Zelgius: Difference between revisions

|image5=[[File:FEH Black Knight 01.png|200px]]

* Lev Liberman<br><small>(English, {{title|Radiant Dawn}})</small>

* [[wikipedia:Robert Clotworthy|Robert Clotworthy]]<br><small>(English, {{title|Heroes}})</small>

Zelgius was arguably even better known for his other identity: the '''Black Knight''' (Japanese: {{hover|漆黒の騎士|Shikkoku no kishi}} ''Dark Knight''), the strongest of the Four Riders of [[Daein]] during the Mad King's War and the right-hand man to the Mad King [[Ashnard]] himself. As the Black Knight he was an enigmatic warrior, never seen outside his blessed, pitch-black armor, and was feared for his immense strength. His obsession with the former Daein general [[Greil|Gawain]] evolved into a bitter rivalry with Gawain's son, [[Ike]], who swore to slay the Black Knight and avenge his father. Believed to have been killed by Ike in the war's last days, the Black Knight resurfaced three years later during Daein's struggle for independence from the Begnion garrison, as an ally of the Daein freedom fighter [[Micaiah]].

Zelgius was born in Daein to a father who had [[laguz]] ancestry. He was the first in this line who had proof of this heritage surface in him in the form of a [[Branded|brand]] on his back. As a result, Zelgius was hated by his own family and regarded as a shame, so he grew up lonely and unable to trust anybody. He joined the Daein military to attempt to escape this abuse, but feared being discovered and treated the same way by his new comrades, so he attemped to hide his brand and - as he later discovered - his slow aging by rarely removing his armor, although he knew that it would not last and he would eventually have to leave to preserve his secret.<ref name="sephiranflashback">{{Cite|'''Sephiran:''' You bear the mark. So that’s your secret, is it? The blood of the laguz runs through your veins.<br>'''Zelgius:''' Yes. There was someone on my father’s side who…who was with a laguz. My lord…the brand…do you know of a way to remove it? This cursed thing, I…I am an outcast from my family. I joined the military to escape the shame and hatred in their eyes… I live in fear of discovery. When I think that I might see that same shame and hatred in another’s eyes, I… I come close to despair… I have lived my life alone, unable to trust or become close to anyone.<br>'''Sephiran:''' Such loneliness and isolation. You poor child… It pains me to tell you that I know of no way to remove your brand.<br>'''Zelgius:''' I…I understand… It was a foolish question. I apologize. Lord Sage, I– I realized some years ago that I was aging more slowly than others do.<br>'''Sephiran:''' And you wish to conceal that fact, don’t you? Is that why you rarely remove your armor, even when indoors?<br>'''Zelgius:''' Yes…but this ruse will not last indefinitely. In a few years, I will be forced to leave this army’s service.<br>'''Sephiran:''' And once again, you will be alone.<br>'''Zelgius:''' I am accustomed to being alone. My only hesitation, is that…I will miss studying the sword under my commander, General Gawain.<br>'''Sephiran:''' When the time comes for you to leave, will you come to me, perhaps?<br>'''Zelgius:''' My lord?<br>'''Sephiran:''' We share a…similar condition. I see something familiar within you. I can… understand your pain and isolation.<br>'''Zelgius:''' But why me?<br>'''Sephiran:''' I have a task that I must accomplish. With you at my side, I would feel more confident of my success.<br>'''Zelgius:''' If I join you, will I be redeemed?<br>'''Sephiran:''' I cannot say. At the very least, however, you will no longer be alone. And neither will I.<br>'''Zelgius:''' That is enough, then. You have made my decision simple. When I leave here I will find you. I am a soldier in the Daein army. I serve under the command of General Gawain. My name is Zelgius. May I ask your name, my lord sage?<br>'''Sephiran:''' My name? Of course…|[[Sephiran]] and Zelgius|Radiant Dawn}}</ref>

