Post-Game Content & Replayability
Congratulations, Shinobi! Completing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a monumental achievement. However, your journey through Ashina doesn't end with the final boss. Sekiro offers a wealth of post-game content and replayability options that deepen the experience, challenge your skills, and reveal hidden facets of its intricate world.
New Game Plus (NG+)
Upon defeating the final boss and viewing an ending, you'll be prompted to immediately start a New Game Plus cycle. You can decline this offer and choose to start NG+ later from any Sculptor's Idol. NG+ significantly increases the difficulty, with enemies dealing more damage and having increased health and posture. This mode is essential for experiencing all of Sekiro's endings and fully upgrading your character.
- What Carries Over:
- All acquired Combat Arts, Prosthetic Tool upgrades, Latent Skills, and Esoteric Arts.
- All Spirit Emblems, Sen, and Quick Items (Pellets, Divine Confetti, etc.).
- All Prosthetic Tools (though you'll need to re-acquire the base tools from the Sculptor to use them).
- All Prayer Beads and Memories (these will be converted into Attack Power and Vitality/Posture increases, respectively, if you've already maxed them out).
- All Gourd Seeds (your Healing Gourd charges will remain the same).
- What Resets:
- Key Items (e.g., Mortal Blade, Fountainhead Palace Key, Immortality Severance Text).
- Progression through the main story and side quests.
- Sculptor's Idols (you'll need to rediscover them).
- Enemy and boss encounters.
- Strategies for NG+:
- Focus on Endings: Plan which ending you want to pursue. Each ending requires specific actions and item acquisitions throughout the playthrough.
- Max Out Upgrades: Use NG+ to farm materials for any remaining Prosthetic Tool upgrades or to acquire all Combat Arts and Latent Skills. Consider farming for rare upgrade materials like Fulminated Mercury or Lapis Lazuli.
- Master Combat: The increased difficulty forces a deeper understanding of enemy attack patterns and deflection timings. Experiment with different Prosthetic Tools and Combat Arts to find optimal strategies for each encounter.
Unlocking All Endings
Sekiro features four distinct endings, each requiring specific actions and decisions throughout your playthrough. Experiencing all of them is a core part of the post-game experience and offers significant replayability.
- Immortal Severance: The "standard" ending. Requires following the main questline without pursuing specific optional steps for other endings.
- Purification: A more challenging ending.
- Overhear Kuro multiple times after defeating Genichiro Ashina at Ashina Castle.
- Rest and speak to Emma, then eavesdrop on Kuro again.
- Speak to Emma, agree to help Kuro, and then speak to her at the Dilapidated Temple.
- Obtain the "Father's Bell Charm" from Emma.
- Use the charm at the Sculptor's Idol to visit the Hirata Estate (Memory).
- Defeat Owl (Father) in Hirata Estate (Memory).
- Obtain the "Aromatic Branch" and "Everblossom" from Owl (Father).
- Return (Dragon's Homecoming): The most complex ending.
- After defeating Genichiro Ashina, speak to the Divine Child of the Rejuvenating Waters at Senpou Temple, Mt. Kongo.
- Obtain the "Holy Chapter: Infested" from the main hall of Senpou Temple (near the large Buddha statue).
- Give the "Holy Chapter: Infested" to the Divine Child.
- Obtain the "Holy Chapter: Dragon's Return" from the main hall of Senpou Temple (behind the Illusory Hall Sculptor's Idol, in a cave).
- Give the "Holy Chapter: Dragon's Return" to the Divine Child.
- Feed the Divine Child two "Persimmon" (or "Taro Persimmon" if you have it).
- Rest and eavesdrop on the Divine Child.
- Speak to the Divine Child, who will request "Great Serpent Viscera."
- Acquire "Fresh Serpent Viscera" by performing a deathblow on the Great Serpent in Sunken Valley.
- Acquire "Dried Serpent Viscera" by performing a deathblow on the Great Serpent in Ashina Depths (near the Bodhisattva Valley Sculptor's Idol, after defeating the Guardian Ape).
- Give both "Serpent Viscera" to the Divine Child.
- Obtain the "Frozen Tears" from the Divine Child.
- Shura: The "evil" ending.
