Dark Knight

This article is about the Heavensward tank job. For the Big Fish, see Dark Knight (Seafood).

Introduction

“

The pious Ishgardian clergy guide the flock, and the devout knights protect the weak. Yet even the holiest of men succumb to the darkest of temptations. None dare to administer justice to these sacrosanct elite residing outside the reach of the law. Who, then, defends the feeble from the transgressions of those meant to guide and protect them? A valiant few take up arms to defend the downtrodden, and not even the holy priests and knights can escape their judgment. Pariahs in their own land, they are known by many as “dark knights.” These sentinels bear no shields declaring their allegiance. Instead, their greatswords act as beacons to guide the meek through darkness.

— FinalFantasyXIV.com Dark Knight

Dark Knight (DRK) is a job introduced with the Heavensward expansion and unlockable at level 50 with sufficient progression in the Main Scenario Quests. The job starts at level 30 when unlocked. It is one of four Tank jobs and does not have a base class.

General information

Guild

The job trainer for Dark Knight is initially Fray and later Sidurgu, who is located in Foundation (X:13.3, Y:12.2). This job starts at level 30.

Unlock

Dark Knight is a job introduced in Heavensward, featuring a dark-themed tank wielding a greatsword. It has a few requirements in order to be unlocked:

• Prerequisite: The player must have completed all of the Seventh Astral Era Quests up to Before the Dawn in order to unlock the city of Ishgard.
• Quest: Speak to the Ishgardian Citizen in The Pillars (x13.2,y8.8) to obtain the quest A Dark Spectacle.

Equipment

The dark knight is a disciple of war and wears armor and accessories "of Fending." They use greatswords as weapons.

Weapon	Armor	Accessories
Dark Knight's Arms	Head Body Hands Legs Feet	Bracelets Earrings Necklace Ring

Quests

Dark Knight Job Quests

Quest	Type	Level	Quest Giver	Unlocks	Rewards
A Dark Spectacle		50	Ishgardian Citizen
Our End		50	Ishgardian Citizen	Dark Knight Dark Knight (Simple) Adventurer Plate	1   Soul of the Dark Knight 1   Steel Claymore 1   Steel Cuirass 1   Padded Velveteen Trousers
Ishgardian Justice		30	Fray	Flood of Darkness
The Voice in the Abyss		35	Fray	Blood Weapon
Heroic Reprise		40	Fray	Edge of Darkness
Declaration of Blood		45	Fray
Our Answer		50	Fray	Living Dead   A Dark Day's Knight I Dark Knight - Part 1	1   Dark Knight's Armor Coffer (IL 90)
The Wages of Mercy		50	Unflinching Temple Knight
The Knight and the Maiden Fair		52	Sidurgu	Salted Earth
Kindred Spirits		54	Sidurgu	Shadowstride
Original Sins		56	Sidurgu	Abyssal Drain
The Flame in the Abyss		58	Sidurgu
Absolution		60	Sidurgu	Carve and Spit   A Dark Day's Knight II Dark Knight - Part 2	1   Chaos Armor Coffer (IL 210)
In Memories We Walked		60	Sidurgu
The Widow and Her Love		63	Sidurgu
The Orphans and the Broken Blade		65	Sidurgu
We Can Never Go Home		68	Myste
Our Compromise		70	Sidurgu	The Blackest Night   A Dark Day's Knight III Dark Knight - Part 3	1   Abyss Armor Coffer (IL 290)
Our Closure		80	Sidurgu	A Dark Day's Knight IV Dark Knight - Part 4	1   Battledance Materia VII 1   Savage Aim Materia VII 1   Savage Might Materia VII

Tank Role Quests (Shadowbringers)

Quest	Type	Level	Quest Giver	Unlocks	Rewards
The Man with Too Many Scars		70	Granson
Shaped by Tragedy		72	Granson
Defined by Loss		74	Granson
The Princess and Her Knight		76	Granson
The Hardened Heart		78	Sul Oul		1   Paella
To Have Loved and Lost		80	Sul Oul	Speaker for the Righteous Tank Role Quests (Shadowbringers)	1   Battledance Materia VII 1   Savage Aim Materia VII 1   Savage Might Materia VII

Tank Role Quests (Endwalker)

Quest	Type	Level	Quest Giver	Unlocks	Rewards
Shrouded in Peril		85	Gridanian Delegate
To Give Voice		86	Keeper of the Entwined Serpents
A Gift Undone		87	Keeper of the Entwined Serpents
A Pact Proven		88	Keeper of the Entwined Serpents
Hearts True		89	Keeper of the Entwined Serpents		1   Coconut Cod Chowder
A Path Unveiled		90	Keeper of the Entwined Serpents	More than Death Tank Role Quests (Endwalker)	2   Battledance Materia IX 2   Savage Aim Materia IX 2   Savage Might Materia IX

