Line #123 Main/Knighting


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4	[[quoteright:350:[[Creator/EdmundBlairLeighton https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/accolade_by_edmund_blair_leighton_9.jpg]]]]
5	[[caption-width-right:350:"The Accolade" by Edmund Blair-Leighton]]
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7	->''"In the name of the Warrior I charge you to be brave. In the name of the Father I charge you to be just. In the name of the Mother I charge you to defend the young and innocent. In the name of the Maid I charge you to protect all women."''
8	-->-- '''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''', "Knighting rites"
9
10	Many medieval and fantasy stories in the European tradition feature a KnightInShiningArmor, who in the name of chivalry sets out on a heroic quest such as slaying a fire-breathing dragon that's been terrorizing the country, or rescuing a princess who’s been kidnapped by an evil sorcerer. But where do knights come from? Unlike ownership of a fief or the title of royal prince, knighthood is not something you receive at birth, or that you can inherit from a previous owner. First you have to earn it, and then the person in charge has to give it to you in a ceremony that follows the appropriate traditions and protocols.
11
12	Originally the word knight was a job description with no connotation of high birth or status: it merely meant a warrior who was skilled and wealthy enough to fight on horseback, and owed their service to someone powerful. The English word knight is derived from an Anglo-Saxon word for "servant", while most other European languages use a word meaning "horseman" (e.g. German ''Ritter''[[note]]Cognate to English "rider"[[/note]] or French ''chevalier'').[[note]]Interestingly, many languages straight-up borrowed the German or French word; most Slavic and Celtic languages use words derived from ''Ritter''. Even more interestingly, some Slavic languages use a word that appears to have been based on a Proto-Slavic borrowing from the Proto-Germanic ancestor of the word ''[[UsefulNotes/TheVikingAge viking]]''.[[/note]] The word began to take on new meaning in response to social changes at the dawn of TheHighMiddleAges: the flourishing of merchants and cities gave them new wealth and power to compete with the nobility, while the increasingly independent Catholic Church became more assertive in trying to curb the misbehavior of the warrior class. In order to maintain their distinction from the class of people who worked, and to reconcile the violent nature of war with the ideals of courtesy and piety, the nobility and gentry absorbed the military role of knighthood while turning it into a more exclusive and regulated order.
13
14	A noble child would usually start as a page in order to learn discipline and manners, spend their teenage years as an arming squire taking care of a master's horse and equipment, and when they had grown into a fine warrior, they would be recognized as having earned their spurs. Not everyone became a knight through such careful grooming, though. Commoners could be rewarded with knighthood for exceptional service, and rulers facing a shortfall of heavy cavalry would sometimes make laws requiring anyone who possessed a certain amount of property to present themselves to be knighted whether they liked it or not. In any case, being knighted was often the most important day of one's life.
15
16	In the early days all that was needed was the dubbing, but the protocol quickly grew more elaborate. Expect a formal ceremony in a StandardRoyalCourt with masses of witnesses. In RealLife, these were highly religious events that involved the new knight having a night vigil (sleepless time with praying) in the chapel, ritualized bathing for cleansing, wearing certain colours (such as white) and a final blessing from TheChurch near the end. You'll see little of this because [[TheLawOfConservationOfDetail we don't have time for that]]. The actual event could go on for days, so again this is often shortened for time. But keep in mind that the shortened version also existed: a medieval noble or ruler serving as a field commander would often promote several deserving commoners and squires [[FieldPromotion immediately before a battle]], since one would go to great lengths not to fail his lord or sully his reputation in his first combat as a knight. Countries where the tradition of knighting is still kept up in modern times have also generally streamlined the ceremony somewhat.
17
18	Knighting is probably most well known in the public mind as the moment when a figure such as the true king, TheHighQueen or another knight taps the squire on the shoulders with the flat side of the blessed sword. Originally, any knight could make another. This power was slowly moved into the hands of [[BlueBlood great nobles]], and then finally reserved to the [[RoyalBlood Monarch]] alone. The more formal a court, the fewer people will have the authority. Some women in history were granted knighthood, despite the male-dominated nature of the order. For a long time, however, women were not allowed to perform the knighting ceremony; this only changed when the authority to create knights was restricted to the monarch, which meant that a queen had to be able to do it if she was the sovereign.
19
20	The final act in the dubbing usually involves the new knight swearing their loyalty to TheGoodKingdom. Oftentimes, when someone is knighted, the superior [[SmackOnTheBack giving the knighting punches them or strikes some other kind of blow]], the last such blow that the new knight is expected to take without some form of retribution. A variant of this may happen during the dubbing, when the person is hit with the flat of the sword ''almost'' hard enough to be winded or knocked over. At certain times in history the pivotal moment was when the officiants girded the sword around the initiate's waist and fastened golden spurs to his ankles. Again, you may not see all of these details or variations in a given show. The ceremony is often followed by TheTourney to celebrate the occasion and give the newly created knight a chance to demonstrate their prowess.
21
22	The ceremony is likely to appear even in works set in TheLowMiddleAges, and the degree of elaboration tends to have only tenuous relationship to the alleged era of a work.
23
24	Subtrope of InitiationCeremony. Related to AwesomeMomentOfCrowning and StandardHeroReward. It's tenuously related to white knighting, where a person acts to achieve the glory of being seen as a knight-like figure, not because of any personal chivalry, but because of the personal benefits it will bring.
