portos

Portos is a variant spelling used in some translations and adaptations of Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers to refer to the musketeer commonly known as Porthos in the original French text. He is one of the principal members of the Musketeers of the Guard, alongside Athos and Aramis, with d'Artagnan often considered the fourth companion in modern retellings.

In traditional portrayals, Portos is a tall, physically imposing swordsman with a boisterous and carefree demeanor. He combines strength and skill with a generous, loyal disposition, frequently demonstrated through his friendship with the other musketeers and his willingness to defend them. His love of good living—fine clothes, hearty meals, and convivial company—helps set him apart from the more austere Athos and the more pious Aramis, providing a balancing dynamic within the group.

Portos appears across multiple media, including novels, film, television, and stage adaptations. While the core traits and role as a loyal musketeer remain consistent, the exact portrayal, accent, and backstory can vary by language and adaptation. The spelling Portos tends to occur in translations aimed at audiences where the name Porthos is rendered differently, rather than reflecting a separate character.

Aside from literary use, portos is also the Portuguese plural of porto, meaning ports, and can appear in non-fiction or naming contexts independent of the musketeer. In most encyclopedic references about the character, however, Portos is treated as a spelling variant of Porthos within the Three Musketeers canon.