Arthur Boyle

is a Third Generation Fire Soldier of Tokyo's Special Fire Force Company 8.

Appearance
Arthur is a young man of average height with shaggy blonde hair and blue eyes. He tends to style his hair upwards into a ponytail when in a fight, so that his field of vision would be clearer. When Arthur was first introduced, he wore a dark jacket, with a button on his collar, shaped like a cross-like insignia, light shirt, dark pants, a belt and dark shoes. He was later presented with a bunker gear, a protective outer jacket and trousers. Arthur carries a scabbard alongside him, in which he keeps his blade-less sword. Parts of his outfit, are coated with blue lines. Arthur wears a dark green jumper with a hoodie, which he puts on his head instead of a helmet. The buttons of his protective jacket are in the shape of cross-like symbols. Arthur's outfits contain patches with "8" on them, to signify his affiliation to the 8th Special Fire Brigade. He also dons a neck protector and protective gloves. When attiring the 8th bunker gear, Arthur chooses not to wear the helmet, as it doesn't fit his image of a knight.

Personality
"We meet again, murdering demon. You... I'll... Whet... Blade... Bones... Hmph." Arthur is confident in himself as a Third Generation, though he can be somewhat arrogant and cocky at times. He has a medieval-like complex, referring to the girls he meets as princesses and the Special Fire Cathedral 8 as his castle. Arthur sees the world in a different light; he believes the pigeons to be griffons and that he was successful in slaying dragons. According to Shinra, he is inexplicably popular with the girls and seems to always have a silent and mysterious façade, though Shinra thinks he's just too stupid to articulate anything. Arthur often bickers with Shinra Kusakabe on who are superior: knights or heroes. He prefers to go his own way, rather than do things the way other people think he should. Arthur takes great pride in Excalibur. Due to his attitude and casual demeanor, Arthur tends to make bad impressions on people. He was shown not to be bothered by human antics. Despite his repetitive bickering with Shinra, Arthur is capable of putting the differences between the two aside and work as a team. Arthur is usually nonchalant even while struggling in fights. As well as this, Arthur has repeatedly been referred to as foolish and lacking in common sense. Like the other brigadiers, Arthur has a high sense of justice, which he correlates to his persona of being a knight. Arthur has a habit of repeatedly saying "Hmph" in response to people, coming across as stubborn. Arthur has a tendency to mock his fellow brigadiers in a joking way.

Abilities
Arthur is a exceptionally strong Fire Soldier, that possesses incredible raw physical strength, being capable of repelling a Infernal with a single punch. Arthur also possesses keen kinetic eyesight, allowing him to track the smallest movements and react quickly. However, this results in Arthur instinctively blocking and parrying any attack he sees, leaving him vulnerable to illusions and misdirection. Attributed to his speed, he was fast enough to react to Shō Kusakabe's Severed Universe, though he wasn't able to entirely dodge it.

Ignition Ability
Being a Third Generation, Arthur has been identified by individuals as having a strong will of fire. By raising the temperature of the flames he creates, he can fabricate and control plasma, which either elevates or diminishes in relation to Arthur's disarrangement from reality. The more delusional he is, the stronger Arthur becomes. Being able to use his Ignition Ability on hilt-like objects, Arthur can weld, cut through metal, and generate electricity. He mainly uses his ability on his blade-less sword Excalibur, which is most effective using his right hand and cannot be easily extinguished by an experienced Second Generation. Using it, he can deflect and fend off against flames.

Background
His family opened a small restaurant to make a living. However, due to an accident when a guest got food poisoning and later a fire destroying the whole restaurant, they struggled with their life. His family's restaurant appeared in the news and they couldn't work. His mother tells him to call his father to tell him dinner is ready. When Arthur gets his dad, his Father is sleeping with his hat over his face. Waking his father, he asks a question which his father smiles at covers Arthur's face with the hat. His father tells him to look into the hat. Arthur's imagination takes over and he sees various things such as a Castle, Knights and his father and mother during a Ball. The next morning he finds a letter from his parents telling him that they have gone on an adventure to save the world. While they are gone he is king. Arthur attended the Special Fire Force Training School alongside Ogun, where he often bickered with Shinra over their beliefs.

