“The Bravest Knight” Teaches Understanding and Empathy

The Bravest Knight premiered on Hulu today, dropping the first five episodes of season 1. The show made headlines last month when it was revealed it will feature an openly gay main character, one of the few children’s cartoons to do so. The series is fun and educational, with good lessons for kids (but also some good jokes for adults).

The Bravest Knight centers around Nia (Storm Reid) and her quest to be a great knight. As a Not Yet Knight, she still has a lot to learn, and those lessons come from her father, Sir Cedric (T.R. Knight), who tells her about the adventures he had when he was her age. Occasionally assisted by his husband, Prince Andrew (Wilson Cruz), Cedric tells Nia about his escapades as a Not Yet Knight, making sure to include valuable tips and imparting morals.

Each 12-minute episode is one of Cedric’s stories. “Cedric and the Troll” introduces Cedric’s friend Grunt (Bobby Moynihan) and has the two of them joining a group of other Not Yet Knights who have all been tricked by a witch. “Cedric and the Green Leaf” has Cedric entering a tournament and learning about jousting from Ayame, the Green Leaf. “Cedric and the Cave” shares the story of Cedric and Grunt helping a yeti trapped in a cave. “Cedric and the Giant” has the two being captured by a giant and freeing a magic flute. “Cedric and the Fairies” has Cedric and Grunt aiding a group of fairies who have lost their food supply.

The episodes are charming and sweet, and each story comes with a moral – cooperation, generosity, good sportsmanship, tolerance, forgiveness. They also teach unexpected lessons about things like gender – in “Cedric and the Fairies”, male-presenting fairy Lucy explains that “names belong to people, not genders.” Cedric and Andrew are patient, present parents who want to raise the best daughter they can by imparting valuable life lessons. The Bravest Knight is all about being the best person you can be and bringing help to those in need.

The Bravest Knight is also a show that celebrates diversity. In this world, there are heroes and villains, but the villains are things like trolls and giants, and the heroes come in every shape, size, and color. The group of Not Yet Knights in “Cedric and the Troll” are all different races. The Not Yet Knight who wins the jousting tournament in “Cedric and the Green Leaf” is a girl. No one says anything about people’s appearances, and Cedric and Andrew rule the kingdom with kindness and empathy. It’s a kids’ show, so it obviously isn’t going to be explicit, but there is no denying that these two are a married couple very much in love. LGBTQ+ characters, especially in children’s entertainment, are almost never the lead, so this is quite a big deal.

This is a show that is all about teaching children tolerance and empathy. It emphasizes that it doesn’t matter what your sexuality, gender, or race is; it only matters what kind of person you are. Even typical villains – like Grunt, a troll – are shown to have good qualities. You are taught not to judge by appearances. The overall message of the show is about love and acceptance, and I think most people would have a very difficult time arguing against that.

The Bravest Knight is an excellent show to introduce to your children, but as a single 37-year-old with no kids, I’m telling you it’s worth a watch regardless. It’s just so dang adorable.

The first five episodes of The Bravest Knight are currently streaming on Hulu. There will be thirteen episodes total.

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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