25
26	----
27	!!Examples:
28
29	[[foldercontrol]]
30
31	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
32	* ''Anime/CodeGeass'' [[spoiler: [[Characters/CodeGeassSuzakuKururugi Suzaku Kururugi]]]] is knighted four times in total.
33	** The first time, by [[spoiler:Princess Euphemia]], is a much-hyped event with all due ceremony and such. This is because it is as much a political issue as a personal promotion - he becomes personal guard to a princess, and her choice of him adds to tensions between Britannians and [[AirStripOne Elevens]].
34	** Then by Cornelia, following her battle with [[spoiler: Lelouch at the Viceroy's palace]] at the end of season 1. This is more ad hoc - she uses her fingers instead of a sword, because she didn't have one, and says "this is a little informal". This was more to give [[spoiler: Suzaku]] her blessing and authority to catch Zero. It is also tied to her guilt over [[spoiler: fighting with Euphemia over her choice, a fight they never had a chance to get over before Euphemia was killed]].
35	** His promotion to [[spoiler:Knight of Seven]], which he requested it as a reward for a great deed in service to his emperor. This ceremony is not shown, but it can be presumed that there was one.
36	** His promotion to [[spoiler:Knight of Zero]] is less ad hoc, but rather more unconventional because [[spoiler: such a position has been created by Lelouch simply to place Suzaku above any other knight in Britannian history - and since the Knights of the Rounds are second only to the Britannian Imperial Family, this makes him practically royalty.]]
37	* Supporting materials and titles of address show that practically all of OZ's combat veteran officers in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' were given some rank of peerage prior the events of the series, though it's most obvious with "Lady" Une and "Lighting Count" Zechs. Presumably they came from the various shadowy royal families that are supposed to make up the Romefeller Foundation.
38	* In ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'', after [[spoiler: he rescued [[TheHighQueen Princess Arika]]]], she informally knighted [[spoiler:Nagi]] while they were preparing for the epic final battle. He kneeled in respect, swore his loyalty and all that jazz. Cool scene considering he rarely ever acted seriously.
39	** Prior to this, every time she had addressed him as "my knight," he'd protested that he was [[FantasyCharacterClasses a mage, not a knight]]. Perhaps she got annoyed and decided this would shut him up...
40	* In the third season of ''Literature/TheFamiliarOfZero'', [[spoiler:Saito, having proven ''many'' times how valuable an asset to Tristain he is, is presented with a title of knighthood by Henrietta, formally making him a noble.]]
41	* After an important battle in the Golden Age arc of ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', Griffith is knighted by the King of Midland. [[spoiler:Shortly after that, his knighthood is stripped from him and he's thrown in the dungeon to be slowly tortured to death for deflowering the princess.]]
42	* In the ''Anime/{{K}}'' prequel novel ''Lost Small World'' (and subsequent manga and stage play adaptations), Saruhiko Fushimi's installation into the Blue Clan, Scepter 4, is shown, and it takes the form of a knighting. He kneels before the Blue King in front of all the troops, and swears an oath, after which the King taps him on the shoulders with the sword, and presents the sword to him. When he takes the sword, he receives his Blue aura and his new powers with it. During the ceremony, he thinks about how different it is from the Red Clan's installation, which involves taking the Red King's hand while his hand is on fire - you get in if you don't get burnt.
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
46	* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'': Parodied in one short story arc where Calvin renames himself "Calvin the Bold" and refuses to answer to people who omit the descriptor. His dad quickly puts an end to this nonsense by using his authority to give him a much less endearing title.
47	-->'''Calvin's Dad:''' By the finite patience vested in me, I hereby dub thee "Mud." You may rise.\
48	'''Calvin:''' My name is ''MUD?!''
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Fan Works]]
52	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfiction:
53	** In ''Fanfic/ChrysalisVisitsTheHague'', this happens twice -- first when Chrysalis makes her lawyer Estermann formally pledge loyalty to her in her jail cell, and later when [[spoiler:Princess Luna takes the ICMP investigator Edith Saric (almost literally) under her wing as she is being booted out of the UN mission]]. The parallels are very apparent, particularly when the to-be-knight is told to kneel and hesitates.
54	** In ''Fanfic/TheFlashSentryChronicles'' [[spoiler:After defeating Longhorn, saving Fluttershy, and learning to let go of his anger instead of letting it control him and seek revenge, Iron Core is knighted by the four alicorns as the newest Royal Knight, and is dubbed by his mentor Skybreaker as the Metal Guardian. Later in ''The Knight of Friendship'', this finally happens to Flash Sentry, after he passes his final test. He is knighted by the alicorns too and dubbed [[TitleDrop The Knight of Friendship]] by his mentor Grand Hoof.]]
55	** In ''Fanfic/HarmonyTheory'' Rainbow Dash gets knighted after helping defeat [[spoiler: Nightmare Umbra.]] However this is done not as a reward, but as a political tactic to draw attention away from [[spoiler: Star Fall's]] engagement to the prince. In this universe, knighthood is another form of nobility, and giving the knight an estate to manage is included in the ceremony.
56	* In ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'', Kyril is knighted by TheHighQueen Celestine for his contribution to putting an end to the ForeverWar against Olga. As ''Sir'' Kyril Sutherland, he would be able to formally serve her kingdom and aid the people of Eostia. This has yet to happen in the remastered version, however.
