The historical origin of the fantasy PALADIN

The PALADIN is on of classic medieval fantasy character classes but did the paladin actually exist in the medieval period?
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[@rudolfschrenk9411]

Fantasy Paladins usually can do healing magic. And the Knights Hospitaller and the Templars were also famous for their Hospitals and medical care. It is now the main activity of the still existing Hospitallers. So yes, this fits perfectly the Fantasy role of fighter/healer.

[@shadiversity]

This is a great point!

[@notoriouswhitemoth]

It's ironic how in sword and sorcery fantasy, Paladins are implicitly heroes, but Knights Templar are usually villains, even though the modern paladin archetype is based on orders such as the Knights Templar. Also, it seems to me like there are a lot of parallels here between Paladins and samurai - the term originally referred to civil servants ('samurai' is derived from 'saburappu', an archaic verb meaning to serve or obey), but the meaning was distorted after the fact, as, after centuries of war, political leaders revived and recontextualized the iconography of past rulers to identify themselves with old traditions and make themselves seem particularly important.

[@MrMonkeybat]

The trope of portraying Crusaders and Templars as cynical is over used. For good or ill they were motivated by there religious beliefs. If you are a fortune hunter you simply join a mercenary company and go to the nearest conflict or target of opportunity. Rather than going on a long arduous and dangerous voyage to fight of over dry and dusty outposts, and/or join a holy order with its vows of poverty and celibacy.

[@h3lblad3]

You didn't fight in the Crusades for money, you fought in the Crusades for land. Many high ranking crusaders were in fact landless second son (and beyond) nobility whose parents gifted the land to the first son as was common at the time.

[@MrChickennugget360]

whats a Paladin?

[@user-hs5vb6kc9o]

People: "They snipe the healer" RPG: "Say no more. Now the healer is also the tank"

[@user-et8vm9cc3t]

Man, thank you for giving me ideas !

[@YohanSBach]

That's a RAP

[@xeltanni8999]

1:40 Awww Shad, you missed it. What you *should* have said was: "There is a difference between a knight who serves a lord and a knight who serves *The* Lord." =P

[@dynamicworlds1]

Very nice phrasing, but kinda runs into a snag when you consider that D&D paladins typically serve one god in a pantheon :P

[@ryankunst668]

I thought that too. I feel like I need to delete my comment now XD

[@Dustflinger80]

there are polytheistic Paladins in D&D my character served 5 gods one was evil. btw to a paladin whatever god they serve is the lord to them.

[@stein1919]

yeah, but it doesn't say anything about 5 masters.

[@batou1976]

In which case he will love the one and despise the other four... :D

[@caprob_9867]

Shad: ...call it a crusader... Me: WE MUST TAKE JERUS- Shad: not really Me: HERETIC

[@the_Kutonarch]

CapRob _ Deus vult my friend, *Deus Vult!*

[@gantzllat]

HERECY!!

[@RocketHarry865]

Me: Inquisitor! we have a Heretic for you to interrogate

[@elirantuil5003]

Adam Baker no one expects the spanish inqusition.

[@KorGarrot]

Adam Baker Inquisitor is actually my favorite class in pathfinder

[@CanisMythson]

Who doesn't love a good paladin? I'll tell you who: the evil lich that wronged said paladin.

[@ciaareinthecommentssection9575]

Anti-paladins

[@CorvusCorone68]

what do you call an undead mage who has impure thoughts about women? a lich lech

[@Torthrodhel]

what do you call a hapless woman's magical barrier against an undead water mage's impure sexual advance? a loch lich luck lech lick lock.

[@ciaareinthecommentssection9575]

Jane you nerd at break neck speeds. I've never seen someone do that before

[@Torthrodhel]

Yayy thanks! Was totally just bouncing off of Corvus's idea, of course. :)

[@chrisc1140]

Huh. So it seems the most historically accurate usage of Paladin...comes from Fallout's Brotherhood of Steel, since they're the highest ranking of the knights. Would not have seen that one coming!

[@FrenchLightningJohn]

only if you take the east brotherhood of steel, the west knight are engineer and paladin are the warrior, while the east needed warrior since they were low in number and has added the knight into the warrior caste but has low rank and the engineer part was transferred to the scribe (i like the interplay lore for the BoS so much completed and well done), unless you take the deformed BoS of bethesda which are now not at all like the old one that the fan of interplay know

[@FrenchLightningJohn]

what i hate with bethesda is that the relationship with the BoS and the NCR from FO2 is no longer canon too and even the goal of the BoS of FO 1 and 2 is no longer canon, in FO2 there a BoS base and when you talk to the guy there he explain that the BoS is the technological councilar of the NCR and in FO1 and FO2 the BoS only gather tech so they can duplicate it and in the same time not fall into primitive hand so they can make people learn it before they can use it, with bethesda noooo they worship technology like zealot, i did not really like what bethesda did with FO, at least new vegas is the closest to the original but still not close enough

[@DevxJero]

blackgrayden The Brotherhood at war with the NCR is portrayed in New Vegas. Bethesda had nothing to do with that. The Brotherhood in New Vegas are also just as fanatical, probably more so than the east coast. I get it, Bethesda messed up Fallout in many ways. But you can't blame them for this.

[@DevxJero]

The East chapter has never enslaved anyone. New Vegas's Mojave Chapter, however, sticks an explosive slave collar on the player if you access their bunker for the first time (without Veronica). The Brotherhood of Steel have always been the crusading zealot archetype. They have cult-like indoctrination, false historical education, and the Codex is essentially a Bible to them. The Brotherhood's fanaticism is a core part of the faction and the reason why they're at war with the NCR and pretty much everyone else. This goes all the way back to Fallout 1 in which the Brotherhood has no trouble telling the player to essentially kill themselves in the Glow just to get rid of them. Also New Vegas was developed by Obsidian Entertainment (which includes many who worked on the previous Fallout games such as Chris Avellone) and published by Bethesda Softworks. Bethesda Game Studios (the guys who made Fallout 3/4) had nothing to do the development of New Vegas.

[@Pellaeon159]

Eh, yeah... or the (for some reason completely dismissed by Shad in the begining) Age of Empires Paladin... Its the highest upgrade of the unit called "Knight"... So, the "Best Knight" for short. Its also a mounted heavy armored guy that costs a lot of money, exactly like a knight. That is very accurate, I have no idea why Shad said "NOT AT ALL" in the beginning.

