Paladins have become just as much a staple of fantasy gaming as fighters, wizards, and thieves in the last few decades. From Dungeons & Dragons to the latest MMOs, these holy warriors are empowered by devotion to their god(s). That's not to say they're always the good guys, as a fanatical Paladin can be just as dangerous as a cackling sorcerer.
We've gathered some of the most memorable Paladins from across the history of gaming. Retro classics and modern epics all have a place for the knights in shining armor – which ones are your favorites?
7 Frankish Paladins (Age Of Empires 2)
One of the most successful RTS games in history, Age Of Empires 2 features Paladins as the top-tier upgrade for the Knight unit line. As with everything in the game, not every civilization has access to these formidable mounted troops, but those that do (and can afford to field them) will have a fast, hard-hitting, heavily-armored force at their disposal.
The Franks have some of the game's best Paladins, with their faction boasting inherent buffs for the units. That's not surprising, as the historical Franks originated the term; the Twelve Paladins (or Palatines) were legendary companions of Charlemagne who fill a similar space in folklore as the Knights Of The Round Table.
6 Sir Lucan D'Lere (EverQuest)
The only out-and-out villain on this list, Lucan D'Lere is a mid-tier antagonist from the original EverQuest. Formerly a member of the Knights of Truth, Lucan took advantage of his fellows' absence from their headquarters in the city of Freeport to stage a coup. Conspiring with the city guard and hiring a band of mercenaries, Lucan seized rulership of the city and has held it with an iron fist ever since.
Players can work with Lucan to consolidate his power, or if they're sufficiently powerful, they can do battle with him. Killing the fallen Paladin earns the enmity of the city guard, making navigating Freeport a tricky proposition, but it earns the gratitude of the Knights of Truth.
5 The Hero (Quest For Glory)
Years before Mass Effect, the Quest For Glory series allowed players to import their character across sequels, maintaining and developing a constant narrative and set of stats throughout five games. While each game had three basic classes – the fighter, the magic-user, and the thief – staring in Quest For Glory 2, the player could choose to join the order of Paladins if they conducted themselves with sufficient honor throughout their career.
Paladins had access to numerous unique abilities, not the least of which was their holy sword which could burst into blue flames with a thought. However, dishonoring the Paladin's oath would cause the Hero to lose his holy power, which could restrict player choices in subsequent adventures.
4 The Templar (Path Of Exile)
The heroes in Path Of Exile have all been banished to Wraeclast for crimes real or fabricated, and seek redemption as well as revenge. The oldest of the bunch, the Templar, spent a lifetime in service to his holy order only to be exiled by the corrupted High Templar Dominus. Having seen that Dominus has led the order astray, the Templar resolves to fight his way back to Oriath and put things right.
The Templar excels with both Strength and Intelligence-based builds and wields holy power as effectively as he does steel. He can eventually Ascend into one of three specialized classes; the Inquisitor, who focuses on dealing elemental damage, the Hierophant, who uses magical brands and totems to punish foes, and the Guardian, who serves as the party's tank.
3 Saber / Artoria (Fate: Grand Order)
Despite (or perhaps because of) her origins as an eroge waifu, Saber has achieved popularity as the face of the Fate series. She is the soul of King Arthur reborn over and over to fight an eternal war between mages. Clad in steel armor and wielding a two-handed sword, Saber's latest appearance is in the mobile game Fate: Grand Order.
While her full name is Artoria Pendragon, she goes by Saber as knowledge of her original identity would give her enemies insight as to her weaknesses. Several of her knights, as well as her nemesis Mordred, were also reincarnated as Sabers. Like the other warriors of her class, the Fate: Grand Order version of Saber is powerful against Lancers but weak against Archers and Beasts.
2 Cassandra (Dragon Age)
Cassandra Pentaghast is one of the Inquisitor's companions in Dragon Age: Inquisition, and her intense piety makes her well-suited to the role. As the Right Hand of the Divine, she holds a position of power within the Chantry. As a result, she distrusts magic users and is resistant to reform. If the player character is male, Cassandra can be romanced, but she isn't interested in women and will turn the player down if the Inquisitor is female.
While there are other playable Templars in the Dragon Age series – notably Varric -, Cassandra's traditional sword-and-shield fighting style is most in line with the iconic Paladin loadout.
1 Cecil (Final Fantasy)
Cecil Harvey is the protagonist of Final Fantasy 4 and the most prominent Paladin in video games. Originally taking up the power of the Dark Sword to serve his adoptive father the King of Baron, Cecil becomes disillusioned after being deceived into destroying the Village of Mist. In search of redemption, he undertakes a trial at Mount Ordeals to cleanse his soul and become a Paladin.
After his transformation, Cecil has to start from scratch – in-game, his level is reset to one, and he has to rely on his companions while he learns to use his new abilities. As a Paladin, Cecil wields swords and occasionally bows, has access to limited White Magic, and can absorb damage for weakened allies. Upon becoming strong enough, he proceeds to travel the world (and beyond) to end the threat posed by Golbez, right his own wrongs, and discover the shared origin between them.
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