Galahad is the bastard son of Lancelot and Elaine (the Fisher King’s daughter) and is thus a cousin of sorts to Perceval (who is also a nephew of the Fisher King). He’s descended from Joseph of Arimathea and his followers who founded Britain, giving him a highly esteemed bloodline; he’s also descended from various other kings, although none specifically are usually mentioned. Galahad is one of the few members of the round table who has seen the Holy Grail, and is often depicted as the hero of the Grail.

Galahad is foretold to be the greatest knight ever, even greater than Lancelot, Gawain, and Perceval. Galahad’s virginity is often seen to be the key to his perfection, i.e., he’s the perfect knight because he’s a virgin. Galahad is able to best any enemy who comes before him, and even at an extremely young age, surpasses his father, in terms of strength, chivalry, and ability. Galahad receives the Perilous Seat at the Round Table, which is destined to belong to the greatest knight, who would be the one to end the Grail quests; if anyone else tried to sit there, they would find themselves in peril. Galahad, in The Quest for the Holy Grail, is the knight who draws the Sword in the Stone (as he is the only knight worthy enough) and he also receives a holy shield, which he believes is a gift from God.

Galahad is still used in modern adaptations of Arthurian legend. In Alfred Lord Tennyson’s The Idylls of the King, Galahad is depicted as the chief grail knight, and is powerful because of his purity and chastity. Even in the irreverent comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Galahad is still depicted as overcoming the sins of the flesh, and keeping his primary possession--his chastity.