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Dark Knight Job Guide for FFXIV — Dawntrail 7.2

Last updated on Mar 31, 2025 at 17:30 by A Pile of Cats 10 comments

Dark Knight is a tank job in Final Fantasy XIV that have harnessed and utilise the power of darkness to become paragons of justice, using their greatswords to protect the people of Ishgard. This job can only be played after reaching Ishgard, the main city of the Heavensward expansion, and completing a short questline in the city after reaching Level 50.

Dark Knight Guide
Leveling Keybindings Melding Gear and Best in Slot Tank Rotation FAQ How to Improve Job Changes
TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE
1.

What is Dark Knight's playstyle?

Dark Knight Job Stone FFXIV Dark Knight is a greatsword-swinging tank job with a focus on resource management, burst damage, and proper application of frequent, short-duration defensive cooldowns.

Offensively, Dark Knight gameplay involves building and spending both Mana and Blood while managing a suite of high-value offensive cooldowns. A skilled Dark Knight player can plan ahead to combine their resource dumps for party buffs to bring out unparalleled burst damage from the tank role.

On the defensive side, Dark Knight's strengths are flexibility and support. While The Blackest Night Icon The Blackest Night alone doesn't match the strength of the other tanks' short-cooldown mitigation skills on a per-use basis, it gets similar effectiveness when backed up with Oblation Icon Oblation and can be used nearly twice as often. Furthermore, each use of these actions can be applied to yourself or to any party member of your choosing. Dark Mind Icon Dark Mind additionally provides potent mitigation against the very frequent magic damage encountered in trials and raids, and with a shorter cooldown than other comparable defensives.

This flexibility, along with its stylish aesthetic, make Dark Knight a popular pick both for casual play and hardcore progression.

2.

Dark Knight Strengths and Weaknesses

V Strengths
  • +Highly flexible personal and supportive mitigation with The Blackest Night Icon The Blackest Night and Oblation Icon Oblation.
  • +Especially good mitigation versus magical damage with Dark Mind Icon Dark Mind.
  • +Extremely high burst damage that shines in fights with short phases or in parties with strong raidbuffs.
  • +Flexible, resource management-based gameplay.
X Weaknesses
  • -Very busy burst windows that involve a lot of high-ping-unfriendly weaving.
  • -No party-wide mitigation in lower-level content.
  • -Requires frequent and proactive use of The Blackest Night Icon The Blackest Night to
  • -match the single-target sustain of other tanks.
3.

How do you unlock Dark Knight?

To unlock Dark Knight, you must reach at least level 50 on any Disciple of War or Magic and finish the final story quest of A Realm Reborn, "Before the Dawn." Upon entering Ishgard, accept the quest "Our End" from an NPC called "Ishgardian Citizen" in The Pillars (X: 13.2, Y: 8.8) to start the Dark Knight job questline.

4.

Dark Knight Gauges

Dark Knight FFXIV Blood and Darkside Gauges
Dark Knight's job gauge is split into two major parts; the sword-shaped Blood Gauge, and the stylized helm of the Darkside Gauge beneath it.
Dark Knight FFXIV Blood Gauge

At lower levels, the Blood Gauge consists only of the small icon to the left, which indicates whether Grit Icon Grit is currently active. On reaching level 62 and unlocking the Blackblood Icon Blackblood trait, the gauge expands to display how much Blood you have accumulated. Blood is gained through combo GCDs Souleater Icon Souleater and Stalwart Soul Icon Stalwart Soul, and by all GCD actions while Blood Weapon Icon Blood Weapon or its upgrade Delirium Icon Delirium are active. Blood can be spent on Bloodspiller Icon Bloodspiller for single-target damage or Quietus Icon Quietus for AoE.

Dark Knight FFXIV Darkside Gauge

The Darkside Gauge shows the remaining duration of your Darkside Icon Darkside buff, which is gained by using Flood of Darkness Icon Flood of Darkness and Edge of Darkness Icon Edge of Darkness or their upgraded forms Flood of Shadow Icon Flood of Shadow and Edge of Shadow Icon Edge of Shadow. Using up the entire shield granted by The Blackest Night Icon The Blackest Night causes the small, sword-shaped element to light up to indicate a free usage of your next Darkside generator. The final component of the gauge is a red version of the main Darkside Gauge, which appears when Living Shadow is summoned and tracks the remaining duration.

5.

Dark Knight Video Resources

If you would prefer to watch a video that provides an overview of Dark Knight, feel free to give the video below a watch. The video was provided by Julia Care, a member of the community on The Balance Discord server.

6.

