Skill Points and Experience

Learn how to earn and spend Skill Points in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Discover the best skills to unlock and strategies for efficient experience gain to master combat.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice features a unique progression system where players earn Experience Points (XP) to unlock Skill Points. These Skill Points can then be invested in various skills that enhance combat abilities, unlock new combat arts, and provide passive benefits. Understanding how to efficiently gain XP and which skills to prioritize is crucial for mastering the game.

How to Earn Experience:

• Defeating enemies and bosses grants experience points. Stronger enemies and bosses yield more XP.
• Completing objectives and progressing through the main story also awards experience.
• While not a primary source, finding certain items or completing side quests may offer small XP bonuses.

Unlocking Skills:

Once you accumulate enough experience, you will level up and gain a Skill Point. You can spend these points at any Sculptor's Idol. The available skills are divided into several trees:

• Shinobi Prosthetics: Upgrades for your prosthetic arm tools.
• Ashina Arts: Focuses on swordplay and combat arts.
• Temple Arts: Offers skills related to posture and defense.
• Unseen Aid: Passive skills that affect item drop rates and other mechanics.

Recommended Skills to Prioritize:

For new players, it is generally recommended to focus on skills that enhance survivability and core combat effectiveness:

• Mikiri Counter: Essential for countering thrust attacks, a common enemy move.
• Ascending Carp / Descending Carp: These skills increase the amount of Sen and XP gained from defeated enemies, accelerating your progression.
• Flowing Water: Reduces posture damage taken when blocking.
• Combat Arts: Skills like Whirlwind Slash or Ichimonji are powerful offensive options that can turn the tide of battle.