During his tenure in the army, Zelgius served under the command of General [[Greil|Gawain]] of the Four Riders and studied swordplay from him. At this time Gawain was legendary for his strength and prowess, and Zelgius quickly came to idolize him for his talent with the sword. Although he was resigned to his fate to leave the army eventually, he acknowledged that Gawain would be the one thing he would miss about it once the time came.<ref name="sephiranflashback" /> However, Gawain soon abandoned the Daein army after his wife, [[Elena]], was entrusted with [[Lehran's Medallion]]. Zelgius was devastated by this news and swore to someday find and duel Gawain, determined to know if he could one day surpass a man he viewed as invincible.<ref>{{Cite|True, your revenge against me remains incomplete. However, may I ask you to step aside for now? Though at different times, Ike and I both learned the way of the sword from the same master: one of Daein’s famous Four Riders, General Gawain. He left Daein under an assumed name and formed a mercenary company. I was entranced by Greil’s swordsmanship while he was in Daein. I studied under him, I fought next to him… I idolized him. When he left, I was crushed. I vowed to find him again, and challenge him to a duel. I had to know if I had surpassed him! Three years ago, I caught up to Greil. I challenged him to a duel, and was victorious. But, something was wrong… The fight had been too simple. I thought I’d never feel satisfaction again. Then, Ike told me why it had been so easy. Greil had severed all the tendons in his right hand, and swore never again to draw a blade. Can you imagine my joy at the news? I knew that a swordsman of his stature couldn’t have been so easy to defeat!|Zelgius|Radiant Dawn}}</ref>

When Lehran joined the Begnion senate as Sephiran, Zelgius joined the Begnion military and quickly rose through the ranks to earn himself the title of Earl of Kadohl. By the time of the Mad King's War, he had developed a reputation as a hero of Begnion and was revered throughout the army's ranks.<ref>{{Cite|And the man in command is one of Begnion's most beloved heroes, General Zelgius! There's no mistaking him, sir!|A Begnion soldier|Path of Radiance}}</ref> He was considered by [[Levail]], who would later serve at his side, as the last true knight and embodiment of gallantry in the Begnion's ranks following the departure of the dracoknights [[Shiharam]] and [[Haar]].<ref name="true knight">{{Cite|'''Levail:''' Captain Haar! You are still alive!<br>'''Haar:''' What happened that you didn't expect me to survive?<br>'''Levail:''' Um… Nothing, I suppose. It's just that it's been a while since you left Begnion.<br>'''Haar:''' Yeah. Twenty years ago, wasn't it?<br>'''Levail:''' I was still very young at the time. You had just been dubbed a knight. Oh, it brings back such memories… The bravery of the dracoknights, especially the Fizzart Platoon. It was legendary among the soldiers. But then you suddenly defected to Daein.<br>'''Haar:''' I got sick of taking orders from corrupt senators, so I ditched the country with General Shiharam.<br>'''Levail:''' I joined the army after I came of age. But it was different after you all left. It was as if you took its spirit with you. The only exception was General Zelgius, the general of Duke Persis's army.<br>'''Haar:''' I see. Is that why you're under his command?<br>'''Levail:''' Yes. He is the last true knight. I will die for him.<br>'''Haar:''' Yes, Levail. You will.<br>'''Levail:''' How I dreamed of fighting a proper foe! I am honored, Sir Haar! Have at you!|[[Levail]] and [[Haar]]|Radiant Dawn}}</ref>

Early in their time in Begnion, Zelgius and Sephiran traveled to [[Gallia]] to track down Gawain - now known as Greil - and Elena. By the time they found them, they were too late: Greil had touched the [[Lehran's Medallion]] and been driven berserk, slaughtering countless friends and killing Elena before fainting himself. They encountered Greil's young children, [[Mist]] and [[Ike]], and discovered that Mist was immune to the medallion's effects. Sephiran purged Ike's memory of watching his mother die, and decided that the medallion would be safer in Mist's hands for the time being. Zelgius helped take the two children, Greil, and Elena's corpse home, then the two left.

