Sometimes a KnightErrant or TheDrifter can't get the job done alone. So what do they do? Why, gather a group of likeminded individuals, of course. The Order is a group of people come together to further some aim, whether it's to accomplish a specific goal or in support of a more general set of ideals, which are usually written down in its [[CodeOfHonour Code]]. It is usually a highly exclusive organization--you cannot simply join, you must be recruited (or at least pass a difficult application process of some kind). However, despite these high standards, The Order can vary widely in size and influence. It may be a small, elite group of adventurers, or it may be an army-sized power unto itself with its own dedicated support staff and base(s) of operations.

The Order is often grounded in an AncientTradition, which may or may not be public knowledge. Many fictional Orders also train their members in the use of some SecretArt--in which case they are likely to [[FantasticRecruitmentDrive only recruit those with the potential to use it]]. The Order is itself often (but not always) a part of TheChurch, making them {{Church Militant}}s. This is probably a holdover from real life knightly orders, groups dedicated to the advancement of Christian interests and officially acknowledged by the Catholic Church. Similarly, you can expect many fictional Orders to have a distinctly chivalric flavor--even if the setting isn't otherwise medieval.

Orders can be secret or public, good or evil, but much like TheRepublic, good Orders show up far more often in fiction. Heroic Orders are likely to also be HeroesRUs, and dead Orders usually inspire OrderReborn plots. [[ThePaladin Paladins]] are usually part of an Order. If their purpose is protecting an ancient MacGuffin or other secrets they're an AncientOrderOfProtectors. If they all use magic, they overlap with MagicalSociety. Compare with AvengersAssemble.

Not to be confused with the short-lived Creator/MarvelComics title ''ComicBook/TheOrder2007'', the 2001 Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme movie ''The Order 2001'', or the 2003 Creator/HeathLedger movie ''Film/TheOrder''. Also not to be confused with ''VideoGame/TheOrder1886'' or the Netflix show ''Series/TheOrder''. And ''definitely'' not to be confused with the white supremacist group that killed Alan Berg in 1984. Finally, not to be confused with the abstract concept of order: for that one, please see OrderVersusChaos.
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!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* The Black Order of ''Manga/DGrayMan'' collects [[EmpathicWeapon Innocence]] and the people capable of using it to fight [[TheHeartless Akuma]].
* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', the Demon Slayer Corps (Kisatsutai), is a secret military organization created by the Ubuyashiki family with the sole purpose of eradicating demon kind, at first they were just a group of normal swordsmen risking their lives to kill demons, whom the very weakest of could be a serious problem, but as the time went on they were blessed with the knowledge of Breathing arts, which made them, mere humans, acquire physical abilities that made the slayers far more successful in killing demons.
* Order of Mary Magdalene from ''Manga/ChronoCrusade''.
* ''Anime/CodeGeass'' has several Knightly ones, most notably the Knights of the Rounds. The spinoff manga ''Manga/CodeGeassOzTheReflection'' has the Glinda Knights.
** The [[LaResistance Black Knights]] are styled this way in English - not just in translation, but in flavor text as well - as "The Order of the Black Knights" (''Kuro no Kishidan'' in Japanese).
* ''Manga/Fabricant100'': Mortsafe is a human organization that is described as an Anti-Fabricant group. It's not said how many Fabricants they've already defeated, if any, but if Luca is of any indication, their fighters are capable of it.
* The "Jusenkyo Morals Committee" from a filler episode of ''Anime/RanmaOneHalf'' are a comically inept take on this concept. Their paladin [[FluffyTheTerrible Kenny the Enforcer's]] own Jusenkyo curse from the spring of the drowned pacifist Buddhist monk proves to be an AchillesHeel.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas from ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' comics, founded by a guy who was too fanatical for the Templars, was a religious warrior sect who denied Papal sanction and went underground while secretly amassing wealth and power. They grew corrupt over the centuries, and were ultimately destroyed by Jean Paul Valley, the final successor to the name of their "avenging angel", ComicBook/{{Azrael}}.
* Creator/DCComics' Atomic Knights, a knightly order established AfterTheEnd (possibly in the same future as Kamandi) by Sgt Gardner [[MeaningfulName Grayle]] to protect the remains of civilization from the Black Baron. Later revealed as AllJustADream, and later still Grayle set up a real order of Atomic Knights in the [[ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis ruins of Bludhaven]].
* The Blood of the ''ComicBook/GhostRider'' comics fought alongside the spirits of vengeance in the past. The Caretaker is a survivor from this order, which is why he knows so much about the Ghost Rider.
* Most incarnations of Creator/DCComics' ComicBook/GreenLantern Corps are effectively this, with the Guardians of the Universe behind it all. The Guardians' first attempt at creating TheOrder was the Manhunters, robotic humanoids that came to the conclusion that the most effective way to prevent chaos was to [[OmnicidalManiac exterminate all life]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/TheChaoticMasters'': The Knights of Entropy are the militant wing of Chaostism, the [[ReligionOfEvil religion based on worship of the Chaotic Masters]], tasked with manipulating world events in Meridian's favor.
* ''Fanfic/ChasingDragons'':
** Stannis creates a few of these after becoming king. Except for the first, he adds the position of Grand Master of each order to the hereditary titles of the King on the Iron Throne.
*** The Royal Order of the Storm, the replacement for the defunct [[PraetorianGuard Kingsguard]], which serves the same role but with an expanded roster. Also called the Stormguard (though the current Lord Commander hates that name).
*** The Royal Order of the Sun, a standing army designed to enforce royal authority in Dorne following the Red Viper Rebellion.
*** The Royal Order of the Knights of the Crown, a standing army for the Crownlands, members of which also serve as marines in the royal fleet.
*** The Royal Order of the Sea, which is created after the Greyjoy Rebellion to enforce Stannis' new draconian laws for the Iron Islands and keep them pacified.
** A non-Stannis example: After the schism in the Faith between the traditionalists in the Great Sept of Baelor and the Myr-based reformists led by Septon Jonothor, the Order of the Sunset is founded as a fraternal organization for Baelorite knights living in the Kingdom of Myr. The Jonothorans, meanwhile, found the Knights of the First Sept of Myr to serve the same purpose for themselves.
