History Main / SelfProclaimedKnight

* ''SamuraiSentaiShinkenger'' and ''PowerRangersSamurai'' feature an eastern version with samurai. Where the Rangers came from long lineages of samurai, the SixthRanger is an old friend of the Red Ranger's; teaching himself to fight and building his own gear to fill a promise to help his buddy. The Rangers are reluctant to involve him in the fighting at first, but they soon accept his help.

* ''DonQuixote de la Mancha'' who reads novels about Chivalry and sets out to revive chivalry as a self-proclaimed knight. This example is PlayedForLaughs (before the onset of CerebusSyndrome) as in the time ''Don Quixote'' takes place, wandering knights no longer exist.

* In ''ASongOfIceAndFire'' Brienne of Tarth isn't allowed to be a knight because she's a woman, but she fights and acts like knights are supposed to act better than most of the real ones. This has gained her, on the whole, very little respect. It's also strongly implied that the [[PrecursorHeroes precursor hero]] Dunk of the ''Dunk and Egg'' stories was never actually knighted by his master, given his evasive replies any time that issue come up. Like Brienne, he exhibited the [[KnightInShiningArmor knightly virtues]] more so than many actual knights (there's also some possible GenerationXerox, since there's a suggestion the Brienne may be descended from Dunk [[hottip:*: at one point, she has to choose an alternate coat of arms and uses that off of an old shield she had seen lying around her home. Based on the description of the arms, that would seem to have been Dunk's shield]]).
** The Tourney at Harrenhal which sort of set in motion the events of the series has an example of this in "The Knight of the Laughing Tree". [[TheGhost Howland Reed]] came up from the boonies and was mocked by several knights before being defended by Lyanna Stark. At the actual tourney, the [[BlackKnight Knight of the Laughing Tree]] showed up and trounced the knights who had mocked Reed. While Bran Stark interprets the story as suggesting that Reed fought under this persona, it's strongly implied that it was actually [[SweetPollyOliver a disguised Lyanna Stark]].
** Ser Osmund Kettleblack, a cruel but ultimately cowardly scoundrel, is asked who knighted him and answers "Ser Robert... Stone", which is mostl likely a made-up LineOfSightName.

* ''DonQuixote de la Mancha'' who reads novels about Chivalry and sets out to revive chivalry as a self-proclaimed knight.

The knight's identity may either be revealed, normally alongside AnAesop about prejudice, or remain a mystery and become some sort of legend that inspires the people.

A character wishes to become a knight but cannot, either because of gender, social class, or some other limitation. Thus they either lie about being a knight, or set out to become one in secret, often using a helmet to conceal their true identity. The character's motivation for becoming a knight can vary: Either he seeks to make a point, or perhaps he aspires to the ideal and romance of becoming a KnightInShiningArmor or KnightErrant. Often will be known by a descriptive title like "BlackKnight" or similar, or may be using a suitably noble sounding alias.

The knight's identity may either come out eventually or remain a mystery and become some sort of legend that inspires the people.

A character wishes to become a knight but cannot, either because of gender, social class, or some other limitation. Thus they either lie about being a knight, or set out to become one in secret, often using a helmet to conceal their identity. The character's motivation for becoming a knight can vary: Either he seeks to make a point, or perhaps he aspires to the ideal and romance of becoming a KnightInShiningArmor or KnightErrant. Often will be known by a descriptive title like "BlackKnight" or similar, or may be using a suitably noble sounding alias.

A character wishes to become a knight but cannot, either because of gender, social class, or some other limitation. Thus they come one in secret, often using a helmet to conceal their identity. The character's motivation for becoming a knight can vary: Either he seeks to make a point, or perhaps he aspires to the ideal and romance of becoming a KnightInShiningArmor or KnightErrant. Often will be known by a descriptive title like "BlackKnight" or similar, or may be using a suitably noble sounding alias.

* Alanna in the first half of ''[[TortallUniverse Song of the Lioness]]'' pretends to be a boy named Alan so that she can train for knighthood. After she earns her shield the lie becomes knows and she leaves in search of adventure.

* Don Diego de la Vega as the mysterious black-clad rider who fights injustice in Spanish California in ''TheMaskOfZorro'' and Don Alejandro Murrieta de la Vega in ''TheLegendOfZorro''.

A character wishes to become a knight but cannot, either because of gender, social class, or some other limitation. Thus they come one in secret, often using a helmet to conceal their identity. The character's motivation for becoming a knight can vary: Either he seeks to make a point, or perhaps he aspires to the ideal and romance of becoming a KnightInShinningArmor or KnightErrant. Often will be known by a descriptive title like "BlackKnight" or similar, or may be using a suitably noble sounding alias.

* {{Batman}} in general, but especially how Commissioner Gordon tells it at the end of ''TheDarkKnight''. “He's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a dark knight.”

** William (as Ulrich) earns the Prince's respect by actually meeting him on the competition field despite knowing his true identity., [[spoiler: which is why he later saves William's life and grants him a legal knighthood when his low-birth is revealed]].

* At the end of ''ThePhantomMenace'', Anakin is allowed to be trained as a Jedi Knight in even though he is too old. He vents his frustration to Senator Amidala in AttackOfTheClones that he's ready to be a knight, but they won't let him move on.

