Knight (rank)

This article refers to the Knight rank. For the NPC, see Knight.

Knights, in the universe of Shovel Knight, are characters granted with this honorable title. The game takes this title as status of power and extrapolates it, meaning only the strongest are "knighted". This explain why non-orthodox characters, such as Plague Knight, who is an alchemist, and Tinker Knight, who is an engineer, are granted the titles of knights, even though they don't follow the concept of the classic medieval noble knight clad in armor. The majority of knights in the game are members of the Order of No Quarter, a villainous group of knights who serve The Enchantress.

Known Knights[]

Treasure Trove[]

Titled Knights[]

Shovel Knight: The title character, who has a strong sense of honor and justice, depicted as the typical valiant knight from Arthurian Legends. He is the main character of Shovel of Hope.
Shield Knight: The only major female knight, who is Shovel Knight's partner and love interest. While she acts as a damsel in distress, who Shovel Knight must save, she is shown to be quite capable in battle, as seen in Specter of Torment.
Black Knight: Shovel Knight's rival. Depicted as an errant but ultimately noble knight who serves no one. His armor is near identical to Shovel Knight's with a black and red palette.
King Knight: A member of The Order of No Quarter. His depiction matches closely the idea of the gallant knight, clad in a shining gold armor, but his personality is that of a selfish and arrogant ruler. He is the main character of King of Cards.
Specter Knight: A member of The Order of No Quarter. His depiction references the Grim Reaper, but could also be a reference to Death, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (a knight). He is the main character of Specter of Torment.
Plague Knight: A member of The Order of No Quarter. His depiction references plague doctors, who were known in the Middle Ages for treating the Black Death. While not a reference to the idea of the armored knight, his concept comes from that era. He is the main character of Plague of Shadows.
Mole Knight: A member of The Order of No Quarter. One of the few knights clad in full armor, though his origins were not inspired by the traditional armored knight. Hence his name, Mole Knight's depiction references moles in real life which are avid diggers just like him.
- Mole Knight also appears in Shovel Knight Dig as a member of the Hexcavators. His new suit differs drastically from previous iterations, now clad in blue aquatic armor. His mole claws are now webbed, granting him the power to both swim and dig.
Treasure Knight: A member of The Order of No Quarter. Much like the unorthodox Plague Knight and Tinker Knight, his origins are not from the concept of typical knight, but rather the idea of diving gear as protective armor.
Polar Knight: A member of The Order of No Quarter. His depiction references vikings, which were known for being fierce warriors with an affinity for cold climates.
Propeller Knight: A member of The Order of No Quarter. His depiction is rather unorthodox like most, referencing 18th century European military uniforms.
Tinker Knight: A member of The Order of No Quarter. His depiction references an engineer, with a welding mask and a rubber outfit. While not referencing the typical armored knight, welding masks are known for being one of the forms of protection against welding arcs.
- Tinker Knight also appears in Shovel Knight Dig as a member of the Hexcavators. His appearance is identical.

Untitled Knights[]

Knights: Common knights seen protecting the Village and Armor Outpost. They are the classical depiction of the typical armored knight. In Plague of Shadows they can be fought, and come in three variations to classify their power: iron, bronze, and gold.
Goldarmors: Powerful enemies that can be found in pretty much every stage. They also represent the idea of the typical armored knight, though they do not bear the name like the other characters. They have different color variations besides their namesake Gold: Purple, Green, Red, and Silver. Sumo variants of the Gold, Red, and Purple variations also appear in King of Cards.

Pocket Dungeon[]

Puzzle Knight: A lonely knight trapped in the confines of the Pocket Dungeon. He's dressed in a scholarly blue outfit complete with a velveted mortarboard cap and a golden mask resembling a rounded keyhole. In battle, he wields a large magical compass.
Prism Knight: A mysterious figure in the Pocket Dungeon. Her armor draws inspiration from cloaked mages, wearing light clothing with a hood resembling a hexagonal crystal. Her blue prismatic mace both casts illusions and bludgeons foes.

Dig[]

Drill Knight: Leader of the Hexcavators, and the main antagonist of Shovel Knight Dig. Unlike most knights, his armor appears to be more advanced and futuristic, featuring large, bulky drills inspired by modern excavation tools which are also accented by his glowing visor. The armor is also capable of transforming into a giant drill.
Spore Knight: A member of the Hexcavators. Her traditional medieval helmet and green tunic is complimented by a large pink mushroom hat.
Scrap Knight: A member of the Hexcavators. Despite her traditional knight mask and breastplate, Scrap Knight wears light clothing with torn, skin-tight leggings and bare arms. Most notably, a large round bag is slung behind her back fashioned with various trinkets.
Hive Knight: A member of the Hexcavators. He's dressed in a full set of spelunking gear with faux bug eyes and antennae sewn to his hat.

Historical Origins[]

A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a monarch or other political leader for service to the monarch or country, especially in a military capacity. Historically, in Europe, knighthood has been conferred upon mounted warriors. During the High Middle Ages, knighthood was considered a class of lower nobility. By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior.

Often, a knight was a vassal who served as a fighter for a lord, with payment in the form of land holdings. The lords trusted the knights, who were skilled in battle on horseback. Since the early modern period, the title of knight is purely honorific, usually bestowed by a monarch, as in the British honors system, often for non-military service to the country. The modern female equivalent is Dame.

Trivia[]

If the player enters a certain cheat code, the word "knight" will be replaced with the word "butt" (i.e. Shovel Butt, Black Butt, Plague Butt, etc.).
Mr. Hat and Goldarmor are called "Hat Knight" and "Iron Knight" in the game's files.