Important Notes - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Important Notes for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

This section covers critical warnings, common pitfalls, irreversible decisions, missable content, difficulty spikes, grinding traps, online etiquette, save management, and things players often wish they knew sooner. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a single-player, offline game with no multiplayer component, so all notes focus on solo play.

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Warnings and Pitfalls

Combat is posture-based, not hit-point-based: Many beginners try to chip away at health. Instead, focus on breaking the enemy's posture (stance meter) for a deathblow. Blocking, deflecting (parrying), and continuing pressure are essential. Running away or dodging excessively resets their posture recovery.

Spamming deflect is risky: While tapping deflect repeatedly can work against chains, proper timing is safer. Late deflects become blocks, costing posture damage and potentially guard-breaking you.

Death is a mechanic: When you die, you lose half your current Sen (money) and XP toward your next skill point. This can happen repeatedly. Spend Sen and use XP pellets (if available) before entering risky areas. You can recover lost Sen/XP by reaching your death spot and dealing a deathblow to the enemy that killed you (Shadow of Death mechanic). If you die again before reclaiming, they are permanently lost.

The Dragonrot mechanic: Each time you resurrect (use a resurrection node), there's a chance to inflict Dragonrot on NPCs, which stalls their questlines and reduces your chance to resurrect temporarily. This does not permanently lock out content, but it can delay quest progression. Cure Dragonrot later with a specific item. Don't be afraid to use resurrect—you can always cure it.

Unseen Aid: While you have Dragonrot, you lose more Sen and XP on death. Cure Dragonrot before challenging tough bosses.

Irreversible Choices

Ending branching choices: There are four endings, and your decision after defeating certain bosses (specifically after defeating the Divine Dragon) determines which ending you get. The choice is offered by Emma and the Sculptor in the Dilapidated Temple. Save your game manually (on PC) or via cloud backup (console) before this final conversation to see all endings. The choices involve obeying or breaking an oath, giving rice, eavesdropping, and collecting specific items. The most missable ending is the "Return" ending, which requires multiple steps early and mid-game.

Killing bosses that drop key items: Some bosses (like the Corrupted Monk, Guardian Ape, etc.) are mandatory for the main path. You cannot skip them. But optional bosses (Headless, Schichimen Warriors) yield reusable items that make later fights easier. You can choose to skip them, but you lose their permanent benefits.

Upgrade Material Farming: Once you upgrade a prosthetic tool to a certain tree, you cannot reverse it. If you upgrade the wrong path, you waste rare materials. Plan your upgrades wisely; most materials are finite until you unlock the ability to buy them later.

Giving rice to Kuro: In the late game, you must give Kuro a special persimmon or rice for the "Return" ending. If you eat it or give it to someone else, you lock yourself out of that ending. Only give rice as directed by the quest.

Eavesdropping opportunities: Several quest steps require eavesdropping on specific NPCs at specific times. If you clear areas or progress the story too fast, you may lose that window. For example, eavesdropping on Kuro and Emma after certain events is required for one ending.

Missable Content

Prosthetic Tools: A few prosthetic tools are only obtainable during certain phases of the game. Examples include the Sabimaru (in the Sunken Valley, missable if you defeat the Guardian Ape before exploring that area), the Divine Abduction (in the Ashina Castle area before it changes after the Great Serpent scene), and the Malcontent ring (requires defeating a Headless before they disappear if you leave the area too long). Consult a checklist if you want all tools.

Prayer Beads: Some Prayer Beads (which increase your Vitality and Posture) are found in hidden locations that become inaccessible after a story event. For instance, the one on top of Ashina Castle after the atmosphere changes (the "interior ministry" invasion) can be missed if you progress too fast. There are 40 total, and you need all to reach maximum health. Miss one and you’ll have to wait for New Game+.

