Shovel Knight Treasure Trove: Main Characters | Order of No Quarter | Townsfolk and Other NPCs | Wandering Travelers and Guest Characters | Enemies and Other Bosses
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Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon: Puzzle Knight and Other Characters
Tropes regarding the Guest Fighters.
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Wandering Travelers
General
- And the Adventure Continues: In the ending, we see the four of them preparing to fight a team of Liquid Samurai and Archers, with narration noting they're "Always ready for battle".
- Hero of Another Story: The composer's notes for their theme, "Fighting With All Our Might", implies they are this.
- Optional Boss: None of them are mandatory to beat Shovel of Hope, Plague of Shadows or King of Cards, but offer a nice challenge. Averted for Phantom Striker in Specter of Torment, who is an obligatory fight.
- Tuckerization: Intentionally done, as all 4 are based on high-tier backers of the Kickstarter.
Reize Seatlan
Reize Seatlan
"Knight's Code, first vow: Always help a person in need!"
A group of evil knights is terrorizing the countryside? Reize Seatlan is on the scene! This plucky young adventurer travels the land, helping people in need and following his own invented Knight's Vows. But which of these knights are good, and which ones are bad?
Tropes regarding him are here.
Mr. Hat
Mr. Hat
"Ahhh, hats, my greatest passion. Nothing I enjoy more than the crisp snap of a well-tailored brim."
Mr. Hat is obsessed with hats, but for good reason! For although he wears a helmet, each hat that he places atop his head gives him the powers of that hat's owner! Mr. Hat can switch from a charismatic foppish dandy to military genius in a moment, and he takes great pride in his varied fighting styles. Lately, though, there have been rumblings of an even greater warrior who wields a Shovel Blade; one with a wonderfully blue, horned helmet...
- Berserk Button: Saying hoods are better than hats.Mr. Hat: !!! You miscreant! Hoods! That's not even a proper hat! No structure, no support! No... flair!Plague Knight: Hats are a waste of felt, old man! They fall off in the wind! Hoods are objectively more utilitarian!Mr. Hat: How... How dare you, sirrah...... I demand satisfaction! HAVE AT YOU!
- Cash Gate: You have to spend 3000 gems to make everyone leave his shop before he'll challenge you; however, he drops over 5000 when you beat him. If you chase him around town after beating him, you can get all the gems you spent back as well. Subverted in Plague of Shadows, where he just fights Plague Knight outright. You do need to pay 50 Cipher Coins to get to him, though.
- Parodied in King of Cards: When you first encounter him, every item he sells costs over 100 times the max Gold. The only way to fight him here is to walk away, as he demands you buy something.
- The Cameo:
- While he's not fought in Specter of Torment, he can be seen sipping tea in the "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue right before the Enchantress attacks the Armor Outpost.
- A portrait of him is hung on the wall in the library area in Timespinner.
- Clothes Make the Superman: Well, only hats give him superpowers, but still. The spiky pickelhaube lets him plant swords in the ground to be turned into projectiles when he hits them, while the feathered bonnet allows him to throw saucers, teacups, and bounce on his cane like a pogo. In King of Cards, he's also able to wear a crown like King Knight, which allows him to wield a massive golden broadsword and dash across the screen, and the Showdown post-credits cutscene shows that a Goldarmor's helmet gives him a tower shield, a sword, and lets him imitate the movement of a Goldarmor.
- Demoted to Extra: Downplayed, due to his nature as a Optional Boss. In Specter of Torment, he's just a cameo who gets no dialogue or even an optional boss fight.
- Hypocrite: During Baz's story in Showdown, he goes after Baz for failing to pay for his outfit, saying that he hates being stolen from. But in his own Showdown story, he makes excuses for stealing hats from people, and gleefully steals Goldarmor's helmet to add to his collection. He also covets Shovel Knight's helmet with the excuse that all headgear counts, yet he gets into an argument with Plague Knight about hoods vs. hats.
- Insistent Terminology: Shovel Knight is confused as to why Mr. Hat wants his helmet, since it is, well, a helmet. But Mr. Hat insists that as a piece of headgear, it still counts.
- Only the Chosen May Wield: His hats only give him powers, and no one else.
- Quintessential British Gentleman: Sharply dressed and very polite as well.
- The Rival: Serves as this in Baz's story in Showdown, who owes him debt.
