Edgar is the son of Oberon and Titania, and thus Prince of Etheria. Surprisingly despite being the son of two Faeries, he is considered both human[1] and faerie. For a time he was the son of the wicked witch, Lolotte[2], after she kidnapped him from his true parents.
Background[]
Edgar was born the son of Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of the Faeries of an alternate universe (the Realm of Eldritch). When he was just a baby, an evil fairy named Lolotte was cast from Etheria for treachery and wicked deeds. She was so furious that she concocted a scheme to steal the baby prince from his home. Oberon and Titania searched the world for their baby, but finally they had to give up and turn their attentions back to their kingdom. They thought their only son was dead.[3]
Life in Tamir[]
Lolotte had taken the young baby to another dimension, the World of Daventry (Earth), to the land of Tamir, where she transformed him into a green hunchback and raised him as her son. He grew up believing he was born deformed--short, stooped, and ugly. Nobody knew who his father was, but it was rumored it was anybody from a drugged slave to a malevolent sorcerer.[2] Even though she was the only parent he knew, Edgar knew on some level Lolotte was not telling him the truth.[4]
When Rosella was held captive, Edgar developed a crush on her and convinced his wicked "mother" to give her a chance to prove her innocence. This led to Lolotte sending Rosella after the unicorn, the magic hen that laid gold eggs, and Pandora's Box. Rosella completed the tasks Lolotte demanded, then the wicked fairy announced that Rosella's "reward" would be a forced marriage to Edgar, trapping her in Tamir with them forever, thus condemning Genesta and Graham to death.
Despite his desire to have Rosella stay with him, Edgar aided Rosella in her escape from her prison room.[2] Edgar sensed her unhappiness and smuggled the key to her prison under the door, attached to a single red rose. Rosella then killed Lolotte, an act for which Edgar showed little remorse.[2] Edgar forgave her and allowed Rosella her freedom.
After Genesta was healed, she summoned Edgar to her island, intent on rewarding him for his heroism. The fairy gave him a more pleasing appearance, turning him into a prince[5], as a reward for aiding Rosella and thus saving Genesta's life.[2][6] The now human Edgar, proposed marriage to Rosella on the spot, although she had fallen for him, she had to decline his offer and go back to Daventry. However, he never forgot her, and she him.[7] Edgar returned to his 'mother's castle' on a crag in the Impossible Mountains where he lived alone, where he pined for the princess who rejected him, his love for Rosella burned as strong as ever.[2] Many Goons stayed on to serve Edgar during his time alone. All hoped he would grow up to be wiser than his mother.
Return to Etheria[]
Word quickly spread that there was a strange and noble young faerie of great power living alone on the shores of Tamir. Oberon and Titania dared not hope that it was their son, but they went to meet the young man for themselves. They were overjoyed to discover that it was their long lost boy after all. They brought him back to Etheria amid great celebration and ceremony. They had a glittering party for him that very evening. What Oberon and Titania didn't know was that Malicia, who had been stripped of her powers and cast from Etheria many years before, had built her power back up to a terrifying level. She kidnapped Edgar from the gardens of Etheria in the middle of the celebration, changing his form to look like the Troll King, Otar Fenris III, whom she had just imprisoned in Ooga Booga land. Her evil scheme not only gained her an impostor Troll King to act as her puppet, but effectively got rid of Oberon and Titania as well. She left false clues and rumors that led them to think their son had been kidnapped by an evil wind. They set out to search for him immediately, and Malicia was free to enact her terrible plot.[8] Rosella saw a vision of Etheria in a Looking Pool and impulsively dove in to follow it, Valanice following a second after. Edgar reached out and pulled Rosella to him, accidentally transmogrifying her into a troll as well. On some level, he recognized her, including remembering her name and his feelings for her as he once again tried to marry her. Not recognizing Edgar, unhappy with her new form, and having just escaped her mother's attempts at matchmaking, she was understandably angry with the situation.
Rosella soon restored her human form with the aid of Matilda and escaped to find the real King Otar. When she and Otar returned, a fight broke out, and Rosella had to use a magical device to zap what she thought was just an impostor. Edgar returned to normal, disoriented and confused as to just what was going on. Malicia teleported in and summoned a gust of wind that blew Edgar clean out of the Vulcanix Underground.
Edgar then ran and found Necromancer, and rode up to Etheria to get help. Finding Valanice, he grabbed her and raced for the underground, arriving just as Otar had solved the immediate threat of the volcano. Malicia showed up one more time to strike at Rosella and Edgar, and Edgar fired back with his own magic. Malicia feinted and struck back, blasting him with a deadly spell. Rosella used the distraction to grab the mysterious device and blast Malicia, turning the wicked Fairy back into a helpless infant. Rosella then gave the cat's extra life to Edgar, resurrecting him.
