Primary role. King Arthur, King of the Britons. The anchor of the quest, the gravitas that lets the surrounding chaos work.
Bridge fate. Approaches the bridge last, after watching three knights fall. The Bridgekeeper asks the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow. Arthur counters: “What do you mean? An African or European swallow?” The Bridgekeeper does not know. He is cast into his own Gorge of Eternal Peril. Arthur crosses.
Python legacy. Co-founder. Classically trained physician before comedy. Known for playing straight men and authority figures. Died 1989.
Primary role. Sir Lancelot the Brave. Also the Black Knight (‘Tis but a scratch), the French Taunter (Your mother was a hamster), and Tim the Enchanter.
Bridge fate. First to approach the bridge. Asked his name, his quest, and his favorite color. His answer, delivered with cold composure: “Blue.” The Bridgekeeper waves him across. Lancelot crosses first.
Python legacy. Co-founder. Co-wrote Fawlty Towers after Python. Later wrote and starred in A Fish Called Wanda. Towering physical comedy, towering characters, towering height.
Primary role. The Bridgekeeper. Also Patsy (Arthur’s coconut-clapping squire), Sir Bors, and the credited Animator.
Bridge fate. The gatekeeper of this very question. When Arthur counters with African-or-European, the Bridgekeeper’s own uncertainty throws him into his gorge. “Huh? I—I don’t know that. AAAAAARGH!”Cast into his own gorge.
Python legacy. Only American in Monty Python. His cutout animation style defined the troupe’s visual signature. Co-directed Holy Grail. Later a feature-film director: Brazil, 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Primary role. Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot, who bravely ran away. Accompanied by minstrels singing of his imminent cowardice.
Bridge fate. Second to approach the bridge. The Bridgekeeper asks the capital of Assyria. Robin’s answer: “I don’t know that!”Thrown.
Python legacy. Co-founder. Wrote Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. Created Spamalot, the Broadway adaptation of Holy Grail that ran over 1,500 performances.
Primary role. Sir Bedevere the Wise, author of the famous witch-weighing argument. Also played Dennis’s Mother and the Left Head of the Three-Headed Knight.
Bridge fate. By the time Bedevere approaches the bridge, the Bridgekeeper has already fallen into his own gorge. He walks across unchallenged.
Python legacy. Co-founder. Co-directed Holy Grail with Gilliam, then solo-directed Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life. Later a respected medieval historian who authored books on Chaucer. Died 2020.
Primary role. Sir Galahad the Pure, nearly undone by the women of Castle Anthrax. Also played the King of Swamp Castle, the Narrator, and Dennis the Peasant (“Help! Help! I’m being repressed!”).
Bridge fate. Third to approach the bridge. Asked his favorite color. He begins confidently, then second-guesses: “Blue. No, yel—AAAAARGH!” The answer change costs him. Thrown.
Python legacy. Co-founder. After Python, Britain’s most beloved travel documentarian: Around the World in 80 Days, Pole to Pole, Himalaya. Knighted 2019.
