King Arthur and the Knights of Justice
Encyclopedia
King Arthur & the Knights of Justice was a Sunday morning, syndicated animated series which lasted for two seasons of 13 episodes each. The cartoon was produced by Golden Films, C&D Entertainment and Bohbot Entertainment
. Jean Chalopin
(co-founder of DiC Entertainment
and the creator and writer of the series), Diane Eskenazi
(Golden Films
) and Avi Arad
(Toy Biz CEO) were executive producers of the series. Its first episode aired on September 13, 1992, and the last episode was on December 12, 1993.
and the Knights of the Round Table trapped in the Cave of Glass by the evil enchantress Queen Morgana
. The wizard Merlin
, unable to free King Arthur and the Knights himself, searches the timeline for replacement Knights.
Merlin finds the quarterback of the New England
Knights football team, Arthur King, as a suitable replacement. Merlin transports Arthur King and his teammates to Camelot
after one of their football games and appoints Arthur King as their leader, with his teammates as the new Knights of the Round Table, and assigns them the task of freeing the true King and Knights. To do so, they must find the 12 Keys of Truth, one for each knight that only the knight in question can initially touch. Once all the keys are found, the real knights will be free and the team will return home. In the meantime, they pledge "....fairness to all, to protect the weak and vanquish the evil". The Knights are armed with special armor and are able to summon their respective creatures at any time when in battle armor. These animals, such as King Arthur's dragon
, are emblazoned on their shields.
The series had a progressive story with both sides making progress towards their goals. Continuity was also established in the episodes which would be brought up in later episodes, along with some repeat minor characters, character relationships, and previously overcome weaknesses of the Knights. Despite the continual movement towards a resolution, the series is incomplete and ended abruptly during the second season.
for the Super Nintendo
platform in 1995.
released a handful of 5½" action figure
s and vehicles/accessories based on the show.
Marvel Comics
released a three-part comic book
miniseries was created by Michael Golden in 1993.
and DVD
releases, Image Entertainment
released the complete series as a boxed set in the U.S. with all 26 episodes in a three-DVD set "King Arthur and the Knights of Justice: The Complete Animated Series".
The whole series was available for free watching through Internet streaming
at the Lycos
' SyncTV service. As of 2011, it now available on Kidlet.
BKN
Bohbot Kids Network was a syndicated animation block created and distributed by Bohbot Entertainment, an animation production company founded by Allen J...
. Jean Chalopin
Jean Chalopin
Jean Chalopin is a French producer and writer. In 1971, Chalopin created the company DIC Audiovisuel, which later evolved into DIC Entertainment, and wrote and produced programs animated by Japanese studios. Jean Chalopin is married to Chinese/Singaporean ex-Model, Ethel Chalopin...
(co-founder of DiC Entertainment
DiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
and the creator and writer of the series), Diane Eskenazi
Diane Eskenazi
Diane Paloma Eskenazi is an American film producer and the founder of Golden Films production company in 1992. She is also the founder of different non-profit charity organizations such as Peace Builders, Inc., most of which were mainly, though not exclusively, dedicated to the welfare of children...
(Golden Films
Golden Films
Golden Films is an American production studio founded in 1992 by Diane Eskenazi. The studio produces direct to video animated features. Many of its animated titles tell the same stories as popular Disney films.- Distribution :...
) and Avi Arad
Avi Arad
Avi Arad is an Israeli-American businessman. He became the CEO of the company Toy Biz in the 1990s, and soon afterward became the chief creative officer of Marvel Entertainment, a Marvel director, chairman, CEO and the founder of Marvel Studios....
(Toy Biz CEO) were executive producers of the series. Its first episode aired on September 13, 1992, and the last episode was on December 12, 1993.
Plot
The show's premise had King ArthurKing Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
and the Knights of the Round Table trapped in the Cave of Glass by the evil enchantress Queen Morgana
Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay , alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician...
. The wizard Merlin
Merlin
Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
, unable to free King Arthur and the Knights himself, searches the timeline for replacement Knights.
