Skill Points and Experience | Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Wiki (2024)

Skill Points & Experience

Players gain Skill Points by gaining Experience, which is done via defeating Enemies and Bosses. There is a "soft cap" beginning after skill point #25 where the required XP is significantly more than the previous 25 points. Also, the XP requirement from 1-25 appears to increasenearly linearly, but after 25 it appears to increase exponentially. Simply put, thedifference in XP required betweenskill points increases as you gain them.

Based on the incomplete data on this page, the approximate equation for calculating XP required per level (after level 25) is below, where X is the level:
Required Level XP =0.02x³ + 2.4204x² + 44.771x - 1851.8

Experience vs. Skill Point curve

Note:Spending Skill Points doesnot reset the curve. The 10th skill point you earn will always take650 XP, whether you've spent 9 on skills or none at all.

Using Skill Points

Players spend their Skill Points while resting at any Sculptor's Idol. Sculptor's Idols are spread across the game world (much like Bonfires in Dark Souls), so this can be done fairly easily.

Skills are separated into several distinct Skills and Skill Trees: Shinobi, Samurai, Prosthetic, and more. Within the trees, players will find passive skills and active skills called Combat Arts or Techniques.

Some Skills need more points than others to be unlocked, and have pre-requisites. In some cases, Upgrades may be locked behind skill requirements as well.

Farming Skill Points

Although theBell Demondoesn't increase experience rewards, having it equipped while farming will allow you to pick up more items at the same time.

• Very early game (120 XP/minute): From theUnderbridge Valley idol, grapple up to the broken bridge and backstab theAshina Soldier walking on the lower level directly in front of you. Then turn around and grapple up to the tree and sneak up on the Sentry. Drop down directly in front of him and sneakaround the arena, backstabbing four more Ashina Soldiers as you go.

  Additional resources:60 sen/minute,Scrap Iron,Scrap Magnetite,Fistful of Ash,Ceramic Shard

• Early game (190XP/minute): From the Hirata Audience Chamber idol, head backwards through the audience chamber. Firstbackstab the two Bandits moving down the hallway to your right, then sneak outside and backstab one of the shield Bandits. You should have enough time to kill the torch Bandit before everyone starts attacking, and once they do you'll have enough time to run over and take out the archer Bandit off to the side as well. At this point you can keep fighting if you want, but the easiest thing is to just return to the idol and begin again.

  Additional resources: 200 sen/minute,Scrap Iron,Black Gunpowder,Pellet,Ceramic Shards,Dousing Powder,Oil

• Midgame (366 XP/minute): From the Upper Tower - Antechamber idol, loop around to the side of the next room to backstab the Fencer. Head out into the main antechamber, wait for the fencer crossing the walkway to turn his back to you, then backstab him as well. Move around the edge of the antechamber to backstab the Old Maid, then head into the corner room to backstab another Fencer looking out the window. Head into the room with the map to backstab one last fencer sitting on the ground, then run back to the idol and repeat.

  Additional resources: 180 sen/minute, Scrap Iron,Scrap Magnetite,Adamantite Scrap,Pellet,Divine Confetti

• Midgame (600 XP/minute): Once you have the Mortal Blade, this is by far themost efficient XP grind until you defeat Guardian Ape and Illusory Monk. From the Main Hall idol in Senpou Temple, sneak down the hall to your right and do two deathblows to finish off the Infested Seekerin the nook (you can get a stealth deathblow from the side if you time it right). Turn around and head down the hall to your right (the one that connects to the Inner Sanctum). If you approach theInfested Seeker facing away from you from the left for another double deathblow, you should be able to do so without alerting the one facing you. This will allow you to sneak wide around the wall to your left and get a double deathblow onthe third seeker as well, then return to the idol.

  You can try to kill the monks on the other side of the hall, but it's hard to sneak up on more than one of them and for some reason they only give half as much XP anyway, so it's recommended to just repeat the three on the right over and over.

  Additional resources: 170 sen/minute

• Late Game (2940 XP/minute): This grind becomes available during the first invasion (once you've defeated Genichiro Ashina,Folding Screen Monkeys,Guardian Ape,andIllusory Monk). You'll need to equip Bloodsmoke Ninjutsu. From the Ashina Castle - Antichamber idol, start by using Ceremonial Tanto if you have it, then run through the door to the antechamber and walk up behind the Interior Ministry Ninja on the walkway and backstab him. Jump down to the floor below (you'll take some fall damage but it's fine), then backstab one of the two. Use Bloodsmoke Ninjutsu to backstab the other as well, then use Homeward Idol and repeat.

  Additional resources: 300 sen/minute,Scrap Iron,Scrap Magnetite,Adamantite Scrap,Gokan’s Sugar,Contact Medicine,Pacifying Agent,Lump of Fat Wax

• Late Game (2890 XP/minute): From the Feeding Grounds idol, jump towards the bridge overlooking the lake, run behind the Okami Warrior, and backstab it as it stands up. Then run back to the idol, rest, and repeat.

  Additional resources: 350 sen/minute, Scrap Magnetite, Adamantite Scrap, Pellet, Mibu Balloon of Soul

• Late Game (3770 XP/minute): This grind becomes available once you get Father's Bell Charm and kill Juzou the Drunkard in the second memory. From the Hirata Audience Chamber sculptor's idol, behind you as you sit at the idol, aBlue Spear Monk will round the corner immediately after load in or rest at the idol. Run towards him, slowing to a walk when you get close, and backstab him. Once he's dead, run right back to the idol, rest, and repeat.

  This can take some finesse to get just right, butonce you get the hang of it you can kill him and reset very quickly, making this the most efficient XP grind in the game, and possibly the most efficient sen grind as well.

  Additional resources: 560 sen/minute,Scrap Iron,Scrap Magnetite,Adamantite Scrap,Gokan's Sugar

• Late Game (~6000 XP/minute) Available after Ashina Castle is attacked for the second time and set on fire. Start at the Outskirts Wall - Stairway in Ashina Outskirts. Grapple onto the tower and deathblow the guard from behind. Jump down and deathblow the guard below the tower. Run through the gate and deathblow the guard standing to the right. Deathblow the closer of the two enemies walking up the stairs (most of the time the one with the flamethrower). Kill the last remaining enemy on the stairs (they will often hear you killing the enemy before but they have low posture, so killing them is easy if they're alone). Run back to the Idol by grappling onto the left part of the roof, rest and repeat.

  The enemy with the flamethrower gives 1324 XP, the other four give 662 XP each. That makes 1324 + 4 * 662 = 3972 XP per round. One round takes about 40 seconds which makes about 5958 XP/minute in total (NG without Kuro's Charm buff).

  Additionally you'll get 692 Sen per round (NG, Most Virtuous Deed, no other Sen buffs), diverse items and upgrade materials dropped by Red Guards, most notably Fulminated Mercury (didn't measure this exactly but about one every other round; also Most Virtuous Deed and no other drop-rate buffs)

Death and Experience

Players will find that if they die, there's a chance that they will lose 50% of their carried "Sen" (gold) and experience that has not consolidated into a Skillpoint (so anything that is in the experience bar rather than the number).

• A mechanic called Unseen Aid prevents loss upon death.
• Players can mitigate their losses by purchasing Purses, that carry their Sen for them.