While introduced with theHeavenswardexpansion ofFinal Fantasy 14, the rather intimidatingDark Knightis nothing but heavenly. Armed with their gigantic greatswords and tasked to take up arms against evil-doers protected by titles and privilege, the Dark Knights have become isolated due to their sacred duty. However, inFinal Fantasy 14gameplay, Dark Knights excel in taking the fight back to the enemy, reinforcing their strength as tanks in how they absorb damage and dish it back through fierce attacks.
With Relic Weapons, the Dark Knight can become even more tenacious as they grow in power. As they unlock Relic Weapons through quests and upgrade them, Dark Knights can unlock Relic Weapons with different appearances and stats to suit their needs, allowing them to approach combat with exactly the style and build they need.
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Determination
Perhaps the embodiment of darkness as a source of fury,the Dark Knight in theFinal Fantasyfranchiseis known for their usage of corruptive powers to help the forces of good. InFinal Fantasy 14gameplay, the Dark Knight stands vigil to eliminate those who deem themselves untouchable by the law. Befitting their renegade appearance are intimidating greatswords like theHyperconductive Nothungthat fits an upgraded first Relic Weapon for the Job. Stats-wise, the added Critical Hit and Determination can boost the Dark Knight’s overall combat versatility, although its “corrupted” aesthetic makes it worth the acquisition.
When unlocked, the Hyperconductive Nothung resembles its base form with an ornate hilt leading to a sharp pommel, with white details akin to bone extending outward close to the edge of the blade and forming a large knuckle-guard. The weapon itself possesses a small bladed base that extends to quite a large blade along the midpoint, ending at a decisive point. The blade glows purple upon activation.
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While the Deathbringer of the Anima Relic Weapons line is named after the insta-killingdark-attuned weapon in theFinal Fantasyfranchise, it only stands as a predecessor to the strongest Relic Weapon for the Dark Knight in this particular family. Dark Knight players who want an extremely imposing weapon should get theSharpened Guillotine of the Tyrant, possessing decent Physical Damage and accompanying STR and VIT bonuses fitting the Job’s focus on aggressive tank gameplay.
However, where the Sharpened Guillotine of the Tyrant shines is in its appearance. Compared to the Deathbringer that boasts the usual Dark Knight Arms design of a dark blade with multiple spikes and edges, the Sharpened Guillotine has a more rugged appearance. The greatsword has a glowing blue orb on the side of its golden guard, which in itself is adorned with a design of three white swords pointing at different directions. Beneath the golden guard are black scale-like details extending to both the base and the tip of the weapon, revealing a reverse-edge blade.
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A heavy-hitter like the Dark Knight inFinal Fantasydeserves an equally-imposing blade, with theCronus Luxserving as the weapon for the job for the aggressive tank. Stats-wise, its decent offerings regarding Physical Damage, Strength, and Vitality work well to sustain the Dark Knight’s aggressive playstyle. Moreover, its customizable substats offer much-needed versatility for its build options similar tothe needs of combat Jobs.
Compared to other Relic Weapons series, the Cronus Lux stays consistent with the rest of its Anima Weapon predecessors, at least having a double-edged sword. Where things deviate is Cronus Lux’s lack of swirling sharp edges, instead boasting the appearance of a massive black greatsword that seems made out of the same metal. Its more prominent elements include red engravings that give it an intimidating feel, as well as purple energy radiating from the edges of the blade that extend at the base and near the tip.
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Tenacity
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TheDark Knight’s reliance on brute forceto protect their comrades fits their aesthetic of being raw, rough, and rugged, something that even their Dark Knight Arms share in terms of visual design. TheCaladbolg Pagos +1also follows a similar structure, this time with Critical Hit and Tenacity buffs adding much-needed combat versatility for Dark Knights within the Relic Weapon’s level range.
In terms of appearance, the Caladbolg Pagos +1 fits the design profile of a Dark Knight weapon. Its body as a greatsword seems to be build from a single sheet of dark metal, with a thick base and tip but a rather thin central portion. The blade is stylized to have a single prominent curved edge and a harsh point, but horizontal edges scattered across the blade give it the potential to slice opponents regardless of the side used.
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Consistent withthe Dark Knight’s reputation for being a fearsome tank inFinal Fantasy 14gameplayis its reliance on massive weapons, like theHydatos Guillotine. Thanks to its customizable substats and middling STR and VIT base bonuses, the weapon can help facilitate aggressive plays in line with the Dark Knight’s nature as an offensive vanguard. However, it’s in the Hydatos Guillotine’s appearance that makes it a worthwhile addition to the player’s arsenal.