Merlin finds the quarterback of the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
Knights football team, Arthur King, as a suitable replacement. Merlin transports Arthur King and his teammates to Camelot
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world...
after one of their football games and appoints Arthur King as their leader, with his teammates as the new Knights of the Round Table, and assigns them the task of freeing the true King and Knights. To do so, they must find the 12 Keys of Truth, one for each knight that only the knight in question can initially touch. Once all the keys are found, the real knights will be free and the team will return home. In the meantime, they pledge "....fairness to all, to protect the weak and vanquish the evil". The Knights are armed with special armor and are able to summon their respective creatures at any time when in battle armor. These animals, such as King Arthur's dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
, are emblazoned on their shields.
The series had a progressive story with both sides making progress towards their goals. Continuity was also established in the episodes which would be brought up in later episodes, along with some repeat minor characters, character relationships, and previously overcome weaknesses of the Knights. Despite the continual movement towards a resolution, the series is incomplete and ended abruptly during the second season.
The Knights of the Round Table
- King Arthur (Arthur King) (voiced by Andrew KavadasAndrew KavadasAndrew Kavadas is a Canadian voice actor who works for Ocean Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He has played several roles in anime, most notably Patrick Zala in Gundam Seed...
) – The quarterbackQuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
of his football team, The Knights, in his own time, Arthur uses his natural leadership skill in battle against Morgana's WarlordWarlordA warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
s. While seeking Merlin's council at times, Arthur usually comes up with clever strategies and battle plans when needed. His shield houses the Dragon of Justice (also called the Dragon of the Shield), a wyvernWyvernA wyvern or wivern is a legendary winged reptilian creature with a dragon's head, two legs , and a barbed tail. The wyvern is found in heraldry. There exists a purely sea-dwelling variant, termed the Sea-Wyvern which has a fish tail in place of a barbed dragon's tail...
which can be unleashed to do his bidding when he needs it. The dragonDragonA dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
was the family crest of the original Arthur of legend, Arthur PendragonKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
. He stores the great sword excaliburExcaliburExcalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
in his chestplate, rather than a sheath. His horse's name is mentioned once as being Valor. - Sir Lancelot (Lance) (voiced by Scott McNeilScott McNeilScott McNeil is a Canadian actor and voice actor. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
) – Lance is the second in command of the knights and Arthur's best friend. Fearless and brave, Lance is usually the most serious of the knights. His emblem is a lionLionThe lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
. - Sir Tone (voiced by Scott McNeilScott McNeilScott McNeil is a Canadian actor and voice actor. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
) – Tone is the team's inventor and blacksmithBlacksmithA blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
. He invented many machines based on ones he's seen in his own time. This does not take away from his battling ability however. Tone's real name is Anthony, and he speaks with an Italian accent. His chestplate houses a hammer and chisel with which he can build almost anything. - Sir Trunk (voiced by Scott McNeilScott McNeilScott McNeil is a Canadian actor and voice actor. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
) – The knights' strongman; he's featured heavily in the first two episodes, but after that he becomes more of a background player. His shield contains a giant ram strong enough to break down walls and carry several people on its back with ease. - Sir Wally (voiced by Lee Jeffrey) – A guard for The Knights football team, as a true knight his job is now to protect Arthur during attacks. Good natured, but takes it hard when he makes mistakes. Sir Brick is his best friend. His shield emblem is a falconFalconA falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
. - Sir Brick (voiced by Gary ChalkGary Chalk (actor)Gary Chalk is an English-born Canadian actor, tri-national US-Canadian-UK citizen and voice artist. He has lend hit voice in over 30 animated television series and has been in films such as The Fly II and Freddy vs. Jason....
) – Like Wally, Brick is usually used as Arthur's bodyguard. He has unwavering loyalty to his friends, including his best friend, Wally. He is able to call an apparently unlimited supply of bricks out of his chest plate and create massive walls from them at will. - Sir Phil (voiced by Gary ChalkGary Chalk (actor)Gary Chalk is an English-born Canadian actor, tri-national US-Canadian-UK citizen and voice artist. He has lend hit voice in over 30 animated television series and has been in films such as The Fly II and Freddy vs. Jason....
