For King Arthur, see Knights of the Round.

Arthur is a video game character and the primary protagonist in the Ghosts 'n Goblins series of platform run 'n gun games, making his debut in the original Ghosts 'n Goblins game. Arthur is a valiant knight faced with fending off legions of the undead and various other supernatural creatures. Arthur has bravely and valiantly faced powerful demon lords, such as Astaroth, Lucifer and Sardius, and lived to tell about it. Ultimately, he is the protector and rescuer of his beloved princess Guinevere.

Skills and abilities

Armor

The most significant thing the player will notice as they control Arthur is the frequent loss of his armor. In the Ghosts 'n Goblins games, as soon as Arthur comes into contact with an enemy without successfully striking it, he will be reduced to his boxer shorts. This serves to warn the player that if Arthur does not find a way to get his armor back, the next hit from an opponent will be fatal. This usually turns him into a skeleton, and the game ends. Capcom's own Black Tiger shares the same gameplay mechanic.

In certain games in the series, it is possible to find Golden Armor, which is stronger than his regular suit. When coming into contact with an enemy while wearing it, Arthur reverts back to normal. Effectively, the Golden Armor gives the player an extra "life", so to speak. Also, when wearing better armor, he will find upgraded weapons instead of normal ones. In Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Arthur finds the Bronze (or Magic) Armor, which gives him the ability to add elemental magic to his weapons. He also can find the Moon and Sun Shields, which block one and three projectiles, respectively, before shattering.

In the game Cannon Spike, Arthur's armor is gigantic, with him operating it from within.

Transformations

Over the course of the series, Arthur has been transformed for a short time via magic spells into a variety of states, including a frog, a duck, a seal, a bee, a baby, a little girl, a fat lady, a chicken, a grasshopper, a butterfly and an old man.

Equipment

Weapons

• Lance - Arthur's weapon of choice, the trusty Lance is usually a straight forward throw item that is slower than the Dagger. Powered up versions can be found in several Ghosts 'n Goblins games by wearing upgraded armor.

• Torch/Fire Bottle - Two can be thrown in a downward arc that burns three to five flames on the ground. There is a bit of a lag, however, before the next two can be thrown. A powered up version can be found by wearing upgraded armor.

• Dagger - Many players seem to prefer the Dagger over the Lance, seeing as how it can be fired three times in quick succession. A powered up version can be found by wearing upgraded armor.

• Axe - These weapons follow a circular, rotating path while in flight. They're not very good for rapid fire, and sometimes they miss their target while doing their loops in the air. A powered up version can be found by wearing upgraded armor.

• Sword - This weapon is unlike all the other ones in that it cannot be thrown. Its short range is slightly compensated by the fact that attacks from this weapon cause double the damage of the other weapons. A powered up version can be found by wearing upgraded armor. The sword was not featured in Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts.

• Discus - The Discus travels along the ground, hitting everything in its path. Only featured in Ghouls 'n Ghosts. A powered up version can be found by wearing upgraded armor.

• Tri-Blade - Arthur's boomerang substitute, the Tri-Blade slices through all it touches and returns to its owner. A powered up version can be found by wearing upgraded armor.

• Scythe - This weapon is a lot like the Lance and the Dagger. The scythe rotates while in flight, but flies straight like the Lance. Rapid fire action is again slow, but damage is fairly high. A powered up version can be found by wearing upgraded armor.

• Crossbow - This weapon allows Arthur to shoot a number of arrows in a slightly upwards range. Not really good for straight shooting and the damage factor is a little below average. A powered up version can be found by wearing upgraded armor.

Shields

• Normal Shield/Cracked Shield - Weak and easy to break, this shield probably won't last long.

• Moon Shield - Blocks one shot from a ghoul, and then disintegrates. Comes with the Golden Armor. Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts only.

• Knight Shield - Blocks several rounds of attack.

• Sun Shield - Blocks three shots before disintegrating, and allows Arthur to use magic. Arthur will find this if he is wearing Bronze Armor and still has the Moon Shield. Super only.

• Emperor Shield - Tougher than the Knight Shield, this is the strongest class of non-magical shield. Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins only.

• Demon Shield - Shaped like the face of a demon, its true power is unknown. Ultimate only.

• Dragon Shield - It can withstand multiple attacks, and also allows Arthur to fly. Ultimate only.

Other appearances

Since the original Ghosts 'n Goblins game debuted in 1985, Arthur has appeared in numerous other games, including Namco x Capcom, Cannon Spike and Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes.

He makes a playable appearance in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, its updated version and Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.

Arthur was one of the available characters in the canceled RPG mobile Capcom Super League Online.

Cameos

• His head appears in some paintings in some of the houses in Breath of Fire.

• Arthur's likeness appears in the game We Love Golf! as an unlockable cosplay outfit for Carlos.

• Arthur makes a cameo appearance in Soki's ending in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars.

• Players can also dress up zombie slayer Chuck Greene from Dead Rising 2 with Arthur's Armor.

• He is a card in Street Fighter × All Capcom.

• In the crossover RPG Project X Zone, Arthur appear as a Solo Unit (a type of a playable assist character).

• Arthur appears in a billboard in Dead Rising 3's DLC mode Super Ultra Dead Rising 3' Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX + α.
  • One of the power ups in said DLC is an armor where the player gets Arthur's head with gold armor.

• A Mii costume based on Arthur is available in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Trivia

• The etymology of the name "Arthur" remains a matter of debate but the name's popularity derives from it being the name of King Arthur, the legendary king and hero in the mythology of Great Britain. The details of King Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and his historical existence is debated and disputed by modern historians.
  • The Ghosts 'n Goblins Arthur is from Camelot, implying that he is loosely based on King Arthur. Additionally, St. Michael, who appears in the middle of Ghouls 'n Ghosts, is sometimes referred to as Merlin and Prin-Prin is referred to as Guinevere in Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, further backing this up. However, these names were embellishments made by the U.S. branch of Capcom for the series' localization, as none of this is in the original Japanese script, in addition to the fact the princess is called Prin Prin in Japan.

• Arthur's Marvel vs. Capcom 3 bio states that even though he looks like an older man, he is only 28 years old.

See also

• Maximo

Gallery

For more of this character, see their gallery.