Monty Python & The Holy Grail’s 10 Best Characters, Ranked

As Monty Python and the Holy Grail celebrates its 50th anniversary, the comedic movie continues to be loved, and the characters are an integral part of that legacy. There are five Monty Python movies, and while 1979’s Life of Brian is well-regarded, Holy Grail is in a class of its own. 50 years later, Holy Grail‘s funniest quotes are still hilarious, and it is still one of the most quotable movies. Lines like “It’s just a flesh wound!” are instantly recognizable and are still deeply embedded into popular culture.

Holy Grail‘s success even inspired a stage musical, Spamalotwhich is based on the 1975 movie. The musical debuted on Broadway in 2005, came to the West End in 2006, and has continued to be performed in numerous venues for the next 20 years. Spamalot has expanded Holy Grail‘s legacy, but the highly rewatchable 1970s movie always had great characters. Holy Grail‘s best characters are the ones who are most memorable and who enhance the movie’s enduring comedy.

10

Tim The Enchanter

Played by John Cleese

Arthur, King of the Britons (Graham Chapman) and his companions are understandably intimidated when they encounter a horned enchanter (John Cleese) capable of summoning fire. He is an imposing and powerful figure, which leads to the natural assumption that he has a name befitting this nature. The mysterious enchanter revealing that his name is Tim comes as a surprise, as such a common name does not seem to match everything about his character.

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Tim the Enchanter has a relatively brief role in the story, and in terms of the plot, all he does is point Arthur and his companions toward a cave where they may find the Holy Grail. Nevertheless, Tim makes a lasting impression through the juxtaposition of his name and his appearance. He is not as funny or important as many other characters, but he still leaves his mark.

9

Dennis

Played by Michael Palin

Dennis (Michael Palin) only appears in one of the movie’s earliest scenes, but he still manages to be one of the most quotable and memorable characters. King Arthur quickly finds himself in over his head when he asks Dennis about who lives in a nearby castle. The conversation quickly swerves into Dennis and his mother (Terry Jones) criticizing the flawed politics that have allowed Arthur to become the King of the Britons.

Dennis’ lines of “Help! Help! I’m being repressed!” and “Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government” are among the movie’s most iconic quotes. His lines and his interaction with King Arthur are quite humorous, but they also do highlight some of the absurdity that lies at the heart of the well-known Arthurian legends. Dennis does not get as much to do as many of the movie’s other characters, but he steals the show in his one scene.

8

Prince Herbert

Played by Terry Jones

While the movie is seemingly about the quest for the Holy Grail, some of the side plots are just as entertaining. This includes the story of Prince Herbert (Terry Jones), who, much to his father’s chagrin, does not want to be married to a princess, and would rather sing. Prince Herbert’s repeated attempts to break into song and the resistance from his father prove to be quite amusing, especially when this storyline involves shooting a note that is found by Sir Lancelot (John Cleese).

Prince Herbert is a clever subversion of the damsel in distress trope. Holy Grail later being adapted into the Spamalot musical makes Prince Herbert’s scenes even funnier, as he keeps being stopped from singing, only for singing to become a central part of this story’s legacy. The prince’s whining makes him more tiresome than some of the other characters, but not enough to prevent him from earning a spot on this list.

7

Sir Lancelot

Played by John Cleese

Whether it is meant to be funny or dramatic, any adaptation of King Arthur stories would feel incomplete without Sir Lancelot. John Cleese’s performance ensures that Holy Grail‘s Lancelot is one of the most memorable of King Arthur’s knights who join him on the quest to find the sacred object. Lancelot stands out when he is with the group and during his solo adventure that involves rescuing a woman being forced into marriage, and he only later discovers that this person is Prince Herbert.

Just as Prince Herbert subverts the damsel-in-distress trope, Lancelot subverts the knight-in-shining-armor trope when he overzealously decides to slaughter and injure numerous wedding guests. This twist is an excellent example of some of the dark comedy that works so well in the movie. The story arguably could have used even more of Lancelot, but what is shown makes him a distinct character.

6

Patsy

Played by Terry Gilliam

One of the best elements of Holy Grail is how it introduces a comedic bit and commits to it throughout the entire story. Arguably the best example of this is with King Arthur’s squire, Patsy (Terry Gilliam), who bangs coconut shells together and pretends to gallop every time they are on the move. The sound and the galloping are meant to make it seem like King Arthur and Patsy are riding galloping horses.

