title: Goku

text: Son Goku is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the "Dragon Ball" manga series created by Akira Toriyama. He is based on Sun Wukong (known as Son Goku in Japan and Monkey King in the West), a main character of the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West" (16th century), combined with influences from the Hong Kong martial arts films of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. Goku first made his debut in the first "Dragon Ball" chapter, "Bulma and Son Goku", originally published in Japan's "Weekly Shōnen Jump" magazine on December 3, 1984. Goku is introduced as an eccentric, monkey-tailed boy who practices martial arts and possesses superhuman strength. He meets Bulma and joins her on a journey to find the seven wish-granting Dragon Balls. Along the way, he finds new friends who follow him on his journey to become a stronger fighter. As Goku grows up, he becomes the Earth's mightiest warrior and battles a wide variety of villains with the help of his friends and family, while also gaining new allies in the process.


title: Goku

text: Born as a member of the Saiyan race on Planet Vegeta, under the name Kakarot, he is sent to Earth as an infant prior to his homeworld's destruction at the hands of Frieza (ordered by Beerus). Upon his arrival on Earth, the infant is discovered by Son Gohan, who becomes the adoptive grandfather of the boy and gives him the name Goku. The boy is initially full of violence and aggression due to his Saiyan nature, until an accidental head injury turns him into a cheerful, carefree person. Grandpa Gohan's kindness and teachings help to further influence Goku, who later on names his first son Gohan in honor of him.


title: Goku

text: As the protagonist of "Dragon Ball", Goku appears in most of the episodes, films, television specials and OVAs of the manga's anime adaptations ("Dragon Ball", "Dragon Ball Z") and sequels ("Dragon Ball GT", "Dragon Ball Super"), as well as many of the franchise's video games. Due to the series' international popularity, Goku became one of the most recognizable and iconic manga/anime characters worldwide. Outside the "Dragon Ball" franchise, Goku has made cameo appearances in Toriyama's self-parody series "Neko Majin Z", has been the subject of other parodies, and has appeared in special events. Most Western audiences were introduced to the adult version of Goku appearing in the "Dragon Ball Z" anime, itself an adaptation of "Dragon Ball" manga volumes 17–42, as opposed to his initial child form, due to the limited success of the first series overseas. Goku's critical reception has been largely positive, but he has also been criticized as being less heroic in "Dragon Ball Super".


title: Goku

text: Goku, and "Dragon Ball" in general, evolved from one of Akira Toriyama's earlier one-shot series called "Dragon Boy". In this story, the protagonist looks a lot like Goku, but has a pair of wings. The original inspiration was Hong Kong martial arts films, including Bruce Lee films such as "Enter the Dragon" (1973) and Jackie Chan films such as "Drunken Master" (1978); Toriyama said he had a young Jackie Chan in mind for a live-action Goku, stating that "nobody could play Goku but him."


title: Goku

text: Bulma and Goku were the first pair of characters which were introduced in the manga and Toriyama stated that he subsequently introduced other characters in pairs because "that way, I’m able to explain the characters and their relationship to each other through their interactions. In my case, I feel that it isn’t good to insert too much narration. I suppose Goku and Bulma are representative of that." He further added that "as a child, Goku doesn’t know anything [of the world], so without Bulma, he’d be a character who didn’t say anything." Toriyama also mentioned Torishima wanted Goku to form a relationship with Bulma, but this was never applied to the series. With the conclusion of the Cell arc, Gohan was intended to replace his father as the protagonist, but Toriyama later decided that Gohan was unsuitable for the role. According to Toriyama, Goku is more of a selfish person than a hero as his main interest in the story is to fight strong opponents rather than protecting the innocent. As a result, Toriyama was angered when the anime adaptations of "Dragon Ball" started portraying Goku as more heroic than his manga counterpart.


title: Goku

text: The character Goku is based on Sun Wukong (Son Goku in Japanese), the central character of the Chinese novel "Journey to the West". To be creative with the idea of Sun Wukong, Toriyama designed Goku as a human boy with a monkey's tail, rather than a complete simian, because the tail would give the character a distinguishing feature. He later stated that the tail was a pain to draw, hence why he had it get cut off early on. Toriyama did not initially plan to make Goku an alien, it was not until the introduction of fighters from other planets that he established him as a Saiyan. Goku was given the ability to teleport to any planet in seconds, so that Toriyama could increase the pace of the story.


title: Goku

text: Wanting the series to have a Chinese appearance, Toriyama used the color of the robes worn by Buddhist monks for Goku's "dōgi". During the early chapters of the manga, Toriyama's editor, Kazuhiko Torishima, commented that Goku looked rather plain. Toriyama had given him simple clothes on purpose because it was a fighting manga, so to combat this he added several characters like Master Roshi and Krillin, and created the Tenkaichi Budōkai to focus the storyline on fighting. To defy the assumption that Goku would win the tournaments, Toriyama made him lose the first and second but win the third.


title: Goku

text: Toriyama's editor was initially against having Goku grow up, saying it was uncommon to have the protagonist drastically change in manga, however, he gave in when Toriyama threatened that he would not be able to continue the series if the character did not. Toriyama later stated he had him grow up as a means to make drawing the fight scenes easier.


title: Goku

text: When Toriyama thought up the Super Saiyan concept during the Frieza arc, he felt the only way to show Goku's massive power-up was to have him transform. Initially he was concerned that the facial expression looked like that of a villain, but felt it was acceptable since the transformation was brought about by anger. The Super Saiyan form also spared the trouble of coloring Goku's hair all the time for the standard black-and-white manga pages. This was the reason for the Super Saiyan form having blonde hair, because it was easier to draw for Toriyama's assistant who spent a lot of time blacking in Goku's hair. Goku's piercing eyes in Super Saiyan form were also inspired by Bruce Lee's paralyzing glare. For the "Dragon Ball Z" anime adaptation, character designer Tadayoshi Yamamuro also used Bruce Lee as a reference, stating that, when he "first becomes a Super Saiyan, his slanting pose with that scowling look in his eyes is all Bruce Lee."


title: Goku

text: "Dragon Ball GT" chief character designer Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru said he agonized over designing Goku's Super Saiyan 4 appearance, which was the idea of the show's producers, questioning whether it was necessary to go further with the transformations. Because Super Saiyan 4 is brought about while in a Saiyan's "Ōzaru" form, he made the hair more "wild" and covered Goku's body in red fur. There was only a single final draft of the character, although Nakatsuru did consider making the hair blonde, he ended up choosing black as it provides more contrast with the red fur.


title: Goku

text: During the plans of the final story arc of "Dragon Ball Super", it was decided that Goku should have another transformation: The Ultra Instinct. The concept was that the Ultra Instinct would be completely different from Goku's previous Super Saiyan transformations.


title: Goku

text: In the Japanese version of every "Dragon Ball" anime series and subsequent related media, Goku has been voiced by Masako Nozawa. Toriyama selected Nozawa upon hearing her audition sample, remarking that only Goku could sound like that. Nozawa stated that she was ecstatic when she got the role because she had always wanted to be in one of Toriyama's works. She said she had to be mindful of the fact that Goku grew up in the mountains and did not know much of the world. Despite having to voice Goku, Gohan, Goten and Bardock, Nozawa claims she is able to instantly get into the respective character simply upon seeing their image.


title: Goku

text: Nozawa explained that she did not read the manga so that she would not know what was coming in the story until recording, making her reactions the same as Goku's. Nozawa said that she liked young Goku with his tail because he was cute, and stated that the character was still the same even at the end of the series.


title: Goku

text: In the numerous English versions, Goku has been played by different actors because different companies produced the dubs, by reason of changes of ADR companies and recording studios, or due to actors quitting:


title: Goku

text: Goku first appears in "Dragon Ball" as a monkey-tailed child adopted by the hermit martial artist Gohan. Before the series' narrative begins, he accidentally and unknowingly kills Gohan when he temporarily transforms into the mighty "Ōzaru" after staring at a full moon. However, Goku loses the ability when his friends cut off his tail.


title: Goku

text: Living alone with an item known as a Dragon Ball which he keeps as a memento of Gohan, Goku befriends a teenage girl named Bulma. He joins her to find the seven Dragon Balls, which, when gathered, summon the wish-granting dragon Shenron. They encounter the desert bandit Yamcha and two shapeshifters named Oolong and Puar, who also join their quest. Goku is later trained by the martial artist Master Roshi, alongside a monk named Krillin, who later becomes his best friend. It is Roshi who gives Goku the magic cloud "Kintōun", as a reward for saving his pet sea turtle, which becomes Goku's primary source of flight travel across the world.


title: Goku

text: Goku's first shown martial arts attack as a child is "Jan ken", three physical blows modeled after the hand signs in rock-paper-scissors. As a child, he also wields the "Nyoi-bō", a magic staff that extends and retracts on command, given to him by his late grandfather.


title: Goku

text: However, Goku's signature attack is the "Kamehameha" (named after King Kamehameha I of Hawai'i), which he learned from Master Roshi. The "Kamehameha" is a concentration of energy, released as a concussive beam. Roshi spent about 50 years developing and perfecting the technique, but, as a child, Goku is able to understand and copy the technique immediately after only one demonstration. After training with the Earth's Guardian, Kami, Goku learns to fly by virtue of the technique "Bukū-jutsu" and uses the Nimbus cloud less frequently for flight travel.


title: Goku

text: While participating in the World Martial Arts Tournament that attracts the most powerful fighters in the world, Goku battles foes, later turned allies, such as Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu, as well as the Namekian Piccolo. After becoming the runner-up champion of the 21st and 22nd tournaments, Goku finally wins in the 23rd with Piccolo's defeat, and marries Chi-Chi soon after to fulfill a promise he made to her years ago despite not knowing what marriage was.


title: Goku

text: Five years later, Goku meets his evil older brother Raditz and learns about his heritage. Goku comes from a race of now nearly extinct extraterrestrials called Saiyans, himself having been sent from their home planet to prepare Earth for sale on the intergalactic market by destroying all its life. While Grandpa Gohan was taking care of him, Goku accidentally fell into a deep ravine and suffered a severe head injury, which caused him to forget his mission and drastically altered his personality.


title: Goku

text: After Raditz kidnaps Goku's son, Gohan, he forms a truce with Piccolo in order to defeat Raditz. After sacrificing his life during the battle, Goku trains with King Kai in the Other World. He teaches Goku the "Kaiō-ken", which multiplies his energy and strength but with possible strain to the body. It is also from King Kai that Goku learns his most powerful attack: the "Genki-Dama", an energy sphere created by gathering energy from surrounding animals, nature and humans.


title: Goku

text: After being revived by the Dragon Balls, Goku faces off with the Saiyan prince Vegeta, who eventually becomes his greatest rival and another ally. On his journey to Planet Namek in order to aid his friends in gathering the Namekian Dragon Balls to revive those killed by the Saiyans, Goku fights the galactic tyrant Frieza, who destroyed the Saiyans' home planet and nearly the entire race. During his epic battle with Frieza, Goku becomes the first Saiyan in a thousand years to transform into a fabled Super Saiyan.