Sephiran's ambition to unseal the [[Yune|dark god]] through galdrar had failed, so he began to pursue an alternative plan: use [[Ashnard]], the new king of Daein, to engage Tellius in a continent-spanning war. To help facilitate this and to keep an eye on Ashnard, Sephiran had Zelgius enter Ashnard's employ, under the guise of an anonymous warrior only known as the Black Knight. Despite revealing nothing about his identity, the Black Knight easily won Ashnard's trust with his immense strength and became one of Ashnard's most trusted agents.<ref>{{Cite|'''Sephiran:''' At the time, it was relatively easy to get an outsider close to the king. Ashnard was famous for employing powerful men with no regard for their background or social status.<br>'''Ike:''' Obviously, he would have needed no convincing once he saw the bladework of General Zelgius.|[[Sephiran]] and [[Ike]]|Radiant Dawn}}</ref> As the Black Knight, Zelgius made use of numerous mysterious artifacts which were presumably provided to him by Sephiran: he wielded the [[regalia]] sword [[Alondite]], he wore a set of [[Ashera]]-blessed black armor which rendered him invicible to weapons which had not been similarly blessed, and he used [[warp powder]] to instantly transport himself. He also provided Ashnard with a second set of blessed armor as a gift.<ref>{{Cite|'''Ashnard:''' You are an enigma, dark one. Everything you possess is fey and of unknown origin.<br>'''Black Knight:''' The armor I presented to you...Do you find it dissatisfactory?<br>'''Ashnard:''' No, it has my approval. My wyvern Rajaion, and this armor which renders any enemy attack impotent... Both are well suited to me. They both shine because they are mine! And now the medallion, and that galdr as well, both belong in my hands!|Ashnard and the [[Black Knight (character)|Black Knight]]|Path of Radiance}}</ref>

When the Mad King's War begun, Sephiran ordered the Black Knight to take the medallion from Gawain and return it to Ashnard, to begin the process of freeing the dark god. He eventually tracked Gawain - now calling himself "Greil" and leading [[Greil Mercenaries|a mercenary troop]] - to the border forests of [[Gallia]], where he and his mercenaries were fighting Daein forces to safely escort [[Elincia]] to Gallia. By the time he arrived, Greil stood in the middle of a standoff between the Daein army, led by [[Petrine]], and a Gallian army led by [[Ranulf]]. The Black Knight convinced Petrine to retreat, then retreated himself.

Even then, Zelgius was dissatisfied with the outcome of his duel with Greil and felt that he had killed him much too easily. He would later learn from Ike that, following the death of [[Elena]], Greil had crippled his sword army in case he was ever driven mad by Lehran's Medallion again, and that was the reason for Zelgius's easy win.<ref>{{Cite|Though at different times, Ike and I both learned the way of the sword from the same master: one of Daein’s famous Four Riders, General Gawain. He left Daein under an assumed name and formed a mercenary company. I was entranced by Greil’s swordsmanship while he was in Daein. I studied under him, I fought next to him… I idolized him. When he left, I was crushed. I vowed to find him again, and challenge him to a duel. I had to know if I had surpassed him! Three years ago, I caught up to Greil. I challenged him to a duel, and was victorious. But, something was wrong… The fight had been too simple. I thought I’d never feel satisfaction again. Then, Ike told me why it had been so easy. Greil had severed all the tendons in his right hand, and swore never again to draw a blade. Can you imagine my joy at the news? I knew that a swordsman of his stature couldn’t have been so easy to defeat! My master’s skills were passed down to his son, Ike. I will defeat him and finally surpass my master!|Zelgius|Radiant Dawn}}</ref>

'''Ike:''' What are you getting at?<br>'''Black Knight:''' I saw immediately that you were not your father’s equal, but that one day you might be. So I did the only thing I could to keep you alive… I let you win.<br>'''Ike:''' …You did, didn’t you? I’ve relived that fight so many times… How could I not have seen it before?<br>'''Black Knight:''' You were not yet capable of seeing it. But I had to let you live, so that you could continue to train and perhaps one day be worthy of Gawain’s legacy. My armor’s blessing is gone, let us see if that day is today.<br>'''Ike:''' I promise you that it will be. Begin.|[[Ike]] and the Black Knight|Radiant Dawn}}</ref> Once the Black Knight fell, his soldiers triggered a trap built into Nados itself that caused it to collapse, and Ike fled the battlefield with Ena, Nasir, and Mist, leaving the Black Knight's body behind.