Plot
Arthur arrives at the Special Fire Cathedral 8, where he runs into Shinra Kusakabe and the two begin fighting. As their fight is taken to roof, he meets Iris and Maki Oze, followed by Takehisa Hinawa, who instructs him to spar with Maki in order to test his abilities. Unable to beat her combat skills and ability, Arthur gives up. After eating at Ippudo Ramen, Arthur is offered a battleaxe, but refuses to take it. When the brigade is notified of a Infernal in the Iriya District, he departs to the scene. While on route, Akitaru Ōbi instructs Arthur and Shinra to conceal their weapons in public, much to his confusion. After their arrival, Akitaru pulls the two aside for disobeying orders, where Arthur questions the instruction, leading Akitaru to justify his reasoning. After their conversation, a burst of flames emerges from the apartment, prompting the brigade to storm the building and find the Infernal. Arthur volunteers to put the man out of his misery and impales his core. Immediately after that, the ceiling begins to collapse, but the brigade escapes unscathed.

Arthur participates in the Rookie Fire Soldier Games. When the simulation exam starts, he charges towards the building and uses his sword to slice his way in. After one of the entrants bombards the building with his ability, Tamaki Kotatsu falls onto him, which gets the two into an intimate situation. Following his beliefs, the boy allows Tamaki to take the lead when exploring their current location. When the two are attacked, Arthur jumps in to defend the girl. He then charges in, believing Joker to be part of the exam, despite Shinra's warnings, but does not land a single blow. When the man uses an unknown substance to put their lives in jeopardy, Arthur uses his sword to cut a hole in the ceiling, allowing Shinra to evacuate them all to safety, with Arthur being caught by his team-mates in a blanket.

The following day, Arthur accompanies Shinra on his mission to rescue a dog, who was reported to be stuck in a tree, and afterwards, helps Mamoru hand out balloons to children. The two then learn of an accident in the courthouse from Takehisa, who was moving to the scene with the rest of the brigade. Grabbing a lift from Shinra, the two Fire Soldiers face Setsuo Miyamoto, with Arthur hitting the opponent with a backwards fist and delivering a collaborative attack alongside Shinra. When the brigade catches up to Shinra, Arthur and the rest find themselves in a confrontation with the Special Fire Force Company 5. Tōru Kishiri mocks Akitaru, which leads to Shinra and Arthur jumping in, but Maki and Takehisa detain the two. A stand-off between the brigades is then catalyzed, but the two depart without any signs of struggle.

VS. 5th Special Fire Brigade arc
The following day, Takehisa begins training the Fire Soldiers, having Arthur spar against Maki. Later, after Iris has gone missing, the the 8th Special Fire Brigade infiltrates the 5th Special Fire Fighting Industrial Complex, where Arthur finds himself in a fight against Setsuo, who was modified by the 5th Special Fire Brigade. Mid-way into the fight, Arthur realises the whole time he had been fighting with Excalibur in the wrong hand, which is why he had been struggling so much. Before Setsuo could execute his final attack, Arthur finishes him off in a dash with Flash of Lightning, successfully exterminating him. After the two brigades ordeal ended, a dinner party was organized between them as a sign of reconciliation. As Maki created some of her Pusu Pusu and Mera Mera, Arthur sliced all of them in half, stating that Takehisa told him to destroy them whenever she creates them.

VS. 1st Special Fire Brigade arc
Later at the brigades church, Akitaru instructs Arthur and Shinra to infiltrate the Special Fire Force Company 1 and uncover any secrets they may be hiding. A while later, the two and Maki arrive at the 1st Special Fire Fighting Cathedral, along with Tōru Kishiri and Takeru Noto. As they walk inside, they meet Karim Fulham, followed by the other Company Commanders and Battalion Commander of the 1st. When Burns agrees for the newcomers to test their abilities, they go out the courtyard and begin sparring. After Rekka and Takeru's fight, Arthur and Shinra confront Burns. Confident that he will defeat Burns, he charges at him heroically, but to no avail, as Excalibur is blocked and repelled, much to Arthur's confusion. Afterwards, Shinra tries his luck against Burns but is also defeated with ease, and the newcomers are welcomed to training with the 1st for the month.

On the fifth day of training, the brigade is notified of the appearance of Infernals, and departs with Shinra in the Fulham Company to the scene. When they arrive, Karim instructs the two to stay put, which they do, until Shinra notices a priest creating an artificial Infernal and takes chase after the culprit. As they stumble across Karim and Rekka, Arthur spontaneously confronts them about it, but is quickly subdued by Shinra. After the mission ends and they arrive back at the Cathedral, Arthur, still annoyed at Shinra for stopping him, questions why he did so. Shinra explains that by confronting them in the alley would have led to their defeat, as they were outnumbered by the amount of 1st Brigade members. The two then resolve a plan to infiltrate and investigate Rekka and Karim's room, starting with Karim. As they arrive, they discover the same Bug used to create the artificial Infernal, but at the same time are discovered by Karim. As Karim points out he is on their side, hiding the Bug on purpose to lead them there, he reveals that the real criminal is Rekka. A little while later, Arthur and Shinra await Karim in the corridors, and ask for permission to help with the capturing of Rekka, to which Karim tells them to do what they like. While hunting for Hoshimiya, Arthur gets lost in the city. The Fire Force has to file a missing person's report.