- Shout-Out: One of his hats allows him to bounce on a cane like a pogo stick to get around, just like a certain duck is known to do.
- Stance System: As a playable character in Showdown, he can switch between his military hat, which gives him a regular weight and good melee attacks with his sword, and his fancy hat, which makes him more floaty and has several projectiles.
- Vague Age: Is implied to be an old man according to Plague Knight, who outright calls him a geezer based on his style. Though given his helmet, which hides his face, Mr. Hat's real age is left ambiguous.
The Baz
The Baz
"The Great BAZ KNIGHT! I Like the sound of THAT!"
The storm is coming... With a fearsome rope whip and the toughest-looking armor around, one might think that the traveling warrior Baz would be a shoe-in to join up with the Order of No Quarter. Imagine his surprise when he was rejected! He now roams the land, taking out his anger on passersby. Could he ever prove himself strong enough to earn the title of "Baz Knight"?
- Building Swing: Using his rope whip to swing around the stage.
- Butt-Monkey: Things don't usually go The Baz's way. In Specter of Torment, he shows up only to be immediately told to Get Out! by Specter Knight. There isn't even a fight!
- Character Development: He's shown to be in something of an emotional rut by the time Showdown begins, and Reize wanting him to be his teacher gives him a confidence boost. His ending also features him realizing that he doesn't need the Order, and that anyone can be his team, along with working off the debt he accrued being emotionally satisfying.
- Demoted to Extra: Downplayed, due to his nature as a Optional Boss. In Specter of Torment, he's more or less just a quick gag who doesn't even get a boss fight, leaving The Tower immediately after being told to scram.
- Defeat Means Friendship: After Plague Knight defeats him, he can offer The Baz to become one of his minions. Happy to finally be offered a membership of an organisation, The Baz gladly accepts this.
- Guest Fighter: A regular fixture on Two Best Friends Play, The Baz was added as a secret boss after Matt and Woolie supported the game's Kickstarter campaign. Other players may also recognize him from Slipstream as a rival racer and in Divekick, where he is a playable character.
- Heroic Wannabe: Or rather, Villainous Wannabe. He wishes to be a member of the Order of No Quarter. He challenges Shovel Knight in hopes to get in.
- How Do I Shot Web?: In Plague of Shadows, The Baz admits that he can't figure out how to shoot lightning like what he's able to do in his boss battle.
- Inelegant Blubbering: After being defeated by Shovel Knight, he throws a tantrum worthy of a three-year-old.
- Insane Troll Logic: He believes that becoming a scientist works like Klingon Promotion; if he can kill a scientist, like, say, Plague Knight, he becomes one himself. It's probably because the same seems to be true of Knighthood (Shovel Knight doesn't deny it when he brings this concept up in his boss fight). King of Cards reveals that King Knight accidentally gave him the idea.
- Mythology Gag:
- His being rejected from the Order is a callback to The Baz's origins as a rejected Street Fighter character.
- While his original name, Zubaz, isn't used due to copyright conflicts with a clothing brand, it is referenced through his belt, which features an emblazoned "Z".
- The Rival: Serves as this for Reize's story in Showdown, first adopting him as a student, they have to fight in order to get free.
- Self-Serving Memory: Baz believes he was rejected from the order out of cruelty. In Specter of Torment he actually broke into their castle and arrogantly thought he could invite himself to join the order. Specter Knight and Dark Reiz told him to go away after a moment of confused silence since nobody has ever tried something like this before.
- Shock and Awe: He can discharge lightning with certain attacks.
- Small Name, Big Ego: He fully admits in Specter of Torment that his reason for trying to join the Order was to be "the main event".
- Sore Loser: After being beaten, The Baz throws a crying fit like a big baby. Subverted in Plague of Shadows where, after being defeated by Plague Knight, he accepts his loss with more dignity this time. Plague Knight can also recruit him to be his minion, even giving him robes similar to the ones already working for him.
- Throw the Dog a Bone:
- In the ending, he's seen with the other Wandering Travelers preparing for battle, finally in an Order of a sort. In Plague of Shadows, Plague Knight can recruit him, and Baz is completely fine with it.
- After the fight against the Battletoads in the Xbox and PC versions of the game, he and Reize stand around in the area where the Battletoads are. Reize expresses interest in becoming Baz's student because he thinks Baz is cool, which also happens Showdown (which helps Baz recover from his feelings of inadequacy).