Tank Role Quests (Dawntrail)

Quest	Type	Level	Quest Giver	Unlocks	Rewards
The Narwhal Beckons		90	Loazenikwe
Sleepless in Ishgard		92	Tentoawa
Between Sleep and Death		94	Tentoawa
Beacon in the Darkness		96	Firmalbert
Awakened, Not Stirred		98	Tentoawa		1   Acqua Pazza
Dreams of a New Day		100	Tentoawa	No Sleep Till Tuliyollal	2   Battledance Materia XI 2   Savage Aim Materia XI 2   Savage Might Materia XI

Actions

PvE actions

Action	Acquired		Level	Type	MP	Casting	Recast	Range Radius	Description
Hard Slash	DRK		1	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	3y 0y	Delivers an attack with a potency of 300.
Syphon Strike	DRK		2	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	3y 0y	Delivers an attack with a potency of 240. Combo Action: Hard Slash Combo Potency: 380 Combo Bonus: Restores MP
Unleash	DRK		6	Spell		Instant	2.5s	0y 5y	Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 120 to all nearby enemies. Additional Effect: Increased enmity
Grit	DRK		10	Ability		Instant	2s	0y 0y	Significantly increases enmity generation. Effect ends upon reuse.
Release Grit	DRK		10	Ability		Instant	1s	0y 0y	Cancels the effect of Grit.
Unmend	DRK		15	Spell		Instant	2.5s	20y 0y	Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 150. Additional Effect: Increased enmity Additional Effect: Reduces the recast time of Shadowstride by 5 seconds
Souleater	DRK		26	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	3y 0y	Delivers an attack with a potency of 260. Combo Action: Syphon Strike Combo Potency: 480 Combo Bonus: Restores own HP Cure Potency: 300 Combo Bonus: Increases Blood Gauge by 20
Flood of Darkness	DRK	1	30	Ability	3,000	Instant	1s	10y 10y	Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 100 to all enemies in a straight line before you. Additional Effect: Grants Darkside, increasing damage dealt by 10% Duration: 30s Extends Darkside duration by 30s to a maximum of 60s. Shares a recast timer with Edge of Darkness.
Blood Weapon	DRK	1	35	Ability		Instant	60s	0y 0y	Grants 3 stacks of Blood Weapon, each stack increasing Blood Gauge by 10 and restoring MP upon landing weaponskills or spells. Duration: 15s Effect does not stack when hitting multiple targets with a single attack.
Shadow Wall	DRK		38	Ability		Instant	120s	0y 0y	Reduces damage taken by 30%. Duration: 15s
Stalwart Soul	DRK		40	Spell		Instant	2.5s	0y 5y	Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 120 to all nearby enemies. Additional Effect: Increased enmity Combo Action: Unleash Combo Potency: 160 Combo Bonus: Restores MP Combo Bonus: Increases Blood Gauge by 20
Edge of Darkness	DRK	1	40	Ability	3,000	Instant	1s	3y 0y	Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 300. Additional Effect: Grants Darkside, increasing damage dealt by 10% Duration: 30s Extends Darkside duration by 30s to a maximum of 60s. Shares a recast timer with Flood of Darkness.
Dark Mind	DRK		45	Ability		Instant	60s	0y 0y	Reduces magic vulnerability by 20%. Duration: 10s
Living Dead	DRK	1	50	Ability		Instant	300s	0y 0y	Grants the effect of Living Dead. When HP is reduced to 0 while under the effect of Living Dead, instead of becoming KO'd, your status will change to Walking Dead. Living Dead Duration: 10s Additional Effect: Restores HP with each weaponskill successfully delivered or spell cast Cure Potency: 1,500 While under the effect of Walking Dead, most attacks will not lower your HP below 1. If, before the Walking Dead timer runs out, an amount of HP totaling your maximum HP is restored, the effect will change to Undead Rebirth. If this amount is not restored, you will be KO'd. Walking Dead Duration: 10s While under the effect of Undead Rebirth, most attacks will not lower your HP below 1. Undead Rebirth Duration: Time remaining on Walking Dead
Salted Earth	DRK	1	52	Ability		Instant	90s	0y 5y	Creates a patch of salted earth at your feet, dealing unaspected damage with a potency of 50 to any enemies who enter. Duration: 15s
Shadowstride	DRK	1	54	Ability		Instant	30s	20y 0y	Rush to a targeted enemy's location. Additional Effect: Increased enmity Maximum Charges: 2 Cannot be executed while bound.
Abyssal Drain	DRK	1	56	Ability		Instant	60s	20y 5y	Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 240 to target and all enemies nearby it. Additional Effect: Restores own HP Cure Potency: 200 Additional Effect: Restores MP Shares a recast timer with Carve and Spit.
Carve and Spit	DRK	1	60	Ability		Instant	60s	3y 0y	Delivers a threefold attack with a potency of 540. Additional Effect: Restores MP Shares a recast timer with Abyssal Drain.