title: Goku

text: After defeating Frieza and escaping the destruction of Namek, Goku learns a teleportation skill called "Shunkan Idō", taught by the inhabitants of the planet Yardrat. However, Goku contracts a heart virus whereof the time-traveler Trunks warns him, but recovers after taking medicine provided by Trunks. Later, Goku trains Gohan to be his successor and sacrifices himself again during the battle against the evil bio-android Cell. Goku is temporarily resurrected on Earth seven years later and meets his second son Goten.


title: Goku

text: Goku also battles Vegeta again after Vegeta willingly falls under the control of the wizard Babidi in order to gain power. Shortly after, he is drawn into a battle for the universe against the monster Majin Buu. Despite having mastered two new Super Saiyan transformations, Goku prepares Goten and Trunks to take his place as Earth's defender. After his life is fully restored, Goku attempts to fuse with Gohan in order to defeat Buu, but this fails when the latter is temporarily absorbed by Buu and so he persuades the newly arrived Vegeta to fuse with him, creating Vegito. Eventually, Goku destroys Buu with a Spirit Bomb attack. Ten years later, during another World Martial Arts Tournament, Goku meets Uub, Buu's human reincarnation, and leaves with him, intending to train him as the new protector of Earth.


title: Goku

text: After defeating Majin Buu, Goku meets a new opponent known as Beerus, the God of Destruction in the film "". An alternative, more innately powerful form known as the Super Saiyan God is reached by Goku during this film. Though the temporary transformation wears off, Goku manages to harness its godly powers. In its sequel film "", Goku manages to achieve a blue-haired evolution of Super Saiyan God under Whis's tutelage, known as the Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan, or "Super Saiyan Blue" for short, which Goku uses to battle the newly revived Frieza. These forms also appear in "Dragon Ball Super" and its manga tie-in, which expand upon the stories from the two films.


title: Goku

text: Afterwards, Goku and his friends participate in a fighting tournament set between Beerus and his brother Champa,who is Universe 6's God of Destruction, facing the best warriors from Champa's universe. During this tournament, Goku reveals that he has learned to combine the perfect energy control of his Super Saiyan Blue form with his older technique, the "Kaiō-ken". After meeting with the omnipotent being known as Grand Zeno, Goku encounters an evil alternate version of himself called "Goku Black", who is terrorizing Future Trunks' timeline. Black is eventually revealed to be a rogue Supreme Kai in training named Zamasu, who has stolen Goku's body from yet another alternate timeline and teamed up with the Zamasu of Future Trunks' timeline to fulfill their "Zero Mortals Plan". After Zamasu and Black become even more dangerous by undergoing Potara Fusion during the battle in Future Trunks' timeline, Goku ultimately summons the future version of Grand Zeno who erases Zamasu.


title: Goku

text: Later, Goku causes the Zenos to decide to hold a multi-universal martial arts tournament with the losing universes wiped from existence; the Tournament of Power. Throughout the tournament, Goku faces multiple opponents but finds his toughest in Jiren. It is during his fights with Jiren that Goku acquires a new temporary transformed state using a divine technique known as "Migatte no Goku'i". Ultimately, Goku and Frieza manage to work together to force Jiren out of bounds in a triple elimination, leaving Android 17 as the winner who uses his wish on the Super Dragon Balls to restore the erased universes.


title: Goku

text: Goku's origin story from the "Dragon Ball Minus" manga chapter is retold in the film "". His birth parents are Bardock, a low-class Saiyan mercenary, and Gine, the owner of a butcher shop. Bardock has a strong suspicion that Frieza is up to something when he receives an order on his scouter for all Saiyans to return home, so he convinces Gine to send their infant son in a space pod to Earth. In the present, following the events of the Tournament of Power, Goku and Vegeta encounter another Saiyan survivor named Broly, whom Frieza has recruited to defeat them. When Broly proves to be too powerful for either of them to handle individually, Goku and Vegeta use the Metamoran Fusion Dance, which creates Gogeta. Gogeta almost defeats his opponent, but Broly's allies teleport him back to the barren planet he grew up on. Later, Goku teleports to this planet as well to provide Broly and his two friends with survival supplies, hoping to be able to spar with Broly again someday.


title: Goku

text: In the manga, directly after the final scene of "Broly," Goku and Vegeta meet Galactic Patrol by Jaco and a mysteriously highly skilled agent named Merus in order to help stop an ancient warlock called Moro. With Moro headed to New Namek to use the Namekian Dragon Balls, the two Saiyans travel to the planet to stop him, where they are defeated by him using his magic to drain their life essences until near death. Once recovered, they attempt to go after Moro again, but he escapes from them, Merus and (the also conscripted) Majin Buu with the help of his accomplice Cranberry (who he kills) in order to wish upon the Dragon Balls to free all the Galactic Prison prisoners. After a few days, Goku hears from Merus that Moro has grown even stronger and is unstoppable. This leads to Goku asking Merus to help train him to master the Ultra Instinct state so he can defeat Moro. Goku helps his friends take out Moro's forces before he comes face-to-face with Moro again. When Moro fuses with Seven-Three, he and his allies are soundly defeated and mortally wounded. Goku achieves the full power of Ultra Instinct, which he uses to debilitate Moro to near-death. Even after healing him with a Senzu bean, tanking his ensuing sneak attack, unsuccessfully attempting to convince him to reconsider his ways and go back to prison, and him using a stray severed arm with Merus's copied power to obtain Ultra Instinct for himself, Goku continuously outmatches Moro. Ultimately, with the help of his friends and family, along with a key assist from Buu/Grand Supreme Kai and Uub's divine power, Goku manages to finish off Moro and save the Earth once more. He, Vegeta, Buu and Jaco then reunite with a now-mortal Merus to be honoured as heroes by the Galactic Patrol.


title: Goku

text: In the anime-only sequel series, "Dragon Ball GT", Goku is transformed back into a child by an accidental wish made by his old enemy Pilaf using the Black Star Dragon Balls while Pilaf was about to wish to take over the world. Goku, Trunks and his own granddaughter Pan travel the universe to search for the Black Star Dragon Balls and return them to Earth to prevent its destruction. After acquiring the Super Saiyan 4 transformation, Goku battles the evil Tuffle Baby, Super Android 17, and the evil Shadow Dragons. His final challenge is against Omega Shenron, whom he destroys using the Spirit Bomb.


title: Goku

text: Goku leaves with the original form of Shenron, but not before saying his goodbyes to his friends on Earth. He then appears 100 years later at the next World Martial Arts Tournament as an adult, where he watches a battle between Goku Jr., his descendant, and Vegeta Jr., Vegeta's descendant. An elderly Pan sees him, but he quickly departs.


title: Goku

text: Goku has appeared in various other media including an unofficial Taiwanese live-action film and an unofficial Korean live-action film. He was portrayed by Justin Chatwin in the 2009 20th Century Fox feature "Dragonball Evolution". Goku has also appeared in almost every "Dragon Ball" licensed electronic video game, including crossover games such as "Jump Super Stars", "Jump Ultimate Stars" and "Battle Stadium D.O.N". In 1992, Goku was featured in the interactive game "Dragon Ball Z: Get Together! Goku World", in which Goku and his gang travel back in time to review events in the "Dragon Ball" timeline and interacts with his younger self. In December 2007, Goku made a guest appearance in avatar form in the MMORPG "Second Life" for a "Jump Festa" promotion titled "Jumpland@Second Life". Goku also appears in the "Dr. Slump and Arale-chan" video game for the Nintendo DS.


title: Goku

text: Goku has been the subject of, and is mentioned in, various songs. "Son Goku Song" and "Gokū no Gokigen Jānī" feature Goku as a child singing about himself. During his adult years, the song "Aitsu wa Son Gokū" by Hironobu Kageyama, where Kageyama praises everything about Goku, and the duet "Ore-tachi no Energy" feature words spoken by the character. For the release of the single of the "Dragonball Evolution" international theme song "Rule", Toriyama supplied CD artwork of singer Ayumi Hamasaki dressed as Goku.


title: Goku

text: Goku has been used in Japanese public service announcements aimed at children. In June 1988, Goku and other "Dragon Ball" characters were featured in two PSA short films. The first, in which Goku is taught the importance of obeying traffic safety by others, is entitled "Goku's Traffic Safety". The second is called "Goku's Fire Fighting Regiment", in which he teaches two children the importance of fire safety.


title: Goku

text: Goku has made guest appearances in various Japanese television shows and manga. In 2005, Goku appeared in the Toriyama parody manga "Neko Majin Z" where he is the sensei of the main character Z. On September 15, 2006, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of "Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo", the special manga "Super Kochikame" was released. The chapter entitled "This is the Police Station in front of Dragon Park on Planet Namek" has Ryotsu Kankichi travel to planet Namek and try to issue Freeza a citation and scold both he and Goku for parking their ships illegally.


title: Goku

text: Goku and other "Dragon Ball" characters join the cast of "One Piece" in the 2006 crossover manga "Cross Epoch". He also appears in a single panel of Toriyama's 2013 manga "Jaco the Galactic Patrolman", which is set before the events of "Dragon Ball". The collected tankōbon volume of "Jaco" features the bonus story "", depicting how and why Goku's parents sent him to Earth.


title: Goku

text: Goku has been the subject of various parodies. In the episode "Career Day" of "Takeshi's Castle", known in the United States as "MXC", the hosts Beat Takeshi and Sonomanma Higashi dressed as popular anime characters, one as Goku as a child, the other as Doraemon. "Weekly Shōnen Jump"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s "Gag Special 2005" issue, released on November 12, 2004, featured a "Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo" one-shot "Dragon Ball" parody manga, a retelling of the first fight between Goku and Vegeta. In chapter #179 of the "Yakitate!! Japan" manga, Kawachi executes a "Genki-Dama" parody called a "Shinrai-Dama" on the character Katsuo. In the manga and anime series "Blood Lad", the character Staz performs the gestures for Goku's Kamehameha, having learned it from his favorite manga superhero, but it has no actual effect.


title: Goku

text: Goku regularly appears on Fuji TV. In 2003, Goku appeared in the interactive feature "Orb's Panic Adventure!", which was featured exclusively at the Fuji TV headquarters in the orb section. In this, Freeza attacks a visiting tourist, blasting the orb section free from the rest of the Fuji TV building. Goku fights Freeza over the real life aqua city of Odaiba. In 2004, a sequel called "Orb's Panic Adventure Returns!" was produced. On March 25, 2006, Goku and Freeza appeared in an original animated short film in the "IQ Mirror Mistake 7" segment of the Japanese game show "IQ Supplement".


title: Goku

text: On April 7, 2007, Goku and Fuji TV announcer Masaharu Miyake were commentators on the anime segment in the "Japan Great Man Awards" titled "Who is the Strongest Hero?". The segment featured a special tournament to decide who was the greatest person in Japanese history. During the intermission, Goku promoted the coming release of R2 "Dragon Ball" DVDs.


