Lord Arthur

Lord Arthur
Alias	"Bucket-Head" (by Ash Williams)
Gender	Male
Species	Human
Status	Alive (during the events of Army of Darkness)
First Appearance	Army of Darkness
Portrayed By	Marcus Gilbert

“	No matter how this battle fares... I was wrong to think you a coward.	„
	~ Lord Arthur to Ash Williams (Army of Darkness)

Lord Arthur was the ruler of Castle Kandar in the early 14th Century. During his reign in 1300 AD, the Kandarian Demon had been awakened, and unleashed the terrors of the Deadites upon Arthur's denizens. This event signaled the coming of "The Promised One" written of in the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, a man from another time who would defeat the evil forces.

Lord Arthur's first (and only) appearance was in the 1993 film Army of Darkness. He was portrayed by Marcus Gilbert.

Biography

Early Life

There is little to no information on the life of Lord Arthur prior to the arrival of "The Promised One", though at some point he assumed the title of Lord of Castle Kandar and it's surrounding lands. At another unspecified point, Arthur went to war with Henry The Red (ruler of the neighboring "Northlands") for reasons unknown.

"The Age of Darkness" (1300 AD)

In the midst of his conflict with Henry The Red, Lord Arthur soon learned that a demonic creature which feasted upon the souls of the living had been unleashed upon his land. Waging a war against the living and the dead, Arthur ultimately chose to focus on his battle with Henry The Red first and foremost, a decision which ultimately led to a battle where Henry and several of his soldiers were taken prisoner.

Upon the trek back to the castle with their captives, Lord Arthur and his troops came across a strange man who had seemingly fallen from the heavens. Though Arthur believed the stranger to be one of Duke Henry's men, it was Arthur's Wise Man who correctly assumed him to be "The Promised One" written of in the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis. Disregarding The Wise Man's claim, Arthur had the stranger shackled alongside Henry and the others, where he was to be taken to "The Pit". Upon returning to Castle Kandar, Arthur and his troops received a exuberant welcome from his subjects for their victory, eager to watch as their enemies were to be tortured by the abominations which resided in "The Pit" below. The second of those condemned to face the terrors of The Pit was none other than the stranger whom Arthur believed to be one of Henry's soldiers, who (with the aid of the strange blade tossed to him by The Wise Man) managed to defeat the monsters and escape the hole alive. After attacking Arthur, the stranger commanded Arthur's troops release Henry and his men, who proceeded to escape Castle Kandar on horseback. Angered at the stranger's actions and arrogance, Arthur threaten the man, only for his sword to be blown in half by the stranger's "Boomstick". Convinced this man (who later identified himself as Ash Williams) was indeed "The Promised One", the subjects of Arthur began to worship the stranger as their savior.

After offering Ash the finer luxuries that only a king would receive, Arthur would witness another demonstration of The Promised One's skill of battling evil within the small confines of a private chamber, where a Deadite witch taunted and attacked those inside. The following morning, Arthur (along with The Wise Man) rode with Ash to the trailhead leading to The Dark Forest and the cursed cemetery where the Necronomicon resided.

Upon Ash's return several hours later with the Book of The Dead, The Wise Man learned that Williams had misspoke the incantation which would allow the Necronomicon to be removed from the graveyard without consequence, and now an army of the dead had been awakened. Ash argued that his deal with The Wise Man was just to get the book, not fight an army, and wanted to be sent back to his proper time immediately. Believing Williams to be a coward for not wanting to face the consequence of his actions, Arthur told him that they would fulfill their end of the deal and send him home. It wouldn't be until just a few moments later after the abduction of the maiden Sheila that Ash's attitude would change, and opted to stay and fight the coming army alongside Arthur and his troops.

Two days later, Ash and Arthur would lead their small army against the legion of Deadites in the great battle of Castle Kandar. During the siege of the undead, Arthur would fight in the courtyard and on the castle's upper-level, remaining close to the iron keep of the Necronomicon. Near the battle's climax, Arthur was shot several times with armor-piercing arrows, though he continued to fight as long as he could. After the arrival of Henry The Red's army and the defeat of Evil Ash, Lord Arthur made amends with Duke Henry, and thanked him for coming to his people's aid.

What happened to Lord Arthur following these events remains unknown.

Weapons & Equipment

• Armor: During the time in which Ash Williams was in 1300 AD, Lord Arthur was seen wearing a heavy suit of armor at several points.
• Crossbow: After returning to Castle Kandar from capturing Henry The Red, Arthur was seen using a crossbow to shoot a fleeing soldier of Henry The Red.
• Sword: Arthur was seen to have two different swords in 1300 AD, as one of them was broken by Ash Williams (who shot it in half with his shotgun), and another used during the battle against the Deadites.

Gallery

Arthur lifts up his helmet to look at the stranger he and his men have found in the valley.

Ash Williams watches The Wise Man ride to Arthur's side.

The Wise Man informs Arthur he believes the stranger to be "The Promised One".

Arthur informs Sheila that her brother fell in battle to Duke Henry's men the previous night.

Arthur speaks to his prisoners.

"There is an evil in this land..."

Henry The Red attempts to charge at Arthur, but is quickly blocked.

Arthur yells at Henry.

Arthur uses a crossbow to shoot one of Henry's fleeing soldiers.

A crowd (Arthur among them) watches as Ash battles the monsters of The Pit.

Ash emerges from The Pit, walking right up to Arthur.

Arthur looks at his broken sword, which was shot in half by Ash's "Boomstick".

Arthur and a guard inside one of Castle Kandar's chambers.

Arthur reaches for the Deadite.

Arthur tells Ash that they are men of their word, and will send him back to his proper time to avoid fighting the evil which he had just unleashed.

A rider kneels before Arthur to tell them of the Deadite camp in the woods.

The Wise Man, Arthur, and "Goldtooth" look up at Ash, who has decided to stay and fight the evil creatures coming for the book.

After the battle against the Deadites is won, Arthur looks over at Henry The Red and his troops.

Arthur and Henry The Red end their feud following the defeat of the Deadites.

Trivia

• Lord Arthur was original going to die during the battle at the climax of Army of Darkness. A scene depicting Arthur's funeral (where his body is placed in a burning ship and sent out into a lake) was filmed, though it was ultimately cut and removed when it was decided that Arthur was going to survive the battle sequence.