57	* ''Fanfic/TheParselmouthOfGryffindor'': In a mock ceremony, Fred and George Weasley knight Hermione, Ron, Harry, Maximilian and Hedwig as "Knights of the Order of the Junior Marauders", with all of Gryffindor House present.
58	* In ''Fanfic/TheCrownAtomic'', UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy gained the title of Duke of Vancouver from Edward VIII after the wedding with Princess Elizabeth.
59	* ''Fanfic/MariaCampbellOfTheAstralClocktower'': After she spends a few weeks wandering the countryside righting wrongs, Maria tops it off by dismantling a SexSlave ring. The princes, exasperated at her constant IWasJustPassingThrough excuses, invite her to the capital to "get what she deserves." Maria thinks she's going to be executed right up until the literal second that the king knights her instead. She politely turns down the knighthood three times before accepting it, [[HumbleHero truly believing she did nothing exceptional]].
60	-->Some students tried to get her to tell them the truth behind the so-called 'Lady Maria' rumors, but Maria honestly didn't know how those had gotten started at all. She tried to explain what had really happened, but that didn't seem to help quell the stories, only adding her version of events to the cycle. Her judgement quickly became distorted, with her being [[ObliviousToTheirOwnDescription depicted as some pure, chivalrous figure who had refused the elevation three times]] or some such nonsense. This told with a straight face by people she knew had actually been there!
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
64	* ''WesternAnimation/Cars2'' has [[spoiler:Mater]] knighted by Queen Elizabeth.
65	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}'': When the King believes that the Prince has proposed to Cinderella, he grabs a sword so he can knight the Grand Duke as thanks for keeping them together. But when the Duke reveals the truth, that Cinderella had fled the ball, the enraged King tries to execute him with it.
66	-->'''King:''' I hereby dub you Sir... Um, er, by the way, what title ''would'' you like?\
67	'''Duke:''' Sire... she got away!\
68	'''King:''' Sir Shegotaway? A peculiar title, but if that's what you... ''[[BigWhat She WHAT?!]]''
69	* In ''WesternAnimation/ShrekTheThird'', Shrek knights some unlucky dude with rather messy results ([[DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength he didn't train the sword-tapping-shoulder part enough]]).
70	[[/folder]]
71
72	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
73	* ''Film/AustinPowersInGoldmember'' begins with Austin about to be knighted by the Queen of England. He gets depressed when his father [[DaddyDidntShow doesn't come to the ceremony]].
74	* ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'': After [[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar two]] [[Film/SpiderManHomecoming films]] of Peter Parker trying to convince Tony Stark to let him become an Avenger, Peter tags along when Tony jumps onto a spaceship leaving Earth. Since Tony has no way of sending him home, he rolls his eyes and taps Peter on his shoulders in turn like he's knighting him, saying "Okay kid, now you're an Avenger." It takes Peter a second to realize what happened.
75	* ''Film/{{Black Knight\|2001}}'' ends with Creator/MartinLawrence's character being dubbed Sir Jamal "Sky" Walker, the Black Knight... just before the Queen shouts "clear!" and hits him with defibrillator paddles. It was AllJustADream... or [[OrWasItADream was it]]?
76	* In ''Film/{{Braveheart}}'', William Wallace gets knighted after the Battle of Stirling.
77	* In ''Film/TheCourtJester'', one of the most famous sequences has the lead character taking part in a grand formal ceremony with elaborate marches and chants. However, the King becomes impatient and orders the participants to speed it up. Suddenly, everyone goes into double time with every detail and Creator/DannyKaye's character can't keep up. His pants don't seem to be able to keep up either.
78	* Sir Uryens knights Arthur in ''Film/{{Excalibur}}'', with Excalibur, [[DefeatMeansFriendship because he can't surrender to a mere squire]]. Arthur later knights Percival, hurriedly, in the same fashion.
79	* In the 1937 Armada film ''Film/FireOverEngland'', Michael Ingolby (Creator/LaurenceOlivier) is knighted by [[UsefulNotes/ElizabethI Elizabeth I]] (Flora Robson); in ''Film/TheSeaHawk'' (1940), [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed Francis-Drake-Expy]] Geoffrey Thorpe (Creator/ErrolFlynn) is knighted by the same queen (and the same actress).
80	* In ''Film/JohnnyEnglish'', the titular agent requests to be knighted at the end of the film, having thwarted the plans of the BigBad.
81	* ''Film/KingdomOfHeaven'' gives us Balian (Orlando Bloom) being knighted by his dying father Baron Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson, he seems to always die) and receiving a backhand slap to the face. Later in the movie, Balian does the same with every soldier defending Jerusalem (He only slaps the nearest one, else it could have got time consuming).
82	* In ''Film/KingRalph'', Ralph accidentally cuts the man he is knighting, nearly taking an ear off, because he is distracted. Later, after stepping down as king and being knighted himself, Ralph covers both of his ears while having the sword passed over him.
83	* William receives his sword tap at the end of ''Film/AKnightsTale'' by Edward, the Black Prince of Wales, as repayment for [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe William's honorable actions towards him]].
84	-->'''Prince Edward:''' If I may repay the kindness you once showed me: (''nods'') Take a knee.
85	* In ''Film/TheLastDuel'', Jean de Carrouges gets knighted during a military campaign in Scotland.
86	* ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'': Bedivere is the first to be knighted by King Arthur on his journey, and the only one to be seen doing so.