title: Goku

text: Since the U.S. debut of "Dragon Ball Z" in 1996, Goku has appeared in American pop culture. He was featured in an issue of "Wizard" magazine in which he and Superman fought a hypothetical battle and won. In the "" episode "", Numbuh Four's version of the story is a parody of the Goku and Freeza's battle in "Dragon Ball Z". Goku appears in "Robot Chicken" in a sketch entitled "A Very Dragon Ball Z Christmas", where Goku and Gohan fight an evil Mrs. Claus with Santa's reindeer, in an attempt to save Christmas.


title: Goku

text: The "Saturday Night Live" sketch "TV Funhouse" titled "Kobayashi" depicts real-life hot-dog-eating champion Takeru Kobayashi as able to transform into a Super Saiyan as he prepares to eat hot dogs; Goku appears briefly near the end. Goku is referenced in the songs "Goku" and "Anime" by Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, where he brags that he looks and feels like Goku.


title: Goku

text: Goku appears in a parody of the film "Moneyball" on an episode of "Mad" entitled "Money Ball Z", in which Billy Beane drafts Goku and a couple of other "Dragon Ball" characters into the Oakland A's. In 2013, he and Superman fought in a "Death Battle" episode of the Rooster Teeth web series "ScrewAttack" and lost. The episode "Goku vs. Superman" in the web series "Epic Rap Battles of History" won a Streamy Award for Best Music Video.


title: Goku

text: The use of the "Kamehameha" attack became an Internet meme which started with Japanese schoolgirls photographing themselves apparently using, and being affected by, this attack. It has also attracted considerable media attention in France, Germany, as well as in many Spanish-speaking countries in South America.


title: Goku

text: A number of notable public figures have commented on their feelings towards Goku or his status in popular culture. For example, Jackie Chan has gone on record stating that Goku is his favorite "Dragon Ball" character. The German rock band Son Goku takes their name from the "Dragon Ball" protagonist. The band's lead singer Thomas D chose the name because Goku embodies the band's philosophy, saying he was "fascinated by Goku's naïveté and cheerfulness, yet, at the same time, a great warrior saving the world."


title: Goku

text: In 2010, a fiberglass statue of Goku was created by Canadian-born Hong Kong artist Edison Chen, with Chen's facial features instead of Goku's, as part of Chen's collection that was displayed at the "Treacherous Treis" exhibition in Singapore's Museum of Art and Design. CNN released an article explaining how Goku was Spanish professional tennis player Rafael Nadal's childhood inspiration, and called Nadal "the Dragon Ball of tennis" due to his unorthodox style "from another planet."


title: Goku

text: "One Piece" creator Eiichiro Oda and "Naruto" creator Masashi Kishimoto said that Goku inspired their protagonists as well as series structure, with "Tekken" Lars Alexandersson also showing traits of a hero through his design inspired by Goku alongside Marvel Comic's Thor. Commenting on Goku's popularity, Kishimoto stated that when people hear the name "Son Goku", no longer do they think of the "Journey to the West" character, but instead "Dragon Ball"'s protagonist comes to mind. Additionally, for the second half of the series, Kishimoto created an ape named Son Goku in reference to Toriyama's character to the point the ape has four tails just like the four-star Dragon Ball Goku earned from his grandfather.


title: Goku

text: In his book about Akira Toriyama published in 2004, Julius Weideman said Goku's journey and ever-growing strength resulted in the character winning "the admiration of young boys everywhere." Jason Thompson stated that unlike the "manly" heroes of other popular shōnen manga of the late 1980s and early 1990s, such as "City Hunter" and "Fist of the North Star", Toriyama made his protagonist (Goku) cartoonish and small, thus starting a trend that Thompson says continues to this day. In 2015, the Japan Anniversary Association officially declared May 9 as "Goku Day". Goku is the first manga character to have a balloon at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, with his first appearance at the 2018 parade.


title: Goku

text: Several pieces of merchandising based on Goku have been released, including action figures, plushes, and keychains.


title: Goku

text: Goku has appeared in innumerable "top" character lists. He was ranked number one in IGN's 2009 list of Top 25 Anime Characters of All Time and reappeared on the same list in 2014, however, on this occasion they ranked him third, with "Cowboy Bebop"s Spike Spiegel and "Neon Genesis Evangelion"s Shinji Ikari placed above him, saying that "He was, in many ways, a character that bucked the trends of his time and defined the direction of shonen manga/anime for decades." In Mania Entertainment's 10 Most Iconic Anime Heroes, Thomas Zoth commented that "Goku and "Dragon Ball" completely revolutionized shōnen manga."


title: Goku

text: In a "Newtype" poll from March 2010, Goku was voted the fifth most popular male character from the 1980s. Goku ranked consistently high in the Anime Grand Prix poll in the category of "best male character" in the late 1980s and early 1990s, appearing seventeenth in the 1987 poll, fifteenth in the 1988 poll, second in the 1989 poll, fourth in the 1990 poll, third in the 1991 poll, fourth in the 1992 poll, thirteenth in 1993 poll, and twelfth in 1994 poll.


title: Goku

text: In a 1993 character popularity poll for the series, "Weekly Shōnen Jump" readers voted Goku second, after his son Gohan. He came in first in the magazine's 1995 poll, as well as in a 2004 poll amongst fans of the series for the book "Dragon Ball Forever". In a 2005 "The Daily Reader" article entitled "The Greatest Geek Movie Heroes of All Time", Goku is the only animated character listed, and is ranked tenth. In a survey of 1,000 people, conducted by Oricon in 2007, Goku ranked first place as the "Strongest Manga character of all time."


title: Goku

text: In the survey "Friendship" developed by rankingjapan.com, in which people chose which anime character they would like as a friend, Goku ranked fifth. In 2000, Goku placed third in an Animax poll of favorite anime characters. In 2011, readers of "Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition" voted Goku as the 41st-top video game character of all time. NTT customers voted him as their third favorite black haired male anime character in a 2014 poll.


title: Goku

text: Game designer Hiroshi Matsuyama from CyberConnect2 said that while Goku is an appealing character readers could root for during the manga, he was hard to relate and, thus, instead preferred other characters like Krillin or Bulma. However, during the manga's final story arc, Matsuyama recalls being overjoyed when Goku says that Mr. Satan, a comic relief character with no superextraordinary skills, was the real hero of mankind as the Earthlings found him as the saviour of mankind when Buu was about win the final fight.


title: Goku

text: Goku's characterization has been well received by publications for manga, anime and other media. Anime News Network noted Goku as a good source of comedy and remarked that after everything he experiences, he still remains a naïve character. Tim Jones from THEM Anime Reviews noted that Goku is not an omnipotent character in the first anime series, unlike "Dragon Ball Z", and does not disappear for long periods of time between sagas. Jones also liked the way the series' depict his entire adventures, making him a good main character. Voice actor Mamoru Miyano said that Goku's first Super Saiyan transformation in the manga was his favorite part from the series as Goku not only changed visually but his personality changes into a "classic, prototypical hero".


title: Goku

text: Rationalmagic.com praised Goku's innocence as one of the funniest parts of the series. In January 2017, Nozawa won two Guinness World Records for her longevity as Goku; she has been the sole voice actor for the role for over 23 years. According to "Screen Rant", Goku's origin story has some similarities to that of Superman. On the other hand, Collider was more critical to Goku's actions in the series most notably when Gohan becomes an active character who goes through several character's arcs yet he is constantly overshadowed by his father to the point Akira Toriyama refrained from turning Gohan into his successor following the Cell Games and Goku once again took over Gohan's role in the final arc of "Dragon Ball Z".


title: Goku

text: Despite his predominantly positive reception, Goku has received some negative feedback, in particular for his characterization in "Dragon Ball Super" due to how his constant desires for fighting stronger enemies resulted in setting up a story where all universes could be destroyed. While Anime Now's Richard Eisenbeis believes Goku is determined to protect his universe, the fact that he does not seemingly care about other loser universes being destroyed has been criticized.


title: Goku

text: Monique Jones from Syfy panned the character's relationship dynamic with his wife, as well as his perceived incompetency and irresponsibility as a father, drawing attention to the "tons of memes and fan chatter about Piccolo actually being the best dad Gohan’s ever had". Sam Leach from Anime News Network agreed that fans of the series tend to joke about Piccolo being a better paternal figure to Gohan than his actual father, Goku, and felt that "Dragon Ball Super" emphasized this more when Piccolo started training him again.


title: Goku

text: The same site also criticized Goku often being busy in the narrative, most notably in Frieza's resurrection, as the supporting characters have some extra scenes only to have their spotlight stolen by Goku and Vegeta. His rematch with Frieza was criticized for how overpowered the character has become and how much back up his allies can provide in the battle, ruining the tension the film was supposed to generate. Despite enjoying his rematch with Frieza, DVD Talk expressed similar responses in the handling of these characters.


title: Goku

text: "IGN" noted that Goku has a tendency to show enemies mercy, including Vegeta, Piccolo, Cell and Moro. His decision to let Cell have a senzu bean without informing his allies in particular was considered to be infamous, which affected Gohan's confidence and led to his defeat. La Tercera went to call Goku irresponsible and immature to the character for helping Moro as a result of this show of mercy and the consequences. Both Goku and Vegeta were criticized for being too overpowered in "Super" to the point they steal the series' spotlight to the supporting cast while their strategies either lack complexity or create a plothole such as the time limit to the fusion Vegetto.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: The Knights of the Round Table (, , ) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in literature in the mid-12th century, the Knights are an order dedicated to ensuring the peace of Arthur's kingdom following an early warring period, entrusted in later years to undergo a mystical quest for the Holy Grail. The Round Table at which they meet is a symbol of the equality of its members, who range from sovereign royals to minor nobles.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: The various stories in the cycle present an assortment of knights from all over Great Britain and abroad, some of whom are even from outside of Europe. Their ranks often include Arthur's close and distant relatives, such as Agravain and Gaheris, as well as his reconciled enemies and those he defeated in battle, including Galehaut and Lot. Several of the most notable knights, including Bedivere, Gawain, Kay and Yvain, are based on older characters associated with Arthur in the Welsh version of the myth. Many knights appear recurrently, such as Gawain, Lancelot, Percival and Tristan, with each of them featuring as a protagonist or eponymous hero in various works of chivalric romance. Other well-known members include the holy knight Galahad, replacing Percival as the achiever of the Grail, and Arthur's traitorous son Mordred.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: By the end of Arthurian prose cycles (including the seminal "Le Morte d'Arthur"), the knights split up into groups of warring factions following the revelation of Lancelot's adultery with King Arthur's wife, Queen Guinevere. In the same tradition, Guinevere is featured with her own personal order of young warriors and knights, known as the Queen's Knights. Some of these romances retell the story of the Knights of the Old Table, led by Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, whilst other tales focus on the members of the 'Grail Table'; these were the followers of ancient Christian Joseph of Arimathea, with his Grail Table later serving as the inspiration for Uther and Arthur's subsequent Round Tables.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: The number of the Knights of the Round Table (including King Arthur) and their names vary greatly between the versions published by different writers. The figure may range from a dozen to as many as 1,600, the latter claimed by Layamon. Most commonly, there are between 100 and 300 seats at the table, often with one seat usually permanently empty (300 was also chosen by Edward III of England when he decided to create his own Order of the Round Table at Windsor Castle in 1344). In many versions there are over 100 members, as with 140 according to Thomas Malory (150 in Caxton's version) and Hartmann von Aue. Some sources state much smaller numbers, such as 13 in the Didot "Perceval", 50 in the Prose "Merlin" (the prose expansion Vulgate "Merlin" has 250), and 60 in the count by Jean d'Outremeuse. Others state higher numbers, as with 366 in both "Perlesvaus" and the "Chevaliers as deus espees".