Having secretly survived the collapse of Nados, Zelgius continued to assist with the Begnion war effort under his own identity, up until the end. Through the last days of the campaign, Zelgius and the Begnion army assisted Ike by taking care of retreating Daein forces to allow Ike and his army the abiity to focus on the troops confronting them without worrying about anything else.<ref>{{Cite|We really do owe Begnion a lot, don’t we? In the end, we got not only you, but a whole battalion of reinforcements. General Zelgius and his troops are the reason we were able to minimize casualties during the final battle. He and his men took care of the retreating Daeins and allowed us to focus on the enemies before us.|[[Ike]]|Path of Radiance}}</ref> On Sephiran's orders, Zelgius and his army traveled to Melior for the final battle against Ashnard to provide reinforcements and, if Ike lost the battle, ensure [[Elincia]]'s safety.<ref>{{Cite|Looking at it now, and it all may seem a bit impertinent, but… I came with reinforcements in case things took a turn for the worst. Your opponent was the Mad King Ashnard after all, and if worse had come to worst… well, you might have needed the help. Duke Perseus ordered us to join in the fight and rescue Princess Elincia at the very least.|Zelgius|Path of Radiance}}</ref> Zelgius left the Begnion soldiers in Ike's company with him to ensure Crimea's security at Elincia's request, then returned to Daein to continue his work there.

The Black Knight was widely believed to have died to Ike at Nados, if not by Ike's hand, then by the rubble of Nados collapsing on top of him. [[Bastian]], one of Elincia's retainers, ordered Nados's ruins to be searched the next day but they found no trace of the Black Knight in the castle at all.<ref>{{Cite|'''Ike:''' The Black Knight… The man who killed my father… But I defeated him three years ago. I’m sure of it. At the very least, he couldn’t have escaped when Nados Castle came crashing down on him. <br>'''Elincia:''' The day after you fought, Bastian ordered some men to search the remains of Nados Castle. There was no trace of the Black Knight. No armor… No sword… No corpse. If the Black Knight that was seen in Daein was indeed the same Black Knight… He might prove to be a threat to Crimea.|[[Ike]] and [[Elincia]]|Radiant Dawn}}</ref> This belief continued to be held for the following three years, until the last days of the Daein Liberation Army's war for independence from the Begnion garrison.

The following day, Jarod retaliated with a defiant fire-bombing assault on Nevassa, and Micaiah led the Daein Liberation Army in a siege of Daein Keep to stop Jarod. The Black Knight assisted in this fight as well. Though he requested that Micaiah stay back to keep herself safe as the army's inspiration, she insisted that she would fight as everyone else did, reminding him of an unknown woman.<ref name="much like her">{{Cite|'''Micaiah:''' That shout…that’s Jarod! For Daein’s sake, this time I swear I will put an end to him.<br>'''Black Knight:''' Maiden, take no risks upon yourself. You are the heart of this army, the soul that inspires us. We must not lose you. Leave this battle to me, and stay back.<br>'''Micaiah:''' Thank you for your concern, Sir Knight. But I am going to fight. You and everyone else are putting your lives on the line. I will not shirk my duty.<br>'''Black Knight:''' You…are much…like her.<br>'''Micaiah:''' What?<br>'''Black Knight:''' …Nothing.|[[Micaiah]] and the Black Knight|Radiant Dawn}}</ref> After the Liberation Army's recapture of Daein Keep, the Black Knight was present for King [[Pelleas]]'s coronation, but he left Daein soon after.