[@ARR0WMANC3R]

Your sword wall continues to grow in size and splendor

[@h3lblad3]

I just wait til the day I see him sitting on the Iron Throne.

[@Erika-gn1tv]

Well, Iron, Wood and Foam Throne more like it.

[@druffner]

ARR0WMANC3R just like my d-

[@Elyseon]

But is it the Sword that Cleaves Evil?

[@Jacob-qr8pl]

A fine addition to my collection

[@federicobraglia704]

According to my language (i'm italian) "Paladino" is used as a protector of moral, religious mainly. Is quite the use saying "Paladino della fede" (paladin of the faith ) even not related to games or similar... it's a Knight, bound to a code of morals, that in particular get togheter a sense of Defensor Fidei (from latin, defensor of the faith ). Maybe for English is similar... i don't know

[@sindicate3189]

Sounds like it makes sense.

[@TheAsvarduilProject]

Charlemagne may deserve a video of his own from you. Scholars _literally make entire careers_ out of studying the guy. Books exist on the subject of his rise, reign, and the aftermath of his death. The Paladins of Charlemagne - and their legendary named arms including Curtana/Cortana - and their deeds exist within a historical context that has huge bearing on our modern world. Charlemagne is responsible for the idea of a 'Europe' instead of 'a whole bunch of nation-states that exist on the Eurasian subcontinent.'

[@pattygutierrez4860]

Where can i find more information about their legendary weapons?

[@yammoto148]

@@pattygutierrez4860 Their weapons? I mean the most known one is Rolands Durrandal but the rest not too sure about

[@nicmagtaan1132]

well i know of astolfo's golden lance that can one tap mounted warriors of thier horse

[@scottydu81]

The breakup of the Carolingian Empire really set the stage for most future conflicts

[@makurei6888]

@@nicmagtaan1132 damn I wonder what's his config

[@samuelaraujomedeiros6682]

Very good video...BUT WHAT ABOUT DRAGONS?

[@gmh3]

well, a dragon riding paladin would be pretty awesome, so there's that

[@MrChickennugget360]

what's a paladin?

[@FantasyRealm]

Yeah more dragons:)

[@RokuroCarisu]

It is the great question of out time, isn't it?

[@agengsatya2915]

in 13th warrior movie, dragons actually are pagans

[@crazyrussianman2128]

1:40 I thought he was going to say "a knight who served a lord and a knight who served THE Lord"

[@PureRok]

I love playing Paladins and really digging into the character's connection to their God(s). What's weird though is I myself am not religious at all (though I am agnostic). Maybe it's just the idea of playing a character who is so firmly guided by their beliefs and what they hold to be true with the world appeals to me. Even in RPGs where I don't/can't necessarily play a Paladin I still usually have my characters follow a similar ideology of justice and righteousness (like, say, going completely Paragon in Mass Effect). Like, I find it impossible to play an evil, or even morally gray, character. Even if I set out to do it I eventually slip back into "Lawful Good".

[@benrogers8520]

Well at least in 5e you're not bound to a specific alignment, you don't necessarily need to have a god. Your oath and you dedication to it is what gives you your power. It's your conviction. I very much like that angle of the class. I am currently playing an oath of devotion paladin who is dedicated to liberating the lower classes from the monarchy.

[@thekinginyellowmessiahofha6308]

Yeah the royal guard of the emperor in my setting, the varangi, are paladins who swore oaths to defending the holy relic the emperor wears, and by extension him.

[@partydave1067]

I also love them. Both roleplay as kind knights who protects and promote a trully good will. And as a concept, a knight who's pure devotion to god/gods is what they fight for and that is the source of their strength absolute detecation.... Also the fact that The Last Stand by Sabaton is one of my favorite songs and it fits in with the theme of being a Paladin

[@emmitstewart1921]

I always thought that the term paladin as a holy warrior comes from The Song Of Roland. Roland is the only paladin many people know by name, and because, as the story goes, he died fighting Muslim invaders and alerting the king to the attack, he is regarded as a devout and holy man. What he really was like, of course Nobody now knows.

[@marcelob.678]

Just letting you know. The "Charlemagne" dynasty was actually called the Carolingian Dynasty, whom Charles Martell (the hero from the battle of tours) belonged to.

[@andrereis7993]

The first appearence of the Paladin video game, was not in Age of empires 2 (1999), but in Warcraft 2 (1995).

[@littlematchltm]

Actually not quite, Paladin already exist in Ultima IV in 1980s.

[@TheReaverOfDarkness]

I was hoping we could get into a discussion about the earliest appearance of the modern fantasy paladin. The earliest I am aware of is the Paladin class in Dungeons and Dragons which according to Wikipedia was introduced in 1975. And I might have found my answer. It says that the paladin class is heavily influenced by Holger Carlson from 'Three Hearts and Three Lions' novel (1961), which is based on medieval poetry. The Dungeons and Dragons class is also said to be based on medieval writing as well as the tales of King Arthur, who is likely a direct storytale personification of Charlemagne, and the 12 knights of the round are probably representative of Charlemagne's original 12 paladins. So D&D Paladin might be the origin, it may date to 1975. Holger Carlson exists more as a bridge between the old paladin and the modern paladin. I'm curious to hear anything else any of you know! For instance: was the original D&D paladin class like the modern fantasy paladin or did it grow that way over time? I know they are said to be a divine spellcaster but Wikipedia doesn't elaborate on that or explain the details of the original first edition paladin from the Greyhawk supplement. - - - P.S.: The paladin in Age of Empires is not really fitting with the modern fantasy paladin anyway. It is closer to the old paladins.

[@christianriddler5063]

But there was a group of roman soldiers in rome's ending days. They called themselves the Palatina guards and were a large warrior unit used by both the Western Romans and the Eastern Romans. They had great crosses on their helmets and shields symbolising their loyalty to christ. They disappeared in the 6th century.

[@Elyseon]

Or did they? Cue X-Files theme.

[@Seth9809]

You're referring to just elite troops in general and they weren't that religious.

[@christianriddler5063]

@@Seth9809 You speak with them on a regular basis? Amazing. Because there is no other way you would know this.

