History Main / KnightInShiningArmor

* In ''Literature/LeMorteDarthur'', written by Thomas Malory (who may have been this trope's complete opposite), [[Myth/KingArthur many characters]] are subversions in that they all had glaring flaws: King Arthur, usually portrayed as TheGoodKing, had an early NiceJobBreakingItHerod moment and later [[spoiler:is struck down by Mordred]] because he was too enraged to heed a prophetic dream; the wise mentor Merlin was a DirtyOldMan and met his doom because of it; Gawain, while on the Quest for the Sangreal (Holy Grail), refused to do penance and [[WhatTheHellHero was rebuked by hermits and disembodied voices alike for his homicidal ways]]; the great Lancelot was [[YourCheatingHeart an adulterer]] who had an affair with Arthur's wife, Guinevere, and failed in the Sangreal Quest due to his unstable virtue. Indeed, the Sangreal Quest itself shows, and was meant to show, how all these noble knights, great in the world, fell short spiritually. The only knight allowed to achieve the Sangreal was [[IncorruptiblePurePureness Galahad]], who exemplified the knightly ideal.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel II'', Alfin considers [[TheHero Rean]] to be her knight in shining armor when he inadvertently rescues her at [[CoolShip Pantagruel]] (he was forcibly taken there and both had no idea that the other was also on the ship) complete with Rean giving Alfin a BridalCarry.

* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', this trope is zigzagged.
** Ser Loras Tyrell, [[AgentPeacock the Knight of Flowers]], embodies the chivalric ideals of Westeros. Supposedly anyway. He's not above being a CombatPragmatist, and some other knights in attendance considered what he did to be "dirty cheating". He's also a [[ArrogantKungFuGuy cocky]] [[{{Jerkass}} prick]].

** On the other hand, Jaime Lannister is a {{Subversion}}. At first he appears appears the perfect Knight in Shining Armor, being incredibly handsome, the best fighter in the land, the slayer of the previous [[TheCaligula tyrant king]] and, due to to having his armour gilded, actual shining armour. However, he's quickly revealed to be violent, arrogant and [[spoiler:in an incestuous relationship with his sister]]. And thanks to being the Kingslayer, a breach of his vows as a knight of the Kingsguard, nobody trusts him. This incidentally, is part of the reason he ended up so arrogant and violent in the first place, since by any measure, Aerys deserved to die - both for what he had done, and [[KillItWithFire what he was]] [[KillEmAll going to do]]. His treatment thereafter, and the boorish behaviour of Robert Baratheon, made him go 'screw it' and stop caring. After going through BreakTheHaughty and a HeelFaceTurn with Brienne's example waved in front of his face, Jaime struggles to become a true, chivalric knight.
** Then there are the Clegane brothers who, aside from their martial skills, aren't models of what knights are supposed to be, [[CharacterDevelopment though Sandor is getting better]].
*** Sandor (AKA "The Hound") at one point explains that there is a vast discrepancy between what the people of Westeros idealize knights to be, and what knights ''actually'' are (professional killers with fancy titles).
*** Sandor actually averts and deconstructs this trope straight from the beginning; he isn't ''technically'' a knight at all, and everybody ''should'' know that (not only is his backstory notorious, but he [[DontCallMeSir reminds people all the time]]). He has the horse, the sword, the armor, et al, but he was never actually knighted on either the field or in a Sept. He's also no Northerner, so doesn't follow their Old God-fearing warrior code, either. And the reason for all this? His older brother, Ser Gregor, is such a psychotic, murderous brute that, if someone like '''''him''''' can become an anointed, accredited, titled and acknowledged ''knight'', then Sandor wants nothing at all to do with the whole hypocritical institution. So, by personal, dedicated conviction and stubbornness... Sandor can choose to often ''act'' something a lot like a "true knight", but in ways and for reasons no official Westerosi knight would find honourable. Or just not. And shames the lot, when they call him on his supposedly unchivalrous behaviour... that all too regularly matches their own: ''he'' swore no knightly vows to gods or men, so ''he'' can't break them. This leaves his accusers with no real leg to stand on, even with his charisma score that's through the floor: when you have a point that strong, you don't need glitter.
** Played Straight with Ser Barristan Selmy, the last of the old guard Kingsguard, who is essentially everything a knight is supposed to be. Also played straight with Ser Addam Marbrand, who's an extremely capable warrior and commander, and thoroughly honorable. Somehow, he manages to pull off this trope ''[[TokenGoodTeammate despite]]'' being an officer in service to the ''Lannisters''.