Despite the immense setback to Phoenicis and the threat posed by Zelgius, Tibarn, the Greil Mercenaries, and the rest of the Alliance were determined to continue. Their next goal was to cross the Ribahn, and to do this [[Soren]] concocted a plan: while the core of the Alliance would fight head-on, Ranulf would lead a unit behind the enemy lines to disrupt the Central Army, then the Greil Mercenaries would raid a supply camp to frighten the senators staying there and have them force Zelgius out of the fight. When the battle began, Zelgius found Ranulf and the two fought, and although he held out for a long while, Ranulf was eventually overwhelmed and saved only by the intervention of Tibarn. Zelgius then received word that the supply camp was on fire, forcing him to retreat and tend to the matter. This battle was when Ranulf first began to realize that Zelgius and the Black Knight were the same man.<ref>{{Cite|'''Ranulf:''' Oh, I thought I smelled you earlier. We just have to stop meeting like this.<br>'''Black Knight:''' …<br>'''Ranulf:''' Back in Gallia, in Crimea… We just ran into each other recently, too. I don’t know about the others, but I can tell who you are. You have one heck of a stench.<br>'''Black Knight:''' …Enough talk. Prepare yourself.<br>'''Ranulf:''' Still won’t own up, huh? Fine. If that’s the case, I’ll just tear your mask off and show everyone myself!|[[Ranulf]] and the Black Knight|Radiant Dawn}}</ref>

As she traveled to Begnion through the Grann Desert, Micaiah and her Silver Army, one of the three armies following Yune, were attacked by [[Lekain]], [[Numida]], and the [[Disciples of Order]]. The Black Knight warped into the middle of the battle to protect Micaiah, and after the battle, he offered to take her to the Tower of Guidance to save her from the judgement. Micaiah refused to abandon her allies, and the Black Knight left, saying that he would come to offer this again before the next judgement wave came and petrified her allies.<ref>{{Cite|'''Micaiah:''' Sir Knight! How good to see you! You always save me from danger.<br>'''Black Knight:''' Maiden. I have a favor to ask of you. Will you come with me? My master awaits you at the Tower of Guidance.<br>'''Micaiah:''' The Tower of Guidance? If I may ask…who is your master?<br>'''Black Knight:''' You will see when we get there. Please take my hand. We will be there in the blink of an eye.<br>'''Micaiah:''' …I can’t. I can’t leave everyone behind. We have to get to the tower together.<br>'''Black Knight:''' Your allies will turn to stone when the light of judgment next shines. I do not wish for you to see it.<br>'''Micaiah:''' The light will strike again? When? Please tell me!<br>'''Black Knight:''' …Maiden. I will come for you again. Make up your mind by then.|[[Micaiah]] and the Black Knight|Radiant Dawn}}</ref>

The three armies of Yune soon arrived at the Tower of Guidance, and Zelgius awaited them inside as the Black Knight. For the first time, the Black Knight removed his helmet in the presence of others and confirmed Ranulf and Ike's suspicions that he was, in fact, Zelgius. While Levail and the Disciples of Order occupied Ike's allies behind a barrier, Zelgius and Ike challenged each other to a final duel to the death, uninterrupted by the others: both had long been anticipating the chance to test each other again, to put an end to their rivalry once and for all, and to finally surpass the other as warriors. Zelgius soon lost the duel and was mortally wounded by Ike. Ike revealed to him that he had been excited to hear that the Black Knight had survived and that they may fight again, and that he regarded Zelgius as his final teacher in the ways of the sword. Zelgius thanked Ike - now, in his opinion, a true match for Greil at the height of his former power - for giving him a chance to prove himself against Greil for the last time, and as he died, Zelgius felt that his rivalry with Ike had given meaning to his life spent in the darkness.<ref>{{Cite|'''Ike:''' Ugh! Hahh!<br>'''Zelgius:''' You are stronger. Much stronger than before…<br>'''Ike:''' I have you to thank for that. I grew stronger through our previous fight.<br>'''Ike:''' To be honest… I was overjoyed when I heard that the Black Knight was still alive. That surprised me… I felt neither sadness nor hate. Just joy. My hands were shaking with anticipation. I couldn’t wait to fight my most formidable enemy again!<br>'''Ike:''' Your swordsmanship was fearsome. Fiercer and more powerful than any I’ve ever seen. After our duel three years ago, I trained hard, trying to remember all of your skills and techniques.<br>'''Zelgius:''' General Gawain was invincible at the time he trained me. To surpass him was my ultimate goal as a swordsman.<br>'''Ike:''' Was I as skillful as you remember my father in his prime years? Did you see his shadow in my sword?<br>'''Zelgius:''' I certainly did, Ike. Thanks to you, I was able to fight my master at the height of his glory days.<br>'''Ike:''' Black Knight Zelgius. You were my father’s killer. And my last teacher.<br>'''Zelgius:''' …I spent most of my life shrouded in darkness… But my life had meaning. Now I’m certain of it…<br>'''Zelgius:''' …phiran, I will wait for you in the afterlife…|[[Ike]] and Zelgius|Radiant Dawn}}</ref>  