[@Seth9809]

@@christianriddler5063 No, I actually did research on this very topic like two days ago and it lasted hours. I even ended up reading this long thing about various types of Romans troops. They didn't wear blood crosses, a large number of them were recruited barbarians who were better trained.

[@Seth9809]

@@christianriddler5063 Also, the fact you don't know about Palatina, is just proof you did basically no research on this. Like, I think you did less research than a Total War game. If you looked at like four webpages, or Wikipedia, a single wargame, or basically anything besides rumors, facebook, 4chan, and email chains...You would know about Palatina. Like, for example, there were tens of thousands of Palatina.

[@danishquill]

I think this explanatino is missing a crucial link. One of Charlemagne's paladins was Ogier le Danemarche, also known as Holger the Dane (national hero of Denmark). Poul Anderson wrote a book about Holger Carlsen, 3 Hearts and 3 Lions, who travels to another world and turns out to be Holger the Dane himself. He has to be a chaste and virtuous knight in order to defeat the supernatural forces arrayed against him. This concept of the virtuous knight was adopted in fantasy, and since the first example was a paladin of Charlemagne's, that became the term.

[@breandan3280]

Bingo. Gary Gygax created the Dungeons and Dragons paladin based on this story, and to my knowledge, this was the birth of the fantasy paladin.

[@danishquill]

For any diehard fan of paladins, reading 3 Hearts and 3 Lions is required reading.

[@samuele7098]

I am sorry to contradict you, but the "fantasy paladin" is much older than that, as I explained in my comment on the video paladins as we know them were probably invented during the Renaissance: in Ariosto's and Boiardo's poems Charlemagne's paladins are defenders of the faith (one of them is even immortal because he was blessed by God as such) and perform fantastic heroic feats: they slain orcs and other monsters, confront evil mages, cast spells and one of them (Astolfo) even visits hell and then goes to the moon on a hippogriff-powered chariot. In addition to that, the Danish national hero is also one of the characters, in the poems he is called Oliviero

[@danishquill]

Well, I don't think your explanation contradicts mine. I merely point out that the paladin as we see them in D&D (and spread out from there to other fantasy material) has its origins in 3 Hearts and 3 Lions. There can certainly be earlier examples of the paladin like those you mention, but paladins in D&D didn't come directly from there. My point is, 3H3L is a crucial link between the older tales of paladins and the modern fantasy paladin from D&D and the like, and you can't just ignore that link when talking about the origins of the fantasy paladin.

[@samuele7098]

I did not mean to disrespect 3h3l by any means, I understand that the creators of d&d did not read Ariosto's poems before creating the paladin class, I just wanted to point out that the Ariosto's paladins are not "old", for they are practically identical to those of d&d, and therefore the modern paladins were invented much before the 20th century and 3h3l. Nevertheless I admit I do not really know 3h3l, therefore on the one hand, I do not feel allowed to criticize it, and on the other hand I now am curious and would like to learn more about it

[@omargoodman2999]

"His knowledge of the land shall be great." (later) "What's a Paladin?"

[@roys.1889]

"I'm not entirely sure.

[@scottydu81]

“I’M LITERALLY THE CHRIST FIGURE OF YOUR FUCKING RELIGION AND NONE OF YOU COCK SMOKERS RECOGNIZE ME?!? Read a book, people!” -The Avatar

[@jts9325]

​@@roys.1889​"Your knowledge of the land shall be great!"

[@AppleBoomDrop]

Fascinating! I'm so glad you made a video on this. Paladins are my favorite in any game, it's awesome to finally learn where they came from.

[@alexanderjones8926]

love the videos that focus on medieval history , love watching them just before I go to sleep

[@CrazyLikeUhFox]

Funny, that's exactly what I do.

[@dronillon2578]

Arent we all?

[@gadyariv2456]

The Historical Paladin were knights, they weren't similar to knights, they were knights! the Song of Roland is the most important piece of poetry for knighthood in the middle ages, it's a major source for the concept of the paladin. according to the poem, the paladins were the twelve most exalted vassal knights of Emperor Charlemagne who fought the Muslims in the battle of Roncevaux Pass, in 778 and also perished in that battle. this tale of bravery aginst the Muslim armies is one of the foundations for the medieval concept of chivalry, and the concept that the knight's militant duty for his Lord is an aspect of his the Christian faith and religious duty. the oldest surviving manuscript of the poem was written after the Norman conquest of England, at the very least more than 300 years after the event depicted, for all we know the Paladin were made up in the image of the Norman knights in the Norman period. so ya, the Paladins are the template for a medieval knight, so they were knights.

[@KanaiIle]

Reading your post, I somehow get mental images of a tall, looming structure in the center of time and space in my head...

[@simonvonhyern2807]

Well u cant take that poem word by word. Cause Paladins wich were calles palatini here in Germany or basically the reich back than were noble men. Not necessary a knight although often these noble men where knights too. Well from the word palatin comes the german term and noble title "Pfalzgraf" wich is basically a count palatine in english and those where noble men who ruled a "Pfalz" wich was a needed structure due to the itinerant court wich was the way Charlemagne ruled the reich or empire what ever u call it in english. So palantini were noble men and not primarily warriors even they were often knights. They could kinda lead an army even though that was mostly a task for a "Herzog" which is comparable with a duke in english.

[@Biouke]

Plus it was very important to Charlemagne that he'd be recognized as Emperor by divine right (hence the mimicry of the Holy Roman Empire) so, by serving him, his elite knights were supposed to serve God.

[@gadyariv2456]

Simon von Hyern: if you read my comment again I didn't take the poem as a necessarily accurate description of history, that's why I ended it with the statement that the oldest surviving manuscript is from the Norman period and is perhaps depicting the Norman ideas rather then historical ones. most of the medieval historical texts should be taken with a lot of skepticism. all the information you know about the information you just stated, where is it from when were the primary sources. allot of the sources talking about the early middle ages and the Carolingian Empire were written after knighthood and feudalism were already established, and superimposed on earlier periods. all the terminology you used might be contaminated by ideas from the high middle ages, depending on your primary sources and their reliability. so whether or not the Charlemagne had his 12 elite worries who died in his service in the Pyrenees is less important compared to the impact the fictionalized paladin knights in the song of Roland had on the mindset and ideals of medieval chivalry. the real Paladins are the one that is depicted in the Song of Roland, whatever was the social status and social obligation of Carolingian social and military elite, nd how they were called in the respected language of the time is of much less important to the concept of the paladin. look at the paladins basically like you would look at King Arthur and his knights of the round table, the myth of Arthur is much more culturally and historically important than any historical tribal leader that may or may not have existed in dark age britain

[@simonvonhyern2807]

Well dont mix up ideals with the way really were. And yes what we know about the carolingian time is actually from sources like the "Annales regni Francorum" wich was written quite at that time (787-829) and giving information about the time from 741 to 829. A collection of several sources from that time such like other chronicles, lettters and stuff u can find in the Monumenta Germaniae Historica if u are interested in. So i would rather check these sources. Of course u might be right that people wanted to look at palatini that way (also because those guys might wanted to be admired) but that doesnt really mean that they were initially ment to be like this.