** {{Averted|Trope}} and {{Deconstructed|Trope}} by practically every other knight you'll encounter in the series. Most knights in Westeros are just heavily armoured thugs who got to where they are because of politics, and even the "good" knights like the ones listed are quite morally dubious.

* ''[[VideoGame/TCTRPG The Colour Tuesday]]'': Kyle fits this; he only rebels when its clear his sister will die if she does not recieve medicine that he can't leave town for because of an arbitrary law (apparently it's the wrong "season") He's consistently the most polite and level-headed character, and doesn't think twice [[spoiler:about [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificing his relationship with Alex and his powers]] to cross the magical flames which separate him and the medicine he carries from his sister.]] Thankfully this isn't necessary.

*** Yet despite the above, the trope is steadily Reconstructed in more nuanced fashion. He is still dedicated to helping a newly reformed Maddie, [[JerkassRealization he is horrified when he's confronted by Cedric Diggory and realises how he's been treating/terrorising his fellow students]] and his bitterness mainly turns him into a KnightInSourArmour. As Strange says, he is ''still'' the person who will ''always'' do what is right rather than what is easy, and it's why he's TheChosenOne. He even states that as heroes go, Harry is unique. The ''Bloody Hell'' arc shows him as this once more, rescuing [[CourtlyLove Carol]] [[FightDracula from Dracula]] (who wants her [[spoiler: SuperSoldier blood]]). He faces Dracula twice - once in a literal suit of armour - but despite [[PhysicalGod horribly outmatched]] again, he plans ahead, gets help, and (eventually) succeeds. All while resisting the temptation to tap into his [[RealityWarper reality warping]] SuperpoweredEvilSide. He continues to Reconstruct the trope, in [[GuileHero appropriately]] [[CombatPragmatist nuanced]] [[TaughtByExperience fashion]], and when in [[PoweredArmour a personal silvery-white suit of Iron Man armour]], Coulson codenames him 'Agent Galahad'.

[[folder:Art]]
* The propaganda painting [[https://www.ushmm.org/propaganda/archive/painting-the-standard-bearer/ "Der Bannerträger"]] ("The Standard Bearer"; painted c. 1935; first exhibited in 1937) by Hubert Lanzinger shows UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler as a knight in (literally) shining armor on horseback, his right hand holding the billowing swastika flag of the Nazi Party / the Third Reich. The image was frequently reproduced in UsefulNotes/NaziGermany, including as a postcard.
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[[folder: Fanfic]]

* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has several examples:
** Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America epitomises the trope; noble, a superb warrior and deeply honourable, fighting for justice, most especially the protection of the oppressed (because he hates bullies), and pining after/mourning his lady love, he is frequently compared to King Arthur. He's also a NiceGuy who rescues kittens from trees, because of course he does. He is more ruthless than most examples, it has to be said, and has a certain hint of cynicism - plus, unlike most examples, he has [[spoiler: a child out of wedlock, with Peggy, Alison Carter - who had children and grandchildren of her own, much to Steve's shock when he finds out]]. This devastates him, because he feels that it was an ignoble act on his part, before being reminded (repeatedly) [[spoiler: that it takes two to tango, Peggy most certainly knew her own mind, and the rightful course is to stop avoiding his great-granddaughter, Carol, who idolised him and was deeply hurt by his rejection, no matter how understandable it was at the time]]. Nevertheless, it is not in the least bit surprising that he is knighted at the end of the first book, becoming part of the Order of the Garter.
** Thor is a noble and [[PrinceCharming charming]] WarriorPrince, right down to the shining armour. Especially given his increased dutifulness towards Asgard (not necessarily to the throne, however, as he's more than willing to challenge his father), dedication to protecting the small and defenceless, and slaying of monsters - these days, no longer simply for [[BloodKnight the thrill of the challenge]]. He's also and an all-round NiceGuy, a good boyfriend and [[GoodParents a good dad]], being dedicated to both roles - though it should be remembered, as and when his son gets hurt, that [[GoodIsNotSoft he is the God of Thunder and Lightning]] ''[[GoodIsNotSoft not]]'' [[GoodIsNotSoft Reason and Understanding]].
** Harry is an interesting variant, being a DeconReconSwitch.
*** In the first book, he plays the trope Straight. thanks to his primarily idealistic nature, ChronicHeroSyndrome, and non-romantic variant on TheDulcineaEffect. It doesn't always pan out very well, such as when he's playing BullyHunter on behalf of Luna Lovegood (it doesn't help if the bullies don't quite get why he's going after them) and anger issues, but he's always trying and will always help, no matter the cost. More than one character remarks that he is far too sweet and kind for his own good, and he stands out in a primarily jaded and cynical cast. As noted in the sequel, his PowerOfTrust brings out better natures in those who didn't even know they had them. Even his darker moments don't quite tip him over the edge. Indeed, his good heart is key in the first book's climax when he's relied upon by arch-schemer Doctor Strange to resist TheFinalTemptation. For his actions, he is also Knighted as a member of the Order of the Garter.
*** Near the start of the sequel, in the ''[[DarkestHour Forever Red]]'' StoryArc, the trope is Deconstructed. His impulsive leap back into the Red Room for to try and talk Maddie, a LivingWeapon and [[spoiler: Jean's [[SeparatedAtBirth stolen-at-birth]] twin sister]] around ends in disaster: he sees her (correctly) as a TragicVillain and [[ArmourPiercingQuestion what he says]] has a real impact and makes her think. [[RealityEnsues But a lifetime of ingrained obedience and programming isn't so easily overturned]], and instead he spends days being horribly tortured, a mere prelude to a TraumaCongaLine that includes [[spoiler: his BlankSlate body (his mind having been removed for safe-keeping by [[HeelFaceTurn Maddie]]) being turned into [[LivingWeapon 'the Red Son']], used to pull a coup and construct an aggressive new Russian Empire, and repeatedly raped by Yelena Belova, [[EvilCounterpart the Red Room's Black Widow]], in her twisted take on the Black Widow/Winter Soldier dynamic]]. This leaves him on the brink of a SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum, and even after he's talked down, he's left [[ShellShockedVeteran horribly traumatised]] and deeply bitter.
*** Yet despite the above, the trope is steadily Reconstructed in more nuanced fashion. He is still dedicated to helping a newly reformed Maddie, [[JerkassRealization he is horrified when he's confronted by Cedric Diggory and realises how he's been treating/terrorising his fellow students]] and his bitterness mainly turns him into a KnightInSourArmour. As Strange says, he is ''still'' the person who will ''always'' do what is right rather than what is easy, and it's why he's TheChosenOne. He even states that as heroes go, Harry is unique. The ''Bloody Hell'' arc shows him as this once more, rescuing [[CourtlyLove Carol]] [[FightDracula from Dracula]] (who wants her [[spoiler: SuperSoldier blood]]). He faces Dracula twice - once in a literal suit of armour - but despite [[PhysicalGod horribly outmatched]] again, he plans ahead, gets help, and (eventually) succeeds. All while resisting the temptation to tap into his [[RealityWarper reality warping]] SuperpoweredEvilSide. He continues to Reconstruct the trope, in [[GuileHero appropriately]] [[CombatPragmatist nuanced]] [[TaughtByExperience fashion]], and when in [[PoweredArmour a personal silvery-white suit of Iron Man armour]], Coulson codenames him 'Agent Galahad'.

[[/folder]]

