...

novels which trace Merlin's adventures in Europe before the time of King Arthur, placing him alongside Jason and the Argonauts and

Uther Pendragon Uther Pendragon (Brittonic) (; cy, Ythyr Ben Dragwn, Uthyr Pendragon, Uthyr Bendragon), also known as King Uther, was a legendary King of the Britons in sub-Roman Britain (c. 6th century). Uther was also the father of King Arthur. A few m ...

. *

Helen Hollick Helen Hollick (born 1953) is a British author of historical fiction. She is the author of the Arthurian trilogy '' Pendragon's Banner'', and the novels ''Harold the King'' and ''A Hollow Crown''. Life and career Born in Walthamstow, Hollick wor ...

: '' Pendragon's Banner'' trilogy (1994–97) *

Kazuo Ishiguro Sir Kazuo Ishiguro ( ; born 8 November 1954) is a British novelist, screenwriter, musician, and short-story writer. Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan, and moved to Britain in 1960 with his parents when he was five. He is one of the most cr ...

: ''

The Buried Giant ''The Buried Giant'' is a fantasy fiction, fantasy novel by the Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize-winning British writer Kazuo Ishiguro, published in March 2015. The novel follows an elderly Celtic Britons, Briton couple, Axl and Beatrice ...

'' (2015), set in Britain after Arthur's death. *

Phyllis Ann Karr Phyllis Ann Karr (born July 25, 1944) is an American author of fantasy, Romance novel, romances, Mystery (fiction), mysteries, and non-fiction. She is best known for her "Frostflower and Thorn" series and Arthurian works. Life and family Karr w ...

: ''

The Idylls of the Queen ''The Idylls of the Queen: A Tale of Queen Guenevere'' is a 1982 fantasy mystery novel set in the framework of the King Arthur myths written by American author Phyllis Ann Karr. It was first published in paperback by Ace Books in June 1982, and re ...

'' (1982) *

Guy Gavriel Kay Guy Gavriel Kay (born November 7, 1954) is a Canadian writer of fantasy fiction. The majority of his novels take place in fictional settings that resemble real places during real historical periods, such as Constantinople during the reign of Jus ...

: ''

The Fionavar Tapestry ''The Fionavar Tapestry'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Canadian author Guy Gavriel Kay, published between 1984 and 1986. The novels are partly set in our own contemporary world, but mostly in the fictional world of Fionavar. It is the stor ...

'' (1984–86) is the continuation of the Camelot story in the framework of a wider epic. *

J. Robert King J. Robert King is an American fantasy novelist and former editor and game designer. He also writes non-fantasy fiction as John R. King. Biography J. Robert King was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and grew up in northwestern Indiana. He knew he wante ...

: ''Mad Merlin'' (2000), ''Lancelot Du Lethe'' (2001), and ''Le Morte D'Avalon'' (2003) is the retelling of the Arthurian legend from the perspectives of Merlin and Lancelot rather than on the usual Arthur. King weaves his tale by combining bits of folklore and mythology with both sheer invention and historical fact. Merlin is actually the god Jupiter. *

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...

: '' The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah'' (2004) reveals that the hero of King's spaghetti-western/fantasy/sci-fi magnum opus adventure series, Roland, is one of only two of King Arthur's surviving descendants. The version of Arthur in Roland's world is known as Arthur Eld, and was the founder of the order of Gunslingers, knightly warriors who wield

revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...

pistols in the name of justice; Eld's own guns were reportedly forged from the metal of

Excalibur Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...

itself. * James Knowles: ''The Legends of King Arthur and his Knights'' (1860) *

Giles Kristian Giles Kristian (born 1975) is an English novelist, known for his action adventure novels in the historical fiction genre. He is best known for his ''Raven'' series, about a young man's coming of age amongst a band of Viking warriors. His first no ...

: ''Lancelot'' (2018) and its sequel, ''Camelot'' (2020) are historical re-imagining of the Arthur myths, told from the perspective of Lancelot. *

Sidney Lanier Sidney Clopton Lanier (February 3, 1842 – September 7, 1881) was an American musician, poet and author. He served in the Confederate States Army as a private, worked on a blockade-running ship for which he was imprisoned (resulting in his catch ...

: ''The Boy's King Arthur'' (1880) is a work based on

Thomas Malory Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of '' Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of '' Le Morte d' ...

's ''

Le Morte d'Arthur ' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the Rou ...

'', written in such a way to appeal to the boys of the 19th century. *

Stephen R. Lawhead Stephen R. Lawhead (born 2 July 1950) is a UK-based American writer known for his works of fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction, particularly Celtic historical fiction. He has written over 28 novels and numerous children's and non- ...

: ''

The Pendragon Cycle The Pendragon Cycle is a series of historical fantasy books based on Arthurian legend, written by Stephen R. Lawhead. The cycle was originally planned as a four-book series, but the original publisher opted to stop after the first three books, re ...

'' (1987-1999), a more thorough examination of the myths, especially concerning

Taliesin Taliesin ( , ; 6th century AD) was an early Brittonic poet of Sub-Roman Britain whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the '' Book of Taliesin''. Taliesin was a renowned bard who is believed to have sung at the courts ...

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...

Pendragon Pendragon or ( wlm, pen dreic, ''pen dragon''; composed of Welsh , 'head, chief, top' and / '' dragon'', 'dragon; warrior'; borrowed from the Latin word , plural , 'dragon , br, Penn Aerouant) literally means 'chief dragon' or 'head dragon', bu ...

, and the

Grail The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) was an American lunar science mission in NASA's Discovery Program which used high-quality gravitational field mapping of the Moon to determine its interior structure. The two small spacecraf ...

. *

C.S. Lewis CS, C-S, C.S., Cs, cs, or cs. may refer to: Job titles * Chief Secretary (Hong Kong) * Chief superintendent, a rank in the British and several other police forces * Company secretary, a senior position in a private sector company or public se ...

: ''

That Hideous Strength ''That Hideous Strength: A Modern Fairy-Tale for Grown-Ups'' is a 1945 novel by C. S. Lewis, the final book in Lewis's theological science fiction Space Trilogy. The events of this novel follow those of '' Out of the Silent Planet'' and '' Pere ...

'' (1945) makes reference to Arthur and aspects of Arthurian legend, albeit with his own twist, in the final installment of his

Space Trilogy ''The Space Trilogy'' or ''Cosmic Trilogy'' is a series of science fiction novels by C. S. Lewis. The trilogy consists of ''Out of the Silent Planet'' (1938), '' Perelandra'' (1943), and ''That Hideous Strength'' (1945). A philologist named E ...

. *

Bernard Malamud Bernard Malamud (April 26, 1914 – March 18, 1986) was an American novelist and short story writer. Along with Saul Bellow, Joseph Heller, and Philip Roth, he was one of the best known American Jewish authors of the 20th century. His baseba ...

: ''

The Natural ''The Natural'' is a 1952 novel about baseball by Bernard Malamud, and is his debut novel. The story follows Roy Hobbs, a baseball prodigy whose career is sidetracked after being shot by a woman whose motivation remains mysterious. The story mos ...

'' (1952), a modern reinterpretation of the

Fisher King The Fisher King is a figure in Arthurian legend, the last in a long line of British kings tasked with guarding the Holy Grail. The Fisher King is both the protector and physical embodiment of his lands, but a wound renders him incapable and hi ...

story, centered around a baseball team known as the New York Knights. Also a 1984 film. *

John Masefield John Edward Masefield (; 1 June 1878 – 12 May 1967) was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate from 1930 until 1967. Among his best known works are the children's novels ''The Midnight Folk'' and ''The Box of Delights'', and the poem ...

: A cycle of poetry concerning the Arthurian legend. (Edwardian-Post WWII) *

Nancy McKenzie Nancy Affleck McKenzie (February 19, 1948) is an American author of historical fiction. Her primary focus is Arthurian legend. Publishing career McKenzie published ''The Child Queen'' in 1994, and its sequel, ''The High Queen'', a year later. ' ...

: ''

Queen of Camelot ''Queen of Camelot'' is an Arthurian-legend based novel shown through the viewpoint of Queen Guinevere. It is a combination of two of Nancy McKenzie's previous books ''The Child Queen'' and ''The High Queen''. She states in the foreword that she o ...

'' (2002), where Guinevere gives a first-hand account of her life, ''

Grail Prince Grail Prince, a 2003 novel by American author Nancy McKenzie written in the tradition of Arthurian legends, recounts a version of Galahad's quest for the Holy Grail. The novel is a sequel to McKenzie's ''Queen of Camelot'' (2002). Plot summary Be ...

'' (2003), set directly after Arthur's death at Camlann, and ''Prince of Dreams'' (2004) * Rosalind Miles: ''Guenevere Trilogy'' is a fictional trilogy that follows Guenevere and King Arthur through their reign as High King and Queen. * Richard Monaco: ''Parsifal, A Knight's Tale'' is the first of a series set in Arthur's court. Just about all the characters are unsympathetic, and Arthur is a ruthless, brutal killer. *

Michael Morpurgo Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo (''né'' Bridge; 5 October 1943) is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as ''War Horse'' (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytellin ...

: ''Arthur, High King of Britain'' (1994) *

Gerald Morris Gerald Morris (October 29, 1963
Excerpt from '' Something About the Author'' at highbeam.com– ) is an American ...

: The Squire's Tales and The Knight's Tales are collections for teen readers based in the Middle Ages. *

Garth Nix Garth Richard Nix (born 19 July 1963) is an Australian writer who specialises in children's and young adult fantasy novels, notably the ''Old Kingdom'', '' Seventh Tower'' and '' Keys to the Kingdom'' series. He has frequently been asked if his ...

: Contained in Nix's collection ''Across the Wall'' are two stories that present a different take on the

Arthurian legends The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Western ...

: "Under the Lake", a short story that portrays the Lady of the Lake as a parasitic, monstrous creature, and "Heart's Desire", which tells of Merlin and his apprentice Nimue, and the ultimately doomed relationship between them. *

Robert Nye The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

: ''Merlin'', which gives a paganistic view of Merlin's intrigues to make Arthur king. *

Tim Powers Timothy Thomas Powers (born February 29, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy fiction, fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels ''Last Call (novel), Last Call'' and ''Declare''. ...

: ''

The Drawing of the Dark ''The Drawing of the Dark'' is a historical fantasy novel by Tim Powers published in 1979 by Del Rey Books. Plot summary The year is 1529, and Brian Duffy, a world-weary Irish mercenary soldier, is hired in Venice by the mysterious Aurelianus to ...

'' depicts an eternal King Arthur reincarnated to participate in the

Siege of Vienna Sieges of Vienna may refer to: * Siege of Vienna (1239) * Siege of Vienna (1276) * Siege of Vienna (1287) * Siege of Vienna (1477), unsuccessful Hungarian attempt during the Austro–Hungarian War. *Siege of Vienna (1485), Hungarian victory during ...

. *

John Cowper Powys John Cowper Powys (; 8 October 187217 June 1963) was an English philosopher, lecturer, novelist, critic and poet born in Shirley, Derbyshire, where his father was vicar of the parish church in 1871–1879. Powys appeared with a volume of verse ...

: ''

Porius (A Romance of the Dark Ages) ''Porius: A Romance of the Dark Ages'' is a 1951 historical romance by John Cowper Powys. Set in the Dark Ages during a week of autumn 499 AD, this novel is, in part, a bildungsroman, with the adventures of the eponymous protagonist Porius, heir ...

'' (1951). *

Howard Pyle Howard Pyle (March 5, 1853 – November 9, 1911) was an American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people. He was a native of Wilmington, Delaware, and he spent the last year of his life in Florence, Italy. In 1894, he began ...

: ''

King Arthur and His Knights of The Round Table ''King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' is a retelling of the Arthurian legends, principally Thomas Malory's '' Le Morte d'Arthur'', by Roger Lancelyn Green. It was intended for a child audience. It was first published by Puffin Books ...

'' (1903) * Mary Reed and

Eric Mayer The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...

: The historical mystery '' One for Sorrow'' has the protagonist John, the Lord Chamberlain meeting with a Knight of the Round Table who comes to

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

in search of the

. *

Philip Reeve Philip Reeve (born 28 February 1966) is a British author and illustrator of children's books, primarily known for the 2001 book ''Mortal Engines'' and its sequels (the 2001 to 2006 ''Mortal Engines Quartet''). His 2007 novel, ''Here Lies Arthur ...

: ''

Here Lies Arthur ''Here Lies Arthur'' is a young-adult novel by Philip Reeve, published by Scholastic in 2007. Set in fifth or sixth century Britain and the Anglo-Saxon invasion, it features a girl who participates in the deliberate construction of legendary K ...

'' tells of a more tyrannical Arthur in the time of the Dark Ages. *

Lisa Ann Sandell Lisa Ann Sandell is an American author of young adult novels. She has written and published three books, ''A Map of the Known World'', '' Song of the Sparrow'' and ''The Weight of the Sky''. Biography Before she published her first book, Sande ...

: ''

Song of the Sparrow ''Song of the Sparrow'' is a young adult novel by Lisa Ann Sandell, published in 2007. It is written completely in lyrical form. It is set during the Dark Ages in Britain and is a retelling of the story of The Lady of Shalott a figure from Arth ...

'', a retelling of the story of Elaine of Ascolat, the

Lady of Shalott "The Lady of Shalott" is a lyrical ballad by the 19th-century English poet Alfred Tennyson and one of his best-known works. Inspired by the 13th-century Italian short prose text '' Donna di Scalotta'', the poem tells the tragic story of Elain ...

. *Jacob Sannox: The Return of King Arthur consists of ''The Ravenmaster's Revenge'' (2019), ''Agravain's Escape'' (2020) and ''Tristan's Regret'' (TBC). The series is set in various time periods including Arthur's original reign, that of the Tudors and Stuarts, and from the 17th century (the time of Arthur's messianic return) up until the present day. *

Jack Spicer Jack Spicer (January 30, 1925 – August 17, 1965) was an American poet often identified with the San Francisco Renaissance. In 2009, ''My Vocabulary Did This to Me: The Collected Poetry of Jack Spicer'' won the American Book Award for poetry. H ...

: ''The Holy Grail'', a series of poems spoken by various Arthurian characters (1962). *

Nancy Springer Nancy Springer (born July 5, 1948) is an American author of fantasy, young adult literature, mystery, and science fiction. Her novel ''Larque on the Wing'' won the Tiptree Award in 1994. She also received the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers ...

