Tristan de Bois, also known as "The Black Knight" was the brother of Ygraine and Agravaine de Bois, the brother-in-law of Uther Pendragon, and one of Arthur's uncles. A former friend of Uther, he turned against him after the death of Ygraine. Many years after his death, he became the deceased uncle-in-law of Guinevere, the wife of his nephew, Arthur.
Biography
Early life
Presumed the eldest child of his parents, Tristan was closest to his siblings, Ygraine and Agravaine. When his sister Ygraine died during childbirth, Tristan blamed Uther for her death and challenged him to a duel. Uther won the duel but before he died, Tristan swore in his dying breaths that he would rise from the dead and avenge Ygraine.
Resurrection
Twenty-one years after his death, at Arthur's coming of age ceremony, Tristan is reanimated as a Wraith by the sorceress Nimueh. He crashes his horse through the window during the ceremony and challenges the knights to a fight to the death. Sir Owain takes up the challenge and strikes a would-be fatal blow, but ultimately dies, Sir Pellinore takes up the next challenge and also dies, though he too strikes a fatal blow. Arthur then challenges Tristan to a duel himself, and he accepts. Gaius and Geoffrey of Monmouth are later able to identify Tristan by the crest on his shield. It is an image of a white Phoenix. He is the only knight known to have carried such a crest.
Merlin observes that both times the Knights fatally wounded Tristan, he survived. With the help of the Great Dragon, he creates a sword that can kill the dead. Although it is intended as a sword for Arthur's use only, it is Uther who fights Tristan with Excalibur. As a result the Wraith dies, and Tristan de Bois returns to the world of the dead, his revenge unfulfilled (Excalibur).
Gallery
Trivia
- Tristan was never mentioned by his brother, Agravaine like their sister Ygraine was so it is unknown what their relationship was like.
- According to Gaius and Geoffrey, Tristan was the only person to have used such a crest (the white phoenix) as it is never seen to have been used by Agravaine. It is still implied that the white phoenix crest was the also the crest of the House of de Bois.
- Like Cornelius Sigan , it is unknown to what Tristan's actually characteristics were due to the fact that at time of his resurrection, he was a wraith.
- His surname, De Bois, means 'of the wood' in French
| Series 1 Enemies |
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| The Dragon's Call: Mary Collins † • Lady Helen (indirect) † Valiant: Valiant † • Devlin • Serpent Shield The Mark of Nimueh: Nimueh † • Afanc † The Poisoned Chalice: Nimueh † • Balorian Spiders • Cockatrice Lancelot: Griffin A Remedy to Cure All Ills: Edwin Muirden † • Elanthia Beetles The Gates of Avalon: Sophia † • Aulfric † • Sidhe elder The Beginning of the End: Uther Pendragon † Excalibur: Nimueh † • Tristan de Bois † The Moment of Truth: Kanen The Labyrinth of Gedref: Arthur Pendragon (indirect) † To Kill the King: Tauren • Morgana † • Uther Pendragon † Le Morte d'Arthur: Nimueh † • Questing Beast • Kilgharrah |