The backbone of every MMO party, Tanks are the ever-present meat shields responsible for drawing the boss’s attention while the DPS deals damage and healers manage the party’s health. Final Fantasy XIV has the benefit that it allows players a choice between four different tanks, but which tank is the best? Which job provides the best survivability and damage mitigation long enough for your static to  get a clear?

4) Warrior

Warrior Weilding Seeing Horde Axe

The axe-wielding berserkers of Eorzea, Warriors are Final Fantasy XIV’s most efficient tanks. While having a relatively simple rotation, Warriors are known for having damage to rival lower-end DPS.

Warrior is unique in that unlike other tanks, its damage mitigation abilities don’t soften enemy attacks. Rather, Warrior’s abilities put it into an extreme HP regeneration mode, quickly restoring its health back to full, oftentimes without the help of a Healer. 

What Warrior excels at 

• A satisfying three-hit combo AOE that generates more enmity and keeps targets away from your party members than other tanks.
• Shake it Off frequently demonstrates that Warrior doesn't need a healer.
• A satisfying invulnerability buff in the form of Holmgang

Choose Warrior if

•    You love the barbarian fantasy.

•    You love the ability to manage your health without the need for a healer. 

•    You love Fell Cleave memes

Tank Score 83/100

3) Paladin

Miqo'te Paladin

The original swordsman of A Realm Reborn. A Paladin is the closest thing Final Fantasy XIV will get to a knight. With both shield-based abilities and slashing attacks, the Paladin is great at holding a boss’s attention in raids. 

Paladin focuses on a series of physical attacks, combined with a hard-hitting magical rotation. Each phase is expertly woven into the next to create a tank that deals enough damage while managing their health to cause less trouble for the healers.

What Paladin excels at 

• an invulnerability similar to immortality in the form of hallowed ground
• Paladin has the most mitigation abilities in its arsenal, so it’s capable of surviving longer than most other tanks. 
• A damage rotation that places DOTS (Damage Over Time) on most enemies, offering an additional bonus to help DPS with damage. 

Choose Paladin if

•You enjoy the knight fantasy

•You love having a mitigation for every situation. 

•You excel at holding a raid boss’s attention more than massive dungeon pulls. 

Tank Score 85/100

2) Gunbreaker

Gunbreaker outside Amaurot.

Added in the Shadowbringers expansion, Gunbreaker is how Final Fantasy XIV has incorporated the job of Final Fantasy VIII protagonist Squall Leonhart. They are a stylish class, that feels more like you’re playing Devil May Cry than a Final Fantasy game. 

Gunbreakers operate like a DPS that wants to be a tank. They don’t have nearly as much mitigation as any of the other tanks, but rather have an arsenal of hard-hitting attacks that might make the battle shorter rather than make the boss’s hits hurt less but the battle itself last longer. 

What Gunbreaker excels at 

• A plethora of OGCD damage-dealing attacks that stack up against tough enemies.
• The Keen Edge, Brutal Shell, and Solid Barrel combo attacks add an additional layer of flavor to combat.
• Gunbreaker learns Continuation at level 70 which allows an additional attack to increase its DPS.

Choose Gunbreaker  if

•You enjoy giving your Healer a heart attack with Superbolide.

•You love tanking but hate the sacrifices it can bring to damage.

•You like your tanking fast and stylish. 

Tank Score 90/100

1)Dark Knight 

Dark Knight Weilding the level 80 Job sword.

Introduced in the Heavensward expansion, Dark Knight is a Zweinhander wielding tank, that specializes in magic damage and mitigation. Like Gunbreaker their focus lies more in damage dealing than mitigation, but unlike Gunbreaker their kit is more diverse than simply buffing damage. 

Dark Knights are a bit of a masochistic class, as their most prominent damage mitigation ability involves damage being dealt to them, without Healer interference. 

What Dark Knight excels at 

• Since Endwalker, Dark Knights's abilities feel faster than ever. It is now the most reactive tank of all. 
• Dark Knight is an important addition to the meta, as abilities like The Blackest Night make completing challenges like Dragonsong's Reprise easier.
• Dark Knight has the highest burst damage of any tank opener, making it almost a requirement in recent raiding stats.

Choose Dark Knight  if

•You’re a fan of Final Fantasy iv’s Cecil Harvey.

•You want to enjoy one of the most satisfying Job Quest storylines in the game.

•You love the anti-hero aesthetic.

Tank Score 95/100

You May Also Be Interested In: 

• Top Five Best FF14 Solo Classes
• FF14 Best Class - What's the Best Job to Play?
• FF14 Top Three Tanks
•  
• FF14 Best Healer - What's the Best Job For Healing?
• [Top 15] FF14 Best Addons Everyone Should Use
• FF14 Best Ways To Make Gil (Top 10 Methods)
•  
• FF14 Best PvP Class That Are OP
• FF14 Best Potions And How To Get Them
• FF14 Best Ways To Level Up Fast
•  
• [Top 3] FF14 Best DPS Class
• [Top 3] FF14 Best Starting Classes for Beginners
• FF14 Most Fun Classes (Top 3)
•  
• [Top 3] FF14 Best Crafting Class And Why They're Great
• FF14 Best Dungeons [Top 10]
• FF14 Best Tanks (All Tanks Ranked Good To Best)
•  
• [Top 10] FF14 Best Armor Sets
• [Top 10] FF14 Best Food And How To Get Them
•  
• Top 10 Best FF14 Mounts And How To Get Them
• [Top 5] Final Fantasy 14 Best Solo Classes