Line #103 Main/MonsterKnight


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16	[[quoteright:294:[[TabletopGame/FutureCardBuddyfight https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dragonknight.png]]]]
17	[[caption-width-right:294:"For dragons to master the sword skills of men, hundreds of years of trial and error were involved."]]
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19	Monsters are, well, monsters. They're uncouth, messy, dirty, disgusting, barbaric creatures with no sense of honor. The only times they do work together will more than likely resemble something akin to a [[TheHorde horde]] than anything like a professional army.
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21	But, that's a bit too {{Cliche}} for most writers, so it's not that surprising to see many monsters that aren't mindless [[TheBrute brutes]]. Monsters that are trained, with a thought for technique, tactics, strategy, [[VillainousValour valour]], and (perhaps) a sense of [[EvenEvilHasStandards honor]] that would make them seem [[NobleDemon almost]] [[WorthyOpponent respectable]]. A monster that's also a true warrior. They may be serving a MonsterLord, or be part of an army or similar.
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23	This kind of character is often a CulturedWarrior and a BloodKnight, although they don't have to be. They're also more likely to be a NobleDemon, and thanks to the resonance the hero may have for this character, they may be found on any place on the CharacterAlignment scale in contrast to the usual AlwaysChaoticEvil treatment the characters race may receive in other works. This is often a case of MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch, but doesn't have to be. Because MostWritersAreHuman, these characters are often more [[MonstrousHumanoid humanoid]]-looking as a result.
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25	Their possibly supernatural nature gives them a higher chance of being a MagicKnight, although the magic they practice is often more of a [[BlackMagic destructive and dark nature]] than average.
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27	If you have an entire army of Monster Knights, they're almost guaranteed to be a BadassArmy as well.
28
29	Compare the BlackKnight, MonsterAdventurers, DragonKnight and WrestlingMonster. May also overlap with MonsterAllies.
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31	----
32	!!Examples
33	[[foldercontrol]]
34
35	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
36	%%* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'': [[spoiler:The Armored Titan]] turns out to be one of these.
37	* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'':
38	** [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Nosferatu Zodd]] combines this with a heaping helping of BloodKnight; he's a giant, monstrous brute even in his more human-looking form and something like a horned, winged minotaur in his monstrous one, and there's nothing he loves so much as a good fight with a WorthyOpponent. He has a sense of honor and grudging respect, and he is up for the occasional EnemyMine when the situation warrants.
39	** The New Band of the Hawk is filled with these guys (making it a pretty BadassArmy ). [[TheBrute Grunbeld]], Irvine, and [[KnightInShiningArmour Locus]] in particular demonstrate a strong sense of fair play, refrain from KickTheDog moments, and genuinely believe themselves to be the heroes. Their leader, Griffith, tries to invoke this, but is an utter monster beneath his [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon angelic appearance]].
40	** The Skull Knight is an example insofar as he is no longer human, and has more knightly trappings (barded warhorse, sword, shield, and plate mail) than most. Unlike many examples, [[DarkIsNotEvil he does not appear to actually be evil]], and [[spoiler: since the death of Flora]] may be the closest thing the series has to a BigGood.
41	* ''Anime/{{Bleach}}'': Komamura is an enormous wolf man and Captain of Soul Society's 7th Division. For a long time, he was ashamed of his appearance and hid behind a helmet until it was broken and he decided to just go without it. It's eventually revealed that he and his clan were once human, but were banished to Buddhism's Animal Realm, which transformed them into animals. In the final arc, a DangerousForbiddenTechnique allows him to mostly regain his human form, but at the cost of being permanently transformed into a normal wolf once it's over.
42	* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'': This is a very common theme for Digimon:
43	** [[KingOfBeasts Leomon]] is a recurring example (especially in the anime), being a ferocious-looking [[CatFolk lion-man]] who is also a noble and heroic warrior.
44	** The giant bird Digimon Aquilamon is described as being highly respectful of decorum and unconditionally loyal to its master. Its traditional pre-evolution Hawkmon is also portrayed this way in ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02''.
45	** The Royal Knights in particular are a group of thirteen Digimon loosely based on the Knights of the Round Table. They are high-ranking protectors of the Digital World, are at the direct service of the god Yggdrasil and put a huge amount of value on honor and codes of conduct. Even individuals of a "Royal Knight species" that aren't actually part of the group, like Takato's Dukemon from ''Anime/DigimonTamers'', tend to behave in a very knightly manner.
