Darkness (Dark Knight ability)

Relm: I couldn't miss the chance to practice my drawing!

This article is in need of a few pictures. Perhaps you can help by uploading a picture.

May pain be my blade.

Yuna, Final Fantasy X-2

FFRK_Cecil,_Dark_Knight's_"Darkness"_Soul_Break — FFRK Cecil, Dark Knight's "Darkness" Soul Break

Darkness

Darkness (暗黒 or あんこく, Ankoku?, lit. Darkness), also localized as Soul Eater, Shadow Blade, Dark Wave, Darkside, Dark Bane or Dark, is an ability where a character sacrifices a small amount of HP to deliver a strong (often Dark-elemental) attack, usually on all enemies. It is usually associated with the Dark Knight and Warmage jobs in the Final Fantasy series.

A separate ability called Souleater (ソウルイーター, Souru Ītā?) also appears in Final Fantasy XIV and the Dissidia Final Fantasy subseries of games, taking its name from localization of the Souleater (暗黒, Ankoku?, lit. Darkness) ability from Final Fantasy XI.

A couple of games also have a whole skillset called Darkness associated with the Dark Knight job.

Appearances[]

Final Fantasy III[]

Souleater is a job command exclusive to the 3D version of the Dark Knight. It damages all enemies at the cost of 20% of the user's max HP. This is part of the reason (the other being their weaponry) that Dark Knights are good against enemies that multiply.

The damage formula is:

Damage=Weapon~Attack\times 5+JobLv\times 10+CurrentHP\times 0.9

Final Fantasy IV[]

Main article: Darkness (Final Fantasy IV)

Cecil's Dark Wave sprites (PSP).

Darkness (also called Dark or Dark Wave) is used by Dark Knight Cecil. Darkness has a Charge Time of 2. It deals non-elemental damage to all enemies by consuming his HP.

In the 3D remake, Darkness is a completely different ability that empowers physical attacks at the cost of the user's HP whenever they hit the target for three turns. Darkness also grants the Dark element to the user for as long as it lasts. Darkness can be used via the Darkness Augment which can be stolen from Odin.

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years[]

Darkness is an enemy ability used by the Dark Knight in the Final Tale, located in the Depths.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-[]

VIICC Darkness — Darkness in *Crisis Core*.

Zack can use Darkness by equipping the Darkness Materia. By sacrificing 12.5% of his HP, the player may damage all enemies within a radius around Zack, ignoring Vitality. The ability costs no AP to use. The Darkness Materia is obtained as a reward for missions 4-4-2 and 8-4-6, drops from Demon and Horned Devil, and is stolen from Land Malboro.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth[]

Main article: Darkside Materia

Darkside costs one ATB charge and grants the darkside effect to the user (or removes it if it is already active). This increases the potency of their physical abilities, both weapon abilities and those from equipment, but drains 5% of HP on each use. Leveling the materia up makes the damage boost stronger without changing the amount of HP that is drained upon use. Darkside is bought from Chadley for 40 Nibel Region data points.

Final Fantasy VIII[]

Main article: Darkside (Final Fantasy VIII)

The Guardian Forces Diablos, Doomtrain, and Eden learn the Darkside command ability for 100 AP. It deals thrice the damage of a normal attack, but the user will take damage equal to 1/10th of their max HP even if the user has Invincible. The HP loss can be offset by junctioning Drains to the character's ST-Atk-J.

Final Fantasy X-2[]

FFX-2 Darkness — Darkness in *Final Fantasy X-2*.

Sacrifice HP to damage all enemies.

"Help" description

Darkness is a command ability for Dark Knights that takes 12.5% of the user's max HP to deal special damage all enemies.

If the user has the Spellspring effect, Darkness will cost no HP to use.

Final Fantasy XI[]

Soul Eater is a job ability for the Dark Knight. It adds 10% of the player's HP to their next physical attack, making multi-hit weapon skills and certain weapons very formidable when used with Souleater.

