In Hollywood logic, the knights are often cast as buff and invincible heroes; they glow in armor that catches the sun, and wield swords in swings that can single-handedly cut through an enemy army. Epic movies and stories tend to put them on a par with gods of war, where they can literally slice through three battalions of opponents at once, and they always have immaculate courage in a robot sort of way. However, knights are not mythological creatures that are free from human limitations; they still bleed, they still tire, they still die. So while there are elements of the Hollywood version that aren't pure nonsense, for example a warrior knight cannot be compared to the civilians. What distinguishes them from regular people is the fact that they are at the upper limits of human capacity; in terms of body, skill and mind, they are at the upper layer which is difficult to reach.
From a very young age, they have been forged in training that exhausts both body and mind; they run long distances in light armor, learn to ride horses until they become an extension of their bodies, and are trained in various types of weapons until their movements become almost instinctual. Their stamina was not simply inborn; it was the result of strict daily discipline, regimented diets, and years of experience facing life-and-death situations. Cuts, bruises, broken bones, they are all part of the process; they are used to carrying pain like a common man carrying a basket of grain. True, of course, they were taught to read the terrain, understand the weaknesses of enemy formations, and take advantage of geographical advantages.
Comparing a knight with two groups of peasant warriors alone shows an almost unbridgeable gap in quality. Peasant warriors were mostly just people who plowed fields, tended cattle, or carried water from wells; their physiques were indeed built from hard work, but the muscles created by farm work were not the same as those built for fighting. They may have the strength to lift heavy loads, but they do not have the efficiency of movement, survival instincts, or the ability to read the situation on the battlefield. Even the equipment knights used was not ordinary weapons. The blades of their swords are forged from high-quality metals, honed to the perfect balance of strength and flexibility. Their armor is designed to withstand blunt and sharp weapons, and is routinely maintained so that there are no gaps for opponents to exploit. Every piece of their equipment was the result of hundreds of hours of work by craftsmen, something impossible for peasant warriors who sometimes even borrowed weapons from the village storehouse; their weapons were often makeshift, either a blunt-tipped spear or a slightly rusty, discarded scythe.
Under normal conditions, one knight could take out two peasant warriors with relative ease; with their speed, accuracy, and strength making all the difference. If the number of opponents increased to three or four, the battle would become more difficult, but still within a knight's victory range as long as factors such as battle distance and stamina were maintained. Five or six peasant warriors certainly put a lot more pressure, but with the help of horseback a knight still had a great chance of coming out victorious; the maneuvering speed of the horse, coupled with the devastating power of attacks from high up, made them a steel storm that was hard to stop.
Dual-wielding, or also commonly referred to as the use of two weapons at once; is rarely the first choice of knights except in a few historical exceptions such as the Roman legions that did have specific military doctrines, or Japanese culture that popularized samurai with the iconic katana and yoroi (samurai armor). Most civilizations prefer a single weapon; if they are dual-wielding, it's at most a crossbow for long range or a small dagger in the non-dominant hand. Learning the techniques to master two different weapons takes a lot of time, energy, and resources; even just to make one high-quality sword, the cost and labor of the craftsman are already enormous.
In a famous real-world example the turtle formation is two groups working from different perspectives and at the same time, they are able to work in a highly coordinated way while creating a deadly defense and attack. The first group is made of warriors with large shields formed a tight protective wall, and their objective is definitely to withstand enemy attacks; while the second group, warriors with spears, stood behind the large wall of shields and tried to thrust spears through gaps to attack. This collaboration combined solid defense with sharp attacks, making the turtle formation one of the most effective strategies on the battlefield.
This was one of the reasons why knights were so exclusive. Just being a regular knight required a lot of capital; not just money for equipment and training, but also political connections and social status. Talent was important, but without the support of an influential family or powerful patron, it was almost impossible for a country boy to climb the ladder to knighthood. Behind it all was a diplomatic network that ensured each knight was not only a warrior, but also a representative of his lord's interests in the political arena, proving once again that talent is not everything; in fact, history has proven thousands of times that insider connections are an overpowering force.
But admittedly, this new world is not the modern world that is known. Among the knights... Even the regular ones often had abilities that made them feel like legendary figures to people on earth; their bodies were able to withstand blows that would break the bones of ordinary humans, their stamina allowed them to fight for hours without any significant pause, and their sensory acuity often surpassed normal limits. One regular knight here was able to defeat six peasant warriors at once with ease, even if the battle was fought in an open field. Hence... If there were a case where a child genius slaughtered an entire enemy battalion, people would not label it as a world anomaly.
This is where the fundamental difference lies. Knights while not as glorious as fictional heroes, are still entities that transcend the boundaries of mere mortals; they are the pinnacle of the fighting arts, the result of investment of time, maximum resources, and countless sacrifices. Therefore, when a knight enters the battlefield, their mere presence is enough to change the morale of the troops; their comrades-in-arms gain additional courage, while their enemies often feel real fear.