How to Beat the Death Knight

This is a guide on defeating the Death Knight and getting the Dark Seal in Fire Emblem Three Houses (FE3H). Here we will list various strategies to use against the Death Knight in the early stages of the story for an easy victory.

Who is the Death Knight?

An extremely strong enemy unit

The Death Knight is a story related boss in the game that appears in the early chapters of the game (specifically, chapters 4, 6, 8, and 12) as well as in the later stages of the game. He possesses such incredible strength that defeating him the first time you see him might seem like a very jarring task.

Should You Defeat the Death Knight?

Defeat if you want a Dark Seal

When defeated, the Death Knight drops a Dark Seal. The Dark Seal is a class up item that can only be obtained from the Death Knight. It is an extremely rare item that grants the unit a chance to class up to a Dark Mage and the Dark Bishop Class.

How to Beat the Death Knight

Stay out of range

The Death Knight will not initiate combat in Melee range. This allows you to surround the Death Knight and launch a full offensive on him once you prepare all the big guns you have.

Use anti-cavalry abilities

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Anti-Cavalry abilities are effective against the knight. Just make sure that they hit.

The Death Knight is a Cavalry unit, so using anti-cavalry abilities would be your best bet in defeating him. Notable abilities are Ferdinand's Knightkneeler combat art, which can be easily obtained, and Lysithea's Dark Spikes, which requires B level in Reason to learn. Lysithea in general is a sure-fire way of beating the Knight in a single turn if the player can rush her reason skill to B by the first time you meet him.

Use gambits

Gambits cannot be countered by the Knight. By opening up your offensive with gambits first, you can avoid death by not letting the Death Knight get a counterattack on you.

Can be tanked in lower difficulties

The Death Knight is still a force to be reckoned with in lower difficulties, but it is possible to survive its onslaught with a tank unit like Dedue in the early stages of the game. Have Dedue wait his turn on the Death Knights' attack range and have him be attacked by the knight to let Dedue follow up with a counterattack.

Way easier in casual mode

While this might be a no-brainer, it is way easier to beat the Death Knight in Casual Mode by letting some of your units die to weaken the Knight. If you are playing in Classic Mode, you will want to use more caution with the units that attack him.

Fire Emblem Related Links

Beginner Guides

Stats and Game Mechanics
What Does Luck Do?	What Does Dexterity Do?
What Does Weight Do?	What Does Charm Do?
What Does Authority Do?	What Does Speed Do?
The Attack Speed Formula	How To Learn and Equip Abilities
Character Guides
Recruitment Guide	Lecture Guide | How to Instruct
Classes That Can Use Magic	List of Unique Classes
Best Classes for Each Character	What Happens When Someone Dies?
How to Change Outfits	-
Battle Guides
How to Beat Demonic Beasts	How to Beat the Death Knight
Gambit Guide	Training Weapons or Iron Weapons?
How Do Linked Attacks Work?	How to Use Divine Pulse
How to Use Auto Battle	List of Terrains
How to Open Doors and Chests	-
Building your Army
Best Characters to Recruit	What Are Adjutants?
How to Repair Weapons	Are Rusted Weapons Worth Forging?
Where to Get Umbral Steel	What is Renown?
Where to Get Advanced Seals	-
Maddening Guides
Maddening Tips and Guide	Best Characters for Maddening
FAQS
What Carries Over To New Game Plus?	How Long Does It Take To Beat FE3H?
Difficulty Levels and Differences	Is There a Weapon Triangle?
Which House Should You Pick?	-