Lancelot


 * This article is about the deceased knight, Lancelot, for the episode he is introduced in, see: Lancelot, and for the Shade version of the character, see Lancelot (Shade).

"Sir Lancelot, the bravest and most noble of them all..."

- Kilgharrah

Sir Lancelot was a close friend of Merlin and a Knight of the Round Table who was also in love with Guinevere. He was a good man, devoted to protecting people and helping his friends. He was one of the first to discover Merlin's magic, which he kept secret, and was one of few people who would ever discover it. His death shocked Camelot when he gave his life in place of Arthur's upon the Isle of the Blessed to heal the tear in the veil between the Spirit and Regular world.

History
Little is known about Lancelot's early life, only that he lost his family at a young age when his village was attacked by bandits. He alone escaped. The loss of his family made Lancelot vow to never again be as helpless as he was that day. He dedicated his life to the study of swordsmanship and combat, likely living the life of a wanderer until he was ready to set out for Camelot.

Meeting Merlin
"It's my life's ambition to join the knights of Camelot."

- Lancelot to Merlin

Lancelot first met Merlin when he saved him from a Griffin in the forest. Though his sword failed to so much as injure the creature, he succeeded in driving it back long enough for him and Merlin to escape. However, he was injured doing so, prompting a grateful Merlin to take him back to Camelot. The two soon became good friends, and Lancelot confided in Merlin that it was his life's dream to join the Knights of Camelot. However, the First Code of Camelot stated that only noblemen were allowed to become knights. Determined to pay Lancelot back for saving his life, Merlin used his magic to create a seal of nobility identifying Lancelot as the fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria. He also asked Gwen to provide clothes and armour to help Lancelot look the part. Lancelot quickly took a liking to Guinevere, addressing her as "My Lady" despite Gwen's protests, and was pleased to learn that she and Merlin were just friends.

Lancelot was soon permitted to try out for the knights, and though Arthur was left unimpressed at first, telling him to come back when he was ready, he ultimate decided to take him on and assigned him the task of cleaning out the stables. Lancelot was eventually given a second chance to prove his abilities when Arthur challenged him to a duel using brooms as staffs. The duel ended with Arthur praising Lancelot, stating that he'd passed his first test and could start basic training. However, soon afterward the warning bells went off heralding the arrival of a village full of people who had been attacked by the Griffin. The creature appeared to be moving closer and closer to Camelot, prompting Arthur to move Lancelot's final test forward so as to have as many knights at his disposal as possible.

Lancelot passed his final test and was made a Knight of Camelot. However, Uther was suspicious of his seal, noting that the last time he'd seen Lord Eldred the man had only had four sons. The castle historian, Geoffrey of Monmouth, soon determined that his seal of nobility was a forgery, and Lancelot was thrown into prison and stripped of his knighthood. Arthur, however, did not share his father's anger, and ultimately chose to free him, telling him that his father had banished him from Camelot and that he must never return.

Lancelot, however, did not wish to leave with the kingdom still under attack. He retrieved his armour from Guinevere, stating that it was his duty to fight the Griffin whether he was a knight or not, and though Gwen initially asked him not to go she understood why he must. He and Merlin then rode out after Arthur and his men, following the sounds of their cries until they reached the sight of the battle. After determining that Arthur was still alive, Lancelot mounted his horse and charged toward the Griffin with his lance, which Merlin then enchanted to give it the power to kill the creature. Arthur awoke soon afterward and, with Lancelot the only other person visible in the area (as Merlin hid when he noticed Arthur stirring), was led to believe that he killed the Griffin and took him back to Camelot.

Though Arthur begged his father to make an exception concerning the First Code and allow Lancelot to become a knight, Lancelot, who had witnessed Merlin's magic and knew that he was the one truly responsible for killing the Griffin, instead chose to leave Camelot. He regretted that his lies had brought conflict between Arthur and his father, and wished to start his training over again, far away, with the hope that one day he might be granted another chance to become a Knight of Camelot. Merlin and Gaius watched Lancelot depart the next morning from the castle terrace (Lancelot).