- In his Showdown ending, Baz feels accomplished after working off his debt to Mr. Hat, and decides that he doesn't need the Order of No Quarter after all. Anyone who needs him will be his team.
- Turns Red: The Baz will create a lightning storm that will strike him, giving a brief shield from time to time.
- Weapon Specialization: He uses a whip as his primary weapon. This somehow also makes him immune to the shovel plant. Must be the spinning.
- Work Off the Debt: During his Showdown story, Mr. Hat offers to let Baz work in his shop in exchange for the outfit he failed to pay for (he had expected to get a lot of money working for the Order of No Quarter). In his ending, he ends up doing just that. Mr. Hat didn't forget the debt just because he lost a fight.
Phantom Striker
Phantom Striker
"Power. Honor. The traits of a respectable warrior."
A lone warrior, Phantom Striker appears to those that he deems worthy of challenging him. Light on his feet and wielding a rapier, this enigmatic fighter also controls the power of lightning! Always in search of an honorable battle, Phantom Striker may reward those who fare well against his cyclonic charge.
- Ascended Extra: Serves as the boss of the Lich Yard in Specter of Torment, where Specter Knight attempts to recruit him into the Order of No Quarter. Needless to say, he doesn't join.
- Blood Knight: Has apparently battled several other knights before Shovel Knight, and believes conflict itself is reason enough for a fight.
- Challenge Seeker: He seeks for strong warriors to test them and accept challenges as well.
- Combat Pragmatist: In Specter of Torment, he does a sneak attack on Specter Knight because he knows what Specter is capable of and is decidedly not taking any chances.
- Cultured Warrior: Besides being adept with his rapier and lightning magic, he's also well-spoken and erudite.Phantom Striker: Power. Honor. The traits of a respectable warrior.
- Good Counterpart:
- He has a teleportation-oriented ability-set and is a fairly serious fighter, similar to Specter Knight, but is an ultimately honorable, heroic fighter. He even takes Specter Knight's boss position in the Lich Yard in Specter of Torment.
- To Propeller Knight. Both use fencing as their preferred combat style and are both are associated with elements of the sky (Propeller Knight for wind/air and Phantom Striker with lightning). Both were approached by Specter Knight to join the Order of No Quarter, both were beaten by Specter Knight, but Phantom Striker still refused to join, while Propeller Knight submitted.
- Good Is Not Dumb: He has a code of honor, but he's willing to drop it if it means protecting others. Sneak attacks are completely fair game to him during Spectre of Torment.
- Subverted in King of Cards where he keeps mistaking King Knight for a Spectre just to set up their fight. Even King Knight realizes that Phantom is simply feeling the residual aura coming off of the Jostus Deck Spectre Knight gave him.
- Graceful Loser: Accepts his defeat, but warns Shovel Knight that he needs to be even stronger for the later challenges. Even more so if you do well enough in your fight with him — he compliments your fighting skills, says he'll be watching, and leaves a lot of extra money for you.
- He leaves similarly well in Plague of Shadows if you do well in his boss fight, praising Plague Knight's ability of dodging. However, if you drink a tonic, he will leave with a pretty snippy comment about it...
- Hold the Line: In Specter of Torment, he's shown in the town that would become the Lich Yard trying to stop Specter Knight's forces from razing it. While he kept the loss of life to a minimum by letting the villagers evacuate, it's a Foregone Conclusion that he fails and the town is destroyed.
- Hunter of Monsters: Some of his dialogue in King of Cards and Showdown heavily imply he specializes in hunting down the undead, particularly ghosts. He's even the one who sealed all those ghosts away in the Hall of Champions.
- Mercy Kill: In Showdown, he and Specter Knight go at it one last time, whereupon Striker makes his case decidedly different than what it seemed. Phantom Striker doesn't hold any real animosity for Specter Knight, but he knows what the other refuses to accept: that he can't ever be restored to humanity. Striker's aim isn't glory or revenge, but to put Specter Knight to rest.
- Older Than They Look: Implied. His ending in Showdown mentions him being past his prime and thus not having the power to stop the Enchantress, implying he's much older than he seems.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: He considers Specter Knight to be so dishonorable that he goes for a cheap shot, something he didn't even do against Plague Knight, in spite of knowing he's an Order member.
