Arthur Pendragon is one of the many beloved characters in Seven Deadly Sins, one of Netflix’s most popular anime series as well as a manga that was published from 2012 until 2020.
With a movie on the way and a new Season 5 that so far has only been released in Japan, anime fans have a lot of story left to take in. On the outside, the young king of Camelot is straightforward, just a teenager trying to do his best in a new role, but it turns out that there is more to him than meets the eye.
10 He’s A 16-Year-Old Leo
Arthur is only 16 when he lifts the sword out of the stone – similar to the Arthurian legends of Great Britain that date back to the tenth century. His birthday is August 17, making him a Leo, and he’s 5'7" in height and weighs 141lbs.
He also goes by the names The Child of Hope, King of Kings, and later, The King of Chaos. Another fun fact: he’s left-handed. That can be assumed from the fact that he carries his sword in his left hand.
9 He’s Voiced By Experienced Actors Zach Aguilar & Sachi Kokuryu
American actor Zach Aguilar voices a number of characters in some of the most popular anime series. He voiced Zero, Genos in One-Punch Man, Sieg in Fate/Apocrypha, Koichi Hirose in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable and Tanjiro Kamado in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
Sachi Kokuryu has an extensive career in voice acting anime, video games, and movies, including a role in several major anime series over the last decade, such as Attack on Titan (Ilse Langar), Mob Psycho 100 (Shou Suzuki), and My Hero Academia (Katsuki Bakugo as a child).
8 His Relationship With Meliodas Is... Complicated
Arthur and Meliodas begin as friends. Arthur is impressed with his skill and grants him the rank of Great Holy Knight in Camelot. Later, however, Meliodas becomes the Demon King, and while he does it to break the curse on himself and Elizabeth, Arthur sees it as a betrayal.
Young-looking Meliodas is, in the end, the Demon King's son, but it turns out he was also being used by his evil father, who wanted his younger body. Still later, after Meliodas is free again, they rebuild their relationship.
7 His Early Life Is Shrouded in Mystery
As a child, Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon, but he was adopted by a Holy Knight and brought up as a brother to his son Kay. While Arthur looks like Kay, Kay resents his adopted brother, and almost killed him on one occasion.
This is another aspect of the story that parallels the Arthur legends, (although there, he was taken from his parents by Merlin). Merlin met him as a child and immediately saw his potential. She became his mentor and trusted advisor throughout his life.
6 He Seems Ordinary & Low Key... But He’s Not
When he takes on the defense of Camelot and loses his life to Cusack’s magic, fans were upset because he seemed — like some other characters on the show — to have been shifted out of the story without fulfilling his potential.
There were already signs that he had special gifts, including the fact that Zeldris’ Piety seemed to have no effect on him. Orlondi, who was Merlin's flying eye in the sky, observed that Arthur had an uncanny ability to sneak up on demons without his presence being detected.
5 He Has An Affinity For Excalibur, His Sword
Like the Arthur of legend, he’s the only one who can draw Excalibur from the stone. But, the Holy Sword Excalibur, made by humans, has powers of its own. When it’s broken, it comes back together.
While it’s not the only magical weapon in the series, the souls of the swordsmen of Britannia who have wielded Excalibur over the millennia are imbued into the weapon, giving Arthur all their skills. That includes Mumyo no Mai, a technique created by a blind swordsman to avoid unseen attacks.
4 He Really Does Die In The Holy War... But He’ll Be Back
At the beginning of the Holy War, in Season 3 of the anime, Cusack forces Arthur to stab himself in the heart with Excalibur, his own blade. When he dies, Merlin cries for the first time in 430 years. Fans who’ve only followed the anime may not realize that he’s resurrected later by Merlin.
Excalibur plays a key role in reviving Arthur, bolstered by magic that had accumulated in Lake Salisbury. He essentially absorbs it and becomes Chaos King, with a new Excalibur.
3 Arthur’s Fate & Camelot’s Fate Are Intertwined
Seven Deadly Sins is said to take place in an ancient time before humans and magical beings were separated in the world. Arthur’s coming, and the fate of Camelot, are one and the same. It’s a promising city, but falls into ruin after his death.
Merlin’s task is to protect him until he can assume his full powers and unify Britannia. He will also be the one to preside over a world where humankind is becoming ascendant, while magic is disappearing, and demons have become myths.
2 Hawk Mama Is Key To Arthur’s Future
Hawk Mama is Hawk’s mother, but it turns out she is also a form of Chaos, one sealed away by the Demon King and Supreme Deity way back. When Arthur dies, she takes Merlin and his body to Lake Salisbury.
As Merlin brings Arthur out of the Boar Hat to transform him into the King of Chaos, Hawk Mama shudders. She deflates as the Chaos is released from her, revealing a structure made up of layers of green moss.
1 As King Of Chaos, He Becomes The Strongest Character
As the King of Chaos, Arthur ends up as the strongest of all. The powers of Chaos mean that he can even alter reality, and he easily creates a vortex to absorb Cath after overcoming his illusion.
In Seven Deadly Sins, Chaos is the ancient being that created the universe out of nothing, which is a similar idea to that of Chaos in ancient Greek mythology. Chaos chooses to coexist within Arthur, just as Excalibur chose him to wield it.