Reunion with Gwen
"I've been earning a living the only way I know. With a sword."

- Lancelot to Guinevere

Lancelot traveled to many places after his departure from Camelot. However, he found that there was little work available for someone of his talents, and eventually wound up earning a living by fighting for other's entertainment. It was a far cry from his noble ideals and hopes of becoming a knight, and he found himself feeling increasingly hopeless and that his life had little meaning. At some point he began fighting for Hengist, a ruthless bandit who attempted to kidnap Lady Morgana but mistakenly wound up with Gwen instead.

Surprised to see her there, Lancelot snuck into the prison she was being held in and learned that Gwen was being held for ransom, as Hengist believed her to be Morgana. Gwen didn't believe that Uther would pay the ransom or send anyone to save her, and was certain that when Hengist realized the truth, he would kill her. Lancelot promised that he would find a way to help her escape before that could happen. He eventually managed to do so by drugging the guards, though Gwen's empty cell was discovered before they could get far. After sharing a kiss, Lancelot sent Guinevere on alone, staying behind the fight off the bandits. He was eventually captured and condemned to execution, where he gave a passionate speech to Hengist about how little he cared about what would happen to him so long as Gwen got away. Hengist chose that moment to reveal that Gwen had been captured as well, and that she would be fed to the Wilddeoren along with him.

However, Arthur and Merlin, who had gone after Gwen despite Uther's protests that she was likely already dead, managed to rescue them before they could be eaten. While making their way home to Camelot, Lancelot noticed that Arthur seemed to have feelings for Gwen, as evidenced by his willingness to rescue her (though Arthur stubbornly insisted that he only did it as a favor to Morgana). His hunch was later proven correct when he spoke with Merlin. Determined not to come between them despite his own feelings for Gwen, Lancelot quietly departed, asking Merlin to tell Gwen that she'd changed his life forever, but that some things could not be (Lancelot and Guinevere).

Saving Camelot
Lancelot, accompanied by his friend Percival, eventually returned to Camelot following its invasion by Cenred's immortal army. Merlin had sent him a message asking for his help, and when Lancelot and Percival finally reached them, Merlin, Arthur, and their small band of rebels were being pursued by soldiers from Cenred's army. Lancelot and Percival managed to halt the pursuit by dropping boulders onto the path. They then accompanied the group to the Castle of Ancient Kings, where Arthur proposed that they infiltrate the citadel and free his father. Lancelot was the first to volunteer to join him, stating that Arthur had taught him the value of being a knight, and that he believed in the world that Arthur was build. He was then once again made a Knight of Camelot, alongside Gwaine, Percival, and Elyan.

Their plans made, the group then proceeded to Camelot. Lancelot, guided by Merlin, was to take out the warning bell while Arthur led the other knights to the dungeons. Unbeknownst to Arthur, however, their real plan was to find and empty the Cup of Life. Battling their way through the castle, Merlin's sense of the Cup's power eventually guided them to the throne room. They managed to fight off the soldiers guarding the Cup and, after a brief skirmish with Morgause, Merlin managed to empty the Cup of the blood it contained, destroying the immortal army. Lancelot later accompanied the other Knights back to the Castle of Ancient Kings to escort Guinevere back to Camelot (The Coming of Arthur).

Time as a Knight
Lancelot is seen again one year later as one of the knights of Camelot. Although not much is known about what he and the other knights did during this time, he rides out with Arthur to explore mysterious reports about strange beings going to small towns and attacking these towns, many whom had suffered deaths. He and the others soon find out they are named the Dorocha, and he saves Merlin from one when he finds that his magic does not appear to be working against what appear to be ghosts. Upon finding out the only way to stop them is to repair the veil between their world and the dead, he sets out to help Arthur, Merlin and the other knights on their quest to get to the Isle of the Blessed. Before he departs, he has one last word with Gwen, who makes him promise to protect Arthur. The group set up camp among the forest, and he goes to help Merlin find wood to plead with him to go home because there is nothing he is able to do his magic is useless and he is no soldier. But Merlin says he won't, as he does not wish to depart his friends. Soon, Lancelot helplessly sees Merlin get seriously wounded by one of the spirits (The Darkest Hour: Part One).