87	* ''Film/NationalTreasure'': A young Ben Gates, after hearing the story of the Templar Treasure, asks his grandfather if they are knights, to which he replies yes, if he'd like to be. Ben is then knighted by his grandfather, beginning his lifelong search for the Templar Treasure.
88	* In ''Film/OnGuard'' (1997 film adaptation of ''Literature/LeBossu''), Lagardère (Creator/DanielAuteuil) isn't a noble by birth unlike the novel and previous adaptations, and he gets knighted by the Duke Philippe de Nevers (Creator/VincentPerez) when accompanying the latter on the way to Caylus.
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Folklore]]
92	* ''Myth/RobinHood'' is knighted by [[UsefulNotes/RichardTheLionHeart King Richard]] after the events of many versions of the legend. In the versions where he ''isn't'', it's usually because he was already "Sir Robin of Locksley" (or even "Robert, Earl of Huntingdon") before the story started, so he just gets his title ''back''.
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Literature]]
96	* ''Literature/TheAfterward'': The king knights Kalanthe as part of the finale.
97	* At the end of ''Literature/BaptismOfFire'', [[Franchise/TheWitcher Geralt]] is knighted by Queen Meve of Rivia after Geralt's [[TrueCompanions hanse]] wanders into the middle of the battle at the bridge of the Yaruga river and turns the tide of the battle against Nilfgaard. Fittingly, Geralt is dubbed as Sir Geralt Of Rivia, basically ascending his AppropriatedAppellation.
98	* ''Literature/TheBlackArrow'': Dick Shelton is knighted by Lord Plantagenet, leader of the House of York, as a token of gratitude for helping him win the Battle of Shoreby.
99	* In ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'' Jerin's grandfather Alannon was a prince, so Jerin's [[ExoticExtendedMarriage grandmothers]] had to wait until they were knighted (for heroism in war) to marry him, as mere commoners couldn't marry a prince. Apparently, their sense of propriety didn't stop them from keeping their husband a secret from his remaining family ... of course, since ''his'' branch of the family was executed for treason by the other branch, he didn't see much of a point in getting in touch with the family, either.
100	* In Creator/CSLewis's ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'' books:
101	** In ''Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'', [[BigGood Aslan]] knights Peter after he kills the [[SavageWolf wolf]]. Peter knights Edmund after the battle.
102	** In ''Literature/PrinceCaspian'', Peter knights Caspian, and Caspian knights several of his followers right after.
103	* In ''Literature/TheDinosaurLords'', after they distinguish themselves in the battle against [[spoiler:the horde]] and save the day, all commanders of [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits the Fugitive Legion]] are made peers of the Empire.
104	* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' book ''Literature/{{Jingo}}'', Sam Vimes' status as a knight becomes very important, as it enables him to create his own military unit out of Watch members in a time of crisis. When a noble opposes his status he counters each argument, most notably the claim that a knight must spend the night watching his armor.
105	-->'''Vimes:''' A man who doesn't watch his armor around here he's got none left in the morning.\
106	'''Rust:''' ''In prayer.''\
107	'''Vimes:''' Oh, yes. Not a night has gone by without me thinking, "Ye gods, I hope I get out of this alive."
108	* ''Literature/DonQuixote'': This is parodied; the title character insists that [[ThePresentsWereNeverFromSanta an innkeeper (who he thinks is a castellan)]] knight him after he has watched his armor in the castle chapel -- that is, in the stable of the inn. (See also under ''Theatre''.) This shows that Don Quixote may be mad, but he knows exactly how the ceremony must go.
109	* In the [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Dresden]]verse, the Knighting of the Winter Knight is... unusual to say the least. [[spoiler: Mab screws him on a table in front of all the Fae after he kills the previous Knight in cold blood and drips his blood on said table.]]
110	* In ChivalricRomance ''Guy of Warwick'', after his love Felice scorns the notion that she would marry a lowly mewling squire -- she would marry a great knight, mind you, without even asking his father's name -- Guy is knighted before he sets out on adventures to become a great knight.
111	* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' has shown two short form knightings on page, once for Honor herself at the end of ''Honor of the Queen'' and again for Aivars Terekhov in ''Storm From the Shadows''. Interestingly, both Honor and Terekhov had no warning, although it's unlikely either was really surprised in light of their actions at Yeltsin's Star and Monica, respectively.
112	* In Debra Doyle and James [=MacDonald's=] ''Knight's Wyrd'', Will's knighting is one of the opening events of the story.
113	* In ''Literature/MemorySorrowAndThorn'', [[TheHero Simon]] is knighted atop the Stone of Farewell for his deeds in recovering the [[CoolSword magical sword]] Thorn for Prince Josua. The ceremony is preceded by a night of fasting and vigil, and is used by Josua not merely to promote a young man who has served him, but to inspire hope in his ragtag band of refugees. Not long thereafter, Simon is forced to prove his knighthood directly by leading a troop of soldiers in a desperate battle to defend their home.
114	* In Creator/PoulAnderson's ''Literature/AMidsummerTempest'', when Prince Rupert returns to King Charles, the king immediately knights the soldier who accompanied him. (He first asks him to swear loyalty to the throne -- and then explains it's just part of the ceremony and not a doubt of his loyalty.)
115	%%* ''Literature/SirAproposOfNothing''
116	* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' uses a bit of both. After one major battle it's mentioned that so many people were knighted as a result it took ages for the three available knights of the PraetorianGuard to dub them all, and that those knights had stood vigil in roughspun robes at the church the whole night and then walked barefoot to the palace, leaving most if not all with bleeding feet (but they all still stood proudly). However, "any knight can make a knight", and the ritual of anointing a would-be knight with seven oils by a priest is just a formality.
