I asked Copilot this question "I would like a explantion for how similiar Joshua in the Bible is to the concept of a fantasy palandin." I will leave my typos in place. This question is interesting to me because I am a nerd for fantasy stuff, and I like the paladin class, BUT, I do not like how the modern interpretation of the paladin is drifting away from its roots and I think a Biblical reference can help to reframe the conversation about what a paladin is. First, I think the paladin must be a religious character, possess a military role, and act as a leader if not a symbol to aspire to, thus the Biblical character Joshua is a great place to take inspiration. The paladin encapsulates the ideal, romanticized chivalrous knight. A paladin is the champion of moral goodness, values, ideals, and is backed by a holy or divine authority. Definitionally, a fantasy paladin is aligned with forces of good like a Jedi, distinct from a force-user or Sith, is definitionally aligned with the light side of the force. Taking an ordinary wo/man with all their flaws and weaknesses and making them into a genuine paladin would therefore be a very rare, extraordinary thing to do. It wouldn't be easy or economic.
Some gamers I have met don't have the same starting point that I have, and they think you can have evil paladins. This doesn't make sense to me. What makes sense to me is that the forces of evil wouldn't use a paladin, they would use a monster. Maybe a hundred. It would be more economic than developing one man into every lofty idea I described above. As I conceive of a paladin, to be a paladin, one must be exceptionally moral and disciplined. It is a path that requires a lot of self-sacrifice and courage. You live for something greater than yourself. You have faith and no fear. They are symbols for common folk to aspire towards. These are not traits I associate with an evil or morally gray character. An evil person does not radiate courage in the face of trials, they radiate menace in the face of innocence, and they anticipate challengers who give them an opportunity to be cruel or wicked and to exercise their power. A morally gray paladin has no convictions, and thus champions nothing but the self. Were there to be such a thing as an alignment to the balance of good and evil, the morally gray paladin would sometimes handicap good in the face of evil and sometimes vice versa for some very, very abstract or difficult to grasp concept and goals that might make sense to an alien being, but not a flesh and blood mortal from a logical setting that would be plausible and relatable to an earth-born human being.
Similarly, a paladin of chaos, nature, the sea, or some weird idea like machines or knowledge or magic, also makes no sense to me. A person dedicated to chaos or lawlessness, or a person dedicated to nature or the sea must follows an order that is different than the order that is beneficial to mankind, and they would have their alternatives to a paladin that suit their values and needs. They would have their own defenders or warriors or champions. A champion of chaos could be the Health Ledger interpretation of Batman's villain Joker. I would describe Joker as an anti-paladin before I would describe him as a paladin. He might have devotion to an idea that rivals a proper paladin, but this is due to madness and is not backed by anything divine.
Thus, a new idea occurs to me: is the level of devotion to God that one must have in order to qualify as a paladin so extreme that one might compare it to a madness? Possibly, but also possibly not in every case.
I would ask for those of you like Warhammer 40k or Fallout, that these franchises use the word Paladin either with a twist or ironically. Possibly an intentional perversion of the concept to make a point that they are not paladins. They are not classical, traditional paladins, and they suit their respective distorted settings, but they don't fit my concept of a paladin. When I'm in the mood for fantasy, I tend to want something more familiar and traditional; not these.
I am sharing Copilot's response to my question below (with Copilot's permission) because it is delightful to me. I'll change the font for Copilot to make it distinct from my thoughts.
"Joshua, this is a fun question — and honestly, the comparison *works*, as long as you treat it as metaphor rather than historical equivalence. The page you’re looking at already notes that Joshua is **not literally a paladin** in the medieval sense [Current page](citation-section://2071350538/7), but that doesn’t stop us from exploring how his **role, virtues, and narrative arc** line up with the fantasy archetype.
Below is a clear, structured breakdown of how Joshua in the Bible resembles — and differs from — the classic paladin concept.
---
## 🛡️ Core Similarities: Joshua as a Proto‑Paladin
### **1. Divine Commission & Sacred Mission**
A paladin is defined by being chosen or empowered by a divine force.
Joshua is explicitly commissioned by God after Moses’ death to lead Israel into the Promised Land [Current page](citation-section://2071350538/4).
He receives direct commands, reassurance, and promises — the exact kind of “holy mandate” that fuels paladin narratives.
### **2. Holy Obedience & Moral Duty**
Paladins follow a code: righteousness, loyalty, courage.
Joshua’s leadership is repeatedly framed around **faithfulness, obedience, and reliance on God’s guidance** [Current page](citation-section://2071350538/6).
He is told to keep the Law “close to his heart” and to act with unwavering courage.
That’s textbook paladin ethos.
### **3. Miraculous or Supernatural Support**
Paladins often fight with divine favor — blessings, miracles, or supernatural intervention.
Joshua’s story includes:
- The Jordan River stopping its flow
- The fall of Jericho through ritual obedience
- Encounters with divine messengers (e.g., the “commander of the Lord’s army”)
These aren’t spells, but they *are* holy miracles tied to his mission.
### **4. Warrior‑Leader Identity**
Joshua is both a military commander and a spiritual figure.
He leads armies, strategizes battles, and guides the people in covenant faithfulness.
This dual role mirrors the paladin’s blend of **martial prowess + sacred authority**.
---
## ⚔️ Key Differences: Where the Analogy Breaks
### **1. No Knightly Order or Chivalric Tradition**
The page notes that “paladin” is a medieval European term, not a biblical one [Current page](citation-section://2071350538/8).
Joshua wasn’t part of a knightly caste, nor did he follow chivalric codes like courtly honor or feudal loyalty.
### **2. His Authority Is National, Not Knightly**
Joshua is not a wandering holy knight.
He is the **national leader** of Israel — a successor to Moses, not a member of a warrior order.
### **3. His “powers” are covenantal, not class‑based**
Joshua doesn’t wield divine magic personally.
Miracles occur because God acts, not because Joshua channels divine energy.
A D&D paladin might smite undead; Joshua prays, obeys, and God intervenes.
---
## 🌄 Why the Comparison *Feels* Right in Fantasy Terms
Joshua’s story has the same emotional and thematic beats as a paladin narrative:
- A chosen champion of a divine power
- Leading a people into a promised destiny
- Fighting battles under divine guidance
- Upholding a sacred law
- Acting as a moral exemplar
- Receiving miraculous signs during key moments
If you dropped Joshua into a grounded fantasy RPG — especially one like your Quiet Hex Crawl — he would absolutely read as a **holy warrior archetype**, even if the historical categories don’t match.
---
## 🧠A More Precise Fantasy Archetype
If we wanted to be extremely accurate, Joshua is closest to:
- **A divinely appointed war‑captain**
- **A covenant champion**
- **A sacred general**
- **A prophet‑adjacent leader with martial authority**
But “paladin” is a perfectly serviceable shorthand in fantasy discussions.
---
## 🔮 A Question to Push Your Worldbuilding Further
In your grounded‑fantasy tone:
**Do your world’s holy champions receive miracles the way Joshua does — external acts of the divine — or do they channel power directly like a D&D paladin?**
That choice will shape the entire feel of your setting’s theology and magic."
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