Holy Knights

The Holy Knights (聖騎士 Seikishi) are knights among knights who protect Britannia. All of them are terrifying individuals who are each able to match an entire country's army.

10 years ago
After the Seven Deadly Sins were framed for killing the Great Holy Knight, Zaratras and plotting to overthrow the Kingdom; the entire order of Britannia's Holy Knights were dispatched to eradicate them. After the offence, the Seven Deadly Sins dissolved and were relentlessly hunted by the Holy Knights.

Present day
Sometime before the beginning of the series, the Holy Knights orchestrated a coup d'etat and captured the King of Britannia. The kingdom, now under the control of the Holy Knights, fell into a state of distress as citizens from towns and villages surrounding the kingdom were enslaved or forcefully recruited into joining a furtive war effort; the men training as soldiers, while women and children are forced to amass food for storage, and the elderly made to construct castle walls. Under the rule of the Holy Knights, death is the penalty for insubordination.

Introduction Arc
Upon hearing that a child had pulled out his sword; the Holy Knight, Gilthunder demonstrated his immense power by throwing a lightning infused spear towards Bernia, located over seven miles away. Sensing the imminent danger, Meliodas caught the spear mid-flight and threw it back in the direction it had come from. Gilthunder, expecting Bernia to have been completely destroyed, realized too late that the spear he had thrown was now hurtling towards Fort Solgales. With the fort all but destroyed by the impact of the spear, Gilthunder knew without doubt that the Seven Deadly Sins were very much alive.

Forest of White Dreams Arc
In the Forest of White Dreams moments after the reunion of Meliodas and Diane, Gilthunder found them. He wanted to kill them not only for their treachery, but for personal reasons too: revenge for his father Zaratras and proving that he was able to surpass him. In the fight, Meliodas purposely lets himself get injured in order to get information about the other Sins. Although Gilthunder didn't know about the location for 3 of them, he revealed that Ban, the Fox's Sin of Greed is imprisoned in Baste Dungeon, while King, the Grizzly's Sin of Sloth have perished in the Kingdom of the Dead. After that Diane got rid of Gilthunder, sending him flying to the nearest town and the group, together with Diane decided to go after Ban next.

Baste Dungeon Arc
While Meliodas group where staying in the town, Friesia, one of the members of Weird Fangs group from the Holy Knights, learned about Sins presents and went out of the Baste Dungeon in order to destroy them. His attack was stopped by Diane, who when after him next. While Meliodas was getting poisoned by a doctor, who where working for the Weird Fangs, Golgius from Weird Fangs also showed up, wanting to take Meliodas sword and Elizabeth, but was surprised that Meliodas actually waked up. At the same time, upon hearing about Meliodas, Ban broke out from his cell and was encountered by a young Holy Knight apprentice, Jericho. Unfortunately for the young apprentice, she was not a match for Ban, who easily defeated her.

Search for King Arc
Andre and another unnamed apprentice Holy Knight are assigned by Gilthunder to guard a checkpoint. They briefly encounter Meliodas' group and are easily fooled into letting them pass, though a slip of the tongue by Diane reveal their identities. Before they can react, they are devoured by a Black Hound.

Trivia

 * Holy Knight is a special job class in Final Fantasy Tactics for the PlayStation.