Lapiz Lazuli: These are used to upgrade prosthetic tools to their final level. You can only get a maximum of 6 per playthrough (from specific bosses, secret merchants, and the Demon of Hatred). If you kill the Demon of Hatred before buying from the Pot Noble, you lose a source. Plan your upgrades.

NPC Quests: Several NPCs have questlines that advance only at specific story points. For example, the Anayama the Peddler quest has stages that lock if you defeat the Guardian Ape before talking to him at Ashina Outskirts. The Great Carps feeding quest is easy to miss—you must feed them multiple times with specific bait (Trout, Precious Bait) from the vendor near the feeding area. Missing these quests can deny you key items like the Finch’s Egg or Ako’s Sugar upgrades.

Headless and Schichimen Warriors: These optional minibosses drop reusable spirit emblems (Accidentally Devouring Finger, etc.). If you defeat the final boss and start New Game+, they reset, but you can fight them then. However, if you skip them in a playthrough, you miss the permanent upgrade items.

Difficulty Spikes

Early Game: Lady Butterfly (Hirata Estate) – Many players hit this wall early. She is optional but you need to beat her for the key item for one ending. Her fight teaches you to deflect rhythmically and manage pressure. Prepare snap seeds (to counter her illusions) and stay aggressive.

Mid Game: Genichiro Ashina (Ashina Castle) – The first major skill check. He has multiple phases, including a lightning phase. You must master deflecting lightning (jump and attack while airborne during his lightning attack). Using the Loaded Umbrella can block his arrows and final blow.

Late Game: Guardian Ape (Sunken Valley) – Deceptive because its first phase is beast-like, but second phase is a terrifying one-armed corpse that does a terror scream. Use the Firecracker prosthetic in phase 1, and the Loaded Spear to pull out the centipede in phase 2.

Post-Game: Demon of Hatred – Optional but extremely tough. This boss is more like a Dark Souls boss (large health pool, massive damage). Use the Malcontent whistle (if you have it) to stun him, and the Fire Umbrella to block his fire attacks. Consider using the Sugar that reduces fire damage.

Final Boss: Isshin, the Sword Saint – Four phases, each with new attacks. Deflect everything, use the Lotus Umbrella for his wind slashes, and pour firecrackers when he does the Ashina Cross wind-up. Very high posture damage required.

Spike in enemy aggression: After a story event (the Divine Dragon), the world becomes more aggressive: enemies hit harder, minibosses respawn, and new enemies appear in previously safe areas. Be prepared.

Grinding Traps and Efficiency

Do not grind XP for skill points early: The XP curve increases steeply per skill point. Grinding early is inefficient because later areas give much more XP. Focus on learning to deflect, which will carry you through the game.

Sen (money) is best spent on Spirit Emblems: Emblems are needed for most prosthetic tools. You can buy them from the Merchant at the Dilapidated Temple and from other vendors. Cap at 999. Always keep a stock of 200-300 for tough fights.

Pellets and Gourd Seeds: Gourd Seeds are finite; use them to upgrade your healing gourd. Pellets (healing items) are rare; don’t waste them on small damage. Save them for bosses.

Upgrade materials are finite until late game: You can only purchase certain upgrade materials (like Adamantite Scrap) after defeating a specific boss. Until then, farm carefully. The best farm spots: for scrap iron, the Antechamber of Ashina Castle (after it’s invaded) has shadow warriors you can stealth kill; for fulminated mercury, kill the enemies at the Gun Fort idol.

Skill point farming: The best late-game farm is the area after the Great Serpent Shrine idol in Ashina Outskirts (after the invasion). Backstab the two enemies near the bridge, then run to the present one. Alternatively, the Underbridge Valley idol (after the Invasion) yields about 1,500 XP per run with no combat.

Don't waste skill points on skills you won't use: Many skills are niche. Prioritize the Mikiri Counter (essential), Whirlwind Slash, and later skills like Floating Passage or Ichimonji. The Ashina Arts tree has crucial skills. Avoid spending on the Shinobi Arts tree except for Mikiri Counter.