The consistency of this comedic bit and Patsy’s commitment to it helps make him an endearing characteras does his overall loyalty to King Arthur. Patsy does not say much in the movie, but he does not need to, as his actions provide plenty of comedy and speak volumes about his character. Unlike some of the other characters, he does not have a particularly iconic scene, but he provides comedic consistency throughout the story.

5

French Taunter

Played by John Cleese

“Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries” is one of Holy Grail‘s most famous quotesand it is said by the French Taunter. King Arthur and his knights encounter this character, who has no interest in helping them with their quest, and instead taunts them and denies them entry to the castle. He even claims that he and his peers already have a holy grail, calls Arthur a silly king, and remarks that “I fart in your general direction!”

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The French Taunter’s unique and over-the-top insults make him an unforgettable character. He could have ended up feeling too absurd, to the point that he was not even funny, but John Cleese’s portrayal does exactly what is needed to make the character humorous. The French Taunter is an amusingly notable character, although he is not quite as funny as some of the other individuals who appear during King Arthur’s quest.

4

Bridgekeeper

Played by Terry Gilliam

Guardians who pose riddles to the heroes are a classic element of fantasy storytelling. This makes it unsurprising when King Arthur and his companions come across the Bridgekeeper (Terry Gilliam), who explains that the Bridge of Death can only be crossed after answering three questions. The Bridgekeeper defies expectations by having them vary wildly in terms of difficulty, ranging from asking someone what their name is to asking about the capital of Assyria.

The Bridgekeeper’s guttural voice helps make him a distinct characteras does the contrast of his questions, and how joyful he gets when someone gets them wrong and is thrown into the Gorge of Eternal Peril. A wizened, fantastical guardian essentially becoming a sadistic game show host is the kind of thing that can only work well in a story like Holy Grail. Appearing toward the end of the movie also helps with leaving an impression, although someone funnier than him does appear much earlier in the story.

3

The Black Knight

Played by John Cleese

The French Taunter’s famous Holy Grail quotes are rivaled by the Black Knight (John Cleese), who is the one that says, “It’s just a flesh wound!” while his limbs are severed by King Arthur. The stark juxtaposition between the Black Knight’s words and the severity of his injuries is one of Holy Grail‘s funniest scenes. The character is another clever subversion of well-known tropes, as the formidable knight is quickly defeated by King Arthur.

Despite the quick defeat, the Black Knight refuses to let this define him, as he does not concede, and continues to fight and insult Arthur. Insisting that something horrible is not a big deal is hilarious in this context, but it is also deeply relatable. Out of all the characters who only appear in a scene or two, the Black Knight is the funniest and most memorablebut he is surpassed by two characters with an ongoing presence in the story.

2

Sir Bedevere

Played by Terry Jones

Out of all the knights who join King Arthur on his quest, the most unforgettable of them is Sir Bedevere the Wise (Terry Jones). Bedevere has one of the movie’s best introduction scenes as he tries to teach an angry mob how they can determine whether someone is a witch. The irony of Sir Bedevere the Wise is that he is not that wise at all, which is evident from his first scene, yet King Arthur still admires Bedevere and recruits him for his supposed wisdom.

Much like Patsy’s ongoing bit with banging the coconut shells together, Bedevere has his own delightful ongoing bit by having to lift his helmet’s visor every time he speaks or needs to see something. The creaking noise the visor makes adds to his overall comedy, as does his ill-conceived plan to build a Trojan Rabbit while forgetting to tell his companions that they need to hide inside it. Bedevere is funny from beginning to end, and only one other character stands above him.

1

Arthur, King Of The Britons

Played by Graham Chapman

As wonderful as characters like Dennis and the Black Knight are, the true face of the movie is King Arthur (Graham Chapman), who leads the quest to find the Holy Grail and who recruits Bedevere, Lancelot, and the rest of the knights to join him. King Arthur means well, and compared to some of the movie’s more eccentric characters, he almost seems normal. This is essential, as any good comedy needs someone to balance out the eccentric characters.

King Arthur does bring quality humor to the story as well, partly because of the sincerity he brings to his quest and to his interactions with the other characters. His sincerity can act as a foil to the absurdity that the French Taunter, the Black Knight and other characters display. King Arthur is the most memorable character in Monty Python and the Holy Grailand he is the linchpin that holds the movie’s comedy together.