Compare and contrast the medieval warriors--the samurai and knight. 

Use at least ​3 of these sources in your paragraph​ and be sure to​ cite them 
appropriately ​(see example sentence starters below). 
Source:  Samurai:  Both:  Knight: 
Videos​-  “They lived by a strict  Similarities:  The knights lived under 
-”Simple History”  code of conduct,  - Both carried  the code, similar to the 
Samurai​ vs. ​Knight  bushido, which required  swords  samurai’s, called 
-​My Life as a Knight  utter obedience to their  - Both started  chivalry. The knights 
-​History Channel -  leader” (​History  training at a  purpose was to not only 
Samurai  Channel- Samurai​).  young age  defend their civilization, 
-​Samurai of Japan  - Both have a  but to also show respect 
“leader”, or in the  to their lord, women, and 
knights case, a  be an overall “role 
“lord”.  model”. If the knight 
- Both follow a  failed to portray this 
code  code, unlike the samurai, 
Differences:  there was no real 
- Knights follow  punishment except losing 
the code of  his knighthood. 
chivalry 
- Samurai follow 
the code of 
Bushido 
- Samurai commit 
ritual suicide if 
the didn’t honor 
their lord and/or 
failed the code of 
Bushido 
- Knights, if they 
didn’t follow the 
code of chivalry, 
had no severe 
punishment 
except they could 
lose their 
knighthood. 
-  

Google Slides​-  “. . . ‘those who serve’;  Similarities:  “Most time was spent 
-”​Samurai Life​”  armored and mounted  - Both wore  training for warfare (had 
-”​Samurai vs.  warriors who fought to  specific armor  to be ready to protect 
Knight​” Pictures  the death to protect  - Both generally  their lord or king)” (​slide 
-”​Medieval  their lord (daimyo) and  rode on horses  #17, Medieval Knights​). 
Knights​”  his farm” (​slide #2,  Differences:   
Samurai Life​).   - The knight’s   
armor wasn’t 
ritually 
decorative 
- The knights 
didn’t follow the 
Bushido code 
- The samurai 
carried two 
different swords 
- The samurai 
were a little bit 
higher in the 
Feudalism 
pyramid than 
the knights. 

CHOOSE​ EITHER “​Textbook​” ​OR​ “​Websites​” TO READ & CITE FROM BELOW... 
Textbook​-  “In battle, samurai     
Medieval & Early  fought on horseback   
Modern Times   with swords, daggers, 
(pg. 305 & 338)  and bows and arrows. 
They wore armor made 
of leather or steel scales 
laced together with silk 
cords. Their helmets had 
horns or crests, and they 
wore masks designed to 
be terrifying” 
(Spielvogel, Page 305). 
 

Websites​-  “_____________________ Both a knight’s and  “The most valuable items 

Knight SQ  _____________” (​Website  samurai’s armor was  to a knight were his 
Samurai SQ  title hyperlinked​).  one of the most  armor, weapons, and his 
important thing to  war horse. These three 
them, and to the  items were very 
traditions they  expensive, meaning that 
followed. Even though  only the wealthy could 
the armor looked  afford to be knights” 
different, it still meant  (​Ages for Kids: A Knight’s 
the same thing: power  armor…​). 
and determination. 

EXAMPLE starts​ to reference each source (​Reference ​3 sources​ in your PARAGRAPH​)… 

Textbook: 
In the ​Medieval & Early Modern Times ​textbook, it states… 
A unique feature about the knight in the textbook is “___________” (Spielvogel, page #). 
Website: 
On the website titled “___________,” it mentions… 
For example, “____________” (​website title hyperlinked​). 
Video: 
In the video titled ​Samurai vs. Knight​, knights are described as… 
Google Slides: 
In the Google Slides titled “Samurai Life,” it states that… 
 
 
Now, CHOOSE a paragraph using your notes and example starts above… 

Being two of the most legendary warriors of all time, the samurai 

and knight were very similar. For example, both of these warrior groups 

followed a code. For the samurai, they fought under the strict code of 

Bushido, and if they failed to support this code, they commited a ritual 

suicide, ​Harakiri. ​“They lived by a strict code of conduct, bushido, which 

required utter obedience to their leader” (​History Channel- Samurai​).​ This 

shows that the bushido code required obedience towards their leader, and 

if that isn’t portrayed, then they commit Harakiri. On the other hand, the 

knights code, chivalry, didn’t have such brutal consequences. ​If the knight 

failed to portray this code, unlike the samurai, there was no real 

punishment except losing his knighthood. Some of the other similarities 

include the fact that they both have a leader. The samurai have a military 

leader, and the knights had to respect their lord, which is kind of like a 
boss to their actions and duties. Another similarity between the two is that 

they both generally rode on horses, and that most of their daily life 

included training for war. For example, “Most time was spent training for 

warfare (had to be ready to protect their lord or king)” (​slide #17, Medieval 

Knights​). This shows that basically when fighting in war they are trying to 

protect their lord/king, which was their top priority for the knights, and 

the samurai. Lastly, the most important part of a samurai or knight was 

his armor. Even though the armor looked different, it still meant the same 

thing: power and determination. And not only did it keep them protected, 

but sometimes it made their enemies fear them even more, because it 

made them look wealthy and powerful. ​Ducksters​, and online history 

website, gives a bit more information on the knights’ meaningful armor. 

“The most valuable items to a knight were his armor, weapons, and his 

war horse. These three items were very expensive, meaning that only the 

wealthy could afford to be knights” (​Ages for Kids: A Knight’s Armor…​). 

However, the two’s armor looked very different and were made out of 

different materials. “​They wore armor made of leather or steel scales laced 

together with silk cords. Their helmets had horns or crests, and they wore 

masks designed to be terrifying” (Spielvogel, Page 305). This shows that the 

samurai’s armor was made of steel (one of the Japanese inventions), while 

the knight’s were made of chain links. Despite the difference in armor, 
they also weren’t the same rank in the Feudalism pyramid of their region. 

The samurai were a little bit higher in the Feudalism pyramid than the 

knights, but only by one notch. Similar to the difference in armor, the 

samurai carried two swords, and the knight, only one. The samurai had 

one sword for battle, and one (if needed) to commit ​Harakiri, or ritual 

suicide (as mentioned earlier). The knights, on the other hand, only used 

one. But, despite all the similarities and differences between these two 

legendary warriors, they always fulfilled their duties, and kept their 

civilization safe. And we thank them for that. 

If a medieval Japanese samurai and a medieval European knight 

were to combat one another, I believe a ______________________ would 

win. Although both samurai and knights 

___________________________________, only the medieval _____________, 

“________________________________” ( ). Another reason a medieval 

_____________ would win is due to the fact that 

__________________________________________________________________. 

On the contrary, the medieval ___________ is only _____________________. 

Evidence to show this weakness is “________________________________” ( ). 

Finally, evidence to support that a medieval ___________ would be the 

victor in this battle is “___________________________________________” ( ). 

Overall, __________________________________________________________. 

REMINDER:​ Once you finish your chart and writing your paragraph, click 
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