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: In addition, there are many less prominent knights. For instance, the "Healing of Sir Urry" episode in the Winchester Manuscript of "Le Morte d'Arthur" lists, in addition to many of the above, the following:


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Conversely, the Winchester Round Table features only the knights Sirs Alynore (Alymere), Bedwere (Bedivere), Blubtlrys (Bleoberis), Bors De Ganys (Bors de Ganis), Brumear (Brunor le Noir), Dagonet, Degore, Ectorde Marys (Ector de Maris), Galahallt (Galahault or Galahad), Garethe (Gareth), Gauen (Gawain), Kay, Lamorak, Launcelot Deulake (Lancelot du Lac), Lacotemale Tayle (La Cote Male Taile), Lucane (Lucan), Lybyus Dysconyus (Le Bel Desconneu), Lyonell (Lionel), Mordrede (Mordred), Plomyde (Palomedes), Pelleus (Pelleas), Percyvale (Percival), Safer (Safir), and Trystram Delyens (Tristram de Lyones) for the total of merely 24 (not counting Arthur).


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Aglovale de Galis ("Agglovale", "Aglaval[e]", "Agloval", "Aglován", "Aglovaus", etc.; -"de Galles", -"le Gallois") is the eldest legitimate son of King Pellinore of Galis (Wales), introduced in the Vulgate "Lancelot". Like his father and his brothers (who may include Drian, Lamorak, the original Grail hero Perceval, and Tor) he is a Knight of the Round Table. According to the Post Vulgate Cycle, and Thomas Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur", Aglovale is the one who brings his long lost brother Percival to Camelot to be knighted after meeting him by chance in Perceval's woods. In an alternate account in the "Livre d'Artus" version of the Vulgate "Merlin", the young Agloval has all of his fourteen brothers killed during the Saxon wars by the forces of King Rions' relative King Agrippa in their attack on his mother's domain.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: In the "Livre d'Artus", Agloval then accompanies Gawain and Sagramore in leading an army that defeats the invaders, personally slaying Agrippa but suffering severe wounds. In the Third (Manessier's) Continuation of "Perceval", Agloval dies seven years after Percival became the Grail King, causing Percival's retirement to a hermitage to grieve for his final ten years. In the Vulgate Cycle, Aglovale dies accidentally at Gawain's hand during the Quest for the Holy Grail. However, the rewrite in the Post-Vulgate "Queste" turns it into a deliberate murder, a part of the Orkney clan's long vendetta for the death of King Lot. In Malory, he is among the knights charged by King Arthur with defending the execution of Guinevere, and is killed by unknown hand during the bloody melee when Lancelot and his men rescue the queen.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Aglovale appears prominently in the Dutch romance "Moriaen," in which he visits Moorish lands in Africa and meets a Christian princess whom he conceives a child with. He returns home and, thirteen years later, his son Morien comes to find him after which they both return to Morien's lands. In modern works, Aglovale is the eponymous protagonist of Clemence Housman's 1905 novel "The Life of Sir Aglovale de Galis."


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Arthur the Less or Arthur the Little ("Arthur le Petit") is an illegitimate son of King Arthur ("Arthur the Great") found only in the Post-Vulgate Cycle. After Arthur forces himself on a daughter of a knight named Tanas, he orders the child to be named either Guenevere or Arthur the Less. Having been abandoned and raised by a foster mother, the boy appears at Arthur's court on the eve of the Grail Quest when his arrival is miraclously prophetised at Round Table. He is knighted by Tristan and soon proves to be superior to even Gawain and Percival, defeating both of them. However, he is publicly known only as the Unknown Knight, keeping his lineage secret as to not shame his father with the story of his mother's rape. Loyal to King Arthur (who is eventually informed about his son's identity by Morgan), he fights in the late wars against domeetic and foreign foreign enemies, and is one of Galahad's companions during the Grail Quest. After his father's death at Salisbury, Arthur the Less is a candidate for the heir of throne of Logres, however he obsessively hates the Lancelot faction, blaming them for the disaster. When he is defeated by Bleoberis in a duel to the death, he curses the entire kingdom in his dying breath. The curse manifests itself through King Mark's devastating invasion, which destroys almost all remnants of King Arthur's rule.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Bleoberis de Ganis is a Knight of the Round Table from the land of Ganis ("Ganes", "Gannes", "Gaunes", "Gaunnes"), meaning probably Gaul or perhaps Vannes, who was first mentioned by Chrétien de Troyes in his "Erec and Enide", named therein as Bliobleheris. He has since appeared by variants of this name in many subsequent works, including as Barant le Apres ("Berrant") and Bleoberys ("Bleoberis", "Bleoboris", "Bleoheris") in Thomas Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur"; as Bleobleheris ("Bliobliheri") and Bleheris in respectively the First and the Second Continuation of "Perceval"; as two different characters named Bleheris and Blidoblidas in '; as two different characters named Bleherris and Blias, lord Bliodas in "Of Arthour and of Merlin"; as Bleoris in Henry Lovelich's "Merlin"; as Bleos von Bliriers in "Diu Crône"; as Bleriz in '; as Bliobleherin in "Erec"; as Bliobleeris in "La Vengeance Raguidel"; as Bliobleris de Gannes ("Biblioberis", "Bla[h]aris", "Bleob[l]eris", "Bleobleheris", "Bleosblieris", "Bliaires", "Blihoble[h]eris", "Bliobeheri", "Blioberis", "Blyob[l]eris"; -"de Ga[u]n[n]es") in the French prose cycles; as Blioblieris in "Le Bel Inconnu" and in "Wigalois"; as Briobris in "La Tavola Ritonda"; as Pleherin in "Tristrant"; and as Pliopliheri in "Parzival".


