In England, there is a sword stuck in an anvil. Prophecy foretells that the one who pulls the sword from the anvil will become the king of England. Many strong men have tried and failed. A young squire named Arthur travels with Sir Hector and Sir Kay to London. Not knowing of the prophecy and needing a sword for Sir Kay, Arthur easily pulls the sword from the anvil. However, even after the magician Merlin reveals that Arthur is the son of a king, the great lords doubt whether a mere boy can truly be their king. The archbishop holds trial after trial to allow others to try to remove the sword, but only Arthur can successfully draw the sword. In the end, the people support Arthur as their king. The newly crowned King Arthur rights many wrongs, and the people call him, 'Good King Arthur.'
Merlin and King Arthur travel through the land but are waylaid when a knight challenges Arthur to combat. Arthur triumphs, but breaks his sword, is gravely wounded, and must stop to be healed by a hermit. Merlin and King Arthur next come upon a beautiful lake. Three queens stand on the shore, and Merlin foretells the queens shall help Arthur at his worst need. Arthur meets the Lady of the Lake, who directs him to take a boat over the water to a mysterious white arm. The arm holds a magical scabbard that will protect Arthur from spilling his blood and a bejeweled sword. On the sword is written, 'Take me on one side, and cast me away on the other.' Merlin predicts that when Arthur casts the sword he will have encountered much strife. Merlin tells Arthur to use his new sword to enforce justice and right across the land.
King Arthur hosts a feast for his nobles. Tradition dictates that those attending signify their willingness to follow the new king. Many nobles attend, delighting King Arthur. After the feast, Arthur sends the attendees fine gifts, and is shocked when the gifts are rudely rejected. Eleven mighty kings stand in defiance against King Arthur. Upon advisement of the wizard Merlin, King Arthur sends messengers to seek the help of King Ban and King Bors across the sea. In exchange for King Arthur helping them in the future against their enemies, King Ban and King Bors contribute 10,000 soldiers, doubling Arthur's forces. Despite the additional soldiers, King Arthur's forces are greatly outnumbered. The eleven kings have 50,000 horsemen and 10,000 foot soldiers. With Merlin's help, King Arthur is able to overcome these great odds and defeat the eleven kings. Merlin advises Arthur that the eleven kings will be too consumed with fighting the Saracens over the next three years to pose a further threat, so King Arthur allows the eleven kings and their remaining soldiers to retreat.
King Arthur instructs Merlin to build a palace in the city of Camelot in Wales. Arthur establishes his Court and the Order of the Round Table. Arthur wishes all knights who sit at the Round Table to be equals, so there can be no head nor foot of the table. Music, processions, feasting, and tournaments enliven the beautiful city of Camelot and the lives of its people. At these friendly-natured tournaments, ladies award prices to the strongest knights. The strongest knight of all chooses the most beautiful lady and crowns her "The Queen of Love and Beauty." Squires show off their skills in the hopes of becoming Arthur's knights. The chosen squires spend a night praying in the church and place their armor and sword on the altar. In the morning, Arthur beknights the squires by touching their shoulders with Excalibur.
King Arthur helps his neighbor, Leodogran, king of Cameliard, win a battle. On the march to battle, King Arthur spots King Leodogran's daughter, the Princess Guinevere, and loves her instantly. When King Arthur asks for Princess Guinevere's hand in marriage, King Leodogran hesitates due to the mystery of King Arthur's parentage. King Arthur's half-sister, Queen Bellicent (also known as Morgause), tells King Leodogran there are two tales regarding Arthur's birth. Merlin's tale is that Arthur is King Uther's son. Old Bleys says that on one story night, he and Merlin spotted a dragon ship on the lake. A series of enormous waves crashed against the lake shore. The largest of the waves, the ninth wave, roiled with voices and flames and dropped baby Arthur at Merlin's feet. Queen Bellicent also advises King Leodogran that Arthur will be the greatest king the world has ever seen. Convinced by Queen Bellicent's words, King Leodogran consents to the marriage.
Arthur's half-sister, Queen Bellicent (also known as Morgause), wishes to keep Gareth, her youngest son, at home. However, Gareth wants to venture to Camelot to become a knight like his older brothers. Gareth tells his mother an analogy of a youth who withered away and died with longing after a loved one prevented him from climbing a tree and obtaining a golden egg. Convinced by the analogy, Queen Bellicent relents and allows Gareth to travel to Camelot, with the condition he must serve as a commoner in the kitchens for a year. Upon arriving in Camelot, Gareth watches King Arthur make fair and just decisions. Gareth secures a place in the kitchens under Sir Kay. Although Sir Kay treats Gareth harshly, Sir Lancelot is kind to Gareth.
