Willbender

“

"I will silence the threat before it can fester."

Willbenders are protectors of the Canthan throne and fated guardians to the Weh no Su. Their sword arm is as strong as their loyalty— unflinching and ruthless. They are known for a swift hand and unmatched swordplay, striking before their foe has time to react.

— In-game description

Willbender is an elite specialization for the guardian unlocked with the End of Dragons expansion. Willbenders are elite Canthan warriors who protect the Emperor and their family with their lives. They believe the best way to protect their allies is to execute their enemies, so they move swiftly, cutting down threats one by one before they have time to attack. Willbenders only act when needed and, as such, sacrifice the passive bonuses of traditional guardian virtues to greatly increase the power of their active effects.

They use their virtues to dash around the battlefield, reaching their enemies in the blink of an eye, and only then, manifest their powerful Willbender Flames to incinerate their foes. Willbenders have learned physical skills to quickly close the gap and demonstrate their domain of martial arts by punching and kicking their enemies. Willbenders can wield swords in their off hand for even more mobility and precise attacks. Willbenders excel at damage dealing both through direct strike attacks and applying burning condition.

List of willbender skills

See also: List of guardian skills

Profession mechanic

“

Bring them to justice!

— Willbender

Guardian's innate profession abilities, Virtues, become movement-based skills and lose their passive component until activated. Each of the Virtues now consists of three elements: skill, virtue effect, and willbender flames.

Skills:   Rushing Justice,   Flowing Resolve,   Crashing Courage.

• The skills, respectively, cause one-time burning, heal, or grant protective boons.
• May also provide additional boons and effects with Guardian traits that modify Virtue skills.

Virtue effects:   Justice,   Flowing Resolve,   Crashing Courage (not to be confused with the active skills above).

• Temporary self-buffs, passive effects which character gains upon using Virtue skills.
• For the duration of the respective buff, every five successful hits (from weapon attacks or other abilities) trigger either burning, heal, or grant protective boons.
• They can be modified by Guardian's traits that change Virtues' passive effects.

Willbender Flames:   Rushing Justice,   Flowing Resolve,   Crashing Courage.

• Trails left on the ground that damage enemies and provide additional effects depending on a selected Willbender's trait.
• They share the same effect between all three Virtues, and only vary in shape and the number of targets affected.
• If multiple Virtue skills used in quick succession, only Willbender Flames from the last used Virtue remains active.

#	Skill			Description
F1	Rushing Justice	0.5½	12	Virtue. Rush toward your target and gain Justice delivering a strike and emanating Willbender Flames.
	Willbender Flames			Manifest flames that damage enemies on an interval. Activating this skill destroys other active Willbender Flames effects.
F2	Flowing Resolve	0.5½	0	Virtue. Remove conditions and gain Flowing Resolve. Rush forward and evade attacks while leaving Willbender Flames in your wake.
	Willbender Flames			Leave a trail of flame in your wake that damage enemies. Activating this skill destroys other active Willbender Flames effects.
F3	Crashing Courage	0.75¾	30	Virtue. Shadowstep a short distance while gaining boons and emanating Willbender Flames from your location. Gain Courage.
	Willbender Flames			Create a ring of flame that damages enemies. Activating this skill destroys other active Willbender Flames effects.

Weapon skills

#	Skill			Description
Sword
4	Executioner's Calling	0.75¾	12	Strike your foe with rending force. Follow up this attack with a dual strike that deals increased damage against foes you struck with the first.
5	Advancing Strike	0.5½	20	Quickly dash toward your foe and then shadowstep to deliver a debilitating attack that first slows and then immobilizes your enemies.

Slot skills

Healing

Skill				Description
Reversal of Fortune		10.5½	2	Physical. Guard yourself with light, negating the next incoming strike and healing you instead, even if the strike would have been lethal. If an effect causes damage that would be lethal, that damage will be negated and you will be healed instead. If no attacks or lethal damage are negated, you will be healed for the lowest set amount.

Utility

Skill				Description
Flash Combo		0.75¾	20	Physical. Shadowstep to your target and strike at them multiple times. If the skill completes without being interrupted, gain access to Repose.
Repose				Physical. Shadowstep to Flash Combo's starting point.
Whirling Light		10.25¼	15	Physical. Lunge forward and perform a whirlwind kick, weakening and burning any foes left in your wake.
Heel Crack		0.5½	2	Physical. Perform a quick heel strike that stuns your target.
Roiling Light		0.75¾	15	Physical. Break stun and dodge backward, blinding foes and gaining resistance. Then, gain access to Quick Retribution.
Quick Retribution		0.5½		Physical. Lunge forward and unleash a disorienting strike at your foe, dazing them.

