Arthur Pendragon

Arthur Pendragon (often called Wart or King Arthur) is the protagonist of Disney's 1963 animated feature film The Sword in the Stone. He is an orphan boy who becomes king of England thanks to his ability to pull a legendary sword from a stone.
==Background==
===Origins===
The Knight Sir Ector found Arthur when he was a baby and took him in. Although Ector cares for the boy to an extent, he still tends to favor his son, Kay, and thus raises Arthur much more strictly, and Kay is a constant tormentor to his adopted brother. Almost everyone refers to him as Wart rather than his birth name, Arthur. In fact, his real name is rarely mentioned throughout the film (and his last name, Pendragon, not at all), once by Wart himself, and later when he is revealed as the rightful King of England.
===Physical appearance===
Arthur is a 12-year-old orphan boy with fair skin, black eyes, and collar-length blond hair. His signature attire is a brown shirt, tan leggings and brown shoes.
===Personality===
Arthur is awkward and gawky but also friendly and polite. He has a rich imagination and dreams of becoming a knight and having adventures, like riding white stallions and slaying dragons, griffins, and man-eating giants. However, as he is an orphan, he knows that the most he can hope for is to become a squire to his boorish foster brother, Sir Kay. He has a universally good heart and he quickly comes to trust Merlin, though he (understandably) hesitates to do so at first. Despite his occasional moments of being clumsy, such as crashing through the roof of Merlin's home or dropping dishes, Arthur has been luck enough to avoid a wolf who never gets a bite. He is also forgiving, as he holds no ill will towards Archimedes despite finding the owl very annoying, and as Sir Ector begs him to forgive him for being an abusive parent and Arthur responds by begging him not to pursue the subject. He also appears to have empathy as he shows regret and sadness watching a female squirrel who felt in love with him crying heartbroken after she finds out he was a human all along despite initially wanting her to leave him alone.
==Appearances==
===The Sword in the Stone===
Wart accompanies his foster brother, Kay, on a hunting trip. After accidentally distracting Kay, Wart goes to retrieve Kay's lost arrow, oblivious to being prey to a hungry wolf. Climbing a tree to retrieve the arrow, the branch gave way and Wart crashed through a roof and ends up in the home of Merlin, a powerful wizard. While enjoying tea with Merlin, Merlin speaks to Wart about the value of an education and appoints himself as Wart's tutor. Wart returns to Sir Ector's castle with Merlin and is sent to the kitchen as punishment for worrying Sir Ector. Sir Pellinore, a friend of Sir Ector's, arrives with news of a tournament, with the English crown as a prize. Sir Ector decides that Kay can be knighted in time to participate. Ector also appoints the Wart as Kay's future squire for the tournament, which is to be held in London.
The next day, Wart accompanies Merlin on his first lesson. Merlin turns them both into fish and, at first, everything goes smoothly. Wart is soon chased by a large pike and manages to outsmart the pike at first. Thankfully, Wart is saved by Merlin's owl Archimedes. The adventure teaches Wart the value of brain over brawn. When Wart is transformed back, he rushes to the kitchen, where Ector gives him 6 demerits; 3 for being late, and 3 after telling the true story of his lesson.
Later, Wart is being forced to clean an entire kitchen as a result of his punishment. Merlin enchants the dishes to wash themselves and sneaks Wart out for another lesson. This time, the lesson is about gravity and (in an unexpected twist) male-female relationships; for this lesson, Wart is transformed into a squirrel and meets up with a female squirrel, who wants him as a mate. As Wart attempts to escape the amorous squirrel, he is put in danger of being eaten by a wolf. Wart is saved thanks to the female squirrel, but he is then transformed back into a human boy. Though he tries to explain, the female squirrel is heartbroken.
Back at the castle, Sir Ector begins reprimanding Merlin for using what he believes to be black magic in the kitchen. Wart tries to defend Merlin, but Ector piles more demerits on the boy and finally punishes him by both revoking his chances of making the trip to London and by making an unseen boy groom, Hobbs, Kay's squire in Wart's place. Merlin sees Wart's disappointment and apologizes, but notes that Wart could still make something of himself through an education.