When four brother knights imprison her sister, Lyonors, within Castle Perilous, Lynette asks King Arthur for help. She's outraged when King Arthur's kitchen boy, Gareth, arrives to help, not knowing he is secretly a knight. Lynette treats Sir Gareth disdainfully, saying he smells of kitchen grease, encouraging him to return to Camelot, and having him ride behind her. It is not until after Sir Gareth rescues a lord from drowning, defeats the first two knights, and is in the midst of struggling to defeat the third, that Lynette relents. Lynette rallies for Sir Gareth, cheering him to victory over the third knight. As Sir Gareth and Lynette reach Castle Perilous and the fourth knight, they encounter Sir Lancelot. Sir Gareth and Sir Lancelot do not recognize each other at first. Sir Gareth and Sir Lancelot battle, and Sir Lancelot overthrows Sir Gareth. In a twist, the fourth knight, supposedly the strongest, is a young boy who pleads for his life. In a happy ending, Lyonors is freed and Lynette and Sir Gareth marry.
Sir Ivaine is brave and kind, but fickle, unreliable, and forgetful. Disobeying King Arthur's orders and assistance, Sir Ivaine sneaks out of the castle and sets out on his own to defeat the Black Knight. While traveling, Sir Ivaine frees a lion from a serpent and earns the lion's loyalty. Sir Ivaine summons the Black Knight for battle by pouring water into a fountain. During the battle, Sir Ivaine mortally wounds the Black Knight. When the Black Knight flees, Sir Ivaine pursues him to his castle and becomes trapped inside. Stuck outside the castle gate, Sir Ivaine's faithful lion cannot help him. When the Black Knight dies, Sir Ivaine fears the people of the castle will kill him in retaliation. He is saved by a maiden, who hides him in a turret room. Sir Ivaine eventually meets and marries the true mistress of the castle and is reunited with his lion. Sir Ivaine swears he'll never leave his wife, but adventure beckons. Sir Ivaine's wife allows him to leave given his promise to return by a specified day. Fickle Sir Ivaine fails to return on time. Infuriated, his wife returns her wedding ring and vows never to see Sir Ivaine again. When Sir Ivaine tries to return to the castle, he becomes ill. He goes insane and wanders through the forest. Kept alive by his lion and a hermit, eventually Sir Ivaine reunites with his wife. They live happily, moving to Camelot to join Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Fresh out of prison for accidentally killing King Arthur's cousin, Sir Balin returns to Camelot. He's very poor and ashamed of his shabby armor. One day, a damsel arrives at Camelot and seeks help. She's been cursed to carry a heavy sword until the right person takes it from her. One-by-one, the knights try to take the sword and fail. Finally, poor, shabby Sir Balin tries. To everyone's surprise, he succeeds in taking the sword. Sir Balin refuses to return the sword, despite being warned the sword will slay his loved one and lead to his downfall. With a new horse and armor from King Arthur, Sir Balin ventures out in search of adventure. Heedless of the signs warning him to stay away, Sir Balin visits a castle and the inhabitants demanded he fight. He's given black armor and led out to fight another knight in black armor. Sir Balin and the mysterious knight battle until they are both mortally wounded. With their last moments, they realize they are brothers.
When a dwarf strikes Queen Guinevere's maiden, Sir Geraint promises to avenge the insult. Sir Geraint follows the dwarf, a knight, and a lady to a little town. The little town is hosting a tournament and the prize for winning is the golden Sparrow-hawk award. Sir Geraint learns the dwarf's knightly travel companion is the ruler of the little town. The knight is called 'Sparrow-hawk' because he always wins the golden Sparrow-hawk award. Sir Geraint has difficulty finding lodging because of the tournament, but eventually finds shelter with Earl Iniol, his wife, and his lovely daughter, Enid, in an old and crumbling gray castle. Sir Geraint falls in love with Enid. Once, Earl Iniol led the town. But when he refused to allow Sparrow-hawk to marry Enid, his nephew Sparrow-hawk took over the town. Seeking to return Earl Iniol to power, Sir Geraint dons some rusty old armor and enters the tournament. He wins back the town for Earl Iniol, defeats Sparrow-hawk, and marries Enid. Sparrow-hawk eventually becomes a good man and joins the court of King Arthur.