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Bleoberis features as a major character in the later romances from the French prose cycles and their adaptations, in which he is portrayed as one of the cousins of the hero Lancelot. There he is son of Nestor de Gaunes and godson of Lancelot's father King Bors, as well as brother of his fellow Round Table companion Blamo[u]r[e] ("Blanor[e]"). In the Vulgate "Merlin", the "Livre d'Arthur", and "Arthour and Merlin", Bleoberis fights alongside his brother Blamoure in the wars against the rebel kings at Bedegraine, against the Saxons at Cameliard, and against King Claudas in the Wasteland; the latter earns him his nickname "of the Wasteland" (de la Deserte). In both the Vulgate and Post-Vulgate versions of the "Queste", as well as in the Prose "Tristan", he participates in the Grail Quest. In Malory, he is the lord of the Castle of Gannis in Britain. In the Vulgate and the works based on it, Lancelot eventually makes him the Duke of Poitiers for his part in saving Guinevere, after which Bleoberis becomes an important leader in Lancelot's war against Arthur and Gawain. In the Post-Vulgate "Mort", he returns to Britain and arrives at Salisbury after the battle to destroy the corpse of Mordred and build the Tower of the Dead. While searching for Lancelot, he meets Arthur's vengeful son Arthur the Less (himself a member of the Round Table as the Unknown Knight), whom he kills in self-defence. Finding Lancelot at a hermitage with the former Archbishop of Canterbury, he joins them; after Lancelot's death, Bleoberis buries his body at Joyous Gard. In Malory, Bleoberis and his brother first live as monks together with Lancelot and the rest of his kinsmen at Glastonbury Tor, then leave on a crusade and together die in battle in Jerusalem.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: He also appears in some tales as an opponent whom the story's hero must overcome during the course of a quest or an adventure. In the Prose "Tristan", Bleoberis abducts Segwarides' wife from King Mark's court, and fights for her against first Segwarides and later the protagonist Tristan. In "Wigalois", one of the challenges faced by the protagonist Wigalois (Gawain's son, Gingalain) is to defeat Bleoberis, the fierce guardian of the Perilous Ford. He is similarly the first adversary conquered by Gawain's son Guinglan in "Le Bel Inconnu". In "Parzival", Orgeluse's suitor boasts of having him either slain or defeated but spared (depending on interpretation of the text). In "Tristrant", he is one of King Mark's vassals and an enemy of Tristan, who brutally kills him during his escape from Mark's court.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: His name is considered to have been derived from the 12th-century Welsh storyteller known as Bledhericus or Bleheris (possibly Bledri ap Cydifor), who is mentioned in several texts, including being credited by Thomas of Britain and Wauchier de Denain as the original source of their early Arthurian poems. References to the narrative authority of Master Blihis repeat in the "Elucidation", in which the character of Blihos-Bliheris appears as the final opponent for Gawain.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Brandelis ("Brandalus", "Brandel", "Brandeles", "Brandellis", "Brendalis", etc.) is the name of a number of Arthurian romance characters, including multiple Knights of the Round Table from the French prose tradition. As in the case of several other Arthurian characters, such as King Ban, they might have been derived from the Welsh mythology's figure of Brân.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: The best known of these was originally known as Bran de Lis ("Brans", "Bras", -"de Lys"), a character related to one of the mothers of the illegitimate sons of Gawain. Bran first appears in the First Continuation of Chrétien's "Perceval" as one of the brothers of Guilorete ("Gloriete") of the Castle Lis, the mother of Gawain's son Lionel ("Lioniaus"). After Gawain had slain Bran's father Norroiz ("Norrois", also "Yder de Lis") and two of his brothers (Meliant and Guilorete) in the previous duels in the long feud against him for seducing Guilorete, Bran is about to fight him as well, but they are stopped by Arthur and later become friends. This story is retold in "The Jeaste of Sir Gawain", where he appears as Brandles (the name also used for one of Arthur's knights in "Sir Gawain and the Carle of Carlisle"), and in the Scottish "Golagros and Gawane", where he is substituted by Spinagros. In "Perlesvaus", Brandalus ("Brun[s] Brandelis") de Gales (of Wales) is one of Perceval's uncles along with King Alain, whose name (and title) is shared with the father of Floree, mother of Gawain's son Guinglain in the Vulgate Cycle. In Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur", Brandiles ("Brandyles") is brother of the mother of Gawain's sons (and later his companions at the Round Table) Gingalin, Lovel and Florence.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Sir Brandeliz ("Brandalis", "Brandelis", "Braudaliz") appears in multiple episodes through the Vulgate Cycle (some of which are included in "Le Morte d'Arthur"), participating in the quests (including the quest for the Grail) and in the wars against Claudas and Galahaut. In the prose cycles, he dies while fighting either against Lancelot during the latter's rescue of the condemned Guinevere or against Mordred in the final battle. In the standalone romance "Claris et Laris", Brandaliz is one of the eleven protagonists other than the eponymous duo; here he is a friend of Claris who, with the help of Merlin, rescues Laris from the prison of the Danish king Tallas among his other acts. In both narratives, he is also repeatedly freed from enemy captivity by the other heroes, including Gawain, Lancelot, and Claris. The Vulgate "Lancelot" story of Gaheriet's rescue of Brandeliz and his lady might have been rewritten by Malory as an early episode of his "Tale of Sir Gareth", the fourth book of "Le Morte d'Arthur". In the Prose "Tristan", Brandeliz is a Knight of the Round Table from Cornwall, not Wales.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: The Vulgate Cycle also features a different Knight of the Round Table other than Sir Brandeliz, a minor character of Duke Brandelis de Taningues ("Brandeban, Brandeharz", "Brandelz", "-de Tranurgor"). Yet another Knight of the Round Table named Brandelis (Brandelis le fils Lac, that is "son of Lac") appears as brother of Erec in "Palamedes" and the late Italian romance "I Due Tristani". The late French romance "Ysaïe le Triste" features Brandalis' own son, Brandor de Gaunes (of Wales). In the Didot "Perceval", Peredur's uncle is Brendalis of Wales who also has a brother named Brwns Brandalis.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: A few other Brandalis characters are clearly unrelated to the Round Table, such as that of the Vulgate's Saxon king Brandalis ("Braundalis", "Maundalis"). However, some scholars have connected Bran de Lis with the villains Brian des Isles (Brian of the Isles) from "Perlesvaus" and Brandin ("Branduz") des Isles from the Vulgate "Lancelot", as well as to King Brandelidelin from an early German Arthurian romance "Parzival", as possibly identical in origin.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Calogrenant, sometimes known in English as Colgrevance and in German ("Diu Crône") as Kalogrenant, among many other variants (including "Calogrenan[s/z]", "Calogrevant", "Calogrinant", "Colgrevaunce", "Galogrinans", "Kalebrant", "Kalocreant", "Qualogrenans"), is a Knight of the Round Table and cousin to Yvain. His character has been derived from the Welsh mythological hero Cynon ap Clydno, usually the lover of Owain mab Urien's sister Morvydd; although in "Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain," Cynon is stated to be the son of Clydno, possibly connected to Clyddno Eiddin. Roger Sherman Loomis and other scholars speculated that Calogrenant was used specifically as a foil for Kay in some lost early version of Yvain's story. The 12th-century author Chrétien de Troyes characterized him as everything Kay is not: polite, respectful, eloquent, and well-mannered. By this theory, his name can be deconstructed to "Cai lo grenant", or "Cai the grumbler", which would represent another opposite characteristic of Kay, who was famous for his acid tongue.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Calogrenant first appears in Chrétien's "Yvain, the Knight of the Lion", telling a story to a group of knights and Queen Guinevere. He describes an adventure he had in the forest of Brocéliande, in which there was a magic spring that could summon a large storm. Calogrenant reached the spring and summoned the storm, after which a knight named Esclados attacked and defeated him. Yvain is upset that Calogrenant never told him of this defeat, and sets out to avenge him, embarking on the adventure that sets up the remainder of events in the romance.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Calogrenant appears later in the "Lancelot-Grail" cycle, though his kinship to Yvain is not as clear as in Chrétien. He dies during the Grail Quest while trying to keep Lionel from killing his own brother, Bors. Bors had faced a dilemma over whom to rescue between Lionel, who was getting beaten with thorns by two rogue knights, and a maiden who had just been abducted, and chose the maiden over his brother. Lionel was not pleased by this, and attacked Bors the next time he saw him. A hermit tried to intervene, but was killed accidentally in the process, and Calogrenant stepped in. Bors refuses fight his brother, who slays Calogrenant before attacking Bors; however, God intervenes and renders him immobile. Thomas Malory recounts Calogrenant's death scene in his "Le Morte d'Arthur", but also includes another one later in the narrative. Despite having died on the Grail quest, he reappears as one of the twelve knights who help Agravaine and Mordred trap Lancelot and Guinevere together in the queen's chambers. Lancelot has neither armour nor weapons, but manages to pull Calogrenant into the room and kills him; he then uses Calogrenant's sword to defeat the rest of Mordred's companions.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Prince Claudin ("Claudine", "Claudyne", "Claudino") is the son of the Frankish King Claudas of the Wasteland ("de la Deserte") who appears in the "Lancelot-Grail" prose cycle, the Prose "Tristan", the Post-Vulgate Cycle, and "Le Morte d'Arthur". His father, who he fights for, is a major villain during King Arthur's early reign. However, when Claudas eventually loses the war and flees to Rome, Claudin surrenders and defects to Arthur, who makes him a member of the Round Table. During the Grail Quest, Claudin is one of the companions of Bors the Younger, Galahad and Perceval in Corbenic.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Cligès is the title hero of Chrétien de Troyes' French poem "Cligès" (and its foreign versions). There, he is an offspring of Arthur's niece Soredamors and Alexander, a son of the Greek (Byzantine) Emperor. Following his adventures, Cliges eventually marries Fenice, a daughter of the German Emperor, and becomes the Greek Emperor himself.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: As Cligés ("Clicés", "Clies", "Clygés"), he also appears in some other French Arthurian romances, including in the First Continuation of Chrétien's "Perceval" (where his father is named King Lac) and in "Claris et Laris". In the "Romanz du reis Yder", he serves Queen Guenloie (Guinevere) until he is expelled from her court after he criticizes her love for Yder (who later promises to reconcile them). In "Les Merveilles de Rigomer", he hails from Greece and participates in the quest to conquer Rigomer Castle as one of Gawain's many companions; he also defeats the undead knight in his own episode. As Clias the Greek ("der Grieche Clîas"), he has a role in the German "Parzival". Thomas Malory's Urry list calls him Sir Clegis (despite a similar name, Clegis is not in any way connected with the English "Sir Cleges", the hero of a completely different story set in the times of Arthur's father Uther Pendragon).


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Dodinel ("Dodinas", "Dodine[i]s", "Dôdînes", "Dodinia[u]s", "Dodin[s]", "Dodynas", "Dodynel", "Didones", "Dydonel[l]", "Lionel", etc.) le Sauvage ("le Savage", "le Salvage", "li Sauvages", "li Salvages", "el Salvaje", "der Wilde", etc.), variously translated to English as the Wild, the Wildman, or the Savage (sometimes also as the descriptive "impetuous" or "fierce"), is a Knight of the Round Table found in a great many works of Arthurian romance, typically featured as a well-known knight yet merely a figurant type of a character, and without a common role. He is nevertheless important in several of such works, including the Third Continuation of "Perceval", the Vulgate "Lancelot", the Post-Vulgate "Merlin", the "Livre d'Artus", the Prose "Tristan", and "Claris et Laris".


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Dodinel is introduced in Chrétien de Troyes' "Erec et Enide", being named there as the ninth best of King Arthur's knights, albeit noted as a rude one. Dodinel is also listed among the top knights of Arthur in Chrétien's "Yvain" as well as in "Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight", while "The Knight of the Two Swords" describes him as a "truly exceptional ... man of many virtues." He might have been originally identical with Percival, which would explain his characteristic epiteth as meaning a man from the woods (wilderness). However, the only possible trace of such motif can be found in the German "Lanzelet", in which Dodines lives a double life: as an enchanter owning a magic horse and dwelling near the dangerous Shrieking Marsh ("Schreiende Moos") in the summer, and as a knight in Arthur's lands in the winter.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: As with his other characteristics, Dodinel's family relations are variably told. In the Vulgate "Merlin" Continuation, he is portrayed as an illegitimate son of either King Brandegorre or King Bélinant ("Balinant", "Belinans", "Belynans"; possibly based on the Celtic god Belinus) de Sorgales ("of South Wales"; Norgales / North Wales in the Vulgate "Lancelot") and Eglatine ("Eglantine", "Eglante", "Eglente"), and cousin of Galeschin. In the "Lancelot en prose", he is son of King Nantres and Queen Blasine (Arthur's sister), and brother of Galescin. In the Huth-"Merlin", he is son of Balin's brother Balaan le Sauvage. In the Didot-"Perceval", he is son of the Lady of Malehaut ("Dame de Malohaut"). In "Parzival", he has a brother called Taurian the Wild ("der Wilde").


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: In the Third Continuation of Chrétien's "Perceval", one of the six episodes of Gawain's adventures relate his rescue of the "handsome and valiant" Dodinel ("Dodinal") from a prison and his lover from a pyre, the latter then also again saved by Perceval. Dodinel is prominent in "Claris et Laris", portrayed there as a comical side story character, a Dinadan-like humorously anti-chivalric knight, one who avoids dangerous combat in his wanderings and once escapes from a captivity by posing as a minstrel. He and Dinadan are themselves friends in the "Meliadus" Compilation; in the "Marvels of Rigomer", Dodinel is one of Gawain's quest companions. Thomas Malory in his "Le Morte d'Arthur", following some of the Dodinel material from the Vulgate "Lancelot" as well as his portrayal in the Prose "Tristan", has him (named as Dodinas le Savage in the Winchester Manuscript) as a recurring companion of Sagramore and, early in his career, as one of the Guinevere's own ten knights.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: His 'biography' can be found in the French prose cycles. In the Vulgate "Merlin" and the "Livre d'Artus", the young teenage Dodinel defects to Arthur early in the king's reign, opposing his own family. In the "Livre", he kills the Saxon king Mathmas at the Battle of Clarence (Badon). Having been knighted by Arthur, he joins the Queen's Knights and eventually the Round Table. The Vulgate "Lancelot", besides telling the stories of Lancelot's rescues of the captive Dodinel on multiple occasions, has him as one of the only five knights who cross the perilous bridge into Sorelois alive (besides Gawain, Meliant, Yder and Arthur). In the Vulgate "Queste", he is one of the Grail knights in Galahad's company. In the Post-Vulgate, Lamorak is slain by Gawain and his brothers when he is injured following an earlier fight with Dodinel. In the end, Dodinel dies fighting against Mordred's forces at the Battle of Salisbury Plain (Camlann).