: ''I am Mordred'' and ''I am Morgan le Fay'' are two young adult novels about the two often misunderstood characters of Camelot. *

John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...

: ''

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights ''The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights'' (1976) is John Steinbeck's retelling of the Arthurian legend, based on the Winchester Manuscript text of Sir Thomas Malory's '' Le Morte d'Arthur''. He began his adaptation in November 1956. Stei ...

'' is a traditional take in modern language. Steinbeck also compared the adventures of the ''paisanos'' in his early novel ''

Tortilla Flat ''Tortilla Flat'' (1935) is an early John Steinbeck novel set in Monterey, California. The novel was the author's first clear critical and commercial success. The book portrays a group of 'paisanos'—literally, countrymen—a small band of err ...

'' to the exploits of Arthur's knights. *

Sara Hawks Sterling Sara Hawks Sterling was an American schoolteacher and novelist. Sterling specialized in fiction about historical and legendary figures, such as King Arthur, Robin Hood, and Anne Hathaway (wife of Shakespeare), Anne Hathaway. Her novel ''Shakespe ...

: '' A Lady of King Arthur's Court'' * Mary Stewart: ''

The Crystal Cave ''The Crystal Cave'' is a 1970 fantasy novel by Mary Stewart. The first in a quintet of novels covering the Arthurian legend, it is followed by '' The Hollow Hills''. Plot introduction The protagonist of this story is a boy named Myrddin Emrys ...

'' sets up the background for the Arthurian legend. ''

The Hollow Hills ''The Hollow Hills'' is a novel by Mary Stewart. It is the second in a trilogy of novels covering the Arthurian Legends. This book is preceded by ''The Crystal Cave'' and succeeded by ''The Last Enchantment''. ''The Hollow Hills'' was publ ...

'' encompasses most of Arthur's lifespan, including his childhood with Merlin as his tutor. ''

The Last Enchantment ''The Last Enchantment'' is a 1979 fantasy novel by Mary Stewart. It is the third in a quintet of novels covering the Arthurian legend, preceded by '' The Hollow Hills'' and succeeded by ''The Wicked Day''. Plot introduction The protagonist of ...

'' deals with Merlin's later life, against the continued background of Arthur's rule. A later book, ''

The Wicked Day ''The Wicked Day'' is the fourth novel in Mary Stewart's treatment of Arthurian legend. It was published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1983. It is preceded in the pentalogy by '' The Last Enchantment'' (1979), and succeeded by '' The Prince and the ...

'', was written from the point of view of Mordred in the latter period of Arthur's rule, and provides an interesting counterpoint to the original three novels. *

Rosemary Sutcliff Rosemary Sutcliff (14 December 1920 – 23 July 1992) was an English novelist best known for children's books, especially historical fiction and retellings of myths and legends. Although she was primarily a children's author, some of her novel ...

: '' The Lantern Bearers'' (1959), ''

Sword at Sunset ''Sword at Sunset'' is a best-selling 1963 novel by Rosemary Sutcliff. One of her few historical novels written specifically for adults, it is her interpretation of the legend of King Arthur. This is the first novel that Sutcliff wrote using a ...

'' (1963), ''

Tristan and Iseult Tristan and Iseult, also known as Tristan and Isolde and other names, is a medieval chivalric romance told in numerous variations since the 12th century. Based on a Celtic legend and possibly other sources, the tale is a tragedy about the illic ...

'' (1971); ''The King Arthur Trilogy'' (2007), an omnibus edition of Sutclff's Arthurian Trilogy: '' The Light Beyond the Forest'' (1979), ''

The Sword and the Circle ''The Sword and the Circle, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table'' is a children's novel written by Rosemary Sutcliff and was first published in 1981. The story is a retelling of the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round ...

'' (1981), and '' The Road to Camlann'' (1981); ''The Shining Company'' (1990), a retelling of the ''

Y Gododdin ''Y Gododdin'' () is a medieval Welsh poem consisting of a series of elegies to the men of the Brittonic kingdom of Gododdin and its allies who, according to the conventional interpretation, died fighting the Angles of Deira and Bernicia at a p ...

'', which contains the earliest mention of Arthur's name. In ''Taliesin's Successors: Interviews with authors of modern Arthurian literature'', The Camelot Project at the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of Roc ...

(August 1986),

Raymond H. Thompson Raymond H. Thompson is a Canadian scholar of medieval literature specializing in King Arthur and the Matter of Britain, and in the reinterpretation of this material in modern literature. He is a professor emeritus in the Department of English at Aca ...

described these seven works by Sutcliff as "some of the finest contemporary recreations of the Arthurian story". *

Alfred, Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

: ''

Idylls of the King ''Idylls of the King'', published between 1859 and 1885, is a Literature cycle, cycle of twelve narrative poems by the English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892; Poet Laureate from 1850) which retells the legend of King Arthur, his knig ...

'' *

Lavie Tidhar Lavie Tidhar ( he, לביא תדהר; born 16 November 1976) is an Israeli-born writer, working across multiple genres. He has lived in the United Kingdom and South Africa for long periods of time, as well as Laos and Vanuatu. As of 2013, Tid ...

: ''By Force Alone'' (2020) *

J.R.R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...

: ''

The Fall of Arthur ''The Fall of Arthur'' is an unfinished poem by J. R. R. Tolkien that is concerned with the legend of King Arthur. A posthumous first edition of the poem was published by HarperCollins in May 2013. The poem is alliterative, extending to nearly ...

'' is an unfinished poem, posthumously published in 2013. *

Nikolai Tolstoy Count Nikolai Dmitrievich Tolstoy-Miloslavsky (russian: Граф Николай Дмитриевич Толстой-Милославский; born 23 June 1935), known as Nikolai Tolstoy, is a British monarchist and historian. He is a former ...

:''

The Coming of the King ''The Coming of the King: The First Book of Merlin'' is a 1988 historical fantasy novel by Nikolai Tolstoy drawing upon Arthurian legend and more broadly, Celtic and Germanic mythology. The novel is the first in an as-yet unfinished trilogy. T ...

'' - part one of an unfinished trilogy, dealing with Merlin and various Arthurian characters. *

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

: ''

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled ''A Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. Some early editions are titled ''A Yankee at the Court of King Arth ...

'' *

Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...

: The ''

Lyonesse Trilogy The ''Lyonesse Trilogy'' is a group of three fantasy novels by Jack Vance, set in the European Dark Ages, in the mythical Elder Isles west of France and southwest of Britain, a generation or two before the birth of King Arthur. The stories cont ...

'', set before Arthur's time on the Elder Isles, a fictional archipelago inspired by the tales of

Lyonesse Lyonesse is a kingdom which, according to legend, consisted of a long strand of land stretching from Land's End at the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England, to what is now the Isles of Scilly in the Celtic Sea portion of the Atlantic Ocean. I ...

, Ys, and other lost lands associated with Arthurian legend. *

Kiersten White Kiersten White is an American author of fiction for children and young adults. Her first book, '' Paranormalcy'', was published by HarperCollins in 2009. Early life White was born in Utah in 1983 and graduated in 2004 from Brigham Young Univer ...

: The ''Camelot Rising'' trilogy, which consists of ''The Guinevere Deception'', ''The Camelot Betrayal'' and ''The Excalibur Curse''. The story is presented as the real Guinevere having died before reaching Camelot to wed Arthur. Taking her place is a changeling, Merlin's adoptive daughter, who could be exiled should her magic nature be revealed. *

T. H. White Terence Hanbury "Tim" White (29 May 1906 – 17 January 1964) was an English writer best known for his Arthurian novels, published together in 1958 as ''The Once and Future King''. One of his most memorable is the first of the series, '' The Sw ...

: ''

The Once and Future King ''The Once and Future King'' is a collection of fantasy novels by T. H. White about the legend of King Arthur. It is loosely based upon the 1485 work '' Le Morte d'Arthur'' by Sir Thomas Malory. It was first published in 1958 as a collection ...

'' cycle *

Jack Whyte Jack Whyte (March 15, 1940February 22, 2021) was a Scottish-Canadian novelist of historical fiction. Born and raised in Scotland, he moved to Canada in 1967. He resided in Kelowna, British Columbia. Early life Whyte was born in Scotland on Mar ...

: ''

The Camulod Chronicles ''A Dream of Eagles'' is a historical novel series written by the Canadian author Jack Whyte. It was published in the United States as the ''Camulod Chronicles''. The novels are a rendition of the Arthurian legend that attempt to propose a possi ...

'', a series of books containing more historical fiction than fantasy beginning with Roman Britain and leading through Arthur's reign. *

Joan Wolf Joan Wolf (born 1951 in Bronx, New York) is an American writer of romance novels. Wolf grew up in the Bronx, New York. She obtained a bachelor's degree in Mercy College and Master in English and Comparative Literature in Hunter College. Biblio ...

: '' The Road to Avalon'' (1988) *

Persia Woolley Persia Woolley (November 8, 1935 – October 3, 2017) was an American author, perhaps best known for her Guinevere trilogy. She also has written a number of works on writing, such as ''How to Write and Sell Historical Fiction'' (2000). Wo ...

: ''

Child of the Northern Spring ''Child of the Northern Spring'' is the first novel in Persia Woolley's Guinevere trilogy, about the Arthurian legend. The novel is written in first person perspective narrated by Guinevere in the form of a frame narrative. Plot summary The no ...

'', ''

Queen of the Summer Stars ''Queen of the Summer Stars'' is a 1991 novel by Persia Woolley and is the second volume of the Guinevere trilogy that relate the Arthurian legend from the perspective of Guinevere. The novel introduces Lancelot and also outlines King Arthur's vic ...

'', and '' Guinevere: The Legend in Autumn''

Theatre

Musical theatre

*''King Arthur'' by

Laurence Binyon Robert Laurence Binyon, CH (10 August 1869 – 10 March 1943) was an English poet, dramatist and art scholar. Born in Lancaster, England, his parents were Frederick Binyon, a clergyman, and Mary Dockray. He studied at St Paul's School, London ...

, with music by

Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

(1923) *''King Arthur'' by D. G. Bridson, with music by

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

(1937) *''

Camelot Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as the ...

'' by

Alan Jay Lerner Alan Jay Lerner (August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986) was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, and later Burton Lane, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre bot ...

and

Frederick Loewe Frederick Loewe (, originally German Friedrich (Fritz) Löwe ; June 10, 1901 – February 14, 1988) was an Austrian-United States, American composer. He collaborated with lyricist Alan Jay Lerner on a series of Broadway musicals, including ''Br ...

(1960). It is based on the

legend as adapted from the

novel ''

''. Originally starring

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

as Arthur,

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...

as Guinevere, and introducing

Robert Goulet Robert Gérard Goulet (November 26, 1933 October 30, 2007) was an American and Canadian singer and actor of French-Canadian ancestry. Goulet was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts until age 13, and then spent his formative years in Cana ...

as Lancelot. The original cast album of the show was a particular favorite of then-President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

, and the "Camelot" metaphor has been often associated with his presidency. ''

'', the movie, was filmed in 1967, with

Richard Harris Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, notably as Corrado Zeller in Michelangelo Antonioni's '' Red Desert'', Frank Machin in ''This Sporting ...

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, two ...

Guenevere Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First men ...

, and

Franco Nero Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero (born 23 November 1941), known professionally as Franco Nero, is an Italian actor, producer, and director. His breakthrough role was as the title character in the Spaghetti Western film '' Django'' (1966), ...

. *''

'', a musical, with concept by

illusionist Magic, which encompasses the subgenres of illusion, stage magic, and close up magic, among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means. It ...

Doug Henning Douglas James Henning (May 3, 1947 – February 7, 2000) was a Canadian magician, illusionist, escape artist and politician. Early life Henning was born in the Fort Garry district of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and began practising magic at Oakenw ...

and Barbara De Angelis, written by

Richard Levinson Richard Leighton Levinson (August 7, 1934 – March 12, 1987) was an American screenwriter and Television producer, producer who often worked in collaboration with William Link. Life and career Levinson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. H ...

and

William Link William Theodore Link (December 15, 1933 – December 27, 2020) was an American film and television screenwriter and producer who often worked in collaboration with Richard Levinson. Biography Early life Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ...

, with music (and

incidental music Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as t ...

) by

Elmer Bernstein Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 origi ...

and lyrics by Don Black (1983) *''

Spamalot ''Spamalot'' (also known as ''Monty Python's Spamalot'') is a musical comedy with music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, and lyrics and book by Idle. It is adapted from the 1975 film ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail''. Like the motion picture ...

'', by

John Du Prez John Du Prez (born Trevor Jones; 14 December 1946) is a British musician, conductor and composer. He was a member of the 1980s salsa-driven pop band Modern Romance and has since written several film scores including ''Oxford Blues'' (1984), '' ...

and

Eric Idle Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. Idle was a member of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band The Rutles, and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the Broadwa ...

, with lyrics and book by Eric Idle (2004). Adapted from the film ''

Monty Python and the Holy Grail ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'' is a 1975 British comedy film satirizing the Arthurian legend, written and performed by the Monty Python comedy group (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin) an ...

'' by

Monty Python Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four ...

. It won the 2004–2005

Tony Award for Best Musical The Tony Award for Best Musical is given annually to the best new Broadway musical play, musical, as determined by Tony Award voters. The award is one of the ceremony's longest-standing awards, having been presented each year since 1949. The awa ...

. Starring

Tim Curry Timothy James Curry (born 19 April 1946) is an English actor and singer. He rose to prominence for his portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the film ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London ...

as King Arthur. *''

La Légende du roi Arthur La Légende du roi Arthur is a French-language musical comedy written by Dove Attia that premiered in Paris in September 2015. The show then toured through France, Belgium, and Switzerland. Synopsis The show opens with Merlin gathering the people ...

'' by

Dove Attia Jules Dove Attia (Arabic: جول دوف عطية) better known as Dove Attia (born in Tunisia on 8 June 1957) is a musical producer television personality. Beginnings Dove Attia is a French citizen born to a Tunisian father who was an electrici ...

, a French musical comedy that premiered in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

in 2015.

