Keys were one of the most frequently seen clue objects in Knightmare, and could either be vital to the quest or a mere red herring. One even doubled up as a character in the original cast!
Casper the key, voiced by Lawrence Werber, appeared in the first two series. He was found by five teams in the Level 2 clue room, and was needed for access to the Hall of Folly in Series 1, sometimes via the Moving Keyhole challenge. He was less useful in Series 2, getting one dungeoneer into trouble with Gumboil and making his final appearance just as the season ended.
Team 5 of Series 1 were the first to use a key that wasn't Casper - it was needed to escape from a bomb room in Level 1. Team 10 of Series 2 used one for the same purpose.
Team 3 of Series 2, Team 7 of Series 2, Team 8 of Series 2 and Team 4 of Series 3 all needed keys to exit a chamber, including the Hall of Folly and the scorpion room.
Team 1 of Series 7 found a set of skeleton keys in Level 1. Self-styled lock master Fidjit gave the team a SIGHT spell in exchange for the keys, after using them to unlock a castle door.
Motley gave Team 6 of Series 8 the key to Lord Fear's Quest Chamber in Marblehead. They opened the door using the Reach wand, which magically recognised that Dunstan held the key.
A key was sometimes required at the end of a level. Team 12 of Series 2 had to unlock the wellway with a key they found in the lion's head room, while Team 9 of Series 3 encountered a trapdoor with a floating keyhole.
Team 5 of Series 6 learned from a spyglass scene that the Great Door had been locked, so they could not enter the Descender to Level 3. They obtained the key from Skarkill with a little help from Puck the pooka.
Team 2 of Series 7 were given a key to the Descender by Hordriss, but died before they could use it. A key to the "back door" of Level 2 was found in a chest by Team 6 of Series 5, who also perished soon afterwards.
Some keys were used to free prisoners who would then offer help in return. Team 11 of Series 3 rescued Velda who'd been chained to a wall. Team 8 of Series 4 sought a key to release Merlin from the stocks, eventually finding it in Level 3 and mistakenly placing it in the knapsack!
Elita was freed from a locked chest by Team 8 of Series 5 and Team 7 of Series 6. On both occasions, Skarkill had trapped her in it, but Julius Scaramonger was persuaded to sell them the key.
Marta was locked in a chest by Sylvester Hands, before Team 5 of Series 7 let her out; they had earlier released Fidjit from the pillory with some skeleton keys. Another victim of Sly's "magic rope" was Romahna, saved by Team 2 of Series 7, who gave him a bag of gold in exchange for the key to her manacles.
Team 3 of Series 5 also bought a key from Sylvester Hands. Though actor Paul Valentine seemed unsure of its purpose, it was one of the keys to Merlin's magic box, stolen by Sly and desired by Lord Fear. The team found a spell scroll in the chest.
Team 3 of Series 7 plundered a similar chest for a spell, though Grimaldine pointed out they could not then use the key to escape Level 1. Luckily Fidjit was on hand with his trusty "number 9" to open Smirkenorff's gate for them; he later unlocked the Firebomb Room for Team 7 of Series 7.
A hint from Igneous prompted Team 2 of Series 2 to select a key, but they never needed it. Teams that died while in possession of a key include Team 8 of Series 3, Team 3 of Series 5, Team 3 of Series 6 (who found one in a dwarf tunnel), and Team 2 of Series 8 (who could have sold theirs to Honesty Bartram).
A few teams got away with unwisely picking up keys. Team 2 of Series 4 should have taken a gold bar instead, but flattered their way past Fatilla without it, and Team 5 of Series 4 even managed to bribe him with a key (to "open lots of doors"). Team 6 of Series 8 rejected Motley's bauble in favour of the key to Level 2, despite electing to skip said level, but still earned the jester's help by telling him a joke.
Others were less fortunate. Mildread didn't want the key Team 1 of Series 2 were carrying, as "My door's got no lock!", and they left without vital information. Similarly, Stiletta didn't help Team 1 of Series 8 with a Reach for Runes puzzle as they'd chosen a key instead of her missing knife.
The following teams all left unneeded keys in Level 1 clue rooms:
Team 3 of Series 1 ("The key to the door is not always key-shaped.")
Team 4 of Series 1 ("Some locks need more than keys.")
Team 6 of Series 1 ("The doors ahead are open. The key is as useless as the fish.")
Team 1 of Series 3 ("The doors ahead are not locked by any normal means.")
Team 1 of Series 4
Team 5 of Series 5
Team 6 of Series 5
Team 7 of Series 8
In the 2013 Geek Week episode on YouTube, a key was available from both of the clue rooms visited. The first was taken and used to operate a lift down to Level 2.
Teams 3 and 5 of Series 1 unlocked doors by stepping on the image of a key. Team 6 of Series 1 had to verbally guide a "listening key" to the matching lock in order to summon Merlin.






Keys also feature in several of the Knightmare gamebooks. In Can You Beat The Challenge, the clue objects in each of the three quests include a brass key. One is needed to exit a bomb room, another to summon Merlin via a keyhole in his chair; the third is of no use. In The Labyrinths of Fear, a golden key discovered in a fountain can be used to unlock a pantry door. In Fortress of Assassins, the player must choose between a crystal key (the quest object) and a leaden key that will free the trapped Pickle. The protagonists' journey in Lord Fear’s Domain takes them through Grue Wood, where twelve keys must be collected from the maze of paths to open a gate. They later obtain the key to the Crystal Cavern from one of Greystagg's familiars.

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