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: In Italy, he is called Dondinello and its variants, usually with no epithet (except in the case of "Oddinello le Salvaggio" in the "Tristano Riccardiano"). In his unusual characterization in "Chantari di Lancelotto", Dodinel ("Dudinello") is a villain who joins up with Mordred to conspire against Lancelot. "Cantari di Carduino", a Fair Unknown type epic poem possibly based on a lost Dodinel romance, tells the story of his eponymous son Carduino's vengeance against the clan of Gawain for having his father fatally poisoned by the jealous lords including Mordred and Augerisse (probably Gaheris), as well as of Carduino's other adventures.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Drian ("Doryan", "Driant", "Durnor") is one of King Pellinore's sons out of wedlock. He is most prominent in the Prose "Tristan" which describes him as one of the very best of the Knights, alongside Galahad, Lancelot, Palamedes, and his own brother Lamorak. There, Drian and Lamorak are hated by Gawain for being sons of Pellinore and for being superior knights to Gawain. Drian dies when he fights three of King Lot's sons, unhorsing Agravain and Mordred before being mortally wounded and left for dead by Gawain; Lamorak dies soon afterwards while trying to avenge him.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Drian is called Dornar ("Durnor[e]") by Thomas Malory in "Le Morte d'Arthur", where he is also killed by Gawain. He appears alongside two knights named Darnarde and Dryaun ("Dryaunt", "Tryan"), both of them also derived from the French Drian. Malory splits Drian's adventures from the Prose "Tristan" between the latter two: Dryaun guards a bridge with his brother Alain (one of Drian's other brothers), jousting the passing knights; Darnarde visits King Mark's court with Lamorak, where they defeat Mark and all of his knights but Tristan. Darnarde is eventually killed alongside his brothers, Aglovale and Tor, when Lancelot rescues Queen Guinevere from the stake.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Elyan the White or Helyan le Blanc (also "Elain", "Elayn", "Helain", "Hellaine", "Helin"; -"le Blank", -"the Pale") is son of Bors the Younger in the prose romance tradition of "Lancelot-Grail" (Vulgate Cycle). His mother, Claire, has tricked Bors into sleeping with her using a magic ring (the only time Bors broke his vow of chastity). Claire is daughter of British king Brandegore ("Brandegorre", "Brandegoris") and also half-sister of Sagramore, and their shared mother is daughter of the Eastern Roman Emperor. At the age of 15, Elyan is brought to Arthur's court by Bors. He then becomes known as an excellent knight and is accepted as a member to the Round Table. True to his lineage, Elyan eventually becomes Emperor of Constantinople himself.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Elyan's adventures are different the Post-Vulgate "Queste", as well as the expanded version of the Prose "Tristan", where he takes a vacant Round Table seat that had belonged to Dragan ("Dagarius") after the latter knight's death by Tristan. He later helps his cousin Lancelot rescue Guinevere after their affair is exposed, and then joins him in exile during their war with Arthur.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Elyan should not be confused with Elians ("Eliant", "Elianz"), a Knight of the Round Table from Ireland who occupied Lancelot's vacant seat in both the Vulgate and Post-Vulgate versions of the "Mort Artu". A modern character inspired by Elyan the White was portrayed by Nigerian actor Adetomiwa Edun as Guinevere's brother in the 2008 television series "Merlin".


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Erec (French "Erech", "Eric", "Herec", "Heret"; German "Eres"; Italian "Arecco"; Norse "Erex"), the son of King Lac, is most famous as the protagonist in Chrétien de Troyes' first romance, "Erec and Enide", later retold in "Erec" and other versions. Because of "Erec and Enide"‘s connection to the Welsh "Geraint and Enid", Erec and Geraint are often conflated or confused. Erec's name itself may be derived from 'Guerec', the Breton version of 'Gweir' which was the name of several of Arthur's warriors and relatives in the different early Welsh tales.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: In Chrétien's story, Erec meets his future wife Enide while on a quest to defeat a knight who had mistreated one of Queen Guinevere's servants. The two fall in love and marry, but rumours spread that Erec no longer cares for knighthood or anything else besides his domestic life. Enide cries about these rumours, causing Erec to prove his abilities, both to himself and to his wife, through a test of Enide's love for him. Erec has her accompany him on a long, tortuous trip where she is forbidden to speak to him, after which they reconcile. When Erec's father Lac dies, Erec inherits his kingdom. The Norse "Erex Saga" gives him two sons, named Llac and Odus, who later both become kings. The story of Erec and Enide is also retold within the Prose "Tristan".


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Enide is entirely absent from the Prose "Erec" part of the Post-Vulgate "Merlin Continuation", in which Erec's mother's enchantment makes him immune to magic. His acts include saving Bors from the enchanter Mabon; he also has a cousin named Driadam, whose death begins Erec's feud with the young Mordred. In the Post-Vulgate "Quest of the Holy Grail", Erec is slain by Gawain in revenge for the death of Yvain of the White Hands, and does not regain his father's kingdom; his seat at the Round Table is taken by his friend Meraugis, who had buried him. In the Alliterative "Morte Arthure", Erec dies during the final battle between the forces of Arthur and Mordred.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: In "Lanzelet", Erec and Gawain agree to be delivered as prisoners to the great wizard Malduc (whose father was killed by Erec), so that Guinevere can be rescued from King Valerin's castle; they are then tortured and almost starved to death in Malduc's dungeon, until they are eventually themselves rescued. In "Le Morte d'Arthur", Harry le Fyse Lake (or "Garry le Fitz Lake", Malory's corruption of the French "Herec le Fils Lac") participates in Lancelot's rescue of Guinevere from the stake.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: King Esclabor the Unknown ("Astlabor", "Esclabort", "Scalabrone"; -"le Mescogneu", -"li Mesconneü", -"li Mesconneuz") is a wandering Saracen lord from a vaguely Middle Eastern land, usually either Babylon (in today's Iraq) or Galilee (in today's Israel). He is the father of Palamedes, Safir, and Segwarides, among others. During his long stay in Britain, Esclabor initially hides his faith, trying to pass as a Christian, but soon becomes widely known as a valiant pagan knight.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: While visiting Rome, he saves the life of the Roman Emperor; he later travels to Arthur's Logres at the time of Arthur's coronation, where he rescues King Pellinore as well. Esclabor eventually settles at Camelot, later adventuring with Palamedes and Galahad during the Grail Quest. In the Post-Vulgate "Queste", eleven of his sons are killed during their encounter with the Questing Beast. Shortly after finally agreeing to convert to Christianity, an act necessary for the full admission into the brotherhood of Round Table, and which also allows his participation in the Grail Quest, Esclabor commits suicide from grief upon learning of his favorite son Palamedes' death at the hands of Gawain.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Gaheris de Karaheu ("Gaharis", "Gaheran", "Gahetis", "Gaherys", "Gaheus", "Gains", "Gareis", "Ghaheris"; -"d'Escareu", -"de Carahan"/"Car[a/e]heu", -"de Gaheran"/"Gahereu", -"de Karahau"/"Karehan"), also known as the White ("li Blans"), is one of the minor Knights of the Round Table and brother of Mador de la Porte in the Vulgate Cycle and the derived works. He should not be confused with Gaheris of Orkney, one of King Arthur's nephews and another Knight of the Round Table. His most prominent role, including the manner of his death, might have been inspired by the purportedly historical account of the fatal poisoning of Walwen (that is, Gawain) from the chronicle "Gesta Regum Anglorum".


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: In the Vulgate "Lancelot", Gaheris of Karaheu appears in minor roles, mostly as a prisoner, prior to his accidental death. Gawain saves him from Galehaut, while the mysterious White Knight (Lancelot incognito) rescues him from the Dolorous Prison near Dolorous Gard and then again from the Vale of No Return. Later, in the Vulgate "Mort Artu", he dies from eating a poisoned apple, which was made by the knight Avarlan and was meant to kill Gawain. The apple is offered to Gaheris unknowingly by Guinevere; the queen is accused of his murder, until she is cleared of the charge in the trial by combat between Mador and Lancelot. This story is retold in the Stanzaic "Morte Arthur" and in Thomas Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur", where the victim is, respectively, either an unnamed visiting Scottish knight or Sir Patrise of Ireland (the poisoner is also renamed by Malory as Sir Pionel). The Italian "Tristano Panciaticchiano", in which he remains Mador's brother, calls him Giafredi.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Galehodin le Gallois ("Galeh[a/o]udin", also "Gal[l]ides", "Gallind[r]es", etc.) is Galehaut's nephew and godson, and his designated successor as the King of Sorelois. Galehodin is introduced in the Prose "Lancelot" as the young grandson of the King of Norgales (North Wales). There he is the lord of the town and castle of Pennin ("Peningue"), and desires to follow the great hero Lancelot so he can learn from him. He is described as one of the tallest knights in the world, using a plain white shield with no identification symbols. Together with Mordred and Mador, he easily triumphs over the men of Gorre in a tournament against King Bagdemagus. In the Italian "Tavola Ritonda", Galehaut's heir is his son named Abastunagio, a character corresponding with that of Galehodin as he appears in the Prose "Tristan". Both appear in their respective texts in the role of the host of the great tournament in Sorelois. The Hebrew "King Artus" includes one Galaodin de Gaulis (of Gaul) among Lancelot's followers.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Galehaut's cousin and fellow Knight of the Round Table named Galahodin ("Galihodin", "Galyhodin", sometimes with 'yn' at the end) appears as one of closest companions of Lancelot in Thomas Malory's telling, in which Galahodin is given some of Galehaut's traits from the French tradition. Galahodin, described as a sub-king in Sorelois, serves Lancelot as one of his chief knights during the war against Arthur, later joining him in the hermitage at the end of his life. Before that, one of the episodes borrowed from the Prose "Tristan" tell of Galahodin's attempted kidnapping of Isolde, foiled by Palamedes. Malory's Galahodin should not be confused with two of his original characters from "Le Morte d'Arthur", Lancelot's own relatives Galyhod ("Galihud", "Galyhud") and Gahalantyne ("Gahalantin"), who are also close companions of Lancelot. After taking over the lands in France, Malory's Lancelot appoints Galahodin as the duke of Saintonge, Galyhod as the earl of Périgord, and Gahalantyne as the duke of Auvergne. They eventually stay together with Lancelot and Galahodin as their fellow monks at the end.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Galeschin ("Galaas", "Galachin", "Galathin", "Galescalain", "Galeschalains", "Galescin[s]", "Galeshin", "Galessin", etc.) is the son of King Arthur's half-sister Queen Elaine and King Nentres of Garlot. He first appears in the story of the Dolorous Tower in the Vulgate Cycle, in which he and his cousin Yvain attempt to rescue their other cousin Gawain from the wicked lord Carados; both are taken captive as well, but the trio are eventually rescued by Lancelot. (Galeschin is later additionally rescued by Lancelot from the Vale of No Return.) Though mentioned in a few other stories, his role is ultimately minor. He loosely inspired the character of Duke Chalance ("Chalaunce") of Clarence, a Knight of the Round Table appearing in different episodes of "Le Morte d'Arthur".


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Roger Sherman Loomis derives the name Galeschin from the name "Galvariun", found on the Modena Archivolt. He theorizes that the name was altered to make it sound more like "Galesche", the Old French word for Gaul, and derives the name Galvariun from the epithet "Gwallt Euryn", found in "Culhwch and Olwen", which he translates as "Golden Hair". Oddly, Galeschin is also called the "Duc de Clarence" in the French literature prior to the 14th century; this could not possibly refer to the position of Duke of Clarence (which did not exist yet at the time and does not refer to a place name), leading Loomis to translate it as the "Lord of Light".


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Gornemant of Gohort, also known as Gornemant de Goort or Gurnemans of Gorhaut (among other variants such as "Gornemans" or "Gormans"), is the knight best known as Percival's mentor. He is mentioned in a few early romances and is prominent in Chrétien de Troyes's "Perceval, the Story of the Grail", in which he instructs the young hero in the ways of knighthood. There, Gornemant is also the uncle of Blanchefleur, whom Percival later marries after successfully defending her city against attackers. Medieval German author Wolfram von Eschenbach gives him three sons named Gurzgi, Lascoyt and Schentefleurs, as well as a daughter named Liaze who falls in love with Percival but he declines to marry her. In the later Italian Tristan romances, he appears under the name Governale, entrusted by Merlino to care for and edecate the young Cornish prince Tristano. In modern era, Gurnemanz is one of the main Grail Knights in Richard Wagner's opera "Parsifal".