46	** ''Anime/DigimonFusion'': Dorulumon turns his back on the Bagra Army precisely because they are not loyal to their own troops, putting them in harm's way just to preserve the general's "perfect" record. He is even more so in the [[Manga/DigimonXrosWars comic adaptation]], where it is revealed Dorulumon was the best warrior in a warrior society of other wolf monsters before taking their combat skill to the Bagra Army (he leaves the army for similar reasons and has even more guilt about his membership here, since he felt he disgraced his clan). The manga even gives Dorulumon a knight-like evolved form called [=JagerDorulumon=].
47	** ''Anime/DigimonAdventure2020'' has [=CresGarurumon=], a knightly WolfMan decked out in gold armor that defeated a warmongering Zanbamon in the distant past. [=WereGarurumon=] is able to take on [=CresGarurumon=]'s form when he and Yamato wield his weapon together against Zanbamon's evil spirit.
48	* ''Literature/GoblinSlayer'' features [[spoiler:a Goblin Paladin, who is [[DarkMessiah heralded as the champion]] to the [[AlwaysChaoticEvil most inhuman, degenerated and vicious races]] in the setting, and yet he is explicitly a [[LightIsNotGood Holy Knight]] since he worships a non-evil deity (in his case, the God of Wisdom) but is every bit as depraved as his kind]].
49	* ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'': Garyuu, a mute, multi-eyed humanoid insect that acts as [[BlackMagicianGirl Lutecia's]] knight much like [[SwordAndSorcerer Erio acts as one for Caro]]. [[spoiler:He ends up being one of the first villains in the season to pull a HeelFaceTurn, saving Erio and Caro before helping them protect Mid-Childa from Lutecia's out of control [[BigCreepyCrawlies insect summons]]]].
50	* [[OurCentaursAreDifferent Centorea]] in ''Manga/MonsterMusume'' is a knight, sometimes wearing a full suit of armor and carrying a sword (it's just a replica) [[BowAndSwordInAccord and bow]]. She also often talks about honor, bushido, or a knightly code of conduct. She's more of a CuteMonsterGirl than most of the examples here.
51	* ''Anime/MonsterRancher'': [[CallASmeerpARabbit The wolf-like Tiger]] bandits, though the decayed state Moo's influence has brought on the world caused them to become less honorable (bandits), they avoid simply killing who they steal from even when it would be easy to do and under the right circumstance will accept duels in which they will not interfere on the behalf of their clan member until concluded. In addition there are also [[OurCentaursAreDifferent Centaur]]'s band, who only joined Moo's cause because they were defeated by one of his big bad four and still reign justly in their realm otherwise, the martial artist Kato, the resurrecting guardian of the Jill village, Cinder-bird who willingly gave himself up to feed another monster who invaded due to starvation and the enlightenment seeker turned prized fighting champion, Most, who wishes to use what he learned to inspire the next generation.
52	* ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'': The trainer-hating Bulbasaur, who later decides to challenge Ash to a battle to see if he capable of capturing it after Ash shows it there are honorable trainers.
53	* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' has a variant in [[EldritchAbomination Oktavia von Seckendorff, the Mermaid Witch]] who wears a set of plate armour and wields a sword. [[spoiler:She is the Witch form of Sayaka Miki, who always wanted to be a hero of justice but who's perfectionism and inability to live up to her ideals led her to go insane]].
54	* ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' gives us Viral: A BeastMan with [[ThreateningShark shark]] and [[CatsAreMean cat]] genetics, he's got MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily and a vicious SlasherSmile to go with them. He also happens to be the most [[HonorBeforeReason honorable]] character in the series.
55	* In ''Literature/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'' it's relatively common within the Jura Tempest Alliance, as they are all monsters and are crafting a nation. Plenty are capable of fighting and quite a few fit the noble attributes nicely. Unlike most examples however, the vast majority here are truly heroic. The one that doesn't fit that is the Orc Lord and he's still a TragicVillain who did what he did to try to save his people.
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Card Games]]
59	* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'': It's fairly common for Knights to also be typed as traditionally monstrous creatures.