*** In the first book, he plays the trope Straight. thanks to his primarily idealistic nature, ChronicHeroSyndrome, and non-romantic variant on TheDulcineaEffect. It doesn't always pan out very well, such as when he's playing BullyHunter on behalf of Luna Lovegood (it doesn't help if the bullies don't quite get why he's going after them) and anger issues - which lead to the violence of his BullyHunter tactics - but he's always trying and will always help, no matter the cost. More than one character remarks that he is far too sweet and kind for his own good, and he stands out in a primarily jaded and cynical cast, and as noted in the sequel, his PowerOfTrust brings out better natures in those who didn't even know they had them. Even his darker moments don't quite tip him over the edge. Indeed, his good heart is key in the first book's climax when he's relied upon by arch-schemer Doctor Strange to resist TheFinalTemptation. For his actions, he is also Knighted as a member of the Order of the Garter.
*** Near the start of the sequel, in the ''[[DarkestHour Forever Red]]'' StoryArc, the trope is Deconstructed. His [[ChronicHeroSyndrome desire]] [[TheDulcineaEffect to help]], no matter the cost to himself, comes back to bite him following his impulsive leap back into the Red Room for the sake of Maddie, a LivingWeapon and - as it turns out - [[spoiler: Jean's [[SeparatedAtBirth stolen-at-birth]] twin sister]]. He sees her (correctly) as a TragicVillain and believes he can talk into pulling a HeelFaceTurn (incorrectly). [[ArmourPiercingQuestion What he says]] has a real impact and [[spoiler: his actions - [[GoodFeelsGood and hers in briefly protecting him]] - contribute to a HeelFaceTurn]], a lifetime of ingrained obedience and programming isn't so easily overturned. As a result of leaving himself open like that, he spends days being horribly tortured as a prelude to a TraumaCongaLine that includes [[spoiler: his BlankSlate body (his mind having been removed for safe-keeping by Maddie) turned into a LivingWeapon called 'the Red Son' that is used to pull a coup and construct an aggressive new Russian Empire, slaughtering or [[MindRape Mind-Raping]] everyone in their way, and which is repeatedly raped by Yelena Belova, [[EvilCounterpart the Red Room's Black Widow]], in her twisted take on the Black Widow/Winter Soldier dynamic]]. This leaves him on the brink of a SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum, and even after he's talked down, he's left [[ShellShockedVeteran horribly traumatised]] and deeply bitter.
*** Yet despite the above, the trope is steadily Reconstructed in more nuanced fashion. He is still dedicated to helping a newly reformed Maddie, [[JerkassRealization he is horrified when he's confronted by Cedric Diggory and realises how he's been treating/terrorising his fellow students]] and his bitterness mainly turns him into a KnightInSourArmour. As Strange says, he is ''still'' the person who will ''always'' do what is right rather than what is easy, and it's why he's TheChosenOne. He even states that as heroes go, Harry is unique. The ''Bloody Hell'' arc shows him as this once more, rescuing [[CourtlyLove Carol]] [[FightDracula from Dracula]] (who wants her [[spoiler: SuperSoldier blood]]). He faces Dracula twice - once in a literal suit of armour - but despite [[PhysicalGod horribly outmatched]] again,he plans ahead, gets help, and (eventually) succeeds. All while resisting the temptation to tap into his [[RealityWarper reality warping]] SuperpoweredEvilSide. He continues to Reconstruct the trope, in [[GuileHero appropriately]] [[CombatPragmatist nuanced]] [[TaughtByExperience fashion]], and when in [[PoweredArmour a personal silvery-white suit of Iron Man armour]], Coulson codenames him 'Agent Galahad'.

* Sir Mandorallen from David Eddings's ''Literature/TheBelgariad'' saga (and its sequel, the ''Malloreon'' saga) is a textbook example of the Knight in Shining Armor; he embodies this trope, both outwardly and inwardly. Complete with a tragic chivalric love-from-afar affair. Eddings lampshaded the heck out of the trope, though: Mandorallen is heroic, brave and fearless, unbeaten in combat, honorable, truthful, and so on and so on. The first time in his life that he suddenly felt real fear (when he faced a magical opponent that he couldn't defeat) let to a kind of nervous breakdown, a self-doubt of epic proportions during which Mandorallen developed phobophobia, a paralyzing fear of being afraid. He eventually got over it, with the help of his friends. The other characters routinely tended to poke gentle fun of Mandorallen's utter dedication to chivalry. People who met him for the first time kept asking "Is this guy for real?" and "Did he really just charge the enemy? He's going to die!" -- "No he isn't. He's Mandorallen." Everything you need to know about Mandorallen is summed up in this exchange from ''Castle of Wizardry'', wherein Mandorallen is escorting the Rivan Queen out to the center of a field to address over fifty thousand heavily-armed, potentially hostile soldiers during a ''very'' tense diplomatic stand-off. It's important to note that Mandorallen is speaking here with ''absolutely no irony whatsoever'':

** Harry Dresden, despite his continual disbelief at the concept, is a Wizard version of this. He isn't a firm believer in God, but holds to the "Tao of Peter Parker." He has great power and with it comes great responsibility. He will fight the monsters of the dark with all he has. While he will work with evil at times, he will never submit to it. He endures [[spoiler:a shadow of a Fallen Angel whispering in his ear for ''years'' when no shadow has taken at most days, or weeks to make the person fall]]. His good heart and stubborn determination [[spoiler:changes the shadow herself into something new, and should Harry have taken the coin at that point, would have been killed by the Fallen]].

*** Michael Carpenter fits this trope to a T. Complete with kevlar-lined shining armour. He even meets his wife by saving her from a fire-breathing dragon. While he is an idealist, he isn't dumb. He can work many things out in time and plan accordingly. Even though it pains him, when he gets a call, he will [[LovedINotHonorMore depart from his family]], trusting Him to keep them safe.