) – One of the stronger knights of the twelve. Is very adamant of returning "to the land of cheeseburgers and fries". His chestplate houses a club, and his shield contains a black pantherBlack pantherA black panther is typically a melanistic color variant of any of several species of larger cat. Wild black panthers in Latin America are black jaguars , in Asia and Africa they are black leopards , and in North America they may be black jaguars or possibly black cougars A black panther is...
. - Sir Darren (voiced by Michael DonovanMichael DonovanMichael David Donovan is a voice actor for many TV shows and anime. He is most known for his voice on the series ReBoot for his voices of Phong, Mike the TV, Cecil, and Al. He has also provided the voice of Sabretooth for X-Men: Evolution and Carnage for Spider-Man Unlimited. He played the lead...
) – The only one of the knights with a crossbowCrossbowA crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts or quarrels. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a torsion engine resembling a crossbow in appearance.Historically, crossbows played a...
, Darren is the team's pretty boy. Now he has found a steady girlfriend in Lady Elaine. He is usually cool and confident on and off the battlefield, perhaps too much so. His shield houses a giant eagleEagleEagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
, or Roc, capable of lifting multiple men in each talon. - Sir Gallop (voiced by Mark HildrethMark Hildreth (actor)Mark Hildreth is a Canadian actor and musician, based in the U.S. He has appeared in many movie and television roles. A graduate of The National Theater School of Canada, Mark Hildreth's theater credits include Hamlet , Bertram in All's well that Ends well , Richard of Gloucester in Richard III and...
) – The ladies' man, Gallop constantly thinks of women. In season 2 he dates the peasant girl called Katherine. - Sir Breeze (voiced by Lee Jeffrey) – Breeze was the big trash talker in the group. He also used a lot of slangSlangSlang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
of his time - appropriate for one whose emblem is the sphinxSphinxA sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
, since in Greek myths this creature was known for riddles. He is a bit of an egotist but knows where his priorities lie. - Sir Lug (voiced by Michael DonovanMichael DonovanMichael David Donovan is a voice actor for many TV shows and anime. He is most known for his voice on the series ReBoot for his voices of Phong, Mike the TV, Cecil, and Al. He has also provided the voice of Sabretooth for X-Men: Evolution and Carnage for Spider-Man Unlimited. He played the lead...
) – Though originally the team's equipment manager, in Medieval times, Lug is in charge of Camelot's squires. Lug has a low self-esteem and is usually picked on by some of the other knights, but he possesses great courage and can even hold his own against Lord Viper in a fight. His shield emblem resembles a krakenKrakenKraken are legendary sea monsters of giant proportions said to have dwelt off the coasts of Norway and Iceland.In modern German, Krake means octopus but can also refer to the legendary Kraken...
or octopusOctopusThe octopus is a cephalopod mollusc of the order Octopoda. Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms, and like other cephalopods they are bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms...
. - Sir Zeke (voiced by Mark HildrethMark Hildreth (actor)Mark Hildreth is a Canadian actor and musician, based in the U.S. He has appeared in many movie and television roles. A graduate of The National Theater School of Canada, Mark Hildreth's theater credits include Hamlet , Bertram in All's well that Ends well , Richard of Gloucester in Richard III and...
) – A certified brainiac, Zeke is the least seen of the knights. His voice sounds like that of Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
.
Camelot characters
- Merlin (voiced by Jim Byrnes) – The great wizard who served King Arthur. He was responsible for bringing Arthur and his teammates into the past to fight the Warlords of Queen Morgana after the real King Arthur and his knights were imprisoned. Merlin is a great asset to the knights and uses his various spells, potions and advice to assist them when needed. He is also the only person from his time period to know Arthur and the others true identities.
- Queen Guinevere (voiced by Kathleen BarrKathleen BarrKathleen Barr is a Canadian voice actress. She is also the sister of Professor Mark Lyle Barr at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.-Filmography:...
