Difference between the Crusader and the Knight Templar
It is often assumed that a Crusader and Templar are the same. But that’s not entirely true.
A crusader was a person who went on crusades. In principle, everyone who went on an official crusade was a crusader.
A Templar was a member of the Templar Order. The Knights Templar Order was one of the knightly orders that fought in the Crusades and in the Holy Land.
Crusader was not an order, but a status: someone who temporarily took the cross. The cross could differ per region, lord, or vow.
Colors came from heraldic conventions, fabric, availability, and symbolism—not from one uniform system
Yellow/gold: was associated with light, promise, calling, royalty. (think of the yellow Jerusalem cross of Godfrey of Bouillon!)
It appeared in banners, shields and crosses, but rarely depicted so explicitly “next to” the Templar red.
In other words: there were also other crusaders than just the Knights Templar.
You were Crusaders if you went on a crusade(s). Knights Templar protected Christianity in its entirety.
Knights Templar were also the only ones allowed to wear the red cross on their clothing.
