For those who don’t know, the Knights Templar was an actual order of Knights in the Middle Ages that formed during the Crusades and have since become one of the most mythologized military groups in history. When people think about the Crusades and Knights, the Knights Templar is pretty much what they’re thinking about. I’m no historian, so I couldn’t tell you facts from fiction or what’s historically accurate about suits of armor. But I can share with you these really cool skins.
1. The Classic Knight
Check Out This Skin When you think of Crusaders, chances are you’re thinking of big suits of armor with squared helmets and a red cross on the chest. I don’t know if that’s the actual Crusader uniform, but I do know this skin is exactly what I think of when I think of knights in the Crusades.
2. Synthwave
Check Out This Skin I think I can be fairly confident in saying that this skin might not be the most authentic Crusader skin. I don’t know what gives it away, the synthwave/retro colors or the fact that the head is a TV. Either way, this skin looks incredible and is one of a kind cool.
3. Templar
Check Out This Skin Regardless of your level of historical knowledge or whether you like fantasy, there’s just something about a suit of armor that’s captivating. The yellowed hues and strong lines on this Templar Knight skin by creator PixelCrash_ give off such a powerful vibe that I’m about ready to download this skin and take it into a PvP server. Deus Vult!
4. The Leper King
Check Out This Skin What could be better than making Minecraft skins about historical military orders? Making a Minecraft skin about an actual historical figure. This skin is of Baldwin IV, an actual king of Jerusalem in the 12th century who died of leprosy. Not only is he a cool historical figure, but this is a cool historical skin!
5. Righteous Knight
Check Out This Skin The Righteous Knight by creator Kefka from way back in 2012 might be one of the coolest instances of innovative skin design I’ve seen. The corner facing head is a unique look, admittedly not the best one, but the creativity behind it is so strong that I have to give credit where credit is due.
6. Dirtied
Check Out This Skin There’s just something about a darker, dirtier color palette that I love to see on skins. The dirtied look on this Crusader makes them seem like they’ve just gotten off the battlefield or finished a month’s long hike.
7. Scarred
Check Out This Skin I love the look of this skin for a number of reasons, the primary one being it’s a Crusader without their helmet on. There’s something super cool to me about seeing the grizzled, scarred face of a Crusader. It’s more vulnerable yet also way more fearsome.
8. General Knight
Check Out This Skin I know this probably isn’t what the creator of the skin was shooting for, but a big part of the reason I like this skin is because the helmet looks like it has a frowning mouth on it. This frightful suit of armor, sun-stained and battle-hardened, looks flawless, but that little metal scowl puts the cherry on top of it for me.
9. Cross Crusader
Check Out This Skin You’ve likely noticed that most of the Crusader knights have had some cross emblem on their chest. There are a variety of designs depending on the military order, but all of the crosses are Christian in origin as the Crusaders were off, well, crusading to reconquer the holy land.
10. Crusader Schoolgirl
Check Out This Skin I… I don’t know what to say about this one. Clearly this skin isn’t historically accurate. But I can’t help that when I saw this skin I laughed out loud. It’s funny, it looks great, and it’s a Crusader.
11. Helmet Off
Check Out This Skin Rather than a battle-scarred older gentleman, this helmet off Crusader is a young knight, fighting for honor and glory. This skin might be my favorite on the list in terms of how holistic it looks. From the beard to the adornments, everything works together so well that I feel like I need to make a backstory for him just after looking at him.
12. Mandalorian
Check Out This Skin While this isn’t a historical crusader, the Mandalorian from the Star Wars universe are heavily inspired by Crusader Knights. The armor and the strict code by which the Mandalorian live emulates much of how Medieval knights lived from their training to their strict code of ethics called chivalry.
13. Dio (JJBA)
Check Out This Skin Dio Brando is about as iconic as anime characters come. While I don’t know if Dio can really fall under the Crusader Knight umbrella, he falls under the Stardust Crusader umbrella, and that works just as well for me.
14. Castle Crashers Knight
Check Out This Skin Castle Crashers has to be one of the most underrated games of my time. While critics and folks who have played enjoy it, not nearly enough people have gotten to experience the fun that is Castle Crashers. That tangent aside, the knight designs from Castle Crashers are so simple and so well done that I feel like it just makes sense that they earn a spot on this list.
15. Teutonic Knight
Check Out This Skin While they aren’t the Knights Templar, the Teutonic Knights were another military order formed during the Crusades that lasted much longer than the Templars. I’m personally partial to the Teutonic Knights because I think their black and white color scheme looks way cooler on full plate armor than the Templar red.
