Dawezys FFIV Network

Dark Knight vs. Paladin

All these tables are written up with both DRK/PLD unequipped, to show the raw stats.

DRK Lv 10 -> 19

  Strength.
13
14 15 16 17 17 18 19 20 21
  Agility.
10
11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 16
  Vitality.
11
12 12 13 14 14 15 15 15 16
  Wisdom.
6
6 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 9
  Will.
3
3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2

PLD Lv 1 -> 9

  Strength.
10
10 10 11 11 11 12 12 13
  Agility.
13
13 13 13 14 14 14 14 14
  Vitality.
10
10 10 11 11 11 12 12 13
  Wisdom.
5
5 6 6 6 7 7 8 8
  Will.
8
8 8 9 9 10 11 12 12

PLD Lv 10 -> 19

  Strength.
13
14 14 15 15 16 16 17 18 19
  Agility.
15
15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15
  Vitality.
13
14 14 15 15 16 16 17 18 19
  Wisdom.
9
9 9 10 10 10 10 10 11 11
  Will.
13
13 14 14 14 15 15 16 16 16

DRK Lv 20 -> 29

  Strength.
21
22 23 24 24 25 26 27 27 28
  Agility.
16
17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21
  Vitality.
16
17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21
  Wisdom.
9
9 10 10 10 10 11 11 12 12
  Will.
1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

PLD Lv 20 -> 29

  Strength.
20
21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 31
  Agility.
16
16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20
  Vitality.
20
21 21 23 24 25 26 27 27 29
  Wisdom.
12
12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16
  Will.
17
17 18 18 18 19 19 20 20 20

DRK Lv 30 -> 39

  Strength.
29
30 31 31 32 33 34 34 35 36
  Agility.
21
22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26
  Vitality.
21
22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26
  Wisdom.
12
12 13 13 13 13 14 14 14 14
  Will.
1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

PLD Lv 30 -> 39

  Strength.
32
33 34 36 37 39 40 41 42 44
  Agility.
21
21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25
  Vitality.
30
31 31 33 33 35 36 37 37 39
  Wisdom.
17
17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21
  Will.
21
21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25

DRK Lv 40 -> 49

  Strength.
37
38 39 39 40 41 42 43 44 44
  Agility.
26
27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31
  Vitality.
26
27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31
  Wisdom.
15
15 15 15 16 16 16 16 17 17
  Will.
1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

PLD Lv 40 -> 49

  Strength.
45
47 48 50 51 53 54 56 57 59
  Agility.
26
26 27 27 28 28 29 29 29 29
  Vitality.
39
41 41 43 43 45 45 47 47 49
  Wisdom.
22
22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26
  Will.
35
35 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 39

DRK Lv 50 -> 59

  Strength.
45
46 47 47 48 49 50 50 51 52
  Agility.
31
32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36
  Vitality.
31
32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36
  Wisdom.
18
18 18 19 19 19 19 20 20 20
  Will.
1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

PLD Lv 50 -> 59

  Strength.
60
62 63 65 66 68 69 71 72 74
  Agility.
31
31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35
  Vitality.
49
51 51 53 53 55 55 57 57 59
  Wisdom.
27
27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 31
  Will.
40
40 41 41 42 42 43 43 44 44

DRK Lv 60 -> 69

  Strength.
53
54 55 55 56 57 58 58 59 60
  Agility.
36
37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40 41
  Vitality.
36
37 37 33 38 39 39 40 40 41
  Wisdom.
21
21 21 22 22 22 22 23 23 23
  Will.
1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

PLD Lv 60 -> 69

  Strength.
75
76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84
  Agility.
36
36 37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40
  Vitality.
60
61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69
  Wisdom.
32
32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36
  Will.
45
45 46 46 47 47 48 48 49 49

DRK Lv 70 -> PLD 70

  Strength.
61
 Strength. 85
  Agility.
41
 Agility. 41
  Vitality.
41
 Vitality. 70
  Wisdom.
24
 Wisdom. 36
  Will.
1
 Will. 50

Notes.

DRK maintains higher Agility from Lv19 -> 69*
DRK maintains higher Strength from Lv10 -> 23
DRK has Will at 1 from Lv20 onward. (he isn't a White Mage so its irrelevant)
DRK has equal Agility / Vitality from Lv10 -> 70

PLD maintains higher Vitality from Lv10 -> 70
PLD maintains higher Strength from Lv24 -> 70
PLD maintains higher Wisdom and Will from Lv10 -> 70
PLD has 15 Agility from Lv10 -> 19
PLD has fluctuating Agility from Lv20 -> 70 (it is never higher then the DRK)

* PLD has 15 Agi from 10 > 19, DRK has 10 -> 16 during Level 10-19

About the Wisdom and Will though, neither of his forms were a "Mage" of the sort, so those figures are really irrelevant to any argument. Doesn't matter if their Wisdom or Will was 99 each, its not going to make them the ultimate magic user because firstly.

The DRK doesn't have any Spells

And secondly..

The PLD only has 2 Curing Spells, which are low leveled and always dwarfed by Rosa.

So.... yeah. Some things to bare in mind.

And yes, even after seeing those figures and seeing that the PLD pretty much outweighs the DRK for abilities and such (I still luv meh DRK regardless of the PLD having some better things on top) but I believe that, if Cecil had the choice of converting to a PLD or remaining a DRK (which would open the way for some new weapons) it would make for some kickass story twists. Like say -> when you get back to Mysidia after chosen the DRK and still have a evil portrayal amongst the Mysidians, they open the Devil's Road so you can go and save your friends, etc etc. Or perhaps even, when given the choice to convert to a PLD or stay a DRK, that Death Sword would get upgraded to have a way higher Attack Power and maybe some better stat bonuses (+5 Str Agi Vit Wis -5 Wil ~ is the default) to assist you.

Then upon entering new area's of the game (up in the Towers, or down in the Underground or up on the Moon, etc) you would be granted more and more DRK equipment, more-so from chests then actual shops to add some zing into the challenge.