** The Brotherhood of the Broken Chain is set up as the Kingdom of Myr's PraetorianGuard, composed of a mix of knights and freed slaves. Unlike the Kingsguard or Stormguard they're not expected to serve for life or renounce having families, but ''are'' expected to protect the royal family with their lives.
* ''Fanfic/TheGoodHunter'' has [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The Order]] of the Chief God, the main anti-[[CuteMonsterGirl mamono]] organization in the setting. It periodically recruits potential [[TheChosenOne Hero]] candidates and organises [[ChurchMilitant crusades]] in [[{{Pun}} order]] to pursue their agenda.
* The ''Fanfic/AManOfIron'' series has the Knights of the Dawn, the ancient brotherhood led by [[spoiler: [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica Steve Rogers]]]] who fought against the Others during the Long Night. Afterwards, they evolved into the Night's Watch.
* ''FanFic/ThePiecesLieWhereTheyFell'': The Questioning Order, a group dedicated to the persecution, usually with bloody violence, of Changelings. Even non-Changelings don’t like them because of how creepy they look and act.
* In ''Fanfic/RerumDanarae,'' the Navy is this, rooted in and still to the present day, carried by the descendants of the nobility of the [[{{Precursors}} Ancient Kingdom, Danara Marina]], founded AfterTheEnd to atone for the destruction their last king (an usurper) wrecked upon the world by their rightful ruler. Until today, they do try their best to uphold justice, but it's kind of hard if your employer forgot what that means to you…
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* The Medjai in ''Film/TheMummyTrilogy'', whose job seems to be to protect all the potentially world-ending crap that the ancient Egyptians left lying around. There seems to be just the one guy in the [[Film/TheMummy1999 first movie]], but in the [[Film/TheMummyReturns second]] they're upgraded to TheCavalry against the resurrected [[LegionsOfHell army of Anubis]].
* The [[ReligiousVampire Brothers]] in ''Film/PerfectCreature'' are an monastic order of vampires. In this setting, vampires are born rather than being made and are [[OneGenderRace always male]] as such, they are inducted immediately after birth to be taught that their purpose is to serve and guide mankind.
* ''Film/QuestOfTheDeltaKnights'': The Delta Knights are a secret society dedicated to bringing mankind out of the Dark Ages, and into an age of enlightenment. It's even referred to as The Order.
* The Jedi Order of ''Franchise/StarWars'', complete with SecretArt (the Force), AncientTradition (the Light Side), and EvilCounterpart (at least in some eras), the Sith. ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' added some extra sub-divisions: The Corellian Jedi are an offshoot of the main Order who disliked some drastic policy changes (most notably that Jedi would be forbidden to raise families or maintain a household outside of the Temple) enough to [[StartMyOwn formally schism and set up their own Temple]], and the Jedi Agricorps and Medicorps are semi-autonomous groups who apply their Force powers to the arts of [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin agriculture and medicine]] respectively. There are also the [[FighterMageThief Jedi Shadows]], a small group of Jedi who specialise heavily in the more combat-oriented Force teachings: Their original purpose was to hunt down and eliminate [[TomeOfEldritchLore Sith holocrons]] and other darksider artefacts, but later evolved into a more general troubleshooter role for when the Jedi Council needed to remind their enemies that GoodIsNotNice.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'':
** The Rangers of Arnor, descendants of ancient Númenor who continue to train in ancient skills and martial arts.
** There's also the Istari, a FiveManBand of wizards. And the White Council if you were to include certain important Elves.
* As medieval fantasies set in a realm of FantasticCatholicism, the Literature/{{Deryni}} works feature a number of these, including:
** The Michaelines, named for their patron [[ArchangelMichael Saint Michael the Archangel]], are a military order prominent in the Camber trilogy. They are presented as a cross between common notions of the Templars and the Jesuits: wealthy, powerful, and adept at all forms of combat (including intellectual). Their membership was mixed human and Deryni, with the Deryni leading the others in quasi-arcane meditations. Camber's son Joram was a member, as was his late-life alter ego Alister Cullen (Vicar General of the Order). The Michaelines were suppressed by the the regents circa 918, and many members fled into exile with the [[OrderReborn Knights of the Anvil]].
** The Knights of the Anvil, or Anvillers, take their name from their home region, a harsh environment southeast of Bremagne called the Anvil of the Lord. A military order with [[SecretArt a reputation for stealth]], the Anvillers were influenced by many cultures, Muslim as well as Christian. Members have small crosses tattooed on their bodies in remembrance of Christ's wounds when they take final vows; Sir Sé Trelawney displays those at his wrists (and jestingly refers to the others) on a visit to Alyce de Corwyn Morgan in ''Childe Morgan''.
* The Dragon Riders of ''[[Literature/InheritanceCycle Eragon]]''.
* In Creator/RaymondEFeist's ''[[Literature/TheRiftwarCycle Empire Trilogy]]'', the Great Ones gather children with magical talent and train them as powerful magicians.
* ''Literature/EmpireOfTheVampire'': The '''Ordo Argent''', a ChurchMilitant branch of the One Faith hierarchy operating out of the ancient San Michon monastery deep in the mountains of Nordlund. Though the order also counts regular staff, such as a group of secretive smiths known as "Blackthumbs" and an order of nuns called the Silver Sorority, its main members are the ''palebloods'', cursed children born of union between vampires and mortal women. To attone for the sin of their birth and rescue their souls from damnation in Hell, young ''palebloods'' are conscripted into the Ordo and trained to hunt their vampiric kin, as well as other horrors of the night. The Ordo languished in obscurity for many centuries after its founding, but after [[TheNightThatNeverEnds Daysdeath]], with the numbers of Dead soaring, it found itself enjoying the favour of Empress-Consort Isabella, allowing them to broaden their operations.
* The Order of the Phoenix introduced in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'' is a rather small example of limited scope (a dozen or so people at any one time, focusing on opposing Voldemort). Their evil counterpart in the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series are the Death Eaters, Voldemort's inner circle.
* The elite intellectual organization residing in Castalia, called simply "The Order", in ''Literature/TheGlassBeadGame''.
