59. Arthur, King of the Britons
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The only sane (or the closest to such a thing in the Python universe) in medieval England, Arthur assembles a group of knights worthy enough to join the Round Table. Arthur and his knights (Sir Bedevere the Wise, Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Galahad the Chaste, Sir Robin, the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot, who nearly fought the dragon of Angnor, almost stood to the vicious chicken of Bristol, and who personally wet himself at the Battle of Baden Hill, and the aptly-named Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Film) take on the lord's (less than) holy quest to seek the holy grail.
The King of England (except to constitutional peasants) retains a stone-faced quality throughout all the inherent silliness, breaking only in the most pressing of matters (like getting kicked in the face by persistent black knights). Graham Chapman's brilliant seriousness, and all the Pythons for that matter, is what made the troupe and their work so great: Never taking themselves seriously but pretending they did.
My favorite kind of comedy has always been asinine childish acts performed like respectful adults. And Python were the kings of that.
Defining moment:King Arthur's gallant entrance, astride on a beautiful horse (played by his assistant Patsy banging two coconuts together).
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