History Main / ThePaladin

* WebOriginal/URealmsLive:

* ''Literature/TalesOfInthya'': The Order of the Sun are these, knights sworn to never [[WillNotTellALie tell lies]], [[TheTeetotaler drink alcohol]] or gamble while protecting people against evil gods and monsters. Orsina though then clarifies that it's just actually drunkenness that's forbidden, not drinking overall.

* ''Literature/TalesOfInthya'': The Order of the Sun are these, knights sworn to never [[WillNotTellALie tell lies]], [[TheTeetotaler drink alcohol]] or gamble while protecting people against evil gods and monsters.

* ''Literature/TheQueenOfIeflaria'': The Order of the Sun, whose members are knights who swear oaths against [[TheTeetotaler drinking]], gambling and [[WillNotTellALie lying]] (even about minor things), while they're dedicated to protecting the weak.

* ''Literature/TheCrimsonShadow'': A paladin is sent by King Greensparrow against Luthien. He fights honorably, giving Luthien a fair chance to beat him. After learning Greensparrow is really an {{evil sorcerer}} who's in league with demons, the knight immediately switches sides and goes down fighting a demon that attacks Luthien.

** Paladins in the first game are the TropeCodifier for good but not LawfulGood paladins that follow "the Light" instead of a specific deity. They also tend to retain their powers as long as ''they'' think they're doing good, which can lead to some [[KnightTemplar unpleasant]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist things]]. Originally, they were members of [[TheOrder The Knights of the Silver Hand]] until said order got decimated after the fall of Lordaeron. They later served the Argent Crusade, and their respective factions, the Alliance or Horde in general.
** The ''Warcraft III'' paladins are defensive/supportive hero units that supported their allies through healing, and armor-boosting aura, and a mass resurrection ability. They also had the ability to personally become completely invincible for short periods of time and their healing spell could [[ReviveKillsZombie heavily damage enemy undead]] units and most demons.

* At least on a conceptual level, the Sant Sipahi ("Saint-Soldier") are the equivalent of paladins in UsefulNotes/{{Sikhism}} as a group of holy warriors who were meant to not only defend the faith, but also fight against tyranny and religious persecution (which also included persecutions of religions who are not Sikh, such as the Hindus who were persecuted under the Muslim Moghul Empire rule.) On a technical level, ''all'' Sikhs are holy fighters and the religious uniform includes the Kirpan, a sword/dagger, meant to symbolize the Sikh's willingness to use it to defend the innocent.

What's a [[VideoGame/UltimaIX Paladin?]]

* In ''LightNovel/TheDeathMageWhoDoesntWantAFourthTime'', the adventurer Heinz is framed as one, seeking to uphold justice in the name of his patron god. Unfortunately for the HeroAntagonist, his god is Alada, who calls entire races "evil" for daring to exist without his permission, even if Alda himself states that they are no morally different, or less capable of being morally upright. Heinz himself has a a concept of "justice" that is heavily biased in favor of the "human" races, seeing the humans as "innocent until proven guilty" and the races Alda hates as "guilty until proven innocent" but by the time their innocence is proven, he's either already killed them, or delivered them to those that did. When he's challenged on it, he gets defensive and goes full-tilt NeverMyFault.

*** Similarly, the [[AllTrollsAreDifferent Zandalari Trolls]] have their own sect of paladins in the form of Prelates, who draw their power from their veneration of [[KingOfTheDinosaurs Rezan]], the Loa of Kings (or any loa in general, seeing as they continue to exist after [[spoiler:Rezan's death, though it did cause some of them to lose their powers]]).

* ''VideoGame/JourneyOn'': If the Holy Sword is obtained, Selena gains the Holy Warrior class, which gives her a bigger MP bar than Shirley and gives her several holy spells that cover offense, defense, and healing. These spells are meant to give her an advantage against Darkness-aligned enemies, [[spoiler:and she'll need it, since this path will result in Selena fighting the Avatar of Darkness and her minions alone.]

** ''[[TabletopGame/AdvancedDungeonsAndDragonsSecondEdition 2nd Edition]]'': Paladins are designed to be a rare and special character class. This is achieved by giving them the most onerous required stats of the game, most notably a 17 or better in [[TheSixStats Charisma]] (a measure of physical appearance, leadership skills, and ability to influence others).

TabletopGames have a special relationship with the paladin, particularly ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', which [[TropeCodifier codified]] many paladin tropes. Paladins typically have strong advantages expressed in game mechanics terms, but their disadvantages (a code of conducts, for example) are much harder to express in the same way. A [[KillerGameMaster Jerkass DM]] can easily set up a {{Sadistic Choice}} ToBeLawfulOrGood, but such a setup can evolve naturally. ToBeLawfulOrGood is a conflict of the core parts of the Paladin's beliefs and downplaying it seems unnatural. Some TabletopGames openly suggest that there is no proper answer in this case and the paladin falls regardless of the choice made, while others can be more forgiving.

