Dragoon ( job ) The Dragoon , also localized as Dragon Knight or Lancer , is a recurring job in the " Final Fantasy " series . First appearing in " Final Fantasy II " , they have become one of the most iconic job classes in the series . Profile . Dragoons are powerful physical attackers who wield spears and lances . They wear special armor meant to invoke the imagery of dragons , including helmets shaped like a dragon ' s head , spikes , and wing and scale designs . Dragoons are sometimes more directly tied to dragons , such as owning them as pets or otherwise befriending them . The trademark ability of Dragoons is Jump , which allows them to leap into the air , avoiding attacks while airborne , and descending a moment later to impale enemies and deal heavy damage . Some Dragoons can upgrade Jump to Double Jump for increased damage . Another recurring Dragoon ability is Lancet , sometimes called Dragon Sword , which allows them to attack an opponent and drain their HP and MP to heal themselves . Sometimes , Dragoons use various Breath abilities to either deal elemental damage or heal their allies . Many Dragoons in the series possess the surname " Highwind " , though it is not universal . To date , Alexander Highwind Tycoon has been the only " Highwind " to have not been a Dragoon , though he is still associated with dragons . Dragoons are often protectors of others . The town of Deist is usually depicted as a hometown of Dragoons . Appearances . " Final Fantasy II " . In their first appearance , Dragoon was not a job , but they were a group of dragon riders who fought alongside wyverns . The Emperor killed off most of the group out of fear , leaving only Ricard Highwind and his adopted son , Kain . " Final Fantasy III " . In their first appearance as a job class , the Dragoon class has Jump as its special ability . The class is gained from the Water Crystal . " Final Fantasy IV " . Kain Highwind is a Dragoon and the leader of a company of Dragoons in the service of Baron , following in the footsteps of his father , who had also commanded the Dragoons as one himself . Kain is the only party member able to equip spears , although he can hold swords and axes too . He can use Jump if he equips a spear . Two dragoon NPCs are found in Baron Castle . In the 3D remake , their model is similar to Kain ' s , only less detailed . In all other versions , they use the same sprite as other soldiers , though still refer to themselves as dragoons . Kain ' s dark side is a Dragoon and is temporarily playable . Kain , having taken the alias of the " Hooded Man " while he seeks his dark side , is not specified as having a job class . After Kain defeats his dark side , he is transformed into a Holy Dragoon , a Paladin - like enhancement of the normal Dragoon class with improved stats and the ability to cast White Magic . Due to the class being exclusive to Dark Kain , the Dragoon can equip many dark related weapons and armor used by Cecil ' s Dark Knight job in the previous game ; however , most of these items cannot be obtained in the final game without the use of hacking . " Final Fantasy V " . Dragoon is a job obtained from the shards of the Earth Crystal . They use the Jump attack , and in its first appearance in the series , the Lancet ability , though it is called " Lance " or " DragonSword " . " Final Fantasy VI " . Though the game does not use a job system , the Dragoon Boots relic grants characters the Jump ability , which deals double damage when combined with spears and can be enhanced further with the Dragon Horn relic . As Edgar and Mog are the only native users of spears , they can be identified as Dragoons , though this is not as prominent as their abilities as a Machinist or Dancer , respectively . Additionally , most other characters can equip spears when using the Merit Award relic . " Final Fantasy VII " . Though the game does not have a job system , Cid bears many traits of a Dragoon . He equips spears and lances and can use Jump attacks as his Limit Breaks , including the " Dragon " attack that drains HP and MP from enemies . In earlier development stages , his job was listed as " Pilot ( Dragoon ) " . " Final Fantasy VIII " . Ward uses a Harpoon as a weapon and a Jump attack as his Limit Break , both signature skills of Dragoons . " Final Fantasy IX " . Freya Crescent is identified as a Dragon Knight and wields spears . Her lost lover , Sir Fratley , is a legendary Burmecia n Dragon Knight . Freya uses the Jump ability and has the Dragon skillset , which enables her to use magical attacks including Lancet , called " Lancer " . Early concept artwork reveals that two variants of the Dragoon job were perhaps planned to have a bigger role , with humans in these roles as well . These jobs appear in unused concept artwork for " Final Fantasy IX " , in which a male protagonist is listed as " BAHAMUT Dragoon ( male ) " , and a female protagonist as " LEVIATHAN Dragoon ( female ) " . " Final Fantasy X " . While there is no job system , Kimahri acts as a combination of a Dragoon and a Blue Mage . He equips spears , and his special ability is Lancet , which drains HP and MP from enemies and allows Kimahri to learn new Ronso Rage s , his Overdrive and Blue Magic equivalent . His initial Overdrive is Jump . " Final Fantasy XI " . Dragoon is an advanced job class that can summon pet wyverns to aid players in battle . They mainly equip light to medium armor and spears , and have abilities such as Jump and Super Jump . Also , the Absolute Virtue is a Dragoon . Some enemy aegyl