Merlin then takes time to explain different concepts about how the world works, but Wart becomes so confused that Archimedes takes over Wart's education. After finding out that Wart is illiterate, Archimedes teaches the Wart to read and write. During a break, Merlin takes time to demonstrate a model airplane. Though the demonstration doesn't work, Wart is impressed anyway and relates his dream of flying to Merlin. While Wart is talking, Merlin transforms him into a sparrow. Wart then goes out flying with Archimedes. The flight goes well at first, as the Wart proves to be a natural at flying but, during the flight, Wart is chased by a hawk and, in escaping, ends up falling through the chimney of Madam Mim, Merlin's enemy. Though Madam Mim attempts to show Wart that her magic, which is self-serving, is better than Merlin's, Wart disagrees and so Madam Mim transforms into a cat and attempts to eat the Wart. Merlin's student is saved by the intervention of Merlin and Wart later observes the Wizard's Duel between the two wizards. As a result, Wart learns the value of knowledge and wisdom, as Merlin won by outsmarting Mim.
At Christmas time, Wart is reinstated as Kay's squire out of necessity (as Hobbs had come down with mumps). Wart is pleased, as he feels it is his only opportunity to advance. While Archimedes was pleased to hear the news, Merlin is disappointed that Wart still prefers war games over education as he sarcastically and rudely congratulates him. Hurt by Merlin's disapproval, Wart tearfully says that he's nothing and that in time like this, being a squire is the only thing he has left (and admits that he doesn't know how to move forward in life) and the wizard teleports himself (quite unintentionally) to 20th century Bermuda.
On New Year's Day, Wart accompanies Sir Ector and a newly knighted Kay to the tournament. Everything is going smoothly when Wart realizes that he forgot Kay's sword at the inn. In an attempt to find a replacement, Wart pulls a magic sword from a stone that was in an old churchyard. When the Wart brings the sword, it is immediately recognized as the legendary Sword in the Stone, which is only supposed to be pulled by the rightful king of England. All the knights at the tournament force Wart to repeat the process, but before he can do so, Kay, Sir Ector and a few other knights attempt to pull it out, under the reasoning that anyone can pull it a 2nd time (which is proven to be false).
Pelinore and a knight called Sir Bart stop the other knights and allow Wart to pull the sword. He does so successfully, and everyone bows to him as the new King of England. Sir Ector takes the opportunity to ask Wart for forgiveness, which Wart feels is unnecessary. The crowd asks for the boy's name, and Sir Ector almost calls the boy Wart before correcting himself and calling the boy Arthur for the first time.
Time passes and Wart, now crowned King Arthur, feels unprepared for the responsibility of ruling a country. With the assistance of Archimedes, he attempts to run away, but every exit is blocked by cheering crowds. Merlin then unexpectedly returns from Bermuda and is pleased to see that Wart is now King Arthur and relates how famous the boy will become in the future.
===House of Mouse===
King Arthur appeared about three times in House of Mouse. In "Rent Day", where Mickey asks him to loan him money, and Merlin (next to Arthur) offers him money if he goes to get Arthur a sword.
In "House of Magic" Merlin asks the Magic Mirror if Arthur will be a good king. In "Ask Von Drake", "The Ludwig Von Drake Song" shows a shot where King Arthur, Merlin, Sir Kay, and Madam Mim are trying to pull the sword out of the stone while Ludwig Von Drake explains that "King Arthur next to Merlin,"
===Other appearances===
In the series finale of At Home With Olaf, a short clip of The Sword of the Stone featuring Arthur and Merlin appears during a montage of heartwarming moments from Disney films playing in Olaf's song "I Am with You".
In Once Upon a Studio, after Goofy accidentally destroys the camera intended for a group photo, a disappointed Arthur is seen retuning inside until Alan-A-Dale starts a singalong to "When You Wish Upon a Star". Arthur joins in, and can be seen standing beside Merlin, Archimedes and Madame Mim in the final shot.
==Disney Theme Parks==
===Disneyland===
Arthur made his Disney Parks debut at Disneyland Park for the daytime Magic Happens parade in Spring 2020. During the parade's finale, Arthur alongside Merlin have their own dedicated float where Merlin is seen encouraging him to pull the sword of Excalibur.