60	** Vampire knights are particularly common. Some, like [[https://scryfall.com/card/dom/191/arvad-the-cursed Arvad the Cursed]] and the [[https://scryfall.com/card/ori/211/blood-cursed-knight Blood-Cursed Knight]], struggle against their curse and strive to remain noble warriors despite their cravings. Others, such as the vampiric conquistadores of Ixalan, embrace their cravings and become merciless predators against their foes. The [[https://scryfall.com/card/roe/94/arrogant-bloodlord Arrogant Bloodlord]] is notable for having a mechanic that kills it when it's blocked by a weak creature -- its sense of personal honor is so strong that [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled it would rather kill itself than be slain by a common soldier]].
61	** Shadowmoor's cinders, fire elementals left bitter and hateful by their smothered flames, posses some knightly cards as well. Examples include the [[https://scryfall.com/card/shm/181/ashenmoor-liege Ashenmoor Liege]], which rides a wolf, and the [[https://scryfall.com/card/shm/190/kulrath-knight Kulrath Knight]], which astride a giant bat hunts for the one who cursed its race.
62	** Also native to Shadowmoor is the [[https://scryfall.com/card/eve/142/hobgoblin-dragoon Hobgoblin Dragoon]], which rides a giant cicada and fights skillfully with a lance.
63	* ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'' has a lot of these.
64	** One example is "Zure, Knight of Dark World," a demon knight. The FlavorText indicates he's a NobleDemon. There's also the "Beast of Talwar", who may not be as noble, but is certainly disciplined, as his FlavorText notes that only a MasterSwordsman among fiends is allowed use of the Talwar, and his art shows him DualWielding.
65	** Any monster classed as a Beast-Warrior type has a high probability of being a Monster Knight. A good example is [[http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Wulf%2C_Lightsworn_Beast Wulf, Lightsworn Beast]] who is a WolfMan, but is a member of a organization of holy warriors who travel through time to save those in need.
66	[[/folder]]
67
68	[[folder:Comics]]
69	* Creator/MarvelComics:
70	** The Knights of Wundagore are an entire [[PlanetOfHats Tribe Of Hats]] who have this as their hat. They're all animals evolved into humanoid creatures by the High Evolutionary.
71	** ''Comicbook/PlanetHulk'': No-Name, the Gladiator brood. The brood were considered an evil swarming hive who while having a parasitoid method of reproduction, took the enslavement and torture of other species way too far. No-name, however, was captured and trained as a gladiator. Then "she" teamed up with the Hulk to liberate Sakaar from the Red-king with the rest of the war bound. So No-name was not a product of her own culture but proved Brood could be honorable under the right circumstances.
72	* ''ComicBook/RequiemVampireKnight'': Vampire knights are a subversion since, just like the rest of their [[AlwaysChaoticEvil kind]], they are the [[CardCarryingVillain worst, cruelest sociopaths]] in the world, finding concepts such as [[BadIsGoodAndGoodIsBad kindness, love and honor]] to be completely abhorrent, though [[AntiHero Requiem]] fits the trope closer than most as he display these qualities to an extent, and is viewed as an ''degenerate'' because of it. The [[LizardFolk Dystopian knights]], on the other hand, play the trope straight despite their race being the embodiment of ReptilesAreAbhorrent, they do adhere to chivalry and honor even though its noted to be very out of place in this [[CrapsackWorld setting]].
73	[[/folder]]
74
75	[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
76	* ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1'': Shrek's an ogre who is press-ganged into putting on armor and rescuing a princess. [[SubvertedTrope He's not really much of a trained warrior, though]]. [[UnskilledButStrong He's still pretty strong,]] able to take on many guys at once, and clever enough to set up traps for his enemies.
77	[[/folder]]
78
79	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
80	* In ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'', while trekking through the Bog of Eternal Stench, Sarah meets Sir Didimus, some sort of strange dog-like knight monster astride a large regular-dog. His basic deal is standing on a bridge and declaring YouShallNotPass. Sarah eventually simply asks to pass and he allows her, deciding to join her on her quest.
81	%%* ''Franchise/StarWars'': Arguably any Jedi who isn't a human could be considered this.%%Why?
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	[[folder:Literature]]
85	* ''Literature/TheTraitorSonCycle'': Tapio Haltija is an Irk -- a cross between an elf and an orc gifted with extraordinary magic powers that can compel people to do his bidding. Nevertheless, he's still a trained knight and participates in physical battles and tourneys.
86	* ''Literature/WordsOfRadiance'': Eshonai, the Parshendi Shardbearer, fits this to a T. She's noble, a leader among her people, but still firmly opposed to the human characters for complicated reasons that can't be overcome by a simple HeelFaceTurn.
