Dark Knight (Awakening)

The Dark Knight (ダークナイト Dāku naito) is a horse-mounted combat magical class that is introduced in Fire Emblem Awakening. One of the promoted forms of the Dark Mage class, Dark Knights wield Tomes as their primary weapon of choice, and are also able to arm Swords as their secondary weapon.

In Fates, Dark Knights are treated as a Nohrian class.

Combat
Dark Knights are similar to Mage Knights, in the sense that their Magic is slightly higher than their Strength. When compared to their un-promoted forms, Dark Knights clearly have superior Movement, making them great for performing rescue missions. They do, however, suffer from the usual litany of weaknesses that are associated with mounted units, including suffering from limited range on sand-based skirmishes and sustaining bonus damage from Beast Killers. Stat-wise, Dark Knights are rather balanced across the board, with their defenses being evened out at the cost of some Skill and Speed. Their Magic is also slightly reduced to boost their Strength for effective swordplay.

In Awakening, the first skill that Dark Knights are able to learn is Slow Burn. This skill improves their Hit Rate and Avoid by 1 point for each passing turn for fifteen turns. Given the subpar Skill of Dark Knights, Slow Burn can benefit them in the long run, but it has its limitations due to taking time to build up its potency and is generally not useful on lower difficulties. Lifetaker, conversely, is a regenerative skill that allows Dark Knights to recover half of their maximum HP upon successfully killing a foe. This skill is particularly useful when Dark Knights are low on HP; other units could weaken foes sufficiently for them to kill off, allowing them to replenish their HP without the aid of recovery items or Staves.

In Fates, the first skill learnt by Dark Knights has been replaced with Seal Magic. After battling (provided the user survived), the target will lose 6 points of magic after battle. This posits the Dark Knight as an effective mage killer, as it will reduce the combat effectiveness of magic-oriented units like Sorcerers.

Overall, Dark Knights form a rather useful class as a whole, performing well as a flexible offensive unit, complete with a skill that actually transforms their lower defensive capabilities into a boon. However, when compared to Sages and Sorcerers, it is evident that Dark Knights are inferior in terms of Magic caps, meaning that their magical attacks are slightly weaker.

Uniform
The Dark Knight class generally take on an ominous appearance that is closely intertwined with the overarching theme of death, replete with jet-black armour, headpieces with fearsome miens and horses with black coats. The masks donned by both incarnations of the class encapsulate the theme particularly well; in Awakening, the masks donned by Dark Knights carry designs inspired by Grima's face, while in Fates, the masks are very likely fashioned out of actual human skulls.

Awakening

 * Farber - A Valmese commander who fetishizes Walhart.
 * Ares (SpotPass)
 * Olwen (SpotPass)
 * Selena (SpotPass)
 * Possible promotion for: Miriel, Ricken, Tharja, Henry and Laurent.

Fates

 * Leo - Prince of Nohr and the younger brother of the Avatar.
 * Possible promotion for: Odin, Nyx and Ophelia.