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
** The Knights of the Cross, a group of three men who each were given swords that are said to have one of the nails of Christ's cross embedded on it. This gives them the ability to fight off forces of evil, and they've helped Harry Dresden many a time in defeating dark supernatural creatures. Interestingly, only one of them is truly Catholic, and he's easily the nicest, least ChurchMilitant person ever; out of the other two, one got converted to Baptist Christianity by mistake, and the other one is a skeptic who believes heavenly creatures--''including the archangel that gave him his sword''--can just as easily be SufficientlyAdvancedAliens. In ''Literature/SkinGame'', [[spoiler:Waldo Butters]], a ''Jew'', joins their ranks.
** The Order of the Blackened Denarius, more commonly known as the Denarians, are the EvilCounterpart to the Knights of the Cross, being composed of people who have each been possessed (willingly and otherwise, depending on the member) by the {{Fallen Angel}}s contained within [[PublicDomainArtifact Judas' 30 pieces of silver]]. Their duty is to spread as much evil and chaos as possible in the world, though they're hindered somewhat by the fact that they tend to have different views on how to do this and fight amongst themselves.
** There's also the White Council, which could fit the description. Unfortunately, among the senior council, the Merlin is a pretentious ass, Ancient Mai usually comes across as a horrid bitch, and Gregori Cristos is, in Ebenezar's words, an unpleasant bastard.
* The backstory of ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' has the ten orders of Knights Radiant, who disbanded centuries before the story starts. They were [[MagicKnight Magic Knights]], who protected humanity from the [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Voidbringers]].
* In L. Jagi Lamplighter's ''Literature/ProsperosDaughter'' trilogy, the ''Orbis Suleimani'' keeps mankind ignorant of the existence of magic. That way, instead of resorting to evil spirits, we resort to science and so live much better.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' has numerous examples, ranging from the Night's Watch (dedicated to protecting Westeros from the threats in [[GrimUpNorth the North]]) to the maesters (who are dedicated to study and the gathering of knowledge), to the Kingsguard (a group of exactly seven knights, who act as the king's PraetorianGuard). Later the Faith of the Seven are given leave to bear arms again and recreate the Faith Militant, consisting of ''two'' orders, The Warrior's Sons (made up of knights and other nobility), and the Poor Fellows (made up of the peasantry).
* ''Literature/{{Victoria}}'' has the Christian Marines, a sworn fellowship of military and police veterans that starts out as a neighborhood protection association against organized crime, but becomes an insurrectionary movement when the corrupt government attempts to crack down on them. The same story also features the Knights of St. Louis, a modern-day order of literal crusaders who join the neo-Tsarist Russians in their global wars against Islam.
* The "League" the main character belonged to in his youth, in ''The Journey to the East'' by [[Creator/HermannHesse Herman Hesse]].
* The Fraternity of the Stone (from the thriller [[Literature/FraternityOfTheStone of that name]] by Creator/DavidMorrell) were a Christian response to the ''Hashashin'', now an AncientConspiracy charged with the protection of the Catholic church.
* In ''Literature/{{Updraft}}'', the city doesn't really have a centralised government, but Singers are the protectors of the city and keepers of its Laws. They keep apart from ordinary citizens, and are secretive about their techniques and operations. They're highly identifiable, having silver tattoos, and are both respected and feared. At the end of the book, [[spoiler:it's revealed to the world that they've been lying about the protection they provide; to reform the Order, there are going to have to be major changes, including ending its separation from the people it's supposed to serve]].
* The eponymous group of the Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar series by Creator/MercedesLackey. The Heralds are each [[TheChosenMany Chosen]] by their Companions, CoolHorse–shaped BondCreatures, to defend the Kingdom of Valdemar in any way necessary. Each Herald possesses PsychicPowers, IncorruptiblePurePureness, and a life-long bond with his or her Companion. This order is especially closely tied to its Kingdom, since the Monarch is required to be a Herald--the aforementioned qualities ensure that he'll put his people's good above his own. They're called Heralds out of tradition; after the original King Valdemar and his Heir, the third person Chosen was Valdemar's royal herald.
* ''Literature/TheSilerianTrilogy'': The Guardians, magic users who control fire and speak with the dead, in service of their goddess. Also the Sisterhood, who are somewhat like nuns and care for the sick or injured at Sanctuaries.
* ''Literature/TalionRevenant'': The Talions, who are an old international organization which keeps the balance of power between the countries that rose from the Shattered Empire, defends them against common threats and stops criminals who cross borders. Created originally by the old Empire (before its Shattering) the Talions outlived their creators. They are divided into different branches, each with their own function, the Justices being the oldest with others added over time.
* The Arch Order of Light in ''Literature/ShadowOfTheConqueror'' are the established faction of [[FunctionalMagic Lightbinders]] who defend [[WorldInTheSky Tellos]] from any and all threats. The Archknights have long been locked in a ForeverWar with the [[OurWightsAreDifferent Shade]], who seek to wipe out humanity by bringing about TheNightThatNeverEnds, but they also once [[NeutralNoLonger set aside their code of political neutrality]] in order to stop [[IndustrializedEvil the Dawn Empire]] from putting all of Tellos beneath its boot.
* ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'':
** The Confessors, a group of women who for millennia served as truth-finders, insuring true confessions as [[ThePowerOfLove their gift]] can [[TruthSerum make people tell it]]. Led by a Mother Confessor, she chaired the Council of the Midlands, serving as effectively their leader. They were centered in Aidendril, and have largely died out in wars.
** The Wizards had one as well, who trained men who have magic in the Wizards Keep of Aidendril. Closely allied to the Confessors, ancient Wizards actually created them.
** The Sisters of the Light are sorceresses who train young women with the gift and shepherd prophets. Since Wizards have largely died out, they took over training young men as well, but this takes far longer. A religious group, the Sisters are worshippers of [[GodOfGood the Creator]], though some within their ranks have now secretly sworn themselves to his mortal enemy [[GodOfEvil the Keeper]]. They live in the Palace of the Prophets on Halsband Island, a place in the Old World, which is under a spell which slows their aging significantly, so they can live centuries.
** The Mord Sith, a group of [[AmazonBrigade female warriors]] who serve as bodyguards and [[TortureTechnician torturers]] to D'Hara's Lords Rahl, wielding the agiel, a magical weapon capable of causing [[AgonyBeam intense pain]]. Additionally they're able to turn magic [[AttackReflector back against its casters]].