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|skills=[[File:Is gcn renewal.png]] [[Renewal]]<br>[[File:Is gcn luna.png]] [[Luna (skill)|Luna]]

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|res1=40}}

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|inventory=[[File:Is wii alondite.png]] [[Alondite]]<br>[[File:Is wii concoction.png]] [[Concoction]]{{hover|*|Only when playable}}

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|recruit=[[One Survives|Part 1 Chapter 9]], automatically from the start. }}

|inventory=--

|skills=[[File:Is wii shove.png]] [[Shove]]<br>[[File:Is wii eclipse.png]] [[Eclipse (skill)|Eclipse]]<br>[[File:Is wii imbue.png]] [[Imbue]]<br>[[File:Is wii nihil.png]] [[Nihil]]

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{{CharStats 3DS

===As the Black Knight===

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===As Zelgius===

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As a knight and general, Zelgius was considered by [[Levail]] to be the last true knight and an epitome of chivalry, so he was strictly honorable to the point that even his enemies readily believed him to be a man of his word. If there was a way of solving a situation without killing, he would always take that way and keep his acts as non-lethal as possible.<ref>{{Cite|It does not matter who the enemy is. If there is a way to avoid taking a life, that is the path I will choose. Leave now. I swear upon my name that my men will not attack as you retreat.|Zelgius|Radiant Dawn}}</ref> Even as the Black Knight, at least after the Mad King's War, he refused to kill those who would not fight back.<ref>{{Cite|'''Jarod:''' He was a good soldier… What now? Why don’t you kill me?<br>'''Black Knight:''' My sword is not made for killing those who will not raise their weapons.|[[Jarod]] and The Black Knight|Radiant Dawn}}</ref> When acting as the Black Knight during the Mad King's War, however, Zelgius adopted a more ruthless and cold-hearted persona. On the night that he killed Greil, he threatened to torture and kill Greil's children to get him to reveal the location of the medallion, and at the duel at Nados Castle, he threatened to kill Mist as well to destroy Greil's entire family.<ref>{{Cite|Gawain's daughter, eh? Good. Now I can pull out the entire family tree by the root.|The Black Knight|Path of Radiance}}</ref>

Described by Greil as willful and arrogant,<ref>{{Cite|So willful. So arrogant... Of course... The one who... made him that way... was... m-me...|Greil|Path of Radiance}}</ref> Zelgius was highly confident in his own combat abilities and pursued worthy opponents among both his beorc and laguz foes. He was particularly intrigued by the idea of challenging Gallia's King [[Caineghis]], and viewed his fights with Ranulf as a way of sampling just how strong Caineghis really was.<ref name="ranulf1" /> This hunger for a good battle, and the idea of challenging Greil - and later, Ike - again someday, is what drove him through most of his life. In his view, fighting an unworthy foe was a waste of time.