Straight plays

* ''The Island of the Mighty'', an Arthurian trilogy by

John Arden John Arden (26 October 1930 – 28 March 2012) was an English playwright who at his death was lauded as "one of the most significant British playwrights of the late 1950s and early 60s". Career Born in Barnsley, son of the manager of a glass f ...

and Margaretta Ruth D'Arcy (1972), produced by the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

, Aldwych Theatre, which led to the creation of the Theatre Writers' Union

Verse plays

The Arthurian legend has proved a constant source of material for verse dramatists. Several adaptations exist, most dealing with the love triangle between Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot. Some notable examples are:

Classical verse plays

*''

The Misfortunes of Arthur ''The Misfortunes of Arthur, Uther Pendragon's son reduced into tragical notes'' is a play by the 16th-century English dramatist Thomas Hughes. Written in 1587, it was performed at Greenwich before Queen Elizabeth I on February 28, 1588. The play ...

'' by Sir Thomas Hughes (1587) *''Vortigern: An Historical Tragedy in Five Acts'' by

W. H. Ireland William Henry Ireland (1775–1835) was an English forger of would-be Shakespearean documents and plays. He is less well known as a poet, writer of gothic novels and histories. Although he was apparently christened William-Henry, he was known a ...

(1799) *''Tom Thumb the Great: A Burlesque Tragedy, in Two Acts Altered, from Fielding'' by

Kane O'Hara Kane O'Hara (1711 or 1712 – 17 June 1782) was an Irish composer and playwright. Biography O'Hara was born at Templehouse, Connaught, Ireland, the second son of Kean O'Hara, high-sheriff of County Sligo. He graduated from Trinity College, Dubli ...

(1805) *''King Arthur: Or, Launcelot the Loose, Gin-Ever the Square, and the Knights of the Round Table, and Other Furniture. A Burlesque Extravaganza'' by

W. M. Akhurst William Mower Akhurst (29 December 1822 – 6/7 June 1878) was an actor, journalist and playwright in Australia. Akhurst was born in Hammersmith, London or Brook Street, Grosvenor Square, London, a son of William Akhurst (1793–1866) and Harriet ...

, with editing by Rosemary Paprock (1868) *''The New King Arthur: An Opera Without Music'' by

Edgar Fawcett Edgar Fawcett (May 26, 1847 – May 2, 1904) was an American novelist and poet. Biography Early life and education Fawcett was born in New York City on May 26, 1847 and spent much of his life there. Educated at Columbia College, he obtained th ...

(1885) *''The Marriage of Guinevere: A Tragedy'' by

Richard Hovey Richard Hovey (May 4, 1864 – February 24, 1900) was an American poet. Graduating from Dartmouth College in 1885, he is known in part for penning the school Alma Mater, '' Men of Dartmouth''. Biography Hovey was born in Normal, Illinois, the ...

(1891) *''The Quest of Merlin: A Prelude'' by

(1891) *''King Arthur'' by

J. Comyns Carr Joseph William Comyns Carr (1 March 1849 – 12 December 1916), often referred to as J. Comyns Carr, was an English drama and art critic, gallery director, author, poet, playwright and theatre manager. Beginning his career as an art critic, Car ...

, with music by

Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...

(1895) *''The Birth of Galahad'' by

(1898) *''Taliesin: A Masque'' by

(1900) *''Tristam & Iseult'' by

(1906) *''Guenevere: A Play in Five Acts'' by

Stark Young Stark Young (October 11, 1881 – January 6, 1963) was an American teacher, playwright, novelist, painter, literary critic, translator, and essayist. Early life Stark Young was born on October 11, 1881 in Como, Mississippi. His father, Alfre ...

(1906) *''Mordred, A Tragedy in Five Acts'' by Wilfred Cambell (1908)

Modern verse plays

*''The Tragedy of Arthur'' by

Arthur Phillips Arthur Phillips (born April 23, 1969) is an American novelist. His books include ''Prague'' (2002), ''The Egyptologist'' (2004), ''Angelica'' (2007), ''The Song Is You'' (2009), '' The Tragedy of Arthur'' (2011), and ''The King at the Edge of the ...

(2011) produced b
Guerilla Shakespeare Project
in NYC *''The Table Round'' and ''The Siege Perilous'' by

Emily C. A. Snyder Emily C. A. Snyder (born September 10, 1977) is an American theatre maker, actor, and novelist. She is the co-founder and artistic director oTurn to Flesh Productions(TTF), a New York City theatre company, and the author of the Twelve Kingdoms ...

(2019) produced b
Turn to Flesh Productions
in NYC

Opera

Henry Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer. Purcell's style of Baroque music was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest E ...

: ''

'' (1691), libretto by

John Dryden '' John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the per ...

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

: ''

Lohengrin Lohengrin () is a character in Germany, German Arthurian literature. The son of Percival, Parzival (Percival), he is a knight of the Holy Grail sent in a boat pulled by swans to rescue a maiden who can never ask his identity. His story, which fi ...

'' (1848), libretto by composer *

: ''

Tristan und Isolde ''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the 12th-century romance Tristan and Iseult by Gottfried von Strassburg. It was compose ...

'' (1865), libretto by composer *

: ''

Parsifal ''Parsifal'' ( WWV 111) is an opera or a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is loosely based on the 13th-century Middle High German epic poem ''Parzival'' ...

'' (1882), libretto by composer *

Karl Goldmark Karl Goldmark (born Károly Goldmark, Keszthely, 18 May 1830 – Vienna, 2 January 1915) was a Hungarian-born Viennese composer.Peter Revers, Michael Cherlin, Halina Filipowicz, Richard L. Rudolph The Great Tradition and Its Legacy 2004; , p. ...

: ''Merlin'' (1886), libretto by Siegfried Lipiner *

Hubert Parry Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Baronet (27 February 18487 October 1918) was an English composer, teacher and historian of music. Born in Richmond Hill in Bournemouth, Parry's first major works appeared in 1880. As a composer he is b ...

: ''Guinevere'' (1886) *

Amadeu Vives Amadeu Vives i Roig (; 18 November 1871 – 2 December 1932) was a Spanish musical composer, creator of over a hundred stage works. He is best known for ''Doña Francisquita ''Doña Francisquita'' is a zarzuela in three acts composed by Ama ...

: ''Arthús'' (1895) *

Isaac Albéniz Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual (; 29 May 1860 – 18 May 1909) was a Spanish virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor. He is one of the foremost composers of the Post-Romantic era who also had a significant influence on his conte ...

: ''

'' (1897–1902), intended to be the first of a trilogy, libretto by

Francis Money-Coutts, 5th Baron Latymer Francis Burdett Thomas Nevill Money-Coutts, 5th Baron Latymer (18 September 1852 – 8 June 1923) was a London solicitor, poet, librettist, and wealthy heir to the fortune of the Coutts banking family. He is now remembered chiefly as a patron ...

Ernest Chausson Amédée-Ernest Chausson (; 20 January 1855 – 10 June 1899) was a French Romantic composer who died just as his career was beginning to flourish. Life Born in Paris into an affluent bourgeois family, Chausson was the sole surviving child of a ...

: '' Le roi Arthus'' (1903), libretto by composer *

Rutland Boughton Rutland Boughton (23 January 187825 January 1960) was an English composer who became well known in the early 20th century as a composer of opera and choral music. He was also an influential communist activist within the Communist Party of Gre ...

: ''The Birth of Arthur'' (1909), libretto by Reginald Buckley *

Harrison Birtwistle Sir Harrison Birtwistle (15 July 1934 – 18 April 2022) was an English composer of contemporary classical music best known for his operas, often based on mythological subjects. Among his many compositions, his better known works include ''Th ...

: ''

Gawain Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...

'' (1991), libretto by

David Harsent David Harsent (born in Devon) is an English poet who for some time earned his living as a TV scriptwriter and crime novelist. Background During his early career he was part of a circle of poets centred on Ian Hamilton and forming something of a ...

Film

English-language theatrical films

Relatively straightforward adaptations of the legends, reconstructed history, or modern Arthurian material.

Adaptations of the original Arthurian Legend

These films are generally based on

which are set in medieval time period and King Arthur's the main character. * '' The Adventures of Sir Galahad'' (1949), a film serial starring

George Reeves George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 – June 16, 1959) was an American actor. He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series '' Adventures of Superman'' (1952–1958). His death at age 45 from a g ...

, most known for playing

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...

, as Sir Galahad as he attempts to keep Excalibur safe from the evil Saxons and Merlin's magic with the help of Morgan La Fey. * ''

Knights of the Round Table The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...

'' (1953), a film based on ''

,'' directed by

Richard Thorpe Richard Thorpe (born Rollo Smolt Thorpe; February 24, 1896 – May 1, 1991) was an American film director best known for his long career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Biography Born Rollo Smolt Thorpe in Hutchinson, Kansas, Richard Thorpe began his en ...

with Robert Taylor as Lancelot,

Ava Gardner Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her perform ...

as Guinevere, and

Mel Ferrer Melchor Gastón Ferrer (August 25, 1917 – June 2, 2008) was an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He achieved prominence on Broadway before scoring notable film hits with ''Scaramouche'', ''Lili'' and ''Knights of the Round ...

in the role of Arthur. *'' The Black Knight'' (1954), a film starring

Alan Ladd Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and film producer. Ladd found success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in films noir and Westerns. He was often paired with Veronica Lake ...

as the titular

Black Knight The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with t ...

, a blacksmith named John who creates an alter ego to go after the men who are responsible for killing the mother of the woman he loves who are led by the traitorous Sir Palamides, played by

Peter Cushing Peter Wilton Cushing (26 May 1913 – 11 August 1994) was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage, and radio roles. He achieved recognition ...

. * ''

Lancelot and Guinevere ''Lancelot and Guinevere'' (known as ''Sword of Lancelot'' in the U.S.) is a British 1963 film starring Cornel Wilde, his real-life wife at the time, Jean Wallace, and Brian Aherne. This lesser-known version of the Camelot legend is a work shap ...

'' a.k.a. ''Sword of Lancelot'' (1963), a film directed by

Cornel Wilde Cornel Wilde (born Kornél Lajos Weisz; October 13, 1912 – October 16, 1989) was a Hungarian-American actor and filmmaker. Wilde's acting career began in 1935, when he made his debut on Broadway. In 1936 he began making small, uncredited app ...

, who also stars as Lancelot, with

Jean Wallace Jean Wallace (born Jean Walasek or Wallasek; October 12, 1923 – February 14, 1990) was an American television and film actress. Early life Wallace was born in Chicago, Illinois to John T. Walaszek and Mary A. Walaszek (''née'' Sharkey). ...

as Guinevere, and

Brian Aherne William Brian de Lacy Aherne (2 May 190210 February 1986) was an English actor of stage, screen, radio and television, who enjoyed a long and varied career in Britain and the United States. His first Broadway appearance in ''The Barretts of W ...

as Arthur. * ''

Siege of the Saxons ''Siege of the Saxons'' is a 1963 British adventure film directed by Nathan H. Juran and released by Columbia Pictures. Starring Janette Scott and Ronald Lewis, the film is set in the time of King Arthur, but, as with many Arthurian themed films ...

'' (1963), a British film inspired by the plot of

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...

in which King Arthur is killed by Edmund of Cornwall as he attempts to usurp Arthur's throne, but Arthur's daughter Katherine (played by

Janette Scott Thora Janette Scott (born 14 December 1938) is an English retired actress. Life and career Scott was born on 14 December 1938 in Morecambe, Lancashire, England. She is the daughter of actors Jimmy Scott and Thora Hird and began her acting car ...

) is able to escape with the help of a thieving archer named Robert Marshall who only steals from the rich (played by Ronald Lewis). * ''

'' (1967), a film adaption of the Broadway musical which is based on the novels

The Ill-Made Knight ''The Ill-Made Knight'' is a fantasy novel by British writer T. H. White, the third book in the series ''The Once and Future King''. It was first published in 1940, but is usually found today only in collected editions of all four books of the ...

and

The Candle in the Wind ''The Candle in the Wind'' is a fantasy novel by English writer T. H. White, the fourth book in the series ''The Once and Future King''. Written in 1940, it was first published in 1958 in the collected edition. It deals with the last weeks of A ...

from T.H. White's Once and Future King series. The film is directed by

Joshua Logan Joshua Lockwood Logan III (October 5, 1908 – July 12, 1988) was an American director, writer, and actor. He shared a Pulitzer Prize for co-writing the musical '' South Pacific'' and was involved in writing other musicals. Early years Logan ...

and stars

as Arthur,

as Guinevere, and

as Lancelot. * ''

Lancelot du Lac Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...

'' (1974), a film by

Robert Bresson Robert Bresson (; 25 September 1901 – 18 December 1999) was a French film director. Known for his ascetic approach, Bresson contributed notably to the art of cinema; his non-professional actors, Ellipsis (narrative device), ellipses, and s ...

based on Arthurian legend, the

Lancelot-Grail The ''Lancelot-Grail'', also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th-century French Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance in Old French. The cycle of unknown authors ...

cycle and the works of

Chrétien de Troyes Chrétien de Troyes (Modern ; fro, Crestien de Troies ; 1160–1191) was a French poet and trouvère known for his writing on Arthurian subjects, and for first writing of Lancelot, Percival and the Holy Grail. Chrétien's works, including ''E ...

, with Vladimir Antolek-Oresek as Arthur, Luc Simon as Lancelot and Laura Duke Condominas as Guinevere. * ''

'' (1981), a film by

John Boorman Sir John Boorman (; born 18 January 1933) is a British film director, best known for feature films such as ''Point Blank'' (1967), ''Hell in the Pacific'' (1968), ''Deliverance'' (1972), ''Zardoz'' (1974), '' Exorcist II: The Heretic'' (1977), ...

based largely on

Le Morte D'Arthur ' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the Rou ...

, featuring

Nicol Williamson Thomas Nicol Williamson (14 September 1936 – 16 December 2011) was a Scottish actor, once described by playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando". He was also described by Samuel Beckett as "touched by genius" and view ...

as Merlin and

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ...

as Morgana, with

Nigel Terry Peter Nigel Terry (15 August 1945 – 30 April 2015) was an English stage, film, and television actor, typically in historical and period roles. He played John, King of England, Prince John in Anthony Harvey's film ''The Lion in Winter (1968 f ...

as Arthur,

Nicholas Clay Nicholas Anthony Phillip Clay (18 September 1946 – 25 May 2000) was an English actor. Early life Clay was born in Streatham, London on 18 September 1946, the son of a professional soldier in the British Army's Royal Engineers. The famil ...

as Lancelot,

Cherie Lunghi Cherie Mary Lunghi (born 4 April 1952) is an English film, television, and theatre actress, known for her roles in many British TV dramas. Her international fame stems from her role as Guinevere in the 1981 film ''Excalibur''. Her long list of ...

as Guinevere,

Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor who has a career spanning seven decades in various stage productions, television, film and video games. He has been nominated for Olivier, Tony, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Screen Actor ...

as King Leodegrance and

Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on ''The I ...

as Gawain. * ''

First Knight ''First Knight'' is a 1995 medieval film based on Arthurian legend, directed by Jerry Zucker. It stars Sean Connery as King Arthur, Richard Gere as Lancelot, Julia Ormond as Guinevere and Ben Cross as Malagant. The film follows the rogue La ...

