Also called "Four Knights of Gwyn" or "Gwyn's Four Knights", these warriors were regarded by Gwyn as his most trusted knights, to whom he awarded special rings to enhance their battle prowess. The members of this elite group include:
Ornstein the Dragonslayer
Captain of Gwyn's knights, named for his prowess in killing dragons. He wields spears.
Lord's Blade Ciaran
An extremely skilled assassin in Gwyn's service. She wields swords and daggers.
Hawkeye Gough
A marksman with legendary accuracy, hence his name. He wields bows.
Artorias the Abysswalker
A knight with incredible fighting prowess. He wields greatswords.
By the time of Dark Souls, only Ornstein is seen to remain alive. Ciaran and Gough are not encountered or mentioned to be alive in the present, so their whereabouts and status are unknown. Artorias is known to be dead, as his wolf companion Sif guards his grave. It is theorised that the female corpse behind Artorias' grave containing the hornet ring is Ciaran herself, who stayed near Artorias' grave until she died with her grief and lack of reason to go on (Ciaran is implied to have had a romantic relationship with Artorias).
However, in Lordran, the flow of time is distorted, and in a past time, it is possible to encounter those legendary knights who were gone in the present.
Executioner Smough aspired to be a member of this elite group, but his delight in killing and his occasional tendencies to eat his own victims (reference Smough's Hammer) meant he could never join this elite circle.