Final Fantasy XII[]

Main article: Souleater (Final Fantasy XII)

The Souleater technick is unlocked for 35 LP on the License Board. It deals non-elemental damage to a ground-based opponent by damaging the user for 20% of their HP. Souleater heals the undead. In the original PlayStation 2 version, Souleater is 1.4 times more powerful than a regular physical attack. In the Zodiac versions, Souleater is 1.7 times more powerful than a regular physical attack and heals undead enemies by 2.0 times.

In the original version, Souleater can be bought in Rabanastre and Nalbina Fortress for 6,400 gil. In the Zodiac versions, it is available after the events in Mt Bur-Omisace and is also a treasure in Stage 42 of the Trial Mode with the Diamond Armlet equipped. It is available for the White Mage, Red Battlemage, Knight, Monk, Bushi, and Uhlan job classes, although the Bushi must obtain the Esper Adrammelech, and Monk must obtain the Esper Exodus license first. In the Zodiac versions, Vossler also has Souleater when he joins the party as a guest.

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings[]

Souleater is learned by Ba'Gamnan at level 24 and consumes 25% of his HP.

Final Fantasy XIV[]

Souleater is a level 26 Dark Knight weaponskill. It delivers an attack with a 100 potency normally, but combos with Syphon Strike to instead deal 400 potency damage. It also heals with a cure potency of 200 and increases the Blood Gauge by 20.

Darkside is a buff granted to the player after using either Flood of Darkness/Flood of Shadow or Edge of Darkness/Edge of Shadow, granting 10% damage dealt.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift[]

Souleater is a Lanista ability that consumes 10% of the user's max HP to inflict Dark-elemental damage. Unless the target is weak to the Dark element, it usually deals the same amount of damage as a normal attack.

Final Fantasy Type-0[]

Dark Side is an ability for Machina that requires 5 AP and is available after learning Siphon Sword: AG ↓. Machina pierces multiple enemies in succession to drain HP and potentially inflict Stun.

Dark Side: Crit ↑ increases the critical hit rate of Dark Side. It requires 8 AP and is available after learning the ability. Dark Side: Targets ↑, available after learning Dark Side: Crit ↑, increases the number of targets for Dark Side.

Final Fantasy Agito[]

This section about an ability in Final Fantasy Agito is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.

Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light[]

Darkside is an ability in the Dark Fencer crown, which also learns enhanced variations of this skill. Dark Fencer's abilities can attack one or multiple enemies, but sacrifice HP in the process.

Final Fantasy Dimensions[]

Consumes one-quarter of max HP to deal heavy damage to a single target.

Description

Darkness is the default ability of the Dark Knight class. At the cost of 1 MP and 1/4 of the user's Max HP, the user will inflict heavy non-elemental damage to one target.

Final Fantasy Dimensions II[]

This section about an ability in Final Fantasy Dimensions II is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT[]

This section about an ability in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.

Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia[]

Darkness is a Bravery ability for Cecil (Dark Knight). It is a group ranged dark BRV attack that slightly consumes HP upon use.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy[]

Dark comes in three levels of power, granting boosts to Strength but increasing the damage the party takes. Dark Lv1 increases Strength by 25 but increases taken damage by 10%, Dark Lv2 increase these figures to +45 Strength and 20% damage, and Dark Lv3 grants +75 Strength at a cost of 30% more damage. Cecil learns the three levels of Dark at Levels 25, 50 and 80, and Sephiroth begins knowing Dark Lv1 at Level 1, and learns Lv2 and then Lv3 at Level 25 and Level 55.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call[]

Dark (Lv1) is a passive ability that costs 2 CP to equip. It is active for the entire length of the stage. It increases Strength by 50, but increases the damage taken by whole party and has very low strength. It is learned by Cecil (default), Sephiroth (default), Seifer (level 10), Auron (level 15), Fran (level 5), Paine (default), and Machina (level 20).

Dark (Lv2) is a passive ability that costs 4 to equip. It is active for the entire length of the stage. It increases Strength by 90, but increases the damage taken by whole party and has low strength. It is learned by Cecil (level 45), Sephiroth (level 25), Seifer (level 45), Auron (level 55), Fran (level 75), Paine (level 35), and Machina (level 65).