Preacher Pursuit arc
Arthur finds his way back to Company 8 before the meeting of Fire Force captains. Upon arriving back at his brigades church, Akitaru has the Soldiers look through their mission records to find any leads on the Preacher and White Hoods. Arthur is told the story of Company 8's founding After Shinra reveals his brother is affiliated with the Preacher, Arthur questions the reliability Joker's information that he gave to Shinra.

Asakusa arc
Following a lead on the Preacher, Company 8 travel to Asakusa. Meeting up with the Special Fire Force Company 7, their meeting is cut short when an Infernal appears within the district. As Benimaru Shinmon deals with the matter, Arthur questions how the brigade commander is manipulating flames, which Konro informs him that Benimaru has both Second and Third Generation powers. In the aftermath of the event, Arthur assists in the reconstruction of the destroyed houses, welding materials together with his Mini Excaliburs. When Benimaru begins to rampage through the town, hunting down Company 8, Arthur and Hinawa work together to challenge him but are quickly overpowered. Once Once the battle between Akitaru and Benimaru ends, Arthur walks through Asakusa with Konro and members of Company 8. The Knight King is the first to realise that Hikage is an importer, attacking the spy and revealing thir true idenity. Asakusa irrupts in flames. Akitaru instructs his team to assist the villagers evacuating, but they are immediately attacked by a flaming arrow. Shinra and Arthur then begin searching for the shooter.

When Shinra is attacked by a pair of White Hoods, Arthur defends him from Arrow's attacks and the two groups begin to fight. Realising they need to start coordinating their attacks with one another and adjusting their strategies, the Fire Soldiers manage to get the upper hand. When Arthur corners Arrow, Haran intervenes and gets slashed by Excalibur. Wounded, Haran swallows a Bug and transforms into an Infernal. With his new found strength, Haran overpowers Arthur and the Soldiers are engulfed by his fire ball. Jumping back into the fight, Arthur attempts to cut his horns, but is unsuccessful, before being repelled again. Haran's assult is interrupted by the arrival of Benimaru.

Arthur advises Benimaru that his martial arts will not harm the Demon, inspiring the Composite fire soldier to launch Haran into the air. He later witnesses Shinra's deflection of Arrow's attack and Benimaru vanquishing Haran for good. Company 8 return to their headquarters after the reconstruction of Asakusa is completed.

Vulcan's Workshop arc
After the brigade returns to their church, Akitaru tasks Arthur, Shinra and Iris with going to Vulcan's workshop to make a good impression on Vulcan. Upon arrival, Arthur announces his presences, which leads to him being attacked by flames and cans. The group are then met by Yū, who manages to get them into the workshop. Afterwards, everyone in the workshop goes outside, where they witness a projection that Vulcan made.

Shortly after, the White-Clad arrive at the workshop, leading to Vulcan making Arthur a knight's arsenal in order to fight the group. Outside, he meets Flail, and attacks the group with his make-shift Excalibur, resulting in all but two of the white hoods dissolving. After, he fights Flail and slices though his Ignition Ability. When Mirage makes a mirage of Arthur, he becomes sadden by his attire, followed by Flail attacking him. Standing back up, Arthur wows to not forgive Flail for destroying his steed despite his powers weakening significantly. Arthur is eventually overwhelmed by Mirage's tricks and fails to stop Giovanni from entering the workshop. Flail stands between Arthur and the Workshop to prevent him from chasing the turncoat captain. When Shinra manages to outmanoeuvre their opposition, Arthur mocks the Ash Knights for failing to stop him. Their battle is interrupted by Princess Hibana dispelling Mirage's illusion and bombarding everyone with waves of intense heat. Much to Arthur's disbelief. Arthur and Flair are eventually saved by Iris activating all of the robotic animals in the area.