[@89tonstar]

You missed a part of the historical puzzle, under emperors dioclation and Constantine, the Roman army was reorganized with a new emphasis on specialized units. They were generally split into several groups, comitatenses, limitanei, phoederati, and palatina. Each group having regulars and auxilia. The palatina units generally replaced the corrupt pretorean guard. Hence their level of importance. Charlemagne was given the title by the pope of Imperator Augustus. He was already pretty obsessed with anything Roman and believed it was his divine right to restore the Empire to it's former glory, obviously not learning from flavius belisarius, he organized his army according to a Franco Roman design. By this time the area he occupied still spoke a vulgar latin/old French.

[@loganpackard7734]

Is it possible that Charlemegne's palatines could have been seen as holy because they were employed by the Holy Roman Emperor, who was crowned by the pope and such?

[@KanaiIle]

Maybe. People saw an awful lot of holyness in the reulers of their time, in such that merely touching a king or even emperror could heal them from sickness and bless their familiy and fortune. After all, these rulers were chosen by God himself for their current position. If you have a bunch of close servants of these rulers, they might get a healthy dose of the king´s hail for themselves, by association.

[@LouisKing995]

Logan Packard Charlemagne wasn't "Holy Roman-emperor" though, just emperor. That's tittle didn't arise till after he died, with the formation of the Holy Roman Empire

[@AlanGChenery]

Logan Packard iirc the Charlemagnes paladins performed certain ritual duties, and Charlie himself very much played up the "true ruler of all christendom" angle.

[@TheRealE.B.]

"Holy" literally means "set apart" aka "special." Historically, this has been used to refer to things, such as a temple, dedicated to a deity, but yes, don't assume that just because something is not of religious significance it is not holy. If you have a suit that you only wear to weddings, funerals, and job interviews, that suit is holy.

[@zyaicob]

The so called Holy so called Roman so called Empire?

[@callumunga5253]

Any other people here who didn't ring the bell and instead bizarrely check channels too regularly to be healthy.

[@KuronoCthulhu]

There are, actually, *two* Bells of Awakening. One's up above, in the Undead Church. The other is far, far below, in the ruins at the base of Blighttown.

[@h3lblad3]

Two made of stone guard the one up above. One who will turn your groin to stone guards the one below.

[@druffner]

You Know I wonder how much poise Shad has

[@vegavega5344]

In modern Fantasy, a Paladin/Templar/Crusader is basicly different words to describe the same arch type of ''class'', a holy knight who often fills a role similar to any ''Warrior'' type of class, but with an emphasis on his/her abilities to heal and protect allies rather than just dishing out heavy physical damage.

[@Hushashabega]

"This class of character bears a certain resemblance to religious orders of knighthood of medieval times" -Gary Gygax, AD&D (1st edition) Players' Handbook (1978), page 20. The above quote is actually in reference to clerics, not paladins. While I would agree with you Shad that the current fantasy paladin is a better fit for the religious knightly orders than clerics, that's not exactly accurate to the original conception of the fantasy archetype. The first appearance of the paladin is in the first supplement to the original dungeons and dragons game, Greyhawk (1975), though in the sparse and disorganized text of the short booklet there really isn't much to go on in describing what a paladin is beyond a type of fighter devoted to law (as understood in the original alignments of the game, ala Poul Anderson and Michael Moorcock) and goodness (good being not yet an alignment). We can, however, extrapolate from Gygax's literary influences and pinpoint the fantasy literature origins of the paladin as coming from Poul Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions, specifically the protagonist, Holger Carlsen. (This novel is also, it happens, the direct inspiration for D&D's trolls.) These early paladins I read as not being intrinsically religious, but necessarily of the highest moral character (a paladin who willingly commits an evil act irrevocably loses special powers). Clerics, meanwhile, were generally regarded as far more martial than later depictions, so despite the "blunt weapons only" restriction, early clerics were very much Templars, more so than Paladins who were conceived of as paragons of chivalry, though not explicitly religious warriors.

[@FusRoDah2]

"Light... grant me one final blessing. Give me the strength, to shatter these bonds!"

[@mattaffenit9898]

"Allfather, sit there and bear witness to my glory as I shatter these bonds myself!" - Some Heathen at some point... probably... Not saying anything, I'm just saying... The Æsír are a more hands off type.

[@Elyseon]

@@mattaffenit9898 Just smite and cleave the gods. The Kratos school of theology.

[@Dionyboz]

Impossible!!

[@bakshev]

Fordring.

[@christos_karao7645]

Hail highlord Fordring!

[@stevenharris4933]

A GREAT video! I love the story of Charles "The Hammer" Martel grandfather of Charlemagne. In my University undergraduate course in Arthurian legends, Charlemagne and his peers or Paladins were considered to be an inspiration for the myth of Arthur.

[@robvandenberg5326]

Thanks for this video! Paladin, or at least the religious knight, is my go to class in RPGs so Iove to see the roots.

[@shadiversity]

My pleasure mate!

[@dynamicworlds1]

It's a great archetype once you deconstruct and then reconstruct the trope. They can be so much more than what they often get stereotyped as.

[@robvandenberg5326]

Whic stereotype are do you mean exactly? I only know of the one where the Paladin is more selfrighteous than righteous, and where 'lawful good' means more 'if you don't obey the law I get to kill you'. In that case I agree, I don't consider such characters Paladins.