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Griflet () the son of Do is a ubiquitous character in Arthurian legend, where he was one of the first Knights of the Round Table. He is first found in Chrétien de Troyes' "Erec et Enide", named there as Girflez li filz Do. Like many other Arthurian romance characters, his origins lie in Welsh mythology; in this instance, it is the minor deity Gilfaethwy fab Dôn. He is notably the eponymous hero of his own, early chivalric romance, "Jaufre".


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: He also appears as Gerflet in Beroul's "Tristan" and in the Norse "Parcevals Saga"; Gerflet li fius Do in "Mériadeuc"; Gifflet in "Escanor"; Gifflet ("Girfles") li fieus Do in the "Livre d'Artus"; Giflés ("Gifles") li fius Do in "Perceval ou le Conte du Graal", "Li Biaus Descouneüs", and "Libeaus Desconus"; Giflet le fils de Do in "Le Bel Inconnu"; Giflet fis Do in "Sir Gawain and the Lady of Lys"; Girflet ("Giflet", "Giflez", "Giftet", "Girfles", "Gyfles", "Gyflet", "Gyrflet") le ("li") fils ("filz") Do ("Doon", "Dos") in the Vulgate and Post-Vulgate prose cycles; Girfles ("Girlflet", "Girflez") li filz Do in the Prose "Tristan"; Girflez le fils Do in "Lancelot, le Chevalier de la Charrette"; Girflez in "La Mule sans Frein"; Griflet ("Gifles", "Gifflès", "Gifflet", "Gryflet", "Gryfflet") li fieus Do ("Dou") in "Le Morte d'Arthur"; Grifles in Henry Lovelich's "Merlin"; Grimfles in the English Prose "Merlin"; Gyffroun in "Ywain and Gawain"; and Iofreit ("Jofreit") fils Idol in "Parzival". Further texts featuring him include "Hunbaut", "La Vengeance Raguidel", and the First and Fourth Continuations of "Perceval".


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: In French chivalric romance prose cycles, he is a cousin to Lucan and Bedivere who first appears as a loyal and valiant young squire at the beginning of King Arthur's rule. About the same age as Arthur, he distinguishes himself in the Battle of Bedegraine against the rebels and joins the Round Table after personally slaying one of the Saxon kings when he helps Kay and Gawain rescue Guinevere in the Prose "Merlin". Later, however, his role becomes largely limited to him notoriously often falling into captivity for the other knights to rescue in the course of their own adventures, even leading Gawain to comment in the Prose "Lancelot" that "there never was a man so frequently taken prisoner as Girflet has been." According to the French "Mort Artu", he was one of the few survivors of Arthur's final battle and was asked by the dying king to return his sword Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. In "Le Morte d'Arthur", however, Sir Griflet is one of the knights killed by Lancelot's rescue party at the execution of Guinevere, making Griflet's cousin Bedivere the knight who casts away Excalibur, the role that has been given to Bedivere also in the earlier English adaptations of the "Mort Artu".


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Hector de Maris ("Ector de Maris", "Estor de Mareis", "Hector de Marais", "Hestor des Mares", etc.) is the younger half-brother of Lancelot; Bors and Lionel are his cousins. His name means Hector of the Fens (the form used in Norris J. Lacy's translation of the Vulgate Cycle); he should not be mistaken with Sir Ector ("Hector"), the father of Kay and foster father of Arthur. Hector's adventures are many and wide-ranging, especially within the Vulgate and the Post-Vulgate prose cycles. As Astore, he is also the eponymous protagonist of the Italian "Cantare di Astore e Morgana".


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: As told in the Vulgate "Merlin", Hector is an illegitimate son of King Ban of Benoic (in today's France), who, magically helped by Merlin, fathered him with the Lady de Maris. He is raised by his maternal grandfather Agravadain the Black, lord of the Castle of the Fens. In the Vulgate "Lancelot", Hector fights against the Saxons and saves his relative Elaine the Peerless. He is successful at tournaments, prevailing against such esteemed knights as Palomedes and Perceval. Hector is, however, one of the knights defeated and imprisoned by Turquine before being rescued by his brother Lancelot; he later returns the favour by finding the lost Knight of the Lake after Lancelot's period of insanity and returning him to the court. Hector has a long relationship with Lady Perse of the Narrow Borderland after saving her from a forced marriage; he also has an affair with a cousin of the Lady of Roestoc prior to reuniting with Perse. In the Post-Vulgate "Queste", his friendship with Gawain turns into the hatred following Gawain's killing of Erec. Hector participates in the great Grail Quest, during which his companions besides Gawain include Arthur the Less and Meraugis. Like most others, Hector is proven unworthy of achieving the sacred relic. Nevertheless, he helps the Grail hero Galahad to destroy the Castle of Treachery, and the appearance of the Grail revives him and Perceval after the two mortally wounded each other. In the "Mort Artu" (and "Le Morte d'Arthur"), when Lancelot is caught in his affair with Guinevere, Hector stands by his half-brother and leaves court with him. He becomes one of the top leaders of Lancelot's faction, participating in the battle to rescue the queen at her would-be execution and the subsequent defence of Lancelot's castle Joyous Guard. Hector accompanies Lancelot in France when they are expelled from Arthur's kingdom, before later returning to Britain to help defeat the Saxon army aided by Mordred's sons after the Battle of Camlann (Salisbury). He then joins his brother at the Archbishop of Canterbury's hermitage, and later dies on a crusade in the Holy Land.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: The King with the Hundred Knights (Old French: "Roi des Cent Chevaliers", sometimes translated as the "King "of" the Hundred Knights") is a moniker commonly used in for a character that has appeared under different given names in various works of Arthurian romance, including as Malaguin ("Aguignier", "Aguigens", "Aguigniez", "Aguysans", "Alguigines", "Angvigenes", "Malaguis", "Malauguin[s]", etc.) in the Prose "Lancelot"; the legendary figure of Malaguin seems to be loosely based on that of the historical Maelgwn, an early 6th-century king of Gwynedd known for propagating Christianity in Britain. He appears as Heraut ("Berant", "Horel", "Horiaus", "Hovaux", etc.) li Aspres in the Prose "Tristan", while Thomas Malory refers to him as Sir Barant ("Berrant") le Apres. Conversely, some texts such as "Palamedes" do not give him a proper name.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: His first known appearance is possibly in "Lanzelet" as Ritschart, a count opposing King Lot who is mentioned as having a hundred knights and is later aided by Lancelot, followed by that of Margon in the Third Continuation of "Perceval, the Story of the Grail". His first major role as the "King with the Hundred Knights" is found in the Vulgate and Post-Vulgate versions of "Merlin" continuations, in which he is introduced as one of the chief rebels against King Arthur in the Battle of Bedegraine; however, after experiencing a prophetic dream, he decides to join Arthur to fight the invading Saxon pagans in God's name. He remains on Arthur's side during Lot's second rebellion, but then fights against Arthur in the service of Galehaut in the Vulgate "Lancelot"; afterwards, he again submits to Arthur's rule and joins the Round Table, later taking part in the war against Rome. (The chronology of that is different in Malory's compilation.) "Lancelot of the Laik", a Scots version of the Vulgate "Lancelot", splits his character into these of the King with a Hundred Knights and Maleginis, two different minor kings serving Galehaut.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: He is described as the ruler of the land variably known as Estrangore in the "Livre d'Artus" alternative continuation of "Merlin", Malahaut ("Malehaut", etc.) in the "Estoire de Merlin" and the Prose "Lancelot", Guzilagne in "La Tavola Ritonda", Piacenza in "I Due Tristani", and Tumane in "Lanzelet". The Vulgate "Lancelot" gives him a sister known only as the Lady of Malahaut, a son named Maranz ("Marant", "Marauz", "Martans", "Martant"), and a daughter named Landoine ("Landoigne"). The Prose "Tristan" and "Le Morte d'Arthur" mention him as a lover of one of Morgan le Fay's companions, the enchantress known as the Queen of North Wales. In "I Due Tristani", he marries Riccarda, the half-giant sister of Galehaut. In the Third Continuation of "Perceval", his son, named Cargril ("Cargrilo"), falls in one-sided love with Perceval's cousin Sore Pucelle; Margon and Cargril besiege her castle but Gawain lifts the siege and Sore Pucelle avenges the death of her lover (whom they had hanged) by launching Cargril from a catapult. In "La Tavola Ritonda", the King with the Hundred Knights dies fighting alongside King Amoroldo of Ireland (an Italian version of Morholt) at the Battle of Lerline, in a factional conflict in which Lancelot and Tristan find themselves on the opposing sides.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: King Lac (French: "Roi Lac", literally "King Lake") is the father of Erec introduced in Chrétien de Troyes' "Erec and Enide" and its variants. His counterpart in the Welsh "Geraint and Enid" is named Erbin. His kingdom is variably known as Nantes, Destrigales ("Outer Wales", possibly South Wales), Carnant, Greater Orkney ("Orcanie la Grant"), and Black Isles. In the Guiron le Courteous part of "Palamedes", King Lac is himself a Knight of the Round Table. Thomas Malory retained him in this role in his "Le Morte d'Arthur" as the King of the Lake. He is entirely unrelated to Lancelot du Lac (of the Lake) and to King Lot whose name is written as "Lac" in some Portuguese texts.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: According to "Erec et Enide", King Lac dies of old age and his son Erec is made ruler of Lac's kingdom by King Arthur. In his redefinition in the Post-Vulgate Cycle, King Lac is son of Canan, a peasant-born Greek king. The Post-Vulgate "Quest of the Holy Grail" tells of Lac's poisoning by the sons of his brother, King Dirac, and the young Erec's exile from their kingdom of Saloliqui to Britain following Lac's murder. In this version, Lac was married to the sorceress Crisea ("Ocise"), who was the sister of Pelles, the Fisher King. Besides Erec, King Lac's children include a daughter, who appears unnamed in Chrétien's "Perceval" and is called Jeschute in "Parzival". Lac's other sons include Brandelis in "Palamedes" and in "I Due Tristani", and Cligés in the First Continuation of "Perceval", who both become Knights of the Round Table in their respective stories.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Lohot ("Hoot", "Loholt", "Loholz", "Lohoot", "Lohoth", "Lohoz") is a character loosely based on the mysterious figure of Llacheu, one of the sons of King Arthur in the original Welsh tradition. He appears as the king's legitimate son by Queen Guinevere in the early continental romances such as "Lanzelet" and "Perlesvaus" (as Ilinot and Elinot, respectively). In "Perlesvaus," he is treacherously killed by Kay so that the latter can take credit for the defeat of the giant Logrin, and his murder causes Guinevere to die of sorrow.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: In the Vulgate Cycle, on the other hand, Lohot is Arthur's bastard son by Lady Lisanor, daughter of Earl Sevain, from the tryst magically arranged by Merlin. Lohot dies young from illness shortly after having been rescued from his captivity in the Dolorous Prison by Lancelot. Thomas Malory renamed him as a very minor character called Borre ("Boarte", "Bohart", "Bohort") le Cure Hardy ("the Strong Heart"), and his mother as Lionors or Lyzianor, daughter of Earl Sanam.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Lucan the Butler ("Lucanere de Buttelere", "Lucan[s] li Bouteillier", "Lucant le Boutellier", "Lucas the Botiller", "Lucanus", etc.) is a servant of King Arthur, the son of Duke Corneus, a brother of Bedivere, and a cousin of Griflet. He and his relatives are among Arthur's earliest allies in the fight against the rebel kings such as Lot, Urien and Caradoc, and he remained loyal to Arthur throughout his life. Lucan took on the post of royal butler, a significant position in charge of the royal household. He was supposed to have been in charge of the royal court, along with Bedivere the Marshal and Kay the Seneschal. He fought for Arthur's right to the throne at the Battle of Bedegraine and against subsequent rebellions. He was known to always attend the royal tournaments, and was once hurt so badly by Tristan that Yvain had to escort him to Gannes Abbey for medical assistance.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: In most accounts of Arthur's death in the romance literature, from the "Lancelot-Grail" cycle to "Le Morte d'Arthur", Lucan is one of the last knights at the king's side at the Battle of Camlann and is usually the last of them to die. Lucan remained loyal to King Arthur throughout the schism with Lancelot, and on occasion acted as a negotiator between them. Similarly, he stayed by the monarch's side during Mordred's rebellion and tried to dissuade Arthur from his final attack on his son/nephew, but was unsuccessful and the king became fatally wounded. Worried about looters roaming the battlefield, Lucan and Bedivere attempt to move the dying Arthur into a nearby chapel for safety, but the strain is too much for Lucan and his old wound bursts open, spilling out his bowels; he succumbs to his own wounds just before the king returns Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake and sails off for Avalon. Though the knight whom Arthur asks to cast the sword into the lake is usually Griflet (Vulgate "Mort Artu") or Bedivere ("Le Morte d'Arthur", the Alliterative "Morte Arthure", the Stanzaic "Morte Arthur"), the 16th-century English ballad "King Arthur's Death" ascribes this duty to Lucan. A character named Lucan appears in the 2004 film "King Arthur". Played by Johnny Brennan, he is a young boy found and cared for by Arthur's warrior Dagonet.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Mador de la Porte (French: "Mador", "Amador"; English: "Mador", "Madore", "Madors"; Italian: "Amadore"; Irish: "Mado") is a minor Knight of the Round Table in the late Arthurian prose romances. His epithet "of the Gate" (de la Porte) suggests he might have been Arthur's porter; if so, Mador might be equated with Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr ("Mightygrasp") who is Arthur's porter in medieval Welsh tales. Mador's best known role is in an episode of the Vulgate "Mort Artu ("and consequently in the Stanzaic "Morte Arthur" and Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur") that tells the story of his trial by combat against the incognito Lancelot, Queen Guinevere's champion for her innocence following the poisoning of Mador's brother Gaheris de Karahau. Mador loses the duel to Lancelot (without losing his life in the process), saving Guinevere from the accusation that almost led her being burnt at the stake.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Besides the Vulgate "Mort Artu" and the English works based on it, Mador also appears or is referenced in several other works, including in the Prose "Lancelot", in the "Tournament of Sorelois" episode found in some versions of the Prose "Tristan" and the "Prophecies de Mérlin" (as well as in "Le Morte d'Arthur"), in the Post-Vulgate Cycle, in the "Guiron le Courtois" part of "Palemedes", in "Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight", in the Sicilian romance "Floriant et Florette", and in the "Compilation" of Rustichello da Pisa. The Vulgate "Mort Artu" notes him as exceptionally tall and says there was hardly a knight in Arthur's court who was stronger. This is repeated in the Version I of the Prose "Tristan", in which Tristan considers him second only to the half-giant Galehault in size and strength. In "Le Morte d'Arthur", he is also a companion of the young Mordred.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: The "Livre d'Artus" version of the Vulgate "Merlin Continuation" mentions Madoc li Noirs de la Porte (Madoc the Black of the Gate) among the knights who come to the aid of Aglovale to fight against the forces of Agrippe. He may be further identical with the knight Mado, who is twice briefly mentioned in the "First Continuation" of Chrétien's "Perceval". Mado also appears as antagonist in the 16th-century Irish Arthurian tale "Eachtra Mhelóra agus Orlando" ("The Adventures of Melora and Orlando"), wherein he is the villainous son of the King of the Hesperides in love with Arthur's daughter Melora, who disguises herself as a man and fights incognito as a knight to defeat Mado and his ally Merlin.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Meliant ("Melians," "Melyans") is a Knight of the Round Table featured in several chivalric romances. In the writings by Chrétien de Troyes and Wolfram von Eschenbach, Meliant de Lis is the King of Lis. Along with Bagdemagus and Meleagant, he declares war on his foster-father, Tiebaut ("Lyppaut"), after being rejected by the latter's daughter Obie. Gawain, fighting for Obie's sister Obilot, captures Meliant, who then reconciles with Obie in her captivity. A different version of this story, as told by Heinrich von dem Türlin, names him Fiers von Arramis, whom Gawain also forces to surrender to a young lady who is a sister of his beloved Flursenesephin. In the "Livre de Artus", Meliant de Lis wins over and marries Gawain's own lover, Floree.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: In the Vulgate Cycle's "Queste", Melians de Danemarche (Denmark, "Dianarca") is a squire of Galahad, who knights him during the Grail Quest. Later, Sir Melians joins Bors and Percival at Castle Corbenic at the end of the quest. King Arthur appoints him to the Round Table, but he later sides with Lancelot in the civil war in the Vulgate "Mort". In reward for his support, including his role in the rescue of Guinevere, Lancelot makes him an earl ruling one of Lancelot's domains on the continent. Malory calls him Melias de Lile ("de Lisle") in "Le Morte d'Arthur". He should not be confused with Tristan's father Meliadus, who is sometimes known as Melias.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: There are also multiple other Arthurian characters by this name. For instance, one Meliant (named Brano in the Italian compilation "La Tavola Ritonda") is a relative of King Faramon's daughter Belide when she falsely accuses Tristan of rape in the Prose "Tristan". In "Perlesvaus", an explicitly villainous Meliant is an enemy lord of Arthur, allied with the traitorous Kay; he is eventually killed by Lancelot who had previously also slain his evil father. In the Vulgate "Lancelot", Carados of the Dolorous Tower takes one Melyans le Gai's wife as his mistress. Another Meliant from the same cycle is an ancestor of Gawain (and himself is descended from Peter, an early Christian follower of Joseph of Arimathea) in the Vulgate "Estoire del Saint Graal".


