History Characters / ShovelKnightMainCharacters

* BitchSlap: His Duelist's Gauntlet heirloom allows him to unleash a rapid-fire slapping attack with a low vigor cost.

* NoHeroDiscount: Despite being King Knight's ''mother'', she'll still charge him exorbitant prices in the thousands to eat her stat-increasing meals.

* {{Expy}}: Of [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic Mega Man]]. Both wear blue and have a default weapon plus several other, more situational weapons. While Mega Man [[PowerCopying copies abilities]] from defeated bosses, Shovel Knight uses relics found in stages.

* GeniusBruiser: More of an InformedAttribute, what Shovel Knight is praised the most for in his prowess is the sheer, peerless level of raw ''skill''. Bear in mind, he became the greatest and most respected knight in the land with nothing but a shovel, even with the likes of [[MagicKnight Black Knight]] and [[MightyGlacier Polar Knight]] out there to contend with, ''and'' he can take eight knights of borderline-superhuman prowess handily with nothing but that aforementioned shovel at his back.

* {{Expy}}:
** Her design appears to be that of [[WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty Maleficent]], from the green skin to the black, spiky dress and horn-like headdress.
** The [[GenderFlip Enchanter]]'s armored design deliberately invokes [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Ganondorf]]. Given that one of the ways to fight them is to [[TennisBoss hit their projectiles back at them]], it's fairly appropriate.
** From a gameplay standpoint, she continues with the ''Mega Man'' comparisons by mirroring battles with [[Videogame/MegaManX Sigma]] and beyond, in that you battle a first form who's fight is cut from the same cloth as the 8-man QuirkyMinibossSquad, then she immediately transforms into a full screen OneWingedAngel form.

He's also the protagonist of the ''Specter of Torment'' campaign, which takes place right before ''Shovel of Hope''. In it, he's tasked by the Enchantress to recruit and form an order of eight other Knights, under the pretense that doing so will fully restore his humanity. In between his recruitment attempts, he recollects about his past as a thief and adventurer named Donovan, and the mistakes he made that lead to his death.

* WasOnceAMan: Specter Knight was not always an undead servant of the Enchantress; some time ago, he was a roguish adventurer named Donovan, who with his adventuring partner Luan attempted to plunder the Tower of Fate for a legendary locket which could protect Luan's son Reize from all harm. When they came into confraontation with Shield Knight over the locket, Donovan found himself crushed by rubble at the bottom of the tower, where he [[DealWithTheDevil pledged his service to the Enchantress and swore to assemble her a mighty Order of knights in exchange for his humanity and freedom]]. However, due to the Enchantress' manipulation, he sacrificed himself to save Reize one last time and became the Order of No Quarter's eighth and final knight, forsaking his humanity once and for all.

* AmbiguouslyBrown: She has dark skin.

* StealthPun: As an Expy of ''Castlevania'''s Death, this means that he is technically [[spoiler:a Death Knight]].

!!Specter Knight

!!Luan

* ForgotAboutHisPowers: In the first three ''Treasure Trove'' games, his signature [[FoeTossingCharge shoulder bash attack]] and corkscrew recovery move he uses in the prequel ''King of Cards'' are nowhere to be seen, and he instead primarily moves around by jumping rapidly.

* AllThatGlitters: According to Plague Knight, his crown isn't even real gold.

* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: She's a major NPC in his campaign, and though he occasionally balks at her babying him, he lives with her and runs errands for her in between his attempts to attain a kingship. [[spoiler:[[AvertedTrope Didn't love her enough to change, though,]] but it seems to pain him to see her disappointed in his decision to grab at power. Weirdly enough though, this trope may have actually ''contributed'' to his full FaceHeelTurn, as he grows progressively more annoyed and even infuriated with the King of Pridemoor's [[ParentalSexualitySquick continual attempts at flirting with his mother]]. The King of Pridemoor being the one to ask him what his mother would think is what finally tips him over the edge.]]
** This actually becomes his main downfall. King Proudmoor all but offers to marry his mother, adopt King Knight, make him Heir Apparent, and perhaps give King Knight his own realm to rule in the meantime. King Knight is so vain and controlling that he is unable to even consider allowing his mother to remarry [[spoiler:and instead betrays the King and becomes a pawn of the Enchantress. This leads directly to him losing everything he strove for and ending up in a worse position than he started in when Shovel Knight arrived back onto the scene.]]

* NonindicativeName:
** He doesn't really have much to do with disease or poison, aside from his PlagueDoctor mask, but "Chemist Knight" doesn't sound [[RuleOfCool nearly as cool.

* NonindicativeName: He doesn't really have much to do with disease or poison, aside from his PlagueDoctor mask, but "Chemist Knight" doesn't sound nearly as cool. [[AllThereInTheManual The design book]] reveals he was [[WhatCouldHaveBeen originally named Dyna Knight]], but it was changed to Plague Knight due to being easier to say.

** Likely a consequence of ''King of Cards'' being the last released game in the Shovel Knight saga. Combined with its long development time, it's unlikely Yacht Club Games actually conceived of her before it was well too late to incorporate her into the other games.