'' (1995) is based on the abduction of Guinevere by the knight Malagant. It featured

Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina ...

as Arthur,

Richard Gere Richard Tiffany Gere ( ; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in '' Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) and a starring role in ''Days of Heaven'' (1978). He came to prominence with ...

as Lancelot, and

Julia Ormond Julia Karin Ormond (born 4 January 1965) is an English actress. She rose to prominence by appearing in ''The Baby of Mâcon'' (1993), '' Legends of the Fall'' (1994), ''First Knight'' (1995), ''Sabrina'' (1995), '' Smilla's Sense of Snow'' (199 ...

as Guinevere. * '' Sir Lanval'' (2011)'','' a film adaptation of the late 12th century narrative poem by

Marie de France Marie de France ( fl. 1160 to 1215) was a poet, possibly born in what is now France, who lived in England during the late 12th century. She lived and wrote at an unknown court, but she and her work were almost certainly known at the royal court ...

. Lanval is a young knight at Arthur's court who attracts the attention of both Queen Guinevere and an otherworldly fairy maiden. * ''

Arthur and Merlin ''Arthur and Merlin'' is a 2015 independent British feature film directed by Marco van Belle and written by Kat Wood and Marco van Belle. The film, which stars Kirk Barker, Stefan Butler, Nigel Cooke and David Sterne, is based on the original Celti ...

'' (2015), Arthur (Kirk Barker) is a banished Celtic warrior, and Merlin (Stefan Butler) a hermit wizard. (direct-to-video) * '' King Arthur: Legend of the Sword'' (2017) is a live-action film which follows a young Arthur who is learning how to master the sword

Caliburn Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in the ...

and fight his way back as rightful heir and king of ancient Britain.

Charlie Hunnam Charles Matthew Hunnam (; born 10 April 1980) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Pete Dunham in ''Green Street Hooligans'' (2005) and as Jax Teller in the FX series ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2014). For the latter, he was ...

played the titular role.

Adaptations of Tristan legend

English Language films that are based on the legend of Tristan and Iseult, which originated in the 12th century * '' Tristan & Isolde'' (2006) a film adaption of the legend produced by

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...

and his brother

Tony Scott Anthony David Leighton Scott (21 June 1944 – 19 August 2012) was an English film director and producer. He was known for directing highly successful action and thriller films such as ''Top Gun'' (1986), ''Beverly Hills Cop II'' (1987), ''Day ...

and directed by Kevin Reynolds, starring

James Franco James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. For his role in '' 127 Hours'' (2010), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Franco is known for his roles in films, such as Sam Raimi's ''Spider-Ma ...

as Tristan and

Sophia Myles Sophia Jane Myles (; born 18 March 1980) is an English actress. She is best known in film for portraying Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in Thunderbirds (2004 film), ''Thunderbirds'' (2004), Isolde in ''Tristan & Isolde (film), Tristan & Isolde'' (2 ...

as Isolde.

Adaptations of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight ''Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'' is a late 14th-century chivalric romance in Middle English. The author is unknown; the title was given centuries later. It is one of the best-known Arthurian stories, with its plot combining two types of f ...

(Middle English: Sir Gawayn and þe Grene Knyȝt) is a late 14th-century Middle English chivalric romance. It is one of the best known Arthurian stories, the following films are directly based on the romance: * ''

Gawain and the Green Knight ''Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'' is a late 14th-century chivalric romance in Middle English. The author is unknown; the title was given centuries later. It is one of the best-known Arthurian stories, with its plot combining two types of f ...

'' (1973) * '' Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'' (1984) * '' The Green Knight'' (2021)

Films based on ''A Connecticut Yankee''

Films based on

's novel ''

'', about a modern man/woman who travels in time to Arthur's period. * ''

'' (1921) * '' A Connecticut Yankee'' (1931) first sound film adaptation of Twain's novel, with

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...

as the time-traveling Yankee and

William Farnum William Farnum (July 4, 1876 – June 5, 1953) was an American actor. He was a star of American silent film cinema and became one of the highest-paid actors during that time. Biography Farnum was born on July 4, 1876, in Boston, Massachus ...

as Arthur. * ''

'' (1949) a musical film adaptation of Twain's novel, with

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

as the time-traveling Yankee and

Cedric Hardwicke Sir Cedric Webster Hardwicke (19 February 1893 – 6 August 1964) was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned nearly 50 years. His theatre work included notable performances in productions of the plays of Shakespeare and Shaw, and ...

as Arthur. * ''

Unidentified Flying Oddball ''Unidentified Flying Oddball'' is a 1979 science fiction comedy film. It is based on Mark Twain's 1889 novel ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'', directed by Russ Mayberry and produced by Walt Disney Productions. Released in the Un ...

'', aka ''The Spaceman and King Arthur'' or ''A Spaceman in King Arthur's Court'' (1979) * ''

A Kid in King Arthur's Court ''A Kid in King Arthur's Court'' is a 1995 fantasy film directed by Michael Gottlieb (in his final directorial film before his death in 2014) and released by Walt Disney Pictures in association with Trimark Pictures and Tapestry Films. It is loo ...

'' (1995) * ''

A Knight in Camelot ''A Knight in Camelot'' is a 1998 television film starring Whoopi Goldberg and Michael York, directed by Roger Young, and loosely based on Mark Twain's 1889 novel ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. The film was released as part of ...

'' (1998) * ''

'' (2001)

Films based on Prince Valiant

Prince Valiant ''Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur'', often simply called ''Prince Valiant'', is an American comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretc ...

is an American comic strip set within the Arthurian Legend. The following films were based on the comic strip: * ''

'' (1954) * ''

'' (1997)

Films set in the Roman Empire

These films generally feature King Arthur, in Roman Empire settings and as the main character. * ''

'' (2004) a motion picture claiming to be more historically accurate (despite being heavily criticised for its historical inaccuracies) about the legend of Arthur as a 5th-century, British-born, Roman commander, with respect to new

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

findings; similar in story line to Jack Whyte's books. * ''

The Last Legion ''The Last Legion'' is a 2007 historical action adventure film directed by Doug Lefler and produced by Dino De Laurentiis. It is based on the 2002 novel of the same name by Valerio Massimo Manfredi. It stars Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, Aishwarya ...

'' (2007) * '' Pendragon: Sword of His Father'' (2008) (direct-to-video)

Animated films

* ''

Knight-mare Hare ''Knight-mare Hare'' is a 1955 Warner Bros. '' Merrie Melodies'' theatrical cartoon directed by Chuck Jones and written by Tedd Pierce. The short was released on October 1, 1955, and stars Bugs Bunny. Plot Loosely based on Mark Twain's 1889 n ...

'' (1955), Looney Tunes animated shorts with Bugs Bunny taking on Arthurian legend. * ''

Knighty Knight Bugs ''Knighty Knight Bugs'' is a 1958 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng, The short was released on August 23, 1958, and stars Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam. ''Knighty Knight Bugs'' is the only Bugs Bunny cartoon to win an ...

'' (1958), Looney Tunes animated shorts with Bugs Bunny taking on Arthurian legend. * '' The Sword in the Stone'', a 1963 Disney animated film about Arthur's childhood, loosely adapted from T.H. White's novel of the same name. *''

Willy McBean and his Magic Machine Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and scree ...

'' (1965), as stop-motion animated film loosely based on Arthurian Legend. * ''

Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw ''Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw'' is a 1988 American animated musical adventure film based on the Tonka toy line and the Hanna-Barbera television series of the same name, which aired around the same time. It was directed by Pierre DeCel ...

'' (1988) contains an early scene taking place in the "Dark Ages" and featuring a young

as he finds Excalibur and becomes king. * ''

Quest for Camelot ''Quest for Camelot'' (released internationally as ''The Magic Sword: Quest for Camelot'') is a 1998 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Warner Bros. Feature Animation and directed by Frederik Du Chau and very loosely based on the ...

'' (1998) with King Arthur ruling over a besieged Camelot. * ''

Shrek the Third ''Shrek the Third'' (also known as ''Shrek 3'') is a 2007 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig, produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The se ...

'' (2007), parody of the arthurian legend. * ''

Scooby-Doo! The Sword and the Scoob ''Scooby-Doo! The Sword and the Scoob'' is a 2021 American direct-to-DVD animated comedy film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. It is the thirty-fifth entry in the direct-to-video series of ''Sc ...

'' (2021), Scooby-Doo direct-to-DVD film taking on Arthurian legend.

Modernization and parodies

Productions whose plot "updates" or otherwise moves the legend to modern times. * ''

'' (1904) (based on Wagner opera) * '' Knights of the Square Table'' (1917) * ''

King Arthur Was a Gentleman ''King Arthur Was a Gentleman'' is a 1942 British, black-and-white, comedy, musical film, directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Arthur Askey. It was produced by Edward Black and Maurice Ostrer for Gainsborough Pictures. Synopsis Set during W ...

'' (1942) * ''

Squareheads of the Round Table ''Squareheads of the Round Table'' is a 1948 short subject directed by Edward Bernds starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). It is the 106th entry in the series released by Columbia Pict ...

'' (1948) * ''

Knutzy Knights ''Knutzy Knights'' is a 1954 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). It is the 156th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring t ...

'' (1954) * ''

'' (1975), a comedic parody of the traditional King Arthur legend. It was later adapted into a successful Broadway musical called ''

''. Arthur was played by

Graham Chapman Graham Chapman (8 January 1941 – 4 October 1989) was a British actor, comedian and writer. He was one of the six members of the surreal comedy group Monty Python. He portrayed authority figures such as The Colonel and the lead role in two P ...

in the film. * ''

Knightriders ''Knightriders'' is a 1981 American drama film written and directed by George A. Romero and starring Ed Harris, Gary Lahti, Tom Savini, Amy Ingersoll, Patricia Tallman, and Christine Forrest. It was filmed entirely on location in the Pittsbu ...

'' (1981) * ''

The Last Starfighter ''The Last Starfighter'' is a 1984 American space opera film directed by Nick Castle. The film tells the story of Alex Rogan (Lance Guest), a teenager recruited by an alien defense force to fight in an interstellar war. It also features Robert ...

'' (1984) * ''

The Fisher King ''The Fisher King'' is a 1991 American fantasy comedy-drama film written by Richard LaGravenese and directed by Terry Gilliam. Starring Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges, with Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer, and Michael Jeter in supporting roles, ...

'' (1991) * ''

Army of Darkness ''Army of Darkness'' is a 1992 American comedy horror film directed, co-written and co-edited by Sam Raimi, co-produced by Robert Tapert and Bruce Campbell and co-written by Ivan Raimi. Starring Campbell and Embeth Davidtz, it is the third i ...

'' (1992), Third in the Evil Dead trilogy sees the protagonist, Ash, sent back to medieval Britain where he defends Lord Arthur from an army of the dead. * '' Seaview Knights'' (1994) (direct-to-video) * ''

Kids of the Round Table ''Kids of the Round Table'' is a 1995 Canadian/American fantasy film written and directed by Robert Tinnell. Malcolm McDowell, Michael Ironside and newcomer Johnny Morina star in a modern-day adventure filled with medieval magic. Plot A boy nam ...

'' (1995) * ''

Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders ''Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders'' is a 1996 American fantasy horror film written and directed by Kenneth J. Berton. The film stars Ernest Borgnine as a grandfather telling his grandson a story about the wizard Merlin opening up a store in ...

'' (1996) (direct-to-video) * ''

The Mighty ''The Mighty'' is a 1998 American coming of age buddy comedy-drama film directed by Peter Chelsom and written by Charles Leavitt. Based on the book ''Freak the Mighty'' by Rodman Philbrick, the film stars Sharon Stone, Gena Rowlands, Gillian And ...

'' (1998) * '' Merlin: The Return'' (2000) * ''

The Sorcerer's Apprentice "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (german: "Der Zauberlehrling", link=no, italic=no) is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe written in 1797. The poem is a ballad in 14 stanzas. Story The poem begins as an old magician (fantasy), sorcerer departs his ...

'' (2001) * ''

'' (2010) * ''

Merlin and the War of the Dragons ''Merlin and the War of the Dragons'' is a 2008 fantasy film produced by The Asylum, based loosely on the legends of King Arthur. It was filmed entirely on location in Wales. Plot In Pre-England Britain, before the birth of King Arthur, Merli ...

'' (2008)(direct-to-video) * '' Transformers: The Last Knight'' (2017) * ''

The Kid Who Would Be King ''The Kid Who Would Be King'' is a 2019 fantasy action-adventure film written and directed by Joe Cornish. A British/American venture, the film stars Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Tom Taylor, Dean Chaumoo, Rhianna Doris, Angus Imrie, Rebecca Fergu ...

'' (2019)

Foreign-language films

Foreign-language films based on the medieval Arthurian legends * ''

'' (France, 1974) * ''

Perceval le Gallois ''Perceval le Gallois'' () is a 1978 historical drama film written and directed by Éric Rohmer, based on the 12th-century Arthurian romance ''Perceval, the Story of the Grail'' by Chrétien de Troyes. Synopsis The film chronicles Percival's kni ...

'' (France, 1978) * '' Kaamelott: The First Chapter'' (France, 2021)

Films based on
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
's ''
Parsifal ''Parsifal'' ( WWV 111) is an opera or a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is loosely based on the 13th-century Middle High German epic poem ''Parzival'' ...
''

Foreign-language films that are based on Wagner opera *''

The Evil Forest ''The Evil Forest'' ( es, Parsifal) is a 1951 Spanish drama film directed by Daniel Mangrané. It was entered into the 1952 Cannes Film Festival. Plot During World War III, two soldiers enter a ruined building. They find an old book containin ...