87	* This is the staple of Christopher Rowley's ''Literature/BazilBroketail'' series. The eponymous hero and his kin there are essentially [[OurDragonsAreDifferent wingless, bipedal dragons]], integrated into human society in the Argonathi empire and serving in its legions as heavy shock troops. In battle, they wield huge longswords and are clad in plate armor. Although technically they are not knights (there are no nobles among the dragons of Argonath), each one of them does have his (or her) own squire -- a dragonboy, paired with them at a young age, who cares for their dragon's weaponry and equipment, as well as the dragon himself.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
91	* The titular main characters of ''Series/Akumaizer3'' are a trio of honorable demon swordsmen from the Akuma Clan who chose to side with humanity rather than their fellow demons when they declared war on human society.
92	* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': "El Eliminati" were an all-male ''vampire'' order of duelists that strongly adhered to honor. Unfortunately, this means they had a hard time adapting to the modern world and have declined into being just a shadow of their former selves.
93	* General Shadow in ''Series/KamenRiderStronger'' is a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent majin]] who adheres to a code of honor, refuses to do things like harm children, and wants to defeat Stronger in a fair fight. In short, he's a literal NobleDemon.
94	* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' had too many of these to list. Goldar probably counts as the most well-known one, and the Knasty Knight stands out as one of the first [[MonsterOfTheWeek Monsters of the Week]] to fit the description.
95	[[/folder]]
96
97	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
98	* ''Series/ElmosWorld'': In an ImagineSpot from the Books episode, Elmo is cast as a knight. When he explains to the dragon that he is a monster, the dragon runs away in fear.
99	[[/folder]]
100
101	[[folder:Religion, Mythology and Folklore]]
102	* Myth/HinduMythology:
103	** Most Asuras worth mentioning.
104	*** The Rakshasas were among the most monstrous, being multi-headed, fanged or tusked giants who preyed on mankind and were expelled from Brahma's realm after he created them by accident and was nearly devoured by them in his sleep. Yet they also studied vigorously, meditated, grew gardens and developed a sophisticated society during the time they ruled on Earth called Lanka. Ravana from the ''Literature/{{Ramayana}}'', possibly the biggest bad guy in Hinduism, was honored for his respectable points after Rama, the avatar of the god of the universe, killed him.
105	*** Also featured in the same work as Ravana are creatures such as [=MahaBali=], an Asura who aimed to conquer all of the worlds but had a respect for the arts, philosophy and holy men such that Vishnu was able to make him give up all that he conquered without resorting to violence. Jatayu the giant eagle/vulture is an example on Rama's side and used as an example when the giant monkey king Vali argues that Rama should not judge him by human morals, saying that creatures such as Vali and Jatayu display the same level of intelligence and appreciation for society and thus should be held to the same standards of fidelity and conduct.
106	*** There is also a passing mention to Tripurasura, a monster accidentally created by the sage Gritsamad and destroyed by Shiva. Despite his unnatural conception, Gritsamad raised Tripura as his own son and Tripura's diligent work gained him blessings from the deva Ganesh. Unfortunately this blessing caused him to grow proud and wreak havoc across various worlds, so Ganesh relented and helped Shiva, who was finding him particularly hard to get rid of. Still, his meditation on Ganesh's mantra and others qualified Tripura for salvation after death, [[RedemptionRejection unfortunately]] he returned as the demon Mahamada on Bali's order and started a religion [[PathOfInspiration based around himself and corrupting the established religions]] (luckily for all non demons, Shiva will be around to destroy him again)
107	** Hanuman is a size-changing monkey man who is a passionately loyal retainer to his liege Rama. He takes any attack on Rama as an attack on him, and when Ravana kidnaps Rama's wife it is Hanuman who is to first to take up arms.
108	* The English medieval epic Bevis of Hampton follows the adventures of a knight errant. In one episode, Bevis defeats Ascapart, a giant. Rather than kill him, Bevis makes the giant his squire (though it isn't specified whether the giant is ever knighted). Though largely forgotten today, the Bevis cycle was hugely popular in Europe and was translated into dozens of languages. [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff He was especially popular in Eastern Europe]] where the giant [[RaceLift was made into]] a centaur named Polkan.
109	* Some medieval texts feature [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolf knights]]. Generally, they're Crusaders who use their lycanthropic skills on the battlefield but end up losing their human sides after they return home. Some scholars believe these stories are [[RuleOfSymbolism metaphors]] for [[ShellShockedVeteran what war does to soldiers]].