) – Camelot's queen and the real King Arthur's wife. GuinevereGuinevereGuinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot...
was initially captured by Morgana at the show's beginning, but she was rescued by Arthur King (posing as her husband), Lance and Trunk. She often wonders about the change in Arthur's demeanor and manner of acting, unaware of the whole truth, however in one episode it is implied that she knows Arthur King isn't the man she married, and is simply keeping up appearances. - Lady Elaine (voiced by Venus TerzoVenus TerzoVenus Terzo is a Canadian actress best noted for her role as Detective Angela Kosmo in Da Vinci's Inquest and its spinoff, Da Vinci's City Hall. She was nominated in 2002 for the Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role in that same role...
) – Guinevere's attendant and Darren's girlfriend. - Lady Mary – Guinevere's second attendant, and aunt to Squire Everett. In the season 1 episode "To Save a Squire", her and Sir Tone at first seem to resent each other, but in the end show affection for each other.
- Squire Tyronne (voiced by Michael DonovanMichael DonovanMichael David Donovan is a voice actor for many TV shows and anime. He is most known for his voice on the series ReBoot for his voices of Phong, Mike the TV, Cecil, and Al. He has also provided the voice of Sabretooth for X-Men: Evolution and Carnage for Spider-Man Unlimited. He played the lead...
) – A squire who looks up to Sir Lug and has a strong desire to be a knight. - Squire Everett (voiced by Mark HildrethMark Hildreth (actor)Mark Hildreth is a Canadian actor and musician, based in the U.S. He has appeared in many movie and television roles. A graduate of The National Theater School of Canada, Mark Hildreth's theater credits include Hamlet , Bertram in All's well that Ends well , Richard of Gloucester in Richard III and...
) – Like Tyrone, Everett is very passionate about being a knight. Nephew of Lady Mary. - Lady of the Table – The protector of the knights, her spirit can be seen as the knights are being equipped with their armor and weapons. The knights cannot see her, however, until the Season 2 episode "What the Key Unlocked" where she revealed herself to Lance.
- Lady of the Lake (voiced by Kathleen BarrKathleen BarrKathleen Barr is a Canadian voice actress. She is also the sister of Professor Mark Lyle Barr at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.-Filmography:...
) – The keeper of Excalibur, the Lady of the LakeLady of the LakeThe Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father...
gives the mighty sword to Arthur King after the imprisonment of the original King Arthur in the Cave of Glass.
Enemies of the Knights
- Queen MorganaMorgan le FayMorgan le Fay , alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician...
(voiced by Kathleen BarrKathleen BarrKathleen Barr is a Canadian voice actress. She is also the sister of Professor Mark Lyle Barr at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.-Filmography:...
) – The evil sorceress and King Arthur's half-sister who serves as the primary antagonist of the series. She was responsible for sealing Arthur and his knights into the Cave of Glass. She despises Merlin and has great magical prowess. While she is unsure where they came from, she knows the new Arthur and his set of knights are frauds. Among other things, Morgana constructed the vicious Warlords out of stone. If the Warlords are broken or destroyed in battle, Morgana can reassemble them using her magic. - Lord Viper (voiced by Gary ChalkGary Chalk (actor)Gary Chalk is an English-born Canadian actor, tri-national US-Canadian-UK citizen and voice artist. He has lend hit voice in over 30 animated television series and has been in films such as The Fly II and Freddy vs. Jason....
) – The second-in-command and overall field commander of the Warlords. He seems to be the only human in Lady Morgana's army. Viper has a constant hatred for Arthur King and they have had several sword fights throughout the series. Viper's main weapon is a jagged-edge sword, but he also has a snake emblem on his armor which can attack Viper's opponent. He rides in a cart that doubles as a catapultCatapultA catapult is a device used to throw or hurl a projectile a great distance without the aid of explosive devices—particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. Although the catapult has been used since ancient times, it has proven to be one of the most effective mechanisms during...