After Shinra knocks Giovanni through a wall, he and Arthur regroup and encounter the long-missing Shō Kusakabe. While Shinra is overjoyed, Shō remains indifference and callously brings Shinra to his knees. Arthur readies an attack but Shō defeats him with a slash to the chest. Arthur, Shinra and Hibana are rescue from danger by Viktor and Vulcan. The surprise intervention of Joker ensures the group escapes and arrive safely at hospital, Arthur quickly recovers from his injuries and life returns to normal for Company 8.

Arthur and Shinra are sent to train with Company 7 in order to ready themselves for furture battles with the White Hoods. During this training, Arthur learns traditional Japanese sword fighting and how to focus his senses in battle to detent killing blows.

Netherworld arc
Arthur and the rest of Company 8 enter the Nether to confornt the White Hoods. Arthur expresses fewer worries about entering the forbidden underground Labyrinth than his allies. The Company they are confronted by Princess Hibana, begging for help before before being pulled screaming into the darkness. Before the group can proceed, mist envelopes them and they are separated in the confusion.

After his battle with Arrow and before Jonah and Mirage can kill him, Hinawa forces Arthur out of hiding to battle the cultists. While Jonah flees, Mirage battles Arthur with his illusions. However, Arthur's training allows him to notice which attacks are mere tricks and which ones are genuine, preventing him from reacting rashly as he did during their pervious battle. Arthur uses his Iai-Calibur technique to dispatch Mirage before he can attack an unsuspecting Hinawa, defeating the cultist in a single stroke. Both Hinawa and Arthur advance into the darkness and question who Jonah is.

Arthur later arrives to protect a near-fatally wounded Shinra from Haumea. Noticing the devil's injuries, Arthur tells him not to die. While Haumea is mysteriously able to deflect Arthur's Excalibur, she quickly realises that she cannot control Arthur through her electrical signals due to his ability to control plasma. The rest of Company 8 arrive to protect Shinra, but an earthquake results in the surviving White Hoods fleeing. Company 8 choose to save Shinra's life instead of pursuing their enemies, rushing him to Company 6's clinic for medical attention. While Shinra undergoes surgery, Arthur waits outside the operating theatre with Tamaki and Iris. Worried about Shinra's condition, Arthur peaks inside to check the status of the operation. Only to be shocked by Captain Huang's healing methods. Despite this panic, Shinra recovers a few days later.

VS. Special Fire Force Company 4 arc
Arthur later intervenes in the battle between a possessed Shinra and Company 4 Captain Sōichirō Arg, with the support of Ogun Montgomery. While Arthur is able to see the spirit-like Hitohashira Me, he has no idea how to remove for influence over Shinra. Arthur, Ogun, Arg and Pan all move to engage Shinra, ultimately Arthur continues the battle alone and promising to kill Shinra if he doesn't snap back to his senses and regain his only admirable traits.

Despite his harsh words, Arthur contuines to attempt reason with Shinra by countering his confused arguments for becoming a Devil, much to Hitohashirame's fury. This fury presses her and Shinra rushing in to finish Arthur, who counters with a barrage of strikes before finally telling Shinra to embrace being a hero once again to protect what he loves. Hitohashirame once again pushes Shinra to kill the Knight, only for Shinra to ultimately break free from her control and reaffirm his faith in heroism.

With the battle over, Arthur and Company 4 attempt to gain a better understanding of the situation. Arthur notes that the members of Company 4 who attacked Shinra where likely controlled by Haumea. As they make thier way home, Shinra thanks Arthur for his help and promises to find and protect his brother.

Trivia

 * Arthur shares his name with Arthur Pendragon, whose weapon of choice was also called Excalibur.
 * Both King Arthur and Excalibur are inspired after a British medieval leader and his legendary sword.
 * His last name, 'Boyle' is a play on the word "Boil"
 * Arthur also has a similar physical appearance to Soul Evans from the Soul Eater series.
 * Arthur was first seen on the cover page of Chapter 0, despite not debuting until Chapter 2.
 * According to his Character Profile in Hero or Devil:
 * Arthur's favourite food is royal court cuisine (which he hasn't tried before) and ramen from Ippudo Ramen, while his least favourite food is horse meat.
 * Arthur's favourite music is court music, even though he has never listened to it.
 * Arthur's favourite animal is a horse.
 * Arthur's favourite colours are white and blue.
 * Arthur prefers people with glass shoes and tiaras.
 * The person Arthur respects the most is King Arthur.
 * Arthur's hobby is making castle models, his daily routine involves sword practice and his dream is to become the Knight King.
 * Arthur's foot size is 26 cm and his eyesight is 1.5.
 * Arthur's favourite school subject is physical education, while his least favourite is one that involves a classroom.