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| “ | Tis but a scratch. | „ |
| ~ The Black Knight's most famous line in response to his missing limbs. |
| “ | None shall pass! | „ |
| ~ The Black Knight to King Arthur of Britain. |
| “ | The Black Knight always triumphs! | „ |
| ~ The Black Knight |
The Black Knight is a minor antagonist in the 1975 iconic classic British comedy film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
He is a rogue knight clad in black, as his name suggests, who guards a tiny bridge for unknown reasons, challenging those who pass by to a duel, and then killing them. Although supremely skilled in swordplay, the Black Knight suffers from unchecked overconfidence and a staunch refusal to ever give up.
He was portrayed by the Monty Python member John Cleese, who also played the French Taunter in the same film and King Gristle Sr. in DreamWorks' Trolls. When reduced to hopping on one leg, the Black Knight was portrayed by local blacksmith Richard Burton, who actually did have a missing leg.
Biography[]
King Arthur is accompanied by his trusty squire Patsy, so he is traveling through a forest when he enters a clearing and observes a fight taking place between a Black Knight and a Green Knight by a bridge over a small stream. As he watches, the Black Knight defeats the Green Knight by throwing his sword straight through the eye slot of the Green Knight's great helm.
Arthur then congratulates the Black Knight and offers him a place at Arthur's court at the Round Table, but the Black Knight only stands still, holding his sword vertically, and makes no response until Arthur moves to cross the bridge. The Black Knight moves slightly to block Arthur and declares "None shall pass." King Arthur, in a conciliatory manner, asserts his right to cross, but the Black Knight says Arthur will die. Arthur orders the Black Knight to move but he says, "I move, for no man." Reluctantly, King Arthur fights the Black Knight and, after a short battle, the Knight's left arm is severed.
However, even at this, the Black Knight refuses to stand aside, insisting "Tis but a scratch.", to which Arthur says "A Scratch? Your arm's off!" The Knight says "No it isn't." and Arthur asks about his severed arm, to which the knight says "I've had worse." and fights on. Next his right arm, which had been holding his sword, is also severed, but he still doesn't concede. As the knight is literally disarmed, Arthur assumes the fight is over and kneels to offer a prayer to God as thanks for his victory. The Black Knight interrupts Arthur's prayer by kicking him in the side of the head and accusing him of cowardice; when Arthur points out his injuries, he insists "It's just a flesh wound." In response to the continued kicks and insults, Arthur chops off the Black Knight's right leg. At this point, Arthur is extremely annoyed at the sable-armored warrior's persistence, and asks the amputee if he is going to bleed on him. The knight replies by proclaiming that he's invincible, to which the Arthur replies that he's a loony. Arthur finally cuts off the other leg. As Arthur puts his sword away, the knight offers to call it a "draw". Arthur summons Patsy and rides away, leaving the amputated villain to scream threats at him ("Oh I see; running away, eh? You yellow bastard! Come back here and take what's coming to you! I'll bite your legs off!"), whereupon the scene fades out.
It's unknown what happened to the Black Knight afterwards, but it is likely that he bled out and died from his injuries off-screen.
Powers and Abilities[]
While the Black Knight may have proved skilled in other battles such as his skirmish with the Green one, he was simply out skilled when dealing with King Arthur. But, nevertheless, nigh-unstoppable in sheer determination, few villains have been as steadfast in their goals as this man, surviving wounds that would kill an ordinary man. But this fearless knight did all in his somewhat limited power to make good on his promise that "none shall pass".
Quotes[]
| “ | The Black Knight always triumphs! | „ |
| ~ The Black Knight |
| “ | Oh I see. Running away, eh? You yellow bastard! Come back here and take what's coming to you! I'll bite your legs off! | „ |
| ~ The Black Knight's final words before his presumed death. |
Gallery[]
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Trivia[]
- The Black Knight was based upon the character of the same name from the British Arthurian mythos with his fight against the Green Knight being a blatant lampshade of this fact.
- Although the character originates from Le Morte d'Arthur/The Death of Arthur by the late Thomas Malory, the film's iteration is more directly based on The Faerie Queen by Edmund Spencer from 1590. Unlike the original story, where the Black Knight fought Gareth, The Faerie Queen features Arthur being the one to fight the Black Knight and dismembers him during the fight like during the film.