Details
The Knights are led by a man who is approximately 12 feet tall with disproportionately short arms and reindeer antlers inserted into his helmet (played by Michael Palin standing on a ladder; the original screenplay suggested that he be played by "Mike standing on John's shoulders"). The other Knights are of normal human proportions and act as a chorus, only repeating words and phrases that the head Knight has spoken.
"Ni!" is only the most notable of the sacred words which they are assigned to protect, the others being "Peng" and "Neee-wom." All of these words are infamous for the palpable horror and fear (and suggested pain) they bring about, whether delivered by the knights or not. According to King Arthur, "Those who hear them seldom live to tell the tale!" Later, the leader of the Knights who say Ni changes them to the Knights who say an odd string of syllables (although the knights apart from the head knight continue to say 'Ni'). The saying is spelt the following way according to the "script" subtitles available on the collector's edition DVD: "Ekke Ekke Ekke Ekke Ptangya Ziiinnggggggg Ni!" Because of the challenging pronunciation, King Arthur simply refers to them as "The Knights Who 'Til Recently Said Ni." Originally, the name was to be changed to, "The Knights Who Go Ni... Whom... Ping."
The Knights happen to have a weakness in that a number of words, when spoken to them, has the same effect on them as their saying "Ni" has on others. The only one of these words that is revealed in the film is "it", which is picked up on when Arthur, upon being asked to cut down the mightiest tree in the forest with a herring, declares that "it can't be done." Ultimately, King Arthur and Sir Robin (who shows up with his own knights) both say "it" several times in conversation (unaware that "it" was the word that was causing the Knights' pain).
Read more about this topic: Knights Who Say Ni
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