- Passing the Torch: After fighting Dark Reize and the Mirror of Fate in his Showdown story, he admits to himself that he's grown old, and is no longer strong enough to face enemies like the Enchantress. And so he instead resolves to find and test a warrior who can defeat her, which he eventually does when he finds Shovel Knight.
- Pre-Asskicking One-Liner:Phantom Striker: Conflict is a reason unto itself, brave knight. Today, you will be tested. Are you ready?
- Ride the Lightning: He can rapidly teleport around his arena using lightning bolts conducted by his sword, allowing him to employ Teleport Spam in addition to his fast projectiles.
- The Rival: Serves as this for Specter Knight's story in Showdown, determined to put him to rest once and for all.
- Shock and Awe: Most of his abilities are lightning-based, which couples nicely with the fact that his sword doubles as a lightning rod which allows him to absorb and release said lightning in a variety of different ways.
- Shout-Out: One of his attacks, where he points his rapier upward and then stabs forward, visually resembles of one of Enker's attacks.
- Teleport Spam: He has an attack where he repeatedly teleports, each disappearance leaving behind ball lightning that moves toward your location when it appeared. He uses it much more in Specter of Torment.
- Worthy Opponent
- What he sees Shovel Knight as, especially if you do well enough in the fight with him.Phantom Striker: Your skills are as vast as I thought! I shall follow your journey from the shadows. Farewell, Shovel Knight!
- He can praise Plague Knight as well if you beat him without losing half of your health.Phantom Striker: I misjudged your ability. Your skill in dodging so many of my attacks is uncanny! You are surely capable of carrying out your quest! Take this reward, and farewell!
- Averted for Specter Knight. He sees him as being so completely dishonorable that he attempts a sneak attack before the boss fight.Specter Knight: A surprise attack...? Hardly befitting the honorable warrior I had hoped to meet.
Phantom Striker: Ah, the wraith yet speaks of honor, having surrendered his own... to serve as an errand boy.
- What he sees Shovel Knight as, especially if you do well enough in the fight with him.
Guest Characters
Kratos
Kratos
"Prepare yourself for the Spartan wrath of the Blades of Chaos!"
The protagonist of the God of War series whose character and exploits are far too grim to be explained here. For tropes related to him in his home series, see here.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: He briefly mocks Shovel Knight for his weapons, but comes around to considering him worthy of praise after being defeated, gives him the Grave Digger's Shovel, and very calmly leaves afterward. In general, he's much closer to his God of War (PS4) personality than the personality he had in the original trilogy.
- And Your Reward Is Clothes: Defeating him rewards you with the Chaos Armor, which turns Shovel Knight's normal attacks into 3-hit combos with increased reach and gives him the ability to float in the air when performing one while jumping, much like Kratos. His shovel drop also causes him to stop in midair and pierces straight through dirt blocks without bouncing off. It also causes health and magic pickups to turn into green and blue orbs that home automatically into Shovel Knight and defeating an enemy or dealing damage to a boss may cause a red orb to appear, which makes Shovel Knight's next attack fire out a fireball that goes through enemies and scenery.
- Demographic-Dissonant Crossover: He is the main protagonist of a hard-M hack and slash game, yet he makes an appearance in the fairly docile E-rated Shovel Knight.
- Graceful Loser: He praises Shovel Knight for his victory, especially with his unorthodox weapon, gives him the Grave Digger's shovel (that can be forged into the Chaos Armor), and peacefully leaves.
- Guest Fighter: He hails from the God of War franchise.
- Lighter and Softer: Unsurprisingly, given Shovel Knight's setting, he doesn't engage in the same carnage as he does in his home series.
- Mythology Gag: He gifts Shovel Knight the Grave Digger's Shovel upon defeat, which Shovel Knight can then use to forge the Armor of Chaos. This is a reference to the character of the Grave Digger from all the way back in God of War, who dug a grave which rescued Kratos from Hades and was heavily implied to be Zeus in disguise.
- Optional Boss: As is expected of guest fighter, his boss fight is completely optional. It's also much more extravagant and difficult than the game's other bosses, given that it's a Sequential Boss with three phases, when most other bosses of that type have only two.
- Sequential Boss: Once he gets low on health, he goes into Rage of Sparta, getting a full health refill and starts throwing bits of the arena at you. Once you deplete his health in that mode, the arena crumbles completely and you have to fight him on a series of falling platforms.
