77 Rings

77 Rings
General Information
Location(s)	Windknight's Lot
Country	England
Date(s)	Middle Ages

The 77 Rings (７７輝輪(リング), Nanajūnana Ringu) was a challenge held for knights in Windknight's Lot during the Middle Ages. Known to freeze the blood of any man, the challenge served as a training method. Only five knights in history have completed it.

The Trial

The challenge consists of crossing a 10-kilometer mountain range via stairs and roads. On the way, the knight must not only surpass cliffs and rivers, but also defeat 77 opponents in a series of fights to the death. Each of the 77 opponents carry a bracelet or anklet, which must be taken by the knight and worn for the duration of the challenge. Individually, these rings aren't heavy, but the combined weight of all 77 rings is more than a hundred kilograms. All but five knights have failed the challenge, with most having their skulls collapse from the rings' pressure. Of the five winners, Bruford was the only one to not possess a strong build, preferring to instead utilize his Danse Macabre Hair.

Winners

See also: Minor Characters#The 77 Rings Challenge Winners

Three of the five 77 Rings challenge winners

Winners	Year of Completion
Winzaleo, the Lion King	1327
Eijkman, the Knight of Lightning	1389
Caineghis, the One-Eyed	1408
Bruford	1563
Tarkus	1563

Gallery

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  One of the bracelets worn in the trial

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  A knight wearing several bracelets

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  Winzaleo in the Phantom Blood PS2 game

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  Eijkman in the Phantom Blood PS2 game

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  Caineghis in the Phantom Blood PS2 game

Trivia

• The Phantom Blood PS2 game cuts the narrator's explanation of the 77 Rings, but contains a extra mode called 77 Rings Knights Mode. In this mode, the player must defeat 77 Knight Zombies in a single battle. The mode is split into two variations, Ripple Warriors and Living Corpses; up to six additional characters are unlocked for each time the mode is cleared, while a seventh can be unlocked afterward by clearing another extra mode, Dio Mode.
  • Winzaleo, Eijkman, and Caineghis, who did not appear in the original manga, make an appearance in the game as part of an alternate final chapter. Rather than relying on Wang Chan, Dio revives the three and takes Father Styx's body to defeat Jonathan. The three knights also appear in the game's Extra Battle Mode, and are given their own profiles in Profile Mode. Ironically, they cannot be unlocked in 77 Rings Knights Mode.