Paladin
The Paladin (パラディン, Paradin?) is an advanced vocation in the series. Originally, the vocation was depicted as closer to a Martial Artist who had undergone the spiritual training of a Priest. Starting with Dragon Quest IX and Dragon Quest X, the image of the Paladin was changed closer to the traditional holy knight seen in other role-playing games.
| Vocation | |
| Paladin | |
Art for a female paladin in Dragon Quest IX. | |
| Japanese name: | パラディン (Paradin) |
|---|---|
| Introduced in: | Dragon Quest VI |
| Appears in: | Dragon Quest VI Dragon Quest VII Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Dragon Quest IX Dragon Quest X Dragon Quest of the Stars Dragon Quest Walk Dragon Quest Smash/Grow |
Description edit
The Paladin increases Strength, Agility and Wisdom in both Dragon Quest VI and Dragon Quest VII, and possess a low chance of killing the enemy instantly by striking a soft spot. This chance rises when the higher rank the paladin is, and varies between two titles. In Dragon Quest IX, the Paladin loses its Agility and ability to instantly slay monsters in exchange for more max HP and Resilience, focusing the vocation's skills and spells entirely on defending the party.
Regardless of the game being played, the Paladin is dedicated to taking hits for weakened party members and bearing the brunt of enemy assault. Though this puts them at great risk of being killed in a single turn, doing so keeps the pressure off the rest of the party and allows the healer to focus on maintaining only one ally instead of three for a time.
Appearences edit
Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation edit
A character needs to master both the Martial Artist and Priest vocations to become a Paladin.
| Rank | Slay Rate |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1/256 |
| 2 | 1/64 |
| 3 | 1/48 |
| 4 | 1/32 |
| 5 | 1/32 |
| 6 | 1/16 |
| 7 | 1/16 |
| 8 | 1/8 |
Stat Changes edit
| Statistics | Change |
| Battles to Master | 260 |
| Strength | +15% |
| Agility | +15% |
| Resilience | Null |
| Wisdom | +15% |
| Style | Null |
| Max HP | Null |
| Max MP | Null |
| Trait | Chance to instantly kill enemies with melee attacks |
| Mastery Bonus | +20 Max HP |
Abilities edit
| Level | Title | Learns | Battles Needed | Target | Info | MP |
| 1 | Bronze Knight | Selflessness | 1 | One Ally | Step in to take a blow for a party member in peril. | 0 |
| 2 | Iron Knight | Thin Air | 25 | All enemies | Conjures a vacuum-vortex that tears enemies to shreds. | 0 |
| 3 | Steel Knight | Double Up | 50 | One enemy | Ditches defence to increase attack an impressive amount. | 0 |
| 4 | Silver Knight | Kaswoosh | 80 | One group | Slices through a group of enemies with a ferocious whirlwind. | 8 |
| 5 | Gold Knight | Magic Barrier | 115 | Party | Forms a protective barrier that reduces the efficacy of enemy spells. | 3 |
| 6 | Crystal Knight | Forbearance | 155 | Party | Stand steadfast in order to protect allies from attack. | 0 |
| 7 | Royal Knight | Kerplunk | 200 | Party | Sacrifice caster's life to resurrect all other party members. | All |
| 8 | Holy Knight | Pearly Gates | 260 | All enemies | Opens heaven's door to unleash divine judgement on a group of enemies. | 20 |
Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past edit
As before, characters become Paladins by mastering the Priest and Martial Artist vocations, and can go on to become Champions when combined with Gladiators.
| Rank | Slay Rate |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0/256 |
| 2 | 0/256 |
| 3 | 1/32 |
| 4 | 1/32 |
| 5 | 1/32 |
| 6 | 1/32 |
| 7 | 1/32 |
| 8 | 1/16 |
Stat Changes edit
| Statistics | Change |
| Battles to Master | 240 (PS1) |
| 201 (3DS) | |
| Strength | +10% |
| Agility | +15% |
| Resilience | Null |
| Wisdom | +15% |
| Style | Null |
| Max HP | Null |
| Max MP | Null |
| Mastery Bonus | +20 Bonus to HP |
PSX Abilities edit
While the American PSX release of the game used the old localisation, the current names are also written for better navigation clarity.
