Squirrel

> "*Go on. Take it. I'll still keep talking. I'll be in your nightmares talking, telling you how ugly you are. When you try and wake up, your eyes won't open, 'cause you sewed 'em up like a bloody idiot!*"
> ― Billy to Brother Salt, who has threatened to cut out his tongue[source]
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Percival also known as **Squirrel** is a character on Netflix's *Cursed*. He is portrayed by Billy Jenkins.

## History

### Nimue

Squirrel is caught up in the attack on the Fey village, but manages to escape.

### Cursed

Squirrel is captured by the Weeping Monk, who demands answers of him. Squirrel is defiant, so the Monk captures him. Later, a group of Fey in the woods seemingly capture the Monk and rescue Squirrel. The Monk, however, reveals that Squirrel was only bait and slaughters the lot, leaving Squirrel and telling him to tell others what he saw there.

### The Joining

Having been rescued by Gawain, the Green Knight, Squirrel is brought to the safety of the Fey hideaway Nemos. There, he shares a happy reunion with Nimue, who had thought him killed in the destruction of their village.

### Festa and Moreii

Squirrel tries to join Gawain on an expedition to try to deal with the forces who have been burning the Fey food supply. Gawain disregards him, telling him go back to the children's room. He later meets a girl, Sister Iris, and tutors her in archery. They get to speaking about family and she tells him that if she liked her own family, then she wouldn't sleep until the blood of their killers ran into every river.

### Bring Us In Good Ale

Spurred on by Iris's advice, Squirrel slips into a windmill where Gawain and his companions are under siege, saying that he's there to rescue them. Gawain is annoyed that he disregarded his orders and tells him to stay out of trouble. Later, after the entire group is rescued by Nimue, he returns with the others to the safety of the village Nemos. There, he witnesses Nimue rousing the passions of the group with the Sword of Power and declaring herself the Fey Queen. He takes up the chant, which is eagerly followed by the other Fey.

### The Fey Queen

When Gawain asks for Nimue's permission to investigate a convoy of refugees that have gone missing, Squirrel asks to come with him. Nimue agrees that he can if it's okay with Gawain and Gawain, finally impressed by the boy's courage, agrees. During the mission, however, Gawain battles and is captured by the Weeping Monk and Squirrel can only watch from hiding, unable to do anything to stop it.

### Poisons

Squirrel watches from a tree as Father Carden orders that Gawain be brought before the torturer Brother Salt. He later slips in to try to rescue Gawain, but Gawain tells him that he must leave, as Salt's torture has left him unable to walk. Addressing him by his real name of "Percival," he tells him that he wishes he had a hundred men with his courage and the two share a Fey blessing. Unfortunately, before Squirrel can get away, he is discovered by Brother Salt and captured. Aggravated, he shouts that he will gouge Salt's eyes out, but Salt turns him, revealing that he is blind and his eyes have been stitched closed. "Too late," he replies. Later, Squirrel is brought to Father Carden, who decides that he too will be tortured by Brother salt. When the Weeping Monk objects to this, Squirrel being only a child, Father Carden slaps him.

### The Sacrifice

As Brother Salt prepares to torture him, Squirrel shows no outward fear, continuing to shout insults at him. The Weeping Monk enters the tent and Salt asks if he has come to watch, but the Monk beheads Salt and then frees Squirrel. The two make their way through the camp. The Weeping Monk faces off against Pope Abel's Trinity Guards and slaughters the entire contingent, but is badly wounded himself. Squirrel leads him up onto a horse and helps him to get away. Later, on a quiet country road, the two chat. The Weeping Monk asks Squirrel for his name and when Squirrel gives it he replies that a squirrel is an animal, asking for the name he was born with. Squirrel replies that he doesn't like it, but that it's "Percival." Squirrel then asks the Monk if he has a real name and he tells him that a long time ago it was "Lancelot."

## Relationships

### Gawain

Squirrel and Gawain met when Squirrel was a small boy. Gawain mentions that he remembers Squirrel's father Gullayad as a man who carried a little extra weight but had been a good hunter with a knife.

After Squirrel breaks into the Red Paladin camp to try to free Gawain, Gawain tells him that he can't walk and that he has run before they come back. Squirrel doesn't want to leave him, so Gawain tells him that he wishes that he had a hundred men with his courage and makes him a knight of the Fey.

### Nimue

He and Nimue are close friends. They did fox races. Nimue came back for him when his village was attacked, unfortunately, they couldn't meet because of The Weeping Monk. Nimue would trade the sword to save his life.

### The Weeping Monk

Even though they started off the wrong foot, Squirrel was the second person to trust and be friends with him. He gets captured by the Monk and is used as a bait to capture other Fey. After he is caught trying to save Gawain, Lancelot saves him from the Red Paladins because he doesn't believe in hurting children. The Monk almost gives up when he is injured by the Trinity Guards, but when Squirrel picks up a sword and challenges the guards, Lancelot finds whatever strength he has left and kills them all. Squirrel then helps him get on a horse and they ride away from the camp together.

### Iris

Before he knew she was going to kill Nimue, Squirell taught her how to throw an arrow. They were friends, of a sort, though she was rather rude in the way she spoke to him.

## Personality

> "*Can I sit on it?*"
> "*(*slap*) Manners, boy!*"
> ― Squirrel wanting to sit on Nimue's throne, and Gawain[source]
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He is a strong-willed boy with a fierce spirit. Often defiant, he wishes to do whatever he can to help the Fey, but is often treated as just a kid. Gawain does not think much of him at first, but is ultimately won over by his great courage. When Billy is captured by Brother Salt, he acts entirely unafraid, slinging insults at Salt even as Salt threatens him with horrific acts.

## Appearances

Season One
* *Nimue*
* *Cursed*
* *The Joining*
* *Festa and Moreii*
* *Bring Us In Good Ale*
* *The Fey Queen*
* *Poisons*
* *The Sacrifice*

## Trivia

* In Arthurian Legend, Percival is a member of the Knights of the Round Table alongside King Arthur.
* In Arthurian Legend, Percival's sister Dindrane is often associated with the Holy Grail. In this telling, though, his family appears to have been slaughtered by the Red Paladins.

## References

1. ↑ Miska, Brad (May 7, 2020). Netflix’s “Cursed” Series Carries Light Horror Vibes. Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved on July 5, 2020.
2. ↑ The Sacrifice (1x10)
3. ↑ https://kingarthursknights.com/knights-of-the-round-table/sir-percival/