* {{Expy}}:
** Of Death from ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}''. He doesn't go for the projectile spam, but he does throw his scythe around and try to use Death's run-up-and-slash move.
*** More oddly, his ''Specter of Torment'' form is one of Death from ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLegends''. Both are prequels which significantly shorten the robe, emphasize the character's jumps over flight, and reveal in the backstory that he received his magical power directly from his master in exchange for his eternal servitude. (In ''Castlevania'', though, [[CanonDiscontinuity this did not remain canon]].)
** His described gameplay style, which puts emphasis on his speed and {{wall jump}}ing, is fairly similar to ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden''. He can also air dash like Zero from ''VideoGame/MegaManX'', and grind on rails and chain attacks like ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog''.
** To [[VideoGame/MegamanClassic Bass]] from the ''Franchise/MegaMan'' franchise. Both are TheDragon to the main antagonists, secretly wish for their own freedom, [[spoiler:and eventually rebel to help the protagonists while settling a personal score]]. His appearance [[spoiler:as Donovan]] is also highly similar to [[VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork Bass.EXE]].
** To Shadow, from VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI. The ninja and thief archetypes notwithstanding, both [[spoiler:use a pseudonym to [[ThatManIsDead dissociate themselves from their past life]], and pass nights awake constantly reminiscing of their [[MyGreatestFailure regrettable misdeeds]], which are linked to a [[RegretfulTraitor close friend being scorned]] and [[TakeCareOfTheKids a child they must look after]].]]
** To [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader]]. [[spoiler:He also was a former hero, corrupted by evil, attacked his allies, severely wounded and left in a weakened state, revived to serve as the BigBad's enforcer, secretly wishes to free himself from his master's control, had to fight a son-like figure (who was intended to be his replacement), before finally turning on his master and sacrificing himself to protect said son-like figure.]]
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: [[spoiler:He is still loyal to Luan in his death and is determined to protect Reize, to the point where he willingly throws his one chance of resurrection away for his sake.]]

* MadBomber: "The bomb is mightier that the sword" he says.

* NonindicativeName: He doesn't really have much to do with disease or poison, aside from his PlagueDoctor mask, but "Chemist Knight" doesn't sound nearly as cool. [[AllThereInTheManual The design book]] reveals he was [[WhatCouldHaveBeen originally named]] [[JustForPun Dyna Knight]], but it was changed to Plague Knight due to being easier to say.

* ReviveKillsZombie: In ''Pocket Dungeon'', normal potions and turkeys hurt him and the only way he can heal is by creating fatal chains. [[spoiler:[[DiscardAndDraw Unlocking his new ability does away with this weakness entirely, allowing him to use them normally like any other character.]] His unique challenge (the Reverie Quest) also allows him to use potions and turkeys again when he briefly 'revives'.]]

* ReviveKillsZombie: In ''Pocket Dungeon'', normal potions and turkeys hurt him and the only way he can heal is by creating fatal chains. [[spoiler:[[DiscardAndDraw Unlocking his new ability does away with this weakness entirely, allowing him to use them normally like any other character.]]]]

* LonelyAtTheTop: His campaign concludes this way. [[spoiler:King Knight has gotten just about everything he wanted; he's a "real king," he has an immense amount of riches at his disposal, and he's proven himself a very capable fighter. He [[HeelRealization doesn't realize until it's too late what it cost him to get it all.]] ]]
** His ''Showdown'' ending further shows that despite his constantly throwing feasts and spreading invites everywhere, nobody ever shows up. He copes by assuming his messengers just aren't doing their work.

* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:A forced version, the Enchantress forces her power into him after he refuses to serve her, causing him to sprout wings and go into a berserker rage.]]

* OedipusComplex: Downplayed. His mother has fancied King Pridemoor from afar for much of King Knight's life. It is implied a big part of his motivation to become King is to emulate the King and make his mom proud. He is, however, very squicked out when his mom and the King start to hit it off. [[spoiler:Appropriately, the ending of King of Cards implies the King becomes his stepfather and rephrases the ending of Shovel of Hope as a father punishing a spoiled child.]]

** [[spoiler:After making his deal with the Enchantress to keep from dying, he even fights former allies for her. He only musters enough will to oppose her once he learns that her original self was Shield Knight and he remembers his promise to Luan to protect Reize. Unfortunately, His magic amulet only had enough power to restore one person to their former self, and in using it on Reize, he fell under the Enchantress's control once again.]]

* ThrowingYourShieldAlwaysWorks: One of her main attacks during her boss fight in ''Specter of Torment''.

* PersonaNonGrata: Due to being a member of the Order of No Quarter, Plague knight is banned from entering the village by normal means, with any attempts of entering resulting in the guard forcing Plague Knight outside of the town. [[spoiler: He averts this at the end, deciding to use the Ultimate Potion to blow up the Tower of Fate and improve his reputation.]]

* GenderBender: [[spoiler:Through Body Swap mode, a male Shield Knight can become possessed by the Enchantress, or a female Shield Knight with the Enchanter.]]