Top 10 Video Game Knights

Sir Daniel Fortesque isn’t your stereotypical knight: knights are usually courageous – but Sir Daniel is a huge coward. Knights are supposed to accomplish valiant deeds – but Sir Daniel was struck down by the first arrow in a war. Knights are supposed to be alive – but Sir Daniel is, well, he’s a skeleton who can rip his arm off and beat up zombies with it like a club. Luckily, Sir Daniel has the opportunity to redeem his unspectacular life by overthrowing the Evil Sorcerer Zarok and restoring peace to his realm.

Cecil Harvey, the protagonist of “Final Fantasy IV,” is a rare example of a man who purposely rebels against his knightly duties. Forsaking his training as a feared Dark Knight, Cecil becomes a paladin in order to rally against his former king, the King of Baron, who commanded Cecil to steal the legendary Crystals from their resting places. A man of great conviction and strength, Cecil constantly grapples between his duty to his land and his moral convictions, but like most good knights, always ends up making the honorable choices.

Formerly a squire to the royal knight Cyrus, Frog was sent spiraling into exile and depression when he failed to protect his lord and was transformed into a giant talking man-frog. Possessing the ability to wield the legendary blade “Masamune,” Frog becomes a powerful knight in his own right during the quest to avenge his fallen comrade and protect the queen. Frog joins Chrono when the spikey haired protagonist and his party get sent back into medieval times, and proves to be a chivalrous and dependable ally in the quest against Lavos.

As one of the last surviving members of the Blades, Esbern has the unenviable task of protecting Skyrim and its rightful ruler from unspeakable evil. Esbern is the Blades’ archivist, and has spent much of his life studying the prophecy predicting the return of the dragons and of Alduin, The World-Eater. Seeing the prophecy unfolding before his eyes, Esbern takes the Dragonborn (That’s you!) under his tutelage to prepare them for the war at hand. A loyal and noble soul, Esbern does whatever it takes to save Skyrim, including sacrificing his own life.

Chrom is a knight, but he’s also a prince. Despite his royal heritage, Chrom is a man of the people and does whatever necessary to defend the citizens of his land. When the Plegian army begins amassing troops, Chrom, with the help of his loyal fighters, “The Shepards,” begins a resistance effort. Chrom wields the legendary blade “Falchion,” a mighty, unbreakable sword that can cut through most enemies with ease. A talented fighter, loyal companion, and honorable man, Chrom exemplifies all the qualities of a great leader.

A fantastic example of a classic knight, “Dirk the Daring” is tasked with saving Princess Daphne from the clutches of the evil dragon Singe and the wizard Mordroc. Despite the fact that all of his fellow knights were killed in their attempts to save the Princess, Dirk forges on through precarious dungeons and dangerous situations with great courage. Though sometimes he might seem a little goofy and un-coordinated, luck and bravery always win out in the end – if you have enough quarters.

Shovel Knight and Shield Knight were lovers, friends, and companions who travelled around the land together searching for adventure and treasure. After an evil curse rips the two apart, Shovel Knight resigns to a life of solitude. Now, with the Enchantress holding power over the land, Shovel Knight must set out, break the curse, and discover the whereabouts of his long lost love. A shovel isn’t the most conventional weapon for a knight, but then again, who’d it wouldn’t be your first choice for a pogo stick either, now would it?

Siegfried is arguably the main protagonist of the “Soul Calibur” franchise. He seeks to claim the legendary blade, Soul Edge, in an effort to avenge his murdered father and bring those that killed him to justice. After claiming the Soul Edge, Siegfried became possessed by the sword’s evil powers, transforming into a murderous dark knight known as ‘Nightmare.’ What follows is an epic tale of good versus evil, as Siegfried attempts to wrestle free from the grips of the Soul Edge while redeeming his own troubled past.

Meta Knight is a really mysterious dude – his motives are usually unknown, and he hides his face behind a mask. Meta Knight controls a vast army, a powerful airship, and is one of the most deadly swordsmen around, wielding the blade Galaxia. Though he is often Kirby’s rival, Meta Knight does not lack for honor: when you fight Meta Knight in the “Kirby” games, he usually offers Kirby a sword of his own. It would, after all, be terribly dishonorable for this surprisingly Spanish knight to slay an unarmed pink sphere creature – even if he’s rather spherical himself.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Flynn
“Tales of Vesparia” (2008)

Maximo
“Maximo” (2001)

Solaire of Astora
“Dark Souls” (2011)

The Knights
“Castle Crashers” (2008)

What happens when the evil lord Loki kidnaps the princess? Why, my good man, you take up your trusty lance and charge headlong through legions of dastardly beings! Sir Arthur is a noble knight out to accomplish knightly tasks like destroying Satan, ridding the realm of evil, and saving the lovely blue-haired Guinevere. Plus, Arthur’s got great taste in boxer shorts, an underrated trait in most knights. If you play “Ghosts & Goblins,” you’ll get many chances to see them, because you’ll most likely be losing your armor A LOT.

Do ye agree with our list? Which Knight did thee wish to look up to? For more chivalrous top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.