Not realizing Morgan Le Fay wants him dead so she can be queen, King Arthur gives her Excalibur and its magical scabbard for 'safekeeping.' (Note: Recall that anyone holding the scabbard will not spill blood.) King Arthur goes hunting with Morgan Le Fay's lover, Sir Accalon. The men spot a small ship and go aboard. Twelve beautiful maidens treat King Arthur and Sir Accalon to a feast and lead them to bed-chambers, where the men fall asleep. When King Arthur awakens, he finds himself trapped in Sir Damas' dungeon with many other knights. The knights are all imprisoned until one of them agrees to fight Sir Damas' brother, Sir Ontzlake. King Arthur agrees to fight and sends a damsel to fetch Excalibur and its scabbard from Morgan Le Fay. Morgan Le Fay returns a false sword and scabbard to King Arthur. Morgan Le Fay sickens Sir Ontzlake and sends her lover Sir Accalon with Excalibur and its scabbard to fight in Sir Ontzlake's place. Wielding Excalibur and its scabbard, Sir Accalon begins besting King Arthur. King Arthur's sword breaks, but Sir Accalon refuses to allow King Arthur to get another. The Lady of the Lake intervenes, forcing Sir Accalon to drop Excalibur. King Arthur retrieves Excalibur, and tosses the scabbard away from Sir Accalon. King Arthur strikes the mortal blow, and Sir Accalon reveals Morgan Le Fay's treacherous plot. King Arthur returns home to Camelot, troubled by Morgan Le Fay's betrayal and Sir Accalon's death.
While sailing on a ship, King Arthur dreams of a dragon vanquishing a bear. Merlin says King Arthur is the dragon and the bear is a monster King Arthur will slay. When the ship reaches Brittany, King Arthur learns of a giant who torments the people. With the help of Excalibur and its magical scabbard, King Arthur kills the giant, gives the giant's treasure to the people, and keeps only the giant's iron club as recompense.
When the Roman Emperor demands England and King Arthur pay tax or give tribute to the Roman Empire, Arthur and his men cross the sea to France to battle the Romans. His troops losing, the desperate Roman Emperor challenges King Arthur to a duel. With the help of Excalibur, King Arthur slays the Roman Emperor. King Arthur allows the defeated Romans to retreat, but vows if Rome demands tax or tribute again, he will march upon Rome and conquer Italy.
An enormous and shabbily dressed young man called Brune asks King Arthur to make him a knight, but refuses to reveal his identity. At first, King Arthur refuses to make Brune a knight. King Arthur only takes on squires if he knows their backgrounds, and squires must serve for years before becoming knights. Brune tells King Arthur he's taken a vow to conceal his identity until he avenges the murder of his noble father and rescues his imprisoned mother. Touched by his story, the knights urge King Arthur to let them train Brune, and Arthur allows him to stay. When Brune single-handedly saves Queen Guinevere from a lion, Arthur knights him, making him Sir Brune.
Sir Brune, the Knight with the Badly Made Coat, undertakes the adventure of the black shield and accompanies the damsel Elinor to the challenges. Despite Elinor's scornful treatment, Sir Brune falls in love with Elinor during the journey to the castle hosting the challenges. In the first challenge, Sir Brune battles a hundred knights of horseback. He's saved by the lady of the castle, who directs him to a secret passage. Back in Camelot, Sir Lancelot learns of Sir Brune undertaking the adventure of the black shield and worries Sir Brune will be killed. Sir Lancelot rides after Sir Brune, arriving just in time to save Sir Brune's life. Sir Lancelot and Sir Brune fight wild beasts and wicked magicians until they come to the castle of Lord Brian of the Isles, the very man who killed Sir Brune's father and imprisoned his mother. With the help of Sir Lancelot and Lord Brian's cousin, Sir Plenorius, Sir Brune kills Lord Brian and rescues his mother. Back at Camelot, Sir Brune and Elinor marry.
While the good King Pellenore and the wicked lady Vivien ride through the woods, a golden-haired lady accosts them and begs King Pellenore to help her wounded betrothed. Vivien pretends to fall and faint to keep King Pellenore from helping the damsel. King Pellenore does not know what to do. He takes Vivien back to the castle and rushes back to help the damsel. But it is too late. The lady and her betrothed die. Later, King Pellenore learns from Merlin that the tragic damsel was his own daughter. Merlin also warns King Pellenore that his most trusted friend will betray him to his death.
Sir Lancelot, brave and beloved most by King Arthur, continually quests for adventure. Sir Lancelot and his nephew, Sir Lionel, venture out and eventually dismount to rest. As Sir Lancelot sleeps, Sir Lionel watches a big knight defeat and tie up three smaller knights. Intrigued, he follows the big knight and challenges him. The big knight easily defeats Sir Lionel and imprisons him with other captured knights in a castle. Meanwhile, Sir Hector sets out to join Sir Lancelot and Sir Lionel and hears he can have an adventure by striking a particular copper basin three times. On his way to the basin, Sir Hector comes to a tree strewn with the shields of many of the knights of the Round Table, including Sir Lionel's. Sir Hector strikes the basin, fighting and losing to the big knight, Sir Turquaine. Sir Hector is imprisoned in Sir Turquaine's castle with the other knights. Meanwhile, Morgan le Fay and her ladies trap Sir Lancelot, demanding he chose one of them as his wife. A pretty serving damsel frees Sir Lancelot in exchange for Sir Lancelot fighting in a tournament for her father, King Bagdemagus. After triumphing in the tournament, Sir Lancelot searches for Sir Lionel. Sir Lancelot fights and kills Sir Turquaine and frees the prisoners. (Note: Sir Turquaine especially wishes to kill Sir Lancelot because Lancelot slayed Sir Turquaine's brother.)