Elite

Skill				Description
Heaven's Palm		10.25¼	20	Physical. Evade attacks, then shadowstep and slam the ground, knocking down your targeted foe, finishing them if there are no other enemy players nearby. Foes that aren't targeted are knocked back instead.

List of willbender traits

See also: List of guardian traits

Tier	Trait		Description
Minor Proficiency	Sword Proficiency		You can wield swords in your off-hand.
Minor Adept	Willbender Training		The guardian's Virtues are now movement based, giving them a swift advantage in combat. Gain access to the Physical skill type.
Major Adept	Searing Pact		Gain condition damage. Willbender Flames now inflict burning on foes they strike.
Major Adept	Power for Power		Gain increased power. Willbender Flames deal increased damage to foes they strike.
Major Adept	Conceited Curate		Gain increased vitality. Willbender Flames now heal you when they strike an enemy.
Minor Master	Righteous Sprint		Gain increased movement speed. Gain swiftness when you activate a virtue.
Major Master	Restorative Virtues		Triggered virtue effects reduce the cooldown of active weapon abilities. Gain vigor when activating Flowing Resolve.
Major Master	Holy Reckoning		Triggered virtue effects now grant might to allies in addition to their bonuses. Gain fury when activating Rushing Justice.
Major Master	Vanguard Tactics		Activating Courage grants resistance. Shadowstepping grants resolution and protection.
Minor Grandmaster	Lethal Tempo		Each time you activate a virtue or your virtue's passives are triggered, gain a damage bonus. Gaining stacks of this boon refreshes other stacks.
Major Grandmaster	Phoenix Protocol		Gain alacrity and regeneration when resolve's effect triggers, but you no longer heal. Resolve has a modified duration. Gain alacrity when you use Flowing Resolve.
Major Grandmaster	Tyrant's Momentum		Lethal Tempo grants increased damage, but has reduced duration. Justice's duration is modified.
Major Grandmaster	Deathless Courage		While Courage is active, incoming strike damage and condition damage is reduced.

Lore

“

A willbender’s bladework is unmatched and wielding a sword in their off hand gives them extra opportunities for ruthless cuts.

— Official site

“

Willbenders are protectors of the Canthan throne and fated guardians to the Weh no Su (or Ascendant Emperors).[sic] A new form of Guardian that uses of an off-hand sword and physical abilities to help them reach and execute their foes, the willbender makes the profession more mobile than it has ever been. The willbender’s off-hand sword and many physical utilities have been given multi-strike and bonus movement capabilities making it a highly aggressive damage dealer, bursting down foes while simultaneously maintaining their health and well-being through destruction on the battlefield.

— Elite specialization lore

“

Willbenders are traditionally protectors of the emperor of Cantha, or the throne of Cantha more specifically (empresses too), and more specifically to that they were protectors of the Weh no Su (or to be closer to the stars) which were certain emperor and empresses that had achieved ascension through celestial trials, so Willbenders are really really potent protectors.

— Indigo Boock

Associated items

• Purifier
• Willbender's Sword
• Mark of the Throne

Related achievements

• Specializations: Adept Willbender — Begin training the guardian's willbender elite specialization. (5)
• Specializations: Master Willbender — Completely train the guardian's willbender elite specialization. (10)
• Specialization Collections: Purifier — Collect these 14 items and skins to receive the willbender's sword, Purifier. (3)
• Specializations: Ministry-Approved Willbender — Purchase these 3 trinkets from the strike rewards vendor. (2)

Gallery

• 

  Teaser

• 

  Revealed concept art

• 

  Still frame from the reveal video

• 

  Still frame from the reveal video

• 

  Promotional official icon

Icons

• 

  Official icon

• 

  Official icon

• 

  Wiki icon

Notes

• The Willbender NPC Sejong can be found at the Harbor Market point of interest in Seitung Province.

Trivia

• The first known instance of a guardian dual wielding swords in the game is General Almorra Soulkeeper in Darkrime Delves.
• The willbender was first teased on the official Twitter account with a silhouette that lacked the typical profession-colored aura. This led to debate among players as to whether the specialization was for the guardian or the thief.
• The promo art for Willbender shows a human in Warlord's armor, Mark of the Throne, and dual wielding Willbender's Sword.
• Prior to February 14, 2023 game update, only one Willbender effect could be active at the same time, so they overwrote each other if Virtue skills were used in quick succession.

External links

• Willbender spotlight on YouTube

References

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Guardian