Zelgius's loyalty to Sephiran was unquestionable and it was believed that he could never serve conflicting masters;<ref>{{Cite|A man like Zelgius could never serve conflicting interests… Never. Everything he did, he did for one master. Isn’t that so, Sephiran?|[[Ike]]|Radiant Dawn}}</ref> indeed, even Ashnard suspected that the Black Knight's loyalties toward himself and Daein were not absolute and that he had considered betrayal.<ref>{{Cite|'''Ashnard:''' Does that bother you? Well then... Perhaps I should leave it to you and see what happens! Heee heee heee!<br>'''Black Knight:''' Do you believe I would betray you?<br>'''Ashnard:''' I believe your heart has considered it.<br>'''Black Knight:''' Surely you jest...|[[Ashnard]] and the Black Knight|Path of Radiance}}</ref> He had absolutely no tolerance for insults aimed at Sephiran and would quickly resort to violence against anybody who tried to dishonor him, even other senators.<ref>{{Cite|'''Valtome:''' N-no! This is a farce! You cannot trick us! You are using a fake apostle to disable the senate and take over Begnion! Men, we must act! That vile Sephiran is their leader! The fact that he's been put in chains is our proof! Hurk!<br>'''Zelgius:''' ...I will not allow you to disgrace my master's good name. One more syllable and I shall snap your neck, Valtome.|[[Valtome]] and Zelgius|Radiant Dawn}}</ref> The threat of harm coming to Sephiran was enough to press him into following the cruel and ill-advised orders of the other Begnion senators, if it meant preventing them from harming Sephiran. Despite his loyalty to Sephiran, Zelgius was known to overstep the boundaries of the tasks Sephiran set him to pursue his own agenda. For instance, while Sephiran had only tasked Zelgius with retrieving Lehran's Medallion from Greil and did not order the latter's death, Zelgius's desire to test himself caused him to go a step further and kill Greil.<ref>{{Cite|'''Ike:''' The Black Knight tried to take the medallion from my father, and killed him. Tell me, Sephiran, whose plan was that?! Ashnard’s…or yours?<br>'''Sanaki:''' Calm down, Ike! Sephiran? Would you please explain?<br>'''Sephiran:''' Sir Ike, I’m afraid your father’s death was an unfortunate result of Zelgius’s own personal agenda. I did not order Sir Gawain killed. However, I must admit that I did ask him to seize the medallion and hand it over to King Ashnard.|[[Ike]], [[Sanaki]], and [[Sephiran]]|Radiant Dawn}}</ref>

Owing to his Branded nature and the abuse he took as a result of it while growing up, Zelgius lived a relatively lonely life. He was unable to grow close to or trust anybody, aside from Sephiran, out of a fear that his Branded nature would be found out and he would lose everything again.<ref name="sephiranflashback" /> During his brief time with the Daein Liberation Army, Zelgius developed an odd fixation on Micaiah, after he noticed that her selflessness and courage reminded him of an unidentified person.<ref name="much like her" /> After Ashera's judgement began, he desired to save Micaiah from it while also refusing to save anyone else. After Zelgius's death, Yune sensed these feelings and believed that the two had become attached to each other because, being Branded, they had both lived lonely lives.<ref>{{Cite|Whose… Whose memory was that? It’s just one of many… They’re swirling everywhere… The tower resonates with their strength. But…who is it? Who do they belong to? …There is such sadness… Zelgius met someone. One lonely soul calling out to another… Micaiah. You’re sad, too, aren’t you? You wished that the Black Knight could have stayed by your side. But he’s no longer with us. Zelgius is gone… And now the soul that remains is once more alone…|[[Yune]]|Radiant Dawn}}</ref>

{{Quote|…A sub-human warrior… I would test your strength.|The Black Knight, when facing a [[Beast tribe|beast]] [[laguz]] in Chapter 11 of ''Path of Radiance''.}}

'''Black Knight:''' ''Hmph. You see me, and instead of fleeing, you come to face me. Interesting…and foolish.''<br>

'''Black Knight:''' ''I saw immediately that you were not your father’s equal, but that one day you might be. So I did the only thing I could to keep you alive… I let you win.''<br>