117	** In an introspective mood, Jaime remembers how he was knighted by [[TheAce Ser Arthur Dayne, The Sword of the Morning]]. Dayne actually used his [[AncestralWeapon family's famed greatsword, Dawn]] to do the deed, and cut right through Jaime's tunic with even the lightest tap. He justified it, saying that 'blood is the seal of our devotion'.
118	** There is also the Brotherhood Without Banners, a band of JustLikeRobinHood types led by Ser Beric Dondarrion, a knight who uses this rule to promote his entire army, though few actually use the honorific of "ser" outside the band.
119	** Officially, the North does not have many knights because most northmen follow the Old Gods, and knighthood in Westeros is very much a product of the Faith of the Seven. Not that this makes them any less worthy of honor on the battlefield (and in practical terms, Northern heavy cavalry fills the battlefield role of the knight just fine).
120	** In the short story ''The Hedge Knight'', the squire Raymun Fossoway volunteered to fight for Sir Duncan the Tall in the [[TrialByCombat trial of seven]]. The problem is, you have to be a knight to do that, [[IndyPloy so he had to be knighted on the spot by Ser Lyonel Baratheon, just before the start of the trial]]. ([[OriginStory And thus a new side-branch of his house, the Fossoways of New Barrel, was born.]]) Speaking of Ser Duncan, by the way, there is the strong implication that he was [[SelfProclaimedKnight never actually knighted]] (because the knight he was the squire of passed away before he could do that), which seems to be reason why Dunk was reluctant to knight Raymund ''himself'' in the aforementioned scene...
121	* The appointment of Dominion Lords in ''Literature/TheSovereignStone'' trilogy is largely drawn from this. New elements would probably be the magic armor and the gods descending from heaven personally appoint them.
122	* ''Literature/TheSwordOfSaintFerdinand'' starts with Álvar Pérez de Castro, a nobleman who commanded a part of the Castilian forces, knighting co-protagonist García de Vargas prior to the Battle of Jerez.
123	* Occurs in the ''Literature/TortallUniverse''. There's a vigil and a formal dubbing by the King--in between that, you get to be tested by the Chamber of the Ordeal, a [[EldritchAbomination sentient room]] that's somewhere between FaceYourFears and PsychologicalTormentZone. Squires who are mentally unsuitable (or rotten human beings) are broken by it, and even those who pass come away with mental scars. Alanna of ''Literature/SongOfTheLioness'' and Keladry of ''Literature/ProtectorOfTheSmall'' both undergo the ceremony.
124	* In ''Literature/TheTraitorSonCycle'', this is a OncePerEpisode occurence, as the Red Knight has a habit of knighting people before or after major battles as a show of trust or reward. It even involves the traditional "the last punch you'll ever accept" pat on the arm.
125	* Stasheff's ''A Wizard in Chaos'' has the 'any knight can make another' with [[spoiler: Magnus Gallowglass]], the son of two noble lines, but without any official title other than the knightly 'sir', granting it to the companion who has traveled with him throughout his last three adventures. Also includes the extra 'final punch' option.
126	* ''Literature/AWizardInRhyme'': In Christopher Stasheff's ''His Majesty's Wizard'', the protagonist undergoes the full ritual, with vigil, bath, and an examination on the laws of chivalry; finally he receives his sword tap from the [[KingInTheMountain Emperor in the Mountain]]. He does not have to take a punch.
127	[[/folder]]
128
129	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
130	* ''Series/TheBeverlyHillbillies'': In "War of the Roses", Jethro gets knighted by Jane Hathaway masquerading as UsefulNotes/ElizabethI. The honor is given as Jethro had vanquished Colonel Dumbarton of the neighboring castle. At the same ceremony, Granny is assured by "The Queen" that the stain on the family honor will be rectified, and that everyone in England will know that the Clampett Clan ''did not'' run out on the "War of the Roses. Jed Clampett also takes the opportunity to return the deed to Canada - having purchased the country from the Queen's minister a few episodes before. Believe it or not, this all MakesSenseInContext.
131	* In the ''Series/BabylonFive'' episode "A Late Delivery From Avalon", King Arthur[[note]]In reality - the man who'd inadvertantly started the Earth-Minbari war and took on King Arthur's persona to cope with guilt.[[/note]] knights G'Kar as the first of a new Round Table after the ambassador takes his side against a gang of thugs.
132	* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
133	** In the original series story arc "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E6TheCrusade The Crusade]]", the Doctor's companion Ian Chesterton is knighted as "Sir Ian of Jaffa" (Jaffa being where the knighting took place) by King UsefulNotes/RichardTheLionheart.
134	** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E2ToothAndClaw Tooth and Claw]]", the Doctor and Rose are knighted as "Sir Doctor of TARDIS" and "Dame Rose of the Powell Estate" by UsefulNotes/QueenVictoria... then immediately exiled.
135	* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': The night before the Battle for Winterfell, Jaime noting that "any knight can make another knight" decides to [[spoiler:knight Brienne, finally fulfilling her dream]]
136	-->'''Jaime:''' In the name of the Warrior, I charge you to be brave. In the name of the Father, I charge you to be just. In the name of the Mother, I charge you to defend the innocent. Arise, [[spoiler:Brienne of Tarth]]. A knight of the seven kingdoms.
