The one thing that I remember about Prince Valiant was the great intro theme. Like the cartoon itself it had some depth to it, rather than just a repetitive catchy chant - don't misunderstand me they can be great too! as many of the intros on this site demonstrate.
However the intro to Prince Valiant stands out against its contemporaries. The cartoon itself also had some really good story lines, benefiting from the depth of the Arthurian legends, again probably more character and plot focused than many other cartoons of its day.
The cartoon ran for two series (65 episodes from 1991-95) and was an American animation. The basic premise is that Prince Valiant, an exile form his home kingdom follows his dream to become a Knight of the Round Table. The cartoon is based on the comic strip 'Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur' which was created by Hal Foster in 1937. Hal originally called the knight 'Derek son of Thane' but was over-ruled by his boss William Hearst who decided to name him 'Prince Valiant'.
Valiant has many adventures with his fellow knights in the service of the Round Table, the main nemesis of the Knights of the New Order being Sir Mordred (and his competing order the New Dawn), but they are also pitted against a range of other foes that try to course chaos within Camelot, such as Duncan Draconarius and Lady Morgana.
Prince Valiant
Prince Valiant's homeland is attacked and over-thrown by invaders led by a man named Cynan. Exiled from his homeland with his family and various other survivors - he is sent to swampland across the sea (the UK!). When he gets there is generally unhappy with the injustice in the world and feeling powerless to change anything. Hearing of Camelot, King Arthur and the Knights of the New Order, Valiant travels to Camelot to become a Knight of the Round Table. On his way to Camelot Valiant meets two peasants, Rowanne and Arn who join him in his dream to become a knight. Generally for the rest of the series we follow Valiant as he becomes a knight and makes a name for himself in Camelot.
Arn
Arn is one of the peasants that Valiant befriends on his journey to Camelot. Arn is aware that he is not educated and less sophisticated than Valiant, and his feelings of inferiority / insecurity are a re-current theme throughout the series. So although Arn trains to become a knight and has many key skills such as a horsemanship, hunting, tracking, courage and bravery he feels he is lacking.
Arn was left as an orphan following a Viking raid which killed all of his family, so he feels very close to Valiant and Rowanne, and seeks the brotherhood the New Order offers.
Rowanne
Rowanne is the third member of the trio of friends. Rowanne is a bit of a tom-boy, she is an expert with a bow and arrow and the daughter of a blacksmith. She quickly shows that she can hold her own against the other knights of the New Order and her dream is to become the first female knight.
As mentioned earlier the cartoon focuses much more on the characters than many other cartoons, and a theme that runs through both seasons is the love triangle between Valiant, Rowanne and Arn. This is never resolved in the cartoon, with Rowanne showing equal affection to both Valiant and Arn, but also clearly not returning their romantic intentions.
King Arthur
King Arthur is the founder of Camelot and the Knights of the New Order. He is portrayed in the cartoon more or less the same way that he is portrayed in Arthurian legend. he believes in fairness, justice and a strong moral code.
Toward the end of the second season he indicates that he favours Prince Valiant as his successor and the future leader of Camelot.
Merlin
In the cartoon Merlin is represented more or less the same way he is depicted in the standard Arthurian legends. The only real difference is that he is depicted not as a magician, but as a man of science and alchemy that people mistake for magic.
Sir Mordred
Sir Mordred is the main villain within the cartoon. he stands against everything the New Order is for, and forms his own order of Knights the Knights of the New Dawn. Eventually at the end of the second series, Valiant defeats Mordred in combat.
Prince Valiant: Lyrics
This really is one of those cartoons where you have to hear the song to get the full effect - it's a great track on its own - see the you tube insert inthe resources section!
A whisper in my ear, a voice so strong and clear.
Upon this beach I see a million grains of sand.
I believe we are destined.
Bound to survive against all odds.
Out where the truth lies, I will follow.
Out beyond this barren surround.
I cry without a sound.
Out where the truth lies, I will follow my eyes into the sun.
This is a fantastic resource from You Tube. Someone has found and published the full length intro theme 'Where the Truth Lies' by Exchange along with some accompanying shots from the cartoon:
