Blood Knights

The Blood Knights are an order of blood elven paladins formed in Quel'Thalas in Year 25. The members of the order are referred to as blood knights, bloodknights, or simply knights.

With the strong support of the Magisters and the blood elven guard force, the former of which had a hand in their creation, the Blood Knights rose from unproven and scorned beginnings to become a popular group within sin'dorei society. They are led by their matriarch, Lady Liadrin, who was the first of their order.

Most Blood Knights were once members of the Royal Guard, proud defenders of high elven society. After the Third War, the vast majority of the high elves took up the name "blood elves" in honor of their slaughtered people, and in the wake of their ancient kingdom's destruction, many of the elves of Quel'Thalas came to view the Holy Light with contempt. This led to a great number of the blood elves losing their faith, and in turn, their Light-given powers, coming to believe that the Light had failed them in their homeland's hour of greatest need. Thus, they needed to find a new way to access the Light. They did this by sapping Light energy from the captive naaru M'uru held beneath the Blood Knight headquarters. In a mad lust for power, Kael'thas Sunstrider sent the felblood to attack Silvermoon City and seize M'uru for his own personal uses. The Blood Knights vowed to aid A'dal and the Shattered Sun Offensive in defeating Kael'thas, Kil'jaeden, and restoring their homeland to its glory.

With the Sunwell's rebirth, the Blood Knights have chosen to embrace it and to forge for themselves a new identity as they lead their people into a more promising future.

History
From the official Burning Crusade website:


 * Not long ago, in Outland...


 * Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider and his blood elves waited until the newly arrived naaru departed Tempest Keep. He had little interest in what the naaru hoped to accomplish on this shattered world: it was Tempest Keep that had brought him here. At the prince's signal the elves stormed the dimensional fortress, quickly defeating its automated defenses and claiming its satellite structures. The only real threat the elves discovered was a lone naaru who had stayed behind to maintain the keep's defenses. With some difficulty, Kael'thas subdued the energy being and sent it to Quel'Thalas so that the magic-addicted blood elves could feed upon it.


 * Back in the capital city of Silvermoon, Magister Astalor Bloodsworn was not content with this idea. After long months of study and experimentation, he and his fellow wizards learned how to manipulate and corrupt the naaru's luminous energies. In the end the wizards devised a process by which the powers of the Light could be transferred to recipients who had not earned such abilities. Instead of feeding upon the naaru's magic, the blood elves would wield the naaru's Light-given powers themselves.


 * Lady Liadrin, formerly a priestess, had recently renounced her vows, for she felt the Light had abandoned her people. She learned of the wizards' achievement and volunteered to be the first to bend the stolen powers to her will. With her decision a new order was born: the Blood Knights. These renegade paladins are able to harness the sacred powers of the Alliance's noblest heroes.


 * Most members of the Blood Knights were once part of the Royal Guard--proud defenders of high elven society who came to believe that the Light had failed them in their hour of greatest need. They see their appropriation of the captive naaru's powers as well-deserved justice.


 * Although Warchief Thrall and High Chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof openly opposed the blood elves' methods, they recognized the Blood Knights' strategic value. Indeed, it is likely that the group figured heavily in the Horde's ultimate decision to offer membership to the blood elves.


 * Blood elf paladins have swiftly grown confident in their borrowed abilities. Nevertheless, as even the most inexperienced mage will attest, when powerful forces are manipulated against their intended purpose...

Founding
The Blood Knight order was first conceived by Grand Magister Rommath and Astalor Bloodsworn, two master magi who had sought to find a better use of Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider's gift to Silvermoon: the naaru, M'uru. After the magi had successfully pacified the being, Rommath summoned the former high priestess, Liadrin, and told her of his plans to create a new order of Light warriors who wielded their powers through sheer willpower - masters of their power, not servants of it. Liadrin, whose life had been led by extremities (a devout, pious priestess to a vengeful warrior), agreed to consider the offer in the hope of finding balance, and after an introduction to M'uru, pledged herself to lead this new order. She rose as Lady Liadrin, Matriarch of the Blood Knight order. Rommath had met Liadrin years before, in the immediate aftermath of the Scourge invasion of Quel'Thalas, and had noted the former priestess' contempt for the Light.

The creation of the order was not without its critics. The Farstriders and their leader, Ranger-General of Silvermoon Halduron Brightwing, were particularly opposed to the Blood Knights' creation, believing the knights' methods of maintaining their powers to have been immoral. The general populace also looked at the unproven Blood Knights with distrust - sometimes revulsion - for the same reason. The regent lord of Quel'Thalas, Lor'themar Theron, also had his doubts, though he was hopeful that the Blood Knights would prove themselves as a valuable asset in time. The Blood Knight leadership maintained that they were simply doing what had to be done to protect Quel'Thalas, and considered many of their detractors to be ungrateful for the service the knights provided in keeping their people safe.

The Magisters looked upon their exploitation of M'uru pragmatically, knowing this was the only reliable way that the knights, most of whom had come to view the Light with scorn and contempt, could now invoke their powers. However, they were mistaken in their assumption that the naaru had been broken: events had been set in motion beyond their control, and M'uru had, in fact, feigned recalcitrance and willingly granted the Blood Knights his power in preparation for a long-set reckoning to come.

The Blood Knight order attracted elves of many walks of life. Among them were former priests and priestesses who had turned away from the Light following the Third War, like Liadrin had. Others were former members of the Royal Guard, proud defenders of Quel'Thalas. Warriors and war heroes also joined the order, embracing their new-found powers.

The Blood Knights' path was not an easy one. While they had no particular moral code or strict teachings to adhere to, exposure to M'uru had testing effects on the knights. Some were plagued by headaches and had to overcome physical pain to successfully invoke their powers, while others dealt with suppressed emotional issues being reawakened. M'uru's voice (described as reminiscent of "shattering glass") was often distorted and distant - there was little warmth in the road the knights walked.

Atop his glacier in Northrend, the Lich King himself developed a fascination with the notion of Light-wielding warriors who invoked their powers without the need for a moral code, and instructed his pawn Dar'Khan Drathir to entrap the Blood Knights and raise them as undead. This led to a battle where the Blood Knights, that were stationed in the Ghostlands after reclaiming Sunsail Anchorage, succeeded in fighting off a risen Dar'Khan and his undead hordes. This saw the beginning of a new era for the order, as the Blood Knights' victories began to thaw out public opinion.

Burning Crusade
The Blood Knight order was formally introduced after the reclamation of Quel'Thalas. Having styled themselves as their homeland's defenders and the "true masters of the Light", the creation of the Blood Knight order eventually gained popularity. While some elves were still viewing the Blood Knights with fear and revulsion, many guardians of Silvermoon were now viewing their power as a testament to the fortitude of the sin'dorei as a whole. Under the leadership of Lady Liadrin, the Blood Knights established themselves as one of Quel'Thalas' most prominent organizations. Its members were instructed to drain power directly from the subdued M'uru, which granted them a variety of Light-based abilities aside from that of martial prowess.

When the order was founded, a set number of insignias were forged and distributed, so each new member had to eventually inherit his own from a fallen veteran. While the blood elves left behind in Quel'Thalas were tasked with securing their country from the Scourge, many soldiers loyal to their Prince Kael'thas were empowered and traveled back to Outland, where the split between the Sunfury and the Illidari was about to happen. The Blood Knights were a key component in the blood elves joining the Horde; Thrall and Cairne Bloodhoof themselves noting the considerable power of the order—though opposing their methods just as much as the Farstriders did. With their new alliance sealed, a regiment of Blood Knights began to wrestle Halaa from the Draenei and their own new allies after the journey into Outland.

A Blood Knight named Mehlar Dawnblade would oversee the order's activities within Forsaken lands, and would task adventurers with defiling Uther the Lightbringer's tomb in Lordaeron. To his surprise, the Lightbringer did not fault him for his actions, and urged him to instead turn his rage into helping to rebuild beautiful Quel'Thalas. Mehlar would later attempt to create a powerful anti-Scourge item named Scourgebane; the Blood Knights even enlisting the help of Lady Sylvanas Windrunner to this end.