137	* One episode of ''Series/{{Kaamelott}}'' is centered around it, when King Arthur realizes that [[TheDitz Perceval]] was never officially dubbed and you can't be at the Round Table if you aren't one. Perceval also finds the word "adoubement" (dubbing) cumbersome and wish they would call it "chevalierisation" ([[PerfectlyCromulentWord knighterization]]).
138	* ''Series/TheMandalorian'', "[[Recap/TheMandalorianS3E6Chapter22GunsForHire Guns for Hire]]": After spending some time enjoying Grogu's company, before he leaves, the Duchess of Plazir-15 anoints him as a knight of the Ancient Order of Independent Regencies. Notably, she uses an actual metal longsword to do the classic touch over the shoulders, showing both the gesture and weapon exist in ''Star Wars''. (Thankfully, she's careful around Grogu's ears.)
139	* ''Series/{{Merlin\|2008}}'':
140	** Uther is seen knighting some men. [[spoiler: Then Creator/EmiliaFox shows up]]. The knighting of Lancelot is interesting, to say the least. Lancelot arrives to Camelot to try out for knighthood. He sees Arthur personally sparring with prospective knights, but each is holding back for fear of hurting the prince, much to Arthur's annoyance. Unlike them, Lancelot doesn't hold back and eventually knocks Arthur to the ground. Angry, Arthur gets up, walks towards him, tells Lancelot to get on his knees, grabs a sword in a menacing way... and knights him. Later, Lancelot renounces his knighthood by admitting that he's not of noble blood (a prerequisite).
141	** A very heartwarming example happens in late season 3 when Arthur knights Lancelot, Elyan, Gwaine, and Percival to thank them for remaining loyal to him. Though this knighting is technically unofficial since Uther would never sanction commoners as knights, Arthur ends up taking over shortly thereafter and officially removes the "noble blood" prerequisite.
142	* Parodied in a short ''Creator/MorecambeAndWise'' sketch when Ernie received a knighthood from the Queen and, as she tapped him with the sword, it pulled off his wig.
143	* ''Series/{{The Odd Couple\|1970}}'': In "The Princess", Oscar romances the princess of a small European nation. She was allowed to give out x number of knighthoods a year, but they didn't mean anything since she was an in-name-only leader of her country. She used her last one of the year to knight a homeless man.
144	* In ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', Worf's reward for helping Gowron at the beginning of the Klingon Civil War to finally have his discommendation revoked in a simple formal ceremony.
145	[[/folder]]
146
147	[[folder:Radio]]
148	* In the ''Radio/AdventuresInOdyssey'' episode "Isaac the Chivalrous", a knight named Sir William follows Isaac out of the Imagination Station, a machine that's ''supposed'' to only be virtual reality. But after Isaac proves himself (surprisingly, by ''not'' fighting, and [[TurnTheOtherCheek Turning the Other Cheek]]), Sir William knights him.
149	-->'''Sir William:''' By the sword Rhiannon, I dub thee Isaac the Chivalrous, Knight of Odyssey, Keeper of the Scriptures, Defender of the Faith. Rise, '''Sir''' Isaac.
150	[[/folder]]
151
152	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
153	* It's not uncommon for ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' {{Player Character}}s (particularly in the Rules Cyclopedia) to be knighted if the game goes on for long enough. Usually the knighting happens when a PC hits 9th level, which in those days was considered "Name Level".
154	* The card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=442903 Dub]] from the Domanaria set of ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' depicts this, and also does it to your creatures in game (it's an Enchantment which in addition to boosting the enchanted creature's power and toughness, makes them have the type Knight in addition to other types.)
155	[[/folder]]
156
157	[[folder:Theatre]]
158	* In ''Theatre/TheBibleTheCompleteWordOfGodAbridged'', God tells Abraham that give him his foreskin will establish a covenant between them: "You will be a knight in my army. I will dub thee Sir Cumcision."
159	* In ''Theatre/{{Camelot}}'', the first act culminates with Arthur's investing of the Knights of the Round Table, including his favorite Lancelot, under the sword Excalibur. At the very end of the show, when Arthur knows his own battle is lost, he knights a boy as Sir Tom of Warwick and tells him to run off so he can live to tell the tale.
160	* Parodied in the song "Knight of the Woeful Countenance" in ''Theatre/ManOfLaMancha''. Don Quixote insists that an innkeeper (who he thinks is a king) knight him.
161	[[/folder]]
162
163	[[folder:Video Games]]
164	* ''VideoGame/BugFables'': In the end of the game, [[spoiler:Queen Elizant II knights Team Snakemouth as her Royal Blades for their great role in finding [[MacGuffin the Everlasting Sapling]] (its destruction aside) and defeating the [[EvilOverlord Wasp King]].]]
165	* Frog/Glenn gets knighted in the ending cinema of ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger''. And [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic his theme]] is playing throughout this, making it even more awesome.
166	* ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'':
167	** Elincia knights Ike in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance''.
168	** Pelleas appoints Micaiah as General of the Daein Army in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'', but the ceremony (and the result) is much the same.
169	** Princess Nyna trusting Prince Marth with the Fire Emblem in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemMysteryOfTheEmblem'' could be seen as this.
170	* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'', [[KnightErrant Sora]] gets this in [[WesternAnimation/MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers Country of the Musketeers]] from [[WesternAnimation/MinnieMouse Princess Minnie]], being named a Royal Musketeer officially at the conclusion of that world's story. That said, given that it is [[TimeTravel in the King's past]], but nonetheless still in [[DreamLand the Sleeping Worlds]], whether or not this title was actually given in that time period is uncertain.
