Dark Knight (DRK) Actions, Traits and PvP Actions

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 great swords act as beacons to guide the meek through darkness.

Dark Knight was added at the start of the Stormblood expansion and begins at level 50. The job also has no corresponding class so all abilities earned are on the job itself. In order to become a Dark Knight you must complete the following quest.

Quest	NPC	Location	Conditions
Our End	Ishgardian citizen	Ishgard, The Pillars (X:13 Y:8)	Quest: Before the Dawn

For each quest you complete, you will be rewarded with a new ability, while the latter quests will also reward you with artifact (AF) armour that is shown in the screenshot above.

Introduction to Dark Knight

Dark Knight is a tank job which uses defensive tactics to hold enmity. It is still capable of dealing decent damage however this should not be your main priority – you should always focus on defense before offense.

Dark Knight Attributes

As a Dark Knight your main stat is Vitality (VIT) as this increases your HP and allows you to survive big attacks from bosses. You should be focusing on equipment with this stat. It is also worth looking at equipment with Strength (STR) to increase your damage and the percentage of damage mitigated by block and parry as this will be useful in boss fights.

For secondary stats you should be focusing on the likes of Direct Hit Rate, Determination, Critical Hit Rate and Skill Speed in addition to simply boosting VIT. However you’ll find Skill Speed is generally not worth it.

Skill Speed and Critical Hit Rate are self-explanatory in what they do. For the other two, Determination is used to boost the damage dealt by all attacks and the amount of HP recovered when healed while Direct Hit Rate is Stormblood’s replacement for Accuracy. Instead of a simple hit or miss effect that Accuracy could give, having a low Direct Hit Rate for a fight will reduce damage dealt so it is important to improve this stat.

Dark Knight Actions

Actions are skills that the Dark Knight can equip to their bar and select to use at any time as long as their timer is available. Actions used in a combo will generate additional damage and effects. All Dark Knight actions are exclusive to that job.

