Paladins in Fiction

[Dannyalcatraz]

I was going to point out similarities between Western heroes and knights errant, but I see someone has beaten me to it.

I'd add The Lone Ranger and possibly Shane to that list, too.

 

[Huw]

I was going to point out similarities between Western heroes and knights errant, but I see someone has beaten me to it.

I'd add The Lone Ranger and possibly Shane to that list, too.

How about Pale Rider then?

Defender of the Innocent? Check.
Religious Warrior? Check.
Mount? Check.

 

[Dragonblade]

Galad is also a pretty good example of the paladin personality. Especially in the opening to Knife of Dreams.

Jordan played D&D and DMed? I wonder what those games were like.

He talks a bit about it in the foreword to the d20 Wheel of Time RPG. I have also read some interviews where he was talking about some of the things that inspired him, and I remember him specifically talking about Galad being his interpretation of a classic AD&D paladin.

Notice that Galad is exceptionally charismatic and good looking. Almost inhumanly so (like he has a Charisma 17 or 18). He is also a badass warrior (perhaps STR 18/xx?) thus alluding to him meeting all the stringent 1e ability score requirements necessary to qualify for the paladin class.

And he follows an absolute and uncompromising moral code that has often put him at odds with the rest of the protagonists. The other thing I like is that Galad has that classic 1e ruthless crusader paladin vibe in the sense that he will mercilessly cut down anyone he believes is evil, utterly secure in the righteousness of his cause.

 

[drothgery]

Other characters who are pretty paladin-ish in fantasy on my bookshelf (which ranges from the very light-hearted to the very serious)

Carrot Ironfounderson from Pratchett's Discworld
Aerich from Brust's Khaavren Romances
Joscelin Verreuil from Jacquile Carey's Kushiel series

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Carrot Ironfounderson from Pratchett's Discworld
<snip>
Joscelin Verreuil from Jacquile Carey's Kushiel series

I can definitely second both of those.

 

[Remus Lupin]

Well, since no one's mentioned it, and since the "have gun will travel" and Clint Eastwood references have been made, how about Roland of Giliad from Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series.

Whether he'd be considered a true paladin in D&D terms might be questionable, since he does many dubious things which could call for atonement in a game situation, but he's a warrior knight with a code, on a holy quest fighting a great evil. I think that King's concept of the gunslinger is highly paladin-ish.

 

[RigaMortus2]

Paladins are a pretty iconic archetype in fantasy. But I was trying to think of examples of fictional paladins and drew a blank. Aside from Arthurian fantasy and D&D novels, the only two modern books I can think of that feature paladins are Elizabeth Moon's Paksenarrion and Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.

Are there any other modern books that have paladins in them?

Probably not exactly what you are looking for, but the in the Book/Movie Jumper, the jumpers (ie teleporters) are hunted by an order that call themselves Paladins. But they aren't what you would think of as a Paladin, in fact, they are the antagonist in the movie.

 

[Zaukrie]

spoiler?

Paksanaarion from the Deed of Paks....is the the defintion of a paladin. If you haven't read these books, then you haven't read a modern writer's take on this class. It's like its out of a D&D campaign, only well written.