Mordred (Excalibur)

"Come, father. Let us embrace at last"

- Mordred to Arthur during their battle



Prince Mordred (or sometimes just Mordred) is the secondary antagonist in the 1981 live action fantasy film, Excalibur.

He was portrayed by Charley Boorman as young Mordred and by the late Robert Addie as an adult Mordred.

History
Mordred he is the son of Morgana and a curse caused by Mordred's unnatural incestuous origin strikes the land with famine and sickness. A broken Arthur sends his knights on a quest for the Holy Grail, in hopes of restoring the land. Many of his knights die or are bewitched by Morgana. Morgana captures Perceval, who narrowly escapes. Perceval encounters an ugly bearded old man with armor under his tattered robes, who preaches to followers that the kingdom has fallen because of "the sin of Pride ". A shocked Perceval recognizes the man as Lancelot. After Perceval fails to convince Lancelot to come to Arthur's aid, Lancelot and his followers throw Perceval into a river. Perceval has a vision of the Grail, during which he realizes that Arthur and the land are one. Upon answering the riddle he gains the Grail and takes it to Arthur, who drinks from it and is revitalized, as is the land, which springs into blossom.

Arthur finds Guinevere at a convent and they reconcile. She gives him Excalibur, which she has kept safe since the day she fled. Frustrated in preparation for battle against Morgana's allies, Arthur calls to Merlin, unknowingly awakening the wizard from his enchanted slumber. Merlin and Arthur have a last conversation before Merlin vanishes. The wizard then appears to Morgana as a shadow and tricks her into uttering the Charm of Making, producing a fog from the breath of the dragon, and exhausting her own magical powers that had kept her young. She rapidly ages and Mordred kills her, repulsed by the sight of his once beautiful mother now reduced to a decrepit old crone.

Arthur and Mordred's forces meet in battle, with Arthur's army benefiting from the fog that conceals their small size. Lancelot arrives unexpectedly and turns the tide of battle, later collapsing from his old, self-inflicted wound which had never healed. Arthur and Lancelot reconcile and Lancelot dies with honor. Mordred stabs Arthur with a spear but Arthur further impales himself to get closer and kills Mordred with Excalibur.