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The Black Knight is a Lilty warrior in Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles trying to regain his lost memories. He is said to possess unbelievable strength, and a battle style similar to a Berserker.

Story[]

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow. (Skip section)

Tales of the Black Knight[]

I came across the caravan from Alfitaria today. The town was already abuzz with talk of the Black Knight, but Sol had more tales to tell. Sol spoke with such enthusiasm that he actually seemed to admire him. It is astonishing how quickly the word of the Black Knight has spread in spite of the way miasma isolates every town.

Caravan Diary Entry

When the Tipa Caravan crosses path with the Alfitaria Caravan lead by Sol Racht, he mentions to the party the legend of the Black Knight and how he was a hero.

Later the party runs into the Marr's Pass Caravan who are in need of help. They tell the party that they had challenged the Black Knight to a friendly duel, but that he was a raving madman and showed them no mercy. It becomes unclear if the Black Knight was a hero like Sol Racht said or a madman who murders anyone who crosses paths with him.

Sol Racht begins to seek an investigate on the Black Knight to uncover if he has truly become a mass murderer. Sol Racht himself does not believe the Black Knight could have commit such crimes. It is later discovered that sometime ago he had been hired by Hurdy to investigate a swamp that might hold clues to why people are losing their memories.

Confrontation with the Black Knight[]

So that was the Black Knight. Berserk is the only word that comes to mind. Swinging his weapon wildly, he hunted something I could not see. In a weary voice, he claimed that his memory had been stolen and that he is now searching for the thief.

Caravan Diary Entry

The Tipa Caravan finally meets the Black Knight as he is yelling and swinging his spear. He claims that an unseen light is eating his memories away. As the unseen monster vanishes, he runs off leaving the party unharmed. The party runs into the Black Knight one last time when his memories are returning to him, but it is all too late as he is stabbed with a spear by a young Lilty named Leon Esla, claiming revenge for his father that he believes the Black Knight had killed.

Aftermath[]

Today I witnessed the death of the Black Knight. A boy named Leon Esla was riding with the caravan from Alfitaria. He drove his spear into the knight. The Black Knight seemed at peace when he died. I wish I knew why.

Caravan Diary Entry

If the party returns to Alfitaria after these events and speak to Leon Esla, he will mention that he kept the Black Knight's armor and that whenever his mother looked at it, she would cry. This leads the player to believe that the Black Knight was, in fact, Leon Esla's father. Before the final battle with Raem, Lady Mio will mention that it was Raem who stole the Black Knight's memories and reveals that his name is Leon, just like his son.

Spoilers end here.

Musical themes[]

"Oh, Light...!" plays in all scenes with the Black Knights and during the scene after the Marr's Pass Caravan has been attacked by him. The title could be a reference to the light only he can see.

Other appearances[]

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates[]

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In Ring of Fates, the best armor for the Lilties is the Black Knight Helm and Black Knight Plate. As the name suggests, their design is identical to that of the Black Knight. The description for the Black Knight Helm says "A sallet that's tied to an inescapable fate", while the Black Knight Plate says "Armor that predestines the fate of its wearer". Each is most likely talking about the fate of the Black Knight from Crystal Chronicles. The name of the scrolls to make these are called the Possessed Helmet and Possessed Armor.

Behind the scenes[]

Leon is also the name of one of the characters from Final Fantasy II. He is separated from the rest of the party—one member of which was his sister—in an early fight and becomes a Dark Knight, leading him to be an antagonist in the story for the majority of the game. This mirrors the Black Knight's story: he was part of a group before meeting a tragic end, being separated from his family, and becoming a villainous character.

Etymology[]

A knight is a mounted soldier in armor who served his sovereign or lord in the Middle Ages. The word comes from Old English cniht ("boy" or "servant"), a cognate of the German word Knecht ("servant, bondsman, vassal"). In most European languages (with the notable exception of English), the word for "knight" comes from "horse", thus implying that a knight is a "noble horseman" or a "horse-mounted nobleman". The English noun cavalier, an archaic term for a mounted soldier, traces its roots to Latin, and is closer in meaning to the "horseman" of Romance languages.

In European history, dark knights, also known as black knights, were a minority group of knights who refused to serve lords or kings. Instead they either looted and raided, hunted bounties, or lived off the charity from the more humble folk, in much the same manner as a Japanese ronin. As they had no master, and thus no squire, they would paint their armor a signature black color to prevent rust and damage. Dark knights were considered by many a necessary evil, as they would protect villages and lesser people from invaders and bandits, but would also cause problems in the regions they dwelt in to sustain themselves. In some legends, black knights were reputed to be nigh-invincible in combat.

The Black Knight's real name is Leon, apparently named after the character of the same name from Final Fantasy II. Leon is a name of Greek origin. The Greek λέων (leōn), meaning "lion", has spawned the Latin leo, French lion, Irish leon, and Spanish león. During the Christian era Leon was merged with the Latin cognate Leo, with the result that the two forms are used interchangeably.

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