are Dragon Knights who can Jump and use several ranged Breath attacks , or Dragoons , who can Jump attack constantly and only appear in Midlight ' s Deep . Llyud can also use the Jump and Lancet abilities among numerous others . One of the available for Lightning is . Its locked ability is Lancet . " Final Fantasy XIV " . Dragoons are a specialization within the Lancer class , focusing in increasing its proficiency with critical hits and AoE damage , as well as adding the iconic Jump ability . Players who have reached level 30 as Lancer and level 15 in Marauder may obtain the Soul of the Dragoon soul crystal by completing the " Eye of The Dragon " quest , and learn additional job abilities by finishing new quests that become available every five levels . " Final Fantasy XV " . A female dragoon named Aranea Highwind acts as an antagonist with the Niflheim invasion forces , diving from a military airship and attacking Noctis with a massive , mechanized lance . In interviews in " Dengeki PS " and " Famitsu " , the game ' s original director , Tetsuya Nomura , indicated that she was a contemporary interpretation of a Dragoon , and a member of a special forces unit within the invading army that uses unique equipment and abilities based on the various " Final Fantasy " jobs . When Noctis wields a lance for a weapon , he can airstep ( fight while in midair ) , and when directly above a target , descend upon them like Dragoons and their trademark Jump ability . " Final Fantasy Tactics " . Dragoon is a physical job unlocked by leveling up to level 3 or 4 in the Thief job , depending on the version . They have a high Jump stat boosted by the Ignore Elevation ability , and can use the Jump skill to strike distant foes . Their spears give them a loner reach for physical attacks . " Final Fantasy Tactics Advance " . This job is available to bangaa after mastering two Warrior skills . They have the highest jump stat allowing them to overcome many heights . Along with Jump and Lancet , they also have Breath attacks . Again a bangaa exclusive job , Dragoons are unlocked by completing Kyrra , Dragoon and can be used after mastering two Warrior A - Abilities . They are especially effective against Dragonkind . " Crystal Defenders " . Dragoon is a job class available for hire in the W2 and W3 stages , costing 50 gil . Though relatively slow compared to other units , they deal massive damage and can target both ground and aerial enemies . " Final Fantasy Type - 0 " . Though there is no job system , a member of Class Zero , Nine , makes use of spears , and can perform the job ' s iconic Jump ability . Class Second is a class specific to studying Dragoon abilities and includes Carla Ayatsugi as a student and Machina Kunagiri as a former student . The class moogle for Class Second represents the Dragoon job class . " Final Fantasy Dimensions " . Barbara is a Dragoon in a tale that grants the Dragoon job to the Light Warriors . Dragoons use Breath abilities to deal elemental damage or heal allies . They retain the job ' s iconic Jump and Lancet abilities , but these are learned later in the job ' s level . " Final Fantasy Legends II " . Wrieg gets an alternate costume based on the Dragoon job from the " Phantom Beast Great Decisive Battle ! " event . The Dragoon costume is based on Kain ' s sprites from " Final Fantasy IV " . The costume can only be seen when Wrieg is equipped with the " Dragoon Equipment " accessory . Anyone who equips the accessory will gain a 20 % boost to max speed , along with 30 attack & 1 , 000 HP . " Dissidia Final Fantasy " . The Dragoon Job Card , available to be selected in the Duel Colosseum , discards all cards from the selection area for a new set . The first card drawn in the new hand is also a Dragoon , allowing the player to freely cycle their hand as long as they wish . However , boss and Chaos cards cannot be discarded as usual , and the Red Mage card does not allow discarding either . " Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy " . Kain Highwind represents the Dragoon job . The Dragoon job card reappears in the new Labyrinth mode , and discards all cards except doors and goals . The first card drawn in the new hand is also a Dragoon , allowing the player to freely cycle their hand as long as they wish . Dragoon is also a job that can be selected for a character in the player ' s party for Quick Battle , Friend Card s , or wireless matches . The Dragoon job grants the character the Jump Boost ability and 10 % HP Drain , and is needed to unlock the Samurai job . " Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade " . The Dragoon is a job available after obtaining a level 10 Warrior and a level 10 Thief . The preferred weapons for the job are spears and swords . The job specializes in both strength and agility abilities . This job is involved in the requirements to unlock the Samurai job . " Final Fantasy Artniks " . The Dragoon appears as a character card . " Final Fantasy All the Bravest " . The Dragoon is a character available to the party , he uses the Jump ability during battle . Unlocks at level 33 . " Final Fantasy Record Keeper " . Dragoon is playable character recruited as the First Time Reward for completing Ronka Ruins , Part 2 on Classic difficulty of the Core Dungeons . Acquiring Dragoon this way alludes to " Final Fantasy V " where the Ronka Ruins store the Earth Crystal which grants Bartz ' s party access to the job class Dragoon . Dragoon can use Physical / Combat abilities up to rarity rank 4 and Other / Dragoon abilities