The Knight is another of the basic Archetypes in Metaphor: ReFantazio unlocked during the opening events in Grand Trad. It has high defense and protection, able to draw enemy attacks in and stand tall. While the Knight lacks damage, their strategic Synthesis Skills can become exceptionally valuable in battles in order to weaken enemies. The Knight is highly resistant to Slash physical damage and weak to Electric damage.

Investing in the Knight will allow you to unlock new Skills via its Adept and Elite forms: Magic Knight, Paladin, and Dark Knight. The Knight Archetype is a massive boon to your party early on due to its variety of skills and ability to tank certain attacks. Therefore, it is recommended to have at least one party member using it.

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How to unlock the Knight Archetype¶

The Knight is given to you during the opening events in Grand Trad. It is unlocked once you reach Rank 1 with Hulkenberg’s bond, which happens once you befriend her after the battle with Grius in the city. This comes after you make your return to the city from the Nord Mines.

This is unmissible as Hulkenberg joins your party during the events of the main story.

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Hulkenberg’s bond is one of the more valuable early on in the game thanks to the Knight Archetype.

Knight Skills¶

The Knight has access to six different Skills:

• Knight’s Proclamation - Draws attention and takes attacks for allies for 1 turn (certain attacks defy this effect) (4MP)
• Noble Resolve - [Passive] Halves damage taken when ambushed
• First Aid - Weak HP recovery for one ally (can only be used from the main menu) [Unlocked at Rank 5]
• Ironclad Bond - [Passive] Increases defense by 10%. Defense increases further if Archetypes of the same Lineage are present [Unlocked at Rank 9]
• Guard Lore - [Passive] Automatically increases wielder’s defense at the start of a battle [Unlocked at Rank 12]
• Shield Arts - Deals weak physical Strike damage to one enemy. Decreases their hit/evasion for 3 turns [Unlocked at Rank 20]

A lot of these skills don’t deal damage, but are great at pulling enemy attention. However, you do want to build out the array of skills the Knight has by using Skill Inheritance to transfer over some affinity, damage-dealing skills. Otherwise, the Knight isn’t nearly as strong. However, you can use your party member with it as a character that tanks attacks and captures the attention of enemies, dealing damage with your other party members.

Knight Synthesis Skills¶

The Knight has only four Synthesis Skills which it can use:

• Jump Thrust - Deals medium physical Pierce damage to one enemy. Lowers their defense for 3 turns (6 MP) [Allied Needed: Warrior, Brawler, or Berserker Lineages]
• Protect Guard - Raises a barrier that nullifies one Slash/Pierce/Strike attack for one ally (10 MP)
• Magic Guard - Raises a barrier that nullifies one elemental attack for all allies in caster’s row (28 MP)
• Hammer of Justice - Deals heavy physical Piece damage to one enemy. Inflicts a one-time weakness to Pierce (18 MP)

Like the main skills, a lot of those don’t actually deal damage, instead offering enhanced protection for you and your team. Protect Guard and Magic Guard are particularly strong and vital to survival in the game’s opening dungeons. It is definitely worth focusing on using them in the right moments as enemies prepare strong attacks, so you can be ready to minimize the damage.

For a full list of the Archetypes in the game, check out our Archetypes list.