AST BRD BLM DNC DRK DRG GNB MCH
MNK NIN PLD PCT RPR RDM SGE SAM SCH SMN VPR WAR WHM

Name	Level	Cast	Recast	MP	TP	Range	Radius
Hard Slash	1	0	2.5	0	0	0y	0y
Delivers an attack with a potency of 300 .
Syphon Strike	2	0	2.5	0	0	0y	0y
Delivers an attack with a potency of 240 . Combo Action: Hard Slash Combo Potency: 380 Combo Bonus: Restores MP
Spinning Slash	4	0	2.5	0	0	0y	0y
Delivers an attack with a potency of 100. F201F8F201F9Additional Effect:0101 Increased enmity F201F8F201F9Combo Action:0101 F201F4F201F5Hard Slash0101 F201F8F201F9Combo Potency:0101 220
Unleash	6	0	2.5	0	0	0y	5y
Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 120 to all nearby enemies. Additional Effect: Increased enmity
Grit	10	0	2	0	0	0y	0y
Significantly increases enmity generation. Effect ends upon reuse.
Unmend	15	0	2.5	0	0	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
Power Slash	26	0	2.5	0	0	0y	0y
Delivers an attack with a potency of 100. F201F8F201F9Additional Effect:0101 Increased enmity F201F8F201F9Combo Action:0101 F201F4F201F5Spinning Slash0101 F201F8F201F9Combo Potency:0101 300 F201F8F201F9Dark Arts Potency: 0101 240 F201F8F201F9Dark Arts Combo Potency:0101 440 F201F8F201F9Dark Arts Combo Effect: 0101Increased enmity F201FAF201FBDark Arts0101 fades upon execution.
Souleater	26	0	2.5	0	0	0y	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	30	0	1	0	0	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.
Darkside	30	0	5	0	0	0y	0y
Increases damage dealt by 20%. MP regeneration stops during battle and F201FAF201FBRefresh0101 statuses granted by others have no effect. Effect ends upon reuse.
Blood Weapon	35	0	60	0	0	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.
Blood Price	35	0	40	0	0	0y	0y
Restores partial MP when damage is taken. F201F8F201F9Duration:0101 15s F201F8F201F9Additional Effect:0101 Increases F201F4F201F5Blood Gauge0101 by 1 every time you suffer damage and another 4 over time while in battle Can only be used while under the effect of F201FAF201FBGrit0101. Effect is canceled if F201FAF201FBGrit0101 ends.
Shadow Wall	38	0	120	0	0	0y	0y
Reduces damage taken by 30%. Duration: 15s
Edge of Darkness	40	0	1	0	0	0y	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.
Stalwart Soul	40	0	2.5	0	0	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 Passenger	40	0	60	0	0	10y	10y
Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 140 to all enemies in a straight line before you. F201F8F201F9Additional Effect:0101 Increased enmity Can only be executed when succumbing to the F201FAF201FBDarkside0101. F201F8F201F9Dark Arts Potency:0101 280 F201F8F201F9Dark Arts Effect:0101 F201FAF201FBBlind0101 F201F8F201F9Duration:0101 15s F201FAF201FBDark Arts0101 fades upon execution.
Dark Mind	45	0	60	0	0	0y	0y
Reduces magic vulnerability by 20%. Duration: 10s
Dark Arts	45	0	2	0	0	0y	0y
Attune with the darkness within you, increasing the potency of several actions. Can only be executed when succumbing to the F201FAF201FBDarkside0101. Effect fades if F201FAF201FBDarkside0101 is canceled. F201F8F201F9Duration:0101 10s
Living Dead	50	0	300	0	0	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	52	0	90	0	0	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	54	0	30	0	0	20y	0y
Rush to a targeted enemy’s location. Additional Effect: Increased enmity Maximum Charges: 2 Cannot be executed while bound.
Plunge	54	0	30	0	0	20y	0y
Delivers a jumping attack with a potency of 150. Maximum Charges: 2 Cannot be executed while bound.
Abyssal Drain	56	0	60	0	0	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.
Sole Survivor	58	0	120	0	0	25y	0y
Marks target with the status F201FAF201FBAnother Victim0101. If that target should be KO’d in battle before the effect expires, 30% of your maximum HP and MP will be restored. If the effect expires first, 20% of your maximum HP and MP will be restored instead. F201F8F201F9Duration:0101 15s
Carve and Spit	60	0	60	0	0	0y	0y
Delivers a threefold attack with a potency of 540 . Additional Effect: Restores MP Shares a recast timer with Abyssal Drain.
Bloodspiller	62	0	2.5	0	0	0y	0y
Delivers an attack with a potency of 580 . Blood Gauge Cost: 50
Quietus	64	0	2.5	0	0	0y	5y
Delivers an attack with a potency of 240 to all nearby enemies. Blood Gauge Cost: 50
Delirium	68	0	60	0	0	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	70	0	15	0	0	30y	0y
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
Flood of Shadow	74	0	1	0	0	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	74	0	1	0	0	0y	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	76	0	90	0	0	0y	30y
Reduces magic damage taken by self and nearby party members by 10%. Duration: 15s
Living Shadow	80	0	120	0	0	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
Oblation	82	0	60	0	0	30y	0y
Reduces damage taken by target party member or self by 10%. Duration: 10s Maximum Charges: 2
Salt and Darkness	86	0	20	0	0	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	90	0	60	0	0	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	92	0	120	0	0	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
Disesteem	100	0	2.5	0	0	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.

Dark Knight Traits

Traits are not actions and can not be equipped to your bar. They are earned as you level up and are always active. As a result they require 0 cast time and have a 0 MP and TP cost. They are also all exclusive to the Dark Knight job.

