Editing Templar (section)

=== Pop Culture Templars ===
The abrupt reduction in power of a significant group in European society gave rise to speculation, legend, and legacy through the ages.  The Knights Templar Order and its members increasingly appear in modern fiction, though most of these references portray the medieval organization inaccurately (one of the most infamous examples being the Templars in the Assassin's Creed franchise, even factoring in the Alternate History angle and fantastical elements).  

In modern works, due to loss of historical records, conspiracy theories and various ideological agendas depending on the writers, the Templars generally are portrayed as villains in fiction.  Most common is the raging fanatics cliche, but there's also misguided zealots and/or representatives of an evil secret society.  Templars being portrayed as heroes in modern works is rare, and then usually it’s as the keepers of a long-lost treasure (such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade).  

That said, while the actual Knights Templar themselves often get the short end of the stick in fictional portrayals, fictional individuals or groups inspired by them tend to get more even-handed portrayals.  This means just as much, if not more, heroic portrayals of their fictional equivalents.