Which French knight was nicknamed the Chevalier sans peur et sans reproche, meaning “the knight without fear and beyond reproach”?

The French knight nicknamed the Chevalier sans peur et sans reproche was Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard.

Bayard was born around 1476 and served several French kings during the Italian Wars. His reputation combined battlefield courage with the chivalric ideals of loyalty, generosity, and protection of weaker opponents.

He became especially famous after the Battle of Garigliano in 1503, where tradition says he defended a bridge against a much larger force. In 1524, during the retreat from Rebec, Bayard was mortally wounded while serving as a rearguard commander against Imperial troops.

The epithet is often translated as “the knight without fear and beyond reproach.” Bayard was a real military commander, unlike legendary knights such as Lancelot or Gawain. He also should not be confused with Bertrand du Guesclin, the earlier Breton constable of France.