	Name	Level
	Tank Mastery	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.
	Enhanced Shadowskin	14
	Increases damage reduction granted by Shadowskin to 20%.
	Enhanced Vitality	20
	Increases vitality by 8.
	Clean Weapon	20
	Shortens Blood Weapon recast time to 40 seconds.
	Hasty Reprisal	28
	Shortens Reprisal recast time to 30 seconds.
	Enhanced Scourge	32
	Extends Scourge duration to 30 seconds.
	Low Blows	36
	Grants a 30% chance that your next parry will reset the Low Blow recast timer.
	Enhanced Vitality II	40
	Increases vitality by 16.
	Enhanced Dark Dance	44
	Improves Dark Dance parry rate increase to 30%.
	Soul Devourer	48
	Increases Souleater absorb HP effect to 100% of damage inflicted.
	Enhanced Vitality III	60
	Increases vitality by 24.
	Blackblood	62
	Allows for Blood Gauge accumulation upon the landing of certain actions.
	Enhanced Blackblood	66
	Allows for Blood Gauge accumulation while under the effect of Blood Weapon or Blood Price.
	Blood Weapon Mastery	68
	Upgrades Blood Weapon to Delirium.
	Darkside Mastery	74
	Upgrades Flood of Darkness and Edge of Darkness to Flood of Shadow and Edge of Shadow respectively.
	Enhanced Unmend	84
	Reduces recast time of Shadowstride by 5 seconds when executing Unmend on most targets.
	Melee Mastery	84
	Increases the potency of Hard Slash to 180, Syphon Strike to 120, and Souleater to 140.
	Enhanced Living Shadow	88
	Increases the potency of attacks dealt by your simulacrum to 420.
	Enhanced Living Shadow II	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	92
	Upgrades Shadow Wall to Shadowed Vigil.
	Melee Mastery II	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 Delirium	96
	Upgrades Bloodspiller and Quietus to Scarlet Delirium and Impalement respectively.
	Enhanced Living Shadow III	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.

Dark Knight PvP Actions

From the Stormblood expansion PvP was revamped significantly and you can no longer use PvE actions during PvP battles. That means all of the actions above you can no longer use in PvP. Action Points (AP) were also removed.

While some of the dedicated PvP actions do have the same name, they will have different potencies or effects. Below are the PvP actions that are unique to the Dark Knight. There exists even more PvP actions and even traits but these are not unique to the Dark Knight. You can find these further down the page.

Name	Cast	Recast	MP	TP	Range	Radius
Bloodspiller	0	2.5	0	0	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.
Dark Missionary	0	45	0	0	0y	15y
Reduces damage taken by self and nearby party members by 10%, while increasing HP recovered via healing actions by 10%. Duration: 10s
Delirium	0	45	0	0	0y	0y
Allows the execution of Quietus and Bloodspiller without cost. Duration: 6s
Edge of Shadow	0	1	0	0	5y	0y
Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 1,000. Additional Effect: Grants Darkside, increasing damage dealt by 10% Duration: 15s Additional Effect: Reduces target’s HP recovered by healing actions by 10% Duration: 10s Extends Darkside duration by 15s, to a maximum of 30s.
Eventide	0	10	0	0	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.
Flood of Shadow	0	1	0	0	10y	10y
Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 600 to all enemies in a straight line. Additional Effect: Grants Darkside, increasing damage dealt by 10% Duration: 15s Additional Effect: Reduces target’s HP recovered by healing actions by 10% Duration: 10s Extends Darkside duration by 15s, to a maximum of 30s.
Grit	0	5	0	0	0y	0y
Reduces both damage taken and damage dealt by 20%. Effect ends upon reuse.
Hard Slash	0	2.5	0	0	5y	0y
Delivers an attack with a potency of 3,000. ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar.
Low Blow	0	5	0	0	0y	0y
Delivers an attack with a potency of 750. F201F8F201F9Additional Effect:0101 F201FAF201FBStun0101 F201F8F201F9Duration:0101 2s
Plunge	0	15	0	0	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.
Power Slash	0	2.3	0	0	0y	0y
Delivers an attack to target. F201F8F201F9Combo Action:0101 F201F4F201F5Spinning Slash0101 F201F8F201F9Combo Potency:0101 1,500 F201F8F201F9Combo Bonus:0101 Reduces target’s HP recovered by healing actions by 15% F201F8F201F9Duration: 010115s ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar.
Quietus	0	15	0	0	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.
Salt and Darkness	0	0	0	0	100y	5y