'' (Spain,?1951) * ''

'' (France & West Germany, 1982)

Films based on the Tristan legend

Foreign-language films that are based on the legend of Tristan and Iseult * ''

L'Éternel retour ''The Eternal Return'' (French: ''L'Éternel retour'') is a 1943 French romantic drama film directed by Jean Delannoy and starring Madeleine Sologne and Jean Marais. The screenplay was written by Jean Cocteau as a retelling of Tristan and Iso ...

'' (France, 1943) * '' Feuer und Schwert'' (West Germany, 1981) * ''

La Femme d'à côté ''The Woman Next Door'' () is a 1981 French romantic drama film directed by François Truffaut. Reminiscent of the medieval legend of Tristan and Iseult but set among young middle-class people in a provincial city, it tells the story of a fatal r ...

'' (France, 1981) (modern day adaption of the Tristan Legend) * ''

In the Shadow of the Raven ''In the Shadow of the Raven'' ( Icelandic: ''Í skugga hrafnsins'' ()) is the title of a 1988 film by Hrafn Gunnlaugsson, set in Viking Age Iceland. The film was selected as the Icelandic entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 61st A ...

'' (Iceland, 1988) * ''

Connemara Connemara (; )( ga, Conamara ) is a region on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speak ...

'' (1989) * '' Pardes'' (India, 1997) (modern day adaption of the Tristan Legend)

Other films

Foreign-language animation, derivative works, parodies and modern settings: * ''

New Adventures of a Yankee in King Arthur's Court ''New Adventures of a Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Fantasy over Mark Twain's theme'' (russian: Новые приключения янки при дворе короля Артура. Фантазии на тему Марка Твена) is a 1 ...

'' (USSR, 1988) A Soviet adaption of Mark Twain's novel ''

'' * ''

Dragon and Slippers A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted a ...

'' (1990) (Animated film) * ''

Avalon Avalon (; la, Insula Avallonis; cy, Ynys Afallon, Ynys Afallach; kw, Enys Avalow; literally meaning "the isle of fruit r appletrees"; also written ''Avallon'' or ''Avilion'' among various other spellings) is a mythical island featured in the ...

'' (Poland & Japan, 2001) (A parody film that updates the legend to modern settings)

Television

English-language, Live-action Television series and films

Television films and specials

* ''

'' (1982) a videotaped stage performance of the Broadway musical based on

T.H. White Terence Hanbury "Tim" White (29 May 1906 – 17 January 1964) was an English writer best known for his Arthurian novels, published together in 1958 as ''The Once and Future King''. One of his most memorable is the first of the series, '' The Sw ...

series, presented on HBO.
''Gawain and the Green Knight''
(1991) a British television film adaption of the poem

, directed b
John Michael Phillips
and starring

Malcolm Storry Malcolm Storry (born 13 January 1948) is an English actor with extensive experience on stage, television, and film. Amongst many roles, he is perhaps best known for 'Yellin' in ''The Princess Bride'', HM Customs Chief Bill Adams on ''The Knock'' ...

as the Green Knight and

Jason Durr Jason Durr (born 2 December 1967) is an English actor (although he also holds an Irish passport) of theatre, television and film. After trading at LAMDA he began his career with The Royal Shakespeare Company, later making his television debut a ...

as Sir Gawain, with

Marc Warren Marc Warren (born 20 March 1967) is an English actor, known for his British television roles. His roles have included Albert Blithe in '' Band of Brothers'', Danny Blue in '' Hustle'', Dougie Raymond in '' The Vice'', Dominic Foy in '' Stat ...

as King Arthur. * ''

Guinevere Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First ment ...

'' (1994), A

Lifetime Television Lifetime is an American basic cable channel that is part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a subsidiary of A&E Networks, which is jointly owned by Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company. It features programming that is geared toward ...

movie A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

based on the

Arthurian legend The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Wester ...

. The story is told from Queen

's point of view, presenting her as the driving force behind the success of

. * The 2004

History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...

special '' Quest for King Arthur'', hosted by

, with an introduction by

Ioan Gruffudd Ioan Gruffudd (; (born 6 October 1973) is a Welsh actor. He first came to public attention as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in ''Titanic'' (1997), and then for his portrayal of Horatio Hornblower in the '' Hornblower'' series of television films ...

, highlights several historical figures who may have contributed to Arthurian legend. It was shown on the History Channel just prior to the release of the 2004 film ''

'', which featured Gruffudd as the character

and doing a voice-over introduction. The obvious tie-in was to assert the historical accuracy of the film.

Television films and specials, modernization and parodies

* ''

Once Upon a Classic ''Once Upon a Classic'' was an American television program hosted by Bill Bixby. The program aired on PBS from 1976 to 1980 as a production of WQED in Pittsburgh. The episodes consisted of adaptations of such classic literature as ''A Connecticut ...

: "

"'' (TV film, 1978) An adaptation of Mark Twain's novel with

Paul Rudd Paul Stephen Rudd (born April 6, 1969) is an American actor. He studied theater at the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, before making his acting debut in 1991. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in ...

as Hank/Sir Boss,

Richard Basehart John Richard Basehart (August 31, 1914 – September 17, 1984) was an American actor. He starred as Admiral Harriman Nelson in the television science-fiction drama ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' (1964–68). He also portrayed Wilton Knight ...

as King Arthur and

Roscoe Lee Browne Roscoe Lee Browne (May 2, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American actor and director. He resisted playing stereotypically black roles, instead performing in several productions with New York City's Shakespeare Festival Theater, Leland Hayward's ...

as Merlin. *''

Merlin and the Sword ''Merlin and the Sword'' is a 1985 American made-for-television fantasy adventure sword and sorcery film based on the Arthurian legend. It was released in some regions as ''Arthur the King''. Plot A woman falls into an icy cave at Stonehenge and ...

'' a.k.a. ''Arthur the King (''1985'')'' is an American television movie that was filmed in 1982 about a woman falling into an icy cave at Stonehenge and waking up in

Arthurian King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a Legend, legendary king of Great Britain, Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest tradition ...

times. * ''

Merlin and the Dragons ''Merlin and the Dragons'' is a 1991 animated film adapted from a story by Jane Yolen and illustrations by Alan Lee (illustrator), Alan Lee. It was directed by Dennis Woodyard (as Dennis J. Woodyard) and Hu Yihong and includes a musical score by co ...

'' (1991) * ''

The Four Diamonds The Four Diamonds is a fantasy themed, allegorical short story written by Chris Millard in 1972 shortly before succumbing to cancer at the age of 14. After returning from summer vacation, his teacher told Chris' class to write a story about what the ...

'' (1995) * ''

'' (1998) based on ''A Connecticut Yankee'' by Mark Twain * '' The Excalibur Kid'' (1999) * ''

'' (TV film, 2010) Britt Robertson is cast as Arthur as the setting of this Disney Channel Original Movie is a mix of battle sequences and a high school setting . Allie Pennington, (Robertson) learns she is the reincarnation of the legendary king.

Television mini series

* The 1979 mini series ''

The Legend of King Arthur ''The Legend of King Arthur'' is a British television fantasy serial, produced by the BBC in association with Time-Life Television and the Australian Broadcasting Commission, and broadcast on BBC 1 in 1979.Kevin J. Harty, "Cinema Arthuriana: A ...

'' is a BBC adaption of the story produced by

Ken Riddington Ken Riddington (8 May 1922 – 26 December 2014)Simon Farquha ''The Independent'', 12 March 2015. Some sources give his year of births as 1920. was an English television producer, who worked predominantly in BBC television drama from the 1970s onwa ...

and starring

Andrew Burt Andrew Thomas Hutchison Burt (23 May 1945 – 16 November 2018) was a British actor, voiceover artist, and counsellor. Early life and education Andrew Burt was born on 23 May 1945 in Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, to Hutchison Bu ...

as Arthur. * The 1998 television mini series ''

'' (1998) shows the tale of Arthur and his knights from Merlin's perspective, starring

Sam Neill Sir Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill (born 14 September 1947) is a New Zealand actor. Neill's near-50 year career has included leading roles in both dramas and blockbusters. Considered an "international leading man", he has been regarded as one o ...

. * ''

'' (2001) is a television miniseries produced by

TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...

based on the novel by

, retelling the Arthurian legend mostly from the perspective of Morgaine and other women of the tale, with

Julianna Margulies Julianna Margulies (; born June 8, 1966) is an American actress. After several small television roles, Margulies achieved wide recognition for her starring role as Carol Hathaway on NBC's long-running medical drama series '' ER'' (1994–2009), ...

as Morgaine,

Anjelica Huston Anjelica Huston ( ; born July 8, 1951) is an American actress and director. Known for often portraying eccentric and distinctive characters, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as no ...

The Lady of the Lake The Lady of the Lake (french: Dame du Lac, Demoiselle du Lac, cy, Arglwyddes y Llyn, kw, Arloedhes an Lynn, br, Itron al Lenn, it, Dama del Lago) is a name or a title used by several either fairy or fairy-like but human enchantresses in the ...

Samantha Mathis Samantha Mathis (born May 12, 1970) is an American actress and trade union leader who served as the Vice President, Actors/Performers of SAG-AFTRA from 2015 to 2019. The daughter of actress Bibi Besch, Mathis made her film debut in '' Pump Up t ...

Gwenhwyfar Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First men ...

Edward Atterton Edward Atterton (born 24 January 1962 in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England) is an English actor and businessman.https://www.manta.com/c/mmd610z/london-jigsaw Biography Atterton was born in 1962 to Dr David Valentine Atterton (1927-2002),The Fou ...

as Arthur,

Tamsin Egerton Tamsin Olivia Egerton (born Tamsin Olivia Egerton-Dick; 26 November 1988) is a British actress known for her roles as Chelsea Parker in the 2007 film ''St Trinian's'', Holly Goodfellow in the 2005 film ''Keeping Mum'', and Guinevere in the 2011 t ...

as young Morgaine and

Freddie Highmore Alfred Thomas Highmore (born 14 February 1992) is an English actor. He is known for his starring roles beginning as a child, in the films '' Finding Neverland'' (2004), ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' (2005), ''August Rush'' (2007), and '' ...

as young Arthur. * ''

Merlin's Apprentice ''Merlin's Apprentice'' is a 2006 miniseries. It is a sequel to the 1998 television miniseries ''Merlin'' with Sam Neill and Miranda Richardson reprising their roles as Merlin and the Lady of the Lake, albeit slightly different versions of their ...

'' (2006) (very loose retelling set after death of Arthur)

Television series

*The 1950s British television series ''

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot ''The Adventures of Sir Lancelot'' is a British television series first broadcast in 1956, produced by Sapphire Films for ITC Entertainment and screened on the ITV network. The series starred William Russell as the eponymous Sir Lancelot, a Kn ...

'' (1956–57), recounts the knight's exploits and stars William Russell as the titular character, most known for his role as

Ian Chesterton Ian Chesterton is a fictional character in the British science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and a companion (Doctor Who), companion of the First Doctor. He was played in the series by William Russell ( ...

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

. It featured Arthur and many other characters from the legends and it was the first British television series ever to be made in colour (although surviving episodes of season 1 are in black and white), and one of the first to be aired by an American network. Although it suffered low ratings due to

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

’s

Burns and Allen Burns and Allen was an American comedy duo consisting of George Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen. They worked together as a successful comedy team that entertained vaudeville, film, radio, and television audiences for over forty years. The duo ...

airing at the same time slot. *The 1970s British television series, '' Arthur of the Britons'' (1972–1973), starring

Oliver Tobias Oliver Tobias Freitag (born 6 August 1947), known professionally as Oliver Tobias, is a Swiss-born UK-based film, stage, and television actor and director. Biography Born in Zürich, Switzerland, he is the son of the Austrian-Swiss actor Rober ...

, sought to create a more "realistic" portrait of the period and to explain the origins of some of the myths about the Celtic leader. *''

'' (2008-2012) is the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

's second Arthurian adaptation after the 1979 mini-series, this time a retelling following a young Merlin and Arthur (played by

Colin Morgan Colin Morgan (born 1 January 1986) is a Northern Irish actor. He is best known for playing the title character in the BBC fantasy series '' Merlin'' (2008–2012), Leo Elster in ''Humans'' (2015–2018), and Billy Clanton in Kenneth Branagh’s ...

and

Bradley James Bradley James (born 1983 or 1984) is an English actor. He is best known for starring as Arthur Pendragon in the BBC TV (NBC in America) series '' Merlin,'' Damien Thorn in ''Damien'', Varga in '' Underworld: Blood Wars'', Giuliano de' Medici '' ...

, respectively) and their journey towards fulfilling their destiny. *''

'' is a series on

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...

which is an adaption of

that debuted February 25th, 2011. It begins at the very earliest story with twenty-year-old Arthur (

Jamie Campbell Bower James Metcalfe Campbell Bower (born 22 November 1988) is an English actor and singer. He made his feature film debut in 2007 with a supporting role in '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street''. He went on to feature in '' The Twiligh ...

), long lost son of Uther Pendragon, being crowned king and pulling the

Sword of Mars The Sword of Attila, also called the Sword of Mars or Sword of God, was the legendary weapon carried by Attila the Hun. Attestations The Roman historian Jordanes, quoting the work of the historian Priscus, gave the story of its origin: When a ce ...

from a stone after his half-sister Morgan (

Eva Green Eva Gaëlle Green (, ; born ) is a French actress and model. The daughter of actress Marlène Jobert, she began her career in theatre before making her film debut in Bernardo Bertolucci's '' The Dreamers'' (2003). She achieved international reco ...

) poisons their father. A more adult-oriented take on the Arthurian legends than the concurrent series ''Merlin'', it was cancelled after one season because of many scheduling conflicts of the cast and showrunners. *'' Cursed'' (2020) is a Netflix adaption of the

Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on Daredevil (Marvel Comics ser ...

graphic novel of the same name, following Nimue (

Katherine Langford Katherine Langford (born 29 April 1996) is an Australian actress. After appearing in several independent films, she had her breakthrough starring as Hannah Baker in the Netflix television series ''13 Reasons Why'' (2017–2018), which earned he ...

) who wields Excalibur and Arthur ( Devon Terrell) who is a sellsword.

Television series, modernization and parodies

* ''

Raven A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus ''Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between "crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigned t ...