At its core, the Hydatos Guillotine boasts a similar visual design to other Dark Knight weapons, primarily with its heavy emphasis on sharp curved spikes with a dark blade. However, the Hydatos Guillotine switches things up with a more slender blade, being much thinner compared to other Dark Knight greatswords but maintaining a purple sheen.
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Substats
(Customizable)
Had it not been for the weapon’s innate Elemental Bonus, the Eurekan series of Relic Weapons for the Dark Knight in theFinal Fantasygame wouldn’t set itself apart from its peers. Its lastXiphias Physeosupgrade lacks strong STR and VIT bonuses compared to its Blade’s upgrade, although its massive Elemental Bonus makes the weapon compatible with imbued attacks from the tank.
Unlike other Relic Weapons fortheFinal FantasyJob, the last-stage Xiphias Physeosdoesn’t change much in appearance motifs compared to its Antiquated and Elemental counterparts. Both upgrade tiers have slender black blades that curve differently and maintain a corrupted allure. While the Xiphias Physeos maintains a black blade and red details, its blade is much more massive with matching thin metallic swirls for details.
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In a stark detraction from the archetypalFinal Fantasydesign aesthetic of a Dark Knight relying heavily on on either jagged edges or sharp spirals, theAugmented Law’s Order Zweihanderboasts a more straightforward design befitting sleeker player fashion. The Relic Weapon itself has above-average boosts to base STR and VIT, making it adequate for the Dark Knight’s reliance on heavy-hitting offense intheirFF14gameplay. However, the weapon’s appearance takes the cake for being collection-worthy.
At its core, the Augmented Law’s Order Zweihander is a recognizably large greatsword with quite the massive industrial-style steel hilt. Above it is a trapezoidal guard stylized with ornamental details, with a central portion extending outward to form a “center” blade. This in itself forms the core zweihander shape of the sword. However, the central blade is placed on a larger, flatter sheet of black metal that acts as the bulk of the greatsword’s slicing edge.
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Keeping up with the trend of Dark Knight Relic Weapon upgrades making a stark change in their final iterations isBlade’s Justice, a Greatsword fulfilling the rather corrupted aesthetic of the Job. The Relic Weapon has above-average Physical Damage and bonuses to Strength and Vitality, making it worthy ofthe tank Job’s requirementof an armament to help them use aggression against foes.
For collectors, the main appeal of Blade’s Justice lies in its overall appearance. Blade’s Justice replaces the imposing symmetrical design of its Resistance and Law’s Order tiers with an intimidating curved blade. When activated, the blade glows with a pristine magenta aura, with teardrop-shaped crystals emanating in equal intervals across the sword.
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Maintaining the trend of Death Knights having imposing weaponsin theirFinal Fantasy 14gameplay, theAmazing Manderville Zweihanderadds much-needed extra Critical Hit and Determination base stats to bolster the Dark Knight’s capabilities of contending with tougher foes. However, enhancing the Dark Knight’s design aesthetic as an aggressive tank would be the motif of the symmetrical Amazing Manderville Relic Weapon.
Similar to other Dark Knight Arms, the Amazing Manderville armament has a symmetric wide blade with a penchant for spiked swirls. However, whereas the base Manderville is solidly black from the hilt to the core blade, the Amazing Manderville Zweihander defies convention and is instead silvery in color. While it retains the white ornamental details of its original version, the central details now glow purple, with tendrils of energy circling the blade.
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As warriors willing to cast aside the notion of the “honorable” to strike down the unreachable, theDark Knight inFinal Fantasy 14boasts a more aggressive toolkit compared to its other tank variants. This innate ferocity explains their reliance on Greatswords, with the symmetric ornate steel of the Manderville Greatsword becoming a representative of being the strongest among Dark Knight Relic Weapons. However, of its Manderville series, theMajestic Manderville Greatswordadds more style to the Dark Knight’s aesthetic.
The Majestic Manderville Greatsword’s immense base bonuses to STR and VIT already make it suitable for the Dark Knight’s defense-based builds, with customizable substats improving their flexibility. Compared to the symmetric Manderville and Amazing Manderville iterations, the curved blade of the Majestic Manderville Greatsword adds a hint of menace to the Dark Knight’s appearance. Its curved guard and a larger curved blade extends perfectly from its hilt, with seamless golden details making it seem like one whole sword.
