Nick Knight (born Nicholas de Brabant) is the main character of the Canadian television series Forever Knight, and its precursor 1989 television movie Nick Knight. He also appears in three novels, A Stirring of Dust by Susan Sizemore, Intimations of Mortality by Susan M. Garrett, and These Our Revels by Anne Hathaway Nayne.
The character's backstory is revealed piecemeal, primarily through the flashback scenes that appear in most episodes of the television series. He was born circa A.D. 1200; and, in many episodes, employs the name "Nicolas de Brabant", suggesting that he comes from the Duchy of Brabant in the Low Countries. He was born of a noble family, and trained as a knight. After being falsely accused of murder, he chose to fight in the Crusades to escape nearly certain conviction. On his return to Europe in A.D. 1228, he was seduced by a vampire in disguise, Janette DuCharme, who introduced him to her master, Lucien LaCroix. LaCroix offered Knight immortality, which he accepted, becoming a vampire. After spending centuries hunting and killing to sustain himself, Knight rejected the vampire lifestyle, and became a homicide detective in the Metropolitan Police in order to redeem himself.
Knight was played by Australian actor Rick Springfield in the movie, and by Welsh actor Geraint Wyn Davies in the series.
Fictional biography
Early life
Nick Knight was born Nicholas de Brabant, of a noble family from the Duchy of Brabant circa A.D. 1200. Trained as a knight under Sir Raymond DeLabarre, he was sent to Wales on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church to investigate pagan activities. While there, he fell in love with a Welsh noblewoman, Gwyneth. DeLabarre killed Gwyneth in order to quell a pending pagan revolt, and blamed Knight for her death. Knight was offered to fight in the Crusades instead of facing a trial he could not win, and accepted the offer. After several years spent in the Holy Land, Knight returned to Europe in A.D. 1228, disillusioned and embittered, and became a drunkard.
While drunk, he meets Janette DuCharme, who intrigues him with the lure of immortality. She then introduces him to Lucien LaCroix, and Knight discovers that Janette and LaCroix are vampires and wanted to "bring him across" (make him a vampire). LaCroix tempts him with the prospect of having eternal life and youth as well as power beyond his imagination, and Knight accepts. Nicholas is brought to the catacombs of Paris for his first "feeding", in which Nicholas must kill a mortal for their blood. After some brief hesitation, Knight kills the first of what would become many victims, and fully embraces life as a vampire.
Although it is never mentioned in any episode, writer James D. Parriott said that he wrote a backstory explaining the reasons for this disillusionment. In this backstory, Knight was captured by Muslims and spent several years being tortured in prison. This caused him to lose faith in God, and left him vulnerable to suggestion by Janette and LaCroix.
As a vampire
Upon becoming a vampire, Knight gained several supernatural abilities and weaknesses, many commonly associated with vampires, and some original to the series.
As a vampire, Knight possess enhanced senses; infrared vision, enhanced hearing, superhuman strength, preternatural speed and agility, is able to regenerate critical wounds over small amounts of time, and is able to fly. His body is also very resilient to the elements, being immune to the effects of cold, poison, illnesses and diseases, and his heart beats only three times per 10 minutes. One of his most useful powers is the ability to perform hypnosis on some, but not all people (those able to resist hypnosis are known as resisters), which will help several times during his work with the Metropolitan Toronto Police. Amongst his weakness are a deadly aversion to sunlight, violent allergic reactions to foods (but not all liquids), an allergy to smelling garlic, a compulsion to look away from Holy objects and religious symbols, and coming into contact with crucifixes and holy water will cause his flesh to burn. Like others vampires in fiction, Knight is immortal, he does not physically age beyond the point of his vampire transformation nor is he vulnerable to the effects of old age or natural death, but can be killed by exposure to sunlight, having a wooden stake driven through his heart, fire, or decapitation.