"Paladins specialize in close-range combat, just like warriors. However, through long hours of spiritual training, paladins have acquired the ability to cast white magic spells, making them even more valuable on the battlefield."

—Official Description

Paladins appear in Final Fantasy XI as an advanced job available to characters who have completed the Paladin flag quest after attaining level 30 with at least one job.

Paladins in Final Fantasy XI are one of the two main "tanks," a massive multiplayer term for a tough character that tries to keep the attention of an enemy. They do this by having a high Vitality and Defense, protective and curative white magic, and defensive abilities like Cover, Sentinel, Rampart, and Invincible which actually does render a paladin immune to physical damage for a short period of time (magic damage is still received as normal).

Becoming a PaladinEdit

The quest to become a Paladin begins in San d'Oria. This is the only quest for an advanced job that has prerequisites besides a level requirement and a quest. A player must first complete two Squire's Tests before they can be eligible for the Knight's Test. The Squire's quests can be completed before the character reaches level 30.

The Quest to become a paladin takes you to Davoi, the capital of the Orc nation. Strangely enough, the proud Elvaan Knights send you on what is basically a sneaking mission to find an old well. Inside is more than water, but a dead paladin's soul. After you retrieve the knight's soul you have proven yourself worthy and earn the right to level as a Paladin.

Paladin AbilitiesEdit

Spell ListEdit

Paladins in Final Fantasy XIEdit

StrengthsEdit

• Strongest defense in the game and a high shield skill make Paladins capable of surviving hits other jobs cannot.
• Paladins have a variety of spells and abilities designed to direct enmity towards them and/or away from other party members making them ideal tanks, protectors of the party.
• Paladins have a very large amount of Enmity equipment available and can hold hate very well in most situations.

WeaknessesEdit

• Depending on what enemy is to be fought, a Paladin may not be as useful as a Ninja because of the damage he will take. Some creatures hit too hard for even a paladin to survive. Other enemies attack quickly but with relatively low accuracy--high enough to hit paladins though--and pose less of a threat to other potential tanks.
• Due to player preferences, it may be difficult to find an experience party at extremely high levels.

Support JobsEdit

WarriorEdit

Warrior is the major support job for Paladins up through level 70 and for almost every purpose they would be used in high-end events. The simple reason for this is just that warriors get the ability Provoke, the simplest and most reliable way of creating enmity. Certain other abilities are enjoyed by Paladins, such as Defender and double attack.

NinjaEdit

Sometimes Paladins between level 70 and level 75 will use a ninja support job to function purely as a direct damage. With the support job they can function reasonably well in TP-burn parties with their A+ rating in sword as well as benefit from Blink through Utsusemi. A ninja sub can also be useful for soloing because Utsusemi reduces the need for healing (and thus downtime), and Paladin/Ninja tanks can work in situations that don't require large amounts of enmity generation. Paladins have an advantage over some other jobs that use Ninja as a support job in that Shield Mastery will prevent spell interruptions from damage if the hit is blocked with a shield, which when combined with Flash, substantially improves the efficacy of Utsusemi: Ichi.

Red MageEdit

When soloing, Red Mage can be an effective support job for Paladins due to an increased MP pool and spells like Phalanx and Stoneskin to reduce damage, while also having en- spells like Enblizzard to increase damage dealt, usually with a sword and shield set-up.

DancerEdit

The most popular job for solo Paladins in 2010's Final Fantasy XI, PLD/DNC allows the Paladin to continue to heal himself or herself even when MP is running desperately low.

Other appearancesEdit

Final Fantasy Trading Card GameEdit

Paladin appears in Final Fantasy Trading Card Game.

GalleryEdit

Promotional artwork of the Paladin job class by Yuzuki Ikeda.

A Mithra Paladin in Artifact Armor.

A group shot of all the races in Artifact Armor.