Salted Earth	0	30	0	0	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.
Shadowbringer	0	1	0	0	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.
Sole Survivor	0	45	0	0	25y	0y
Increases target’s damage taken by 10%. Restores 25% of your maximum HP and MP and increases Blood Gauge by 50 if target is KO’d before effect expires. Duration: 10s
Souleater	0	2.5	0	0	5y	0y
Delivers an attack with a potency of 5,000. Combo Action: Syphon Strike Additional Effect: Converts 100% of damage dealt into HP ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar.
Spinning Slash	0	2.3	0	0	0y	0y
Delivers an attack to target. F201F8F201F9Combo Action:0101 F201F4F201F5Hard Slash0101 F201F8F201F9Combo Potency:0101 1,000 ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar.
Stalwart Soul	0	2.4	0	0	0y	5y
Deals unaspected damage to all nearby enemies. Combo Action: Unleash Combo Potency: 800 Combo Bonus: Absorbs 100% of damage dealt as HP Combo Bonus: Increases Blood Gauge by 25 ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar.
Syphon Strike	0	2.5	0	0	5y	0y
Delivers an attack with a potency of 4,000. Combo Action: Hard Slash ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar.
the Blackest Night	0	15	0	0	30y	0y
Creates a barrier around self or target party member that absorbs damage equivalent to a heal of 8,000 potency. Duration: 10s Grants Dark Arts when barrier is completely absorbed. Duration: 10s Dark Arts Effect: Consume Dark Arts instead of HP to execute Shadowbringer
Unleash	0	2.4	0	0	0y	5y
Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 600 to all nearby enemies. Additional Effect: Restores 250 MP for each enemy hit ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar.
Unmend	0	2.4	0	0	15y	0y
Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 800. Additional Effect: Increases Blood Gauge by 10

Dark Knight Shared PvP Actions

The following is a list of PvP actions which are shared across all classes and jobs. These can only be used in PvP areas and you are limited to selecting two of them.

Name	Cast	Recast	MP	TP	Range	Radius
Aetheric Siphon	0	6	0	0	25y	0y
Activates the instrument.
Anti-gravity Gimbal	0	5	0	0	0y	0y
Simulates the spell Levitate using Nero tol Scaeva’s odd contraption.
Bolt	0	45	0	0	0y	0y
Movement speed is increased. Duration: 10s
Chimatsuri	4.5	45	0	0	8y	0y

Concentrate	0	45	0	0	0y	0y
Creates a barrier preventing Stun, Sleep, Bind, Heavy, Slow, Silence, and knockback effects. Duration: 10s
Deflect	0	2	0	0	0y	4y
Scatters potentially harmful aether.
Doom Of The Living	4.5	45	0	0	8y	0y

Dragonsong Dive	4.5	45	0	0	8y	0y

Enliven	0	90	0	0	0y	0y
Restores 50% of maximum TP.
Final Heaven	4.5	45	0	0	8y	0y
Delivers an attack with a potency of 9,000.
Muse	0	90	0	0	0y	0y
Restores 25% of maximum MP.
Purify	0	45	0	0	0y	0y
Removes Stun, Sleep, Bind, Heavy, Slow, and Silence from target. Can be used regardless of own status affliction.
Recuperate	0	45	0	0	0y	0y
Restores 25% of maximum HP.
Safeguard	0	90	0	0	0y	0y
Reduces damage taken by 25%. Duration: 10s
Smoke Screen	0	2.5	0	0	0y	20y
Throw an incendiary device that creates a blanket of smoke temporarily granting you the Stealth status.
Ungarmax	3	30	0	0	14y	20y

Vril	0	3	0	0	0y	0y
Use the aetheric residue lingering on your body to temporarily disguise yourself as one of Lakshmi’s loyal dreamers.

Dark Knight Shared PvP Traits

The following is a list of PvP traits which are shared across all classes and jobs. These can only be used in PvP areas and you are limited to selecting three of them.

	Name	Description
	Decreased Damage Taken	Decreases damage taken by 3%.
	Decreased Recast Time	Decreases recast time of additional actions by 20%.
	Increased Action Speed	Decreases weaponskill and spell cast and recast times by 3%.
	Increased Damage Dealt	Increases damage dealt by 3%.
	Increased Healing Potency	Increases spell-based HP restoration by 5%.
	Increased HP	Increases maximum HP by 5%.
	Increased MP Regeneration	Increases MP regeneration rate by 25%.
	Increased Resistance Duration	Increases duration of resistances by 50%.
	Increased TP Regeneration	Increases TP regeneration rate by 40%.