Board Thread:Dark Souls/@comment-25173123-20140825050403/@comment-3492791-20140825172548

The origin of the Black Knight is a little clouded as there is conflicting information. One source says the Black Knights were those that fought the chaos demons, charred black from their battles and given the title. The other source says that the Black Knights were those that followed Gwyn to the Kiln, being destroyed by the newly kindled flame and being disembodied spirits.

It is possible that both of these are true, and the Black Knights have proven themselves the most accomplished of his forces for battling the chaos demons, were chosen by Gwyn to accompany him on his journey to link the Flame. Subsequently being destroyed by it and their disembodied spirits inhabiting their former armor, left to wander Lordran in a daze. Of course this is mostly conjecture.