Knight

"You Knights [...], lead your followers in battle. Take enough devastation to feed your worm, and a little more to grow, and take the tithe of your followers. Then take another portion, as much as you dare, and use it for your own purposes. But if it is too much, your peers will kill you and take it. Then tithe the remainder to the Ascendant you serve."

- Oryx, the Taken King

Knights are a caste of Hive creatures. They are elite soldiers, and typically wield Hive Boomers or a Cleaver. They can also summon a shield directly in front of them for a few seconds to block incoming fire, while regenerating a small amount of health in that time frame. On top of their formidable weaponry and defenses, Knights are even more deadly on Nightfall strikes where they acquire an Arc shield and increased effectiveness with their weapons. Some other knights, such as Blades of Crota or Urzok, the Hated, also have Arc shields.

Overview
Knights are promoted from the ranks of the Hive's Acolytes, chosen based on their ability to fight and feed their hungering Worm on the power of conquered foes.

Gameplay
"It put up a hand and swallowed the rocket with a wall of shadow."

- Grimoire description.

Knights are serious business on the battlefield. Their heavy armor and powerful weaponry allow them to put down Guardians with ease. They are the highest ranked infantry, so they have access to a bigger arsenal than their lower-ranked counterparts. Knights are most commonly armed with a Boomer, which they use to siege and overtake the player's position in an attempt to lock down an important area with a barrage of explosive Arc bolts.

If armed with a Shredder, they will tend to keep their distance and pick the player off at range, although they fire this weapon faster and more accurately than an Acolyte.

If armed with a Cleaver, they will charge fearlessly into the fray and chase down their target to hack them to pieces. When on low health, Knights have a chance to enter a berserker rage, charging towards their targets to land a deadly melee attack, and they will regenerate a small amount of health in that time frame. To increase their durability, they will summon a Darkness Shield that blocks all frontal attacks and regenerates their health, and some have Arc shields to further improve upon this. However, when they summon their Darkness Shield, they are vulnerable to flanking and grenades, making them an easy target in this state.

Unique Variants

 * Blade of Crota—found in Old Russia and the Moon. Drops a Sword when killed.
 * Swordbearer—found in Crota's End. Drops a Sword when killed.
 * Gatekeeper—found in Crota's End. Can only be killed by a Sword.
 * Vessel of Oryx—found in King's Fall. Consumes Corrupted Light and holds an Aura of Immortality that must be taken by the Brand-Claimer in order to kill it.
 * Light-Eater Knight—found in the Hard version of King's Fall. Acts like the Vessel of Oryx, except that it does not have an Aura and is not a Major.

Known Knights

 * Xivu Arath (Progenitor)
 * Alak-Hul, the Darkblade
 * Celebrant of Oryx
 * Crota, Son of Oryx
 * Ecthar, Sword of Oryx
 * Hand of Crota
 * Kranox, the Graven
 * Sardok, Eye of Oryx
 * Sardon, Fist of Crota
 * Swarm Princes
 * Banuk, Ur Prince
 * Dakoor, Yul Prince
 * Garok, Xol Prince
 * Merok, Eir Prince
 * Tsugoth, Gauntlet of Oryx
 * Urrox, Flame Prince
 * Urzok, the Hated
 * Protector of the Will
 * Warden's Knight
 * Heolster, Warden of Oryx
 * Thracu, Warden of Oryx
 * Adleg, Warden of Oryx
 * Warpriest

Types

 * Anointed Knight (Arc-shield)
 * Ascendant Knight
 * Breaker Knight
 * Brood Enforcer
 * Chosen Knight
 * Hallowed Knight
 * Blade of Crota
 * Swordbearer
 * Gatekeeper (Knight)
 * Light-Eater Knight—King's Fall Hard mode

List of appearances

 * Destiny