[@dynamicworlds1]

The lawful stupid/stupid good/walks into tavern, detects evil, then smites evil/uses disproportionate punishment on minor crimes (like you mentioned)... Yeah, a lot of bad RPers think playing paladins means having an excuse to act in ways that I would consider Chaotic Evil and get them stripped of their powers in any game I ran immediately. A good paladin should be trying to inspire, guide, and redeem at least as much as they bring out the righteous fury and smite the hell out of things (circumstances and reason permitting, of course).

[@robvandenberg5326]

Yeah, that stereotype is awful. Also, finding evil makes sense in a computer-game sense, but not really in anything resembling a real scenario. Good and Evil are two extremes of morality and shades of grey are needed. Good and Evil too quickly becomes Better or Worse, and that only leads to Better or Worse for the person making the judgement. Paladins are supposed to be Paragons, to lead by example. Shield the shieldless and encourage those without courage. Only when there are no other options are they to unleash the divine power they were entrusted with.

[@PussyDesecrator]

There's an awful lack of DEUS VULT in these comments.

[@dragoneye6229]

DEUS VULT!

[@boombox3136]

Archibald Pinecone YES MELORD YOU ARE RIGHT! WE WULL TAKE THE COMMENT SECTION! Deus Vult xD

[@fatravingfoxmusiclover2095]

The comment section are heretics

[@x.a.2758]

*DEA

[@mattaffenit9898]

_FYRIR ALFAĐIR!!!!!!_

[@maldito_sudaka]

your videos are awesome, keep going with this kind of content, I love it :)

[@tol9090]

I was looking for an answer to that question, and your video provided a very good one, in a very nice format, pleasant to watch, thanks!

[@dragonslayerornstein387]

and now DRAGONS and the DRAGON'S SHIRT and the DRAGON KNIGHTS and DRAGON EVERYTHING, why? Because DRAGONS!!!!!!!

[@MrRourk]

Dragon Slayer Ornstein I just want to know where the dragon steaks are?

[@GodzillasaurusJr]

In 2nd edition AD&D, Paladins are much more like the 12 peers or knights of the round table than in later versions (and both are mentioned as historical examples in the player's handbook class description); holy stuff was been added on in expansion books and later versions, but that type of incorruptible, loyal elite knight from 2E remains my favourite version.

[@dicewrites]

Great video, I do remember hearing somewhere that Paladins were inspired by a book that Gary Gygax read, the name slips my mind but I think a lot of alignment things also came of it. Keep up the good work on the videos. :)

[@Jorge007dr]

This video was very informative. Thank you for the background information about fantasy and medieval times! I also REALLY respect your comments about the holy, righteous and noble aspects of medieval times. God and religion are often portrayed negatively by most media outlets. Thank you, Mr Shad!

[@TrickyTrickyFox]

Now I want a pommel shirt with "I will end you historically accurate" written on it for some reason

[@Ignisrex]

in age of Empire 2 the Paladin is the improved version of a Knight

[@nanoblast5748]

Shad not knowing this is sacrilege!

[@GravisTKD]

I had forgotten about paladins in AoE2, too. My first thought when that part of the video came up was Warcraft 2, as the paladins in that game are, once again, "upgraded" knights. They had the glowy eyes and echoing voices and everything. As a kid, I didn't make the connection that they were holy warriors per se, but it was clear that they were some kind of ascended form of knight with supernatural abilities. Ah, memories.

[@nanoblast5748]

@@GravisTKD you know, having watched some m9re of shad's vids on knights, the aoe2 knight line actually makes more sense. Knights and cavaliers, pretty straightforward. If you can afford the horse, you're a knight. The paladin is something else. If you have the gold, as in as much gold as a holy roman empire, you can give the knights that serve youa higher paygrade. But ES most likely looked for three "heavy cavalry words" and came up with only two. Then they went "but about that charlemagne guy!..."

[@kristopherscholefield1723]

Hello Shad I've been following your channel for a few months now and am enjoying your content quite a bit and am myself passionate about history & science and was curious if you ever do videos on historic events that are surrounded in legend and theory I feel it would be enjoyable to hear your opinions on some of these legends theory's and myths for example the disappearance of the templar fleet just prior to the Inquisition, or the 2 years they spent on temple mount, the Perry Reice map, and countless Greek and roman myths and legends historical events that have been warped in time and exaggerated by story and song there's so much content to be theorized and hashed out concerning historic legends. Thanks keep up the good fight

[@TwoCentReview]

Always wondered about this. Cool video, Shad.

[@theepicone100]

"Bring back something that was long dead." **Glances as the Eastern Roman Empire**

[@bartolomeorizzo]

sorry, but you missed one important part: French Paladins (Orlando, Rinaldo in the culture of thr "chanson de geste") who were knights fighting for christianity against arabic knights (called, well in italian, "saraceni"). These paladins, which tales are contemporary to the ones of king Arthur, were the strongest warriors, the most loyal knights of king Charlemagne.

[@phantasosxgames8488]

No , half of his video is talking about crusaders. You can say that paladins were the first Christian high-class knights that fought heathens. Round Table Knights are different in that regard, paladins used the Power of the Cross directly or to subjugate another magic, while only Galahad did that in the Arthurian Legends

[@josephs1728]

I have noticed that as Shad makes more videos the more times he references his other videos instead of fully explaining other topics. I like this since it cuts down on time for those who have seen the videos allowing the pace to continue and, for those who have not seen the video they can see the videos mentioned to understand what is he talking about.

[@ebolasoda]

another great video by shad!

[@casimiriii5941]

in terms of paladins in movies I always think of the movie Kingdom of Heaven.

[@SkullivanBones]

never clicked a notification on my phone so fast...

[@Noone-rc9wf]

reddead405 I was running away from the cops and saw this notification and stopped to watch it!

[@SkullivanBones]

hey man, ya gotta get them priorities in first! watching a shad video > not going to prison

[@Igor-tn6cw]

Paladins are the best in any universe!

[@Noone-rc9wf]

*The NYPD has acquired this phone. This is now property of the NYPD and the previous owner will not be responding* *_thank you for your understanding_*

[@SkullivanBones]

welp, there he goes #worth our little nothing's gone to prison v(°~°)v

[@Slayerlord0]

Always happy to learn more about paladins. Thanks Shad. ^_^

[@arturkvieira]

Loved your video! Keep it up!

