Legendary Pictures: The Power of Character in A Knight’s Tale

A Knight’s Tale was released in cinemas back in 2001. Produced and directed by Brian Helgeland, this adventure / comedy film stars the late Heath Ledger as peasant William Thatcher. The story follows the adventures of William as he seeks to “change his stars” and become a knight. In other words, this is our “quest” in the film. Along the way, he gains the respect of friends old and new, and falls in love with noblewoman Jocelyn, who has also caught the attention of Count. William pretends to be a knight called Sir Ulrich Von Liechtenstein from Gelderland, so that he can compete in the joust and challenge Adhemar for Jocelyn’s affection.

If you are looking for a one hundred percent historically accurate tale, then you might want to look elsewhere. Personally, I remember this film being lots of fun to watch and a bit strange due its anachronistic style. Basically, that means there are things in the film that did not exist in medieval times. One example is the crowd chanting Queen’s “We Will Rock You” during the joust! The film contains a whole bunch of these anachronistic elements which makes for an interesting mix.

So, why does this movie remind me of The Legend of Zelda? Well, you have the superficial medieval references such as swords, horses, kings, queens, banners and coat of arms. There are elements of Adult Link and Child Link as William’s childhood is shared with the audience along with his journey as an adult. He upgrades his equipment gradually through the film, just as Link gradually upgrades his equipment through the games. There are some settings that share similarities such as woods used for training, cathedrals (temples), and a town market.

But there is a lot more to it than that…

Characters

The Legend of Zelda games have always focused on three primary characters. A Knight’s Tale as a film mainly concentrates on just William Thatcher. It was intriguing, however, when I considered similarities between the characters.

In Twilight Princess, Link is a farm boy who finds battle awkward to begin with and needs lessons from the Hero’s Shade. He has a good heart and wants to do the right thing. Link has helped those in need time and time again and proven himself as a hero. William has to practice with the help of his friends Wat and Roland in order to improve as well. He shows mercy by calling a draw during a joust so that Sir Thomas Colville will retain an untarnished record. Thatcher begins to fight for the sake of the people rather than just solely for his own glory.

Zelda is a woman who clearly knows her own mind; she knows what she wants and has the wisdom to see the potential in Link. In Breath of the Wild, Zelda has researched Guardian technology and is keen to find out all she can. She understands the importance of using such technology for the sake of good. In the film, Kate is a blacksmith who wants to prove herself in the world against the male blacksmiths. Much as Zelda in Breath of the Wild is desperate to prove her worth by manifesting the power that she knows resides inside of her. Kate is also able to manipulate the technology (of her time) by finding a new way to heat the steel which will make armor thinner and lighter, but just as strong. This ends up giving William an advantage in the joust.

Ganondorf as the main villain of the Zelda series never fails to make his presence known. His crimes of betrayal, inciting war and a desire to take over Hyrule are the staple megalomaniac tendencies we have come to expect. Ganon hits like a hammer and will do anything to get what he wants at the expense of everyone else. He has a superiority complex, which means he will mock and put others down. One example of this is in Ocarina of Time, when Ganondorf meets Link outside of Hyrule Castle and says, “Pathetic little fool, do you know who you are dealing with?”

Antagonists are the bread and butter of many good films. In A Knight’s Tale, it is Count Adhemar who shares many traits with the Gerudo King. He is arrogant and believes himself to be higher than those around him. He sees mercy as a weakness to be exploited and has great power. The Count will play dirty tricks, such as using an illegal sharpened lance and manipulating those around him. He has a black horse and armor to match, and says things like, “See me again, when you are worthy.” A young Geoffrey Chaucer tells William that Count Adhemar has given orders to ransack towns and villages. While I couldn’t decide whether this was Chaucer goading William on to try his best or whether this claim was actually true, it would make sense in the spirit of the character to have Adhemar guilty of these acts.

Friendship

Allies are important to both William and Link in their respective ways. In A Knight’s Tale, we have childhood friends such as Wat and Roland who, despite taking the mickey out of William, ultimately want to help him realize his dreams. It is also the loyalty of his friends through the good and bad times that really stands out in this film. In Ocarina of Time, Link has Saria who gives him his first ocarina and guides him to the Forest Temple. The Sages also help Link reach Ganon’s Castle by creating a bridge; without such assistance he could not save Hyrule.

As William progresses up the ranks, he gains new friendships in the form of Geoffrey Chaucer, Kate, and even Edward the Black Prince who all play their own important role. In Breath of the Wild, Link meets the Champions who have a common goal to put a stop to Calamity Ganon. Friendship plays a big part in the game, as it is by working together and freeing the Divine Beasts that the final battle becomes a lot easier for Link. After all, Link tried to fight the Guardian hordes alone and ended up in the Resurrection Shrine for 100 years! In the same way, William knows that he can’t train by himself and needs the help and skills of all his friends in order to succeed.

Rooting for Mr. Good Guy

Link is obviously a force for good, pure of heart and willing to protect the innocent. He is often depicted as the hero chosen by destiny. Ganondorf on the other hand is willing to stop at nothing in order to rule a world through utter evil. This is a reoccurring theme in many of the core Legend of Zelda games. Why should we care about Link if he does not have an opponent that we truly believe is a threat? Why should we care about Hyrule, if we do not believe that Ganon’s rule would be a disaster? Link’s journey through the games, often beginning as the under dog draws us in. As he learns lessons and gains the power to vanquish evil we are rooting for him.

Good vs. evil is firmly depicted throughout A Knight’s Tale too. You have only to look at the costume choices in the final scene of the film: William in white, vulnerable without his armor, and Count Adhemar in black, armed to the teeth. I would say that William has more shades of grey to his character than Link though; he can lie, lose his temper, and throw his rattle out of the pram when things don’t go his way. In A Knight’s Tale, the fate of the entire realm is not at stake, but the fate of William and his companions most certainly is! There is very much a David vs. Goliath vibe going on, and the consequences if William fails could be dire for the future happiness of Jocelyn and himself. All of his friends have been caught up in his dreams to “change his stars,” and a soul-crushing defeat would be the end of this. They want to see Count Adhemar get his just desserts, and hopefully the audience as well. But there is still the chance that it could all go wrong, and it is this that makes the film so gripping.

All in all, A Knight’s Tale is a film built on the strength of its characters. By showing the protagonist struggle and grow, and in the end overcome adversity, it showcases the true power of character.

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Alison Brunyee is an Editor for Zelda Dungeon. She is currently writing ‘The Man Behind the Masks’ for Fan Fiction Friday and enjoys collecting Japanese wind chimes. Her favorite Zelda game is Ocarina of Time.

Artwork: Josh Rivers