King Arthur is traditionally depicted as male, a legendary king and warlord associated with chivalry, though modern retellings, particularly in Japanese anime/manga like the Fate series, present a popular female version (Artoria Pendragon). Some ancient Welsh legends mention Arthur wearing women's clothing to visit a woman, sparking modern discussions about gender identity, but the core legends portray a male figure who marries Queen Guinevere.
Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur.
King Arthur is actually a female. BUT, the Nasuverse is a huge place with many alternate timelines and realities. As such, there is one where, shocker, Arthur is a male! In the Fate/Prototype story, which is the basis of what would be the Fate/stay night series, Saber is a man named Arthur Pendraon.
Just to clarify for any readers in case there was any confusion, the three wives of Arthur in Welsh tradition were indeed named Guinevere (or rather, Gwenhwyfar), but the three mistresses had their own names.
Originally, Kinoko Nasu conceived of Fate/stay night with a more hierarchical Master system, a female lead who lost her father and sister in the previous Grail War, and male King Arthur Saber.
that was the case since the beginning, the very first fate story was about the romance between Ayaka(female) and King Arthur(male), which the author wrote when he was in mere high School. The idea stems from Arthurian Romance itself.
Shirou and Saber's sexes were swapped, mostly due to an experience with the novel Tsukihime because Type-Moon believed this would fit the modern demographic. Takeuchi had the idea of drawing an armored woman, which resulted in Saber being female.
Their Marriage
Arthur met his daughter Guinevere, and fell instantly in love. Merlin tried to persuade Arthur against marrying her, telling him that she would lead to his and his country's ruin. Arthur loved her too much, and married her anyway.
Guinevere is a mysterious but very bold girl, having no problems being assertive and forthright about her desires, calling Lancelot her lover and kissing him.
In the Arthurian legends, Nimue's most prominent role is that of the woman who magically imprisoned Merlin. According to Malory, Merlin fell in love with her, and in an effort to win her favor, began teaching her his magic.
Mordred kills King Arthur in every major version of the legend. The two fight a battle over the future rulership of Camelot in which they are both mortally wounded.
Originally, Fate/Stay Night was supposed to have a female protagonist called Ayaka Sajyou, who summoned regular male King Arthur. This was changed because Nasu was told a male protagonist with a female love interest would sell better.
An amalgamation of the Brythonic (a group of Celtic languages comprising Welsh, Cornish and Breton) pen signifying 'head' or 'main' and the Old Welsh dragwn (dragon) meaning 'leader', this title was taken by both Uther and later Arthur, though in the case of the former it has usually been used as a surname.
The most prominent LGBTQ+ character in the Arthur series is Mr. Ratburn, Arthur's third-grade teacher, who came out as gay and married his male partner, Patrick (a chocolate shop owner), in the Season 22 premiere, "Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone," a landmark moment for representation in children's television.
Merlin's traditional biography casts him as an often-mad cambion, born of a mortal woman and an incubus, from whom he inherits his supernatural powers and abilities. His most notable abilities commonly include prophecy and shapeshifting.
Later variants most often characterised Mordred as Arthur's villainous bastard son, born of an incestuous relationship with his half-sister, the queen of Lothian or Orkney named either Anna, Orcades, or Morgause.
Tristan then says that he has already decided: he will be one of the Seven Deadly Sins. During this time, Tristan met Lancelot, Ban's son. During a sparring match, Tristan awakened his demonic power for the first time, ultimately wounding Lancelot and leaving a permanent scar on his head.
Sir Lancelot was King Arthur's most trusted companion and loyal friend, but the closeness of their relationship made Lancelot's ultimate betrayal all the more painful.
In the 1995 novelette Namer of Beasts, Maker of Souls, by Jessica Amanda Salmonson, Merlin has a twin-sister called Ganicenda, described as "Divine Wisdom, with her head in heaven and her feet in Sheol".
Constantine (150) Three Constantines figure in this history. Constantine I was king of Britain and went on to become Emperor of Rome. Constantine II, another king of Britain, was the father of Utherpendragon and Aurelius Ambrosius. Constantine III, son of Cador, succeeded Arthur.
Mordred has a similar issue where she hates being called a woman because it likely implies she's weak. Calling her male disregards who she is however.
Saber is the love interest of Shirou Emiya in the first route of the visual novel Fate/stay night and the main love interest of the first anime adaptation. She is Shirou's Servant, an agile but powerful warrior.
Saber Alter makes several appearances in both the Fate series and Carnival Phantasm; in the Heaven's Feel route, Saber becomes corrupted by the darkness of Angra Mainyu and becomes Dark Sakura's servant, Saber Alter.