Edgar once more finds his true self and for the first time after many years, he again sees his first love. He reveals that he was the one who summoned Rosella to Eldritch in the first place, as he needed her help. Rosella forgave him, and asked to tour the kingdom with her. Wisely, he did not ask for marriage a third time, but asked Rosella for the honor of a proper courtship instead. To this, Rosella finally agreed, and the pair shared a kiss on the balcony of Etheria's palace before sending her and her mother home.
Edgar would often come to visit Rosella in Daventry. Not long after rumors of an impending marriage in the kingdom of Daventry between Rosella and Edgar began spreading among the kingdom's populace. Valanice hopes that someday Edgar along with Rosella would become the heirs of Daventry.[9] Noted friend to the family Derek Karlavaegen strongly denies these rumors as he believed Rosella is too independent to jump into marriage at her age. It is said that Rosella may be impetuous, but she is no fool. She would marry no man before her time, and she knows near nothing of Edgar.
Love triangle[]
There are rumors that she was also interested in Connor after she met him, after his triumphant return to Daventry, and their quest to stop Rasputris (with Alexander's help), in time their relationship turned into a love triangle, and coming between her relationship with Edgar, and a struggle commensed. It is not known who she would ultimately would have chosen to be her husband.[10][11]
Personality and traits[]
Edgar was Lolotte's kind, but ugly son. He is very shy and quiet, but has a strong, inner strength of his own. He likes Rosella very much, and wanted to offer her help.[12] He is a handsome, young, charming prince.[13]
Edgar's eyes are blue in KQ4 in his hunchback and human form, and emerald/green while he is a troll, and brown when he is a fairie in KQ7. There was only one difference between the two trolls-the eyes. The eyes of Rosella's troll suitor, the one who saw her as a bride? They were Green! Rosella pointed the wand at the troll with the emerald eyes, and he was instantly transformed.[14]
Edgar’s human form is very muscular and thick, with chiseled jawline. He is several inches shorter Rosella, but a foot or so taller than his hunchback form. While his faerie form is taller and lankier, much more thin and wispy body structure. He is a few inches taller than Rosella.
His human form has short haircut, while in faerie form he has long hair. His hair color in KQ4 varies between full body sprites having dark/black hair to dark brown in closeups. While his faerie form has lighter brown hair.
Edgar in his hunchback and human form in Tamir is not seen to be capable of magic. However, his parents do hear rumors of a 'faerie of great power' living there, that leads them to him (which does seem to indicate he at least harbored great magic). Genesta gave Edgar a more pleasing appearance as a reward for aiding Rosella, and thus saving Genesta's life. Depending on who you ask, some see Edgar in his human form to be a straight, tall, and handsome prince[15], others find him not really handsome, but for Edgar a big improvement.[16]
However, in his faerie form he casts a number of spells; as a troll he cast the spell that lured Rosella into Eldritch, later as a faerie he uses a blast of fiery magic to disintegrate the blockage to Vulcanix underground, he also cushioned his fall into the hole by magic as well[17], and when he uses another blast spell at Malicia, and a magic reflection spell used to block Malicia's initial blast. It is not known if these are traditional magic spells or a form of Faery magic.
If he marries Rosella, and if Alexander passes on the throne, Edgar may become the next King of Daventry, with his wife as his Queen.
Titles and nicknames[]
- Prince Edgar
- Mr. Edgar
- Edgar the ???[18]
- Edger[19]
- False Troll King
See also[]
- Edgar (KQGS) (Reboot Canon)
Behind the scenes[]
Edgar’s story of being ugly man, but given a face reflecting his soul resembles the Ugly Prince from The Golden Heart by Violet Jacob (1904) which the prince gives up his only salvation to cure his appearance (see Tree of Life) to help a sick and dieing man. In doing so his body is changed to reflect his own great soul.
Edgar's parents are best known from William Shakespeare: "A Midsummer's Night's Dream". Although Edgar does not appear in that play, or any other known sources (quotes from the play appear in King's Quest IV). Nowhere in MND does it suggest that Oberon and Titania have children. There are fairies who serve them. One such including Puck (also known as Robin Goodfellow).[20] It is in other works from the renaissance period who discuss his family, offspring, and a number of half-children from affairs (much like Zeus).[21] Edgar at first glance appears to be an an invention by Roberta Williams for King's Quest. However, in the play Titania is taking care of an unnamed adopted Changeling boy who originated from India.[22] However, it is unknown if this character inspired Edgar, although Edgar has been a kidnapped 'Changeling' in his own right on multiple occasions.
