A few famous Medieval Warriors
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Medieval knights were elite warriors and a decisive factor in medieval warfare. A battle was typically 
won by the army which had the most knights. Initially, knights could become only men who proved their 
military skills on the battlefield. Over time, the title of a knight became reserved for sons of knights 
who were almost always nobles. But the title of a knight wasn't inherited. Knightly training was a long 
process that started at the age of 8 and usually didn't complete by the age of 21 when the knightly 
title was formally conferred with a stroke with the sword on neck or shoulder during a ceremony known 
as accolade.

King Arthur (5th-6th Century?)
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King Arthur is thought to be an actual historical figure. His life, however, is surrounded by many 
myths and legends. The leading character of the Arthurian legend that was popularised by Geoffrey of 
Monmouth in the 12th century is thought to live in the 5th or 6th century and lead the Britons against 
the Saxon invaders. But while he does appear in historical sources as a British soldier, there is no 
evidence for his knights of the round table, his miraculous sword Excalibur or other fantastic elements 
from the Arthurian legend.

Richard the Lionheart (1157-1195) 
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Richard the Lionheart also known as Richard I of England (1157-1199) succeeded his father Henry II as 
King of England in 1189 but he spent most of his reign abroad. Shortly after his coronation, he went 
on the Third Crusade (1189-1192) where he confirmed his reputation of a great military leader. On his 
return to England, he was captured and handed over to the Holy Roman Emperor but was released after a 
ransom was paid in 1194. After a brief period in England, he went to France where he fought against 
Philip II of France. Richard the Lionheart died in 1199 after he was hit by an arrow while besieging 
the Chalus-Chabrol castle. A recent research involving an analysis of Richard’s mummified heart suggests 
that he wasn’t killed by a poisoned arrow as long believed. Most historians think he probably died 
from gangrene or sepsis from the wound.

William the Conqueror (1028-1087)
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His Normans were the last foreign force to conquer what is now Great Britain. He was King (William I) 
He began this conquest with the famous battle of Hastings in 1066 and in subsequent battles mostly to 
repress revolts and uprisings. His reign and influence had much impact on England. He brought about 
a lot of reform including adoption and English as the official language and adoptions of church reform. 
He instituted a wide plan for building castles and fortresses all over England to fortify his military 
strength and to control revolts and rebellions. The most famous of these buildings is the Tower of 
London. 

El Cid (1043-1099) 
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El Cid was a Castilian knight whose real name was Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar. He was called El Cid by the 
Moors whom he fought against most of his life. The Spanish national hero, however, didn’t aways fight 
against the Muslim rulers of medieval Spain. Occasionally, he fought for them as well. El Cid’s greatest 
achievement was capturing the kingdom-city of Valencia (1094) from the Moors. He formally ruled the 
city in the name of Alfonso VI but he was more or less independent ruler. Shortly after his death, 
his widow Jimena surrendered Valencia to the Almoravids. He died from natural causes rather than from 
an injury sustained in a battle as suggested by the 1961 movie El Cid starring Charlton Heston.

Alexander Nevsky (c.1220-1263)
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Alexander Nevsky, Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Vladimir is the most celebrated medieval 
Russian military leader. He assumed the name Nevsky after he defeated the Swedes on the Neva River 
in 1240 and repulsed the threat of an invasion of Russia from the north. Two years later, he also 
decisively defeated the Livonian Brothers of the Sword (a branch of the Teutonic Order) and destroyed 
most of their forces in the Battle of the Ice. But he couldn’t prevent the Mongol invasion of Rus’ 
from the east. Thanks to his outstanding political skills, however, he managed to gain considerable 
concessions from the Mongols and make the Mongol yoke less intolerable. After his death in 1263, 
Alexander Nevsky came to be regarded as the national hero, while the Russian Orthodox Church canonised 
him for his support to the Church.

Edward the Black Prince (1330-1376) 
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Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales came to be called the Black Prince (most likely after the black 
armour he wore) after the Battle of Crecy (1346), one of the most notable battles of the Hundred Years’ 
War. He fought in France with his father Edward III of England and played the key role in another 
important victory of the English – the Battle of Poitiers (1356). In the late 1360s, he led an 
expedition to Spain and restored Peter of Castile to the throne. He then returned to France but his 
ill health soon forced him to return to England. He died in 1376, one year before his father whom he 
was supposed to succeed. The English throne passed to Edward’s minor son Richard II.