. He leads Morgana's army on the front lines while Morgana remains back at her castle. - WarlordWarlordA warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
Axe (voiced by Scott McNeilScott McNeilScott McNeil is a Canadian actor and voice actor. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
) – A warlord who is not too bright, Axe has a plethora of ax weapons and an ax cart. He also is the only warlord able to defeat King Arthur on two separate occasions. - WarlordWarlordA warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
Bash (voiced by Gary ChalkGary Chalk (actor)Gary Chalk is an English-born Canadian actor, tri-national US-Canadian-UK citizen and voice artist. He has lend hit voice in over 30 animated television series and has been in films such as The Fly II and Freddy vs. Jason....
) – A primitive warlord who wields a bone club and skull shaped shield. He likely represents the SaxonSaxonsThe Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
barbarians that raid most of Europe in legend. - WarlordWarlordA warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
Blackwing (voiced by Scott McNeilScott McNeilScott McNeil is a Canadian actor and voice actor. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
) – The third-in-command and Viper's right hand man, Blackwing possesses pterodactyl-like wings and can fly allowing him to attack his enemies with the mid-air dart attacks from his talons. He is also is equipped with a pike. He is responsible for capturing Guinevere early in the series. - WarlordWarlordA warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
Blinder – A warlord who is able to blind his opponents by striking together his two dirks. He can also throw them with perfect aim. - WarlordWarlordA warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
Hammer (voiced by Michael DonovanMichael DonovanMichael David Donovan is a voice actor for many TV shows and anime. He is most known for his voice on the series ReBoot for his voices of Phong, Mike the TV, Cecil, and Al. He has also provided the voice of Sabretooth for X-Men: Evolution and Carnage for Spider-Man Unlimited. He played the lead...
) – A super strong behemoth with two hammers as weapons considered to be one of the strongest among them. - WarlordWarlordA warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
Lucan – A savage wolfGray WolfThe gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
-like berserkerBerserkerBerserkers were Norse warriors who are reported in the Old Norse literature to have fought in a nearly uncontrollable, trance-like fury, a characteristic which later gave rise to the English word berserk. Berserkers are attested in numerous Old Norse sources...
warlord with sharp claws, missile attacks and a wolf-head cart that breathes fire. - WarlordWarlordA warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
Slasher – A warlord with many sharp weapons including spears, a serrated–spiked cape and a spear cart. Also his armor could be configured into a pair of deadly gauntlets. - WarlordWarlordA warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
Spike – A warlord with a Guan daoGuan daoA Guan Dao, Kwan Dao, or Kuan Tao is a type of Chinese pole weapon that is currently used in some forms of Chinese martial arts. In Chinese it is properly called a 偃月刀 yan yue dao , the name under which it always appears in texts from the Song to Qing dynasties such as the Wujing Zongyao and...
style weapon that can shoot projectiles and a spear cart, he also seems to be one of the smartest as he leads many missions and applies battle strategies. - Lord Chang – Known as the Purple Warrior because of his armor, he leads an army of samuraiSamuraiis the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
-like warriors, known as the Purple HordeHordeHorde may refer to:* Ordo * a clan or army of steppe nomads . See Orda * the Blue and White Horde, formed 1226, 1227* the Golden Horde, a Turkic-Mongol state established in the 1240s...
, who also menace the Knights in the second season. However, they are more neutral as sometimes they see the Warlords as both ally and enemy. They also hold a strict moral code of honour; such as one on one duels and repaying debt. Chang is also impressed with Arthur's taming of his dragon; as Chang's warriors are based on Asian factions, dragons are considered sacred to them.
