Dragoon (job)



The Dragoon (竜騎士), also localised as Dragon Knight or Lancer, is a recurring Job in the Final Fantasy series. First appearing in Final Fantasy II, they have become one of the most famous and iconic job classes of the series.

Profile
Dragoons are powerful physical attackers that wield various types of spears and lances. They wear special armor meant to invoke the imagery of dragons, including helmets shaped like a dragon's head, spikes, and wing and scale designs. Dragoons are sometimes more directly tied to dragons, such as owning them as pets or otherwise befriending them. The trademark ability of Dragoons is Jump, which allows them to leap into the air, avoiding attacks while airborne, and descending later to impale enemies and deal heavy damage. Some Dragoons can upgrade Jump to Double Jump, which does increased damage. Another recurring Dragoon ability is Lancet, sometimes called Dragon Sword, which allows them to attack an opponent and drain their HP and MP to heal themselves.

Many dragoons in the series possess the surname "Highwind", though it is not universal. To date, Alexander Highwind Tycoon has been the only "Highwind" to have not been a Dragoon, though he is still associated with Dragons.

Final Fantasy II
In their first appearance, Dragoons are not a Job but a group of spear-wielding dragon riders who fought alongside wyverns. The Emperor killed off most of the group out of fear, leaving only Ricard Highwind and his adopted son, Kain.

Final Fantasy III
In their first appearance as a Job class, the Dragoon class has Jump as its special ability. The class is gained from the Water Crystal.

Final Fantasy IV
Kain Highwind is a Dragoon and the leader of a company of Dragoons in the service of Baron. His father, years ago, also commanded the Dragoons as one himself.

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
Kain's dark side has the Dragoon Job in this game and is temporarily playable during some sequences. Kain, having taken the alias of the "Hooded Man" while he seeks his dark side, is not specified as having a job. After Kain defeats his dark side he is transformed into a Holy Dragoon, a Paladin-like enhancement of the normal Dragoon class with improved stats and the ability to cast White Magic.

Final Fantasy V
Dragoons are a Job obtained from shards of the Earth Crystal. They use the Jump attack, and in its first appearance in the series can use the Lancet ability, though it is called "Lance" or "DragonSword".

Final Fantasy VII
Though the game does not have a Job system, Cid Highwind bears many traits of a Dragoon. He equips spears and lances and can use Jump attacks as his Limit Breaks, including the "Dragon" attack that drains HP and MP from enemies. In earlier development stages, his Job was listed as "Pilot (Dragoon)".

Final Fantasy VIII
Ward Zabac uses a Harpoon as a weapon and is able to use a Jump attack as his Limit Break, both signature skills of Dragoons.

Final Fantasy IX
Freya Crescent is identified as a Dragon Knight and wields spears. Her lost lover, Sir Fratley, is a legendary Burmecian Dragon Knight. Freya is able to use the Jump ability and has the Dragon skillset, which enables her to use magical attacks including Lancet, which is called "Lancer" in this game.

Final Fantasy X
The game does not use an official Job system, but Kimahri acts as a combination of a Dragoon and a Blue Mage. His special ability is Lancet, which drains HP and MP from enemies and allows Kimahri to learn new Ronso Rages, his Overdrive. His initial Overdrive is Jump.

Final Fantasy XI
Dragoons are an advanced Job class that can summon pet wyverns to aid them in battle. They mainly equip heavy armor and spears, and have abilities such as Jump and Super Jump to aid them in defeating their enemies. Also, the Absolute Virtue is a dragoon from this game.

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Some enemy Aegyl are Dragon Knights, who can Jump and use several ranged Breath attacks; or Dragoons, who can Jump attack constantly and only appear in Midlight's Deep.

Llyud can also use the Jump and Lancet abilities among numerous others.

Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII does not have a Job system, however Oerba Yun Fang uses several trademark Dragoon spears, can summon Bahamut as her Eidolon, and her full ATB skill "Highwind" allows her to perform a powerful Jump attack. An enemy named PSICOM Dragoon appears, but is more based on the historical infantry unit the Job Class is named for rather than the Job itself.

Final Fantasy XIV
The Dragoon was added as part of Patch 1.21. Characters who have reached Level 30 as Lancer and Level 15 in Pugilist may take the "Eye of The Dragon" quest. Successful completion grants Soul of the Dragoon.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII
A female dragoon has been seen in trailers, acting as an antagonist with the Niflheim invasion forces. She has been seen diving from a military airship and attacking Noctis with a massive, mechanized lance. In interviews in Dengeki PS and Famitsu, Tetsuya Nomura indicated that she was a contemporary interpretation of a Dragoon, and a member of a special forces unit within the invading army that uses unique equipment and abilities based on the various Final Fantasy jobs.

Final Fantasy Type-0
Final Fantasy Type-0 does not have a job system, but a member of Class Zero, Nine, makes use of spears, and can perform the job's iconic Jump ability. Class Two is a class specific to studying dragoon abilities. Carla is a student of Class Two and Machina Kunagiri is a former student of Class Two.

Final Fantasy Tactics
Dragoons are physical Job that are unlocked by obtaining Level 3 or 4 in the Thief Job, depending on the version of the game. They have a high Jump stat boosted by the Ignore Elevation ability, and can use the Jump skill to strike distant foes.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
This Job is available to Bangaa after mastering two Warrior skills. Along with Jump and Lancet, they also have Breath attacks.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
Once again a Bangaa exclusive Job, Dragoons are unlocked by completing Kyrra, Dragoon and can only be used after mastering two Warrior A-Abilities. They are especially effective against Dragonkind.