- After defeating Genichiro Ashina at Ashina Castle, when Owl confronts you on the castle rooftop, choose to "Obey the Iron Code, forsake Kuro."
- This path immediately locks you into the Shura ending and pits you against two unique bosses: Emma, the Gentle Blade and Isshin Ashina (Sword Saint).
Gauntlets of Strength & Reflection of Strength
These challenges, added in a free update, provide excellent replayability and a true test of your mastery. They are accessed via any Sculptor's Idol.
- Reflection of Strength: Allows you to re-fight any boss you've previously defeated. This is perfect for practicing specific boss encounters, honing your skills, or simply enjoying your favorite fights without the pressure of a full playthrough. There are no rewards for these, purely for practice.
- Gauntlet of Strength: These are boss rush challenges, pitting you against a series of bosses back-to-back with limited resurrections and no Sculptor's Idol rests in between.
- Divine Heir Gauntlet: Unlocked after completing the "Immortal Severance" ending. Reward: "Sakura Dance" Combat Art.
- Severance Gauntlet: Unlocked after completing the "Immortal Severance" ending. Reward: "Inner Genichiro" boss fight.
- Shura Gauntlet: Unlocked after completing the "Shura" ending. Reward: "Inner Isshin" boss fight.
- Mortal Journey Gauntlet: Unlocked after completing all other Gauntlets. This is the ultimate challenge, pitting you against almost every boss in the game. Reward: "Inner Father" boss fight.
- Inner Bosses: These are significantly harder versions of existing bosses, featuring new movesets and attack patterns. Defeating them is a true mark of a Sekiro master.
Charmless & Demon Bell Modes
For the ultimate challenge, Sekiro offers two optional difficulty modifiers that can be activated at any time during a playthrough (including NG+).
- Kuro's Charm (Charmless Run):
- How to Activate: When starting a New Game Plus, speak to Kuro at the Dilapidated Temple before leaving for the Ashina Outskirts. He will offer you his charm. Choose to "Return Kuro's Charm" to begin a charmless run.
- Effect: You will take chip damage even when successfully deflecting attacks. This forces perfect deflections and punishes any mistimed parries.
- Reward: Completing the game charmless grants you the "Sekiro" outfit.
- Demon Bell:
- How to Activate: Ring the Demon Bell at the Bell Demon's Temple in Senpou Temple, Mt. Kongo. This can be done at any point in the game.
- Effect: Enemies become stronger and drop better loot. This is ideal for farming rare upgrade materials or simply increasing the challenge.
- How to Deactivate: Use the "Bell Demon Removal" item from your inventory.
- Combined Challenge: Playing with both Kuro's Charm returned and the Demon Bell active is considered the hardest way to experience Sekiro, reserved for only the most dedicated Shinobi.
Collecting All Prosthetic Tools & Upgrades
Even after completing the game, you might not have found all Prosthetic Tools or fully upgraded them. Each tool offers unique combat applications and can drastically change your approach to encounters.
- Key Upgrade Materials:
- Lapis Lazuli: The rarest upgrade material, required for the final tiers of certain Prosthetic Tools. Only six can be found per playthrough. Look for them after defeating the Demon of Hatred and from the Shichimen Warrior in Fountainhead Palace.
- Fulminated Mercury: Found in later areas like Fountainhead Palace and Ashina Castle (late game).
- Pine Resin Ember: Drops from specific enemies in Fountainhead Palace.
- Missing Tools: Double-check your inventory against a comprehensive list to ensure you haven't missed any. Some are hidden in obscure locations or require specific progression.
Mastering Combat Arts & Skills
With multiple playthroughs, you'll accumulate vast amounts of experience. Use this to unlock all Combat Arts, Latent Skills, and Esoteric Arts from the various skill trees. Experiment with different combinations to find your preferred playstyle and maximize your combat efficiency.
- Ashina Arts: Focus on posture damage and powerful sword attacks.
- Prosthetic Arts: Enhance your Prosthetic Tools.
- Shinobi Arts: Emphasize stealth, mobility, and specific Shinobi tools.
- Temple Arts: Offer unique spiritual attacks and defensive capabilities.
- Mushin Arts: Advanced techniques that require mastery of other skill trees.