Bloodspiller	DRK		62	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	3y 0y	Delivers an attack with a potency of 580. Blood Gauge Cost: 50
Quietus	DRK		64	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	0y 5y	Delivers an attack with a potency of 240 to all nearby enemies. Blood Gauge Cost: 50
Delirium	DRK		68	Ability		Instant	60s	0y 0y	Grants 3 stacks of Delirium and Blood Weapon. Delirium Effect: Changes Bloodspiller to Scarlet Delirium and Quietus to Impalement. Duration: 15s Blood Weapon Effect: Each stack increases Blood Gauge by 10 and restores MP upon landing weaponskills or spells. Duration: 15s Effect does not stack when hitting multiple targets with a single attack.
The Blackest Night	DRK	1	70	Ability	3,000	Instant	15s	30y 0y	Creates a barrier around target that absorbs damage totaling 25% of target's maximum HP. Duration: 7s Grants Dark Arts when barrier is completely absorbed. Dark Arts Effect: Consume Dark Arts instead of MP to execute Edge of Shadow or Flood of Shadow
Flood of Shadow	DRK		74	Ability	3,000	Instant	1s	10y 10y	Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 160 to all enemies in a straight line before you. Additional Effect: Grants Darkside, increasing damage dealt by 10% Duration: 30s Extends Darkside duration by 30s to a maximum of 60s. Shares a recast timer with Edge of Shadow.
Edge of Shadow	DRK		74	Ability	3,000	Instant	1s	3y 0y	Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 460. Additional Effect: Grants Darkside, increasing damage dealt by 10% Duration: 30s Extends Darkside duration by 30s to a maximum of 60s. Shares a recast timer with Flood of Shadow.
Dark Missionary	DRK		76	Ability		Instant	90s	0y 30y	Reduces magic damage taken by self and nearby party members by 10%. Duration: 15s
Living Shadow	DRK		80	Ability		Instant	120s	0y 0y	Conjure a simulacrum of your darkside to fight alongside you. Duration: 20s. Additional Effect: Grants Scorn Duration: 30s Simulacrum Attack Potency: 420 Additional Effect: Simulacrum is able to execute Shadowbringer and Disesteem. Shadowbringer Potency: 570 for the first enemy, and 25% less for all remaining enemies. Disesteem Potency: 620 for the first enemy, and 25% less for all remaining enemies.
Oblation	DRK		82	Ability		Instant	60s	30y 0y	Reduces damage taken by a party member or self by 10%. Duration: 10s Maximum Charges: 2
Salt and Darkness	DRK		86	Ability		Instant	20s	0y 0y	All enemies standing in the corrupted patch of Salted Earth take additional unaspected damage with a potency of 500 for the first enemy, and 50% less for all remaining enemies.
Shadowbringer	DRK		90	Ability		Instant	60s	10y 10y	Deals unaspected damage to all enemies in a straight line before you with a potency of 600 for the first enemy, and 50% less for all remaining enemies. Maximum Charges: 2 Can only be executed while under the effect of Darkside.
Shadowed Vigil	DRK		92	Ability		Instant	120s	0y 0y	Reduces damage taken by 40%. Duration: 15s Additional Effect: Grants Vigilant Duration: 20s Vigilant Effect: Restores HP when HP falls below 50% or upon effect duration expiration Cure Potency: 1,200
Scarlet Delirium	DRK		96	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	3y 0y	Delivers an attack with a potency of 600. Can only be executed while under the effect of Delirium. ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. ※Bloodspiller changes to Scarlet Delirium while under the effect of Delirium.
Comeuppance	DRK		96	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	3y 0y	Delivers an attack with a potency of 700. Combo Action: Scarlet Delirium Can only be executed while under the effect of Delirium. ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. ※Scarlet Delirium changes to Comeuppance when requirements for execution are met.
Torcleaver	DRK		96	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	3y 0y	Delivers an attack with a potency of 800. Combo Action: Comeuppance Can only be executed while under the effect of Delirium. ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. ※Comeuppance changes to Torcleaver when requirements for execution are met.
Impalement	DRK		96	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	0y 5y	Delivers an attack with a potency of 320 to all nearby enemies. Can only be executed while under the effect of Delirium. ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. ※Quietus changes to Impalement when requirements for execution are met.
Disesteem	DRK		100	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	10y 10y	Deals physical damage to all enemies in a straight line before you with a potency of 1,000 for the first enemy, and 50% less for all remaining enemies. Can only be executed while Scorn is active.

