History Main / SelfProclaimedKnight

* ''AKidInKingArthursCourt'' reveals its master jouster Black Knight to be [[spoiler:[[SamusIsAGirl the princess]]!]]
* 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, who just wants a chance to actually ''compete'' and earn something himself instead of being given everything because of his station.
* In the 1954 film, ''The Black Knight'', John, a blacksmith and swordsmith, is tutored at [[KingArthur Camelot]]. As a commoner, he can't hope to win the hand of Lady Linet, daughter of the Earl of Yeoniland, so he creates a secret alternate identity as the Black Knight.

** It's implied that Dunk, the hero of the "Dunk and Egg" short stories, was never actually knighted by his master. He claims that his master knighted him before he died, but he is repeatedly afflicted by unexplained guilt when the issue gets raised. Ironically, he might be an ancestor to Brienne, given that his arms appear in her father's keep.

* In EdmundSpenser's ''Literature/TheFaerieQueen'', Braggadocio. A MilesGloriosus whose name is the origin of the noun.

* In EdmundSpenser's ''Literature/FaerieQueen'', Braggadocio. A MilesGloriosus whose name is the origin of the noun.

* 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 known and she leaves in search of adventure.

** Ser Osmund Kettleblack, claims he was knighted by "Ser Robert... Stone," which is about as generic and untraceable a name as John Smith.

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: sometimes they seek to prove themselves, sometimes they wish to escape another fate, or perhaps they 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. Generally the deceit can last a good while, whether in war or TheTourney.

* Happens in ''{{Samurai 7}}'', which is a remake of ''TheSevenSamurai'' (see below).

* In Akira Kurosawa's ''Film/SevenSamurai'', the character Kikuchiyo played by Toshiro Mifune is this, since in caste-based feudal Japan, one has to be born into the Samurai class, and his manners and mid-film epic rant make it clear that he was born a peasant. At one point, he produces a family history scroll, to prove to the other Samurai that he is from a Samurai family, but it is obviously fake, bought, and/or stolen- since, according to it's timeline, he would therefore be thirteen years old.

** To elaborate: Don Quixote is truly GenreSavvy at ChivalricRomance books. Chapter III shows him aware of this trope and he tries to defy it when he insists to [[ThePresentsWereNeverFromSanta an innkeeper (who he thinks is a castellan)]] [{{Knighting}} to knight him after he has watched his armor in the castle chapel -- that is, in the stable of the inn]]. So DonQuixote believes he has averted this trope. However, ''Las partidas de Alfonso el Sabio'', the spanish chivalry code, states that a man cannot be knighted if he is too poor or if he is knighted as a joke… so, Don Quixote, being an ImpoverishedPatrician [[{{Irony}} trying to defy this trope, only has enforced it]].

** To elaborate: Don Quixote is truly GenreSavvy at ChivalricRomance books. Chapter III shows him aware of this trope and he tries to defy it when he insists to [[ThePresentsWereNeverFromSanta an innkeeper (who he thinks is a castellan)]] [{{Knighting to knight him after he has watched his armor in the castle chapel -- that is, in the stable of the inn]]. So DonQuixote believes he has averted this trope. However, ''Las partidas de Alfonso el Sabio'', the spanish chivalry code, states that a man cannot be knighted if he is too poor or if he is knighted as a joke… so, Don Quixote, being an ImpoverishedPatrician [[{{Irony}} trying to defy this trope, only has enforced it]].

** To elaborate: Don Quixote is truly GenreSavvy at ChivalryRomance books. Chapter III shows him aware of this trope and he tries to defy it when he insists to [[ThePresentsWereNeverFromSanta an innkeeper (who he thinks is a castellan)]] [{{Knighting to knight him after he has watched his armor in the castle chapel -- that is, in the stable of the inn]]. So DonQuixote believes he has averted this trope. However, ''Las partidas de Alfonso el Sabio'', the spanish chivalry code, states that a man cannot be knighted if he is too poor or if he is knighted as a joke… so, Don Quixote, being an ImpoverishedPatrician [[{{Irony}} trying to defy this trope, only has enforced it]].

* ''SamuraiSentaiShinkenger'' and ''Series/PowerRangersSamurai'' use samurai instead of knights, but the situation's the same. 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.

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* Mazoga the Orc from ''TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'' says she's a knight, she just sort of decided she'll call herself that one day when her best friend was murdered - deciding she was a knight and taking an oath to avenge him. If she survives the two quests on which she accompanies you, she'll have a chance to become a real knight (as will you) when the local count is impressed by her and your honorable attitude.

->''"So, we lie. How did the nobles become [[BlueBlood 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."''

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* In the 1954 film, ''The Black Knight'', John, a blacksmith and swordsmith, is tutored at [[KingArthur Camelot]]. As a commoner, he can't hope to win the hand of Lady Linet, daughter of the Earl of Yeoniland, so he creates a secret alternate identity as the Black Knight.

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* 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 known and she leaves in search of adventure.
* 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 implied that Dunk, the hero of the "Dunk and Egg" short stories, was never actually knighted by his master. He claims that his master knighted him before he died, but he is repeatedly afflicted by unexplained guilt when the issue gets raised. Ironically, he might be an ancestor to Brienne, given that his arms appear in her father's keep.
** Mystery Knights are tournament competitors who refuse to give their real names, making it ambiguous as to whether they're true knights or not. There are a few examples of people who aren't knights entering the lists as mystery knights, including Barristan Selmy when he was still a squire. There's some evidence that "The Knight of the Laughing Tree" at the Tourney at Harrenhal was actually [[SweetPollyOliver a disguised Lyanna Stark]].

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* In Akira Kurosawa's ''Film/SevenSamurai'', the character Kikuchiyo played by Toshiro Mifune is this, since one has to be born into the Samurai class, and his manners and mid-film epic rant make it clear that he was born into the peasant class. At one point, he produces a family history scroll, to prove to the other Samurai that he is from a Samurai family, but it is obviously fake, bought, and/or stolen- since according to it's timeline, he would therefore be thirteen years old.

* ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi:'' Luke Skywalker declares himself ([[InsistentTerminology repeatedly]]) to be a Jedi Knight. Not a single character takes his claim seriously, due to the Jedi Order's near-total destruction decades before, [[spoiler: until Emperor Palpatine's PreMortemOneLiner.]]

** It's implied that the [[PrecursorHeroes precursor hero]] Dunk of the "Dunk and Egg" short stories was never actually knighted by his master. He claims that his master knighted him before he died, but he is repeatedly afflicted by unexplained guilt when the issue gets raised. Ironically, he might be an ancestor to Brienne, given that his arms appear in her father's keep.

* John, a blacksmith and swordsmith, is tutored at [[KingArthur Camelot]]. As a commoner, he can't hope to win the hand of Lady Linet, daughter of the Earl of Yeoniland, so he creates a secret alternate identity as the Black Knight in the 1954 film, ''The Black Knight''.

* 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.

** Mystery Knights are tournament competitors who refuse to give their real names, making it ambiguous as to whether they're true knights are not. There are a few examples of people who aren't knights entering the lists as mystery knights, including Barristan Selmy when he was still a squire. There's some evidence that "The Knight of the Laughing Tree" at the Tourney at Harrenhal was actually [[SweetPollyOliver a disguised Lyanna Stark]].

For this character to be the hero is a modern trope. In eras with actual knights, this character is very rare and a joke when he does appear, often a MilesGloriosus.

->''"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."''

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: sometimes they seek to prove themselves, sometimes they wish to escape another fate, or perhaps they 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.