Arthur struggles to decide whether he should turn around and take his friend back home and try again another time or go on with the quest with Merlin. He decides Merlin must go home to Gaius so he will be saved but Sir Leon and some of the other knights say the quest must also go on. Lancelot then goes alone with Merlin to get him home to Gaius. They stop by a stream to rest and drink water as Merlin gets worse.

But then, a type of spirit appear to Lancelot, telling him they are kind spirits who live amongst brooks and streams who also wish to go home when the veil is restored. They say they want to help him and Merlin, saying they both still have an important part to play and Merlin has a destiny written about since the dawn of time. They heal Merlin and give them shelter and protection for the night while Merlin rested. By morning, they set out to find Arthur and the others again and they talk about why they are helping Arthur. Merlin says he thinks Lancelot is only helping Arthur because he has promised Gwen, and he says he needs to stay away from Arthur and Gwen's happiness as he does not wish to ruin what they have but Arthur is also is friend. But they are pursued by the spirits again and so Merlin has no choice but to summon the great dragon, who goes to help them. At first, Lancelot is a little scared by the dragon's sudden presence, drawing his sword. But he stops when he realizes he is a friend of Merlin's. Upon discovering who he was, the dragon names him the "bravest and most noble of them all" which a humble Lancelot says he does not think is true. Lancelot soon hears the dragon and Merlin bid their goodbyes to each other, and he finds out that not only is Arthur intending to die to repair the veil, but Merlin intends to take his place. He tells Merlin he admires him and wonders perhaps that maybe he would have the courage to save his friend's life by giving his own. (The Darkest Hour: Part Two).

Lancelot's Sacrifice
On the Isle of the Blessed, Lancelot sacrifices himself instead of Merlin (after he takes the place of Arthur after knocking him out) and walks though the Veil, fulfilling the blood-sacrifice required by the Cailleach, thus sealing the Veil to the spirit world, saving Camelot. Before walking though the Veil, he looks back at Merlin, giving him a small smile and nod, before embracing his fate and walking with open arms into Veil (The Darkest Hour: Part Two).

Lancelot's death comes as a big shock to Camelot, he is heavily mourned by Merlin and his fellow knights. Arthur says that Lancelot is one of the bravest and noblest knights Camelot has ever had. He conducts a memorial service by burning a knight's cloak and Lancelot's sword on a woodpile in the courtyard. Gwen is also especially mournful as tells Arthur that she thinks that Lancelot sacrificed himself not for Camelot, but because he was true to his promise to her to keep Arthur safe, and he promised he would do so with his life.

Releasing of The Shade
When Morgana resurrected Lancelot as a Shade, he had an affair with Guinevere. Arthur had Gwen exiled from Camelot, but before he could pass judgement on Lancelot (unbeknownst that he was Shade), a final order from Morgana ordered the Shade to kill himself, thus sparing Arthur the need to punish him. Arthur, melancholic on hearing the news, assumed "Lancelot" had done so out of guilt and because of his strong sense of right and wrong, commenting that he had always been a man of honour "in all ways but one". Arthur therefore gave orders for him to have a proper burial. Merlin then took the Shade to the lake and performed a blessing on Lancelot's body. This temporarily resurrected Lancelot for a few seconds where it was shown that his soul was now free from Morgana's control and he was restored to his true self. He looked at Merlin and spoke his final words: "Merlin, thank you". Lancelot finally died in peace and Merlin cast his friend's body across the lake in a floating pyre, igniting it with magic (Lancelot du Lac).

Personality
"I want to pay tribute to Sir Lancelot. We owe him a great debt. It is not just his deed that we'll never forget. It's his courage. His compassion. His unselfish heart.He was the most noble knight I'll ever know. He gave his life for all of us."

