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{{Short description|Literary stock character who masks their identity}}
{{other uses|Black Knight (disambiguation)}}
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{{List|date=January 2018}}
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[[File:Конный рыцарь 3 (Эрмитаж).jpg|thumb|Black knight]]
The '''black knight''' is a literary [[stock character]] who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying [[heraldry]]. Black knights are usually portrayed as [[villain]]ous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with the [[knight-errant]] ([[white knight]]). The character appeared in [[Arthurian literature]] and has been adapted and adopted by various authors, in cinema and [[popular culture]]. The [[Character (arts)|character]] is sometimes associated with death or [[Black-and-white dualism|darkness]].

==Historical figures==
*[[Edward of Woodstock]], Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, and Prince of Aquitaine. The eldest son of King [[Edward III]] and father to King [[Richard II]] of England, he was a military leader remembered for both his success and the massacres he ordered, popularly known as the "[[Edward, the Black Prince|Black Prince]]".
*[[James Stewart, the Black Knight of Lorn]], a descendant of [[Robert I of Scotland]], lived in the late 14th and early 15th centuries.
*[[Knights Hospitaller]], distinguished by their black mantles.
*[[Zawisza the Black of Garbów]] also known as "the Black Knight" or "First knight of Europe", was a Polish knight and nobleman. He served as a soldier and diplomat under the Polish king [[Władysław II Jagiello]] and Hungarian-Bohemian king [[Sigismund of Luxembourg]]. During his life, he was regarded as a model of knightly virtues and was renowned for winning multiple tournaments in Europe. His nickname is due to his black hair and his custom-made, black armor, which is kept at the [[Jasna Góra Monastery]].
*[[Ralph de Ashton|Sir Ralph de Ashton]] was an officer of state under [[Edward IV of England]].
*[[Knight of Glin]], also known as the "Black Knight", from the [[Fitzgerald dynasty]] of Ireland.
*[[Hans von Trotha]], a 15th-century German knight and marshal of the prince-elector of the [[German Palatinate|Palatinate]] who became involved in a dispute over land titles that resulted in his excommunication by [[Pope Innocent VIII]] and his vilification by the public. This reputation became a part of local folklore after his death, which portrayed him as a nefarious "Black Knight" and a restless spirit who would visit misbehaving children.

==Music==
{{Expand section|date=July 2018}}
British composer [[Edward Elgar]] composed a [[cantata]] titled ''[[The Black Knight (Elgar)|The Black Knight]]'' (op. 25, 1889–1893). Its libretto is a translation of [[Ludwig Uhland]]'s ballad ''Der schwarze Ritter'' by [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]]. The Uhland poem (in German language) was set to music also by [[Heinrich von Herzogenberg]].

American composers [[Dan Forden]] and [[Brian L. Schmidt]] and game designer [[Steve Ritchie (pinball designer)|Steve Ritchie]] collaborated on the soundtrack of the pinball game [[Black Knight 2000]].<ref name=ipdb>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=311|title=Internet Pinball Machine Database: Williams 'Black Knight 2000'|work=Ipdb.org|accessdate=2015-08-26}}</ref>

==Literature==
*''[[Le Morte d'Arthur]]'' by [[Thomas Malory]]: "There sat a knight all armed in black harness, and his name was the Knight of the Black Laund. Then the damosel, when she saw that knight, she bade him flee down that valley, for his horse was not saddled. Gramercy, said Beaumains, for always ye would have me a coward. With that the Black Knight, when she came nigh him, spake and said, Damosel, have ye brought this knight of King Arthur to be your champion? Nay, fair knight, said she, this is but a kitchen knave that was fed in King Arthur's kitchen for alms. Why cometh he, said the knight, in such array? it is shame that he beareth you company."
*''[[Idylls of the King]]'' by [[Alfred Lord Tennyson]]
*''[[Ivanhoe]]'' by [[Sir Walter Scott]]: [[Richard the Lionhearted]] poses as an unknown black knight to avoid detection while in England, fighting alongside Ivanhoe in a tournament and helping the assault on Front-de-Boeuf's castle.
*[[Raymond Chandler]], in his first novel, ''[[The Big Sleep]]'' (1939), lets his private eye [[Philip Marlowe]] describe and comment on "a knight in dark armour rescuing a lady who was tied to a tree and didn't have any clothes on but some very long and convenient hair."
*''[[The Book of the Duchess]]'' by [[Geoffrey Chaucer]]<ref>{{cite book |last= Lambdin |first=Laura C. |author-link=Laura C. Lambdin |title=Encyclopedia of medieval literature |year= 2000|quote=The black knight condemns Fortune, who introduced him to the perfect woman, and allowed him ... | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wGDxxU-LDHkC&q=Black+knight+in+literature&pg=PA67 |isbn=0-313-30054-2 }}</ref>
*''Die Jungfrau von Orleans'' (''[[The Maid of Orleans (play)|The Maid of Orleans]]'') by [[Friedrich Schiller]] (1801). The Black Knight appears as a wraith to warn Johanna ([[Joan of Arc]]) to cease her campaign to liberate France. Schiller himself offered the interpretation that it represented the ghost of [[John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury|Sir John Talbot]].
*The ''[[GrailQuest]]'' series of adventure gamebooks by [[J. H. Brennan]] features a character known as the Black Knight in the first three books. In the first two, however, the character turns out to be [[King Pellinore]]. In the third book, the real Black Knight is the final enemy the reader must defeat in order to complete the adventure.
*[[Marvel Comics]] has different characters that went by the name [[Black Knight (comics)|Black Knight]].
*Kato, the antagonist in [[Astrid Lindgren]]'s ''[[Mio, My Son]]''.