Knights' weapons, items and vehicles
Each knight has at least one weapon through which Merlin can communicate. Some knight weapons appear out of the chest plates of their armor, others have weapons separate from the armor and have either items or more (rarely used) weapons that appear from their armor. Each knight also has a shield with an animal pictured on them; these animals can materialize out of the shields and aid the knights. Some of the knights also ride in horse drawn carts with giant weapons, as opposed to just riding a horse.| Knight | Armor Weapon/Item | External Weapon | Shield Animal | Cart |
| Arthur | Excalibur Excalibur Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was... |
None | Dragon Dragon A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern... |
None |
| Lancelot | Lance | Sword | Lion Lion The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger... |
Lance Cart |
| Trunk | Battering Ram | Battle Axe | Ram Bighorn Sheep The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae... |
Ramhead Cart |
| Tone | Blacksmith's Hammer and Stake | Sword | Serpent Snake Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales... |
Large Wagon |
| Breeze | Pike | Sword | Sphinx Sphinx A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless... |
None |
| Wally | Daggers | Two Shortswords | Falcon Falcon A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America.... |
None |
| Gallop | Pole Mace | None | Cerberus Cerberus Cerberus , or Kerberos, in Greek and Roman mythology, is a multi-headed hound which guards the gates of the Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping... |
None |
| Darren | Crossbow | Crossbow | Eagle Eagle Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in... |
Giant Crossbow Cart |
| Brick | Brick Wall | Sword | Bat Bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,... |
Brick Tower Cart |
| Phil | Mace | None | Panther Black panther A black panther is typically a melanistic color variant of any of several species of larger cat. Wild black panthers in Latin America are black jaguars , in Asia and Africa they are black leopards , and in North America they may be black jaguars or possibly black cougars A black panther is... |
None |
| Zeke | Spear | Sword | Hydra Lernaean Hydra In Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was an ancient nameless serpent-like chthonic water beast, with reptilian traits, that possessed many heads — the poets mention more heads than the vase-painters could paint, and for each head cut off it grew two more — and poisonous breath so virulent even... |
None |
| Lug | Football | Sword | Kraken Kraken Kraken are legendary sea monsters of giant proportions said to have dwelt off the coasts of Norway and Iceland.In modern German, Krake means octopus but can also refer to the legendary Kraken... |
Large Wagon |
Season 1
- "Opening Kick-Off"
- "A Knight's Quest (The Search for Guinevere)"
- "The Unbeliever"
- "Even Knights Have to Eat"
- "Assault on Castle Morgana"
- "Quest for Courage"
- "The Warlord Knight"
- "The Challenge"
- "To Save a Squire"
- "The Surrender"
- "Darren's Key"
- "Viper's Phantom"
- "The Way Back"
Season 2
- "A Matter of Honor"
- "What the Key Unlocked"
- "Tyronne and Everett Alone"
- "The Dark Side"
- "The Quitter"
- "Camelot Park"
- "The High Ground"
- "The Island"
- "Quest for the Book"
- "Enter Morgana"
- "The Cure"
- "Winter Campaign"
- "Tone's Triumph"
Video game
A video game based on the series was created by EnixEnix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
for the Super Nintendo
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
platform in 1995.
Other merchadise
MattelMattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
released a handful of 5½" action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s and vehicles/accessories based on the show.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
released a three-part comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
miniseries was created by Michael Golden in 1993.
Releases
In March 2010, after several various partial VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
releases, Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
released the complete series as a boxed set in the U.S. with all 26 episodes in a three-DVD set "King Arthur and the Knights of Justice: The Complete Animated Series".
The whole series was available for free watching through Internet streaming
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
at the Lycos
Lycos
Lycos, Inc. is a search engine and web portal established in 1994. Lycos also encompasses a network of email, webhosting, social networking, and entertainment websites.-Corporate history:...
' SyncTV service. As of 2011, it now available on Kidlet.
Reception
The website Topless Robot ranked the show as first on the lists of The 10 Most Ridiculous Adaptations of Arthurian Legend (2009) and the 8 Mostly Forgotten '90s Cartoons (2011).See also
- King Arthur & the Knights of Justice (video game)King Arthur & the Knights of Justice (video game)King Arthur & the Knights of Justice is an action-adventure game developed by Manley & Associates and published by Enix for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in May 1995...
- Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel RidersPrincess Gwenevere and the Jewel RidersPrincess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders is a 1995 children's fantasy animated television series inspired by the Arthurian myths, produced by Bohbot Productions with association with Hong Ying Animation and internationally syndicated by Bohbot Entertainment.The series had two...
External links
- Official King Arthur and the Knights of Justice page at BKN International
- King Arthur and the Knights of Justice at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...