- Arthur on Lancelot



Lancelot had a very strong sense of right and wrong. He was never comfortable with the idea of lying about his social status in order to qualify for knighthood. He also didn't like to take the credit for another's work, as he refused to do so when Merlin killed the Griffin and everyone thought Lancelot had. Lancelot was polite and respectful towards people of higher rank than himself, even if they treated him unfairly. He was a very selfless and honourable man.

During his duel with Arthur, Lancelot defeated the prince through trickery rather than skill. However, in a real battle a warrior would need every advantage they could get and earlier in the episode Arthur believed that Lancelot was not ready for a real battle. Therefore, Arthur accepted his defeat and allowed Lancelot to join the Knights of Camelot.



Lancelot was willing to risk his own life to save the people he cared about. He developed feelings for Guinevere as soon as he met her but despite this he left so he wouldn't come between her and Arthur, displaying his selflessness. Eventually, he sacrificed his life to keep to a promise he had made to Gwen; to protect Arthur with his life.

Kilgharrah greatly respected Lancelot, telling him that he was the bravest and most noble knight in Camelot. Although he was certainly a courageous and noble man, Lancelot apparently had some insecurities about his own courage because at first he was doubtful that what Kilgharrah said was true. This shows that in addition to his courage and selflessness he was also very humble.

Merlin
"You know, Merlin, you're the one Arthur should knight. You're the bravest of us all and he doesn't even know it."

- Lancelot to Merlin



Merlin appears to be Lancelot's best friend. Lancelot was willing to die for him when he sacrificed himself at the Isle of the Blessed. Merlin did many things for Lancelot, like attempting to make him a Knight of Camelot and giving him comfort when he needed it. They shared secrets between each other, like Merlin having magic and Lancelot loving Guinevere. When Merlin sent word for Lancelot to help Arthur take back Camelot he arrived as soon as he could. After he became a Knight of Camelot, and sacrificed himself a year later to vanquish the Dorocha, Merlin mourned very heavily as did everyone else. When Lancelot was resurrected as a Shade, moments after returning to Camelot, Merlin suspected he was not himself, and something sinister was at play. Lancelot, while working for Morgana, kissed Guinevere in front of Arthur and was ordered by Morgana to kill himself again. When he did, Merlin temporarily returned him from the dead to free his soul. When he was freed and reanimated he spoke his last words to Merlin: "Merlin... Thank you." He died peacefully, leaving Merlin to mourn even heavier than the first time.

Guinevere Pendragon


"I would die for you one hundred times over. Live for me, or everything that I am has been for nothing."

- Lancelot to Guinevere

When Lancelot first saw Guinevere he was instantly attracted to her, and called her "My lady". Gwen was sad when Lancelot left, and she shared her emotions with Morgana. Lancelot was reunited with Guinevere when she was impersonating Morgana, and helped her escape, sharing a kiss before parting. In the process, Lancelot was captured by Hengist's men and was later ordered to be fed to the Wilddeoren.

He later discovered that Gwen didn't escape, and that she was set to be fed to the Wilddeoren as well. However, they were both saved by Arthur and Merlin. Lancelot left when he discovered that Arthur was in love with Gwen, so that he wouldn't come between them. When Lancelot was reunited with Guinevere again, they had little interaction, he only guided her back to Camelot along with the other Knights. When Arthur intended to sacrifice himself, Gwen asked Lancelot to bring him home safely. Lancelot promised he'd give his life for Arthur, and meant it literally. Gwen mourned at his burial, longer than everybody else. What Guinevere feels about him after their presumed betrayal of Arthur is unknown.

Arthur Pendragon
"You taught me the values of being a knight, the code by which a man should live his life. To fight with honour for justice, freedom, and all that's good. I believe in the world that you will build."

