The function of the Gauvain character underwent a historical transformation. As a court actor in the classical romances, he responded to the deficiencies of the Arthurian society, bringing the action provoked by disturbances to a state of calm. In the later romances, a process of emancipation began regarding the role of the protagonist. The personal motivation associated with this role conflicted with the function of the Gauvain character rooted in genre knowledge, leading to issues of causality in the texts. Despite this process of emancipation, the character remained anchored in a consistent narrative pattern of remarkably high stability. In this pattern, Chrétien de Troyes positioned the character antagonistically to that of the protagonist and the character Keus, the other court actor. This pattern describes the stakes and action tendencies of the various characters.