- Stop Poking Me!: A subdued version, which is ironic considering who's at the receiving end of it: when he's starting to leave after the battle, he'll pull a hood over his head and start walking away slowly. Hitting him with the shovel causes his hood to fall off, causing him to stop, pull it back up, and continue walking slightly faster. You can keep repeating this to make him walk faster and faster until he finally leaves the screen.
- Version-Exclusive Content: He can only be found in Sony versions of the game.
- Worthy Opponent: Acknowledges Shovel Knight as one for defeating him armed only with a shovel.
Rash, Zitz, and Pimple
Rash, Zitz, and Pimple
"How about we give you some training, Battletoads style?"
The Battletoads, a group comprised of Rash, Zitz and Pimple, that hail from the series of the same name. For tropes related to them in their home series, see here.
- And Your Reward Is Clothes: Defeating them rewards you with the Toad Armor, which allows Shovel Knight to sprint, deliver rapid-fire strikes, and increase the size of his shovel when doing a downward strike.
- Ass Kicking Pose: They love to do this. Shovel Knight (and occasionally Baz) can join in once he defeats them.
- Cool Shades: Rash has these.
- Graceful Loser: If they are defeated, they name Shovel Knight an honorary Battletoad, give him armor to match, and even invite him to get in on an Ass Kicking Pose.
- Guest Fighter: They all hail from Battletoads. Their mentor, Professor T. Bird, also makes a brief cameo.
- Mascot with Attitude: All of them, but especially Rash.
- Nice Guy: All three of them are pretty chill, and take a break from grabbing food to teach Shovel Knight how to be a Battletoad, should they accept their offer.
- Optional Boss: Their boss fight is completely optional, and is also much more complex than the game's other bosses, as that it's a Sequential Boss with three phases, rather than the standard two.
- Sequential Boss: They are fought one at a time in a multi-phase boss battle, with Zitz's and Pimple's phases featuring gameplay based on the "Wookie Hole" and "Turbo Tunnel" levels of Battletoads.
- Shapeshifter Weapon: The Toads can transform their bodies to attack, turning into weights and making their fists and feet gigantic.
- Stock Animal Diet: As toads, they naturally enjoy eating bugs. In fact, before the encounter, they were just looking for a place to get a burger and flies. And after the encounter, they invite Shovel Knight to join them for some grub. Shovel Knight politely declines.
- Unexpected Gameplay Change: The first phase of their boss battle involves grappling down a constantly descending tunnel, while the second phase involves riding on hoverbikes.
- Version-Exclusive Content: They can only be found in the Xbox One and Windows 10 versions of the game.
Madam Meeber
"BOOPITY BOO! What shall we do?"
A character exclusive to the Nintendo versions (Wii U, 3DS, and Switch) of Shovel Knight, who appears throughout all of the campaigns. By scanning a Shovel Knight amiibo, she can summon special fairies based on the payer characters to accompany them on their journey and give them special costumes.
- Anti-Frustration Features: You'll only need to scan an amiibo once; after that, you'll be able to summon its fairy whenever you want.
- Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance: The tips of her wings and crown share their color with the six colored "pop" effects in the amiibo logo.
- Brought to You by the Letter "S": The waist of her dress contains an "a", for amiibo.
- Catchphrase: "BOOPITY BOO!"
- Cosmetic Award: The various fairies she can summon are cute, and the costumes she can give the player characters are really cool looking, but neither do anything aside from look cool.
- Eyes Out of Sight: The upper half of her face is completely covered by her hair.
- Meaningful Name: To use your Shovel Knight amiibo, you need to talk to Madam Meeber.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: She, like King Knight, seems to think the Phantom Striker's shroud is a napkin.
- Version-Exclusive Content: While she cameos in all versions of the game via an Easter Egg in King of Cards, her primary appearances in the hubs of the campaigns, complete with an amiibo-based look and fairy-summoning abilities, are only in Nintendo versions of the game.
- Writing Around Trademarks: In the Easter Egg associated with her in King of Cards, which appears in all versions of the game, Madam Meeber is redesigned to not reference the Nintendo-owned amiibo; she wears a sundress instead of her normal dress, which contains an "a" and the red, yellow and green squares of the amiibo logo, and she wears a straw hat instead of her crown and doesn't have her wings, both of which are colored in the same pattern as the amiibo logo. The fairy based on her, however, keeps the design, likely because of the lack of obvious details due to how small it is.