- Lancelot to Arthur



Lancelot was good friends with Arthur, despite them both being in love with Guinevere. Arthur insisted on Lancelot being a Knight of Camelot, only to discover that it was forgery. He later decided to free Lancelot from prison and told him to leave. But soon after, Lancelot (and Merlin) killed the Griffin. Arthur demanded that Uther knight Lancelot, but Uther refused. Upon discovering that Merlin defeated the Griffin, Lancelot left Camelot. Arthur next saw Lancelot when he was fighting alongside him to kill a Wilddeoren. Arthur later discovered that Lancelot and Gwen were in love, and was heartbroken. However, Lancelot soon discovered that Arthur was also in love with Gwen, and he selflessly departed.

A long time after, Arthur gladly welcomed him into his small group of Knights resisting Morgana Pendragon. Lancelot was later Knighted. Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table then fought and defeated the Immortal army, and survived. As a Knight of Camelot, he served Arthur honourably, and Arthur said that he was the bravest and noblest of all his Knights. Lancelot proved this by sacrificing himself for Albion when the Dorocha were freed.

Gaius
Lancelot and Gaius had a bond similar to Gaius and Merlin, mostly due to Lancelot living in the same household during his first visit to Camelot. Gaius supported Lancelot's ambition to become a Knight of Camelot, and accepted his decision to leave after fighting the Griffin. The two were eventually reunited when they were both part of a resistance set up by Arthur to defeat Morgana. Lancelot was then made a Knight, and they succeeded in taking back Camelot.

Gaius appeared to be very sad when Lancelot died, and was among the happiest members of the court when he returned as a Shade.

Percival
Lancelot first met Percival when Percival's village fell at the hands of an Immortal army. Percival and Lancelot then agreed to help each other find Lancelot's old friend, Arthur, and defeat the army. When they met with Arthur, they were both Knighted and they succeeded in defeating the Immortal army. As knights, they both went on many adventures and like everyone else, Percival was sad both times Lancelot died.

Morgana Pendragon
Lancelot seemingly respected Morgana when he arrived in Camelot but when she betrayed Camelot, he plotted against her. He also thwarted Morgana's plan by sacrificing himself and closing the veil between the worlds. Morgana seemed to respect Lancelot a lot despite her using him in a plot to separate Gwen from Arthur, as she expressed to be sad beyond words when she had to strip him of his former glory and force him into adultery with Gwen, since he had lost all his former pride and glory.

The Great Dragon


"Of course. Sir Lancelot, the bravest and most noble of them all."

- Kilgharrah to Lancelot

Lancelot only met the Great Dragon once, but at that time he told Lancelot that he was the "bravest and noblest of them all...". Lancelot was at first frightened by Kilgharrah and raised his sword, but when Merlin stopped him, he respected Kilgharrah as a magnificent creature and appeared to be proud that Merlin had the ability to command him.

The Vilia


When The Veil was torn and Merlin was on the brink of death, Lancelot was taking him back to Camelot when he found the Vilia. They had a conversation before they cured Merlin. Lancelot smiled as they provided them protection from the Dorocha.

Abilities
Having trained himself rigorously to become a Knight of Camelot, Lancelot was an excellent swordsman even before he received formal training upon ascending to being a knight, enough so that he was able to hold his own against Arthur for quite some time but only defeated him through trickery rather than superior skill, although Arthur held back to give Lancelot a chance.(Lancelot). After his training as a Knight of Camelot, Lancelot's prowess grew even further. Like Arthur, he was capable of defending himself against numerous opponents at once, defeating several of Hengist's bandits before finally being subdued. When he and Merlin went to search for the Cup of Life, he was able to fight off numerous immortal Knights and drive them into the path of Excalibur, which was being wielded by Merlin, resulting in the knight's defeat. Hengist was impressed by Lancelot's combat prowess noting that he was a skillful warrior (Lancelot and Guinevere). The greatest display of Lancelot's impressive sword-fighting skill was when he finally triumphed over Arthur without cheating, when he confronted the king as a Shade and proved victorious. If it was not for Merlin's magic, Arthur would have been slain by Lancelot. His remarkable proficiency with a sword overall makes him one of the finest warriors in the history of Camelot.