William Wallace (c. 1272-1305) 
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William Wallace was one of the most important figures in the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296-1328). 
In 1297, he killed the English sheriff of Lanark and soon established himself as one of the leaders of 
the Scottish rebellion against the English. On September 11, 1297, the joint forces of William Wallace 
and Andrew Moray heavily defeated a superior English army in the Battle of Stirling Bridge. One year 
later, he was heavily defeated himself in the Battle of Falkirk and forced to go into hiding. In 1305, 
he was captured, taken to London and executed for treason. William Wallace’s life inspired the 1995 
Academy Award winning movie Braveheart starring Mel Gibson which, however, includes many historical 
inaccuracies.

Henry 'Hotspur' Percy (1364-1403)
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Sir Henry Percy, nicknamed Hotspur for his temper was knighted by King Edward III as a 13-year-old boy. 
In the mid-1380s, he accompanied King Richard II on his expedition to Scotland where he proved his 
military skills. He was then sent to France where his reputation continued to grow. But after his 
family came into conflict with the new King Henry IV, the most famous English knight of his time 
rebelled against the King of England and took up arms. In 1403, he was defeated and killed by the 
royal forces in the Battle of Shrewsbury.

Bertrand du Guesclin (c.1320-1380) 
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Bertrand du Guesclin is regarded as the greatest French knight of his time. His successful defence of 
Rennes (1364) against the English significantly raised the French morale but it also attracted the 
King’s attention. Shortly thereafter, Charles V of France sent him to deal with Charles II of Navarre 
and he was victorious once again. Du Guesclin was less successful in the Battle of Auray a few months 
later and was taken captive by the English. He was ransomed by the French King who then sent him to 
Spain to help Henry of Trastamara against Peter of Castile. The campaign was a success and Trastamara 
secured the throne but du Guesclin was once again captured by the English who came to Spain to assist 
Peter. Charles V made a good decision by ransoming him for the second time as he would recapture much 
of France from the English in the following decade. Du Guesclin died while on a military campaign in 
Languedoc in 1380.

John Hawkwood (died 1394) 
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John Hawkwood was one of the most famous and successful warriors of his time. He rose to prominence 
during his service to the English in the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) and is said to be knighted 
but it isn’t known when and by whom. In 1362, he and his White Company of mercenaries offered their 
services to the Italian republics and fought for whichever paid them more. Due to his international 
fame and efficacy on the battlefield, each of the Italian republics did their best to outbid the others. 
After his death, the Florentines commissioned Paolo Uccello to make him a fresco at the Basilica di 
Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo).

William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1147-1219) 
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William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke is often referred to as the greatest medieval knight who rose 
to prominence for his bravery in tournaments and warfare. He early entered the service of King Henry II 
who made him a guardian to his eldest son in 1170. But during the revolt of Henry’s sons, he remained 
loyal to the father and helped him put down the rebellion. When Richard the Lionheart became King of 
England, he kept Marshal at his side which turned out to be a very good idea. During his absence, 
Marshal prevented the King’s brother John from seizing the throne. But after Richard’s death in 1199, 
he helped John to ensure succession and became one of his closest counsellors. He remained loyal to 
John during the First Barons’ War (1215-17) and after his death, helped ensure the throne for John’s 
son Henry III. 

Charlemagne (742-814)
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He was an Emperor and King who brought most of Western and Central Europe under his reign by a variety 
of means including military conquest. But he is not famous for just this. He was also a main force in 
something called the Carolingian Renaissance which changed much of Europe by bringing about a new 
monetary system, educational reform and a renaissance of the arts including military arts and the art 
of siege. He is often considered to be the father of what is now modern Europe.

Joan of Arc (1412-1431)
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She was captured and executed by burning at the stake at the age of 19. She is also a national heroine 
in France and has been canonised a saint. She asserted that she had visions from God directing her to 
free her homeland from the English. And she started out as a missionary but quickly became a military 
leader who lead French troops in decisive and aggressive military battles the first of which was the 
lifting of the siege of Orleans in only 9 days. 


Famous Knights who really didn't exist
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Don Quixote
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This is a pretty easy one. He was a character in a pair of books by Cervantes. The books were written 
in 1605 and 1615. His story is that of a misguided knight who sets off on adventures that go wrong. 
There is a lot of irony in the stories and in the man. He thinks of himself a a gallant and brave 
knight yet he wears old armour and rides a skinny horse. One of the most famous things about him is 
the act of fighting windmills which he believes to be terrible creatures.

Sir Lancelot
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It is probably true that of all the knights I have listed here on this page Sir Lancelot is the most 
famous. Yet, he didn't exist except as in stories of King Arthur. He is the leading knight of the round 
table and he personifies bravery and chivalry. Yet he is also famous for his love affair with King 
Arthur's wife Guinevere.

Sir Galahad
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He is another knight of Arthur's round table and he is considered to be the most pure - He is renowned 
for his gallantry and his purity and is often considered to be the embodiment of Jesus. He is one of 
three who realised the goal of obtaining the Holy Grail.