110	[[/folder]]
111
112	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
113	* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
114	** Levistus, the [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Lord of the Fifth]] and one of the most powerful devils in the cosmos, who bills himself as the [[MasterSwordsman finest swordsman]] in the multiverse -- when he's not [[SealedEvilInACan encased in an iceberg]], anyway.
115	** Bel, [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Lord of the First]], who was a general in the Blood Wars.
116	** Some of the typical "monstrous" races are also playable races, and makes good knights. Orcs and minotaurs are common examples.
117	** For all their Good-ness, some Celestial races are quite terrifying in appearance, but they can be knight either in spirit or as actual classes.
118	** A number of creatures from the [[http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/fc D&D Fight Club]] article series on the D&D 3.5E website fir the bill. One example is [[http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fc/20060224a Taibo, the Ethereal Filcher Monk]], who stands out since ethereal filchers usually care for little but stealing trinkets.
119	** Legion Devils, as the footsoldiers of devilish armies. They wield powerful polearms and are skilled in fighting in formation, even having extra powers that kick in when they're in a group.
120	%%** Death Knights. Duh.
121	%%** Every once in a while the game produces a [[http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mmiii_gallery/83071.jpg warrior troll]].
122	* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': The Blood Dragons are a vampire bloodline made up of battle-obsessed knights that are honorable to a fault. They believe that only cowards feed upon the weak -- the only ones that Blood Dragons will willingly feed on are powerful warriors and monsters. And as such, they wander the realm looking for stronger enemies to fight, living only for combat, the attainment of honor and the thrill of battle. Though it may seem that they're [[FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire the friendly sort]], they're still evil as hell though fairly [[PragmaticVillainy pragmatic]] since their progenitor [[NobleDemon Abhorash]] advised his fellow vampires that preying on the innocent would drive other people and neighboring kingdoms against them (they didn't listen and that is exactly what happened).
123	[[/folder]]
124
125	[[folder:Video Games]]
126	* ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'': Most beast enemies fight with wild aggression due to having lost their minds to the Beast Scourge. And then the ''Old Hunters'' expansion pack introduced Ludwig the Accursed, the beast form of the very first Church Hunter and the guy behind the Ludwig's Holy Blade weapon. For the first phase of the fight, he'll be a standard beast, [[spoiler: but in his second phase, he'll gain [[RestorationOfSanity a massive SAN boost]] when the light of the Moonlight Greatsword falls on his face, and he will face you once again as Ludwig, the Holy Blade. In this phase he combines his monster form's strength with elegant swordsmanship to turn you into hunter confetti.]]
127	* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls''
128	** The Capra Demon, a demon that is also a dual-wielding warrior.
129	** Sen's Fortress is home to the Man-Serpent, a LizardFolk-type enemy with a snake-like head and neck. The fight with sword and shield and are surprisingly adept with their weapons, though fairly slow. They additionally use their massive fangs in combat. Later games reinvented them into more common barbarian-type fighters rather than knights.
130	** Sif, the Great Grey Wolf and loyal partner of Artorias. It wields Artorias's greatsword in its mouth and fights with spins, thrusts, and no small level of shrewdness. [[spoiler:Encountering it in the Abyss in Oolacile will change the cutscene to have Sif recognize the player and howl mournfully since it has sworn to protect Artorias's grave, and the only way to get the Covenant ring needed to face the Four Kings is by defeating Sif.]]
131	* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'':
132	** Sparda, also known as "The Legendary Dark Knight", was a demonic warrior who stood up for humanity against his kind and singlehandedly beaten the demons back to hell. Though he has a human form that resembles his children Dante and Vergil very closely, his [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/devilmaycry/images/d/d5/Sparda_Devil_Trigger_%28Model%29_DMC4SE.png/revision/latest?cb=20150512170927 true form is decidedly more appropriate for this trope]].
133	** Nelo Angelo, whom Dante comes to respect out of all the bosses in the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 first game]]. Makes sense, considering Nelo Angelo is quite clearly [[spoiler: his brother Vergil]].
134	** The Holy Knights of Fortuna in the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 fourth game]] are a ChurchMilitant organization inspired by Sparda that underwent an Ascension ceremony to become demons themselves.