Limit Breaks (PvE)

See also: Limit Break

Action	Acquired	Level	Type	MP	Casting	Recast	Range Radius	Description
Shield Wall	Tank	1	Limit Break Level 1		Instant	Instant	0y 50y	Reduces damage taken by all party members by 20%.
Stronghold	Tank	1	Limit Break Level 2		Instant	Instant	0y 50y	Reduces damage taken by all party members by 40%.
Dark Force	DRK	1	Limit Break Level 3		Instant	Instant	0y 50y	Reduces damage taken by all party members by 80%.

Tank role actions (PvE)

See also: Role actions

Action	Acquired	Level	Type	MP	Casting	Recast	Range Radius	Description
Rampart	Tank	8	Ability		Instant	90s	0y 0y	Reduces damage taken by 20%. Additional Effect: Increases HP recovery via healing actions on self by 15% Duration: 20s
Low Blow	Tank	12	Ability		Instant	25s	3y 0y	Stuns target. Duration: 5s
Provoke	Tank	15	Ability		Instant	30s	25y 0y	Gesture threateningly, placing yourself at the top of a target's enmity list while gaining additional enmity.
Interject	Tank	18	Ability		Instant	30s	3y 0y	Interrupts the use of a target's action.
Reprisal	Tank	22	Ability		Instant	60s	0y 5y	Reduces damage dealt by nearby enemies by 10%. Duration: 15s
Arm's Length	Melee DPS Physical Ranged DPS Tank	32	Ability		Instant	120s	0y 0y	Creates a barrier nullifying most knockback and draw-in effects. Duration: 6s Additional Effect: Slow +20% when barrier is struck Duration: 15s
Shirk	Tank	48	Ability		Instant	120s	25y 0y	Diverts 25% of enmity to target party member.

PvP actions

Action	Acquired		Level	Type	MP	Casting	Recast	Range Radius	Description
Hard Slash (PvP)	DRK		30	Weaponskill		Instant	2.4s	5y 0y	Delivers an attack with a potency of 3,000. ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar.
Syphon Strike (PvP)	DRK		30	Weaponskill		Instant	2.4s	5y 0y	Delivers an attack with a potency of 4,000. Combo action: Hard Slash ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar.
Souleater (PvP)	DRK		30	Weaponskill		Instant	2.4s	5y 0y	Delivers an attack with a potency of 5,000. Combo Action: Syphon Strike Combo bonus: Converts 100% of damage dealt into HP ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar.
Quietus (PvP)	DRK		30	Weaponskill		Instant	15s	0y 5y	Delivers an attack with a potency of 8,000 to all nearby enemies. Additional Effect: Absorbs 100% of damage dealt as HP This weaponskill does not share a recast timer with any other actions.
Shadowbringer (PvP)	DRK		30	Instant		Instant	1s	10y 10y	Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 6,000 to all enemies in a straight line before you. Consumes 20% of your maximum HP when executed. Additional Effect: Grants Blackblood. Duration: 10s Cannot be executed when current HP is lower than 20% ※Souleater Combo changes to Bloodspiller while under the effect of Blackblood.
Plunge (PvP)	DRK		30	Ability		Instant	15s	20y 0y	Rushes target and delivers an attack with a potency of 2,000. Additional Effect: Afflicts target with Sole Survivor Sole Survivor Effect: Reduces target's HP recovered by healing actions by 20% Duration: 15s If that target should be KO'd in battle before Sole Survivor expires, your HP and MP will be restored by 20%, and the recast time of Plunge will be reset. Cannot be executed while bound.
The Blackest Night (PvP)	DRK		30	Ability		Instant	15s	30y 0y	Creates a barrier around self or target party member that absorbs equivalent to a heal of 8,000 potency. Duration: 10s Grants Dark Arts when barrier is completely absorbed. Dark Arts Effect: Consume Dark Arts instead of HP to execute Shadowbringer
Salted Earth (PvP)	DRK		30	Ability		Instant	30s	0y 10y	Instantly draws nearby enemies to your side, and creates a patch of salted earth at your feet, dealing unaspected damage over time to any enemies inside. Potency: 2,000 Duration: 10s Additional Effect: Gradually restores your HP and reduces damage taken by 20% while standing in the patch of salted earth. Cure Potency: 2,000 ※Action changes to Salt and Darkness while Salted Earth is active.
Bloodspiller (PvP)	DRK		30	Weaponskill		Instant	2.4s	5y 0y	Delivers an attack with a potency of 6,000. Potency increases up to 12,000 as HP decreases, reaching its maximum value when HP falls below 25% Can only be executed while under the effect of Blackblood. ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar.
Salt and Darkness (PvP)	DRK		30	Ability		Instant	10s	0y 0y	All enemies standing in the corrupted patch of Salted Earth take additional unaspected damage with a potency of 4,000. Additional Effect: Bind Duration: 2s ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar.