| Level | Title | Learns | Battles Needed | Target | Info | MP |
| 1 | Page | Selflessness (ScapeGoat) |
1 | Self | User will intercept all attacks directed to one ally for one turn | 0 |
| 2 | Squire | Thin Air (Vacuum) |
20 | All Enemies | Causes wind damage to all enemies. Its power grows as the user gains levels | 0 |
| 3 | Knight | Double Up (Berserker) |
40 | One Enemy | Instantly does a critical hit but lowers the user's defense to zero for the remainder of the turn | 0 |
| 4 | Zealot | Kaswoosh (Infermost) |
80 | One Group | Causes ~150HP in wind damage to one group of enemies | 8 |
| 5 | Crusader | Magic Barrier (MagicWall) |
120 | All Allies | Reduces magic damage to all allies | 3 |
| 6 | Templar | Forbearance (Guardian) |
150 | Self | Intercepts all attacks to all allies for one turn | 0 |
| 7 | Holy Knight | Kerplunk (Farewell) |
180 | Self | All allies are healed but the caster is killed | All |
| 8 | Martyr | Pearly Gates (MultiCut) |
240 | One Group | Causes ~200HP in wind damage to one group of enemies, does 30% extra damage to undead monsters | 20 |
3DS Abilities edit
| Level | Title | Learns | Battles Needed | Target | Info | MP |
| 1 | Bronze Knight | Selflessness | 1 | One ally | Shields a chosen ally for one turn. | 0 |
| Stomp | All enemies | Damage all enemies with Woosh damage, has a 1⁄3 chance to fail. | 0 | |||
| 2 | Iron Knight | Thin Air | 19 | All enemies | Damage all enemies with Woosh damage for ((Lvl*2)+30), capping at 165. | 0 |
| 3 | Steel Knight | Kasap | 39 | One group | Reduces defence of a group of enemies. | 4 |
| Double Up | One enemy | Ditches users defence to increase attack, lasts one turn. | 0 | |||
| 4 | Silver Knight | Kaswoosh | 63 | One group | Summon a twister that damages an enemy group. | 8 |
| Multiheal | Party | Restore at least 100HP to all party members. | 10 | |||
| 5 | Gold Knight | Magic Barrier | 91 | Party | Raises the magic resistance of the whole party. | 3 |
| Forbearance | Party | The user guards all allies from enemy attacks, even attacks that hit multiple party members. | 0 | |||
| 6 | Crystal Knight | Oomph | 115 | One ally | Temporarily double an ally's attack. | 6 |
| Kazing | One ally | Resurrect a chosen fallen ally to full health. | 15 | |||
| 7 | Royal Knight | Kerplunk | 151 | Party | Sacrifices user to resurrect party. | All MP |
| Disruptive Wave | All enemies | Remove all buffs and debuffs from the enemies. | 0 | |||
| 8 | Holy Knight | Pearly Gates | 201 | One group | Deals between 180~210 damage | 20 |
Usefulness edit
The Paladin's innate ability to instantly kill one enemy is low even at rank 8, and will not work on bosses. As for the skills, Kerplunk isn't a useful skill except as a last resort. Forbearance and Selflessness are extremely useful, but extra care must be used when facing enemies that utilize multi-target skills and spells, as the Paladin will take up to four times the damage. Thin Air is a very useful skill as, like Wind Sickles, it grows stronger with higher levels. Pearly Gates is also useful but due to the fact that it only hits one group and it cost 20 MP to cast, you are better off using Thin Air.
In regards to career advancement, the Paladin can combine the mastered Gladiator class to become a Godhand and have access to some of the best offensive skills in the game.
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined edit
Paladin is unlocked by matering the Martial Artist and Priest vocations.
Paladins excel at defending and healing their allies with skills and spells like Kabuff, Multiheal, or Forbearance; though they can also do some damage to all enemies with powerful skills like Thin Air and Pearly Gates.
Mastering Paladin and Gladiator allows brave adventurers to become Champions. Mastering Paladin and two other intermediate vocations allow a character to become a Hero.
| Level | Type | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kabuff | |
| 1 | Wind Sickles | |
| 2 | Midheal | |
| 2 | Squelch | |
| 3 | Forbearance | |
| 4 | Immense Defence | |
| 4 | Miracle Shield | |
| 5 | Thin Air | |
| 6 | Multiheal | |
| 6 | Zing | |
| 7 | Defending Champion | |
| 7 | Kerplunk | |
| 8 | Pearly Gates | |
| Let loose skill | ||
| Knight Watch: Adopts a knightly stance that reduces damage taken while increasing the likelihood of blocking attacks to its absolute maximum. | ||
| Maximum HP | Maximum MP | Attack | Defence | Magical Might | Charm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||||
| Magical Mending | Strength | Deftness | Resilience | Agility | |
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies edit
The Paladin vocation is late in the game after completing Quest 106. Paladins have the unique skillset "Virtue", and can also use skill points to learn Hammer, Spear, Wand, and Shield skills. Their Coup de Grâce is "Knight's Watch," which prevents all damage and enrages all enemies.
Many players consider the vocation to be a Goddess-send when facing Legacy Bosses, as the beasts can very easily obliterate an unguarded party even at high levels. Due to elemental resisting equipment now working off of percentages rather than static numbers, it is slightly easier to keep a Paladin alive when he or she bears the brunt of a multi-striking ability.
