Dark sword (weapon type)

Dark Swords (暗黒剣), also known as Fell Swords, are a group of weapons from the Final Fantasy series. Dark Swords are often utilized by Dark Knights and other powerful classes of wicked and dark disposition, and are a weapon variety of Dark Equipment. Their often recurring types are its weapon of the same name, the Deathbringer and Chaosbringer, with its most powerful kinds being the Valhalla and Apocalypse.

About Dark Swords
Dark Swords are darkness aligned swords within the series, in contrast to the Paladin's Knight Swords. They were once called katanas originating from Final Fantasy III, but they have grown into the series as their own weapon, often featured with sinister and morbid themes, such as death motifs, haphazard blade features, and visceral details. Made in mind for the Dark Knight, they will often bear the ability to deal Dark-elemental damage, inflict adverse status effects, and powerful blades of the arsenal will often have the ability to inflict Instant Death.

Final Fantasy III
Even if Dark Knights appear within Final Fantasy III, there are no Dark Swords present within the game. Instead, they equip weapons named after katanas and they go under the guise of Dark Blades. Nevertheless, these Dark Blades are very effective against monsters that divide and multiply.

Final Fantasy IV
Dark Swords are only usable by Cecil while a Dark Knight, and they are the only weapon that are Dark-element. The Dark Sword is his initial equip, and the Shadowblade is found in the Underground Waterway. The strongest Dark Sword, the Deathbringer, is given by the King of Fabul to Cecil, and is mentioned to have been left in Fabul by another Dark Knight years before.

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
The Dark Sword, Shadowblade and Deathbringer are in the game's coding, but have been dummied out. If hacked into the player's party, only Dark Kain can equipped them.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Fell Swords were introduce in the PSP remake of Final Fantasy Tactics along with the Dark Knight job. These swords can only be equipped by the Dark Knights, and the weapons of this kind can easily inflict status ailments to the foe. It should be noted that all Fell Swords gain extra damage for having low Faith. Fell Swords must be used with two hands, and thus cannot be used with Dual Wield, Doublehand, nor equip a shield. Fell Swords have a vertical range of 2 tiles up and 3 tiles down. Fell Swords can only be acquired by playing the Multiplayer mode.

List of Fell Swords:
 * Chaosbringer
 * Deathbringer
 * Arondight
 * Balmung
 * Valhalla

Final Fantasy Dimensions
All Dark Swords are Dark-elemental.

List of Dark Swords:

Dissidia Final Fantasy
Cecil wields a Dark Sword of unknown type in battle as his normal weapon, and exchanges it for the Deathbringer in his EX Mode. The Dark Sword also appears as a Level 1 equipment piece exclusive to Cecil, along with three other pieces of Dark equipment, and the four form the "Power of Darkness" Combination, increasing Cecil's Wall Rush damage. The Cimmerean Edge may also be a Dark Sword, as it has a secondary stat bonus that only activate when Cecil is a Dark Knight, and serves as an alternative weapon to the Lightbringer, which only activates its secondary stat bonus while he is a Paladin.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Cecil continues to wield Dark Swords both in-battle and as equipment, the Dark Sword and Cimmerean Edge both returning as weapons exclusive to him.