In Filmation's animated series, Man-At-Arms—given the "real name" of Duncan—despite being a soldier and a master of weapons is primarily peaceful and prefers alternatives to fighting. Though his stature suggests a warrior his character is primarily patterned after skilled mechanics and he likes to pass the time working on all the kingdom's vehicles. He is also Teela's foster father, as well as mentor to Prince Adam. The Sorceress of Castle Grayskullasked Man-At-Arms to adopt Teela because she felt that she could not raise her daughter and protect Castle Grayskull at the same time, and believing that if others knew of Teela's true destiny, it would make her daughter a target. Man-At-Arms wears armor which is slightly different from that of the standard uniform of the royal guards. His moustache was not present on the original figure, having been added by Filmation to make him look older, wiser and more fatherly—although original prototype sketches for the Man-At-Arms figure gave him a goatee beard. He is often pestered by court jesterOrko, as Orko's magic tricks often backfire directly at him. Duncan is also one of the three people who know He-Man's secret identity, as explained in the introductory sequence of the original cartoon. Along with Adam / He-Man and Teela, Duncan is one of the cartoon series' central and most often-seen characters. He was voiced by Alan Oppenheimer for the duration of the series.
''Masters of the Universe vs. The Snakemen'' (2002)
The 2002 cartoon Masters of the Universe vs. The Snakemen portrays Duncan as a much more serious character and more of a warrior, with a deeper connection to the Sorceress than was previously shown. As in the Filmation series, Man-At-Arms is Teela's adoptive father. He has a close mentor/student relationship with Adam in addition to aiding He-Man and leading the Masters, and is close friends with Adam's father King Randor. It is also revealed that Fisto is his brother. Duncan's mentor, Dekker, also appears in the series. Man-At-Arms was voiced by Garry Chalk, who also voiced He-Man in The New Adventures of He-Man.
''Masters of the Universe: Revelation'' (2020)
Man-At-Arms will appear in the upcoming Netflix animated series Masters of the Universe: Revelation, and will be voiced by Liam Cunningham.
''Masters of the Universe'' (2021 film)
Duncan will appear in the new live-action Masters of the Universe film, scheduled for release in 2021. He is King Randor's loyal armorer and is knowledgeable in all things weapons-related. He will also serve as a main source of exposition due to his knowledge of Eternia's history.
Toys
Original figure
Man-At-Arms was one of the very first figures created for Mattel's Masters of the Universe line in 1981, the others being He-Man, Skeletor and Beast Man. The figure uses the same basic body as He-Man, with a different head sculpt, and orange chest armor, left-arm and leg armor, and mace. The earliest mini-comics establish Man-At-Arms as one of He-Man's original and most trusted companions. Unlike some other earlier figures, which were dropped in successive releases as new characters came along, Man-At-Arms figures were produced prominently throughout the line's run. However, Mattel never modified the figure to give him his trademark moustache from the cartoon.
2002 series
Man-At-Arms was given a new figure as part of the Mattel 2002 Masters of the Universe series. This was the first figure to feature the character with his moustache. Several variants were made of the figure, over the course of the series including a "Snake Catcher" version as part of the He-Man vs. the Snake Men subline.
''Masters of the Universe Classics'' toy line
A new version of Man-At-Arms was released in 2009 as part of Mattel's on-line Masters of the Universe Classics collectors toyline. As with other releases in the series, this figure was heavily influenced by the original 1980s line. The look of the character was based upon his vintage toy packaging artwork. This new version of Man-At-Arms came with interchangeable heads, as well as additional weapons—a sword and small laser pistol, similar in design to those which came with the original 1980s Castle Grayskull playset. Several other versions of Man-At-Arms have since been released in MOTU Classics. These include Snake Man-At-Arms, and a Battle Ram version.