135	* ''Franchise/DragonQuest'':
136	** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX'' features the [[PunnyName Wight Knight]], a formerly heroic knight of a dead kingdom who has been trapped by the spell of a Succubus. Until defeated by the player, he doesn't realize that he has been dead for ages and the kingdom that he fought for has long since passed into history.
137	** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'' has the 'recurring ''Mandrake Major'' family of monsters. It is a DraconicHumanoid that wears a cuirass and helm, and wields a sword and shield in battle. The games generally depict them as being {{Magic Knight}}s, in fact, in earlier ''VideoGame/DragonQuestMonsters'' games, it can natively learn ''Gigaslash'' -- a master-level magical sword technique that is typically exclusive to the TheHero characters from the main games (who themselves are {{Magic Knight}}s).
138	* ''VideoGame/DragonsWake'': The BlackKnight [[spoiler: is actually an undead horror]].
139	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
140	** Several forms of [[OurDemonsAreDifferent lesser Daedra]] qualify throughout the series. Most notable on the Dremora, humanoid lesser Daedra who can often be found serving [[DestroyerDeity Mehrunes Dagon]] as his LegionsOfHell. They wear heavy armor and use a variety of weapons, [[MagicKnight as well as magic]]. They refer to themselves as the "Kyn", meaning "the people" in the Daedric language, to separate them from other lesser Daedra, who they see as mindless animals.
141	** [[CatFolk Khajiit]] and [[LizardFolk Argonian]] players who chose to use heavy armor capture the visual aspect of this trope, and given both races tendency toward Stealth (thievery, assassination, guerilla warfare), can end up playing the entire thing straight if they stick to the Combat path.
142	** This is common for [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orcs]] throughout the series, as they favor heavy armor and melee combat. Though technically [[OurElvesAreDifferent a race of Mer (Elves)]], Orcs face [[FantasticRacism prejudice]] similar to the {{Beast\|Man}}Folk, but are also respected as strong and honorable warriors.
143	** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'':
144	*** The Golden Saints (Aureal) and Dark Seducers (Mazken) are two forms of lesser Daedra who protect the Shivering Isles and are pledged to serve the Duke of Mania and Duchess of Dementia, respectively. There is a certain level of rivalry between the two.
145	*** Jyggalag, the [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]] of [[ControlFreak Order]], is served by the Knights of Order, TinTyrant-like lesser Daedra outfitted head to toe in shiny metal armor.
146	* ''VideoGame/EldenRing'': If the two examples shown are enough to go on, "shadowbound beasts" are huge WolfMen who serve as loyal knights and bodyguards to an Empyrean (someone with the potential to ascend to godhood). Maliketh in particular seems to prefer walking on all fours, yet is one of the most graceful swordsmen in the game.
147	** House Caria, alone among the other houses, allowed the Trolls to become these, both granting them equal status with the human troops and allowing them to nurture their GeniusBruiser talents.
148	* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
149	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'': The evil Darknuts are jackal-headed monsters under their armor. They come in a number of different varieties, but all fight with sword and shield until stripped of their armor. Then they switch to kicks and punches.
150	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'': King Bulblin. The first time, he fights like a brute by just running down targets with his steed. However, he later dons a pair of bucklers to block Link's sword strikes and eventually faces off against Link in two one-on-one duels. Unlike many examples, he [[spoiler:admits defeat honorably and disavows Ganon's service, becoming the Trope Namer for IFightForTheStrongestSide in his sole line of dialogue]].
151	* ''Videogame/MediEvil'': Sir Dan Fortesque is a knight who was given credit for stopping an evil wizard in the past when in reality he was the first one killed in the battle. When said wizard returns and uses his spell to raise the dead, Dan reawakens as a skeleton in order to get a second chance to properly earn his place as a hero.
152	* ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic'': Maximus is a recurring orcish knight, though there are multiple incarnations of him:
153	** Maximus from ''Might and Magic III'' [[spoiler:and reappearing in ''VII'']] was an evil ''half-''orc (visibly favouring his orcish ancestry, with tusks and green skin) knight from Terra who served as one of the pre-made characters.
154	** Maximus in ''Heroes of Might and Magic I'' and ''II'' was a green-skinned, tusked Knight from either VARN or Enroth, serving with Morglin Ironfist and Roland Ironfist on Enroth.
155	** Maximus from ''Might and Magic X'' and ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic VI'' is an Ashan-type orc, has tusks, and is a Knight. ''Might & Magic: Heroes VI'' gives the backstory of this incarnation: when war-chief Kunyak led the rest of the orcs in a slave uprising and exodus, Maximus' ancestor chose to remain living in the human lands. Maximus earned his position of knighthood through tournament combat.
