The Knights of Byzantium (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
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The Knights of Byzantium are characters from the 5th season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Although they are enemies of season's "Big Bad", Glory, they come into conflict with Buffy and her friends when they try to kill Buffy's sister, Dawn, to keep her from falling into Glory's hands.
The Knights first appeared in the episode "Checkpoint (Buffy episode)" when three of them attempted to kill Buffy. After she defeated them, the leader of the trio promised that they would return in greater numbers: "if it takes a hundred men, we send a hundred men, and if it takes a thousand, we send a thousand. So long as you protect the Key, the Brotherhood will never stop until we destroy it, and you. You are the Slayer, and we know what we must do. Now, be done with it. Kill us, and let legions follow." Subsuquently, the Knights return in much greater numbers, in the episode "Spiral". Faced with attacks from the Knights and Glory, Buffy decides to take Dawn and the others and run. The Knights pursue them, injuring Giles and eventually trap them in a small derelict building. Xander and Buffy negotiate a truce with the Knights to get Giles the medical attention he needs. Unfortunately, the medic they summoned was Ben - Glory's other half. Once inside the building, Ben transformed to Glory and abducted Dawn. Most of the Knights of Byzantium present were apparently slain by Glory during her escape.
Although little was revealed about the Knights of Byzantium, it is clear that they were inspired by medieval Christian military orders such as the Knights Templar.