The treacherous Sir Malgrace kidnaps Queen Guinevere and her entourage. Queen Guinevere's maid courageously escapes to get help from Camelot. Sir Lancelot hastens to rescue Queen Guinevere, but is wounded by the arrows of Sir Malgrace's men. A carter carries him to of Sir Malgrace's castle, where Sir Lancelot beats on the gate. Afraid, the cowardly Sir Malgrace promises to release Queen Guinevere the following day if Lancelot stops fighting. Sir Lancelot agrees to the bargain for Queen Guinevere's sake. Reneging on the bargain, Sir Malgrace accuses Queen Guinevere of being a traitor and agrees to duel Sir Lancelot in eight days. Again breaking his word, Sir Malgrace traps Sir Lancelot in him a dungeon and starves him for days. The brave daughter of Sir Malgrace's porter frees Sir Lancelot. Thinking Sir Lancelot dead in the dungeon, Sir Malgrace is shocked when Sir Lancelot shows at the duel and quickly surrenders. Sir Lancelot offers to battle Sir Malgrace with no helmet and one hand restrained. The foolish Sir Malgrace agrees, and Sir Lancelot kills him.
Sir Lancelot has won King Arthur's tournament so many times, the other knights no longer try to best him. No longer feeling challenged, Sir Lancelot decides to skip this year's tournament. At Queen Guinevere's urging, Sir Lancelot changes his mind, but decides to enter the tournament in disguise to ensure all will fight him fiercely. Sir Lancelot receives a disguise at the castle of the Lord of Astolat. There, the Lord of Astolat's daughter Elaine, falls in love with Sir Lancelot. As Sir Lancelot's shield is far too recognizable for him to bring to the tournament, Elaine promises to keep his shield. Elaine convinces Sir Lancelot to wear her favor, although he only accepts to improve his disguise. Sir Lancelot wins the tournament, but is badly wounded and leaves without the diamond prize. King Arthur sends Sir Gawain to bring the diamond to the mystery competitor. Sir Gawain gives the diamond to Elaine to hold until Lancelot returns to Astolat for his shield. Meanwhile, Lancelot is being healed by a hermit. Later on, the smitten Elaine takes over Sir Lancelot's caretaking. When Elaine confesses her love, Sir Lancelot rejects her, refusing to look at her as he leaves Astolat. Dying from her broken heart, Elaine instructs her father to float her body on a river barge to Camelot. When her body arrives, Sir Lancelot is grieved, but he does not regret refusing Elaine's advances since he does not love her. Upon King Arthur's advice, Sir Lancelot orders splendid funeral and tomb in remembrance of Elaine.
When Sir Perceval's sister learns of the Holy Grail, she prays so fervently for a vision of the Grail that her health fails and she withers away. On her death bed, she finally experiences a vision of the Grail. Before she dies, she tells her brother and Sir Galahad of the vision and gives Sir Galahad a sword belt made from her golden hair. Sir Perceval and Sir Galahad tell the other knights of the Holy Grail. When they all have a vision of the Grail covered in clouds, they all vow to quest for it. King Arthur is displeased with this vow, for none of them saw the Grail completely. King Arthur says many will 'follow a wandering fire' and will not return from the quest. Unfortunately, King Arthur is correct, and many of the knights never return. Sir Galahad, the holiest among them, is the only one who sees the Grail completely, but he dies. Sir Perceval sees the Grail and decides to become a monk. Sir Lancelot sees the Grail veiled and guarded by angels. King Arthur admonishes the few returning knights that only Sir Galahad was fit for the quest and that the others should have remained behind to help him govern the kingdom.
In the final chapter, Arthur trusts his nephew, Sir Modred, to oversee the kingdom is his absence. Sir Modred betrays King Arthur, raising a rebellion. Friends kill friends as the battle rages between the forces of Sir Modred and King Arthur. King Arthur's forces barely win, and Sir Mordred and King Arthur mortally wound one another. Knowing he is dying, King Arthur tasks Sir Bedivere to cast Excalibur into the lake. Sir Bedivere fails twice before finally casting the sword into the lake. The arm clothed in white catches Excalibur, brandishes it three times, and sinks under the water. Sir Bedivere carries King Arthur to the lake where a magical barge awaits. The people of the barge carry King Arthur on board to where the three fair queens wait. With King Arthur on board, the barge disappears into the mists of the lake. The time of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is over, dawning a new age.
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