==Film==
*''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]'' features the [[Black Knight (Monty Python)|Black Knight]], who fights [[King Arthur]] while taunting him. Despite Arthur cutting all his limbs off, the Black Knight continues to taunt him without suffering any pain.<ref>{{cite book|title=Monty Python and Philosophy|first=William|last=Irvon|publisher=Open Court|page=78|year=2006|isbn=978-0-812-69698-1}}</ref>
*''[[Code Geass|Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion]]'' features a group of rebels who mask their identities under the name "The Black Knights". Their goal is to free [[Japan]] from the rule of the [[Holy Britannian Empire]]
*In ''[[Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed]]'', the Black Knight Ghost was one of the monsters brought to life by the Evil Masked Figure, this suit of armor once belonged to Dr. Jacobo's former business partner, Jeremiah Wickles.
*''[[Black Knight (film)|Black Knight]]'', a 2001 fantasy adventure comedy film.
*''[[The Black Knight (film)|The Black Knight]]'', a 1954 adventure film.

==Television==
*The premiere episode of ''[[Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!]]'', entitled "What a Knight for a Knight," features the Black Knight as its villain. A similar villain of the same name would appear later in an episode of ''[[The Scooby-Doo Show]]'', entitled "Scared a Lot in Camelot."
*The Japanese [[tokusatsu]] series ''[[Seijuu Sentai Gingaman]]'' (the 22nd installment of the long-running ''[[Super Sentai]]'' series) features a hero named the Black Knight. The mantle of the Black Knight was originally held by the character BullBlack; after BullBlack's death, his powers were later transferred to the character Hyuga (the brother of Ryoma/GingaRed), who became the second Black Knight. 
**In the American adaptation, ''[[Power Rangers Lost Galaxy]]'', the character is instead known as the Magna Defender; the original Magna Defender is succeeded by Mike Corbett (brother of Leo Corbett/Red Galaxy Ranger) after his death. Mike remains the Magna Defender until he loses his powers in the episode "Escape the Lost Galaxy".
*In the ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'' episode "A Hard Day's Knight", Ferb's grandpa Reginald tells the tale of the Black Knight of Worcestershire (or "Worcester-sheer" by others) who volunteered to face a fearsome dragon with his Hounds of Heck who follow him because his armor is made with "recycled dog food cans". Candace unfortunately gets stuck inside a black suit of armor and rode on a jousting horse which later gets covered in gravy that attracted ravenous dogs, misleading everyone that she is the ghost of the Black Knight seeking the dragon that killed him.