** On the other hand, Jaime Lannister is a {{Subversion}}. At first he appears appears the perfect Knight in Shining Armor, being incredibly handsome, the best fighter in the land, the slayer of the previous [[TheCaligula tyrant king]] and, due to to having his armour gilded, actual shining armour. However, he's quickly revealed to be violent, arrogant and [[spoiler:in an incestuous relationship with his sister]]. And thanks to being the Kingslayer, a breach of his vows as a knight of the Kingsguard, nobody trusts him. After going through BreakTheHaughty and a HeelFaceTurn with Brienne's example waved in front of his face, Jaime struggles to become a true, chivalric knight.

** In the prequel novella series ''Literature/TalesOfDunkAndEgg'', the titular Ser Duncan the Tall is a HumbleHero, but he might well be one of the most down-to-earth decent knights in Westerosi history. His rise to infamy in the first story, [[spoiler:defending a common puppeteer from a murder attempt by the King's grandson]] has everyone calling him "a knight who remembered his vows", which is treated as a rarity. His ethics have a lot to do with his humble upbringing as a former street urchin brought up as a hedge knight's squire.

* Literature/{{Worm}} has [[EmotionControl Gallant]], a superhero who explictly chooses to live by this trope.

** Griffith, aside from leading a pack of mercenaries, fits during the [[FlashBack Golden Age arc]]
** Azan the [[RedBaron Bridge Knight]] has a heroic disposition and combat competence [[OldSoldier despite his advanced age.]]

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' has Link who, while not always a knight by occupation, is nonetheless an IdealHero who's been saving the princess and the land of Hyrule from EvilOverlord Ganon since 1986. That said, several of his incarnations are stated to have descended from the Knights of Hyrule, the ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]'' version is in the middle of training to become a knight at the start of the game, and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]''[='s=] Link served as Princess Zelda's personal knight.

* ''VideoGame/DualBlades'' has Duke Andre, a Christian knight who literally wears a ''shining armor'', in fact one of his dislikes is said to be ''unpolished armor''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'': Reinhardt Wilhelm is more of knight in [[PoweredArmor mechanical rocket powered armor]], but he still fits, and in fact ''[[InvokedTrope invokes]]'' this trope. He sees himself as a modern day knight, and was previously part of an enitre ''order'' of modern knights in powered armor called The Crusaders. He acted as the TheHeart to the titular Overwatch, staunchly supporting the group, but calling them out the minute they started straying morally. His forced retirement was the first step to the organization's eventual collapse from corruption and infighting, leading him to become a KnightErrant. [[spoiler:In his youth, he was a hot-blooded and reckless gloryhound whose actions led to the massacre of his mentor and almost his entire unit. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone He later deeply regrets it]]]].

* ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'' has Siegfried, as well as Patroklos (though the latter was initially an arrogant {{Jerkass}} who did morally questionable things in the name of "justice")

* In ''VideoGame/KingArthurTheRoleplayingWargame'', this is a given as you command various members of the Knights of the Round Table. While there are murderous Knights who are more concerned about their chances at raping and pillaging, many of your Knights are law-abiding and hold true to the folklore of chivalry, including your first Knights - Sir Ector and King Mark.

* Sir Gawain from ''Franchise/{{Fate Series}}'' is [[spoiler: the "most honorable knight" according to Artoria]], with being [[UndyingLoyalty undyingly]] [[HonorBeforeReason loyal]] and a bit of a [[ChivalrousPervert chivalrous pervert]]. [[spoiler:[[FailureKnight Turns out that part of the reason why he's so loyal is due to blaming himself for Artoria's death]]]]. Subversed in ''VideoGame/{{FateGrandOrder}}'', [[spoiler:where he ends up [[MyMasterRightOrWrong following the evil Lion King]] [[TheAtoner due to his guilt over said death.]] However, the Gawain summoned by the Lion King is different than the one allied with the player, and the trope is again played straight in the SE.RA.PH arc.]]

* John Hunyadi was known as the "White Knight of Wallachia" and much like Godfrey of Bouillon, was also was revered by his contemporaries for his crusade against the Ottoman Empire. His deeds led him to be awarded the title of ''Athleta Christi'' (Champion of Christ) by UsefulNotes/ThePope and he was respected by his enemies, with [[AntagonistInTheMourning Sultan Mehmed II allegedly grieving at his death]] when Hunyadi perished from the plague and ''that'' was shortly after Hunyadi dealt him such crushing defeat at the Siege of Belgrade that the Ottomans were unable to advance into Europe for 70 years. Today he is a Hungarian national hero and also revered as an example of chivalry in Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria.

