Sekiro's progression is heavily tied to the acquisition and mastery of Skills and Combat Arts. These abilities are unlocked using Skill Points earned through combat and exploration, allowing Sekiro to develop his combat prowess and unlock new ways to approach challenges.
Earning Skill Points
Skill Points are earned by accumulating experience points (XP). XP is gained primarily through defeating enemies and bosses. The amount of XP awarded depends on the difficulty of the enemy. Resting at a Sculptor's Idol allows Sekiro to spend these accumulated Skill Points.
The Skill Tree
Sekiro's skills are organized into several distinct trees, each focusing on different aspects of his combat abilities:
- Shinobi Arts: This tree focuses on core combat techniques, including new attack combos, improved dodging, and abilities that enhance Sekiro's offensive capabilities. Skills like the Flowing Water Strike and Ascending Carp are found here.
- Ashina Arts: This tree emphasizes defensive and counter-attacking techniques, such as improved deflection and posture recovery. Skills like the Whirlwind Slash and Ichimonji are key here.
- Temple Arts: This tree offers skills related to stealth, mobility, and utility. It includes abilities that enhance grappling hook usage, stealth takedowns, and the effectiveness of certain Prosthetic Tools.
- Prosthetic Arts: These skills are unlocked by using specific Prosthetic Tools frequently. They often enhance the effectiveness or reduce the Spirit Emblem cost of those tools.
Combat Arts
Combat Arts are powerful special moves that consume Spirit Emblems to perform. They offer unique attack patterns and can be devastating when used effectively. You can equip one Combat Art at a time at a Sculptor's Idol. Examples include:
- Ichimonji: A powerful overhead strike that deals significant Posture damage and recovers Sekiro's own Posture.
- Whirlwind Slash: A rapid series of strikes that can hit multiple enemies.
- Mortal Draw: A devastating, high-damage attack that requires specific conditions to use.
Passive Skills
In addition to active Combat Arts, many skills in the tree are passive. These skills provide permanent buffs or enhancements to Sekiro's abilities, such as increased attack power, improved stealth, or greater resistance to status effects.
Unlocking and Equipping Skills
To unlock a skill, Sekiro must have the required number of Skill Points and often must have unlocked the preceding skill in its tree. Once unlocked, Combat Arts can be equipped at any Sculptor's Idol. It's recommended to experiment with different skills and Combat Arts to find a playstyle that suits you and the challenges you face.