YMMV / The Knights of the Cross

• Complete Monster:
  • Hugo von Danveld stands out in the monstrous Order of The Teutonic Knights. Unpopular even among his brethren of Knights, Hugo takes pleasure in slaughtering pagans and Christian Poles who protect them. When he and other Knights ambush pagans, Polish Knight Jurand of Spychow protects pagans, and Hugo leaves his brothers to die, only avoiding punishment since he swears on an oath that he lost control over his horse, thus breaking a holy taboo of his Order. Hating Jurand for making him stand trial, Hugo comes up with a plan to kidnap Jurand's underage daughter Danusia and expresses desire to rape her too. When the messenger of Teutonic Knights, Mr. de Fourcy, doesn't like the plan, and decides to inform a Polish prince about it, Hugo has him murdered. Once Danusia is kidnapped, Hugo has the bandits who kidnapped her hanged instead of compensating them. When Jurand comes and begs for his daughter, Hugo takes pleasure in the father's despair and taunts him that even if he gives him his daughter back, she will give him his bastard.
  • In Knights of the Teutonic Order, the 1960 adaptation, the Teutonic Knight brothers Rotgier and Gottfried undergo Adaptational Villainy. They are equally monstrous as their superior, Siegfried de Lowe, but lack all his redeeming qualities. They enjoy engaging in the monstrous deeds of their order, such as slaughtering and enslaving pagans as well as anybody who supports them, including Christian Poland. When Jurand of Spychow slaughters a few Teutonic knights who ambushed pagans, Rotgier and Gottfried come up with the plan to kidnap Jurand's daughter, Danusia, for ransom, with Rotgier expressing desire to rape her too. When Jurand comes for his daughter, both knights reveal how they tortured her and present him with a different girl. They also reveal that Gottfried slaughtered and hanged all the criminals whom they earlier paid to kidnap Danusia. This causes Jurand to brutally murder Gottfried before himself being overpowered and taken prisoner. Rotgier goes to Poland and tells a false version of the events, blaming Jurand and the Poles for everything. Fanatical and hypocritical, Rotgier and Gottfried really stood out in the already-monstrous Teutonic Order.