The trials of the Blood Knight order were undertaken by newly-inducted members. These ranged from expeditions into the Ghostlands and the Plaguelands, to directly funding the powerful order, to trial-by-combat against other Blood Knights; the end result of which would be an ever-increasing rank and status in the order, ending with the title of master and control over the Thalassian Charger. The Blood Knights would attempt to assert their dominance to the paladins of the world with their destruction of the Alonsus Chapel.

Something curious at the time was that the naaru didn't express any sort of dislike for the Blood Knights and even allowed them in their cities. Blood Knights, despite their capture of M'uru, didn't seem to have any enmity with the naaru of Shattrath City either, some even living in the city.

The will of the order would soon be tested, however, for Kael'thas was eventually revealed to be a pawn of the Burning Legion and defeated in the Eye of Tempest Keep.

Treachery of the prince
Travelling to Quel'Thalas once more, a reborn Kael'thas and his "felblood" minions entered Silvermoon, took M'uru from his place under the Blood Knight headquarters, and spirited the naaru to the Sunwell Plateau. In the now empty chamber, the magisters that drained the Light energy stood around, dazed; young initiates seeking to learn the powers of resurrection (who would normally tap the power directly from M'uru) had instead to collect the residual holy energies from the dazed elves.

Now without any 'natural' way to channel the Light, the future of the Blood Knights looked unclear. Magister Astalor Bloodsworn, however, proclaimed that Kael'thas would not break the order—and that Lady Liadrin was already seeking a new source of power.

Without Lady Liadrin personally present to directly represent her order's interests, the leader of the magisters Grand Magister Rommath represented them in her place within Sunfury Spire. Meanwhile Lord Solanar Bloodwrath, the right-hand man of Lady Liadrin, established himself in the Hall of Blood to keep overseeing the duties of training aspiring Masters, something normally undertaken by Liadrin herself.

For the dialogue between Lady Liadrin and A'dal, see: Lady Liadrin.

Seeing Kael'thas' treachery for herself, Lady Liadrin traveled to Shattrath and met with A'dal, who informed her that M'uru had known his fate - to aid in the redemption of the people of Quel'Thalas, as prophesied by Velen. With this new insight, Liadrin pledged herself and the Order to the Sha'tar and the Shattered Sun Offensive, the army raised to battle Kael'thas and his nefarious master, Kil'jaeden.

The Sunwell restored
Following the death of Kael'thas, the corruption and demise of the darkened M'uru, and the defeat of Kael'thas' demonic master, Liadrin observed the sight of the defiled and destroyed Sunwell, lamenting that the blood elven people may never atone for the sin they had committed in damning M'uru to his fate. Prophet Velen then revealed the "heart of M'uru"; unblemished and pure. It was channelled into the Sunwell, and in a massive blaze of light, the blood elves' fount of power was restored. Liadrin was both astonished and taken aback by this turn of events, and Velen mentionned that this was possibly the road to rebirthing the soul of a nation.

With the Sunwell restored, the Blood Knights now channelled their power directly from it—a far less damaging and far more harmonious relationship than their previous method of gaining power.

Wrath of the Lich King
The Blood Knights played a role in the Northrend campaign, though they took a step out of the spotlight as an organization. The Blood Knights Malithas Brightblade and Liandra Suncaller fought with the Horde champions in the Argent Tournament, and several were seen as part of the elite Kor'kron Guard regiment found in Icecrown Citadel. The denizens of Silvermoon continued to take a great amount of pride in their Blood Knights, and even Lady Sylvanas Windrunner herself was eager to see them in action.

During the quest to restore Quel'Delar, Lady Liadrin was seen speaking to groups of blood elf pilgrims about the Sunwell's revitalization. Acknowledging the road ahead as a difficult battle, she resolved that the sin'dorei would prevail, and be restored to their greatness.

Cataclysm
Following the Shattering and the abdication of Warchief Thrall, the Blood Knight Master Pyreanor became one of newly-named Warchief Garrosh Hellscream's personal advisors.

