While character is properly equipped for the journey ahead. To get the most out of Ghost of Tsushima, you will want to pick up some of the best skills.
Players will find that they can level up fast in Ghost of Tsushima and probably get most of the skill upgrades without having to pick and choose too often. There are definitely a few skills that players will want to prioritize early on in the game that will help them make progress much faster. This guide shows players which skills they should go for first.
Who Ghost of Tsushima 2 (Or Story-Based DLC) Should Be About
Ghost of Tsushima's ending provides a perfect opportunity to expand the story in a sequel or future DLC, but one character deserve more screen time.
Ghost of Tsushima: Most Important Skills
Early Game Boosts
While players will eventually be able to pick up all of the skills in the game, these skills will give them more bang for the buck in the first few hours of playtime. Players should prioritize picking these up as soon as they can.
Skill |
What It Does |
|---|---|
Unyielding Sword |
This is the very first skill that you should get. Enemies will sometimes attack with a flashing blue attack with their swords, and this skill will allow you to dodge those attacks. This is extremely useful throughout the entire game, so pick it up immediately. |
Sprint Strike |
This skill allows you to sprint at an enemy and swing at them. It is incredibly powerful and best used when enemies attack the enemy at range. |
Strength of Mountains |
Once you unlock the Stone stance, you can upgrade it with other skills. If you pick up the Strength of Mountains skill, it will significantly increase your ability to stagger enemies that block often. This is perfect when fighting against stronger enemies. |
Assassination |
This may take a bit longer to obtain, but it will make sneak-killing enemies much easier. You can take out several enemies simultaneously, which allows you to clear out areas much more efficiently. |
The level-one versions will be unlocked throughout the game with your Ghost skills. However, the one you will likely want to upgrade as soon as you get it is Wind Chimes, as the first upgrade for it is Firecracker, one of the best things to distract enemies throughout the game. It can also be used with Assassination, allowing you to hit all the enemies bunched together using the distraction technique.
The first Ghost Skill you will unlock is Kunai, and you will get a new one every time your Legend grows until you have unlocked all five.
Other Skills To Prioritize
Stances and Mythic Skills
Stances will be more helpful for direct combat in Ghost of Tsushima, and they are not as likely to help if you are emphasizing a strictly sneaky approach. Sometimes, the game makes you fight someone regardless, so it is still important to consider. Four total stances exist: Stone, Water, Wind, and Mood. These are each aimed at a different enemy type, as seen in the table below.
Stace |
Enemy Type |
Focus |
|---|---|---|
Stone |
Sword Enemies |
Consistent & Focused Damage |
Water |
Shield Enemies |
Burst Damage |
Wind |
Polearm Enemies |
Mobility |
Moon |
Brute Enemies |
Disruption |
If you struggle against one type of enemy more than others, it might be best to focus on upgrading that stance. Otherwise, you could focus on what type of damage or tactics you like the most and choose that one instead. Either way, getting at least the first upgrade of every stance is recommended, as that will allow your heavy attack to do more damage and break their stance in return. This will make you more effective in every fight, so it's worth doing.
There are also Mythic Skills that you can only get from completing certain side quests. These will earn you a good reward no matter which one you approach first, but it is recommended to seek them out once you are of the level to do so. Four of the Mythic trials will earn you a hefty combat skill reward.
The first one you will likely encounter is "The Heavenly Strike," as it is available during Act 1 of Ghost of Tsushima. This one will give you an unblockable attack that does extra damage. "The Curse of Uchitsune" is also available in Act 1, allowing you to make Explosive Arrows for an impactful hit. Those two alone will make you a formidable foe, but the one you want comes later.
"The Spirit of Yarikawa's Vengeance" is a Mythic tale that is perhaps the best of these skills to unlock. It allows you to perform three unblockable strikes in a row that are often one-hit kills and inflict significant damage. If an enemy dies while using this technique, there is a chance to strike fear into the others nearby, and he cannot be affected by attacks that would not finish off his health bar. It is also usable in duels, although it performs differently.
There is one more Mythic skill, found in Act III of "The Undying Flame," which, when unlocked, will allow you to turn your katana into a flaming sword with a bit of oil. It could be even more devastating to your enemies when used in tandem with either of the two heavy attacks. And that is one of the best skills to unlock as soon as possible in Ghost of Tsushima.
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
- Sucker Punch
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