Some games skirt the whole "Paladins must be good" requirement by defining them as ''any'' Magic Knight devoted to a specific religion or deity, in which case the Paladin identifies with the alignment and ideals of that religion. This is often used to explain Dark Paladins following a [[ReligionOfEvil Religion]] or GodOfEvil, though other options exist as well.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': The paladin class is the TropeCodifier of the standard paladin (and the TropeNamer for its signature attacks, DetectEvil and SmiteEvil before it was renamed to HolyHandGrenade). As such, ''D&D'' has a ton of paladins, paladin variants, and not-quite-paladins. Generally speaking, paladins are aligned with specific deities and act as a mix of holy crusaders and unorthodox priests on their behalf-- the ChurchMilitant to clerics' SaintlyChurch, in a sense. In the core rules paladins are presented as drawing power from the raw forces of [[LawfulGood Law and Good]] via their nature as TheFettered, and [[ReligiousBruiser gravitate strongly towards organised religion]] but aren't strictly required to belong to one in the sense clerics are; however multiple settings change this to them instead being [[ChosenOne champions directly appointed by a god]].

** ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragonsThirdEdition Editions 3.0 and 3.5]]'':
*** Paladins must follow a Code of Conduct in order to retain their special abilities. Once lost, these abilities can only be restored by a high-level cleric or druid casting ''atonement'' (which is free if the violation was accidental, but becomes CastFromExperiencePoints if it was deliberate).

*** Paladins must follow a Code of Conduct in order to retain their special abilities. Once lost, these abilities can only be restored by a high-level cleric or druid casting ''atonement'' (which is free if the violation was accidental, but becomes CastFromExperiencePoints if it was deliberate)
--->A paladin must be of [[LawfulGood lawful good]] alignment and loses all class abilities if she ever willingly commits an evil act.
--->Additionally, a paladin’s code requires that she respect legitimate authority, act with honor (not lying, not cheating, not using poison, and so forth), help those in need (provided they do not use the help for evil or chaotic ends), and punish those who harm or threaten innocents.

*** In addition, the paladin's devotion to their path is represented by special multiclasssing rules (shared with monks); paladins who take levels in another class can raise their paladin level again.[[note]]With exceptions for certain paladin-targeted {{Prestige Class}}es and characters with the Knight Training feat which removes this restriction[[/note]]

** ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragonsFourthEdition 4th Edition]]'': Paladins in this edition do not follow this trope, being a more generic {{Church Militant}} class with no restrictions on alignment or behaviour.
** ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragonsFourthEdition 5th Edition]]'': ditches both the alignment restrictions ''and'' the "have to be bound to a deity" angles. Instead, it switches to an "Oath" that a Paladin chooses at 3rd level. The Oaths are written flexible enough that both player and DM can come to an agreement of what counts as "breaking the oath". If you break your Oath and do not repent, you become an Oathbreaker. Xanathar's Guide then introduced the Oath of Conquest for players who want the ''name'' of paladin without following ''this trope''.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': The paladin class is the TropeCodifier of the standard paladin (and the TropeNamer for its signature attacks, DetectEvil and SmiteEvil before it was renamed to HolyHandGrenade). As such, ''D&D'' has a ton of paladins, paladin variants, and not-quite-paladins. Generally speaking, paladins are sworn to specific deities and act as a mix of holy crusaders and unorthodox priests on their behalf -- the ChurchMilitant to clerics' SaintlyChurch, in a sense.
** In 2nd Edition, Paladins are designed to be a rare and special character class. This is achieved by giving them the most onerous required stats of the game, most notably a 17 or better in [[TheSixStats Charisma]] (a measure of physical appearance, leadership skills, and ability to influence others).
** 3e and 3.5 has your standard KnightInShiningArmor paladins as a core class, but sourcebooks eventually added variants such as the Paladin of Freedom (ChaoticGood instead of the Paladin of Justice's LawfulGood), the Greyguard (a paladin PrestigeClass that allows for moments of IDidWhatIHadToDo by making it much easier to regain one's paladin powers after violating the paladin code of conduct), and the Holy Liberator (ChaoticGood champions of "ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight"). And aside from all these, there's the [[NeutralGood Sentinel]].
** Paladins in the 4th Edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' do not follow this trope, they just share the name.
** 5th Edition ditches both the alignment restrictions ''and'' the "have to be bound to a deity" angles. Instead, it switches to an "Oath" that a Paladin chooses at 3rd level. The Oaths are written flexible enough that both player and DM can come to an agreement of what counts as "breaking the oath". If you break your Oath and do not repent, you become an Oathbreaker. Xanathar's Guide then introduced the Oath of Conquest for players who want the ''name'' of paladin without following ''this trope''.