up to rarity rank 4 . His default Soul Break is High Jump which at the expense of one Soul Gauge segment deals ranged damage to one target equal to 210 % damage potency of a conventional attack . Dragoon can equip the following weapon types : daggers , swords , axes , and spears . He can equip the following armor types : shields , hats , helms , light armor , heavy armor , and bracers . He can equip accessories . Ricard , Kain , and Freya all identify as Dragoons by occupation . Mog , Cid , Kimahri , and Fang all have strong ties to the Dragoon class and can use its respective ability type to varying degrees . " Mobius Final Fantasy " . Chocobo unlocks the Dragoon class by restoring Meja ' s memories . In this class , Chocobo can jump to damage enemies a short distance away , and he also possesses elemental spear skills to allow him to harry his foes . " Final Fantasy Trading Card Game " . Dragoon appears with several Lightning - elemental cards . " Triple Triad " . Dragoon from " Final Fantasy III " appears on a card in the version available via " Final Fantasy Portal App " . Related jobs . Nightblade . Nightblade is an enemy job class in " Final Fantasy Tactics " used by Isilud Tengille of the Knights Templar . It combines attributes of both the Knight and Dragoon jobs . Holy Dragoon . In " " , Kain defeats his dark side and transforms into a Holy Dragoon . This variation of the typical Dragoon is similar to the Paladin class . Kain dons a blue draconic suit of armor , and he gains the ability to cast White Magic . Kain ' s Holy Dragoon form also appears as his EX Mode in " Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy " . Uhlan . In " Final Fantasy XII : International Zodiac Job System " , the job class Uhlan is the closest to Dragoons , as noted by Hiroyuki Ito , the game ' s director . The Uhlan uses spears and heavy armor , but cannot use the Jump ability , so the director researched a different name related to spears . The job was named Uhlan , after Polish soldiers who wield spears . Lancer . The Lancer is a Discipline of War in " Final Fantasy XIV " , specializing in the use of polearms and javelins . Though they cannot use Jump , they retain the Lancet ability in the form of Life Surge . Unlike previous uses of the term " Lancer " as a localization for " Dragon Knight " , here it is a literal translation of a different class — in this case , a practitioner of " " , the " art of the spear " . Valkyrie . The Valkyrie is a job in " Bravely Default " and " " that specializes in spears and has access to the Jump , High Jump , and Super Jump commands . Non - " Final Fantasy " guest appearances . " Lord of Vermilion " series . Grendel , the " Dragon Warrior of Chaos " , is a summonable monster and the final boss designed by guest illustrator Tetsuya Nomura . Described as a legendary drakeman and a dragon slayer , he was cursed and sealed beneath a city of stone by the gods , who feared his valor . He wears draconic armor and has several draconic features , including wings , claws , and a tail . In " Lord of Vermilion Re : 2 " he reappears with an altered design as the " Wailing Dragon Emperor " . He is named after Grendel , a descendant of the biblical Cain from the epic poem Beowulf , likely a nod to Kain Highwind . " Lord of Arcana " series . Grendel appears as one of the boss monsters as the " Dragon Knight of the Terror Tempest " . He is described as a dragon knight that roams forgotten battlefields , spreading chaos with his blade . One of his abilities is called Dragoon Jump . Two alternate forms of this monster , Grendel Banjax and Grendel Annihilate , also make appearances . Grendel is featured in the logo for the " Lord of Arcana " sequel , " Lord of Apocalypse " , seemingly impaled by numerous spears . " Kingdom Hearts II " . The Nobodies allude to the Dragoon job , and their battle stance mirrors Kain Highwind ' s iconic pose from the . In battle , they fight with halberds and strong Jump attacks , which can be learned and used by Sora as a reaction command . The member who controls the Dragoon Nobodies is , who also exhibits some traditional aspects of the Dragoon class himself , such as wielding spears as his signature weapons and specializing in aerial combat . " Legend of Dragoon " . A PlayStation 1 game centralized around all main characters being Dragoons . " Puzzle & Dragons " . The Dragoon appears in " Puzzle & Dragons " as part of the " Crystal Defenders " collaboration . " Samurai Rising " . Dragoon is one of the jobs in the upcoming mobile action RPG . " Knights of the Crystals " . The Dragoon appears on a gold card . " Samurai Rising " . The Dragoon appears as a job . Merchandise . A re - imagined Dragoon Play Arts Kai action figure includes accessory a lance , a sword , a sheath , a clawed sheath clasp , exchangeable hands and a figure display stand . Etymology . The job ' s Japanese name is Dragon Knight . Dragon knights are commonly found in Japanese editions of Western fantasy novels as a translation for terms such as " dragon knight " or " dragon rider , " referring to knights and warriors who ride on dragons . The term was likely originally localized as " Dragoon " due to the game ' s job name length restrictions , and to avoid confusion with the Dark Knight class , which was localized as " D . Knight , " though it may have also been confused with the Japanese term for the Dragoon . Through the course of the series , it has been localized as Lancer and Dragon Knight , though Dragoon has become the generally accepted term .