** The Imperial Order, a fanatical group in the Old World which advocates extreme collectivism and equality. Due to this, they oppose magic as some people have the gift while others don't. In spite of this, their leader and many members are themselves magic users (they justify this as using magic to destroy it). They create an empire under Jagang, a Dreamwalker with the ability to control people's minds, later invading the New World which causes a huge war.
* The Silver Order in ''{{Literature/Tasakeru}}'', made up of worshippers of the Goddess of Life. The Order's Knights are one of the three major peacekeeping forces in sentient society.
* In ''Literature/TheArtsOfDarkAndLight'', The Knights of Saint Michael train boys who demonstrate an aptitude for AntiMagic as templars, who enforce the Church's BanOnMagic and help the Republic's armies resist hostile sorceries in war.
* ''Literature/InCryptid'': The Covenant of St. George is an ancient organization (their name indicates they were probably once associated with the church) dedicated to [[HunterOfMonsters hunting down]] and [[VanHelsingHateCrimes exterminating "monsters"]], many of which are sapient beings guilty of nothing more than not being born human. The Price-Healy family that the main characters belong to is descended from former Covenant members who had a HeelRealization and cut ties with the organization, which branded them traitors and sent agents to eliminate them (ironically, several agents they sent (Thomas and [[spoiler:Dominic]]) ended up marrying into the family).
* ''Literature/{{Nevermoor}}'': The Wundrous Society makes up the [=VIPs=] of the Free State, being given special treatment and privileges everywhere by virtue of their membership in Wunsoc. They even have their own police force and laws whose authority supersedes the legal system the common folk ("Unwuns") have to abide by, which means Wunsoc members are often literally above the law. ''However'', in exchange, Wunsoc members are expected to protect the Free State and everyone in it, even if it means making great personal sacrifices or laying down their lives. If Wunsoc gives a member an order, they're expected do it, no questions asked, and members are generally at the mercy of the High Council of Elders' decisions. (The Elders aren't ''bad'' people, but they are ''ruthlessly'' pragmatic, even--or especially--towards fellow members of Wunsoc, and can make plenty of people's lives unpleasant in the name of the greater good.)
* ''Literature/{{Quarters}}'': In Shkoder the bards are a select group with their own living spaces named halls and use their MagicMusic power to various ends on the realm's behalf.
* Subverted in ''Franchise/TheWitcher''. The [[HunterOfMonsters Witchers]] were initially formed as the "Order of Witchers" under the banners of the Northern Kingdoms in an attempt to protect humanity from monsters as they colonized the continent. However, over time the Witchers abandoned their knightly values and the Order was divided into several "schools" with differing ideals, with Witchers as a whole becoming KnightErrant-esque mercenaries. However, in the {{anthology}} novel ''Tales from the world of Franchise/TheWitcher'', it's mentioned that decades after the events of ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt'' a Second [[WhenDimensionsCollide Conjunction of the Spheres]] occurred, resulting in [[TheMagicComesBack the world being filled with new kinds of monsters]], and new Witcher schools being established to confront them with stricter codes of conduct to legitimize them in the public's eyes.
* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfDorsa'':
** The Wise Men are monk-like scholars who serve as counselors and magistrates in the Empire. Strict rationalists, the Wise Men disbelieve in any gods, an afterlife, creatures like dragons or goblins and magic generally. They teach all of this is just superstition (much is revealed as being real).
** The Brotherhood of Culo are sorcerers protecting the Empire, and humankind as a whole, from the creatures in the Shadowlands. In particular, they're good at [[MasterOfIllusion magical illusions]].
** The Order of Targhan is a secret society with the opposite view from the Brotherhood, saying shadows once lived in the same world as humans, which they strive to restore, saying this is harmonious and the original, natural state that will offer them power. In pursuit of that end, they are assassins with both [[MagicKnight magic and ordinary weapons]].
* ''Literature/ShatterTheSky'': The Aurati are an elite group of women who serve the Zefedi emperor. Most serve as the administrators in different places, reporting back to him. Some however have magical gifts, such as the {{seers}}, predicting the future for not only him but also his subjects. Any girls they find with the same gift are forcibly inducted into their ranks. Others are taken on voluntarily as apprentices.
* ''Literature/TalesOfInthya'': All the gods have their own clergy and followers, with different focuses that [[FantasyPantheon depend on their domains]]. The Order of the Sun is an organization sworn to protect people, in service of Iolar, God of Law and Civilization. While their most prominent component is the {{paladin}}s, they have justices and magistrates in their ranks as well.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
** The Watcher's Council. Since there is only one active Slayer at any time (in theory), the show was always vague about what the rest of the organization got up to. It didn't help that some of their actions bordered on KnightTemplar, especially in season three, which saw Giles being fired halfway through and ended with Buffy telling them she was doing things her way from now on. They were a bit more helpful in season five, [[spoiler: but their contribution to season seven was to be blown up.]]
--->'''Quentin:''' We're not in the business of fair, Miss Summers, we're fighting a war.\\
'''Giles:''' You're waging a war. She's fighting it. There's a difference.
** The Order of Aurelius, headed up by TheMaster and later the Anointed One, were the main villains of season one and the first few episodes of season two. Then Spike and Dru came along [[MakeWayForTheNewVillains and got bored of them very quickly]].
* ''Series/TheOrder'' has the Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose and the much smaller rival society The Knights of St Christopher. The Order are [[spoiler: practitioners of magic]] and the Knights are [[spoiler: Werewolves.]] We also meet [[spoiler:the Esoteric Sons of Promethus, a rival magic order to the Blue Rose, and Praxis, a communist anarchist group who wants to bring the power of magic to the people.]]
* ''Series/WarriorNun'' revolves around the Order of the Cruciform Sword, a secret Catholic sect of nuns trained to fight demons. They were founded during the First Crusade by a warrior woman named Arela, who had an angel's halo implanted in her body, which gave her enhanced strength, a HealingFactor, and other abilities; this halo has been passed down over the centuries from one leader of the Order to the next.
* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime2021'':
** The Aes Sedai, along with being a MagicalSociety, is this. Different divisions called Ajahs exist within them, including the Blue (who pursue justice), Yellow (the healers), Brown (the scholars), Red (who [[DePower gentle male channelers]]), Green (who battle Shadowspawn), etc. At least officially, their goal is to serve the {{muggle}} populace at large.
