Michael Knight is a the fictional protagonist character from the American adventure and science fiction TV series Knight Rider released in the 80s.
Played by David Hasselhoff , Michael is a high-tech modern crime fighter assisted by K.I.T.T., an advanced artificially intelligent, self-aware and nearly indestructible robot sports car.
He is the primary field agent in the pilot program of his public justice organization, the Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG).
Michael Knight is a special type of hero, a "modern knight" who avoids violence whenever possible and generally refrains from using melee weapons or firearms although he is actually a Vietnam War veteran proficient in martial arts, close-quarters combat combat and the use of .38 revolvers and the MAC-10submachine gun.
Michael was actually born Michael Arthur Long and was a LAPD detective working undercover, when he was shot in the face during a case and left for dead. Given a new face via facial reconstructive surgery by the FLAG organization, Long was resurrected as Michael Knight and deployed as their agent (as seen in the series pilot episodes).