171	* ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' has the Spectre induction ceremony, complete with rousing music and stirring speeches. Getting reinstated (both times) is much more underwhelming. It's notable because Shepard is the first human to be inducted into the organization, and various diplomats stop what they're doing to watch the ceremony.
172	* At the end of ''VideoGame/MitsumeteKnight'', the Asian (aka the player character) gets knighted by the King of the country he fought for as a mercenary, in recompense for winning the war. The Knight Title he gets depends of his Level and number of Medals : from highest title to lowest, there's Holy Knight, Silver Knight, White Knight, Black Knight, Red Knight, Purple Knight, Blue Knight, and Semi-Knight.
173	* The PC of ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'' is hastily knighted to avoid being extradited to a KangarooCourt. Notable in that the vigil is actually shown, though most of the other steps are skipped. A companion shows up and you get attacked by bad guys as well, naturally.
174	* ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'': The various Force using classes are all knighted by the end of Act One, even though only the Jedi use the term "knight." Sith prefer "Lord."
175	* In the beginning of ''Franchise/StarWars: VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed'', Darth Vader knights Starkiller with his lightsaber as he officially acknowledges him as his Sith Apprentice.
176	* In the ending of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII'', TheHero receives the title of [[spoiler:Loto/Erdrick, revealing said Hero you've been playing to be the FamousAncestor of the prior two games' heroes.]]
177	* Symbolically, Leo knights [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Gawain]] near the end of ''VideoGame/FateExtra''.
178	* ''[[VideoGame/CelestianTalesOldNorth Celestian Tales: Old North]]'' has its six main characters start out as squires (knights-in-training). The last part of the game features their knighting ceremony.
179	* The first story mission in ''VideoGame/ForHonor'' ends with the player being knighted by Holden Cross and recruited into the Blackstone Legion for winning the CombatByChampion.
180	* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
181	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks'': While not actually a knighting ceremony, Link receiving his license to become a Royal Engineer is treated the same way, complete with Princess Zelda personally handing him his certificate. Trains are SeriousBusiness in New Hyrule.
182	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'': The first recoverable memory shows Zelda "knighting" [[note]]He was already a member of the Royal Guard and a knight beforehand[[/note]] Link as a member of the Champions and as her personal bodyguard in a ceremony on the suggestion of the Goron Champion [[BigBrotherMentor Daruk]]. Though she is so somber because of her own [[InadequateInheritor insecurities]] and [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex jealousy of Link's apparent ease in meeting his destiny]] during the ceremony that Daruk admits that she's "making it sound like we've already lost" against Ganon.
183	* In the FanRemake of ''VideoGame/KingsQuestII'', you (as Graham) can choose to do this [[spoiler: to the protagonist of ''VideoGame/KingsQuestMaskOfEternity'']]. Said FanRemake also establishes that, should the monarch of Daventry die without heirs, the First Knight (highest-ranking and most trusted Knight) becomes monarch, which is how Graham got the job [[VideoGame/KingsQuestIQuestForTheCrown in the first place.]]
184	* ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies2ItsAboutTime'': The Zombie King is capable of doing this to nearby Peasant Zombies, turning them into ''[[HeavilyArmoredMook very durable]]'' Knight Zombies.
185	* In ''VisualNovel/{{Sunrider}} 4: The Captain's Return'', Asaga di Ryuvia invokes an ancient Ryuvian law to make Kayto Shields an honorary count, mainly so her ministers will stop complaining about her choice to hand over her people's most advanced starship to a foreigner.
186	-->'''Asaga:''' Step forward, Kayto Shields. By the laws of the Holy Empire, I, Queen Asaga di Ryuvia, bestow upon you the title of Count. You are granted all the privileges and duties of that title, until the crown has deemed you unfit for service. Rise, Count Shields.
187	[[/folder]]
188
189	[[folder:Web Animation]]
190	* ''WebAnimation/TheLittlePainter'': Pierre is knighted by King Croissant for getting rid of a bridge troll.
191	[[/folder]]
192
193	[[folder:Webcomics]]
194	* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Noah [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2011-03-23 claims]] to have knighted Adrian Raven but Raven claims he doesn't have the authority to knight anyone.
195	* In ''Webcomic/{{Exiern}}'' King Urtica decides to [[http://www.exiern.com/?p=1849 dispense with the ceremony]], and simply to declare Tiffany a knight of the realm. He also decides to dispense with any threats of poisoning if she refuses too, isn't that nice of him.
196	[[/folder]]
197
198	[[folder:Web Original]]
199	* ''LetsPlay/{{Mahu}}'': In "Frozen Flame" Prince Arius personally knights several of his army's horsemen. This knighting however is more bureaucratic, with the prince handing each man and woman a signed paper, a pat in the shoulder and then all the armor and weaponry they need to fight as armored knights.
200	[[/folder]]
201
202	[[folder:Western Animation]]
203	* A variation in ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' when the Nice King (the Ice King) makes Finn and Jake his "nice knights".
204	* Parodied in the ''WesternAnimation/BugsBunny'' cartoon ''WesternAnimation/RabbitHood''. Bugs has [[KarmicTrickster conned]] the Sheriff of Nottingham into thinking he's the king, and that Bugs is going to knight him.
