Ghosts 'n Goblins · Protagonist · Debut: 1985 · Arcade · Created by Tokuro Fujiwara (Capcom)
The knight of Ghosts 'n Goblins loses his armour at the first hit and fights on in his boxer shorts — one of gaming's most recognisable images of how little stands between a hero and death.
Arthur debuted in Ghosts 'n Goblins, created by Tokuro Fujiwara and released in arcades by Capcom on 7 July 1985. He is a knight on a quest to rescue Princess Prin-Prin from the demon king Astaroth, fighting through graveyards, forests and castles filled with zombies, demons and the notorious Red Arremer. Arthur's defining trait is his fragility. One hit strips him of his armour, leaving him in his boxer shorts; a second hit kills him. The image of the half-naked knight became the series' emblem, and it captures the games' reputation for difficulty — few heroes look so obviously unprepared for what they face. The series continued with Ghouls 'n Ghosts (1988), Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (1991), Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins (2006) and Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection (2021), and had sold more than 4.7 million units by the end of 2025. Arthur has also appeared outside his own games, including as a playable fighter in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds.
Most games show health as a bar. Ghosts 'n Goblins shows it as clothing: armoured Arthur is safe, Arthur in his boxers is one mistake from death. It is a clear, slightly comic way to communicate a punishing design, and it made Arthur instantly recognisable.