All for One, One for All: Friendship at the Heart of the Myth

The popularity of d’Artagnan far outshines that of his three friends (only a handful of works focus on Athos, Porthos or Aramis) but they should not be overlooked. In fact, while Dumas’ hero has enjoyed a legacy far surpassing that of other famous swashbuckling novel characters like Pardaillan or Lagardère, it is most likely thanks to his companions. The h’ friendship — which endures despite differences in personality, conflicting interests and even the passage of time — lies at the very core of the musketeers’ myth. If nowhere else, one need only look at the enduring popularity of their motto, “All for one, one for all.” Although Dumas uses this phrase only once in his novel, it has come to symbolize the bond between the four men. Countless books bear this phrase as their title, and comic books often depict the musketeers crossing swords, the visual equivalent of the famous motto.