First Look At Mark Hamill's Knight Templar Talus In Knightfall!

Rather than sit around on the off chance more Luke Skywalker stories get made, Star Wars legend Mark Hamill is making the most of his time as he is starring in season 2 of History Channel’s “Knightfall”. The beard is back and better than ever as we get our first look at Hamill in full Templar regalia…



For those completely unfamiliar, much like me, Hamill will play Talus. Talus is a battle-hardened Knight Templar veteran of the Crusades, who survived captivity for 10 years in the Holy Land and is tasked with training the new initiates to the Order. His badass look beckons Tolkien and Rowling to be sure but to those of us who know Hamill, the guy knows how to wear a beard. In this picture, Hamill is standing next to star Tom Cullen, who plays Templar Knight Landry.

“Knightfall” gives us a close look at the final days of the Knights during the 14th century and goes inside the medieval politics and warfare of the time. During the Middle Ages, the Knights Templar were the most powerful, wealthy and mysterious band of militants who were entrusted with the protection of Christianity’s most precious relics. In other words, they were the Jedi of their time.

All those years training with a laser sword should prove valuable because as you can see he’s sporting a pretty serious looking sword. It would appear that all those years of being a Jedi and practicing swordplay should definitely pay off.



Not done there, the show is brandishing another Star Wars connection. The shows Knight Templar’s are said to have indeed been an inspiration for George Lucas when writing the first Star Wars film. The “Knightfall” webpage offers up this factoid…

There has been a long fascination with the Knights Templar in popular culture, but what some may not know is that their influence reached George Lucas in his preparation for the first Star Wars.

In his initial script, Lucas originally called his “warrior monks” Jedi Templar. Lucas would eventually nix “Templar” from the Jedi but name many similarities remained. Both names are a plurale tantum, keepers/protect of a religion, enjoyed vast wealth at their height, and fell to a similar demise.

It’s definitely true and well covered territory that Lucas looked to world history for inspiration when conceiving Star Wars and in particular the concepts of the Force and Jedi. The similarities between the Templars and the Jedi cannot be ignored, from a 12-member council, to the hooded robes, to the vows they were beholden to. Heck, even in the early drafts of the script, the Jedi were called “Jedi Templars”

Even the annihilation of the Jedi by the Emperor during Order 66 mirrors the great purge the Templars experienced at the hands of the King. In the end, the concepts and philosophies Lucas employed were a combination of a handful of cultures and mythologies, not just Templars. The Jedi would end up being a melting pot of yes Templars, but also of Japanese and Shaolin influences as well.

So, if you haven’t watched Knightfall yet and you’re a Star Wars fan, you now have two reasons to watch Season 2 when it starts next year sometime.

The second season of Knightfall is set to air in 2019 on the History Channel. Tune in at least to see Luke Skywalker kick some medieval butt!

Till next time...MTFBWY.

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