Sir Ector

Sir Ector is a character and the main antagonist from The Sword in the Stone. He is a knight who is the father to Kay and adopted father to Arthur, who is known as Wart. He was voiced by Sebastian Cabot.

Personality
Sir Ector is one of Uther Pendragon's knights. He is heavyset in appearance with red hair and a primitive attitude; preferring more practical concepts like fighting and war training over educational pursuits. At some point, he adopted the orphaned Arthur but cares very little about him beyond the obligation of guardianship, treating him more as a servant and derisively calling him the Wart, while doting on his birth son Kay. He is extremely distrustful of magic and thus of Merlin, whom he mistakenly refers to as Marvin. After Arthur is revealed as the rightful King of England, he regrets his treatment of the boy and (out of fear of his former charge's reprisal) begs for Arthur's forgiveness.

Role in the film
Sir Ector first appears in his castle, waiting on the Wart, who has disappeared into the woods. He scolds Kay for allowing Wart to go into the forest alone, though Kay insists that it isn't his duty to look after Wart. Ector notes that he adopted Wart, and so he feels responsible for the boy's safety. When the Wart returns along with Merlin, he gives the Wart 4 demerits for his misbehavior. Though he initially refuses Merlin's offer to educate the Wart, he is quickly convinced otherwise by a display of magic. Ector's friend Sir Pelinore appears with news of a tournament on New Year's Day. Ector decides that Kay should be knighted and entered, as the winner's prize is ascension to the throne of England, and the Wart will accompany them as Kay's squire.

Ector is seen early the next morning, training Kay unsuccessfully. Later that day, after the Wart returns from his lesson with Merlin, Ector punishes the Wart for the strange story the young man tells about the lesson. Later, upon finding the Wart has snuck off with Merlin again, he finds the kitchen to have been bewitched by Merlin, who is nicknamed "Marvin" due to his confusion. Ector accuses Merlin of using black magic. When the Wart defends Merlin, Ector piles on demerits, and finally revokes Wart's privilege of being Kay's squire.

However, after Kay is knighted at Christmas, the replacement squire, a groom boy called Hobbs, catches the mumps. Ector is forced to reinstate the Wart as the Squire. Ector later attends the tournament, and is shocked when the Wart is revealed to have pulled the legendary Sword in the Stone, which is supposed to reveal the rightful heir to the throne. The Wart had discovered the sword and had intended to use the sword as a replacement for Kay's sword, which the Wart had forgotten to bring. After the Wart is forced to repeat the feat, Ector kneels at the Wart's feet and begs for forgiveness for his treatment of the Wart. When the crowd asks for the boy's name, Ector almost calls him the Wart, but catches himself and calls the boy Arthur. He then orders Kay to bow before his new King.