Reaper

Quick Facts

• Role: Melee DPS
• Weapon: Scythe
• Armor: Maiming (Shares with Dragoon)
• Introduced: Endwalker (Patch 6.0)
• Starting Level: 70
• Requirement: Own Endwalker expansion, have one combat job at level 70
• Resource Systems: Soul Gauge, Shroud Gauge, Lemure Shroud
• Signature Mechanic: Enshroud Transformation & Avatar Summoning

Overview

The Reaper is a melee DPS job introduced in the Endwalker expansion, characterized by its distinctive large scythe and a symbiotic pact with a voidsent entity from the void-torn Thirteenth shard. Originating from the magitek-obsessed empire of Garlemald, the Reaper's arts were born from the desperation of those unable to wield magic, who turned to forbidden bargains to gain power. In combat, Reapers harness their voidsent avatar to enter a transformative state known as Enshroud, unleashing a flurry of void-aspected attacks. The job offers a fast-paced, high-risk high-reward playstyle centered on building and spending resources to command devastating bursts of damage, all wrapped in a dark, gothic aesthetic.

History & Lore

Origins in Garlemald

The Reaper tradition is a direct consequence of Garlemald's societal structure and its fraught relationship with magic. The Garlean Empire, founded by a people largely incapable of manipulating aether to cast spells, rose to power through technological supremacy and magitek. This created a rigid hierarchy where pure-blooded Garleans, despite being the ruling class, were often magically inert. For some, this inherent limitation bred a deep-seated resentment and a desperate hunger for power by any means necessary.

This desperation found its answer in the void. The Thirteenth shard, a reflection of the Source consumed by darkness and overrun by corrupted entities known as voidsent, became a source of forbidden power. Certain Garleans, through occult study or chance discovery, learned to commune with these beings. They offered a pact: the voidsent would be granted temporary possession of the summoner's corporeal form, a vessel in the physical world, in exchange for bestowing a fraction of its power. Thus, the first Reapers were born—not mages, but hosts, wielding scythes as conduits to focus the void-tainted energy granted by their otherworldly partners.

The Symbiotic Pact

A Reaper's power is not their own; it is leased. The relationship with their voidsent avatar is a constant negotiation, a symbiotic bond that borders on parasitic. The Reaper provides the avatar with sensory experience and a tangible connection to the physical realm, a tantalizing prize for a creature of the formless void. In return, the avatar lends its strength, allowing the Reaper to channel void-aspected aether and, ultimately, to merge with it temporarily.

This pact is not without cost or danger. Allowing a voidsent, even a bound one, influence over one's soul carries inherent risks of corruption or loss of self. The scythe serves as both a weapon and a ritual focus, helping to stabilize the bond and direct the chaotic energies. The Reaper's combat style—building a "Soul Gauge" through their attacks—symbolizes the gradual accumulation of the spiritual "rent" paid to the avatar, which is then spent to allow it fuller manifestation.

Aesthetics and Symbolism

The Reaper's visual identity is deliberately macabre and gothic, drawing clear inspiration from classic depictions of death and the supernatural. The oversized scythe, a rare weapon in the Final Fantasy series, evokes the imagery of the Grim Reaper. Their abilities are awash in purples, blacks, and blood reds, with spectral wings, ghostly after-images, and eruptions of void energy defining their spell effects. This aesthetic reinforces their lore as practitioners of a forbidden art, walking a line between power and damnation, their very presence a reminder of the price paid for strength when conventional paths are barred.

Gameplay

Core Philosophy & Rotation

The Reaper is a fast-paced, positionally-intensive melee DPS job built around a dual-resource system that fuels a powerful burst phase. Its gameplay revolves around a simple yet engaging core rotation that builds resources for a transformative, high-output window.

The basic combat loop involves using a two-combo chain (Slice → Waxing Slice → Infernal Slice) to generate Soul Gauge. This gauge is used to execute powerful abilities like Gibbet, Gallows, and Guillotine, which also build a secondary resource called the Shroud Gauge. Once enough Shroud is accumulated, the Reaper can activate Enshroud.

The Enshroud Phase

Enshroud is the job's centerpiece mechanic. Upon activation, the Reaper merges with their voidsent avatar, entering a transformed state for 15 seconds. During this time, their weapon skills are replaced with a new set of potent, void-aspected abilities: Void Reaping, Cross Reaping, and Lemure's Slice. The goal is to execute as many of these high-potency actions as possible within the Enshroud window.

Managing the Enshroud phase is key to mastering the job. Using the Enshroud abilities generates Lemure Shroud stacks, which are spent on devastating finishers: Communio (single-target) or Lemure's Scythe (area-of-effect). Proper execution involves weaving these finishers just before the Enshroud state expires to maximize damage.

Avatar Summoning & Utility

Beyond Enshroud, the Reaper's voidsent companion is a constant presence. The job can summon their avatar to execute a powerful, channeled attack called Avatar's Shroud, which deals significant damage over time. Reapers also possess strong party utility. Arcane Circle is a party-wide buff that increases damage dealt by all party members and generates a stack of "Circle of Sacrifice" for the Reaper. Crest of Time Borrowed provides a regen and barrier to the party, offering valuable defensive support.

Mobility and Positionals

The Reaper is highly mobile, with abilities like Hell's Ingress/Hell's Egress for instant movement and Harpe for a ranged attack. Positionals are crucial: Gibbet (from the flank) and Gallows (from the rear) deal significantly more damage when executed correctly, rewarding precise positioning.

Trivia

• The Reaper is the second job, after Gunbreaker, to start at an elevated level (70) with no associated base class.
• Its Maiming armor set is shared with the Dragoon, creating a distinctive "reaper of death" versus "dragoon of dragons" aesthetic dichotomy for the same gear type.
• The scythe as a primary weapon is a first for a combat job in Final Fantasy XIV, though scythes have appeared as tools for Disciples of the Land.
• The job's lore provides a rare glimpse into the subculture and occult practices of ordinary Garlean citizens, separate from the empire's military or political elite.
• The Reaper's signature movement abilities, Hell's Ingress and Egress, create a temporary "shadow" at the departure point, which can be returned to with the follow-up ability Regress, offering unique tactical repositioning.

Related Articles

• Voidsent
• Garlemald
• The Thirteenth Shard (The Void)
• Endwalker
• Melee DPS