** Wisdoms (the rural female channelers who live in small villages like the Two Rivers) have an organization too, with a ritual to initiate new members and all wear their hair with a certain braided style. They serve their people as healers mostly.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mythology and Legend]]
* Myth/ArthurianLegend: Myth/KingArthur's Knights of the Round Table, one of the most famous knightly orders in the Western world.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
* Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}}. Wrestling/{{UltraMantis Black}} led the ''[[{{Heel}} rudo]]'' [[PowerStable The Order of the Neo-Solar Temple]], named for the RealLife [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Solar_Temple Order of the Solar Temple]] from 2006-2010. It took on the image of a {{Cult}} after Mantis dropped Tim Donst on his head and "convinced" him that he was a member.[[note]]It would later be revealed that Donst was actually [[TheMole a mole]] to find out how Wrestling/ChrisHero learned the counter to Wrestling/MikeQuackenbush's FinishingMove The CHIKARA Special.[[/note]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' naturally has more than its fair share. TabletopGame/{{Greyhawk}} has the Knights of the Hart, Literature/{{Dragonlance}} has the Knights of Solamnia, TabletopGame/{{Eberron}} has the Knights Arcane.
** ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'':
*** There are lot of gods sponsoring paladins, each having one or more paladin order to his name, divided by regions or specific tasks--such as Knights of Samular, dedicated mainly to hunting down some dangerous artifacts around Sword Coast. "Mundane" knightly organizations may be even more numerous.
*** The city-state of Ravens Bluff alone has its knighthood split into 8 specialized orders. Initiate-level Order of the Golden Rooster (concerned with their and city's prestige and [[StiffUpperLip appearance]]), then secular orders of Griffon (martial might), Dove (diplomacy, non-violent problem solving) and Hawk (intelligence, undercover investigations), then higher-ranked religious orders--Keepers of the Mystic Flame (magic threats), Right hand of Tyr (justice) and Phoenix (TheUndead and [[TheLegionsOfHell pesky extraplanars]]) and the elite order, Knights of the Raven.
*** The Harpers are a widespread secret society that seeks to oppose evil in all it's forms, they're less organized and less formal (members meet rarely and irregularly at gatherings that resemble fey parties more than anything else, and all it really takes to join is the sponsorship of an established member or two) than most examples of this trope, but they're certainly exclusive enough and goal-oriented enough to qualify.
** In ''TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}'', few of the factions fit but several of the sects (mini-factions outside of [[CityOfAdventure Sigil]]) do, such as the Order of the Planes-Militant. The Harmonium faction started as one of these centuries ago, when a group of adventurers founded the organization to permanently save their homeworld from evil. It eventually succeeded... by ''conquering'' the rest of the world and pushing out into other planes, graduating from TheOrder to TheEmpire (or TheGoodKingdom, if you ask them) back home and trying to do the same elsewhere.
** The nation of Karrnath in ''TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}'' divides a lot of its military up into various Orders with different specialties. The one most players will get to know is the Order of the Emerald Claw, a RenegadeSplinterFaction who serve the lich Vol and are considered zealots, terrorists and traitors across most of Khorvaire, ''especially'' in Karrnath itself (and not just because Kaius III has some ''very serious'' [[{{Pun}} bones to pick]] with Vol).
* The various magical groups in ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' fill this role for people with the potential for magic. The exact perks gained depend on the group, but they can all help mages become initiates, which gives them greater power and abilities.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' has several from the [[TheEmpire Imperium Of Man]], but the closest to the stereotypical [[TheOrder Order]] are the Grey Knights, an uncorruptible organisation of [[PoweredArmor Power Armored]], Daemon-hunting [[SuperSoldier Super Soldiers]]. However, being a heavy [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstruction]] of ThePaladin, they're ''[[WellIntentionedExtremist extremely]]'' ruthless, and undergo [[NumberOfTheBeast 666]] [[MindRape Mind Rapes]] during their selection course.
** Most other Space Marine Chapters, the Inquisition, the Adeptas Sororitas, most Eldar Aspect temples, the Incubi cults, and the Harlequins/White Seers also qualify to one degree or another. The Deathwatch is slightly more of a LegionOfLostSouls [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]], though.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'', many Imperial Knights belong to a certain order, they are either Templar Orders who venerate a particular god, or are Secular Orders who honor most gods equally.
* There are five different Military Orders, all based on historical Military Orders, serving the Catholic Church in ''TabletopGame/{{Infinity}}'', all updated for the setting (the Knights of Santiago now protect pilgrims traveling space trade routes instead of just pilgrims traveling across northern Spain).
* ''TabletopGame/RocketAge'' has the Order of the Sacred Hamaxe, which is a Martian faith made up of holy war-bands led by full priests.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'' has more knightly orders than you can shake a magic sword at. They tend to be defined by a CharacterClass and by having a CodeOfConduct.
** The Cyber-Knights were founded by a immortal paladin from another dimension to fight for justice in post-apocalyptic Earth. In theory, he serves as their spiritual guide and leader, but in practice they are a very loose organization whose members are free to follow their own path and form their own bands.
** The Mystic Knights are an order of knights dedicated to evil as well as mercenary work. The Knights of the White Rose are a GoodCounterpart order with a more traditional (but still [[GoodIsNotSoft pragmatic]]) code who work against them.
** The Sky-Knights are a group of flying Lyn-Srial aliens dedicated to peace and defending the weak, and who use a racial magic involving cloud-shaping.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Toys]]
* ''Toys/{{BIONICLE}}'': The Hand of Artakha and its successor The Order of Mata Nui
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The Assassins of ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' are engaged in a SecretWar with the Templars.
* The Divine Order of Lucian in the ''[[VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSin Divinity]]'' series was founded by the GodEmperor [[VideoGame/DivineDivinity Lucian]] in order to protect mankind from the Black Ring ApocalypseCult and the otherworldly Voidwoken. However by the time of ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'' they've devolved into a WellIntentionedExtremist ChurchMilitant group as they round up users of [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique Source magic]] and toss them into internment camps for this purpose.
* The ''Franchise/DragonAge'' franchise has several.
