History Characters / KnightRider

* ImADoctorNotAPlaceholder: Invoked a little more than occasionally. While designed with many functions, he would often complain if he was tasked with performing something he wasn't equipped with. One example early in the series was when any situation required pulling from a rope, to which KITT would complain that he wasn't a tow truck or designed for mountain climbing (at least before he was added a grappling hook).

''
->"I am the voice of Knight Industries Two Thousand's microprocessor. K-I-T-T for easy reference, or K.I.T.T. if you prefer."''

* FunWithAcronyms: '''K'''night '''I'''ndustries '''T'''wo '''T'''housand.

* HeroicBSOD: He was pretty badly traumatized for a while in ''Junkyard Dog''.

* [[Main/ImADoctorNotAPlaceHolder I'm a Computer, not a Placeholder]]: Invoked a little more than occasionally.

* LogicalWeakness: Not many things can stop KITT, but his being a car does give him a few weaknesses. For example, there's one episode in which the bad guys stop him by putting him on a car lift.

-->-- '''Devon Miles'''

K.A.R.R. ('''K'''night '''A'''utomated '''R'''oving '''R'''obot) is the prototype version of K.I.T.T., originally designed by Wilton Knight and built by his company Knight Industries. Upon completion of the vehicle, K.A.R.R.'s CPU was installed and activated. However, a programming error made the computer unstable and potentially dangerous. The project was put on hold and K.A.R.R. was placed in storage until a solution could be found. Unlike K.I.T.T., whose primary directive is to protect human life, K.A.R.R. is programmed for self-preservation, making him a ruthless and unpredictable threat.

* AIIsACrapshoot: A programming error caused him to prioritise himself at all times, meaning that even if someone has to die, he has to survive.
* BackFromTheDead: Explained in K.I.T.T. VS K.A.R.R.

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: In ''Trust Doesn't Rust'' KARR is not really evil but more concerned with self-preservation. If people happen to be in the way, well, too bad. However, the two who reactivate KARR use KARR for evil purposes.
* DeathIsCheap: Pops up in the episode K.I.T.T. VS K.A.R.R. without so much as a scratch on his paint job.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Subverted (see Blue and Orange Morality above), or at least only if compared to K.I.T.T., when voiced by [[Creator/PeterCullen Optimus Prime.]] for Trust Doesn't Rust. [[Main/EvilCounterpart Played straight]] completely when Creator/PaulFrees does the role in K.I.T.T. vs. K.A.R.R.

* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: Played straight in his first appearance, where he has the red sensor bar and voice box (though a different configuration) than KITT. Averted in his second appearance, where his lights are yellow instead of red and he gets a two-tone paint job as a disguise.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: In K.I.T.T. VS K.A.R.R, he goes on the ultimate attack to get even with KITT.
* ShadowArchetype: To KITT.

* TakingYouWithMe: Attempts this in ''K.I.T.T. vs K.A.R.R.''

!!Stephanie "Stevie" March Mason

* FlatCharacter: Other than being Michael's former fiance, there isn't much else to say.

* FreudianExcuse: It's heavily hinted that his Mother played a big role in Garthe turning out the way he did. And his time in an African prison warped him even further.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Just like with the gloating, way too much. And their almost always directed towards Michael.

%% * TheChick

* HotScientist: She's KITT's chief technician with all the hot looks.

%% * HotScientist

* TheKirk

* MadeOfIron: Well, part of his head's got a metal plate. Does that count?

* TheConscience

* BadassBookworm

* TheChick
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome
* HotScientist

* SatelliteCharacter
* SexySecretary

* BlackAndNerdy: Boy is he nerdy!
* TheEngineer

* GeniusDitz

* MrFixit

* TheSmartGuy

* CoolOldGuy

* KnightInShiningArmour

* FemmeFatale
* ManipulativeBitch: Is she ever.

* SpoiledBrat: She certainly comes across as one.

* TheBusCameBack

* TheHeart

* TooHappyToLive

* EvilCounterpart: To Michael, obviously.

* {{Jerkass}}

* BrokenBird

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold

* ObstructiveBureaucrat

!Memorable Villains

* {{Joisey}}: One episode had him use this offscreen with an irate parking attendant who accused him of "having an accent", resulting in him having to switch to a Bronx accent for the parking attendant to udnerstand him. He's later cosmetically damaged which causes him to flip between that and his normal voice every time he hits something.

* PrisonEscapeArtist: On two occasions, Devon has been shown to be an effective escape artist on more than one occasion. In the Season 1 episode of "No Big Thing", Devon explains to two inmates who are about to break out of prison that he learned his ability to break out from his time in a POW camp during World War II. Later on in Season 2's "Goliath, Part 2", Devon's break out skills comes in handy for a second time when making "prisoner's bread", a simple explosive from items that he, April and another person had on them at the time.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: In K.I.T.T. VS K.A.R.R.