Final Fantasy Legends: Hikari to Yami no Senshi
Barbara appears as a Dragoon in Final Fantasy Legends: Hikari to Yami no Senshi, in a tale which grants the Dragoon job to the player's party.

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon
The Chocobo unlocks the Dragoon class by restoring Meja's memories. In this class, the Chocobo can jump to damage enemies a short distance away, and he also possesses elemental spear skills to allow him to harry his foes.

Crystal Defenders
Dragoons are job classes available for hire in the W2 and W3 stages, costing 50 Gil. Though relatively slow compared to other units, they deal massive amounts of damage and can target both ground and aerial enemies.

Dissidia Final Fantasy
The Dragoon Job Card discards all cards from the selection area for a new set. The first card drawn in the new hand is also a Dragoon, allowing the player to freely cycle their hand as long as they wish. However, boss and Chaos cards cannot be discarded as usual, and the Red Mage card does not allow discarding either.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Kain Highwind represents the Dragoon job in Dissidia 012. The Dragoon job card reappears in the new Labyrinth mode, and discards all cards except doors and goals. The first card drawn in the new hand is also a Dragoon, allowing the player to freely cycle their hand as long as they wish.

The Dragoon is a job that can be selected for a character in a party in Quick Battle or wireless matches, boosting the effectiveness of jumping and granting a minor Lancet effect (10% HP drain).

Nightblade
Nightblade (ナイトブレード) is an enemy Job class in Final Fantasy Tactics used solely by Isilud Tengille of the Knights Templar. It combines attributes of both the Knight and Dragoon Jobs.

Holy Dragoon
In Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, Kain eventually defeats his dark side and transforms into a Holy Dragoon (聖竜騎士). This variation of the typical Dragoon is similar to the Paladin class. Kain dons a blue draconic suit of armor, and he gains the ability to cast White Magic. Kain's Holy Dragoon form also appears as his EX Mode in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy.

Lancer
The Lancer (槍術士) is a Discipline of War in Final Fantasy XIV, specializing in the use of polearms and javelins; though it appears they lack the ability to Jump, they retain the Lancet ability in the form of Life Surge. Unlike previous uses of the term "Lancer" as a localization for "Dragon Knight", here it is a literal translation of a different class - in this case, a practitioner of sōjutsu, the "art of the spear".

Uhlan
In Final Fantasy XII: International Zodiac Job System, the Job class Uhlan is the closest to Dragoons, as noted by Hiroyuki Itō, the game's director. The Uhlan uses spears as weapons and equips Heavy Armor. The job, however, can not use the Jump ability so the director researched a different name that is related to spears. The job was ultimately named Uhlan, after Polish soldiers who wield spears.

Bahamut Dragoon and Leviathan Dragoon
These two Jobs appear in unused concept artwork for Final Fantasy IX, in which the male protagonist is listed as "BAHAMUT Dragoon (male)", and the female protagonist as "LEVIATHAN Dragoon (female)".

Lord of Vermilion series
Grendel, the "Dragon Warrior of Chaos," is a summonable monster and the final boss of Lord of Vermilion, designed by guest illustrator Tetsuya Nomura. Described as a legendary drakeman and a dragon slayer, he was cursed and sealed beneath a city of stone by the gods, who feared his valor. He wears draconic armor and has several draconic features, including wings, claws, and a tail. He is named after Grendel, a descendant of the biblical Cain from the epic poem Beowulf, likely a nod to Kain Highwind.

Lord of Arcana series
Grendel appears as one of the boss monsters in Lord of Arcana, as the "Dragon Knight of the Terror Tempest." He is described as a dragon knight that roams forgotten battlefields, spreading chaos with his blade. One of his abilities is called Dragoon Jump. Two alternate forms of this monster, Grendel Banjax and Grendel Annihilate, also make appearances.

Grendel is featured in the logo for Lord of Arcana's sequel, Lord of Apocalypse, seemingly impaled by numerous spears.

Kingdom Hearts II
The Dragoon Nobodies are a direct reference to the Dragoon job, and their battle stance mirrors Kain Highwind's iconic pose from the logo of Final Fantasy IV. In battle, they fight with halberds and strong Jump attacks, which can be learned and used by Sora as a reaction command. The Organization XIII member who controls the Dragoon Nobodies is Xaldin, who also exhibits some traditonal aspects of the Dragoon class himself, such as wielding spears as his signature weapons and specializing in aerial combat.

Etymology
"Dragoon" is the traditional name for a special soldier type in classical European warfare. Unlike Final Fantasy, the original Dragoons did not fight with lances, that being the job of "Lancers" - a completely different soldier class. Dragoons were infantry that rode on horseback, but fought on foot. Originally they fought with a musket called the "Dragon", giving them the name "Dragoon". The Dragoons' arsenal expanded to include guns, sabres, and axes. During the Napoleonic Wars they became medium cavalry and reached the height of their popularity. After the Napoleonic Wars,in order to make better use of the number of men the European military had, the Dragoons were trained to use lances and Lancers ceased to exist. However, thanks to the advances of modern warfare, Dragoons eventually lost their niche on the battlefield, and modern Dragoon units exist only in ceremonial purposes.

The Job's Japanese name, Dragon Knight (竜騎士), is commonly found in Japanese editions of Western fantasy novels as a translation for terms such as "Dragon Knight" or "Dragon Rider", referring typically to knights and warriors who ride on dragons. The term was likely originally localized as "Dragoon" due to the game's Job name length restrictions, and to avoid confusion with the Dark Knight class, which was localized as "D.Knight", though it may have also been confused with the Japanese term for the Dragoon (竜騎兵). Through the course of the series, it has also been localized as Lancer and Dragon Knight, though Dragoon has become the generally accepted term.

Dragoon Dragontino Dragone (classe)