** The Protector class (actually called Paladins in the Japanese version). They can equip the heaviest armor and most of their abilities revolve around protecting the rest of their party from harm. Their offensive power is decent at best compared to other classes, being bolstered by a ShieldBash skill, and they possess some basic healing abilities.
** The [[StoneWall Fortress]] class from the fourth game is similar to the Protector, with more offensive versatility.

* Priam Agrivar from [[Creator/DCComics DC]]'s ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' and ''ComicBook/ForgottenRealms'' titles back in the 80s, one of the better fleshed-out examples of the classic D&D-style (AD&D 2nd Edition in particular) paladin -- complete with all-too-human failings (like lingering alcoholism) and doubts but ultimately the determination to prove himself worthy as well. Interestingly, he seems to owe formal allegiance to no specific faith or other organization, or if he does, it's never shown; he always appears as essentially his own man trying to do good as best he understands it, and his powers seem to work well enough regardless. [[note]][[AllThereInTheManual His character write-up]] in the ''Magazine/{{Dragon}}'' article "Rogues Gallery: The Crew of the ''Realms Master''" says he's a paladin of Torm, god of duty, although other sources say he follows Tyr, god of justice. Which just proves the point that it never came up in the comics.[[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'':
** The game's universe features an unusually secular take on the archetype with The Sentinels, an ancestral order of heroes committed to protecting the world from [[UnholyGround the undeath of the Shadow Isles]], and does so using [[MageMarksman magical guns]] made of stones on handles that [[LightEmUp fire blasts of light]]. While the Sentinels are considered a major faction, they don't own any sovereign territory, and are instead spread around bases across Runeterra, with each nation having a base and several Sentinels appointed to keep the peace. Several playable Sentinels include [[GunFu Lucian]], [[CombatMedic Senna]], and [[LovableRogue Akshan]].
** Leona is also an example of this, the [[KnightInShiningArmor sword and shield-wielding paragon]] of a monastic order known as The Solari, ''and'' [[DeityOfHumanOrigin an embodiment of The Aspect of the Sun]]. In gameplay, she's a very powerful tank/support champion [[StoneWall who acts as a wall between her opponents and allies]], and can call down ThePowerOfTheSun to lead her team into the fray. Leona is also a bit of a {{Reconstruction}} of the trope as she discovers that the Solari are [[LightIsNotGood a militant, somewhat corrupt order]], but [[WhiteSheep her morals in wanting to achieve peace through understanding are genuine]], and knowing her order's corruption [[InternalReformist motivates her to reform it from the inside.]]

Some games skirt the whole "Paladins must be good" requirement by defining them as ''any'' Magic Knight devoted to a specific religion or deity, in which case the Paladin identifies with the alignment and ideals of their chosen god or philosophy. This is often used to explain Dark Paladins following a [[ReligionOfEvil Religion]] or GodOfEvil, though other options exist as well.

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/zelda/images/6/69/Christianity.png/revision/latest?cb=20100206235403 Official Nintendo artwork]] shows [[TheHero Link]] kneeling before a crucifix of Jesus Christ. The first two games in the Legend of Zelda franchise [[AmbiguouslyChristian directly portray Hyrule as a Christian land]], and [[https://zelda.fandom.com/wiki/Christianity Link as a Christian warrior]]. He has both an [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190505052056/https://server.emulator.games/images/nintendo-famicom-disk-system/Link%20no%20Bouken%20-%20The%20Legend%20of%20Zelda%202%20(Japan)%20(Rev%201).jpg obvious crucifix emblazoned on his shield]], and a Bible in his inventory ([[{{Bowdlerize}} which was localized in the West]] as a [[JesusTaboo "Book of Magic"]]). Later games changed Hylian religion [[CrystalDragonJesus to an utterly fanciful one]] with multiple ''goddesses'', but the overtones remain: Link is a warrior who was chosen by the goddesses to [[LegacyCharacter reincarnate]] continually to protect [[TheKingdom the Kingdom of Hyrule]] from the ongoing curse of an evil demon. He is utterly pure of heart, and wields the Master Sword: a holy weapon specifically forged by the goddesses to destroy evil.

-->-- '''Lord Alfred Tennyson''', "Sir Galahad"