Dark (Lv3) is a passive ability that costs 6 CP to equip. It is active for the entire length of the stage. Increases Strength by 150, but increases the damage taken by whole party and has medium strength. It is learned by Cecil (level 75), Sephiroth (level 65), Seifer (level 80), Auron (level 85), Paine (level 80), and Machina (level 95).

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy All-Star Carnival[]

This section about an ability in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy All-Star Carnival is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line[]

This section about an ability in Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.

Pictlogica Final Fantasy[]

Darkness is a job skill of the Dark Knight Memoria. During Break, when attacking with Force Memento, it consumes 10% HP to deal damage equal to 2.7x power with Limit Break +5000.

Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade[]

This section about an ability in Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.

Final Fantasy Artniks[]

This section about an ability in Final Fantasy Artniks is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.

Final Fantasy Record Keeper[]

This section about an ability in Final Fantasy Record Keeper is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.

Final Fantasy Explorers[]

Hold down the button to continually sacrifice HP and charge up power. Steals enemy physical attack and physical defense.

Description

This section about an ability in Final Fantasy Explorers is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius[]

Consume caster's HP to damage all enemies

Description

Darkness is an ability learned by Gaffgarion and Garland at level 60 (4★), Dark Knight Luneth at level 1 (5★), Dark Knight Cecil at level 10 (5★), Duane at level 38 (5★), Dark Knight Paine, and The Red Wing's Cecil, as well as Diabolos at 2★. It deals 1 hit of Dark physical damage with a modifier of 40x and reduces Dark resistance by 120% for 3 turns to all enemies at the cost of 12% Max HP to the caster.

Souleater is an ability learned by Zeid at level 100 (6★). It costs 38 MP and deals a fixed attack with physical damage once per turn for 3 turns to the caster. It enables access to the skill Double Weapon Skill for 4 turns and increases the damage modifier which cannot be dispelled of Abyssal Drain, Freezebite, Ground Strike, and Hard Slash by 1.5x for 3 turns.

Dark Side is an ability learned by Machina at level 17 (5★). It costs 36 MP to use and deals 5 hits of Dark physical damage with a modifier of 3x, deals physical damage with a modifier of 1x that drains 30% HP, has a 20% chance of inflicting Confuse, and has a 20% chance of inflicting Stop for 1 turn to all enemies.

Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin[]

This section about an ability in Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon[]

This section about an ability in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game[]

Various Dark Knight cards have effects based on Souleater, increasing their power depending on the player's damage, or enabling them to damage all enemies while also damaging themselves.

A card featuring the female Dark Knight of Final Fantasy Tactics gains +1000 Power for each damage the player has taken, while a card featuring the male Dark Knight allows the player to choose one of their Forward when it is played, and it receives +1000 Power for each damage the player has taken, until the end of the turn.

A card featuring Cecil's Dissidia artwork inflicts 1000 damage to Cecil and to all the opponent's Forwards when he attacks. A card depicting Refia's Dark Knight artwork allows the player to deal 1000 damage to all the opponent's Forwards and 2000 damage to the Dark Knight for a cost of one Lightning CP.

Ingus's Dark Knight card allows the player to inflict 1000 damage to all the opponent's Forwards for a cost of two Ice CP.

Other appearances[]

Bravely series[]

In Bravely Default, Dark Bane is a Dark Arts ability learned by Dark Knights at job level 1. The user sacrifices 20% of their maximum HP to unleash a dark physical attack on one target that deals 1.25 times the damage of a conventional attack.

In Bravely Second: End Layer, Dark Bane is the level 1 command ability for the Dark Knight. It allows the user to sacrifice 20% of their maximum HP to unleash a dark-based physical attack.

Gallery[]

This gallery is incomplete and requires Final Fantasy X-2: Last Mission added. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by uploading images.

Etymology[]

[view · edit · purge]A soul eater is a folklore figure in the traditional belief systems of some African peoples, notably the Hausa people of Nigeria and Niger. Belief in soul eaters is related to traditional folk beliefs in witchcraft, zombies, and related phenomena. The soul eater is supposedly able to consume an individual's spirit, causing a wasting disease that can be fatal.

[view · edit · purge]Darkside refers to the side that is in darkness, unlit, or having lesser illumination. It can also mean the side that is evil, metaphorically dark.