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Morholt of Ireland ("Marha[u]lt", "Marhaus", "Morold", "Amoroldo") is an Irish warrior who demands tribute from King Mark of Cornwall until he is slain by Mark's nephew Tristan. In many versions, Morholt's name is prefaced with a definite article (i.e. "The" Morholt) as if it were a rank or a title, but scholars have found no reason for this.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: He appears in almost all versions of the legend of Tristan and Iseult, beginning with the verse works of Thomas of Britain and Béroul. In the early material, Morholt is the brother of the Queen of Ireland and the uncle of Tristan's future love (both mother and daughter are named Iseult). He comes to Cornwall to collect tribute owed to his country; instead, however, Tristan challenges him to battle on the remote Saint Samson's Isle in order to release his people from the debt. Tristan mortally wounds Morholt, leaving a piece of his sword in the Irishman's skull, but Morholt stabs him with a poisoned spear and escapes to Ireland to die. The injured Tristan eventually travels to Ireland incognito to receive healing from Iseult the Younger, but is found out when the queen discovers the piece of metal found in her brother's head fits perfectly into a chink in Tristan's blade.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: The authors of later romances expanded Morholt's role. In works like the Prose "Tristan", the Post-Vulgate Cycle, and Thomas Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur", he is a Knight of the Round Table before his fateful encounter with Tristan. The prose romances add many further details to Morholt's career; the Post-Vulgate and Malory record his adventures with the young Gawain, Gaheris and Yvain early in King Arthur's reign. In the later versions, Tristan takes Morholt's place at the Round Table when he joins the company himself.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: In Arthurian romance, Nentres of Garlot (French: "Nentres de Garlot") is a British king of the land of Garlot ("Garloth", "Garlott"), who had served Arthur's father Uther Pendragon. At first, he rebel against the young King Arthur, but then becomes Arthur's ally after his defeat and reconciliation, even marrying one of Arthur's sisters. In the Old French Vulgate "Merlin", he is also named Uentres and Ventre[s/ƺ], as well as Nantes, Neutre[s] and Nextres de Garloc in the "Estoire d'Merlin" and Neutre in the version "Livre d'Artus". In the Caxton print edition of Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur", he appears as Nentres, Nayntres and Nauntres, while the original Winchester manuscript calls him Nentres, Nauntres and Newtrys. His other medieval English names include Nantres or Nanter[s] in "Arthour and Merlin", and Newtres, Newtris, Newtrys and Newtre[s] in Lovelich's "Merlin". His first appearance could have been as Arthur's brother-in-law Viautre de Galerot ("Guarlerot") in the Didot-"Perceval" continuation of the Verse "Merlin".


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: Malory makes Nentres the husband of Arthur's sister Elaine ("Elayne"), originally named Blasine in the Prose "Merlin", by whom he has the son Galeschin and a daughter also named Elaine. In other texts, his wife is one of Arthur's different sisters: either Morgause ("Belisent") or Morgan le Fay ("Morgain la feé"). In the "Merlin" continuation texts, Nentres of Garlot is one of the kings who refusesl to recognise the newly proclaimed King Arthur's claim to be the true heir of Uther and fights against Arthur (and his own son Galescalain) at the Battle of Bedegraine (where he is defeated by Kay in Malory). When the rebel kings agree to join Arthur to repel the foreign (Saxon or Saracen) invasion, Nentres commands the defense of Windesan. His wife is kidnapped by the enemy but is rescued by Arthur's loyalist Gawain, making Nentres firmly join Arthur's side and help him to decisively win at the Battle of Clarence. He becomes one of the original members of Arthur's Round Table and participates in Arthur's continental campaigns, slaying the Spanish Saracen king Alifatima during the war against Rome.


title: Knights of the Round Table

text: According to Roger Sherman Loomis, the name and character of King Nentres could have been derived from that of the historical British king Urien who is most often cast as the husband of Morgan. The Huth "Merlin" mentions Neutre only once as the king of Sorhaut married to Morgan, while presenting Garlot as the kingdom of Urien and Morgain ("Morgue"), which further suggests the identity of Nentres with Urien. The name of his realm of Garlot may also come from "Caer Lot", an Old Welsh for the Fortress of Lot, another British former rebel king often depicted in the legend as married to Arthur's sister. The lands of Nentres, Urien and Lot are also all commonly placed in today's southern Scotland. Nevertheless, the three rebel-turned-ally kings, each later married to Arthur's sisters, regularly appear as separate characters within the same prose romances, including in Malory.