'' (1977) * ''

Mr. Merlin ''Mr. Merlin'' is an American sitcom that ran for one season, from 1981 to 1982, about Merlin the wizard (played by Barnard Hughes), who is immortal, living in modern-day San Francisco, and disguised as Max Merlin, a mechanic. ''Mr. Merlin'' was ...

'' (1981–82), Merlin lives in modern times. * '' Small World'' (1988) * '' Doctor Who - Battlefield'' (1988–1989) * '' Sir Gadabout: The Worst Knight in the Land'' (2002–2003), a children's spoof of the Arthurian legend. * ''

Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction Adventure fiction, adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wrigh ...

'' Season 9 to 10 (2006–2007) *The BBC series ''

'' (2008-2012) is a re-imagining of the legend in which the future King Arthur and Merlin are young contemporaries in

Uther Uther Pendragon (Brittonic) (; cy, Ythyr Ben Dragwn, Uthyr Pendragon, Uthyr Bendragon), also known as King Uther, was a legendary King of the Britons in sub-Roman Britain (c. 6th century). Uther was also the father of King Arthur. A few mi ...

's kingdom. Arthur quickly transitions from a spoiled young prince into a beloved king, while Merlin perfects his magic arts in secret. Inspired by ''

Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar Gough ...

'' (which was a similar show featuring

characters) and the subject of critical acclaim, ''Merlin'' ran for five series. *The ABC series ''

Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in the ...

'' (2011-2018) features many aspects from the Arthurian legends. Camelot is mentioned several times as a region within the Enchanted Forest. Also, Lancelot appears in the second and fifth seasons. In the fifth season, the heroes seek out the sorcerer

to battle the darkness that currently plagues hero-turned-villain

Emma Swan Emma Swan is a fictional character in ABC's television series ''Once Upon a Time'' and the protagonist of seasons 1-6. She is portrayed by Jennifer Morrison as an adult, by Abby Ross as a teenager, and by Mckenna Grace as a child. Emma appears ...

. In the third episode of the season, King Arthur (portrayed once again by

Liam Garrigan Liam Thomas Garrigan (born 17 October 1981) is an English actor. As a youth, he attended classes at Kingston upon Hull's Northern Stage Company and was a student at Wyke College, Kingston upon Hull. His first television role was as Nic Yorke in ...

) is revealed to be a villain. As the season progresses, his villainous acts are discovered by the heroes, including his killing of Merida's father, but he is eventually defeated and imprisoned. Towards the end of the season, he is killed by the god of the Underworld,

Hades Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...

, and is sent to the Underworld. It is there he encounters a deceased

Killian Jones The characters of ABC's ''Once Upon a Time'' and its spin-off '' Once Upon a Time in Wonderland'' are related to classic fairy tale and fantasy characters, and often tie-in with other Disney media properties. Cast Main cast : = Main cast (cr ...

, and they work together to help the heroes in the living realm defeat Hades. With the underworld in disarray, Arthur realizes a prophecy he heard that he would repair a broken kingdom wasn't talking about Camelot, but the Underworld. He then bids Killian farewell, and hopes to redeem himself by helping the souls of the deceased. *The Canadian TV show ''

Guinevere Jones ''Guinevere Jones'' is a fantasy television series and a series of four novels created by Elizabeth Stewart. It revolves around the adventures of the title character as she uses magic to fight evil, while at the same time dealing with problems an ...

'' (2006) features a reincarnation of Guinevere who is helped by the spirit of Merlin to learn magic and fight against Morgana, and dealing with High School problems. *The first season of the American television show '' The Librarians'' is centered on the efforts of an elderly

(using his last name, Dulaque, as an alias) to restore

, which he considers to be a golden age of humanity. He manages to release magic back into the world using

in the second episode, ("And The Sword In the Stone"), and eventually uses a collection of artifacts gathered by the Librarians to access the Loom of Fate, which he tampers with to restore his youth and restart history at the beginning of Camelot. However,

Galahad Sir Galahad (), sometimes referred to as Galeas () or Galath (), among other versions of his name, is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. He is the illegitimate son of S ...

(who has assumed the identity of the Library's caretaker, Jenkins), returns and distracts him long enough for the Librarians to undo the damage, causing Lancelot to disappear.

Animation

Television films and specials

* "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (1970) was an animated early segment of the ''

Famous Classic Tales ''Famous Classic Tales'' is an animated anthology television series featuring animated adaptations of classic children's stories which aired on CBS from 1970 to 1984. The series was produced by the Australian division of Hanna-Barbera and Air Pr ...

'' specials, produced by the Hanna-Barbera Australian subsidiary, Air Programs International * ''A Connecticut Rabbit in King Arthur's Court'' (1978), also known as ''Bugs Bunny in King Arthur's Court'', a Looney Tunes TV special. *''A Connecticut Mouse in King Arthur’s Court'' (1980), an episode of

The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show ''The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show'' (also known as ''The New Adventures of Tom and Jerry'') is an American animated television program produced by Filmation for MGM Television featuring the popular cartoon duo Tom and Jerry. The show first aired on ...

Television series

* The Australian animated cartoon series ''

Arthur! and the Square Knights of the Round Table ''Arthur! And the Square Knights of the Round Table'' is a 1966-1968 Australian animated series based on the legend of King Arthur of Camelot. The series was produced by Air Programs International and written by Melbourne playwright Alex Buzo ...

'' (1966–1968) was a typically wacky take on Arthurian legend. * In ''

Sabrina the Animated Series ''Sabrina: The Animated Series'' is an American animated television series based on the Archie Comics series ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch''. Produced by Savage Studios Ltd. and Hartbreak Films in association with DIC Pr ...

'' episode " Hexcalibur" features Harvey Kinkle as the young King Arthur voiced by

Bill Switzer William Ashton Switzer (born March 28, 1984) is an American-Canadian voice, film, and television actor. He is known for his work on the animated television series ''Mummies Alive!'' He had a leading role in '' Eerie, Indiana: The Other Dimension'' ...

(very loose adaptation) * The animated series ''

The Legend of Prince Valiant ''The Legend of Prince Valiant'' is a 1991–1993 American animated television series based on the ''Prince Valiant'' comic strip created by Hal Foster. Set in the time of King Arthur, it is a family-oriented adventure show about an exiled prince ...

'' (1991–1993) followed the adventures of three young warriors training to become Knights of the Round Table. The series featured Arthur, Merlin, Guinevere, and Gawain in its main cast and several other Arthurian characters in recurring roles. * The animated series '' King Arthur & the Knights of Justice'' (1992–1993) featured an

American Football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

team called the Knights led by quarterback Arthur King. When the "real" Knights of the Round Table are captured, Merlin magically transports the Knights football team to Camelot to defend the kingdom and rescue the captured knights. * Starting within its "Avalon World Tour" story arc, a few episodes of Disney's ''Gargoyles'' (1994–1997) devoted themselves partly to Arthur Pendragon, after NYPD detective

Elisa Maza Elisa Maza is a fictional character and the main human character on the Disney animated television series '' Gargoyles'', voiced by American actress Salli Richardson. In the series, she is an NYPD detective who is the steadfast ally (and honor ...

awakens the King from his "eternal slumber" within

's "hollow hill" sanctuary. Arthur goes on to recover his sword Excalibur while visiting New York (and directly confronting

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

while recovering it), and while in New York, knights the London Clan gargoyle Griff to become his traveling companion from Griff's assistance to the king in recovering Excalibur, as Arthur begins a quest to find Merlin. * ''

Blazing Dragons ''Blazing Dragons'' is an animated television series created by Terry Jones and Gavin Scott, and produced by Nelvana and Ellipse Animation. A coinciding graphic adventure video game was released for the original PlayStation and Sega Saturn in 19 ...

'' (1996–1998), The series' protagonists are anthropomorphic dragons who are beset by evil humans, reversing a common story convention. The series parodies that of the King Arthur Tales as well as the periods of the Middle Ages * ''

Dragon Booster ''Dragon Booster'' is a Canadian animated series created by Rob Travalino and Kevin Mowrer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that aired from October 23, 2004 to December 23, 2006. The first series produced by Nerd Corps Entertainment, th ...

'' (2004–2006), A teenager named Artha Penn teams up with a dragon named Beau and Artha was the chosen hero called the Dragon Booster. * The British animated cartoon series ''

King Arthur's Disasters ''King Arthur's Disasters'' is a British animated series which first aired on CITV. Co-created by Paul Parkes and Will Ashurst, the series follows and depicts attempts by King Arthur, assisted by the wizard Merlin, to woo the beautiful self-ob ...

'' (2005–2006). Where Arthur is voiced by

Rik Mayall Richard Michael Mayall (7 March 1958 – 9 June 2014) was an English actor, stand-up comedian and writer. He formed a close partnership with Ade Edmondson while they were students at Manchester University and was a pioneer of alternative ...

. * The computer-animated series '' Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia'' (2016–2018) features the wizard

as the creator of the Trollhunter's amulet, and his arch-enemy

Morgana Morgana may refer to: People * Morgana Gmach (born 1994), Brazilian female rhythmic gymnast * Morgana King (1930–2018), American singer and actress * Morgana O'Reilly (born 1985), New Zealand actress * Morgana Robinson (born 1982), British c ...

as one of the main villains of the third season. The series '' Wizards: Tales of Arcadia'' (2020) features the return of Merlin and Morgana. Camelot also appears, as members of the main cast travel back to Arthurian times, in the process meeting King Arthur and Lancelot.

Foreign-language television series and films

Live-action television series

*The French series ''

Kaamelott ''Kaamelott'' is a French comedy medieval fantasy television series created, directed, written, scored, and edited by Alexandre Astier, who also starred as the main character. Based on the Arthurian legends, it followed the daily lives of King Arth ...

'' (2005–2009) features a humorous take on the legend. *''

Het huis Anubis en de vijf van het magische zwaard ''Het Huis Anubis en de Vijf van Het Magische zwaard'' (meaning ''The House of Anubis and the Five of the Magical Sword'') is a Dutch / Flemish mystery series in which five people, each born with an oversensitive sense, have to fight against Dark ...

'' (Dutch Nickelodeon series, 2010–2011)

Animated television series

* '' King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table (Entaku no Kishi Monogatari: Moero Arthur)'', a Japanese anime series produced by

Toei Animation () is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including ''Sally the Witch,'' ''GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' ''Mazinger Z'', ''Galaxy Express 999'', ''Cutie Honey'', ''Dr. Slump'', ' ...

from 1979 to 1980, followed by '' King Arthur: Prince on White Horse (Moero Arthur: Hakuba no Oji)'' in 1980. * The episode "Minnade Daietto!" (English: "Eh! History Changed!?") of the 1991 Japanese anime series '' Mischievous Twins: The Tales of St. Clare's'' deals with the abduction of

Queen Guinevere Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First ment ...

by Sir Maleagant and about how she is set free by

Sir Lancelot Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...

. * The Japanese anime series ''

Code Geass , often referred to simply as ''Code Geass'', is a Japanese anime television series produced by Sunrise. It was directed by Gorō Taniguchi and written by Ichirō Ōkouchi, with original character designs by Clamp. Set ...

'' (2006–2007, 2008) featured The Knights of the Round, a unit of twelve elite knights in the Holy Empire of Britannia, each being assigned into the group by royalty and under direct command of the Emperor. Each knights pilot a Knightmare Frame, a humanoid shaped war machine. Their Knightmare Frame were named after the Arthurian Knights such as Lancelot, Gawain, and Tristan. The capital city of the Holy Britannian Empire, Pendragon, is also named after King Arthur's surname. * In the Japanese anime adaptation of the visual novel ''

Fate/stay night ''Fate/stay night'' is a Japanese visual novel developed by Type-Moon and originally released as an adult game for Windows on January 30, 2004. A version of ''Fate/stay night'' rated for ages 15 and up titled ''Fate/stay night Réalta ...

'' (2006, 2014–2015), Arthur is portrayed as having been a woman (named

Artoria ''Artoria'' is a genus of spiders in the family Lycosidae Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae (). They are robust and agile hunters with excellent eyesight. They live mostly in solitude, hunt alone, and do not spin webs. Some are ...

) whose spirit is resurrected to serve a mage in the modern day as "Saber", with history recording her as a man for political correctness. She reprises this role in the adaptation's prequel '' Fate/Zero'' (2011–2012), which also features a version of Lancelot. Artoria also appears in the film '' Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works'' (2010), and a recreated anime series (2014–2015) based on the latter, as well as a number of spinoffs based on the franchise. In addition, the

OVA , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...

''Fate/Prototype'' (2011) (based on an earlier draft of ''Fate/stay night's'' story) features a male version of King Arthur, known in the expanded universe as "Prototype Saber", often shortened to "Proto-Saber". Meanwhile, ''

Fate/Apocrypha ''Fate/Apocrypha'' is a Japanese light novel series in Type-Moon's ''Fate'' franchise, written by Yūichirō Higashide and illustrated by Ototsugu Konoe. Type-Moon published five volumes from December 2012 to December 2014. A manga adaptati ...

'' (2017) features Mordred as a Saber-class familiar, wielding the sword Clarent. * The Japanese anime ''

Highschool DxD is a Japanese light novel series written by Ichiei Ishibumi and illustrated by Miyama-Zero. The story centers on Issei Hyodo, a perverted high school student from Kuoh Academy who desires to be a harem king and is killed by ...

'' (2012, 2013, 2015, 2018), the Arthurian legend also plays an important factor in the series such as the

Welsh Dragon The Welsh Dragon ( cy, y Ddraig Goch, meaning 'the red dragon'; ) is a heraldic symbol that represents Wales and appears on the national flag of Wales. As an emblem, the red dragon of Wales has been used since the reign of Cadwaladr, King of ...

, the

White dragon The white dragon ( cy, Y Ddraig Wen) is a symbol associated in Welsh mythology with the Anglo-Saxons. Origin of tradition The earliest usage of the white dragon as a symbol of the Anglo-Saxons is found in the ''Historia Brittonum''. The releva ...

and King Arthur's dual swords

and

, Merlin the wizard of Arthurian Legend was stated to be one of the most important pioneer of magic, two of the main character were direct descendants of King Arthur, Arthur Pendragon and Le Fay Pendragon, the latter being the love interest of the protagonist Issei Hyoudou. * Arthur serves as the main antagonist in the Japanese anime ''

Nobunaga the Fool is a Japanese stage play and anime series, part of a wider franchise titled ''The Fool'' by anime creator Shōji Kawamori. The play is a combination of live actors produced by Avex Live Creative and animation by Satelight, first performed on De ...