Limit Break (PvP)

Action	Acquired	Level	Type	MP	Casting	Recast	Range Radius	Description
Eventide (PvP)	DRK	30	Limit Break		Instant	10s	0y 30y	Delivers an attack with a potency of 6,000 to all enemies in a straight line before and behind you. Potency increases up to 24,000 as HP nears maximum. HP is reduced to 1 upon execution. Additional Effect: Grants Undead Redemption Undead Redemption Effect: Most attacks cannot reduce your HP to less than 1, and you absorb 100% of weaponskill damage dealt as HP Duration: 10s Additional Effect: Grants Blackblood Duration: 10s Can only be executed when the limit gauge is full. Gauge Charge Time: 105s ※Souleater Combo changes to Bloodspiller while under the effect of Blackblood.

Common actions (PvP)

Action	Acquired	Level	Type	MP	Casting	Recast	Range Radius	Description
Standard-issue Elixir (PvP)	ANY	30	Ability		4.5s	5s	0y 0y	Restores your HP and MP to maximum. Casting will be interrupted when damage is taken.
Recuperate (PvP)	ANY	30	Ability	2,500	Instant	1s	0y 0y	Restores own HP. Cure Potency: 15,000
Purify (PvP)	ANY	30	Ability		Instant	30s	0y 0y	Removes Stun, Heavy, Bind, Silence, Half-asleep, Sleep, and Deep Freeze. Additional Effect: Grants Resilience Resilience Effect: Nullifies status afflictions that can be removed by Purify Duration: 5s Can be used even when under the effect of certain status afflictions.
Guard (PvP)	ANY	30	Ability		Instant	30s	0y 0y	Reduces damage taken by 90% and grants immunity to Stun, Heavy, Bind, Silence, Half-asleep, Sleep, Deep Freeze, and knockback and draw-in effects. Duration: 5s Movement speed is reduced by 50% for the duration of this effect. Effect ends upon reuse, using another action, or when the effect duration expires.
Sprint (PvP)	ANY	30	Ability		Instant	1.5s	0y 0y	Increases movement speed. Effect ends upon reuse or execution of another action.

Traits

PvE traits

Trait	Acquired		Level	Effect
Tank Mastery	GLA PLD MRD WAR DRK GNB		1	Reduces damage taken by 20%. Furthermore, grants a bonus to maximum HP is granted based on your vitality attribute, and a bonus to damage dealt based on your strength attribute.
Blackblood	DRK		62	Allows for Blood Gauge accumulation upon the landing of certain actions.
Enhanced Blackblood	DRK		66	Allows for Blood Gauge accumulation upon the landing of any weaponskill or spell while under the effect of Blood Weapon.
Blood Weapon Mastery	DRK		68	Upgrades Blood Weapon to Delirium.
Darkside Mastery	DRK		74	Upgrades Flood of Darkness and Edge of Darkness to Flood of Shadow and Edge of Shadow respectively.
Enhanced Unmend	DRK		84	Reduces recast time of Shadowstride by 5 seconds when executing Unmend on most targets.
Melee Mastery	DRK		84	Increases the potency of Hard Slash to 180, Syphon Strike to 120, and Souleater to 140.
Enhanced Living Shadow	DRK		88	Increases the potency of attacks dealt by your simulacrum to 420.
Enhanced Living Shadow II	DRK		90	Upgrades Flood of Shadow executed by your simulacrum to Shadowbringer, which delivers an attack to all enemies in a straight line before it with a potency of 570 for the first enemy, and 25% less for all remaining enemies.
Shadow Wall Mastery	DRK		92	Upgrades Shadow Wall to Shadowed Vigil.
Melee Mastery II	DRK		94	Increases the potency of Hard Slash to 300, Syphon Strike to 240, Souleater to 260, Stalwart Soul to 120, Carve and Spit to 540, Bloodspiller to 580, and Quietus to 240.
Enhanced Rampart	Tank		94	Adds an additional effect to Rampart that increases HP recovery via healing actions on self by 15%.
Enhanced Delirium	DRK		96	Upgrades Bloodspiller and Quietus to Scarlet Delirium and Impalement respectively.
Enhanced Reprisal	Tank		98	Extends the duration of Reprisal to 15 seconds.
Enhanced Living Shadow III	DRK		100	Grants the effect of Scorn after executing Living Shadow. Duration: 30s Additionally upgrades Carve and Spit executed by your simulacrum to Disesteem, which delivers an attack to all enemies in a straight line before it with a potency of 620 for the first enemy, and 25% less for all remaining enemies.