The more aggressive quotes spoken by the Blood Knight trainers were reworded; now referencing the Light without referring to the naaru's manipulation. The path to rank and power in the order also became less dubious in nature - instead of undertaking increasingly harsh actions such as engaging in duels to the death and defiling churches, the Sunwell-empowered Blood Knights now instead go about forging powerful items and weaponry for the order's use. The ranks of the Blood Knights are also no longer limited in numbers and the old system of insignias having to be taken from a dead member's body has been abandoned.

Mists of Pandaria
Roughly two months following the discovery of Pandaria, Lor'themar Theron led a Blood Knight division to the myth-shrouded continent. The Blood Knights served as either protectors of the Reliquary (Kaelis Sunsoar and his knights directing the Reliquary's movements in Krasarang Wilds), or looking to the safety of the regent lord himself in Kun-Lai Summit. Blood Knight Aenea was tasked with tracking down and capturing a mogu warlord for interrogation in the Valley of the Emperors, and she and Ranger Orestes accompanied Horde heroes to his location.

The Blood Knights were later fielded on the Isle of Thunder, when the Sunreaver Onslaught was on the cusp of breaking into the Thunder King's stronghold. A Blood Knight regiment could be seen at the sin'dorei base camp, the Dawnseeker Promontory.

Despite not being visible, the Blood Knights were present during the Siege of Orgrimmar.

Warlords of Draenor
The Blood Knights were the main force of the Sunsworn, led by Lady Liadrin herself. The Sunsworn hoped to drive out the demonic corruption in the region and joined forces with the Auchenai to defend the draenei's sacred precinct,, from agents of the Burning Legion. Based mainly in Talador, Blood Knight members could be found all over, from Horde garrisons to a small presence in. Several of the named Blood Knights deployed to Draenor were familiar faces to the keen-eyed players.

Legion
During the Battle for Broken Shore, the blood knights accompanied the Horde to battle.

With Azeroth under threat from the largest Burning Legion invasion yet, the Blood Knights lend their aid to the reborn Knights of the Silver Hand, combining forces with the other paladin orders. The Blood Knights hold a considerable presence in Light's Hope Chapel, gathering mainly in its western side.

Liadrin later led a Blood Knight force to Suramar to support the Nightfallen rebellion.

Battle for Azeroth
The Blood Knights, led by their matriarch, fought on the fields of the Arathi Highlands alongside the Sunwalkers during the Battle for Stromgarde. The Blood Knights are no longer part of the Order of the Silver Hand as Liadrin and her knights face off against Turalyon, who leads the Silver Hand and Lightforged troops in the name of the Alliance. Turalyon also scoffs at the idea of the Horde armies being led by a paladin, Lady Liadrin, questioning what has happened on Azeroth to allow this. He then claims he will take pleasure in enacting justice on a "misguided paladin of the Horde".

They wear new special armor, as well as Blood-Tempered Ranseurs. All of them appear to have golden eyes, just as their matriarch does.

Shadowlands
After the Fourth War, the Blood Knights makes their appearance in the paladin section of the Barracks in Orgrimmar, with Avaros Dawnglaive as a paladin trainer.

Empowerment
Blood Knights are unusual among paladins in that their method of wielding the Light is unorthodox. Originally, the Blood Knights invoked the Light by establishing a link with M'uru, a captive naaru kept imprisoned beneath Silvermoon. The bond was testing and sometimes painful, but allowed the knights to use the naaru's Light-given powers without a need for faith or piety; indeed, the Blood Knights turned to this method precisely because they believed the Light had turned its back on them in their darkest hour, and they no longer wished to heed its teachings. The blood elves were misguided in their rage against the Light, as their waning ability to invoke it was due to their own inner doubts and dread in the face of the Scourge invasion, but either way M'uru provided a pragmatic method to access the Light reliably. Members of the Horde, and even many citizens of Silvermoon, considered this method of empowerment to be unethical. The power of M'uru's energy in the knights weakened with distance.