** The Grey Wardens, of whom the first game's protagonist is a new recruit, were formed to guard against the [[LegionsOfHell Darkspawn]].
** The Circle of Magi exists to train and control mages... and the Templar Order exists to ''hunt'' mages outside the Circle's control. While Dragon Age mages ''can'' be [[PersonOfMassDestruction dangerous]], the Templars frequently end up acting as the Chantry's standing army rather than protectors of the innocent. The Seekers of Truth exist [[InternalAffairs to prevent Templar abuses]] but, again, it doesn't often work in practice.
** The Ben-Hassrath are the SecretPolice of the Qunari, whose mandate is to "protect the faith". This can involve espionage, assassination, or "re-education".
** The dwarves have the Silent Sisters, an AmazonBrigade who cut out their own tongues in honour of their founder, and the Legion of the Dead, an ArmyOfThievesAndWhores who 'escape' sentencing by pledging the rest of their lives to the fight against the darkspawn.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series has quite a few, as benefits its medieval fantasy setting. A few of the more prominent ones:
** The [[AncientOrderOfProtectors Blades]] are an order that serves as the [[PraetorianGuard personal bodyguard]] (as well as [[SecretPolice spies and general secret agents]]) of the Cyrodiilic Emperors. They got their start as an order of [[{{Wutai}} Akaviri]] [[CreatureHunterOrganization dragonslayers]] and each has been put through enough TrainingFromHell that they become a OneManArmy wielding their namesake [[KatanasAreJustBetter katanas]]. The Order of Talos, a religious order worshiping Talos (the [[DeityOfHumanOrigin ascended god form]] of Tiber Septim, the [[FounderOfTheKingdom founder]] of the Third Tamriellic Empire) overlaps quite a bit with (but is technically distinct from) the Blades.
** The Dark Brotherhood, an [[MurderInc order of assassins]] who [[ReligionOfEvil worship the deity]] [[PowerOfTheVoid Sithis]] and answer to a being known as the [[EvilMatriarch Night Mother]] via contract killings. New members are typically recruited after they've committed a murder. The group is technically illegal throughout Tamriel, though its presence has been historically tolerated by rulers throughout history due to the group's usefulness.
** The ThievesGuild is a loose organization of thieves and fences who operate throughout Tamriel. Though illegal by its very nature, the Guild has been tolerated by authorities throughout the centuries for its role as a "crime regulator." Each province appears to have its own chapter of the Guild, though there is only loose association at best between these chapters as each has their own rules and regulations. One rule they have in common is that each [[EvenEvilHasStandards forbids their members from harming targets]] during jobs.
** The Order of the Black Worm is a secretive MagicalSociety[=/=][[TheNecrocracy Necrocracy]] founded by the legendary/infamous [[OurLichesAreDifferent Lich]][=/=]{{Necromancer}} Mannimarco and is dedicated to the study of TheDarkArts. They act as a villainous EvilCounterpart to the Mages Guild, especially after the Guild declared a [[BanOnMagic ban on necromancy]]. Mages Guild defectors (as well as all manner of other rogue magic users) flock to the Order, where their members operate in cells and are sworn to secrecy on pain of Undeath.
** The Psijic Order is the oldest monastic order in Tamriel, founded during the ancient times by an [[OurElvesAreDifferent Aldmeri]] sect who rejected the transition to [[OurGodsAreDifferent Aedra]] worship from ancestor worship, known to them as the "Old Way" or "Elder Way." They settled on the island of Artaeum, the third largest island in the Summerset Isles, which has been known to disappear for centuries at a time for reasons only known to the Order. Thousands of years later, they are now more well known as a [[RenownedSelectiveMentor reclusive]] order of immensely powerful [[MagicalSociety magic users]], who have SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic to the point where they can utilized magic in ways (and on a scale) unmatched by any other extant group in Tamriel.
** The Redguards, a ProudWarriorRace of [[ScaryBlackMan dark-skinned]] [[HumansAreWarriors human]] [[MasterSwordsman Master Swordsmen]] whose ancestors hail from the lost continent of Yokuda, offer several examples of their own:
*** The Ansei, also known as "Sword Saints," were an order made up of the greatest "sword singers," Yokudan warriors who follow "The Way of the Sword," a martial philosophy on blade mastery. So great was their mastery of the blade that they could [[SpontaneousWeaponCreation manifest a sword from their very soul, known as a Shehai or "Spirit Sword"]]. To become an Ansei of the first-rank, a sword-singer had to demonstrate an ability to form the Shehai. These Shehai were described as typically pale, misty, insubstantial and as if it was made of light. Sometimes its shape wouldn't even be particularly sword-like, and would be of no use as an actual weapon. Ansei wishing to earn the elite title of first-rank were required to give up their most treasured weapons and war materiel before undertaking a grueling initiation ritual. If they succeeded, they would no longer need conventional weapons. Ansei of the second-rank and above were known to have the ability to not only form the Shehai, but wield it as a weapon in battle. Their Shehai shined brighter and was much deadlier. Described as an "unstoppable weapon of great might" that could cut down foes like "a scythe through wheat", disarming such an Ansei could only be done by severing their head or taking their mind. (However, there was some evidence to suggest the Shehai of an Ansei could be shattered, leaving behind only its essence.) While the Ansei came with the Redguards to Tamriel, their numbers dwindled over time. There hasn't been a known Ansei warrior since the 2nd Era, and by the 4th Era, they are considered a myth.
*** As Hammerfell (the Redguards' homeland in Tamriel) has no traditional standing army, various knightly orders fill the role as the Redguards first line of defense. Perhaps the most famous is the Order of Diagna, a group of warriors dedicated to Diagna, the Yokudan "God of the Sideways Blade." Their most famous leader was Gaiden Shinji, founder of the [[GladiatorSubquest Imperial City Arena]] and legendary MasterSwordsman in his own right. Every year, new initiates to the Order play the [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orcs]] in a reenactment of the Siege of Orsinium, in which Shinji [[CombatByChampion dueled]] the Orc warchief, but [[CavalryBetrayal was betrayed by his Breton allies who opened fire on them both]], killing them.
*** As Redguard religion forbids their warriors from raising arms against the honored dead, a specialized order known as the Ash'abah is called in when there is need to put the dead back to rest. Despite the necessity of their role, they are shunned by Redguard society and mostly wander the Alik'r Desert as exiles until they are called upon.