Dark Knight Actions

Action Name
  • Cast
  • Recast
  • Range
  • Radius
 Effect
Hard Slash Icon Hard Slash Lv. 1
  • Instant
  • 2.5s
  • ↔ 3y
  • 0y
 Delivers an attack with a potency of 300.
Syphon Strike Icon Syphon Strike Lv. 2
  • 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 Icon Unleash Lv. 6
  • Instant
  • 2.5s
  • ↔ 0y
  • 5y
 Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 120 to all nearby enemies. Additional Effect: Increased enmity
Grit Icon Grit Lv. 10
  • Instant
  • 2.0s
  • ↔ 0y
  • 0y
 Significantly increases enmity generation. Effect ends upon reuse.
Release Grit Icon Release Grit Lv. 10
  • Instant
  • 1.0s
  • ↔ 0y
  • 0y
 Cancels the effect of Grit.
Unmend Icon Unmend Lv. 15
  • 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 Icon Souleater Lv. 26
  • 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 Icon Flood of Darkness Lv. 30
  • Instant
  • 1.0s
  • ↔ 10y
  • 10y

MP Cost: 3000.0

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 Icon Blood Weapon Lv. 35
  • Instant
  • 60.0s
  • ↔ 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 Icon Shadow Wall Lv. 38
  • Instant
  • 120.0s
  • ↔ 0y
  • 0y
 Reduces damage taken by 30%. Duration: 15s
Edge of Darkness Icon Edge of Darkness Lv. 40
  • Instant
  • 1.0s
  • ↔ 3y
  • 0y

MP Cost: 3000.0

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.
Stalwart Soul Icon Stalwart Soul Lv. 40
  • 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
Dark Mind Icon Dark Mind Lv. 45
  • Instant
  • 60.0s
  • ↔ 0y
  • 0y
 Reduces physical damage taken by 10% and magic damage taken by 20%. Duration: 10s
Living Dead Icon Living Dead Lv. 50
  • Instant
  • 300.0s
  • ↔ 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: 1500 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 Icon Salted Earth Lv. 52
  • Instant
  • 90.0s
  • ↔ 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 Icon Shadowstride Lv. 54
  • Instant
  • 30.0s
  • ↔ 20y
  • 0y
 Rush to a targeted enemy's location. Additional Effect: Increased enmity Maximum Charges: 2 Cannot be executed while bound.
Abyssal Drain Icon Abyssal Drain Lv. 56
  • Instant
  • 60.0s
  • ↔ 20y
  • 5y
 Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 240 to target and all enemies nearby it. Additional Effect: Restores own HP Cure Potency: 500 Additional Effect: Restores MP Shares a recast timer with Carve and Spit.
Carve and Spit Icon Carve and Spit Lv. 60
  • Instant
  • 60.0s
  • ↔ 3y
  • 0y
 Delivers a threefold attack with a potency of 540. Additional Effect: Restores own HP Cure Potency: 500 Additional Effect: Restores MP Shares a recast timer with Abyssal Drain.
Bloodspiller Icon Bloodspiller Lv. 62
  • Instant
  • 2.5s
  • ↔ 3y
  • 0y
 Delivers an attack with a potency of 600. Blood Gauge Cost: 50
Quietus Icon Quietus Lv. 64
  • Instant
  • 2.5s
  • ↔ 0y
  • 5y
 Delivers an attack with a potency of 240 to all nearby enemies. Blood Gauge Cost: 50
Dark Missionary Icon Dark Missionary Lv. 66
  • Instant
  • 90.0s
  • ↔ 0y
  • 30y
 Reduces physical damage taken by 5% and magic damage taken by 10% for self and nearby party members. Duration: 15s
Delirium Icon Delirium Lv. 68
  • Instant
  • 60.0s
  • ↔ 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 Icon The Blackest Night Lv. 70
  • Instant
  • 15.0s
  • ↔ 30y
  • 0y

MP Cost: 3000.0

Creates a barrier around self or target party member 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
Edge of Shadow Icon Edge of Shadow Lv. 74
  • Instant
  • 1.0s
  • ↔ 3y
  • 0y

MP Cost: 3000.0

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.
Flood of Shadow Icon Flood of Shadow Lv. 74
  • Instant
  • 1.0s
  • ↔ 10y
  • 10y