Combos

Performing actions in a certain order increases potency and applies combo bonuses.

=> => = Recovers HP and MP while increasing the Blood Gauge.

=> = Hits multiple enemies while also restoring MP and increasing the Blood Gauge.

=> => = A high-damage combo requiring stacks of Delirium.

Job mechanics

Official Lodestone Job Guide (Always up-to-date)

Blood & Darkside Gauge is Dark Knight's Job Gauge.

Blood Gauge

Upon learning the action   Grit (tank stance) at level 10, a symbol will appear on the screen indicating when it is in effect. Grit increases enmity gained from using other actions.

Upon learning the trait   Blackblood, the symbol which indicates the use of   Grit will change to also display the Blood Gauge.

The Blood Gauge displays the amount of Blackblood a dark knight has accumulated, which can be used to execute actions such as   Bloodspiller and   Quietus.

Simple Mode

  Grit (Active)

Darkside Gauge

Upon learning the action   Flood of Darkness, an additional gauge will be displayed, indicating the remaining duration of Darkside.

Darkside increases damage dealt, and its duration can be extended by using actions   Flood of Darkness and   Edge of Darkness.

Upon learning the action   The Blackest Night, an icon indicating the effect of Dark Arts will be displayed on the Darkside Gauge.

Dark Arts is granted when the barrier created by   The Blackest Night is completely absorbed. It can then be used to execute   Flood of Darkness or   Edge of Darkness without MP cost.

Upon learning the action   Living Shadow, you can conjure a simulacrum to fight alongside you. Its duration will be displayed alongisde the Darkside Gauge.

Simple Mode

Darkside

Dark Arts

  Living Shadow

Achievements

This job is associated with the following achievements:

Name	Points	Task	Reward	Patch
Are You Afraid of the Dark? I	5	Achieve dark knight level 30.	-	3.0
Are You Afraid of the Dark? II	5	Achieve dark knight level 40.	-	3.0
Are You Afraid of the Dark? III	5	Achieve dark knight level 50.	-	3.0
Are You Afraid of the Dark? IV	5	Achieve dark knight level 60.	-	3.0
Are You Afraid of the Dark? V	5	Achieve dark knight level 70.	-	4.0
Are You Afraid of the Dark? VI	5	Achieve dark knight level 80.	-	5.0
Are You Afraid of the Dark? VII	5	Achieve dark knight level 90.	-	6.0
Are You Afraid of the Dark? VIII	5	Achieve dark knight level 100.	-	7.0
A Tankless Job I (Dark Knight)	5	Complete 50 high-level duties as a dark knight.	Dark Driver	3.0
A Tankless Job II (Dark Knight)	10	Complete 100 high-level duties as a dark knight.	Of the Stalwart Sword	3.0
But Somebody's Gotta Do It (Dark Knight)	20	Complete 200 high-level duties as a dark knight.	Panther Bell	3.0
Tank You, Dark Knight I	5	Complete 50 dungeons (lv. 61 and above), extreme trials (lv. 61 and above), unreal trials, level 50/60/70/80 duty roulette dungeons, or duty roulette leveling duties as a dark knight. ※Each roulette only counts with daily award bonus.	-	4.0
Tank You, Dark Knight II	10	Complete 100 dungeons (lv. 61 and above), extreme trials (lv. 61 and above), unreal trials, level 50/60/70/80 duty roulette dungeons, or duty roulette leveling duties as a dark knight. ※Each roulette only counts with daily award bonus.	-	4.0
Tank You, Dark Knight III	20	Complete 300 dungeons (lv. 61 and above), extreme trials (lv. 61 and above), unreal trials, level 50/60/70/80 duty roulette dungeons, or duty roulette leveling duties as a dark knight. ※Each roulette only counts with daily award bonus.	Battle Panther Bell	4.0
Tank You, Dark Knight IV	20	Complete 500 dungeons (lv. 61 and above), extreme trials (lv. 61 and above), unreal trials, level 50/60/70/80 duty roulette dungeons, or duty roulette leveling duties as a dark knight. ※Each roulette only counts with daily award bonus.	Of Unyielding Principle	5.0
Tank You, Dark Knight V	20	Complete 700 dungeons (lv. 61 and above), extreme trials (lv. 61 and above), unreal trials, level 50/60/70/80 duty roulette dungeons, or duty roulette leveling duties as a dark knight. ※Each roulette only counts with daily award bonus.	Of Unbreakable Principle	6.0
Tank You, Dark Knight VI	20	Complete 900 dungeons (lv. 61 and above), extreme trials (lv. 61 and above), unreal trials, high-level duty roulette dungeons, or duty roulette leveling duties as a dark knight. ※Each roulette only counts with daily award bonus.	Of Untarnished Principle	7.0

