Knihgtfall is a 2017-2019 historical fiction series about the fall of The Knights Templar.
The first season covers the search for the holy grail and sets the stage for Friday the 13th. The second season covers the events of the Templar's fall.
Not to be confused with the well-known Batman saga Knightfall.
This series provides examples of:
- Aerith and Bob: For a historical medieval setting, Talus stands out among the cast.
- …And That Little Girl Was Me: How the keeper of Caux Castle tells Landry and Tancrede the story how Godfrey became a Templar: he used to be known as Marcel de Caux, who felt jealous of his older brother Raymond for inheriting their father's title and holds and tried to kill him. However, the attack left him only crippled and Raymond still forgave his brother who became touched by it and turned to God, joining the order and changing his name to Godfrey. He brought the Holy Grail to his brother and healed his legs allowing him to walk again. When Landry asks if there is any witness to this story, the keeper reveals only one opening his shirt and showing his stab wounds, revealing himself to be Raymond.
- Artistic License – History:
- For starters, Joan did not cheat on Philip; in fact according to all known records, their marriage was both fruitful and happy, they having seven children together. When Joan died (of natural causes, not by getting stabbed by her husband) in 1305, the king was devastated and refused to marry again.
- Neither Philip IV, nor his son Louis, dealt with Satanists.
- Beard of Evil: The sign that King Phillip is irredeemably evil come season 2? His wicked new beard. Weirdly inverted with de Nogaret, as his becoming a more sympathetic and nuanced character is seemingly marked by him going clean shaven
- Big Bad: King Philip the Fair, since he will eventually signal the Templars' doom though at the start of the series, he is friendly with them.
- Big Damn Heroes: Landry and the remaining Templars are about to be burned at the stake when Master Talus arrives leading the leper Knights of St. Lazarus and rescues everyone. With a carriage-borne ballista.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Pope Boniface appears like a Cool Old Guy at first specially towards Isabella, but he is a ruthless and cuttroat as shown when he approves her match with the Catalonian prince whom she is in love with him because it's politically benefical for him.
- Bullying a Dragon: The Pope makes the horrible mistake of telling de Nogaret his parents (who the Pope burned as a young man, being Cathar heretics) were blasphemers and heathens who got what they deserved. When alone with de Nogaret. Who's far more physically capable than he is. Who's been given permission to 'deal' with him. The results are predictable.
- Chaste Hero: Templars are supposed to be this, but Landry breaks his chastity vows to have an affair with Queen Joan. This leads to catastrophic consequences when she gets pregnant and Philippe finds out about it.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: Landry is very prone to this. In the series opening while the Templars are in full-retreat and Acre is in flames, he stops to help Adelina's father when buried under rubble. Even years after this event, he remains restless when those unable to defend themselves like the Jews are being threatened.
- Cool Old Guy: Master Talus is a gravelly-voiced, badass old Templar who acts as a voice of gruff reason and fires a ballista at Philip at once point.
- Curbstomp Battle: Landry's duel with Phillip is short and brutal. For all Phillip's skill, he makes the mistake of believing Landry's training sessions with him were indicative of Landry's actual ability. Even tired, Landry is a veteran warrior and utterly dominates the battle before brutally ending his former friend.
- Disposable Woman: Parsifal's wife Marie only shows up in one scene and in the next one she has been killed by Roland in order to provide her husband with angst and anger.
- Disproportionate Retribution: King Phillip does this in spades. His response to finding out that his wife and best friend were having an affair behind his back? Institute a King Herod style massacre of all newborns born around the time as their child.
- The Dog Bites Back: De Nogaret and Louis have both had enough of Phillip's shit by the end of Season 2 and leave him for Landry.
- Even Evil Has Standards: By the end both De Nogaret and Prince Louis have enough of Phillip's insanity and leave him to his fate.
- Evil Chancellor: De Nogaret in spades.
- Face–Heel Turn: Gawain due to his issues with Landry. King Phillip also makes an epic one from a reasonable authority figure to a monstrous, murderous tyrant.
- Foregone Conclusion: Even though the series proper opens with Philip and the Templars being friends, it's only a matter of time before he turns on them and begins their purge.
- Freudian Excuse: De Nogaret has a surprisingly compelling one. His parents were executed for being Cathars leaving him to be raised by his uncle... and the priest who killed them became the pope.
- Helmets Are Hardly Heroic: The templars go to various battles without helms. In Episode 6 of Series 2, a French volley of arrows kills several templars via head wounds.
- He Knows Too Much: Why Parsifal dies.
- Knight in Sour Armor: Landry and Gawain.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Why De Nogaret and Louis ultimately turn on Phillip
- Old Soldier: Master Talus of the Templars is the eldest man there, a veteran of many battles, and can still kick heaps of ass
- One-Man Army: Master Talus is the eldest of the Templers but can still take on a squad of soldiers and emerge victorious.
- Post-Rape Taunt: One of Roland's thugs boast to Parsifal how he enjoyed raping his wife Marie. He gets a cross impaled through his mouth for that.
- Put on a Bus: Adelina promptly leaves after defeating Roland.
- Starcrossed Lovers: Tancrède is in love with his old childhood sweetheart; Sister Anne. Anne is a nun who has vows she is reluctant to break.
- Sympathetic Adulterer: The show tries to do this with Joan... though many feel they didn't succeed.
- Together in Death: When Anne is fatally shot with royal crossbows during the final escape from Paris, Tancrède tries but fails to rescue her before he too gets bolts to the chest. They share their final moments in a loving embrace.
- We Used to Be Friends: Phillip and Landry were friends before Phillip found out that Landry was sleeping with his wife.
- Would Hurt a Child: Prince Louis murders a baby, though he is haunted by it.
