Knights Who Say Ni Knights Who Say Ni The Knights Who Say "Ni!", also called the Knights of Ni, are a band of knights encountered by King Arthur and his followers in the film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". They demonstrate their power by shouting "Ni!" (pronounced "nee"), terrifying the party, whom they refuse to allow passage through their forest unless appeased through the gift of a shrubbery. The knights appear silhouetted in a misty wood, wearing robes and horned helmets; their number is never apparent, but there are at least six. The leader of the knights, played by Michael Palin, is the
Monty Python and the Holy Grail as a jaunty assault on the well-made revue sketch and an ingenious misuse of television's fragmented style of presentation, threatens to become as unyielding and unfruitful as the conventions it originally attacked." The film's reputation grew over time. In 2000, readers of "Total Film" magazine voted "Holy Grail" the fifth greatest comedy film of all time. The next Python film, "Life of Brian", was ranked first. A similar poll of Channel 4 viewers in 2005 placed "Holy Grail" in sixth (with "Life of Brian" again topping the list). In 2005, the film spawned a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical smash hit