** The religion of the [[SaintlyChurch Nine Divines]] has many orders dedicated to its various deities. Some of the most prominent include the aforementioned Order of Talos, the Order of Arkay (dedicated to the God of Life and Death which includes the priests who [[DueToTheDead oversee funerals and burials]]), and the Cult of the Ancestor Moth (dedicated to Julianos, the God of Wisdom and Logic, which is tasked with keeping and using the eponymous [[TomeOfEldritchLore Elder Scrolls]] themselves).
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'' features several knightly orders of the Bretons in High Rock. For example, Daggerfall has the Knights of the Dragon, while Wayrest has the Knights of the Rose.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'':
*** The ''Knights of the Nine'' expansion adds a sidequest where you can [[OrderReborn revive]] the eponymous order, dedicated to the ultimate defeat of a particular SealedEvilInACan. It ultimately consists of nine knights and a handful of support staff, based out of a small fort in the wilderness.
*** The Cyrodiilic [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampire]] bloodline has formed one, known as the "Cyrodiil Vampyrum Order", or simply "Our Order" to its members. The Order's bloodline are masters of concealment, able to [[TheyWalkAmongUs blend in seamlessly with mortals]] if well-fed. They are also known to be able to control their blood lust to a far greater degree than other bloodlines, rarely killing their victims outright. The Order has exterminated every other bloodline within Cyrodiil, and does not tolerate rogue Vampires within Cyrodiil's borders. Their membership is typically well-placed in Cyrodiilic society, able to manipulate local politics to their benefit.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'':
*** The Vigil of Stendar is a ChurchMilitant order dedicated to hunting down and destroying supernatural threats to mortal life, including Daedra, Daedra worshipers, vampires, lycanthropes, and others.
*** The ''Dawnguard'' DLC has the eponymous Dawnguard, an OrderReborn that [[VampireHunter fights vampires]]. The order was originally formed when the Jarl of Riften's son turned into a vampire. The reborn order was founded founded by Isran, a former Vigilant of Stendarr who was kicked out of the order for being ''too extreme''. As it turns out, TheExtremistWasRight.
* The Order of the Hammer, a.k.a. Hammerites, in the ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}'' series. One of the ChurchMilitant varieties, though they make up the entirety of TheChurch except when it undergoes a schism in the second game.
* Order of the Sunspears and Order of Whispers in ''VideoGame/GuildWars''.
* The Spectres in ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series are a somewhat atypical SpaceOpera example. They are a ''very'' exclusive organization (naming a person a Spectre requires unanimous decision by the Citadel Council, so [[PlayerCharacter Shepard]] was the first human to gain the title) pledged to the service of the Council and "there's [[InItForLife no such thing as a 'former Spectre']]". The atypical part is that they tend to operate alone (or with their own assembled teams) and without much support from the organization itself, though they do have access to stocks of [[http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Spectre_-_Master_Gear rare and highly advanced equipment]]. Also, they can requisition Council resources as necessary, e.g. extranet bandwidth.
* The Knights of Cunitz from ''Videogame/LostTechnology''.
* The Order from ''VideoGame/{{Freelancer}}''. You spend most of the game hearing about them as an enigmatic terrorist group, with a strange and dark agenda compared to the more obvious pirate and terrorist organizations living at the fringes of society. Eventually you discover they are a [[spoiler:counter-conspiracy against the body-snatcher aliens who are slowly conquering human society from within]], hence their bad reputation.
* The Order of the Flame from ''VideoGame/{{Drakan}}'', though it's more of an OrderReborn, since Arokh is the only living dragon throughout both games who can be considered a member.
* The Brotherhood of Steel from the ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series is one of the larger examples, as [[BigGood one of the major powers in the setting]]. Though they use powered armor and {{BFG}}s instead of swords and shields, they have a deliberate chivalric flavor -- their soldiers are "knights" (and elite ones "paladins"), their scientists are "scribes", their leaders are "elders", etc. Their AncientTradition is the preservation of technology and technical knowledge in the post-apocalyptic wasteland, often to the exclusion of helping ''people'' as they tend to focus on larger-scale threats like TheMaster and [[MadScientist The Institute]].
** ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' has the spinoff Columbia chapter, whose CoolOldGuy leader has shifted priorities from collecting technology in the Capitol Wasteland to containing the local Super Mutant population. This was ''technically'' okayed by the main Brotherhood leadership... but they stoped sending reinforcements and supplies immediately thereafter, essentially making the Brotherhood (Columbia chapter) a separate faction. The Columbia chapter eventually spawns its ''own'' spinoff, the Brotherhood Outcasts, who adhere to the main Brotherhood's "technology is more important than anything else" philosophy, and left the now Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel to follow it. By ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' the descendant of the Brotherhood's founder, Arthur Maxson, restores the branch to its original mission statement in order to focus their efforts on stopping the Institute and governing the Capital Wasteland.
** ''Fallout 3'' also has the Regulators, a group of [[VigilanteMan Vigilante Men]] who are essentially TheSheriff in a setting with no government to give them legitimate authority -- so they take it into their own hands. If the player ends up on the evil end of the KarmaMeter, they'll become a RandomEncounter trying to kill him.
* The Knights of the Silver Hand from the ''Franchise/{{Warcraft|ExpandedUniverse}}'' setting were founded by the first [[ThePaladin paladins]]. It had quite a few members at one point, but was largely wiped out by Arthas after his corruption. It was later [[OrderReborn reformed]] by Tirion Fordring, and then merged with the Argent Dawn to form the Argent Crusade. After the death of Tirion during the Burning Legion attack on Azeroth, a [[PlayerCHaracter heroic Paladin]] reforms the Order and unites all other Paladin orders under its banner.
* The ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'' games have the Order of the Silver Serpent, operating out of Serpent's Hold. Exclusive to ''VideoGame/UltimaUnderworld'' are the Knights of the Crux Ansata.
* Both [[OrderVersusChaos ''Duty'' and ''Freedom'']] in ''VideoGame/{{Stalker}}'' are this. They're organizations determined to prevent the Zone from spreading, but engaged in a war over how to do it. (Duty believing in completely sealing it off to keep anyone from meddling with it, Freedom wants to make the area safe enough that international researchers can study how to reverse or contain the Zone).