'' (2014). The anime is a sci-fi telling of famed ancient heroes from the west, such as Arthur, Caesar, and Alexander, going to war against famed ancient heroes from the east, such as Nobunaga, Mitsuhide, and Kenshin over control over two planets, both of which represent Europe and Japan. * In Season 2 Episode 15 "The Queen of the Lake" (2014) of Japanese anime ''

Sword Art Online is a Japanese light novel series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec. The series takes place in the then-near future and focuses on protagonists Kirito (Sword Art Online), Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya and Asuna (Sword Art On ...

'', the main cast is given a quest to save an ancient race of elves from which the main characters races branch from. The reward for the quest is the item known as

, a legendary sword from Arthurian lore. *''

The Seven Deadly Sins The seven deadly sins is a classification of vices used in Christian teachings. Seven deadly sins may also refer to: Art * ''The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things'', a 1485 painting by Hieronymus Bosch * ''The Seven Deadly Sins of Modern ...

'' (2014-2020) is loosely based on Arthurian Legend, set in and around Liones and Camelot, and featuring reimagined versions of Arthur, Merlin, and Viviane as supporting characters. * ''

Divine Gate is a 2013 Japanese smartphone game developed by Acquire for iOS and Android devices. An anime television series adaptation by Pierrot aired from January 8, 2016 to March 25, 2016. Plot The living, heavens, and underworld become connected af ...

'' (2016), Japanese anime based on the Smart phone game of same name, which retelling of Arthurian legend. * A sword-wielding character named Arthur appears in ''

David Production is a Japanese animation studio founded in September 2007 and is based in Nishitōkyō, Tokyo. Notable works from the studio include ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', ''Cells at Work!'', and '' Fire Force''. Establishment The company was founded b ...

s anime adaptation of the manga series ''

Fire Force is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Atsushi Ohkubo. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from September 2015 to February 2022, with its chapters collected in thirty-four '' ...

'' by ''

Atsushi Ohkubo , is a Japanese manga artist known for his work on the manga series '' Soul Eater'' and '' Fire Force'', both of which have been adapted into anime television series. Ohkubo worked as an assistant under Rando Ayamine, on the manga series ''GetB ...

''. As his pyrokinetic ability, he wields a sword named Excalibur whose blade is made of plasma. Believing himself to be a knight, his power increases as these convictions grow.

Audio

* ''The Sword in the Stone'', a 6-part BBC Radio series written by Marianne Helweg based on the book by

and broadcast on

BBC National Programme The BBC National Programme was a radio service which was on the air from 9 March 1930 – replacing the earlier BBC's experimental station 5XX – until 1 September 1939 when it was subsumed into the Home Service, two days before the outbreak ...

11 June - 16 July 1939, with

Robert Farquharson Robert Donald William Farquharson (born 1969) is an Australian man convicted of murdering his three sons on 4 September 2005, by deliberately driving his car into a farm dam. Farquharson was convicted in an earlier trial and was sentenced to ...

as Merlyn, Robin Maule as "Wart",

Norman Shelley Norman Shelley (16 February 1903 – 21 August 1980) was a British actor, best known for his work in radio, in particular for the BBC's '' Children's Hour''. He also had a recurring role as Colonel Danby in the long-running radio soap opera ''T ...

as Sir Ector,

Carleton Hobbs Carleton Percy Hobbs, OBE (18 June 1898 – 31 July 1978) was an English actor with many film, radio and television appearances. He portrayed Sherlock Holmes in 80 radio adaptations in a series of Sherlock Holmes radio dramas (1952–1969), ...

as Archimedes and Geoffrey Wincott as King Pellinorer. * ''The Sword in the Stone'', a 1952

BBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4. History 1922–1939: Interwar period Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...

adaptation by Marianne Helweg of T.H. White's novel, with

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

as Merlyn, Jeremy Spenser as "Wart",

as Sir Ector, Geoffrey Wincott as King Pellinore and Patience Collier as Madame Mim. * ''

Tale Spinners for Children Tale Spinners for Children was a series of stories and novels adapted for young audiences on vinyl records in the early 1960s. They included a collection of old fairy tales, folklore, literary classics such as ''Don Quixote'' and ''Robinson Cruso ...

: "The Knights of the Round Table"'' (UAC 11005) (1962), a recorded dramatization of the Arthurian legend starring

Derek Hart Derek Osborne Hart (18 March 1925 – 23 November 1986) was a British actor, journalist and radio presenter best known for his appearances on the BBC's current affairs programme of the 1950s and 1960s, ''Tonight''. Hart was born in Hertfordshire ...

, concentrating mostly on Sir Lancelot; certain events were simplified or changed to make the story more child-friendly (for instance, Mordred is merely an evil knight and the love affair between Lancelot and Guinevere is changed to make it an evil rumor spread by a henchman of Sir Mordred's to compromise Lancelot and Guinevere, resulting in their being framed when Lancelot is tricked into visiting the Queen in her chamber) and providing a happy ending. * ''The Sword in the Stone'', a 1981

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

adaptation by Neville Teller of T.H. White's novel, with

Michael Hordern Sir Michael Murray Hordern CBE (3 October 19112 May 1995)Morley, Sheridan"Hordern, Michael Murray (1911–1995)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, online edition, May 2009, accessed 22 July 2015 was ...

as Merlyn,

Toby Robertson Sholto David Maurice Robertson (29 November 1928, London - 4 July 2012, London), known as Toby Robertson, was the artistic director of the Prospect Theatre Company from 1964 to 1978. He was recognised as having "re-established the good name and ...

as "Wart",

David Gooderson David Gooderson (born 24 February 1941) is an English actor who has appeared in several television roles. Career As well as portraying Davros, creator of the Daleks in the ''Doctor Who'' serial ''Destiny of the Daleks'', he appeared in epis ...

as King Pellinore and Josephine Gordon as Madame Mim. * ''Arthur - the King'', a 7-part

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...

series written by Graeme Fife and broadcast on

11 November - 23 December 1990, with Keith Baxter as Arthur,

Paul Scofield David Paul Scofield (21 January 1922 – 19 March 2008) was a British actor. During a six-decade career, Scofield achieved the US Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Academy Awards, Academy Award, Emmy Award, Emmy, and Tony Award, Tony for his ...

as Merlin,

Anna Massey Anna Raymond Massey (11 August 19373 July 2011) was an English actress. She won a BAFTA Award for the role of Edith Hope in the 1986 TV adaptation of Anita Brookner's novel ''Hotel du Lac'', a role that one of her co-stars, Julia McKenzie, ha ...

as Morgan le Fay,

Nicholas Farrell Nicholas C. Frost (born 1955), known professionally as Nicholas Farrell, is an English stage, film and television actor. Education Farrell was educated at Fryerns Grammar and Technical School in Basildon, Essex, followed by the University of ...

as Lancelot and

Jill Balcon Jill Angela Henriette Balcon (3 January 192518 July 2009) was a British actress. She was known for her work in film, television, radio and on stage. She made her film debut in ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1947 film), Nicholas ...

as Guinevere. * ''A Stone From Heaven'', a radio play in two parts ("The Wounding" and "The Healing", both broadcast on 15 April 1995) written by

Lindsay Clarke Lindsay Clarke (born 1939, Halifax, West Yorkshire) is a British novelist. He was educated at Heath Grammar School in Halifax and at King's College, Cambridge. The landscape of hills, moors and crags around Halifax informed the growth of his ima ...

, focusing on the Grail story and on

and

, with Ian Jeffs as Parsifal, Michael Lumsden as Gawain,

Gary Bond Gary James Bond (7 February 1940 – 12 October 1995) was an English actor and singer. He is known for originating the role Joseph in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', his performances ...

as Arthur,

Eleanor Bron Eleanor Bron (born 14 March 1938) is an English stage, film and television actress, and an author. Her film roles include Ahme in the Beatles musical ''Help!'' (1965), the Doctor in ''Alfie'' (1966), Margaret Spencer in '' Bedazzled'' (1967), an ...

as Cunrie,

Diana Quick Diana Marilyn Quick (born 23 November 1946) is an English actress. Early life and family background Quick was born on 23 November 1946 in London, England. She grew up in Dartford, Kent, the third of four children. Her father was Leonard Quic ...

as Orguleuse and

Edward Petherbridge Edward Petherbridge (born 3 August 1936) is an English actor, writer and artist. Among his many roles, he portrayed Lord Peter Wimsey in the 1987 BBC television adaptations of Dorothy L. Sayers' novels, and Guildenstern in Tom Stoppard's ''Ro ...

as Trevrizant. * ''Arthur'', a 6-part BBC Radio series written by

Sebastian Baczkiewicz Sebastian Baczkiewicz (born 1962, Hammersmith, London) is an English writer. Biography As a teenager, Baczkiewicz was a member of Questors Theatre in West London before training as an actor at The Drama Centre. He was the BBC's first writer in ...

and Steve May and broadcast on

's ''

Afternoon Play ''Drama'' (formerly ''Afternoon Theatre'', ''Afternoon Drama,'' ''Afternoon Play'') is a BBC Radio 4 radio drama, broadcast every weekday at 2.15pm. Generally each play is 45 minutes in duration and approximately 190 new plays are broadcast each ...

'' 22 October - 26 November 2004, with

Philip Glenister Philip Haywood Glenister (born 10 February 1963) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in the BBC series ''Life on Mars'' (2006–2007) and its sequel '' Ashes to Ashes'' (2008–2010). He also played DCI William ...

as Arthur,

Ben Whishaw Benjamin John Whishaw (born 14 October 1980) is an English actor and producer. After winning a British Independent Film Award for his performance in ''My Brother Tom'' (2001), he was nominated for an Olivier Award for his portrayal of the titl ...

as young Arthur,

Ian McDiarmid Ian McDiarmid (; born 11 August 1944) is a Scottish actor and director of stage and screen, best known for portraying the Sith Lord Emperor Sheev Palpatine / Darth Sidious in the ''Star Wars'' multimedia franchise. Making his stage debut in '' ...

as Merlin,

Jane Lapotaire Jane Elizabeth Marie Lapotaire (née Burgess; 26 December 1944) is an English actress. Biography Lapotaire was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, the daughter of Louise Elise (Burgess). Her stepfather, Yves Lapotaire, worked in the oil industry and was ...

as Morgan,

Andrew Scarborough Andrew Scarborough (born 30 November 1973) is an English actor, most widely known for his starring role on screen as Tim Drewe in the multi BAFTA and Emmy award-winning ''Downton Abbey'' he also Co-starred as Colonel Fielding in the Film ‘� ...

as Lanslot and

Eve Myles Eve Myles (born 26 July 1978) is a Welsh actress. She is best known for her television roles portraying Ceri Lewis in the long-running BBC Wales drama series '' Belonging'' (2000–2009), Gwen Cooper in the BBC science-fiction series ''Torchwoo ...

as Gwenfar. * ''The Once and Future King'', a 6-part BBC Radio series written by

Brian Sibley Brian David Sibley (born 14 July 1949) is an English writer. He is author of over 100 hours of radio drama and has written and presented hundreds of radio documentaries, features and weekly programmes. He is widely known as the author of many fi ...

based on the book by

and broadcast on

09 November - 14 December 2014, with

Paul Ready Paul John Ready (born 1977) is a British actor. In 2013–2014, he played Lee in ''Utopia''. In 2016, he played Kevin in ''Motherland''. In 2018, he played the role of Rob MacDonald in the BBC television series ''Bodyguard'', and Harry Goodsir ...

as Arthur,

David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to: Sports * Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor * David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier * David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer Oth ...

as Merlyn,

Alex Waldmann Alex Waldmann (born 1979) is an English actor from London. He is married to director Amelia Sears. Television In 2010, Waldmann then went on to shoot a 90-minute World War Two docu-drama 'First Light' for Lion Television. He played the role o ...

as Lancelot and

Lyndsey Marshal Lyndsey Marshal (born 16 June 1978) is an English actress best known for her performance in '' The Hours'', and as the recurring character Cleopatra on HBO's ''Rome'', and as Lady Sarah Hill in BBC period drama ''Garrow's Law''. Biography Mars ...

as Guinever. * ''Albion: The Legend of Arthur'', a 2020 Audible Original adventure written by Robert Valentine set in the brutal world of the Dark Ages. Starring Lois Chimimba as Anna, Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Gwenyfar, Gruffudd Glyn as Arthur, Craig Roberts as Owein and Owen Teale as Ambrosius.

Paintings

* ''

'',

Frederick Sandys Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys (born Antonio Frederic Augustus Sands; 1 May 1829 – 25 June 1904), usually known as Frederick Sandys, was a British painter, illustrator, and draughtsman, associated with the Pre-Raphaelites. He was also assoc ...

, 1864 * ''

The Beguiling of Merlin ''The Beguiling of Merlin'' is a painting by the British Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones that was created between 1872 and 1877. The painting depicts a scene from the Arthurian legend about the infatuation of Merlin with the Lady of th ...

'',

Edward Burne-Jones Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet, (; 28 August, 183317 June, 1898) was a British painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood which included Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Millais, Ford Madox Brown and Holman Hun ...

, 1872-1877 * ''

The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon ''The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon'' is a painting by Edward Burne-Jones, started in 1881. The massive painting measures 279 cm × 650 cm, and is widely considered to be Burne-Jones's ''Masterpiece, magnum opus''.Waters, p. 42. The p ...

'', Edward Burne-Jones, 1881-1898 * ''

The Lady of Shalott "The Lady of Shalott" is a lyrical ballad by the 19th-century English poet Alfred Tennyson and one of his best-known works. Inspired by the 13th-century Italian short prose text '' Donna di Scalotta'', the poem tells the tragic story of Elain ...

'',

John William Waterhouse John William Waterhouse (6 April 184910 February 1917) was an English painter known for working first in the Academic style and for then embracing the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter. His artworks were known for their dep ...

, 1888 * ''

The Lady of Shalott Looking at Lancelot ''The Lady of Shalott Looking at Lancelot'' is an oil-on-canvas painting by John William Waterhouse, completed in 1894. It measures . The artist presented it to Leeds Art Gallery in 1895. Description This is the second of three major paint ...

'', John William Waterhouse, 1894 * ''

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, Said the Lady of Shalott ''I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, Said the Lady of Shalott'' is a painting by John William Waterhouse completed in 1915. It is the third painting by Waterhouse that depicts a scene from the Tennyson poem, "The Lady of Shalott". The title of the pai ...