This changed at the end of The Burning Crusade, which saw the death of M'uru and the restoration of the Sunwell. The Blood Knights now wield their powers through the Sunwell itself, its renewed energies no longer solely a source of arcane power, but also Holy Light born of M'uru's last spark. It is an harmonious relationship, free of the pain and discord of their previous method of wielding the Light, and the knights no longer suffer from its associated negative effects.

To wield the Light through the Sunwell, a typical Blood Knight must have strong willpower and faith in their own ability. Although possible to "steal" the Light from the Sunwell in the same way they did from M'uru, the Blood Knights have moved past this sort of abuse. The Blood Knights have embraced the Sunwell, as they lead their people into a more promising future.

Horde-specific paladin spells and items
There are a great number of similarities between Alliance and Horde paladins, but there are also major variations of the Horde paladins over their Alliance cousins. These are but a few:

Blood-Tempered Ranseur
The Blood-Tempered Ranseur, during the old system of class-specific quests before the Cataclysm expansion, was the reward obtained after the completion of the Paladin quest given by trainers at level 20 and, as such, comparisons to the Alliance equivalent of the time - Verigan's Fist - were inevitable. While the Ranseur has been made unavailable due to the removal of its associated quest - although the item itself has not been removed - an item using a similar model can still be found in Outland, namely Terokk's Quill; a reward from a quest in the Sethekk Halls. Players who had previously acquired, but lost or discarded the weapon, will find their old ranseur available for Transmogrification in the upgraded wardrobe featured in World of Warcraft: Legion.

In Blood of the Highborne, Grand Magister Rommath presented Lady Liadrin with a Blood-Tempered Ranseur. He stated that the weapon was symbolic, and represented the balance that the Blood Knights, and indeed all blood elves, must seek to master. As such, the weapon became the order's distinctive weapon.

To properly temper the metal of the ranseurs, they had to be quenched in the blood of a powerful demon, which is probably why they are not crafted for new Adepts anymore.

Mounts
Like the Alliance, blood elf paladins receive their class-specific warhorse mount at level 20, from their class trainer for. Formerly, it was completely free and obtained from a quest, but 1 gold is not too difficult to obtain.

Also like the Alliance, blood elf paladins receive their epic charger mount quest at level 40. Prior to Cataclysm the quest requirements were somewhat different - described as somewhat easier than the Alliance's - and the only instance required was Stratholme (though some may have wished to run Scholomance, as Dark Runes were required for the early portion of this quest). Now, however, it is trained from the Paladin trainer.

There are also variations in appearance. Alliance paladin horses are white, with blue livery and silver armor plating (gold at 40). Blood elf paladin horses are black, with red livery and brass armor plating.

Blood Knight tabard
The Blood Knight Tabard is now much easier to obtain than it was in the past. Instead of requiring the completion of an expensive quest chain, the tabard comes as a reward for the Horde's Blood elf version of a Paladin quest at level 50 in addition to the Tier-1 look-alike helmet of choice, which has now become standard reward for class quests at this level.

Uniform and equipment
The Blood Knights generally display a certain dress-code, more often than not including their tabard. Several standard Blood Knight uniforms exists, and the main one consists of a plate set, decorated by a collage of red and black. The order does not appear to be particularly strict in enforcing its dress-code, and many variations and alterations of the standard uniforms exist.

Unlike their Alliance counterparts, the Blood Knights tend to make use of swords more than maces, though exceptions do exist. Most Blood Knights are seen wielding either one-handed or two-handed swords, or spears. The Blood Knight order is shown having two major types of shield - the first seen on lower ranking members such as Adepts (which uses a common model, Lor'themar Theron having also formerly used it), and another shield, sporting the trademark symbol of the order - using the same model as a Blood Knight Defender or Bloodforged Guard.

While other organizations or groups have the models of their uniforms available to players - whether in its entirety or to some limited degree - the Blood Knight main uniform can be arguably considered one of the "easiest" (due to various changes to obtaining both honor points and PVP-related gear from previous expansions) for a player to completely obtain.

