Xcalibur
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation, Children's television |
| Founded | September 2001 |
| Defunct | April 2002 |
| Products | Children's animated fantasy television series |
Xcalibur is a children's television series in the sword-and-sorcery genre, created with CGI animation, which was broadcast on YTV from September 2001 until April 2002. The animation was produced using Alias Wavefront Maya, a software for 3D computer graphics.
Premise
Following the murder of King Edwin by his brother and regent Bragan—who forms an alliance with the sorcerer Kwodahn—Prince Erwann conceals the enchanted sword Xcalibur but falls victim to a curse that petrifies him. Princess Djana, Erwann’s daughter, joins forces with Herik, a rebellious apprentice of the banished Shogi sorcerers entrusted with the Book of Life. Together, they recover Xcalibur only to confront Bragan’s rule over the kingdom as regent to the young King Arthus, while Erwann is falsely accused of treason.
Unable to persuade King Arthus or the realm’s nobles of Bragan’s deceit, Djana flees alongside Herik, Tara—an emissary from the People of the Sea—and Wip, a small dragon companion. Labeled as fugitives, their resistance ignites a rebellion supported by villagers from Mallory and Quinn and covertly backed by Prince Duncan, a noble opposed to Bragan’s regime.
Characters
- Princess Djana — The determined and spirited daughter of Prince Erwann, committed to safeguarding the realm and breaking her father’s curse.
- Herik — A defiant Shogi apprentice who guards the Book of Life; Djana’s partner in reclaiming Xcalibur.
- Tara — A peace-seeking envoy from the People of the Sea who becomes an outlaw alongside Djana and Herik.
- Wip — A small flying dragon and former Totem associated with Sapphire.
- Prince Bragan — Brother to King Edwin who engineers his assassination and seizes control through his pact with Kwodahn.
- King Arthus — The ten-year-old monarch under Bragan’s manipulation.
- Kwodahn — A sinister warlock residing in a flying fortress who exerts influence over Bragan and others.
- Wolf — Chief of the People of the Sea raiders; discovers Herik is his offspring.
- Walka — Once a Sylph, now a sorceress serving Kwodahn; eventually redeems herself by opposing him.
- Fedora — The Sylph Queen who commands time magic; aunt to Princess Djana.
- Sapphire — Sylph of Expressions and mother to Djana; her Totem is Wip.
- Mussi — Caretaker devoted to King Arthus.
- Queen Lorna — Mother of Arthus and rightful regent; concealed for protection before reclaiming authority.
- Prince Erwann — Loyal commander and father to Djana, transformed into stone by Kwodahn’s curse.
- King Edwin — Deceased king who pursued peace with the People of the Sea.
- Zeky Zek — Subordinate under Wolf’s command.
- Zoldan — Shaman allied with the People of the Sea but manipulated by Kwodahn.
- Morgan — Veteran Shogi leader assisting exiles on Shogi Island.
- The Shogi Master — Influential sorcerer heading the Shogi order.
- Silkar & Arped — Villagers from Mallory and Quinn who support Djana’s uprising.
- Will — Leader of the pacifist Wandering City that floats above the sea.
- Erin — Initially an informant for Bragan who later defects to Djana’s side.
- Prince Duncan — A powerful lord opposing Bragan; becomes a crucial ally after Djana rescues his lands from magical threats.
- The Red Prince & The Yellow Prince — Nobles aligned with Bragan’s faction.
Voice Cast
- Joanna Ruiz Rodriguez voices Princess Djana and King Arthus
- Ben Small portrays Herik
- Jules de Jongh voices Tara
- Tom Clarke-Hill plays Kwodahn and Wip
- Regine Candler provides the voices for Walka and Mussi
- Tom Eastwood appears as Prince Bragan
- Andy Turvey acts as King Edwyn and Zoldan
- Eric Meyers features as Wolf and Prince Erwann
Episode Catalogue
Episodes are listed below following the DVD sequence; note that this order does not always reflect the chronological progression of the storyline.
Home Media
On 15 November 2004, Anchor Bay issued the complete series in the United Kingdom as a ten-disc DVD collection. Each disc contains four episodes, culminating in a total runtime of approximately 16 hours. The set includes an episode guide but does not offer any bonus features.
There is a known mistake in the episode sequencing within this release, particularly concerning The Secret of the Sylphs (episode 25) and The Return (episode 26), which are intended to be viewed directly before Love and Duty (episode 37).
External Links
- Articles with short description
- 2000s Canadian animated television series
- 2000s Canadian children's television series
- 2001 Canadian television series debuts
- 2002 Canadian television series endings
- 2000s French animated television series
- 2001 French television series debuts
- 2002 French television series endings
- Canadian computer-animated television series
- French computer-animated television series
- YTV (Canadian TV channel) original programming
- Canadian children's animated fantasy television series
- French children's animated fantasy television series
- Canal+ original programming
- Canadian English-language television shows
- Sylphs