'', John William Waterhouse, 1915

Tapestry

Holy Grail tapestries The Holy Grail or San Graal tapestries are a set of six tapestries depicting scenes from the legend of King Arthur and the quest for the Holy Grail. The tapestries were commissioned from Morris & Co. by William Knox D'Arcy in 1890 for his dining ...

Comics

Advertising

King Arthur is the namesake of a brand of flour,

King Arthur Flour The King Arthur Baking Company, formerly The King Arthur Flour Company, is an American supplier of flour, ingredients, baking mixes, cookbooks, and baked goods. The company was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1790, and is now based in Norwic ...

Games

Board games

*The board game '' Shadows Over Camelot'' features King Arthur as one of the main playable characters in the game. *In the science fiction miniature game ''

Warhammer 40k ''Warhammer 40,000'' is a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is the most popular miniature wargame in the world, and is particularly popular in the United Kingdom. The first edition of the rulebook was published in September 1987, ...

'', the

Emperor of Mankind ''Warhammer 40,000'' is a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is the most popular miniature wargame in the world, and is particularly popular in the United Kingdom. The first edition of the rulebook was published in September 1987, ...

drew many similar inspiration from Arthurian legends while the treacherous Warmaster Horus and Horus Heresy is similar to Mordred. *In the fantasy miniature game ''

Warhammer Fantasy Battle ''Warhammer'' (formerly ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'' or just ''Warhammer Fantasy'') is a tabletop miniature wargame with a medieval fantasy theme. The game was created by Bryan Ansell, Richard Halliwell, and Rick Priestley; it was published ...

'', the background of

Bretonnia ''Warhammer Fantasy'' is a fictional fantasy universe created by Games Workshop and used in many of its games, including the table top wargame ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'', the ''Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay'' (WFRP) pen-and-paper role-playing g ...

is strongly based on Arthurian legends, including the Grail and the Lady of the Lake. *King Arthur alongside many of his knights appear under stylized names in the card game

Yugioh is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kazuki Takahashi. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' magazine between September 1996 and March 2004. The plot follows the story of a boy named Yugi Mutou, wh ...

in the "Knight of the Round Table" set. Merlin, the Lady of the Lake and Avalon are also referenced.
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
(2019) is a story-driven survival and exploration campaign game set in a grim universe written by '' Krzysztof Piskorski'' that blends Arthurian legends and Celtic mythology. Avalon is an island that exists at the edge of reality, bordering an ancient power known as the wyrdness.

Role-playing games

*The

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...

'' details how to run adventure games set in the time of the Round Table. Its setting integrates Malory with post-Roman Britain, Celtic myth and English Folklore. *In '' Rifts'' from

Palladium Books Palladium Books is a publisher of role-playing games (RPGs) perhaps best known for its popular, expansive '' Rifts'' series (1990–present). Palladium was founded April 1981 in Detroit, Michigan by current president and lead game designer Kevin ...

, the main story of Britain revolves around the future equivalent of

and his knights. This is not the original King Arthur awoken from

and he has many different characteristics and strengths, not the least of which is his new blade, Calibur-X, a vibrating gun blade with magical properties. *The King Arthur Supplement for the

GURPS The ''Generic Universal RolePlaying System'', or ''GURPS'', is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting. It was created by Steve Jackson Games and first published in 1986 at a time when most such systems w ...

role-playing game gives three different Arthurian settings, a historical setting based upon post-Roman Britain, a legendary setting based upon Malory, and a cinematic setting based upon modern stories. * The storygame
Arthur's Legacy (Rise of Avalon)
' presents a world where Avalon rises from the sea triggering a Rebirth of magic and mystical creatures, as well the return of immortal nobility including King Arthur, his bastard son Mordred, and the witch Anna Morgause. Participants portray reincarnated knights, who embody ideals and wield the ability to perform miracles.

Video games

* '' King Arthur: The Role-playing Wargame'' a real time strategy and role-playing game by Neocore Games from 2009 * '' Excalibur: Morgana's Revenge'', a real time strategy and role-playing game by ExcaliburWorld Software from 2007. * ''

'' by Krome Studios is based on the 2004 film of the same name. * '' King Arthur & the Knights of Justice'' by

Enix was a Japanese video game publisher that produced video games, anime and manga. Enix is known for publishing the ''Dragon Quest'' series of role-playing video games. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975, as . Th ...

is based on the cartoon series of the same name. * ''

Stronghold Legends ''Stronghold Legends'' is a real-time strategy game developed by Firefly Studios and published by 2K Games in 2006. It is the fourth game in the ''Stronghold'' series, following ''Stronghold, Stronghold: Crusader,'' and ''Stronghold 2.'' ''Stro ...

'' by

Firefly Studios Firefly Studios Limited (also stylized as FireFly Studios) is a British video game developer based in London. Formed in August 1999 by Simon Bradbury, David Lester, and Eric Ouellette, the company focuses on historic real-time strategy games for ...

campaign includes King Arthur's legend * ''

Conquests of Camelot ''Conquests of Camelot: The Search for the Grail'' is a graphic adventure game released in 1990 by Sierra On-Line. It was the first game in the ''Conquests'' series designed by Christy Marx and her husband Peter Ledger. The only other game in the s ...

'' by

Sierra Entertainment Sierra Entertainment, Inc. (formerly On-Line Systems and Sierra On-Line, Inc.) was an American video game developer and publisher founded in 1979 by Ken and Roberta Williams. The company is known for pioneering the graphic adventure game genre, ...

centers around the quest for the Holy Grail. * '' Knights of the Round'' by

Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...

is a light-hearted take on the Arthurian legend in a sword fighting beat-em-up similar to the video game ''

Final Fight ''Final Fight'' is a series of beat 'em up video games by Capcom, which began with the arcade release of ''Final Fight'' in 1989. Set in the fictional Metro City, the games focus on a group of heroic vigilantes who fights against the control and ...

''. *''

'' by

Crystal Dynamics Crystal Dynamics, Inc. is an American video game developer based in San Mateo, California and part of Embracer Group. The studio developed the '' Gex'', ''Legacy of Kain'', and ''Tomb Raider'' series. Founded in 1992 by Madeline Canepa, Judy L ...

and

Nelvana Nelvana Enterprises, Inc. (; previously known as Nelvana Limited, sometimes known as Nelvana Animation and simply Nelvana or Nelvana Communications) is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment company owned by Corus Entertainment. Founded ...

that the game controls Flicker, a young inventor in Camel-hot who dreamed about becoming a knight. It is based on the cartoon TV series of the same name. *'' Tomb Raider: Legend'' by

revolves around the King Arthur legend resembling those of other cultures around the world; pieces of artifacts are forms of Excalibur. *'' Tomb Raider: Underworld'' by

revolves around Lara trying to find Avalon to find her mother. * In ''

Final Fantasy VII is a 1997 role-playing video game developed by Square for the PlayStation console. It is the seventh main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Published in Japan by Square, it was released in other regions by Sony Computer Entertai ...

'', the final and most powerful summon materia is Knights of the Round which has 12 knights striking an enemy with the last knight obviously being King Arthur through his extended entrance and grander appearance. *''

'', a

visual novel A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...

eroge An ''eroge'' ( or , ''erogē''; ; a portmanteau of ''erotic game'' , ''erochikku gēmu'') is a Japanese genre of erotic video game. In 1982, Japan's Koei, founded by husband-and-wife team Yoichi and Keiko Erikawa (and later known for strategy ...

and

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

, features a young female knight called Saber (Fate/stay night), Saber whose true name is Artoria. She became King by pulling free the sword from the stone. Knowing that armies wouldn't follow a woman, she renamed herself King Arthur and used Merlin's magic to hide her gender. Bedivere attends to her as she is dying. **'' Fate/Zero'', a prequel, features not only the above King Arthur/Saber, but also

as a Black Knight under the class Berserker. **The spinoff game ''Fate/extra'' features

as an enemy-exclusive Saber-class character. **The light-novel series ''

'' - a parallel world spinoff based on a cancelled MMO concept - features

as a Saber-class for one of the two factions, who, like King Arthur/Saber, is gender-swapped, detailed in the story as being a homunculus half-clone of King Arthur that was created from mixing the King's genes with those of

. Mordred wields the sword Clarent. **All of the aforementioned characters would later appear in the mobile game ''Fate/Grand Order'' alongside versions of Galahad, Gareth, Agravaine and Tristan. Lancelot would come to have another version summonable as the Saber-class in which he is sane, unlike his Berserker form. Artoria would also receive multiple versions of her character, notably a Lancer-class version wielding the spear Rhongomyniad, in addition to corrupted Alter forms and an alternate-universe male form known as "Proto-Saber". *''RuneScape a MMORPG '', King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are portrayed as having settled in the game's fictional world while awaiting Britain's 'time of greatest need'. *''Dark Age of Camelot'', a MMORPG that takes place after King Arthur's death. *The ''Soul (series), Soul'' series by Namco features Arthur (Soul Calibur), Arthur as a samurai. He wields a katana named Gassan. *''Sonic and the Black Knight'' on Wii features the main protagonist, Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic the Hedgehog saving the city

from

after he becomes corrupt and calls himself the Black Knight. After defeating the Black Knight/King Arthur, Merlin's granddaughter Merlina reveals to Sonic & the Knight of the Roundtable that the King Arthur they knew was a fake created by her grandfather. In the end, Sonic was revealed to be King Arthur himself, as Caliburn (actually

) said he was the one who decides who is worthy of the crown.
Sir Lancelot
is used as character in a 1984 platform / arcade game for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. *Fire Emblem: Fūin no Tsurugi a tactical JRPG contains many characters whose names allude to the King Arthur legend. Although there is no Arthur, List of characters In Fire Emblem: Fūin no Tsurugi, characters include:

, Igraine, Gorlois, Lancelot, Lance, Percival, Uther, Lot, Bors,

us, Lady of the Lake, Niime and Nacien. The game's prequel, Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken, introduces Lady of the Lake, Ninian, but on the whole this game draws more from medieval French mythology than British and Arthurian. * Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, a 2006 Namco game, is heavily based on the Arthurian legend, with allusions to Excalibur, Avalon, etc. *''The Order: 1886'' *''Wizard101: Morganthe's Arc, Avalon story line (Arc 2 World 3) (video game)'' *''Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings'': King Arthur represented by a champion infantry. *''Young Merlin'', a 1994 Super NES game. *''Smite (video game), SMITE'', a 2014 free-to-play game.

MMOs

*Kingdoms of Camelot (KoC) a massively multiplayer online real-time strategy browser game created by Canadian studio Kabam. A build and warfare game, released in 2009 and linked to Facebook Game platform. *Dark Age of Camelot (DAoC) a massively multiplayer online game created by Mythic entertainment. A role-playing game with elements of Arthurian legend, released in 2001.

Music

* The concept album ''The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table'' (1975) by Rick Wakeman tells a version of the legend. * The 1986 concept album ''The Legend'' by Italo Disco singer Valerie Dore. * The 1995 album ''Imaginations from the Other Side'' and 2015 album ''Beyond the Red Mirror'' by the power-metal band Blind Guardian contain numerous songs referencing Arthurian legends, including "A Past and Future Secret", about the battle of Camlann, "Mordred's Song", and "The Holy Grail". * The 2004 expanded edition of heavy metal music, heavy metal singer Bruce Dickinson's 6th solo album '' The Chemical Wedding (Bruce Dickinson album), The Chemical Wedding'' features a song called "Return of the King," which heavily references Arthurian elements including Uther Pendragon. * The American power-metal band Kamelot has many songs with Arthurian elements in their discography.(''Once and Future King'' and ''Shadow of Uther'' * In 2003 hard rock musician Gary Hughes put out two albums, ''Once and Future King Part I'' and ''Once and Future King Part II'', based on the legend. * The German metal band Grave Digger (band), Grave Digger released a concept album about the story of King Arthur called ''Excalibur (Grave Digger album), Excalibur'' * English folk singer Maddy Prior released a 2001 concept album ''Arthur the King'' * The 1995 album ''The Final Experiment'' by Ayreon, its concept is located in King Arthur's timeline. * England based metalband Cradle of Filth wrote a song called "Haunted Shores", which deals with the subject of King Arthur from a pagan perspective. * Canadian folk singer Heather Dale has released several albums and songs relating to Arthurian legends, chiefly the 2000 album ''The Trial of Lancelot,'' the 2003 album ''May Queen,'' and the 2010 album ''Avalon'' * The 2014 album ''High Noon Over Camelot'' by British folk band The Mechanisms is a sci-fi western retelling of Arthurian legends

Anthem of Cornwall

* ''Bro Goth Agan Tasow'' ("Dear Land of Our Fathers"), the official anthem of Cornwall, includes the words: "Kingdom of King Arthur, ancient saints and the

/No other land is more beloved."

References

External links

''Rodney Parish's Arthurian Comics List''
Rodney Parrish.
''Camelot In Four Colors: A Survey of the Arthurian Legend in Comics''
Alan Stewart.

Michael Torregrossa, part of ''The Arthuriana/Camelot Project Bibliographies''. *[http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/acpbibs/harty.htm Arthurian Film] by Kevin J. Harty {{DEFAULTSORT:King Arthur In Various Media Cultural depictions of Arthurian legend, Games based on Arthurian legend, Arthurian literature, Arthurian theatre, Lists of films by source, Arthurian legend Works based on Arthurian legend, Lists of television series based on works

Modern literature

Theatre

Musical theatre

Straight plays

Verse plays

Classical verse plays

Modern verse plays

Opera

Film

English-language theatrical films

Adaptations of the original Arthurian Legend

Adaptations of Tristan legend

Adaptations of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Films based on ''A Connecticut Yankee''

Films based on Prince Valiant

Films set in the Roman Empire

Animated films

Modernization and parodies

Foreign-language films

Films based on the Tristan legend

Other films

Television

English-language, Live-action Television series and films

Television films and specials

Television films and specials, modernization and parodies

Television mini series

Television series

Television series, modernization and parodies

Animation

Television films and specials

Television series

Foreign-language television series and films

Live-action television series

Animated television series

Audio

Paintings

Tapestry

Comics

Advertising

Games

Board games

Role-playing games

Video games

MMOs

Music

Anthem of Cornwall

See also

References

External links