* John Hunyadi was known as the "White Knight of Wallachia" and much like Godfrey of Bouillon, was also was revered by his contemporaries for his crusade against the Ottoman Empire. His deeds led him to be awarded the title of ''Athleta Christi'' (Champion of Christ) by UsefulNotes/ThePope and he was respected by his enemies, with [[AntagonistInTheMorning Sultan Mehmed II allegedly grieving at his death]] after Hunyadi perished from the plague and that shortly after Hunyadi dealt him such crushing defeat at the Siege of Belgrade that the Ottomans were unable to advance into Europe for 70 years. Today he is a Hungarian national hero and also revered as an example of chivalry in Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria.

* The Cyber Knights from ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'' are a post-apocalyptic version of this trope, combining Mad Max aesthetic and advanced tech with traditional chivalric values and discipline. Ironically, their founder Lord Coake was a straight up knight from a fantasy world that was displaced to Earth and witnessing the atrocities carried out by the [[TheEmpire Coalition States]], he created the order for the purpose of fighting evil in all of it's forms. While he fits the trope perfectly, his principles do get him into trouble like [[spoiler:the one time he refuse to lend aid to [[TheAlliance Tolkeen]] (one of the other main heroic factions of the setting) because they consorted with demons as [[GodzillaThreshold last resort]] to resist an enemy siege. This action alienated his knights who went on separate ways and he went to found another knightly order to serve this purpose as the Cyber Knights]].

** Steiner in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', to the point that he makes a clanking sound whenever he walks. He is also chivalrous to a fault, and is torn by his conflicting duties to [[AdiposeRex Queen Brahne]] and [[RebelliousPrincess Princess Garnet]].

** ''Paizo's TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' RPG has brought ThePaladin full-circle with the "Shining Knight" archetype, complete with bonuses to mounted combat and riding skill. For those not wanting to add divine elements to it, there's also the Cavalier class.

* Thomas Marshall in ''Film/{{Ironclad}}'' probably fits the mold the most within the story, being a Templar knight who is a ChasteHero constantly harassed by a lustful noblewoman and wearing white robes in contrast to the other knights.

* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy:

** ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' has Siegward of Catarina, as a slightly less bumbling and more badass version of Siegmeyer, and Anri of Astora, who's on a quest to defeat a great evil and wears the Elite Knight set. Darkly subverted with Prince Lorian, though; he was ''originally'' this, but after he and his brother Lothric Linked the Fire, he was reduced to a brain-damaged brute unable to even stand upright, aiding his brother in rejecting the Linking of the Fire and becoming the last Lords of Cinder you fight.

** Though she has some aspects of a KnightInSourArmour, Brienne of Tarth is mostly this trope played as straight as you can get (being a woman in a job otherwise held solely by men notwithstanding). She suffers from deep insecurities, and and is struggling to reconcile the ideal of what knights should be with what most are... hence, some of the sour touches. Yet, she nevertheless [[{{Determinator}} shows]] the boys how it ''should'' be done. Heck, it rubs off on ''Jaime''.

The medieval knight who fights baddies, whether villains, knights or dragons, and in TheTourney, charms ladies without deliberately seducing them, [[IncorruptiblePurePureness behaves honorably]], and saves the day with his [[HeroesPreferSwords sword]]; but also, any hero who behaves similarly. Invariably LawfulGood and [[TheFettered honor bound]]. First appeared in the ChivalricRomance. He has a very high incidence of having a BodyguardCrush and RescueRomance.

*** Sandor actually averts this trope straight from the beginning; he isn't ''technically'' a knight at all. He has the horse, the sword, the armor, et al, but he was never actually knighted. And the reason for this? His older brother, Ser Gregor, is such a psychotic, murderous brute that, if someone like '''''him''''' can become an anointed, accredited ''knight'', then Sandor wants nothing at all to do with the whole hypocritical institution. So, by personal, dedicated conviction and stubbornness... Sandor often ''acts'' something a lot like a "true knight", but in ways and for reasons no official Westerosi knight would find honourable. And shames the lot, when they call him on his supposedly unchivalrous behaviour... that matches their own: ''he'' swore no knightly vows to break. This with a charisma score through the floor, too: when you have a point that strong, you don't need glitter.