Two of the earliest and more "iconic" Blood Knight-esque weapons in the game are the Sin'dorei Warblade, obtained in the Ghostlands from the quest The Traitor's Destruction. The second one, the Blood-Tempered Ranseur, was the reward for level 20 Blood Elf Paladins but is no longer available to players. However, the model is used a second time - in the form of Terokk's Quill - and that weapon is still available as a reward from the Sethekk Halls quest Terokk's Legacy.

The majority of the main Blood Knight's uniform - incorporating the head, chest, gloves, legs, boots and a choice of two variants of shoulderpads - can be obtained through the level 60 PvP sets, namely the Warlord's Aegis and Champion's Redoubt. For a third variant of shoulderpads in the Blood Knight red-and-black color scheme, the Mech Tech Shoulders - a reward from the Pick Your Part quest in the Netherstorm - is an available option.

After obtaining the above items, only the cloak and a suitable belt remain. Two cloaks which perfectly match the color scheme are available. The first one is the Cloak of Blade Turning, which is part of the loot table of Kael'thas in the normal-mode Magisters' Terrace. For those unwilling to play the odds, the Blood Knight War Cloak is by far an easier option, costing only.

Given that fighting in the contested town of Halaa (in Nagrand) is now virtually non-existent on many (if not all) servers, the initial example of a Blood Knight belt - the Avenger's Waistguard - can be considered somewhat impractical due to it requiring 20 PVP kills (Halaa Battle Tokens) in the town and a Halaa Research Token to buy it. Once again, G'eras in Shattrath City comes to the rescue, with the Chain of Unleashed Rage at the cost of.

Although it's fairly easy for players to purchase the standard main uniform it is difficult to use it for transmogrification purposes - despite not being introduced until The Burning Crusade, the gear still requires a military rank acquired in vanilla or through rated battlegrounds in order to transmogrify it.

Notable Blood Knights with a deviating uniform include Cyssa Dawnrose, Duyash the Cruel, Lyrlia Blackshield, Matis the Cruel, Lord Solanar Bloodwrath and even Lady Liadrin. Sometimes, some blood elves will also wear what looks like a Blood Knight uniform but with no proof of them ever being members of the order, like the Crimson Sigil soldiers and the master archer Daellis Dawnstrike.

Roles and motives
The stated goal of the Blood Knight order is a simple one: to defend Quel'Thalas, and to destroy her enemies. Their specialized Light-based powers have made the order a useful front line of defense against the Scourge, while their common mindset with the magisters had led to some playing roles of state enforcement.

The Blood Knights, and their matriarch in particular, were once highly eager to demonstrate the superiority and dominion of their rapidly-growing order to the "false paladins of the world," though in light of recent events it appears this creed has somewhat subsided.

The knights now uphold a mixture of willpower and faith in one's own ability.

Ranks of the Blood Knight order
There are four "ranks" that were obtainable by players, and some that are only obtained by NPCs.

Player ranks

 * Initiate: Where all Blood Knights begin, as their starting set indicates. Initiates were to eventually undergo the ritual of the First Trial to prove their willpower, by engaging in mortal combat and then resurrecting their fallen opponent.
 * Adept: Obtained after completing The Adept's Path, around level 20, and obtaining a weapon commissioned by the warchief himself. From this point on they are considered full Blood Knights in service to Silvermoon City, and they get their Thalassian Warhorse. Previously, Adepts had to undergo the Second Trial to obtain the order's distinctive weapon (the Blood-Tempered Ranseur) and their own insignia instead.
 * Knight: Presumably obtained after getting the Thalassian Charger around level 40. Previously implied to be obtained after learning Summon Thalassian Warhorse around level 40 instead.
 * Master: Presumably obtained after completing Weapons of Darkness (blood elf) around level 50 and getting the Blood Knight Tabard, which was previously obtained alongside the Master rank and the Thalassian Charger after completing True Masters of the Light (3) around level 60. This rank is also held by some NPCs (Master Pyreanor in Orgrimmar, for example). Blood Knight masters are considered part of an elite inner circle of the order. Acquiring the rank of master requires the sponsorship of another high-ranking knight.