Notable Dark Knights

• Fray
• Sidurgu
• Warrior of Darkness (Shadowbringers showcase)
• Durante

Gallery

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  Concept Art

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  Dark Knight Artifact Armor in 4.0 Stormblood.

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  Dark Knight Artifact Armor in 5.0 Shadowbringers.

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  Dark Knight Artifact Armor in 6.0 Endwalker.

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  Dark Knight Artifact Armor in 7.0 Dawntrail.

Lore

The pious Ishgardian clergy guide the flock, and the devout knights protect the weak. Yet even the holiest of men succumb to the darkest of temptations. None dare to administer justice to these sacrosanct elite residing outside the reach of the law. Who, then, defends the feeble from the transgressions of those meant to guide and protect them? A valiant few take up arms to defend the downtrodden, and not even the holy priests and knights can escape their judgment. Pariahs in their own land, they are known by many as “dark knights.”

History

In the year 960 of the Sixth Astral Era, a commoner by the name of Tryphaniel the Unshod was granted knighthood for acts of valor upon the battlefield. A young man with an unwavering sense of justice, Tryphaniel’s desire to champion the cause of the lowborn was undiluted by his entrance into the privileged world of the nobility. It was this same moral fortitude that bid him trail after a clergyman after witnessing the robed figure drag a squirming child from the alleys of the Brume. The knight’s suspicions were confirmed when he entered the secluded domicile of the priest only to find him committing unspeakable acts upon the body of the abducted waif. Noticing his unexpected visitor, the clergyman attempted to explain away his vile actions as a form of “exorcism,” but the incensed Tryphaniel drew his sword without hesitation, and answered the babbled excuses with a single, fatal blow. Rather than praise his heroism, however, the knight’s peers condemned him for slaying a holy member of the church. He was forced to defend his life in a trial by combat, but though he survived, it was decreed that he would be stripped of his knighthood. Unflinching in the face of accusations that he had fallen to darkness, Tryphaniel roared that he would gladly surrender a title that required him to turn a blind eye to a child’s suffering. He cast aside his crested shield—the symbol of his station—and continued his crusade for the commonfolk with no thought or fear for what others held taboo. His righteous deeds inspired some courageous few to embrace the path of the forbidden, and thus the legacy of the dark knight was born.

Equipment

Chaos Armor

Passed down through generations of dark knights, this antique set of armor was forged of Ishgardian steel and appears sheathed in a faint nimbus of shadow. While the plates may once have shone like well-polished iron, years of blood spatter have dulled the metal’s natural gleam.

Deathbringer

Some two centuries ago, a troubled smith crafted this weapon as the price for a dark knight to punish a terrible injustice. The knight accepted the payment, and found a fitting name for the greatsword after baptizing its blade in the lifeblood of the guilty.

Kumokirimaru

This great katana was forged by a Doman artisan at the behest of Rowena’s House of Splendors. Said to resemble a weapon described in Far Eastern legend—the divine sword that cut down the monstrous spider-spirit “tsuchigumo”—the blade becomes thicker as it nears the tip, giving the weapon a top-heavy balance. In the hands of a master swordsman, however, this awkward weight can be exploited to generate swings powerful enough to cleave through a giant’s thigh. According to the weaponsmith Seika, certain improvements could further enhance the quality of this already devastating weapon.

Dainslaif

Crafted in the Churning Mists at a time when peace prevailed between Dravanian and man, this greatsword and the dragon-like design of its crossguard is representative of that harmonious age. Dainslais creation predates the appearance of dark knights by some centuries, and was originally commissioned for an orthodox knight of high standing. Intended for the purpose of monster slaying, the weapon’s blade was forged with sufficient resilience to endure repeated blows against thick bones and dense hide.

