Holy Order of the Knights Dragoon

Holy Order of the Knights Dragoon
(聖竜騎士団, Sei Ryūkishi Dan?, lit. Holy Dragon Knights Corps) Alternate names: Holy Knights Dragoon
Background information
Type	Military organization
Affiliation(s)	Holy Empire of Sanbreque
Members
Founder(s)	Dion Lesage
Leader(s)	Dion Lesage
Notable members	Terence Knight of the Splendid Heart

The Holy Order of the Knights Dragoon, commonly shortened to Holy Knights Dragoon, is an order of elite dragoons that serve the Holy Empire of Sanbreque in Final Fantasy XVI.

Dragoons are the fighting force of Sanbreque, but only the elite are members of the holy order. The dragoons as a whole are a continuation of the recurring job from the franchise, using their iconic Jump ability and wielding lances in battle.

Unlike the imperial army, the main collective of the Sanbrequois army that takes orders from the emperor, the Holy Order swears loyalty to Dion Lesage, the crown prince of Sanbreque and Dominant of Bahamut. Dragoons of the holy order are distinguished from their imperial army counterparts by their primarily white attire and the emblem of Bahamut embellished on their chestpieces. Rank-and-file members also make up their number with knights, captains, and astrologers wielding swords, maces, warhammers, or staves. Like the imperial army, the holy order makes use of dragons to support them in battle.

Dragoons of the holy order are largely recruited from the ranks of nobility, their status as knights of the sacred dragon as per belief in the Greagorian church affording higher standing in the eyes of the people. Dragoons are trained in an acrobatic fighting style modeled after the movements of dragons, characterized by sudden thrusts, leaps, and dives. Dragoons are usually the first legion to be called upon when the empire finds itself under threat.

History

Dion is noted as the crown prince and future emperor of Sanbreque in the English version (such as Terence's first Persons of Interest profile being "Attendant to the Crown Prince"), but not in the Japanese version, which only refers to Dion as "prince"; Final Fantasy XVI Ultimania elaborates that Empress Anabella stripped Dion of this title when he was 18 by "promoting" him to the highest possible rank of dragoon instead, making way for Olivier Lesage to become the crown prince, after which Dion went on to establish the Holy Knights Dragoon when he was 20.

In the Battle of the Borderlands in 873, the dragoons led the charge as the empire entered the fray. Prince Dion's opposition to Empress Anabella's schemes spurred the dragoons to rise up against their emperor in an insurgency, which saw them fall from grace. Dragoons kept supporting Prince Dion even after Bahamut rampaged through Twinside, and helped quell marauding hordes of Akashic in Dhalmekia where Dion entrusted his troops to Eugen Havel to join the Rosfield brothers' cause.

Members

Typical dragoon's suit of armor.

• Dion Lesage founded the holy order in the year 870, and serves as its leader.
• Sir Terence is the second-in-command and Dion's attendant.
• The Knight of the Splendid Heart is a dragoon who, after the fall of Twinside, guards the gate leading into the city of Oriflamme killing any who attempts to cross through the gate under the delusion that they could be "Cid", an outlaw whom he believed had corrupted Prince Dion. He is slain by Clive Rosfield, the person behind the "Cid the Outlaw" moniker, after the knight's actions saw a bounty placed on his head.

Behind the scenes

Dragoons are a recurring type of knight in the Final Fantasy series, the most famous of them being named "Highwind". The pose of the dragoon in Active Time Lore mimics the pose of Kain Highwind from Final Fantasy IV Yoshitaka Amano illustration and logo.

The emblem of the dragoons can be taken to resemble a dragon/Bahamut, the wyvern tail flower, and the tip of Dion's halberd, all things associated with him. In Active Time Lore, terms and persons associated with a nation or organization have their flag or banner in the corner. When Dion starts the coup, the emblem on his Persons of Interest profile changes from the Sanbreque banner to the banner of the dragoons. After quitting the dragoons, Dion's profile picture in the Persons of Interest changes to sport the Cursebreakers emblem.