In addition to being a formidable opponent with a sword, Lancelot was highly skilled with a lance, using it to slay a Griffin that attacked Camelot. However his lance was made more powerful by Merlin's magic and Lancelot claimed that it was Merlin, not he, that had killed the griffin. Later as a Shade, Lancelot participated in a Jousting Tournament and managed to defeat Percival and even match and eventually wound Arthur but let Arthur win.

Lancelot was also highly proficient in hand-to-hand combat and showed great agility and speed, able to dodge Arthur's enraged sword attacks and even eventually grapple and pin him to a wall, disarming him.

Name

 * Lancelot is a masculine name of French origin. The meaning of the name is "attendant".
 * Other spellings of Lancelot include Lancelott, Lancilot, Lancilott, Lancilotte, Lancilotto, Lancylot, Lancylott, Lancylotte, Launcelet, Launcelot, Launcelott, Launcelotte, Lance, Lancey, Lancy, Lanse, Lantz, Lanz, and Launce.

Trivia

 * Knight Valiant, Lancelot, and Gwaine are the only male characters to have an episode named after them.
 * He is also the only character to have three episodes named after him: Lancelot, Lancelot and Guinevere and Lancelot du Lac.
 * After the Shade Lancelot killed himself in Lancelot du Lac, Arthur said he was an honourable man in all ways but one, which showed that he still respected him a lot.

In the Legends
Sir Lancelot or Lancelot (Launcelot) Du Lac was one of the Knights of The Round Table in the Arthurian Legend. He was first introduced by Chrétien de Troyes in his work "Erec and Enide" written in 12th Century. However, in Le Chevalier de la Charette, he is the main character. Lancelot participated in many of Arthur's adventures and he was portrayed as the most perfect and bravest knight of all. He is well known for his love affair with Queen Guinevere whom he fall in love with. According to Le Morte d'Arthur, their adultery caused the destruction of the Round Table, the fall of the Kingdom and Mordred's betrayal of King Arthur. Lancelot is the son of King Ban of Benwick and Elaine and also father of Galahad (with  Elaine of Cobreric, daughter of the Fisher King). He was sent by Lady of The Lake to the Camelot's court to serve King Arthur's army as a knight and he became the most loyal friend of Sir Gawain. Amongst his adventures, he faced the Dolorous Guard and ended peacefully the war between King Arthur and his former enemy Galehaut. Also, he played an important role in the quest for the Holy Grail according to the French Arthurian romance, Perlesvaus.

Memorable Quotes

 * "I would die for you one hundred times over." to Gwen
 * "Live for me, or everything that I am has been for nothing." to Gwen.
 * "You have nothing to be sorry for. You reminded me of who I am. I will die with faith in my heart... that is worth more than anything." to Gwen.
 * "My feelings do not matter. I will not come between them." to Merlin on Arthur and Gwen.
 * "I heard you. I saw you. Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me, but I cannot take the credit for what I did not do. There'll be no more lies, no more deceit." to Merlin.
 * "You're the bravest of us all and he doesn't even know" to Merlin on Arthur.
 * "My name is Lancelot my lady, I am yours to command..." to Morgana
 * "Merlin... Thank you..." to Merlin
 * "Then you have given me a reason to live." to Gwen
 * "You taught me the values of being a knight, the code by which a man should live his life. To fight with honour for justice, freedom, and all that's good. I believe in the world that you will build." to Arthur.
 * "Ever since I was a child I've dreamed of coming here. It's my life's ambition to join the knights of Camelot" to Merlin.
 * "Maybe one day fate shall grant me another chance to prove myself a worthy knight of Camelot." to Arthur and Uther

Appearances

 * Series 1
 * Lancelot


 * Series 2
 * Lancelot and Guinevere
 * The Last Dragonlord


 * Series 3
 * The Coming of Arthur: Part Two


 * Series 4
 * The Darkest Hour: Part One
 * The Darkest Hour: Part Two
 * Lancelot du Lac
 * A Herald of the New Age
 * The Hunter's Heart
 * The Sword in the Stone: Part Two


 * Series 5
 * The Dark Tower