Something that has always confounded me about myself. I am not in any sense religious, at all, and yet, I love Paladins.
It’s a quandary.
As far as it goes in World of Warcraft (the image is of my paladin, Aluia, before the Argent Coliseum was finished), it’s probably a gameplay thing. That being said, I think it goes even deeper then that.
While the paladin is typically associated with the concept of Lawful Good, and championing a deity, I see them as simply the quintessential defender. The paladin has always been, in my interpretation, the first and fiercest in the battle, drawing the fire to defend his or her charge. While many paladin champion a deity, I think that the paladin’s strength is better represented in their convictions. To me, the concept of a paladin is that as long as one has belief in their cause, and seeks to ensure the safety of their charge, they are a paladin in every sense.
This is, of course my own interpretation, and your mileage may vary, but I think I have made a good point.
So, why did I feel like writing about this? Well, based on my concept of a paladin, I came to the realization recently that all of my projects feature a character who I refer to as The Paladin. It seems that in much of my work, The Paladin is often the lead character.
In Cosmic Dash, I would say that Dash, clearly, is the paladin. He is the key character, and takes it upon himself (though it is more often thrust upon him) to defend his charges, his coworkers. Dash’s ideals are very much based on his interpretation of balance, and what is right. Ultimately I hope to explore what those beliefs are. One of Dash’s strengths is his devotion to his friends, and I hope that I communicate that as I continue the comic. As he defends them, constantly, he would have to be particularly devoted to them.
I of course I have other projects and characters who fit this mold, but that is a discussion for another time, when those projects take on a life of their own. That being said, I believe every character in my works has the potential to be a paladin for their perceived good.
Yes, I just implied a paladin could potentially do evil, from someone’s perspective.
I suppose an example is needed. Fortunately for those of us who write such horribly geeky things, Star Wars once again provides the answers we need.
I would like to focus on two characters who I consider paladins. Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader.
Luke Skywalker, you are probably thinking, makes sense. As a jedi, he has a belief in the force, and maintains his ideals. Naturally, in The Empire Strikes back, he puts his friends before his own safety, heading into an obvious trap to defend them.
The interesting one here, however is Darth Vader, a kind of dark paladin. He definitely has the look, huge, imposing, armored. But what of motivation and defending. For this we have to dip into the prequel trilogy, particularly, Revenge of the Sith.
This, of course, is a subject for another time.