MP Cost: 3000.0

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.
Living Shadow Icon Living Shadow Lv. 80
  • Instant
  • 120.0s
  • ↔ 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 Icon Oblation Lv. 82
  • Instant
  • 60.0s
  • ↔ 30y
  • 0y
 Reduces damage taken by target party member or self by 10%. Duration: 10s Maximum Charges: 2
Salt and Darkness Icon Salt and Darkness Lv. 86
  • Instant
  • 20.0s
  • ↔ 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 25% less for all remaining enemies.
Shadowbringer Icon Shadowbringer Lv. 90
  • Instant
  • 60.0s
  • ↔ 10y
  • 10y
 Deals unaspected damage to all enemies in a straight line before you with a potency of 600 for the first enemy, and 25% less for all remaining enemies. Maximum Charges: 2 Can only be executed while under the effect of Darkside.
Shadowed Vigil Icon Shadowed Vigil Lv. 92
  • Instant
  • 120.0s
  • ↔ 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
Comeuppance Icon Comeuppance Lv. 96
  • Instant
  • 2.5s
  • ↔ 3y
  • 0y
 Delivers an attack with a potency of 720. Combo Action: Scarlet Delirium Additional Effect: Restores MP 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.
Impalement Icon Impalement Lv. 96
  • Instant
  • 2.5s
  • ↔ 0y
  • 5y
 Delivers an attack with a potency of 300 to all nearby enemies. Additional Effect: Restores MP 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.
Scarlet Delirium Icon Scarlet Delirium Lv. 96
  • Instant
  • 2.5s
  • ↔ 3y
  • 0y
 Delivers an attack with a potency of 620. Additional Effect: Restores MP 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.
Torcleaver Icon Torcleaver Lv. 96
  • Instant
  • 2.5s
  • ↔ 3y
  • 0y
 Delivers an attack with a potency of 820. Combo Action: Comeuppance Additional Effect: Restores MP 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.
Disesteem Icon Disesteem Lv. 100
  • 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 25% less for all remaining enemies. Can only be executed while Scorn is active.
7.

Role Actions

Action Name
  • Cast
  • Recast
  • Range
  • Radius
 Effect
Rampart Icon Rampart Lv. 8
  • Instant
  • 90.0s
  • ↔ 0y
  • 0y
 Reduces damage taken by 20%. Additional Effect: Increases HP recovery via healing actions on self by 15% Duration: 20s
Low Blow Icon Low Blow Lv. 12
  • Instant
  • 25.0s
  • ↔ 3y
  • 0y
 Stuns target. Duration: 5s
Provoke Icon Provoke Lv. 15
  • Instant
  • 30.0s
  • ↔ 25y
  • 0y
 Gesture threateningly, placing yourself at the top of a target's enmity list while gaining additional enmity.
Interject Icon Interject Lv. 18
  • Instant
  • 30.0s
  • ↔ 3y
  • 0y
 Interrupts the use of a target's action.
Reprisal Icon Reprisal Lv. 22
  • Instant
  • 60.0s
  • ↔ 0y
  • 5y
 Reduces damage dealt by nearby enemies by 10%. Duration: 15s
Arm's Length Icon Arm's Length Lv. 32
  • Instant
  • 120.0s
  • ↔ 0y
  • 0y
 Nullifies most knockback and draw-in effects. Duration: 6s Additional Effect: When you are struck by a physical attack, the striker will be afflicted with Slow +20% Duration: 15s
Shirk Icon Shirk Lv. 48
  • Instant
  • 120.0s
  • ↔ 25y
  • 0y
 Diverts 25% of enmity to target party member.
8.

Dark Knight Traits

Action Name Acquired Effect
Tank Mastery Icon Tank Mastery Lv. 1

Reduces damage taken by 20%. Furthermore, grants a bonus to maximum HP based on your vitality attribute, and a bonus to damage dealt based on your strength attribute.
Blackblood Icon Blackblood Lv. 62

Allows for Blood Gauge accumulation upon the landing of certain actions.
Enhanced Blackblood Icon Enhanced Blackblood Lv. 66

Allows for Blood Gauge accumulation upon the landing of any weaponskill or spell while under the effect of Blood Weapon.
Blood Weapon Mastery Icon Blood Weapon Mastery Lv. 68

Upgrades Blood Weapon to Delirium.
Darkside Mastery Icon Darkside Mastery Lv. 74

Upgrades Flood of Darkness and Edge of Darkness to Flood of Shadow and Edge of Shadow respectively.
Enhanced Unmend Icon Enhanced Unmend Lv. 84

Reduces recast time of Shadowstride by 5 seconds when executing Unmend on most targets.
Melee Mastery Icon Melee Mastery Lv. 84

Increases the potency of Hard Slash to 180, Syphon Strike to 120, and Souleater to 140.
Enhanced Living Shadow Icon Enhanced Living Shadow Lv. 88

Increases the potency of attacks dealt by your simulacrum to 420.
Enhanced Living Shadow II Icon Enhanced Living Shadow II Lv. 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 Icon Shadow Wall Mastery Lv. 92

Upgrades Shadow Wall to Shadowed Vigil.
Melee Mastery II Icon Melee Mastery II Lv. 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 600, and Quietus to 240.
Enhanced Rampart Icon Enhanced Rampart Lv. 94

Adds an additional effect to Rampart that increases HP recovery via healing actions on self by 15%.
Enhanced Delirium Icon Enhanced Delirium Lv. 96

Upgrades Bloodspiller and Quietus to Scarlet Delirium and Impalement respectively.
Enhanced Reprisal Icon Enhanced Reprisal Lv. 98

Extends the duration of Reprisal to 15 seconds.
Enhanced Living Shadow III Icon Enhanced Living Shadow III Lv. 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.
9.

Dark Knight 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.”

10.

Changelog

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Dark Knight Guide
Leveling Keybindings Melding Gear and Best in Slot Tank Rotation FAQ How to Improve Job Changes

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