[@guisasse]

I like the concept Pillars of Eternity gives about what being a Paladin means. Instead of being righteous/religious warriors, they were closer to warrior with specific morals, always loyal and acting acording to those morals. These same morals would also guide these warriors towards a order that suits them. This is a nice view, as it also creates space for "evil" orders of Paladins, which is much more realistic.

[@proudtitanicdenier4300]

thank you for the KNAOWLEDGE

[@Daimon-X]

Scientia potentia est. Knowledge is power, guard it well.

[@CrazyLikeUhFox]

Here in my garage, just bought this new Lamborghini here.

[@warwickthekingmaker7281]

+Daimon X, except the two quotes are unfortunately unrelated. Still, there is wisdom in the words of the Adeptus Mechanicus

[@Daimon-X]

Knowkedge is power, guard it well. Its Blood Ravens chapter battle cry.

[@warwickthekingmaker7281]

huh. I distinctly remember the quote being said by adepts of Mars in the book Mechanicum (Horus Rising). I know Diomedes said it in DOW 2 too so you are probably right. Maybe the Blood Ravens stole the words from adeptus Mechanicum just like they stole artifacts from pretty much every other chapter.

[@Alefiend]

The modern concept of the paladin was probably also influenced by TV. The hero of the series, "Have Gun, Will Travel" was named Paladin. He roamed the Wild West righting wrongs like a good cowboy. The show was very popular, and you can bet your rent that the creators of fantasy RPGs-the people who brought the knightly paladin concept back into common usage-grew up watching or at least knowing about that show. I know several older people who assumed that was the source of our paladin, or at least one of the sources.

[@nikolai60]

I didn't watch it yet but OMG YES THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS! -edit- Finished watching, am not disappointed. Very good work as always, didn't even realize the Roman connection!

[@dr.calibrations7984]

So Charlemagne was just trying to Make Rome Great Again? Sounds like a stand up guy.

[@foolslayer9416]

@Jessica Only more of a heroic sword-swinging hero than a white supremacist. More of a nationalist than a supremacist

[@gamermanzeake]

@@foolslayer9416 Do I detect a need for a safe space? Just because you don't like someone, doesn't mean you should label them evil, especially if you have no proof. A man trying to make America what it once was... "Great." Unlike it is now, does not make him a racist or a supremacist. It's really unfortunate that your generation has been so brainwashed by games, television, music and media that you cannot even make your own deductions of reality without using hyper buzz words to try and gather and garner attention from the foolish around you. Because you know, no one wise will hear you. No one aged, or distinct, intelligent or Good will give you the time of day. Folks like you are so easy to label, it's sickening... But unlike you, I don't need to label another person as some great evil, to make myself feel good. Sinners do that, to justify themselves. They comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. Proverbs 30:11-14 Authorized. There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. 12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. 13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. 14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

[@foolslayer9416]

@@gamermanzeake I'm a Conservative too you know. I don't give a shit about Richar Spencer either.

[@foolslayer9416]

@Jessica I disagree, but I don't hate the guy, he has opinions that I disagree with but I respect that. As well as I respect your opinion. To be honest my thoughts on the guy are quite neutral.

[@L0rd0fLight1]

Funny thing is Rome was still around (Eastern Roman Empire) at this time

[@kienhwengtai8113]

Age of Empires 2 - The knight is upgraded to Cavalier and then the Paladin.

[@EmjiAmsdaughter]

I like that you showed a picture of Arn when you talked about Templars.

[@Marcusjnmc]

great stuff, thanks Shad ^.^

[@Thetb93]

a knight serves a lord, the paladin serves the lord you missed that one! DUDE!

[@CoolArrow78233]

I have always loved the idea of the “holy knight”. The duty to the God/faith/entity. Where they are granted true abilities. The self sacrifice and seeking out vanquish evil. Protecting the weak. Will always love that

[@ChimpFromSpace]

Nice, Age of Empires was my first introduction to the Paladin.

[@HCGxreaver]

Paladin has always been my favorite class in D&D and any other fantasy role-playing game. It is nice to know where they came from. I even made a video about paladins in D&D a while back I think I will put a to link this video in my own :)

[@azraelselvmord3650]

Any game that I can play as a Paladin it's always my first/main character. I always prefer Knights or regular Warriors.

[@dzhodzho8270]

How funny this notification came up when I was looking up stuff about paladins...

[@wanderingminstrel636]

Great video, a favourite class in RPGs, no doubt. A little off topic though, the painting showing at 6:00 is a painting depicting a Spanish Tercio at the battle of Rocroi (1643) against the French. Sorry, I'm Spanish so I had to say it.

[@chriscalvin5083]

great video Shad

[@maarten_burger]

Haha yes! Good subject and good video!

[@JustAnotherMike_]

In D&D 5e, Paladins have really stepped away from deities. They're very dedicated to their oaths now and gain their power from their strong morals and standing behind the tenets of their oaths. You can have Paladins without ties to any god, but the option to make the standard holy crusader/ white knight character dedicated to a god is still there. TL;DR: Clerics have much stronger ties to their deities. Paladins have replaced that tie to gods with a tie to their oaths

[@nealsterling8151]

Another excellent Video!

[@whitewalker9862]

Paladin is my favorite class in a fantasy role play setting too. They are basically Jedis of medieval fantasy. Powerful warriors who have their own order and honor codes, can use divine force at combat or healing etc.

[@Zen-rw2fz]

Thanks to I can make everything in my fictional unverses historically accurate, next time I will name palantines properly

[@acendantoverlord5737]

Do a "Does Dawnguard from SKYRIM have realistic Castle Defences?" video I really want to know your opinion on it. PLEASE.

[@acendantoverlord5737]

I meant "Castle Dawnguard"

[@thehackingburger3002]

Acendant Overlord Oh, yes! BTW, I would say no, it does not.

[@acendantoverlord5737]

Yes I know but there are some cool features about Castle Dawnguard that I would love to here Shadiversity's opinion on!!! Like the very first room in Dawnguard is very much a kill box as it can be blocked off by gates and their is the second floor to which archers could rain down bolts/arrows from!!!!!

[@thehackingburger3002]

Acendant Overlord Very true, and it doesn't appear to have many windows, as real castles did! What's more, I highly doubt that vampires have siege engines to take out walls or anything, so for what it primarily is for, I think it does really well. However, I bet Shad would complain about the fact that there is no outer wall (at least as memory serves) and other such defenses.