==Video games==
*In the [[MMORPG]] ''[[World of Warcraft]]'', the Black Knight is a dungeon boss "Trial of the Champion". The game also features a sword of the same name.
*In ''[[Fortnite Battle Royale]]'', the tier 70 Battle Pass outfit of Season 2 was the Black Knight.
*In ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics]]'', the title belongs to the character Gaffgarion, while in the later released version ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions]]'', the job "Dark Knight" is a class the player's characters can choose later in the game.
*In the [[MMORPG]] ''[[Final Fantasy XIV]]'', the Dark Knight job is a class that the player character can choose after starting the ''[[Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward|Heavensward]]'' story. In this game, the Dark Knights are [[Antihero|antiheroic]] [[Vigilantism|vigilantes]] who protect the downtrodden of Ishgard from its corrupt theocracy. They wield two-handed greatswords to purposefully prevent themselves from carrying shields, thus ensuring that they cannot bear heraldry.
*The Black Knight is one of the primary antagonists of ''[[Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance]]'' and ''[[Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn]]''.
*In the ''[[Dark Souls]]'' franchise, Black Knights are hostile mobs whose armor was singed black (presumably from flame explosion or fighting fire-using demons) as they lost their liege, Lord Gwyn, who sacrificed himself to rekindle the First Flame.
*In the popular [[MMORPG]] ''[[RuneScape]]'', the Black Knights are central antagonists in a number of quest lines and were the most powerful hostile [[Non-player character|NPC]]s in the game when it was first released.
*The popular Williams pinball franchise ''[[Black Knight (pinball)|Black Knight]]'' utilizes this character as its antagonist.
*Black Knight is the name of the Knight's final promotion in ''[[Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor]]'' when the Dark path is chosen. They are an evil counterpart to the Champion, equivalent in every aspect.
*In the 2014 video game ''[[Shovel Knight]]'', Black Knight is one of the main antagonists, first facing off Shovel Knight in the beginning of the first level.
*A Black Knight makes an appearance in ''[[Kingdom Come: Deliverance]]'', a 14th-century simulation role-playing game, after being defeated in the Rattay Tournament. Another Black Knight is also featured in the game, acting as a primary antagonist and a member of the mercenary army of King [[Sigismund of Luxembourg]].
*In the 2005 fighting game ''[[Shrek Super Slam]]'', the Black Knight features as a playable character, wielding a two-handed axe and speaking only in grunts.
*In ''[[Sonic and the Black Knight]]'', the character appears as a major antagonist in the game's plot.
*In ''[[Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time]]'', the villain of the fourth chapter identifies herself as the Black Knight. She is later unmasked as Bentley's missing girlfriend, Penelope, who had betrayed him because she's convinced he's wasting his talent on Sly, and had built the armor to use as a disguise to hide her treachery from the Cooper Gang. In response, Bentley denounced Penelope as a [[Psychopathy|sociopath]], and destroyed her Black Knight armor in rage for deceiving him.
*In [[Pokémon Sword and Shield|''Pokémon Sword'' and ''Shield'']], the design of [[Corviknight]], named after the [[Corvidae]], the final evolved form of Rookidee, draws inspiration from the Black Knight trope.
*In [[Pokémon Scarlet and Violet|''Pokémon Scarlet'' and ''Violet'']], [[Ceruledge]], a Fire Ghost-type Pokémon and the evolved form of Charcadet, is based on a Black Knight.

== Sports ==
*The [[Army Black Knights|Black Knights]] are the mascot of the United States Military Academy at West Point's athletics teams in a number of collegiate sports.<ref>{{cite web|title=Army West Point unveils new brand identity, logo for athletic teams |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/ncaa/article/2015-04-14/army-west-point-unveils-new-brand-identity-logo-athletic-teams|website=NCAA.com|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association|access-date=22 November 2019}}</ref>
*"The Black Knight" was a moniker given to golfer [[Gary Player]] in the 1960s by the media for his penchant for black attire on and off the golf course and for his courteous demeanor. The Black Knight logo identifies all the companies of the Gary Player Group.<ref>{{cite web|title=Why Gary Player is called the Black Knight and how he got that nickname |url=https://thegolfnewsnet.com/golfnewsnetteam/2018/12/28/why-gary-player-is-called-the-black-knight-and-how-he-got-that-nickname-111853/|website=thegolfnewsnet.com|publisher=Golf News Net|access-date=24 January 2020}}</ref>

==Finance==
In [[business sector|business]], a [[White knight (business)|white knight]] is a friendly investor or savior, while a [[Black knight (business)|black knight]] functions as a destroyer. Typically, a black knight will enter a [[business]] or [[company]] as an influential person such as a major investor or as a member of the board of directors and will dismantle a profitable or asset-rich business to enrich themselves, which typically leaves the previously profitable company in a weaker financial position.{{citation needed|date= August 2013}}

Such black knights achieve their aims by:
* siphoning out cash through high personal expenses, salaries and bonuses
* selling off profitable parts of the business to a private company related to the black knight
* buying unprofitable businesses / assets previously owned by the black knight
* selling assets at below market value to persons related to the black knight
* buying assets at inflated prices

Occasionally, the term ''black knight'' describes an investor who acquires a firm in opposition to the will of its [[business management|management]], as in a [[hostile takeover]]. The label may not be accurate if the ultimate intention of the acquirer is unknown. It could be for commercial reasons (rather than personal reasons), such as merging the entity with another entity owned by the acquirer to promote [[synergy]].{{citation needed|date= September 2013}}

==See also==
*[[Dark Knight (disambiguation)]]
*[[Black and white dualism]]
*[[Black Company]]
*[[Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse#Black Horse|Black Horseman of the Apocalypse]]
*[[Fallen angel]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Stock characters}}

[[Category:Fictional knights]]
[[Category:Stock characters]]
[[Category:Medieval legends]]