'''Ike:''' ''…You did, didn’t you? I’ve relived that fight so many times… How could I not have seen it before?''<br>

'''Black Knight:''' ''…''<br>

'''Ranulf:''' ''Back in Gallia, in Crimea… We just ran into each other recently, too. I don’t know about the others, but I can tell who you are. You have one heck of a stench.''<br>

'''Black Knight:''' ''…Enough talk. Prepare yourself.''<br>

{{Quote|…Perfection. Your skill…is far superior to mine…|The Black Knight, as a playable character in {{title|Radiant Dawn}}.}}

{{Trophy|--|Black Knight|[[File:SSBB Trophy Black Knight.png|150px]]|One of Daein's Four Riders and wielder of the blessed sword Alondite. Once an apprentice to Ike's father, Greil, the two eventually duel, resulting in Greil's defeat. Thought to be dead after losing to Ike and the blessed sword Ragnell, the Black Knight survives and comes to the aid of Micaiah, the leader of the Dawn Brigade, a band of Daein freedom fighters.

 

([[Nintendo GameCube|GCN]]) [[Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance]]<br>([[Wii]]) [[Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn]]|Random}}

[[File:SSBU Black Knight Mii Fighter.png|200px|right]]

{{Trophy|--|Black Knight|[[File:SSBU Trophy Black Knight.png|150px]]|'''NA:''' Not even the other members of the Daein army know the truth behind this dark knight. He is Ike's rival in Path of Radiance and the sequel, Radiant Dawn. His mastery skill Eclipse is so incredibly powerful, it'd be understandable if you thought his defeat would bring peace to the war-torn land.<br>'''PAL:''' It's said that the Black Knight's identity is a mystery even to the Daein army who he fights for. In Path of Radiance, he's Ike's mortal enemy, and this enmity continues into Radiant Dawn. His already fearsome strength is bolstered further by the skill Eclipse. He's so powerful that you might even expect him to be the final boss.

([[Nintendo GameCube|GCN]]) [[Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance]] • 10/2005<br>([[Wii]]) [[Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn]] • 11/2007|Random}}

===''TCG Fire Emblem Cipher (0)''===

{{TCGCipher}} currently has two cards featuring the Black Knight. No cards currently feature his Zelgius identity.

|serenes=The_Black_Knight

|sereneslabel=The Black Knight

|type1=[[File:It TCGCipher Armor.png|20px]]

|skill1='''[[Alondite|Blessed Blade Alondite]]:''' {{CipherActivate}} {{CipherFlipTwo}} Until the end of the opponent's next turn, this unit gets +20 attack, 1-2 range, and for every orb destroyed by this unit the damage is increased to 2 orbs.<br>'''[[Mantle]]:''' {{CipherAlways}} This unit cannot be defeated by any unit with a cost of 2 or less.

|artist1=[[Artists of the Fire Emblem series#Daisuke Izuka|Daisuke Izuka]]

|type2=[[File:It TCGCipher Armor.png|20px]]

|artist2=Azusa

FEH Zelgius 01.png|Artwork of Zelgius from {{title|Heroes}}.

FEH Zelgius 02.png|Artwork of Zelgius from {{title|Heroes}}.

FEH Zelgius 02a.png|Artwork of Zelgius from {{title|Heroes}}.

FEH Zelgius 03.png|Artwork of Zelgius from {{title|Heroes}}.

FEH Black Knight 01.png|Artwork of the Black Knight from {{title|Heroes}}.

FEH Black Knight 02.png|Artwork of the Black Knight from {{title|Heroes}}.

FEH Black Knight 02a.png|Artwork of the Black Knight from {{title|Heroes}}.

FEH Black Knight 03.png|Artwork of the Black Knight from {{title|Heroes}}.

SSBU Trophy Black Knight.png|Trophy ''Black Knight'' in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U|Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]''.

SSBU Black Knight Mii Fighter.png|The Black Knight [[smashwiki:Mii|Mii]] costume in {{SSB4}}.