Dagger

Jakob attacking with numerous daggers in Fire Emblem Cipher.

This article is about knives and daggers as a broader weapon type. For the specific type of knife which goes by this name, see Knife (weapon) and Dagger. For the skill permitting their use, see Knife (skill).

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The knife (Japanese: 短剣 knife) or dagger (Japanese: 暗器 concealed weapon) is a weapon type which was introduced in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and is present only in it, Radiant Dawn, and Fates. They are the weakest weapon type in the games they appear in and universally have lower might than their counterparts, but they tend to have good accuracy and, in Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn, they are by far the most lightweight weapons. Additionally, in Fates, every dagger has the ability to inflict stat reductions on enemies.

Knives and daggers often have enhanced range, being able to attack both at melée range and at a distance. All knives in Path of Radiance are melée range only, while the knives of Radiant Dawn are divided into two varieties, daggers (melée only) and throwing knives (enhanced range). In Fates, all daggers have enhanced range.

In Path of Radiance, knives lacked an actual weapon rank of their own, instead having their use locked to classes possessing the Knife skill and thus allowing any such unit to use any knife; they gained a proper weapon rank and according rank scaling in Radiant Dawn. The daggers of Fates are specifically associated with Nohr, and like every other weapon type in Fates, they have a unique Japanese-themed counterpart weapon type which is used primarily in Hoshido: the shuriken. Units who can wield daggers can wield shuriken just as easily, and vice versa.

There are 31 knife/dagger varieties in the Fire Emblem series; of these, three appear in Path of Radiance, thirteen in Radiant Dawn, and sixteen in Fates.

Overview

Fates debuff system

Main article: Status conditions § Buffs and debuffs

In Fates, the key advantage of daggers is their debuff ability. When a dagger successfully hits, its target has temporary stat reductions applied after the battle ends; all daggers reduce the defense and resistance stats, and most also reduce one or two further stats in addition to defense and resistance. These debuffs do not stack but can be combined with other debuff effects on different stats (if there is a conflict, the larger stat reduction takes priority). Debuffed stats recover by 1 point each turn until the stat is back to normal.

Knives in the Fire Emblem series by type

Basic knives/daggers

Weapon	Available in:																	Notes
	FE01	FE02	FE03	FE04	FE05	FE06	FE07	FE08	FE09	FE10	FE11	FE12	FE13	FE14	FE15	FE16	FE17
Knife	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗		✗	✗	--
Dagger	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗		✗	✗	--
Stiletto	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗		✗	✗	--
Bronze Knife	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗		✗	✗	--
Iron Knife	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗		✗	✗	--
Steel Knife	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗		✗	✗	--
Silver Knife	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗		✗	✗	--
Bronze Dagger	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
Iron Dagger	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
Steel Dagger	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
Silver Dagger	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
Kard	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗		✗	✗	--
Peshkatz	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗		✗	✗	--
A ✓ means that the weapon is available in that game, while a ✗ indicates the contrary.

Effective knives/daggers

These weapons deal effective damage against certain types of enemies.

Weapon	Available in:																	Notes
	FE01	FE02	FE03	FE04	FE05	FE06	FE07	FE08	FE09	FE10	FE11	FE12	FE13	FE14	FE15	FE16	FE17
Beast Killer	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗		✗	✗	--
Hunting Kunai	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
Kris Knife	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
A ✓ means that the weapon is available in that game, while a ✗ indicates the contrary.

Character's daggers

Fates includes two daggers named for individual characters but not locked specifically to them.

Weapon	Available in:																	Notes
	FE01	FE02	FE03	FE04	FE05	FE06	FE07	FE08	FE09	FE10	FE11	FE12	FE13	FE14	FE15	FE16	FE17
Felicia's Ice Tray	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
Jakob's Tableware	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
A ✓ means that the weapon is available in that game, while a ✗ indicates the contrary.

Miscellaneous daggers

Weapon	Available in:																	Notes
	FE01	FE02	FE03	FE04	FE05	FE06	FE07	FE08	FE09	FE10	FE11	FE12	FE13	FE14	FE15	FE16	FE17
Mighty Kunai	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
Fruit Knife	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
Feather Pen	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
Hard Bread	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
Brigand Knife	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
Miracle Candle	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
Deathbringer Knife	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
Small Stone	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
A ✓ means that the weapon is available in that game, while a ✗ indicates the contrary.

Regalia knives

Weapon	Available in:																	Notes
	FE01	FE02	FE03	FE04	FE05	FE06	FE07	FE08	FE09	FE10	FE11	FE12	FE13	FE14	FE15	FE16	FE17
Baselard	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗		✗	✗	--
A ✓ means that the weapon is available in that game, while a ✗ indicates the contrary.

Classes capable of using knives/daggers

There are 7 classes which have wielded knives and daggers. This list does not include Hoshidan classes which wield shuriken.

Class	Wields knives/daggers in:																	Notes
	FE01	FE02	FE03	FE04	FE05	FE06	FE07	FE08	FE09	FE10	FE11	FE12	FE13	FE14	FE15	FE16	FE17
Thief	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗		✗	✗	--
Assassin	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗		✗	✗	--
Sage	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗		✗	✗	--
Rogue	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗		✗	✗	--
Whisper	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗		✗	✗	--
Butler	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
Maid	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓		✗	✗	--
A ✓ means that the class wields knives/daggers in that game, while a ✗ indicates the contrary.

Trivia

• Early Fates localization footage which was shown at E3 2015 referred to daggers as "kunai".

Gallery

• 

  A Thief wielding a knife in Path of Radiance.

• 

  Jakob attacking with numerous daggers in Fire Emblem Cipher.

Etymology and other languages

Names, etymology, and in other regions
Language	Name	Definition, etymology, and notes
English	• Knife • Dagger	• This weapon category is known by this name in Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn. • This weapon category is known by this name only in Fates.
Spanish	Cuchillo	Knife
French	Couteau	Knife
German	Dolch	Knife
Italian	Pugnale	Knife

See also

• Shuriken