===Disneyland Paris===
Arthur made his Disneyland Paris debut for Disneyland Paris' Annual Passholder Party held on March 2023 alongside Merlin.
==Printed media==
===Mickey Mouse comics===
In the Mickey and Minnie Mouse comic El misterio de los albatros (INDUCKS I M 60-4), a descendant of one of King Arthur's knights, Lancelot, named Lord Percival Knight, is searching a mysterious King Arthur's sunken treasure, that Percival Knight thinks he can find with help of an ancient magic music. Finally, we learn this treasure doesn't exist; the music helps in fact to charm animals and force them to follow the musician.
===A Twisted Tale: Set in Stone===
In the book, Arthur is unsure of his role as King of England without Merlin to guide him. His orders, such as asking the Saxons to join him for dinner to sign a peace treaty, are not accepted by a majority of the court. When he is challenged by his foster brother for the throne, he uses his brain to defeat him, with a little help from his friend Guinevere. At one point, he is turned into a slug by one of Madam Mim's soups.
After Guinevere restores him to normal, she suggests that Arthur might not be the true King of England. Wanting to know if Merlin did use him to control the fate of the country, the two friends return to Sir Ector's castle and search Merlin's tower. Guinevere accidentally uses a spell to send the two to the future to find Merlin. Upon finding the magician, Arthur learns through the "Internet" that he is indeed the true King of England.
Upon their return to the past they learn that Madam Mim has disguised herself as Arthur to create chaos across the kingdom. When Arthur returns to prove he is the real Arthur, she uses her magic to make sure he can't draw the fake Excalibur from the stone. She also reveals that Guinevere is her foster daughter and the she was helping her all this time.
Thrown into the dungeon to await execution, Arthur learns the leader of the Saxons is also going to be executed to create unimaginable chaos. Merlin appears but says he can't release Arthur from the dungeons. He instead encourages the boy to believe in the love Guinevere has shown him to save him.
Right before the boy is executed, Guinevere appears and says she should be executed for helping the "false" Arthur. Unable to witness her foster daughter's death, Madam Mim drops her disguise to protect her. With the revelation, Arthur is reinstated on the throne.
Having been reinstated, Arthur decides to hold an election to decide who should be King of England, thanks to a suggestion by Merlin. When the election results come in he is astonished to learn the kingdom has chosen him because of his heart, bravery, and brains. Arthur promises to do his best to lead England into a brighter age knowing that he can handle the job now.
==Gallery==
==Trivia==
*Arthur was voiced by three actors, leading to noticeable changes in voice between scenes and sometimes, within the same scene. Rickie Sorensen, who provided the voice of Arthur, entered puberty during production, and as a result, his voice broke. There was not enough time before the scheduled release date to find another voice actor and rerecord all the lines which forced Wolfgang Reitherman to cast his sons, Richard and Robert, to replace him.
*Kevin Corcoran and Jerry Mathers were both considered to voice Arthur.
*In the French version of the movie, Arthur's nickname is Moustique, meaning "Mosquito". In the Spanish dub his nickname is Grillo, meaning "Cricket".
*The Disney Comics serial The New Adventures of Beauty and the Beast had Belle reading about the adventures of King Arthur and explaining she had more of a time there than being outside. It was later referenced again in the musical adaptation of Beauty and the Beast during the "Human Again" segment (the film equivalent having Romeo & Juliet).
*Even though Arthur's surname Pendragon is neither mentioned nor credited in the film, it is officially canon according to Disney.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20190802065346/https://movies.disney.com/the-sword-in-the-stone.
*He makes a cameo in his squirrel form in The Fox and the Hound.
*The storywriters for the film predicted that, if Arthur hadn't found Merlin and became his student, Arthur would've grown up to be the bully that Kay was towards him.
==Variants==
*King Arthur (Gargoyles)
*Arthur Castus
*King Arthur (Once Upon a Time)
*King Arthur (Legend of the Three Caballeros)
==References==
fr:Athur Pendragon
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