See also Paladin quests for a more detailed account of the various trials that were required to rise in ranks in the Blood Knight order.

NPCs

 * Bloodwarder: Some Sunfury and Illidari knights in Outland had this rank.
 * Blood Lord: Some Sunfury and Illidari knights in Outland had this rank.
 * Champion: Some blood elf paladin trainers (Champion Cyssa Dawnrose in the Undercity, for instance) have this rank.
 * Knight-Lord: Intermediate officer position, with the role of managing rank-and-files Blood Knights (Knight-Lord Bloodvalor in Silvermoon).
 * Matriarch: The rank held by Lady Liadrin, supreme leader of the Blood Knight order.

Types

 * Blood Knight Adept - Silvermoon City
 * Blood Knight Honor Guard - Orgrimmar
 * Firewing Bloodwarder - Terokkar Forest
 * Horde Halaani Guard - Nagrand
 * Captured Halaani Blood Knight
 * Sunfury Bloodwarder - Netherstorm
 * Sunfury Blood Knight - Netherstorm
 * Eclipsion Bloodwarder - Shadowmoon Valley
 * Eclipsion Blood Knight - Shadowmoon Valley
 * Sunfury Eradicator - Shadowmoon Valley
 * Sunfury Blood Lord - Shadowmoon Valley
 * Bloodwarder Vindicator - The Eye
 * Bloodwarder Squire - The Eye
 * Crimson Hand Blood Knight - The Eye
 * Illidari Blood Lord - Black Temple
 * Dawnblade Blood Knight - Isle of Quel'Danas
 * Sunblade Blood Knight - Magisters' Terrace
 * Darkfallen Blood Knight - Icecrown Citadel
 * Reliquary Blood Knight - Krasarang Wilds
 * Sunreaver Aegis - Purge of Dalaran
 * Blood Knight - Kun-Lai Summit
 * Dawnguard Bloodknight - Isle of Thunder
 * Sunsworn Knight - Talador
 * Sunsworn Honor Guard - Talador
 * Captive Sunsworn Honor Guard
 * Silvermoon Blood Knight - Battle for the Broken Shore
 * Blood Knight - Various Legion locations
 * Injured Blood Knight

In the RPG
As high elves, many future Blood Knights were members of the Church of the Holy Light, many of whom became priests and even a few paladins.

In the TCG
They were described as paladins serving as the backbone of the Thalassian army.

Concerns and controversy
The introduction of paladins to the Horde along with shamans to the Alliance was initially controversial. The decision to eliminate faction-specific classes was explained by Blizzard as an attempt to refine and distinguish the two classes from one another. They had previously suffered from comparisons of their abilities, and the attempt to "balance" them and yet have them remain distinct led to the two classes becoming more and more similar to one another. The introduction of these classes to both sides would reduce the controversial issue of faction balance. Nevertheless, this decision has met with some criticism by players and even Blizzard employees have expressed that the decision was not an easy one.