156	* ''Monster Girl Quest!'' has a number of examples. The [[EliteFour Four Heavenly Knights]] stand out, being the four monsters who serve the MonsterLord, and of them Granberia stands out the most, being a master of the sword and preferring to fight against strong opponents.
157	%%* ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'':
158	* ''VideoGame/Onimusha2SamuraisDestiny'': Gogandantess ('''[[LargeHam THE GREATEST SWORDSMAN OF ALL DEMONS]]'''). Despite being a pompous windbag he's also chivalrous and a NobleDemon to the point that the player character [[AlasPoorVillain reacts with visible sadness]] when Gogandantess is mortally wounded in their final duel.
159	* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
160	** Gardevoir and Gallade are inspired by knights (Gallade's design makes it more obvious, but the damsel-looking Gardevoir's Japanese name is Sirknight). They are described as being very honorable and putting their lives on the line when protecting something.
161	** In ''Videogame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' players can come across the Musketeer trio ([[OneExtraMember plus Keldeo through downloadable content]]), whom ended a war between humans when Pokémon were getting caught up in it and whom become indignant ([[TurnsRed and more powerful]]) if you employ underhanded (or evil) moves against them.
162	** ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'': Chesnaught, the grass Starter's final evolution, has a design derived from knights and one of its Pokedex entries describes it as using its own body to shield its allies from danger.
163	** Zacian and Zamazenta from ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' are themed on the sword and shield, respectively. [[spoiler:They served the Heroes of Galar in defeating the Darkest Night, though when they're first encountered they lack their weapons and look decidedly more aged than when equipped properly.]]
164	%%* ''VideoGame/RecettearAnItemShopsTale'': The Knight enemies.
165	* ''VideoGame/ShadowrunReturns'': Gaichu from ''Shadowrun Hong Kong'' was one of [[MegaCorp Renraku's]] [[ElitesAreMoreGlamorous Red Samurai]] before succumbing to [[TheVirus HMHVV-K]] and becoming a [[OurGhoulsAreCreepier ghoul]]. While this made him a pariah in Japanese society, he kept his sanity and personality intact, and still lives according to the ''bushido''-inspired code he was raised to follow. He has even honed his swordsmanship to an even higher level than before, since ghoulhood made him even faster and stronger than he was before, but also cost him his eyesight.
166	* Common across the ''VideoGame/ShiningSeries'', which have various beast men sprinkled into its fantasy setting. Instead of human knights riding horses into battles, centaurs act as both, their human tops bearing armor and equipped with jousting lances or spears/javelins. Dragonutes are a race of {{draconic humanoid}}s who typically wear heavy plate armor and fight with axes, maces or flails. Wolflings typically aschew armor to focus on speed and their own inherent strength (possibly with WolverineClaws), but Zynga of ''Shining Ark'' bears a spear and shield. [[BirdPeople Birdmen]] are almost always equipped with swords and armor.
167	* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'': Undyne, the spear-swinging, [[FantasticRacism human-hating]] [[FishPeople fish Lady]] [[LadyOfWar of War]] in command of the royal guard. Also too honorable to attack you [[TalkingIsAFreeAction while you're on the phone]] or [[SacredHospitality when you're in her house]].
168	* ''VideoGame/VampireNight'': Bathe'lemy was a knight in service to Comte Auguste that was turned into a vampire. He can also transform himself into a armored golem with blades in his arms.
169	* ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeRedemption'': Cristof Romauld, the main protagonist. He was already an idealistic knight before becoming a vampire and he is driven during the entire game to rescue his {{love interest}}.
170	* ''VideoGame/Vampyr2018'': William Marshal was a famous knight and an ancient vampire said to strongly adhere to chivalric honor. [[spoiler:It's revealed that he still retains his knightly disposition as well as his [[ReligiousVampire faith in Christ]] (which is impressive considering faith is an anathema to vampires). The main protagonist himself, Jonathan E. Reid, is also supposed play the same role as Marshal's -- protect Britain from the [[BigBad Red Queen's]] wrath, in [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential one way or the other]]]].
171	[[/folder]]
172
173	[[folder:Web Original]]
174	* The skull-headed guy [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCZsHnHLeYo&NR=1&feature=fvwp in this video]].
175	[[/folder]]

Context Main / MonsterKnight