[@acendantoverlord5737]

Well yes since it's "Fantasy" logic often gets thrown out for "ooh thats looks pretty". Castle Dawnguard has a really good environment as its in a secret cove (I'm just going to call it a cove) that can only be accessed by one entrance which is the tunnel you take, so it would force any opponents to come in one direction. Since you have to take a tunnel you wouldn't be able to move siege equipment in there anyways and would have to be taken in pieces than built in a very small space for them to use siege equipment. Whats kind of cool is that there's a tunnel near the entrance of the castle itself that almost leads to the entrance of the cove. the entrance closer to the Tunnel entrance is actually camouflaged in greenery so attackers wouldn't really notice allowing defenders to ambush the attacking force if they pushed in enough! Furthermore Castle Dawnguard when complete actually has to wooden walls (with ramparts) that the attackers would have to go through all while under the shadow of the castle itself and before reaching the Castle doors. Although it's missing quite a bit logical castles would have its still pretty neat and might be the best one Shad will review!!!! I'm going to try and get pictures.

[@GonzoTehGreat]

Could you make a video explaining the historical origins and similarities/differences between the different D&D classes? In particular, Paladins (Knights?), Clerics (Priests?) and Monks seem to share a lot of overlap, which can be confusing. There also seems to be a lot of misinformation amongst fantasy roleplayers (such as the sword fuller being a blood channel) which you could discuss. For example, I remember reading a justification that Clerics typically prefer using (blunt) bludgeoning weapons (e.g. Mace/Warhammer) over (sharp) cutting/stabbing weapons (e.g Sword/Axe) because they're religious beliefs lead them to avoid spilling blood if possible. This explanation seems dubious!

[@robinthrush9672]

Was in the middle of another video when I saw the video title. Had to check this out. I always play a paladin first when they're available in games.

[@robinthrush9672]

Something of note about D&D paladins specifically (and Dresden Files), they don't need to be religious. They can become paladins simply by their dedication to an ideal, like justice or protection. Technically, you can have an atheist paladin. How you do that in a setting where the gods regularly interact with people requires a lot of mental gymnastics, but I suppose you could see clerical magic as just some other type of magic independent of a deity with different incantations that _seem_ like interacting with a deity.

[@DottaNatural]

Leeroy Jenkins was a true paladin.

[@SupersuMC]

At least he had chicken. ;-)

[@InSanic13]

On the same topic, a lot of people with Dungeons and Dragons argue that Paladins have to be Lawful Good because that is supposedly included in the definition of the term and has a historical basis. What's your take on that position?

[@NoahWeisbrod]

InSanic from what I understand about the moral alignment system, "good" more accurately means "idealist," and "neutral" means "realist." I would definitely say someone in a religious order is almost certainly Lawful, playing by a strict code of ethics, but whether Lawful Good or Lawful Neutral, I'd say it's up to the individual. The historical basis only signifies a high ranking government official or the archetype which inspired the medieval knight. The morality system in RPGs itself has no historical basis. Nobody in history has ever called himself evil.

[@gso619]

The alignment axis is actually rather simple. Lawful is "I do this, because it's the right thing to do", as in, you're following a higher power, the law, traditions, whatever. Neutral is "I do what best benefits me", chaotic is "I do what I feel like", which are pretty self-explanatory. Good, neutral and evil basically relates to how willing you are to do bad shit for your benefit. If you're unwilling and you'd rather help people even when it doesn't benefit you, you're good. If you'd melt a fucker's face off with a fireball at the drop of a hat, you're evil. If you're somewhere in the middle and can swing either way, depending on what benefits you, you're neutral. So, for example, someone who's lawful good does good things, because they believe that's the right thing to do. Like Superman. Someone who's lawful evil does evil does evil things, because they believe that's the right thing to do. Like Lex Luthor. A lawful evil character is lawful good in their own eyes. As you said, no one ever called themselves evil. Quite a few classes are locked to an alignment. For example, monks always have to be lawful, be it good, neutral or evil, because their whole lives revolve around discipline and traditions. And a cleric has to be within one step of the god they worship, so if the god is, let's say, chaotic evil the cleric has to be neutral evil, chaotic evil or chaotic neutral. So, alignment locks are by no means a paladin thing, they're just there to force people to actually roleplay their character, rather than just doing whatever suits them best. Since paladins literally start off with an ability called "smite evil", they're locked to good and since they follow the will of a higher power (i.e. a god) they're locked to lawful. It's not really based on historical stuff, it's just that their whole skillset is that of a holy warrior, who helps people. For the people who whine about that being boring, there's actually a class called the anti-paladin, which is the same shit, except locked to chaotic evil.

[@Modighen]

I know you're asking Shad, but it was done as a balance for their awesome granted powers and pretty much nothing else, as well as the ability of the GM to revoke those powers if he felt that the player was just playing for the powers and not the challenge of a holy warrior.

[@Modighen]

"It is over comlicated,and simplist at the same time." Lawful means that you seek to obey the laws of the society even if you find them against your decisions, chaotic means that you ignore rules if they impede your decision. Neutral seems to be there to be a more mellow version of chaotic. Good means you seek to minimize suffering and improve the lives of others. Evil means that you seek to benefit yourself regardless of who suffers (although they don't always have to make everyone around them suffer) Neutral would be a less sociopathic version of evil. Capable of evil acts, but probably more sensitive to the suffering of others. I've had a lot of time to mull this over because of the people I knew who thought that alignment was something to beat other people over the head as some demonstration of their superior knowledge of the rules.

[@Ninjamanhammer]

+Noah Weisbrod That is wrong, saying lawful is idealist is far more accurate. A lawful character follows a their beliefs tightly, even when it might not be the most beneficial, that is idealistic. You can easily have lawful neutral or lawful evil idealists, for instance strict justice enforcers and religious zealots. A neutral good or even more a chaotic good character however is willing to break rules when they think it is the right thing to do. They are far more pragmatic.

[@fubokuen]

PALADIN: The gunslinger for hire in TV's , 'Have Gun Will Travel'. The name is in popular culture even w/o the entire Fantasy Genre...