In KQ4, the narration almost always specifically claims that Lolotte is "Edgar's evil mother", or that Edgar is her son. Also in KQ4, Genesta's spell was not to break the enchantment but rather, to cast a spell upon that would change his appearance to represent his beautiful soul (he went from an ugly green hunchback man to having a human appearance). Roberta even stated that Edgar was Lolotte's son in the KQ4 Hintbook that she wrote[12], and The World of King's Quest: A Brief History of Daventry in the KQ5 Hintbook she wrote. Lorelei Shannon (with Roberta's permission and help) retconned KQ4's story in KQ7, making Lolotte his false mother, and making him a faerie. However, his concept art for KQ7 still lists him as a 'human'[23] which suggests that he's more than a faerie (he was turned into a human, or perhaps faeries are a sub-species of human). It also appears that Genesta's spell was retconned to have broken Lolotte's spell, possibly because Edgar's true appearance is supposed to reflect his soul rather than the twisted appearance Lolotte gave him. Alternatively, it's possible that when his parents discovered him by the shores of Tamir, that they restored him to his full faerie heritage (briefly as he was soon turned into a troll). The wand found in Eldritch only has two settings: faerie and troll.
Despite being called son of the evil fairy Lolotte, he is almost always described as a man or a human in KQ4 materials. Anticle in InterAction referred to him as "Edgar the ???" indicating it doesn't know what he is exactly.
There are some differences between Edgar's KQ4 human form, and his KQ7 faerie form. Besides different colored eyes (blue as human, brown as fairie (technically a "dark grayish red" according to ColorHexa or a pinkish muddy brown). To be fair there isn’t a proper closeup and it’s possible the details of his pupils just not viewable in the art (simply too dark to represent his pupils, like many shots of Rosella in the same scenes) Human (KQ4). Edgar is more muscular with wide shoulders and thick neck. While his faerie form appears to be more lanky and wispy much like his mother, and he appears to possibly be taller. His hair color appears to be more brown in KQ4 ("Dark orange [brown tone]" according to ColorHexa), while being 'slightly de-saturated orange' in KQ7 (according to ColorHexa).
In KQ4, if Rosella fails to kill Lolotte, on the following morning she will marry Edgar and will have Lolotte her mother-in-law for the rest of her life. The game ends.
In the alternate ending of KQ4 where King Graham dies, Genesta does not restore Edgar's true form as she almost immediately sends Rosella back to Daventry to be with her father before he dies.
Sometimes spelled "Edger" in the files of KQ7.
While Edgar might have been an 'immortal' faerie. He now has the life of a cat. Of course its not known how long each of the Black Cat's nine lives are, or if it converted into a life standard for a faerie.
Edgar's age is not known, he is an immortal faerie. He was kidnapped by Lolotte before Malicia's civil war, when he was only a baby. This may have been long before the Ghoul Kids 'birth'/'death' it could have been over 130 years before. Perhaps the war even took place over a hundred years period (Hundred Years' War)... This could make Edgar over a hundred thirty years old.
If King's Quest IX had been made Roberta‘s plans was to have Rosella meet Connor, and this would have ignited a love triangle between them and Edgar in King's Quest X. It is not known who would have won out in the end, or if that was the player’s choice.
Technically when Edgar is struck by Malicia he is knocked unconcious by a deadly spell, and is left dieing/killed (he is not breathing at least, and his heart probably stopped). He is said to be dead in the KQ7 hintbook. However, to quote The Princess Bride “There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there’s usually only one thing you can do.” It takes a few moments (five seconds) for his body to actually physically expire and at which point his spirit/life force leaves his body. The extra life bypasses this and prevents his body from completely dieing and his soul from escaping, thus resurrecting him. Once the soul escapes, the extra life cannot save him. Trying to use the flower to revive him causes the timer to run out and his spirit leave early.
Edgar (unofficial)[]
Edgar appears in the fan fiction, including games, see Edgar (unofficial).
References[]
- ↑ KQC, 4th Edition, 37
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 KQC2E, 461
- ↑ King's Quest VII: Hint Book
- ↑ King's Quest VII
- ↑ TOBOKQVI, pg 148
- ↑ Genesta: "There is someone else deserving of a reward for his kindness and heroism.", "You have a beautiful soul, Edgar. You should look like what you are."
- ↑ Rosella (Hoyle I): "I would never speak of my dearest Edgar the way you speak of your ladies, Lawrence. "
- ↑ King's Quest VII: Hint Book, pg
- ↑ King's Quest Companion, 4th Edition, pg
- ↑ Roberta Williams interviews assorted
- ↑ King's Quest IX design doc, Roberta Williams via Ken Williams, pers.comm, 10/7/2020.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 KQ4 Hintbook, p 39
- ↑ KQ7AG, pg 73
- ↑ KQC4E, pg
- ↑ KQC2E, pg
- ↑ TOBOKQ3E,
- ↑ KQ7AG, pg
- ↑ InterActiom Magazine Volume 1, 1994
- ↑ KQ7 7001.scr
- ↑ https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/who-all-oberon-titanias-children-175835
- ↑ https://writinginmargins.weebly.com/home/oberons-family
- ↑ https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/midsummer-nights-dream/changeling
- ↑ KQ7: Authorized Player's Guide, pg 211