Stats edit
| Attribute | Starting Stats | Maximum Stats |
| Level | 1 | 99 |
| HP | 36 | 600 |
| MP | 11 | 175 |
| Strength | 21 | 354 |
| Agility | 4 | 73 |
| Resilience | 22 | 360 |
| Magical Might | 0 | 0 |
| Magical Mending | 10 | 164 |
| Deftness | 1 | 9 |
| Charm | 7 | 116 |
Virtue edit
| Accolade | Required points | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slight Knight | 4 | Pincushion | Sprouts protective spikes all over the user's body. |
| Alright Knight | 10 | Natural Resilience +10 | Permanently adds 10 to Resilience. |
| Polite Knight | 16 | H-Pathy | Donate some HP to a fellow party member. |
| Light Knight | 22 | Natural Magical Mending +30 | Permanently adds 30 to Magical Mending. |
| Bright Knight | 32 | M-Pathy | Donate some MP to a fellow party member. |
| White Knight | 42 | Natural Resilience +30 | Permanently adds 30 to Resilience. |
| Right Knight | 55 | Selflessness | Step in to take a blow for a party member in peril. |
| Upright Knight | 68 | Natural Resilience +60 | Permanently adds 60 to Resilience. |
| Outright Knight | 82 | Forbearance | Stands steadfast in order to protect allies from attack. |
| Out of Sight Knight | 100 | Natural Max. HP +80 | Permanently adds 80 to max. HP. |
Spells edit
| Name | Level | MP | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buff | 2 | 3 | Raises the defence of a single party member. |
| Heal | 7 | 2 | Restores at least 30 HP to a single ally. |
| Spell Checker | 10 | 3 | Protects a single ally from attack spells. |
| Midheal | 20 | 4 | Restores at least 75 HP to a single ally. |
| Kabuff | 26 | 6 | Raises the defence of all party members. |
| Magic Barrier | 28 | 6 | Protects the whole party from attack spells. |
| Kamikazee | 33 | 1 | Sacrifices the caster's life to destroy all enemies. |
| Kerplunk | 46 | All | Sacrifices caster's life to resurrect all dead party members. |
Revocation Award edit
Dragon Quest of the Stars edit
Paladin is a specialist vocation which requires leveling up Warrior and Martial Artist to level 50. Paladins have great HP and defence, and can protect their allies. Their Bonding Buddy skill is similar to Selflessness.
Leveling up a Paladin to level 99 is one of the requisites to unlock the Guardian vocation.
Dragon Quest Walk edit
Paladins were added to the game in a May 2020 update. It requires that a character reach Level 50 with the Warrior and Priest vocations first. They specialise mainly in equipping yellow and green-coloured Monster Hearts and their preferred weapons are Swords, Axes, Staves, and Spears. Their special vocation ability Knight Watch will occasionally protect a single ally from all damage and survive with 1 HP when critically injured. Reaching Level 70 as a Paladin is one of the requirements to become a Champion or Guardian.
Dragon Quest Smash/Grow edit
Paladin is the first advanced vocation in the game, added to the game on July 7th, 2026. It requires that a character reach Level 50 as both a Warrior and a Priest. They specialise in equipping yellow and green-coloured Memories and their preferred weapons are Swords and Spears. Their Vocation Traits are "Holy Shield", which sometimes reduces damage taken by self or allies when a Paladin is in the party, and "Fortitude", which increases the whole party's max HP, defence and magical defence. Their two vocational Blessings are "Knight Watch", which generates a barrier with durability equal to 50% of the Paladin's max HP, and "Knight's Judgement", which triggers a divine counter attack when taking a hit.
| Level | Boon |
|---|---|
| Level 5 | Strength +10 Increases the character's strength. |
| Level 10 | Physical Damage +5% Increases physical damage. |
| Level 15 | Max HP +10 Increases the character's max HP. |
| Level 20 | Physical Resistance +1% Increases resistance to physical damage. |
| Level 25 | (Hero) Resilience +10 Increases the character's resilience on all vocations. |
| Level 30 | Max HP +10 Increases the character's max HP. |
| Level 35 | Coup de Grâce Physical Damage +5% Increases Coup de Grâce physical damage. |
| Level 40 | Magical Defence +10 Increases the character's magical defence. |
| Level 45 | Magical Resistance +1% Increases resistance to magical damage. |
| Level 50 | (Hero) Physical Resistance +1% Increases the character's resistance to physical damage on all vocations. |
| Level 55 | Strength +10 Increases the character's strength. |
In Other Languages edit
| Language | Translation | Meaning |
| Español | Paladín | Spanish for "paladin". |
| Français | Paladin | Same as English name. Originally taken from the names of the twelve legendary knights of Charlemagne's court. |
| Deutsch | Paladin | Same as English name. |
| Italiano | Paladino/a | Italian for "paladin". |
Gallery edit
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Carver as a paladin in the official guide for VI...
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...and in the V-Jump guide
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Auster as a Paladin
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Maribel as a Paladin
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The default human woman art of the vocation in X
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Paladins in Dragon Quest X
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In Stars
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Paladins as seen in Walk
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Paladins seen in Smash/Grow