Where the RebelPrince says something along the lines of, “IJustWantToBeNormal,” the dark knight says, “IJustWantToBeSpecial.” Specifically, he wants to be a [[SaintChevalier great and noble knight]] but can't do it because he's too low-class or too high-class to be taken seriously. If they say that he's not allowed to then he will take up his [[KnightInShiningArmor shining armor and become a knight]] anyway. A BlueBlood, on the other hand, will become a heroic BlackKnight (a sort of KingIncognito) because after all, DarkIsNotEvil. In both cases he will probably have some sort of dark or noble SecretIdentity, even if it is an open secret.

The opposite of both types is the honest SaintChevalier, but since the defiant Self-Proclaimed Knight is a good guy he probably won't be a rival to the saintly white knight. By the end the heroic Black Knight's identity will probably remain a secret to the public so they can have an ideal to admire. For the KnightInShiningArmor, the secret will probably come out about the same time he rightfully earns his [[{{Knighting}} knighthood status]] and the former dark knight will have the chance to become either a [[SaintChevalier white knight]] or a villainous Black Knight.

* Two of these end up coming into ''AKnightsTale''. One is the classic struggling underdog, William Thatcher, the peasant who's masquerading as the knight Ulrich Von Lichtenstein, and the other is the royal in disguise, Sir Thomas Colville or Edward, the Black Prince.

->'''William:''' So, we lie. How did the nobles become noble in the first place? They took it! At a tip of the sword! I'll do it with a lance... A man can change his stars. I won't spend the rest of my life as nothing.\\
--''AKnightsTale''

* Another classic struggling underdog is the blacksmith-hero of the 1954 film, ''The Black Knight'', who disguises himself under the eponymous title.

The opposite of both types is the honest SaintChevalier, but since the defiant Self-Proclaimed Knight is a good guy he probably won't be a rival to the saintly white knight. By the end the heroic Black Knight's identity will probably remain a secret to the public so they can have an ideal to admire. For the KnightInShiningArmor, the secret will probably come out about the same time he rightfully earns his knighthood status and the former dark knight will have the chance to become either a [[SaintChevalier white knight]] or a villainous Black Knight.

Where the RebelPrince says something along the lines of, “IJustWantToBeNormal,” the dark knight says, “IJustWantToBeSpecial.” Specifically, he wants to be a [[SaintChevalier great and noble knight]] but can't do it because he's too low-class or too high-class to be taken seriously. If they say that he's not allowed to then he will take up his [[KnightInShiningArmor shining armor and become a knight]] anyway. A BlueBlood, on the other hand, will become a heroic BlackKnight (a sort of KingIncognito) because after all, DarkIsNotEvil. In both cases he will probably have some sort of dark or noble secret identity, even if it is an open secret.

Where the RebelPrince says something along the lines of, “IJustWantToBeNormal,” the dark knight says, “IJustWantToBeSpecial.” Specifically, he wants to be a [[SaintChevalier great and noble knight]] but can't do it because he's too low-class or too high-class to be taken seriously. If they say that he's not allowed to then he will take up his [[KnightInShiningArmor shining armor and become a knight]] anyway. A BlueBlood, on the other hand, will become a heroic BlackKnight (a sort of KingIncognito) because after all, DarkIsNotEvil. In both cases he will probably have some sort of dark secret identity.

Where the RebelPrince says something along the lines of, “IJustWantToBeNormal,” the dark knight says, “IJustWantToBeSpecial.” Specifically, he wants to be a [[SaintChevalier great and noble knight]] but can't do it because he's too low-class or too high-class to be taken seriously. If they say that he's not allowed to then he will take up his [[KnightInShiningArmor shining armor and become a knight]] anyway. A BlueBlood, on the other hand, will become a heroic BlackKnight (a sort of KingIncognito) because after all, DarkIsNotEvil.

The opposite of both types is the honest SaintChevalier, but since the defiant Self-Proclaimed Knight is a good guy he probably won't be a rival to the saintly white knight. By the end the heroic Black Knight's identity will probably remain a secret to the public so they can have an ideal to admire. For the KnightInShiningArmor, the secret will probably come out and the dark knight will have the chance to become either a [[SaintChevalier white knight]] or a villainous Black Knight.

* Two of these end up coming into ''AKnightsTale''. One is the classic struggling underdog, William Thatcher, the peasant who's masquerading as a knight, and the other is the royal in disguise is Sir Thomas Colville or Edward, the Black Prince.

* Alanna in the first half of ''[[TortallUniverse Song of the Lioness]]'' pretends to be a boy so that she can train for knighthood.

* In ''ASongOfIceAndFire'' Brienne of Tarth isn't allowed to be a knight because she's a woman, but she fights and acts like knights are supposed to act better than most of the real ones. This has gained her, on the whole, very little respect. It's also strongly implied that the [[PrecursorHeroes precursor hero]] Dunk of the ''Dunk and Egg'' stories was never actually knighted by his master. given his evasive replies any time that issue come up. Like Brienne, he exhibited the [[KnightInShiningArmor knightly virtues]] more so than many actual knights (there's also some possible GenerationXerox, since there's a suggestion the Brienne may be descended from Dunk [[hottip:*: at one point, she has to choose an alternate coat of arms and uses that off of an old shield she had seen lying around her home. Based on the description of the arms, that would seem to have been Dunk's shield]]).

* In ''ASongOfIceAndFire'' Brienne of Tarth isn't allowed to be a knight because she's a woman, but she fights and acts like knights are supposed to act better than most of the real ones. This has gained her, on the whole, very little respect.