Notes and trivia

 * The Blood Knight order appears to hold political sway within Quel'Thalas, the Silvermoon guardians appearing to be particularly respectful to both the Blood Knight player and Champion Vranesh: a Blood Knight player who uses the "/eye" emote on a Silvermoon City Guardian will be treated with a courteous kneel, and one who uses the "/salute" emote will receive a salute in response. On the other end of the spectrum, the Blood Knights do not seem to hold the Farstriders in a very high regard.
 * The term "Blood Knight" refers to both the order, and the blood elves' own individual take on the paladin class. Many Blood Knights not directly affiliated with Quel'Thalas retain the title (such as the Sunfury and Illidari knights in Outland), and a number of Kael'thas' Blood Knights continued to wear their uniforms even on Quel'Danas. The Darkfallen Blood Knights further suggest that "Blood Knight" can be a personal take on the class. On the other hand, there is nothing to suggest that blood elf paladins affiliated with the Argent Crusade consider themselves anything other than paladins of the Light.
 * It should be noted, however, that the Darkfallen Blood Knights are likely another mockery of the Lich King to cause more rage in the hearts of possible Blood elf heroes who enter the Crimson Hall, since they do not wield any Light-based powers, and are most likely paladins or warriors from the original Northrend expedition of Illidan like their Queen. Another possibility is that, since Dar'Khan Drathir was ordered by the Lich King to kill and raise Blood Knights as undead, they could be risen Horde knights incorporated into the San'layn.
 * A recurring theme in the Blood Knight order is the prevalence of the term "blood" in several of its members' surnames. This is likely a self-styled reference to both the blood of their many brethren who perished during the Third War, and to the moniker of their order.
 * Most of the sin'dorei battlemasters appear to be Blood Knights: Althallen Brightblade, Lyrlia Blackshield, Yula the Fair, Duyash the Cruel, Alenjon Sunblade, Irissa Bloodstar and Andrissa Heartspear. Notable exceptions include Mabrian Fardawn, who appeared to be a warrior, along with Asara Dawnblaze, Saeld Brightflare, and Magister Surdiel, who are mages.
 * Since all the named Eye of the Storm battlemasters were presumably Blood Knights, the order may have led the Horde effort to take that battleground.
 * A grand master pet tamer, Antari, appears to be a Blood Knight.
 * According to Chris Metzen, the Blood Knights' role in Warlords of Draenor was going to bring their understanding of the Light and the origin of paladins full circle from The Burning Crusade. However, this did not make it into the expansion.
 * In the Diablo franchise, Blood Knights are a type of enemy creature.
 * "Silvermoon" Harry delusionally claims that he was trained by the Blood Knights.
 * Lady Liadrin herself asked for the young orphan Salandria to be released to her custody for training within the order in Silvermoon City.

Speculation

 * Following the abduction of M'uru, exactly how sin'dorei paladins could continue wielding their powers was the source of wide speculation. It was noted by Magister Astalor Bloodsworn that Lady Liadrin was actively seeking a new source of power for the order, and her conversation with A'dal left a number of possibilities open. For one, it was possible that either A'dal or another Naaru continued to empower the Blood Knights, now allies of the Shattered Sun Offensive. Despite such allusions, however, it was never explicitly stated how the Blood Knights were able to retain their powers between the betrayal of Kael'thas and the defeat of Kil'jaeden.
 * Various Blood Knights seem to display a somewhat totalitarian attitude shared with some of the Magisters, as seen with Gatewatcher Aendor on behalf of the Blood Knights and Priest Kath'mar on behalf of the Magisters. This further contributes to the political divide within Silvermoon. Whether this is still the case is unknown, as despite the radical changes sweeping Quel'Thalas with the Sunwell restored, Quel'Thalas itself has not been updated to convey much of it.
 * The Blood Knights in the Sunfury forces on Outland could be from the order, as Rommath was seen to leave for Outland to Prince Kael in year 25, so the Grand Magister could have sent him the knights prior to the invasion of Outland. They could have also joined voluntarily during the war, as some pilgrims from Quel'Thalas did.

Blood Knight faith?
Following the Sunwell's revitalization, the Blood Knights now take their power directly through the Sunwell itself - the restored fount now a mixture of both holy and arcane energy - to fuel their order and paladin-esque abilities. However, where this leaves the blood elves in relation to conventional Light worship remains somewhat unclear.

On one hand, Lady Liadrin appears to have reconverted to the Light's teachings, or at the very least has rekindled a reverence for its power. Simply viewing the Sunwell firsthand and feeling its embrace wrought on a new perspective for the Blood Knight Matriarch, and several blood elf pilgrims have also been seen adhering to her opinion; as seen by her encouraging exchange with them in Quel'Delar's penultimate quest.

On the other, although the Blood Knights moved away from abusing the Light, there is nothing to suggest that they have a practical "need" for Light worship, as all the process essentially requires at this point is channeling the Light via the Sunwell.

At this point, it is possible that both components are present in the Blood Knight order - those that have rekindled their faith in the Light, and those who simply have not since the Sunwell itself allows them to retain their Light-given powers either way.