205	-->'''Bugs:''' Arise, Sir Loin of Beef! ''strikes Sheriff over the head with his sceptre'' Arise, Earl (oil) of Cloves! ''strike'' Arise, Duke of Brittingham! ''strike'' Arise, [[Literature/TheSurprisingAdventuresOfBaronMunchausen Baron of Munchausen]]! ''strike'' Arise, Essence of Myrrh! ''strike'' Milk of Magnesia ''strike'' Quarter of Ten ''strike''\
206	'''Sheriff:''' ''(dazed, slurred)'' [[NonSequiturThud You're too kind, your majesty]].\
207	'''Bugs:''' ''([[BreakingTheFourthWall to audience]])'' Got lots of stamina!
208	** There's an aspect of AccidentallyCorrectWriting here, in that the "taps on the head" weren't always just light taps; historically, they were often hard enough to hurt. A noble warrior might not have been surprised to have the knighting taps hurt, any more than it would be surprising to someone in a fraternity hazing. But it doesn't seem as if WesternAnimation/BugsBunny knew any of this.
209	* There were two knightings in ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}''. Princess Katherine used a dagger to dub Tom "Guardian of the Eggs". King Arthur used Excalibur to knight Griff.
210	* In the ''WesternAnimation/HelloKittysFurryTaleTheater'' episode "Sleeping Kitty" (a spoof of ''Literature/SleepingBeauty''), the servant Sam fails to stop Princess Kitty from falling into the enchanted sleep. The King draws his sword and Sam assumes he will be executed for his failure, but the King instead knights him and charges him to protect the realm as he and his Queen choose to join their daughter in the enchanted sleep. Eventually, Sam realizes that in knighthood, he qualifies as a prince, and he breaks the spell by giving Princess Kitty TrueLovesKiss.
211	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Princess Celestia does the typical shoulder-tap to Twilight with her horn before she and her friends run off to retrieve the Elements from Discord in the second season opener.
212	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Krusty the Clown was nearly knighted by the Queen of England herself... but then he got a call about the problems with Kamp Krusty.
213	* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'': In "Scent of a Hoodie", King River declares Marco Diaz a Knight of Mewni as thanks for his heroism and gives him a cape. However, in "Lint Catcher", when he tries to pull rank with the other knights, they refuse to acknowledge him. It turns out River was only humoring him and didn't think Marco would take him seriously, and the cape was just an old blanket. If Marco truly wants to be a knight, he must endure months or years of training as a squire. Then, Star gives Marco the equivalent of a knighting ceremony (with a hilariously long oath) to make him her squire.
214	* In ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsCloneWars'', Anakin was knighted by Yoda and the Jedi Council ''[[RuleOfCool with a lightsaber.]]'' It was to sever the "Padawan Braid" that Anakin had, which was delivered (secretly) to Padme, which symbolized the attainment of Jedi Knight rank. This is the same method used for all Jedi Padawans upon ascension to Knight-hood.
215	* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS2E16ShroudOfDarkness "Shroud of Darkness"]] brought the Jedi knighting ceremony described above back into canon, when [[spoiler:Kanan is knighted by the Sentinel]]. It even uses the same wording as ''Clone Wars'', sans "Knight of the Republic" because this is after the Republic has fallen.
216	[[/folder]]
217
218	[[folder:Real Life]]
219	* While the martial aspects of the tradition have been de-emphasised significantly in this day and age, knighthood is still SeriousBusiness in countries where it's still practiced. In Britain, being knighted is comparable to a US citizen being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The same applies to other countries with their own orders of knighthood.
220	* Creator/SeanConnery showed up for ''his'' knighting in full Scottish regalia (i.e., a kilt). Since he's Scottish, it's not surprising but still shows the formal ceremony thing.
221	* Creator/StephenColbert was knighted by the Queen of Jordan ... with [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Andúril]]. (Note that knighthood as such is unknown in the traditions of the Arab monarchies; note also that Queen Noor is a half-Swedish, half-Syrian American, and [[RuleOfCool the whole thing is so cool nobody should give a damn]].)
222	* Creator/TerryPratchett, upon hearing that he would be awarded a knighthood, decided that a knight ought to have a sword, and made his own ... [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments out of meteoric iron.]]
223	* Sir Creator/PatrickStewart mentioned on ''The Graham Norton Show'' episode on 27 January 2012 that when he was knighted, he was very scared because Queen Elizabeth II seemed to produce the sword out of nowhere. Add to that, she looks like a frail old woman holding a large, heavy sword right by his neck. He also wrote elsewhere that before the knighting ceremony, he thought to himself, "What would [[ComicBook/{{Transmetropolitan}} Spider Jerusalem]] do?" and came up with "Headbutt Prince Charles". As such, he couldn't hear what the prince said to him after the ceremony, as he was using all his willpower not to headbutt him.
224	* The French king François Ier was knighted (at his own request) after his victory at the battle of Marignan by one of his knights, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Terrail,_seigneur_de_Bayard Pierre de Bayard]], who was apparently the closest we'll ever get to a real-life KnightInShiningArmor.
225	* If one doesn't mind it being purely decorative with no actual authority, any man who visits a Theatre/MedievalTimesDinnerAndTournament (and pays the associated fee, of course) can be given a ceremony where he is knighted; women are instead deemed a Lady of the Realm. Often used to celebrate a birthday or other such occasion.
226	[[/folder]]

Context Main / Knighting