* The Rangers of ''VideoGame/{{Metro 2033}}'' are a [[AfterTheEnd post-apocalyptic]] example. They're a group of veteran fighters and explorers who do whatever they think is necessary [[WeHelpTheHelpless for the good of the metro]], from dealing with bandits and [[NuclearMutant mutants]] to exploring [[DeathWorld the surface]]. Of course, their motto is "[[GoodIsNotNice if it's hostile, kill it]]".
* Another use of the trope name verbatim, The Order from ''VideoGame/{{Strife}}''. Described quite adequately in the [[AllThereInTheManual manual]] as a [[ReligionOfEvil religious dictatorship]] that uses cybernetic augmentation and advanced weaponry to conquer the populace. [[spoiler: And the that religion involves an evil alien that arrived via the same comet that spread TheVirus that caused assorted death, mutation, and a tendacy towards revering The Entity.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Bastion}}'' features numerous orders in its pre-[[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Calamity]] backstory; the city of Caelondia was organized into a collection of guilds, each named [[SpellMyNameWithAThe The]] [[[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Job Description]]] (eg, the Marshals, city peacekeepers; the Brushers, frontiersmen operating in the wilderness around the city) and each with their own weapons (eg, the Mason's [[CarryABigStick cael hammer]], the Mender's [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe bullhead shield]]).
* ''VideoGame/{{Blacklight Retribution}}'' 's The Order is a pretty literal example, at least on the evil end of the spectrum. They're secretive, rumored to be ex-Special Forces, and take it upon themselves to "clean" the world by unleashing [[ZombieApocalypse SIV]]. Another ex-Special Forces Order that goes by a different name opposes them in the singleplayer story.
* ''VideoGame/VectorThrust'' gives us Legion, a partly state-funded organisation of pilots, soldiers and politicians dedicated to preventing another large-scale nuclear catastrophe.
* The Order from ''VideoGame/OrcsMustDie'' and it's sequels is an organization dedicated to the defense of magical rifts from Orcs attempting to invade their world. Its members consist of [[MagicKnight War Mages]], who set up traps to kill the orcs, and a host of others to help the mages HoldTheLine, including Archers, Highly armored [[ThePaladin Paladins]], and Weavers, who allow the warmage access to the magic they've studied, for a small fee.
* In ''VideoGame/TheWitcher'', Geralt encounters the Order Of The Flaming Rose, led by Jacques De Aldersberg. They were an arm of the CorruptChurch of the Eternal Fire dedicated to protecting the commonfolk from monsters. Geralt has the option of siding with them, against them, or staying out of the conflict with the Scoia'tael altogether. They turn up in the sequels as well, having been taken on by [[TheCaligula Radovid]] in the second game, and have been disbanded by the third, though several rogue members appear in the ''Hearts Of Stone'' expansion.
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' has the Knights of Hyrule, devoted to protecting the land from evil creatures. Unfortunately, by the time of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' the order has disappeared almost completely.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/RumorsOfWar'' brings us the Order of Orion, which falls somewhere between HeroesRUs and WeirdTradeUnion. We aren't sure what they do exactly, except that they recruit heroes, fund exploration and mining operations, and have some hand in maritime trade. We don't know the conditions under which the cast were recruited, and we don't know what function they serve in the Order.
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': The eponymous Order of the Stick is not an example itself; however, the Sapphire Guard is an order of paladins dedicated to safeguarding a tear in the fabric of the universe.
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheBlackDog'' was founded in the 1920s by a couple of investigators who survived an encounter with a certain spectral horror, and they worked closely with [[TheMenInBlack the Special Investigations Unit]], which gradually took over their functions and led to the group's disbandment in the 60s. [[spoiler: Then in the 2030s Julia King blackmails one agent into helping her restart the Order.]]
* ''Webcomic/SkinHorse'' has the National Notary Association, who do their best to keep the wheels of society spinning (mostly through paperwork) while training their acolytes in the martial arts. Unity is requested to join them, partaking in their deadly trials (and more paperwork).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Literature/PiecingTogetherTheAshesReconstructingTheOldWorldOrder'' has the Tuckerite Order of the Swastika. Founded in the months after [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt the Deluge]] by a reformed Neo-Nazi (who had a HeelRealization after a Hispanic doctor saved him from radiation poisoning), it has since grown into an international relief and aid organization similar to the Red Cross. The use of the swastika in its name and imagery as it now does good are a deliberate in-universe TakeThat at the founder's former beliefs.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Despite never being called such, the WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague fits the description. Dedicated to maintaining world security and justice and highly exclusive (so much that Aquaman was the only superhero to join the original lineup until ''Unlimited''--and only in an alternate timeline). Even after they [[HeroesUnlimited expand]] (by invitation only), they maintain strict membership policies, as Huntress' example demonstrates.
* The Order of the White Lotus from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' plays this straight. A secret society dedicated to the martial arts and [[SmartPeoplePlayChess pai sho]], they originally resembled a sort of cross between a social club and an underground railroad. They rose to prominence during the end of the Hundred Year War and, by [[TimeSkip the time of]] ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', had shed the "secret" part and apparently much of the exclusivity of their membership requirements and become a RedShirtArmy in the service of the Avatar.
* ''Franchise/TalesOfArcadia'':
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Trollhunters}}'': The Janus Order, a secret society of changelings who have infiltrated human society in order to further their goal of freeing [[BigBad Gunmar]] from the Darklands and helping him TakeOverTheWorld.
** ''WesternAnimation/ThreeBelow'': The Zeron Brotherhood, a group of elite bounty hunters, who jointly serve as TheHeavy in Season 1 as they hunt Aja and Krel for the price [[BigBad General Morando]] put on their heads.
** ''WesternAnimation/Wizards2020'': The Arcane Order, a group of primordial demigods and their servants, who seek to restore what they perceive as balance to the world by destroying humanity.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* UsefulNotes/TheKnightsTemplar
* UsefulNotes/TheTeutonicKnights
* UsefulNotes/TheKnightsHospitallers
* The Knights of Santiago
* The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Garter The Order of the Garter]].
* The Jomsvikings
[[/folder]]

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