Archimedes is the tritagonist of Disney's 18th full-length animated feature film The Sword in the Stone. He is Merlin's pet owl who has the ability to speak like a human and Wart’s friend.
In the original movie he was voiced by the late Junius Matthews. In the TV Show House of Mouse he was voiced by Andre Stojka.
Archimedes is best known for being grumpy and sarcastic, especially in the morning when he has been up all night and wants to sleep. He is also somewhat touchy, easily offended. While he is loyal to Merlin, he does not hesitate to point out the wizard's faults.
Despite this, Archimedes is highly educated and can be a mentor like Merlin, as he knows many practical qualities. He can be haughty and devoted, and though he is reluctant towards Arthur at first, he eventually warms to him and stays by his side even when Merlin temporarily slips away to Hawaii.
History[]
The Sword in the Stone[]
Archimedes first appears with Merlin at their forest cottage. He scoffs at Merlin's idea of anyone joining them for tea. Not long after, the roof is breached by Wart (Arthur Pendragon), proving Merlin right. Wart mistakes Archimedes for a stuffed owl and this angers Archimedes who says that he can talk better than Wart and goes to lock himself inside his wooden house, accepts the cup of tea but refuses to talk to Wart. However, Archimedes snidely reminds Merlin that he can't always see the future after Wart asks if he can see everything to which he says yes.
Archimedes finds Merlin's way of packing annoying, because it is cumbersome for them and therefore calls them "ugly stupid", after which he goes with Wart and Merlin to Sir Ector's castle, where Wart lives. Archimedes agrees with Sir Ector that strong rules are needed to run a large house and Archimedes is introduced by Merlin as a "highly educated owl," which sends Sir Ector into hysterical laughter, much to the annoyance of Archimedes who flies a hunting trophy to get away from. That night, after a storm breaks out, Archimedes advises Merlin to go back to the forest, as the "guest room" where he put them is shaky and half broken, but Merlin refuses saying that Wart needs a good education, which he does laughing Archimedes that Wart could make a "good chimney sweep", and then wets himself to his dismay at the tower's leaks. When Merlin sees Sir Pellinore arrive at the castle saying that he has great news, Merlin sends Archimedes to peek, but he doesn't want to hear about it and so Merlin threatens to make him a man (threat that always works). So, Archimedes flies down and peeps and hears that on New Year's Day in London there will be a tournament in which the winner will become King of England.
The next morning, after Kay flies into the guest tower while she trains for the tournament, she rocks it and wakes up Merlin and Archimedes. The former can't remember anything and the latter remembers everything. The two then watch as Wart helps Kay practice her ride. When Merlin scoffs at the idea that jousting is a science, Archimedes points out that Verruca enjoys the sport as much as any other. Merlin then reveals his plan to use magic to help Wart learn the value of an education.
Not long after, Archimedes goes with Merlin and Wart near the river surrounding the castle, where Merlin asks a sleeping Archimedes for the formula to turn into fish, much to his annoyance, who says it and then flies up a tree to sleep while Wart and Merlin swim in the river, transformed into fish. Later, Archimedes wakes up hearing the screams of Wart, still in fish form, being attacked by a giant pike and dives to the rescue, succeeding. Once Merlin and Wart are human again, Archimedes completely wet and with certain blows, tries to angrily deny having tried to save Wart and rather having tried to eat him, but Merlin knows very well that it is not so, but Archimedes is too angry to talk.
Later, when Merlin and Wart have turned into squirrels for another lesson, Wart is chased by a female squirrel in love. Archimedes' sleep is again disturbed by Wart landing on him, whereupon the owl drives Wart away, not knowing who he is.
Archimedes reappears after Wart is fired as Kay's squire and Merlin begins to teach him manners in earnest, but Archimedes forcefully takes the job, as what Merlin tells them confuses him. Archimedes proves more practical than Merlin in this and tells Wart to start reading mountains of books to learn, but when Wart tells them that he can neither read nor write, Archimedes decides that they will start everything from scratch from 'A, B, C .
During a break, Merlin shows Wart a model airplane showing that the man will one day fly. Archimedes, however, does not really believe in this thing and when the model gets stuck in Merlin's beard and falls and breaks, Archimedes bursts out laughing hysterically. When Wart is transformed into a sparrow by Merlin, so he can fulfill his dream of flying, Merlin takes Archimedes as a model to explain the techniques of flying to Wart, but Archimedes completely baffled by this decides to teach Wart how to fly because he is himself a bird. Archimedes teaches Wart that flying is an art and lets him do it with a good education and they have fun, until they are attacked by a falcon. Archimedes holds back the falcon so Wart gets time to fly to safety, but he ends up in the cottage of Madam Mim, an evil witch who is Merlin's rival. Seeing this, a horrified Archimnedes flies to warn Merlin. Next, Archimedes is seen with Wart, still a sparrow, and explains to them the premise of the magic duel. He watches Merlin compete against Madam Mim and yells Wart at them for advice, eventually leaving with Wart and Merlin after the latter beats Madam Mim.
At Christmas, Wart returns to being Kay's squire, to which Archimedes kindly congratulates him. Merlin, on the other hand, gets angry with Wart for not thinking of wanting better and takes off for Bermuda (an island in Hawaii not yet discovered). When Wart asks Archimedes if Merlin will ever return, he only replies: "Who knows? Who knows anything?". Archimedes stays with Wart and goes to London with him for the tournament.
When they look for a sword, since Wart forgot them at the inn, however closed because of the tournament, Wart finds the sword Excalibur in the stone and undecided draws it out, although Archimedes advises them against doing so. Later, he witnesses Wart's official recognition as rightful King Arthur and displays a mixture of happiness and disbelief.
After his coronation, Arthur just doesn't feel like being king. Archimedes tries to help him escape, but they fail because the castle is surrounded by subjects who are happy for having found a king. Merlin magically reappears to guide Arthur again, and Archimedes stays with them.
House of Mouse[]
Archimedes makes some cameos with Owl and Professor Owl.
Sofia the First[]
He mades a non-speaking appearance.
Trivia[]
Archimedes was named after the Greek mathematician, physicist, philosopher, engineer, inventor, and astronomer, Archimedes of Syracuse.
In Italy Archimedes is called Anacleto, because Archimede is already the Italian name of Gyro Geeraloose.