Tricks of the Trade

• Dark Force: By infusing a vast well of aether with her own inner darkness, the dark knight forms arcane barriers of impregnable midnight. The sight of liquid shadow pouring from a sky torn open by this otherwise benevolent technique is commonly described as “unsettling.”
• Hard Slash: A sweeping slash, followed by a punishing upward slice. The most fundamental attack in a dark knight's repertoire, this technique originated from a now-antiquated style of knightly combat.
• Unleash: Releasing his pain and rage upon nearby foes, the dark knight manifests an inky black circle of spikes on the ground around him. All those caught in its thorns are struck by unreasoning terror, and an irresistible need to claw away its source.
• Living Dead: This dark art allows the practitioner to continue fighting through the most heinous of injuries, and exhibit an immunity to pain usually attributed to the shambling undead. Though undeniably effective, abandoning one’s corporeal form to negative energy in this manner, however briefly, is an act fraught with mortal peril.

Fray Myste

• Race (Clan): Hyur (Midlander)
• Gender: Male
• Age: 25
• Epithet: Fray of the Onyx Shade

An orphan of the Brume, a young Fray was set on the dark knight’s path when his future master found him plotting revenge over the body of a friend unjustly executed by Holy See officials. Proving an apt and inquisitive student, Fray approached both the book-bound and physical aspects of his training with equal eagerness. But it was the desire to aid his master and the fiery Sidurgu in their duties that truly drove the youth to excel. Alongside his volatile fellow disciple, Fray later succeeded in rescuing the maiden Rielle from an undeserved fate, but would himself fall afoul of her pursuers. Dragged before the Tribunal for trial by combat, the dark knight fought with skill and righteous rage only to fall to the dancing blade of the court’s champion. It is a testament to Fray’s devotion to life and those he left behind that his soul crystal would burn with such undying intensity.

Sidurgu Orl

• Race (Clan): Au Ra (Xaela)
• Gender: Male
• Age: 26
• Epithet: Sidurgu of the Obsidian Heart

As a child, Sidurgu lived with his family in a frontier town of Othard, until their settlement fell under the subjugation of the invading Garlean Empire. Unable to endure the stifling regime of their conquerors, his parents bundled him into a cart along with their meager possessions, and fled into the wilderness soon after his sixth nameday. For five years they wandered, seeking a place to belong, before their journeys eventually brought them to Eorzea’s shores. Like many of their race, they found themselves drawn to the plains of Coerthas, where they hoped to adopt the nomadic ways of their ancestors, but neither fate nor the Ishgardians were kind to the Au Ra. Molded by a life of tragedy, the displaced Xaela found himself well suited to the mantle of a dark knight. Now bereft of family, master, and fellow apprentice, Sidurgu wears his stern demeanor like a suit of armor, impenetrable to all perhaps but his young charge, Rielle.

Darkness

Arising from the fear and wrath within the dark knight’s own soul, this shadowy flame feeds greedily upon her body's aether, its stygian fires coursing through her blade and fueling her eldritch arts. But as ever, such power comes with a price: should the dark knight lose control over this darkness, she will be consumed in a backlash of entropic energies.

Dark Arts

Fueled by the darkness from within, the dark knight employs these techniques to lend an arcane edge to the blows of her greatsword. Though known for their disdain for shields, the fighting style of the earliest dark knights was nevertheless built upon mundane swordplay, and it was not until several centuries later that one of their order first unlocked the secrets of the dark arts.

Dark Knight’s Panoply

Abyss Cuirass

The many overlapping plates of various shape and size that comprise this cuirass minimize gaps between pieces, while the vicious spikes serve to intimidate any foolish enough to provoke its wearer.

Abyss Burgeonet

The helm of a dark knight will, traditionally, conceal the entire head. The decorative horns of this particular headgear are said to symbolize the first of their order’s righteous loathing of iniquity.

Abyss Flanchard

A flanchard, attached to the thigh, is worn with sollerets to ensure unbroken coverage of the leg. Chainmail is typically layered underneath for additional protection.

Form & Function

The Dragonsong War provided impetus for Ishgard to refine its martial industries—the fields of metallurgy and smithing proving no exception. Ishgardian plate quickly became regarded as some of the finest in all Eorzea, though for centuries it would continue to fare poorly under the onslaught of fang and claw. The See’s smiths, believing that the best way to mitigate damage was to avoid it altogether, traded full-body coverage for increased mobility—a sacrifice that afforded swift attacks and uninhibited retreat, the preferred fighting style of the city-state’s dragoons. This, however, posed a dilemma for Ishgard’s order of dark knights. Seeing as their creed mandates they bear no shield, they required armor resilient enough to fend off more than the occasional glance. After generations of refinement, Ishgardian craftsmen would finally settle upon a design that, while resembling the protective armor of a dragon, features considerably thicker plate linked with flexible chainmail at the joints.

See also

•   Dark Knight, a Big Fish

External links

• FinalFantasyXIV.com Dark Knight on the official website.
• Comprehensive Job Guide provided by The Balance.

References

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Jobs