Online Etiquette and Anti-Cheat Notes

no online multiplayer or co-op

Modded saves: Using cheat engine or mods can corrupt your save file. Always back up your save before modding (on PC). Mods that alter game balance (like randomizers) are fine for your own game but cannot be used for speedruns or leaderboards (no official leaderboards).

No invasions or messages: No need to worry about other players interfering.

Achievements: Achievements are tied to your save file. Some achievements are missable (like the Lapis Lazuli upgrades). You cannot earn achievements on a modded save if the game detects tampering? Actually, it is safe as long as you don't use any mod that disables achievements. Steam achievements work normally.

Cloud saves: On Steam, cloud saves sync automatically. If you cheat and cloud save corrupts, you may lose progress. Use manual backups.

Save Management Advice

Manual save backups: On PC, your save file is located in `%APPDATA%/Sekiro/` (or `Documents` folder). Copy this folder periodically. On console, use USB backup or PlayStation Plus cloud saves (but those only store the latest). For PC, create a backup before major bosses or decisions.

New Game+ and save slots: The game has only one save slot per profile. You cannot have multiple separate playthroughs simultaneously unless you manually back up and restore saves. Each NG+ cycle overwrites your old save.

Reversible choices via saves: Since the game saves automatically at every idol and major event, you cannot easily “undo” a choice. To see all endings, save at the end before the final dialogue, then reload. For earlier branching, you need a backup before the points of no return.

Corrupted save recovery: If your save corrupts, verify integrity of game files (Steam) or restore from backup. If no backup, you may have to start over. Rare, but possible.

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Things Commonly Regretted Not Knowing Earlier

1. You can deflect (parry) almost everything, including grabs? Actually, no. Grabs cannot be deflected; you must dodge or run away. But you can deflect many unblockable attacks (those with a red kanji) if they are thrust attacks (use Mikiri Counter). Important: the red kanji indicates a perilous attack, which can be a thrust (deflect or Mikiri), a sweep (jump over), or a grab (dodge). Learn to distinguish them.
2. Stealth deathblow on bosses: Many bosses have a first health bar that can be removed instantly if you sneak up on them while undetected. Example: the Corrupted Monk in the Mibu Village can be stealth deathblowed by approaching from the tree branches. This removes one of three health bars instantly.
3. You can use the Loaded Umbrella prosthetic to block the Guardian Ape’s terror scream. Seriously, it negates the scream completely.
4. Spirit Emblems are plentiful once you know the farming route. At the Dilapidated Temple, after defeating Genichiro, you can buy 100 emblems from the merchant for 120 Sen each. Later, the same merchant sells an unlimited supply. Farm Sen early and stock up.
5. The Finger Whistle (Malcontent) is amazing against the Demon of Hatred and the Shichimen Warriors. But to get it, you must kill all three Headless bosses.
6. You can swim underwater after defeating the Great Colored Carp – after feeding it 3 times with Precious Bait, it will die and drop a unique item, and you gain the ability to swim underwater (press dodge while swimming). This allows access to new areas in Fountainhead Palace.
7. The best way to increase your attack power is to collect Boss Memories (from main bosses) and use them at the Sculptor. There’s no way to respec attack power.
8. You can ring the Bell Demon (from a bell in the Senpou Temple) to drastically increase enemy difficulty but also drop rates. This is optional and reversible (by using the item that nullifies it). Not recommended for first playthrough.
9. Don't sell precious items like Divine Confetti or Fulminated Mercury. You may need them for upgrades later. Keep at least 10 Divine Confetti for Headless fights.
10. The game's map is deceptively non-linear – you can often explore multiple paths early. If you're stuck on a boss, go explore a different area. You can defeat some mini-bosses without facing the big ones.

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By keeping these notes in mind, you can avoid common frustrations, minimize missed content, and make informed choices that maximize your Sekiro experience.