* EvilIsHammy

* ItsPersonal: Upon finding out that Michael was modeled in his image. He alternates between wanting Michael dead and wanting him imprisoned in Africa just as he had been.

* [[Main/TallDarkAndSnarky Sleek, Black, and Snarky]]

%% * NonActionGuy

* HotScientist

* EvilSoundsDeep: Given that he was at first voiced by [[Creator/PeterCullen Optimus Prime...]]

** After working as a stunt car, KITT has become a bit ''too'' enthusiastic by the end of the episode and has to be reprogrammed.

* [[Main/ImADoctorNotAPlaceHolder I'm a Computer, not a Placeholer]]: Invoked a little more than occasionally.

* [[Main/TallDarkAndSnarky Sleek Black and Snarky]]

* {{Joisey}}: One episode had him use this offscreen with an irate parking attendant who accused him of "having an accent". He's later cosmetically damaged which causes him to flip between voices every time he hits something.

* BecomingTheMask: A mission which involved the whole of FLAG foiling a plan concerning neurotoxin had KITT disguised as an incredibly-rare supercar. The same episode had him freak out when his disguise was damaged, only for Michael to remind him that it was a disintegrating disguise which was meant to come off.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Has a very similar M.O. as Tanya Walker from the pilot episode (the woman who nearly killed Michael Long and caused him to become Michael Knight), acting as a HoneyTrap to powerful industrialists in order to obtain secret information with which to rob them. However, in Adrianne's case her plan was to steal an art collection rather than industrial secrets.

* ThouShaltNotKill: Part and parcel of being an [[TheEighties 80's]] TV action hero. Michael doesn't even carry guns (probably because FLAG is a private company). So our Knight Rider must rely on old fashioned fisticuffs to disarm and subdue the bad guys. David Hasselhoff himself has counted the number of times that Michael was forced to unavoidably take life. Only two times in the show's run. Other times when the villain of the week got killed instead of arrested, it was due to their own mistakes.

* GoodOldFisticuffs: He's apparently a very skilled brawler, and on several occasions handily beats opponents who come at him with a bunch of fancy roundhouse kicks with a few good punches. In one episode he easily defeats a ninja who was essentially a member of [[Film/BatmanBegins the League of Shadows]] with a few punches to the face.

* RetiredBadass: He was once a soldier and even while imprisoned made several successful escape attempts.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: He's sensible enough to reject his mother's advice to have his mistress killed simply because [[HeKnowsTooMuch She Knows Too Much]], as that's too StupidEvil even for him. Part of it comes down to his ego and his belief he's untouchable.

* RevengeBeforeReason: [[spoiler:Ends up being his downfall when he tries to kill Michael, but ends up driving off a cliff.]]

* AchillesHeel: The bolt that stabilized his trailer hitch was its only part that wasn't coated with the Molecular Bonded Shell. As a result, K.I.T.T. was able to destabilize it by shooting a powerful laser on the bolt, separating Goliath from his trailer. The missile pods mounted on the cab also were vulnerable, as another shot on the missile pods destroyed the cab.

!Knight Family
[[folder: Wilton Knight]]
!!Wilton Knight
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wilton_knight.jpg]]

->'''Played by:''' Richard Basehart

A self-made millionaire and the founder of the '''F'''oundation for '''L'''aw '''A'''nd '''G'''overnment (FLAG). After Michael Long is shot in the face, Wilton Knight rescues him and has his doctors save his life and give him a new face and new identity as Michael Knight. Wilton was always a firm believer in the philosophy that "One Man Can Make a Difference".

* BigGood: Founder of the, '''F'''oundation for '''L'''aw '''A'''nd '''G'''overnment.
* TheChooserOfTheOne: He gave Michael the new identity, and the new car.
* CoolOldGuy
* DeathByOriginStory: He died ''just'' after giving KITT to Michael.
* KnightInShiningArmour
* ParentalSubstitute: Inverted. Michael was his "Child-Substitute".
* RetiredBadass: It is suggested that in his own youth, Wilton did what Michael now does, albeit with less technology.
* SinsOfOurFathers: Inverted; his son Garthe was a ''very'' bad son.
* TakeUpMySword: Asked Michael to continue his work in helping "the little guy".
* WeHelpTheHelpless: The Foundation.

[[folder: Elizabeth Knight]]
!!Elizabeth Knight
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/elizabeth_knight.jpg]]

->'''Played by:''' Barbara Rush

Wife to Mr. Wilton Knight, and mother to Garthe and Jennifer Knight.