Joseph Khumalo (film)

Pilgrim Uprising

By 2654, he held the rank of Captain and was assigned to serve on the CS Tiger Claw. However he had a low kill score, although his potential greater than that. While flying, he spent some time advising and tutoring newer pilots, or giving guidance to panicked pilots during times of radio silence in order to return to base. In a few occasions he talked pilots through their first kills.

Knight was sitting next to Rosie Forbes and Adam Polanski in the mess hall when Todd Marshall and Christopher Blair showed up.

Knight in the cockpit

He flew a patrol mission with Spirit shortly before the jump into the Ulysses Corridor. Right before, he was in the mess hall and commented that the pulsar they would jump "eats suns for breakfast"

Knight's "death"

Later, he was flying a CF-131 Broadsword alongside James Taggart with the Baker Wing near the Ulysses Corridor. They were on their way to attack a Sivar-class battleship near Planet 415 when his fighter was shot out from under him, and he was presumed killed. Cheddarboy and Gangsta were brought in to replace him and Rosie who had died in the same battle.

Eject pod?

Knight's death in the movie is odd, considering that the Wing Commander I character he is based on, already appears alive during the Vega Campaign, which is set later than the movie. From the point of view of the movie, Knight has survived the battle, or has been "resurrected". No explanation is given about his death in the movie and appearance in WCI. When the ship explodes there is a mysterious body sized/shaped object/pod ejected towards the bottom of screen. Escape pods hold generally only enough air for about one hour. The only known ones in the sector who could have 'rescued' knight following the battle could only be Kilrathi patrols and fleet in the area that did not travel to Sol sector (including Dorkir, a destroyer, and Dralthis, and many others). If he was captured by one of the Kilrathi fleet its not known how he escaped. Of course its possible a Terran civilian transport could have jumped into the area as well later (as the situation was classified, they wouldn't have been part of the count of military ships in the sector).

Character

Considering himself a just soldier, not a talented genius, he has a reputation of utter reliability in combat and supported wingmen who were in difficult situations.

He was well-liked by his peers, respected by his superiors, well-known throught the Claw, and a popular partner in the team exercises. He gave consideration to the advice of others, admitted his mistakes and his opinions were respectable. As a pilot he had a personal affinity for bombing missions.

Paul Gerald attributed his low kill score to hesitation to kill for personal or philosophical reasons, which would hinder his promotion and even entrusting him with command decisions.

Behind the scenes

This character is only known as "Knight" in the movie credits. He is only referred to as Mr. Knight in one scene, and never by name; "Steady on course, Mr. Knight." Though he appears in several scenes (in which Knight can be seen on his Name Tag/Helmet). The fact that Knight appears on his nametag (which is usually reserved for surnames) would suggest that Knight is his last name, and also explain the "Mr. Knight" reference in a literal sense.

Knight's name is mispelled "Kuhmelo in the Handbook. It is correctly spelled Joseph Khumalo in the Wing Commander: The Movie (novel), and he is given the same backstory as that from Claw Marks, and is intended to be the same character.

Death

Knight's bomber is destroyed and he is presumed killed in the movie and movie novels. Like Kien Chen he appears alive later for the Vega Campaign.

Pilgrim Truth establishes that extrakinetics such as Pilgrims or others mutant humans may be able to develop the ability to project themselves in more place than one, not create clones per se but create doubles, multiples of dopplegangers each physically existing and each part of the whole. This is used to explain how one pilot Mango is able to attack Christopher Blair's fighter from the inside. Some believe he had died, but Blair believes he has seen him elsewhere. Blair suggests extrakinetics as an explanation of him being in more than one place at once as well as appearing to die, but not actually dieing, and coming back later. He points this out as a theory, but has no way of knowing if it really would happen. This ability may be both natural instinct or even controllable. Also adding the ability to project these individual beings into other places (sort of like teleportation) This appears to be a nod to the fans speculations about dead or disappearing characters coming back; to offer an explanation to a number of characters with similar discrepancies such as Knight, Kien Chen, Shamus and Delli Taggart, etc (it could even apply to Blair's "disappearance" during the Nephilim War allowing the possibility for his return, as he shows the ability to pull it off in the book).

Or as seen best in the Blueray of the film, his pod jettisoned and escaped the blast, but was un-detected during all the commotion of the battle (but would have had to have been picked up by something other than the Tiger's Claw).