[@Blondie42]

Very enjoyable and informative, sir. Love your sword collection behind you and the chair. Not saying that you had to reference it, but I am surprised that you didn't reference the paladins of either Warcraft or the Forgotten realms. Where paladins and clerics have powers bestowed upon them from a higher power that they are devoted to. Allowing them to magically heal wounds or deal damage to evil entities from a far. And that a "mere" knight is just a heavily armored, usually mounted, warrior.

[@badtaste7415]

expecting my dragon shirt any day now

[@shadiversity]

I just got mine the other day ^_^

[@johnivanoplimo5172]

_"What's a Paladin?"_

[@hunterkirkland736]

For what i know is a Noble Holy Warrior that serves God in our Religion.

[@waddledee474]

Ultima 9. Lest we forget.

[@ceropuntocinco]

Your knowledge of the land shall be great

[@Elyseon]

I am not entirely sure.

[@peternrdstrm]

The last upgrade of the Knight line, very expressive heavy cavalry.

[@darkentity1000]

Hey Shad, have you ever played Thief: The Dark Project? That game is really interesting because it basically takes place in a fantasy city based on the middle ages, but with steampunk technology thrown in. So essentially it's a medieval city, but there are electric lights around lol. That bit in your video where you talked about a masonic order of knights reminded me of the Thief, because there is a faction in that game that is a lot like that, called the Hammerite Order. They are basically a religious church that worships the Master Builder, a deity who is said to have taught them the ways of the forge. With that knowledge, they provide the city with electricity and stuff. But in the game, their ranks are made up by warrior monks, who deck themselves out in full armor, and wield large battle hammers. I dunno why but they remind me of the masonic knights you were referring to. Great game, highly recommend it, and great vid as always!

[@MrTohawk]

Ok, Shad. You got me. A new sub.

[@shanecue6474]

Fantasy Paladin=Jedi?

[@Csarci]

Shane Cue yep and sith are dreadknights

[@saintrivers962]

Hey Shad, I love your videos! Could you please do a video about criminals (thieves, outlaws, cartels, etc) and maybe also about medieval espionage (between nations and even lords in the same nation). Thanks a bunch :)

[@GarretGarlinger]

It's my Favorite to play in DnD too! haha, no wonder I like your videos. You like all the same things shad as I do.

[@yegenek]

You need to more time to reading actual sci-fi and fantasy literature. Gary Gygax mentioned that the biggest influences on the d&d Paladin is "Three Hearts and Three Lions" by Poul Anderson and Hawkmoon series by Moorcock.

[@tzikas9]

About you Comment about Charlemang and Rome being long dead, this is not true. The Roman legacy lived on in the Eastern Roman Empire (aka Byzantium) and that is one of the reasons that Eastern and Western church began to dislike each other.

[@nuckingfuts3204]

The real Rome died when Nero failed to kill the Christians, everything that follows is not the real Rome.

[@demetriosavdalis5574]

@@nuckingfuts3204 bugger off East Rome is best Rome. While the West were peasants, the East were educated, had universities, science, math etc etc and lasted 1000 years.

[@jakobbackwood5180]

Nice Video Shad

[@KnightofRome01]

Thank you good sir, for doing a video on my favorite rpg class. Also doubly since I also teach history.

[@thevikingmusketeer9696]

But can paladins end them rightly?

[@KageRyuu6]

What is a Paladin? Ask Spoony lol

[@MattysModernLife]

Dude, ur shirt ad is the best.

[@malcolmthorne9779]

A good video. Educational. Mind doing one on Warlocks? I feel like that word/concept have a long history and evolution behind it.

[@kurtsell8376]

Another possible origin of the fantasy Paladin was the “Palatini” regiments of the late roman army. Aside from the obviously similar sounding names the Palatini were elite units that would guard the emperor when he went off to command the army. These troops were so good that an army of around 13,000, consisting mostly of them, defeated an army of 35,000 Alamani warriors at the battle of Strasbourg. So it would make sense that the Paladins of Charlemagne would be based on the best troops of the Roman empire that he was trying to re-create. The elite Palatini being the origin of the Paladins as they were both high ranking warriors. P.S. another example of roman terms becoming medieval titles was the Duke, which originated as the post of Dux (Latin for leader) who commanded an entire province's army. Or, the Count who was originally a commander of a late roman unit of comitatenses.

[@jollyjojo1137]

finally what about dragon shirt next pommel shirt

[@zerstor3897]

I think that should be left for skal. now if Shad got his permission... maybe. I honestly think Skallagrim won't do it though, as I'm pretty sure he wants the joke to die.

[@DaniTheDeer]

jolly jojo How about a dragon on the Pommel of a longsword shirt?

[@jollyjojo1137]

Joseph Stalin did you mean what about dragon on pommel of great sword but it's actually just long sword

[@mini_pypermaru]

jolly jojo What about a Dragon on the Pommel of a Longsword on a banner of a CASTLE! :D

[@michaellittle226]

Thanks for sharing .

[@Joemantler]

The Crusades were specific military actions. For a WWII analogies: Templars = 101 Airborne Division; Crusaders = Allied Forces; Crusade = Allied War against the Axis

[@1512125]

But could the crusader knights cast healing spells?

[@frosty2461]

Olle Hellberg yes yes they could

[@nathanoliver9237]

What's a Paladin?

[@DarkZholt]

+Dundrael What's a Spoony?

[@IAmCaligvla]

+Dundrael I don't think you got the reference.

[@DarkZholt]

+Dundrael Cool, now you can watch the Spoony Ultima series ... and watch as Spoony spirals down into madness ... but hey, his old videos are still good.

[@MaaZeus]

DarkZholt God I miss Spoony and his snarky humor... I hope he gets his life together someday.

[@RagPlaysGames]

Codex of Ultimate Wisdom?

[@jkdxtrm1]

Ha. That way you fixed the pronunciation, "sorry. You'll just have to put up with it," was hilarious.

[@thalesk9616]

I loved so much the info, the doc, very well informed and Im very happy to have watched Could you inform me the ending song nams?

[@DaaaahWhoosh]

Fun fact: the Roman 'palatine' comes from the Elvish word 'palantir'.

[@acrocthatkills3557]

DaaaahWhoosh oh shut up

[@spazzmaticus9086]

Nani hir galir.

[@Agreus-WolfsbaneYT]

DaaaahWhoosh shush your orc pit lol

[@dashiellgillingham4579]

ELVIS. That is all.

[@darcyvvalencia]

By "Roman", you mean Latin, right?