Geek It! Animation Flashback: The Big Knights

They’re “the height of two men, the weight of four, the strength of sixteen”. They are also “incredibly strong and brave” — yet they can be incredibly stupid. They’re none other than … THE BIG KNIGHTS. In this #Animation Flashback, let’s take a trip back to ’90s memory lane and revisit our favourite knights!

In the land of Borovia where it is overridden with dragons, witches, trolls, ogres and small people — the Big Knights (aka Sir Boris and Sir Morris) lives in Castle Big with their pet hamster (Sir Doris) and pet dog (Sir Horace).

Nothing much happens in the land of Borovia. Every now and then, they embark on royal duties in which they are tasked to solve issues and save Borovia from destruction. Little do they know, they end up causing greater chaos in the process due to their stupidity, snobbish eliteness, and incompetence. As a viewer, we somehow find ourselves drawn towards their calamity and shenanigans — what’s not to love?

Despite having thirteen episodes in total, we would like to make a special note about The Big Knights‘ visuals. While the animation and art direction may seem deceptively basic to one’s eye, The Big Knights was actually one of the first animated series to be digitally animated using CelAction 2D method.

For those who don’t know, hand-drawn animation is very time-consuming as hundreds of near-identical drawings need to be produced in a certain amount of time. However, the introduction of computer programmes such as CelAction has made the process much faster and easier for animators. Combined with cutout animation and flash animation, The Big Knights was a fine example that paved way for animation in the late ’90s.

Do you remember The Big Knights? Let us know in the comments below!