# Sir Launcelot — A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court character guide > Sir Launcelot in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Sir Launcelot of the Lake, Sir Launcelot du Lake, this Sir Launcelot, Launcelot, the great Sir Launcelot, Sir Launcelot Slew Two Giants **First appearance:** 0005-iii-knights-of-the-table-round ## Snapshot The Round Table's peerless knight, whose sword cleaves giants and whose name Hank drops like a calling card, he embodies the chivalric ideal Hank keeps measuring himself against. ## Who they are Launcelot is the gold standard of Arthurian knighthood, celebrated for feats like freeing a castle by slaying two giants, and his reputation precedes him everywhere Hank goes. He represents everything glamorous and everything impractical about the world Hank has landed in, a living legend whose code of honor is both admirable and, to a Yankee engineer, faintly absurd. His shadow shapes how Hank understands the knights he must outshine without a sword. ## Relationships ### [Hank Morgan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters/hank_morgan) _friendship_ Hank respects Launcelot's prowess and uses him as a key ally, though their relationship is strained by Launcelot's affair with Guenever. ### [King Arthur](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters/king_arthur) _friendship_ Arthur deeply trusts and loves Launcelot as his greatest knight, unaware of his betrayal with Guenever. ### [Sir Kay](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters/sir_kay) _professional_ Sir Kay and Launcelot interact as fellow knights of the Round Table, with Kay often envious of Launcelot's fame. ### [Hank Morgan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters/hank_morgan) _friendship_ Hank respects Launcelot's prowess and uses him as a key ally, though their relationship is strained by Launcelot's affair with Guenever. ### [Hank Morgan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters/hank_morgan) _friendship_ Hank respects Launcelot's prowess and uses him as a key ally, though their relationship is strained by Launcelot's affair with Guenever. ### [King Arthur](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters/king_arthur) _friendship_ Arthur deeply trusts and loves Launcelot as his greatest knight, unaware of his betrayal with Guenever. ### [Sir Kay](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters/sir_kay) _professional_ Sir Kay and Launcelot interact as fellow knights of the Round Table, with Kay often envious of Launcelot's fame. ## In the story ### [A Word of Explanation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/a-word-of-explanation) Featured in the Malory tale read by the narrator, where he slays two giants and frees ladies, and later helps Sir Kay. ### [III: Knights of the Table Round](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/iii-knights-of-the-table-round) The true hero who vanquished many knights and gave the credit to Sir Kay, earning the queen's admiration. ### [The Tournament](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/ix-the-tournament) One of the knights who encourages Hank to participate in tournaments; later shows chivalry by declining to joust with a weary Sir Gareth. ### [XIV: “Defend Thee, Lord!”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/xiv-defend-thee-lord) Mentioned by Sandy as a knight who would give battle to dragons repeatedly. ### [The First Newspaper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/xxvi-the-first-newspaper) Mentioned as the reason Queen Guenever does not notice the king's absence, and appears in a newspaper item about an encounter with King Agrivance of Ireland. ### [An Awful Predicament](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/xxxvii-an-awful-predicament) Chosen to lead the rescue knights. ### [Sir Launcelot and Knights to the Rescue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/xxxviii-sir-launcelot-and-knights-to-the-rescue) Leads the rescue charge on a bicycle, sweeping onto the scaffold and throwing sheriffs overboard. ### [The Yankee's Fight with the Knights](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/xxxix-the-yankee-s-fight-with-the-knights) Defeated by Hank's lariat in the opening of the chapter; later offers to lend his sword to Hank. ### [Three Years Later](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/xl-three-years-later) President of the stock-board, abandons his financial schemes to help nurse Hello-Central, standing watch for three days. ### [War!](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/xlii-war) Launcelot's earlier rescue of the queen and subsequent war with Arthur are summarized. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters/sir_launcelot - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters