KNIGHTS
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Black Knight -- Centaur Knight -- Dark Knight -- Death Knight -- Death Rider -- Dragon Knight -- Flame Knight -- Gold Knight -- Iron Knight -- Knight -- Platinal -- Satanight -- Spirit Knight
"1. Military follower, esp. one devoted to sevice of (lady) as attendant or champion in war or tournament. 2. Person, usu. one of noble birth who had served as page & squire, raised to honourable military rank by king or qualified person. 3. One on whom corresponding rank is conferred as reward for personal merit or services to crown or country."
Another definition would be the legendary knights, such as the knights of the round table - mythical warriors who serve good and fight evil. That's about the closest to FF's knights, who don't really fit any of the first three definitions too closely.
IMAGE: Medieval woodcut depicting a knight
In popular imagination black knights (or dark knights) are evil, although I'm having trouble finding any legends that back up this idea. In Arthurian legends Gareth fights a black knight, but also green, red and blue knights - the black knight isn't singled out as being evil. I can't find any legends dealing with gold knights either - but then, FF3's gold knight is unlikely to be a mythological reference. You fight them in Goldore's palace, along with gold warriors, gold bears and gold eagles - the gold knight just continues the naming pattern.
IMAGE: Medieval woodcut depicting a knight
In Dungeons and Dragons, death knights are paladins who broke their codes of honour by committing crimes such as murder or treason and, as punishment, were turned into evil, undead monsters by the gods. The death rider is probably based on the same idea.
IMAGE: A death knight from D&D
Most likely, Square just thought that "dragon knight" would be a cool-souning name, although I suppose his high-jump attack could be seen as an approximation of a dragon's flight. The others are all pretty much slef-explanatory. The iron knight's look is based aroudn the centaur - see centaur knight.
IMAGE: Medieval woodcut depicting a knight
Erm, sorry - I'm clueless here. Lord Skylark did't add the platinal to his "untranslated monsters" list, so he obviously knows the meaning, but I definitely don't. I'm guessing that it's a foreign word related to "platoon" or "platinum" (since the platinal is a pallet swap of Goldore, the latter makes sense)
Back to...KNIGHT
(The Concise Oxford Dictionary, 1965 edition)BLACK KNIGHT, DARK KNIGHT, GOLD KNIGHT
DEATH KNIGHT, DEATH RIDER
DRAGON KNIGHT, FLAME KNIGHT, IRON KNIGHT, SPIRIT KNIGHT, SATANIGHT
PLATINAL
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