Skills | nioh Wiki

Skills in Nioh are used to perform stronger attacks, infusions or other types of magic. There are 6 types of skills available in the base game: Sword Skill, Spear Skills, Axe Skills, Kusarigama Skills, Ninja Skills and Onmyo Magic Skills and they are subdivided into Active, Passive or Jutsu. Their vast variety and application in many combat situations make them an indispensable part of character progression. You can view and edit the current assignments from the Skill Customization screen. 

The DLC added Odachi Skills and Tonfa Skills. These are available in the PC "Complete Edition" by default.

The weapon skills available in Nioh are affected by the stance you take (Low, Mid or High). They are learned using Samurai Skill Points, which are earned either by increasing Proficiency with a weapon, leveling stats like Strength or Body or by using the locks of hair Items. Once learned, skills become part of the flow of combat as they are assigned to a specific button press and/or sequence, known as Command. Some skills are independent of weapon, like Grapple, Flux and Ki Pulse skills.

Many skills cannot be unlocked until after you've completed certain missions. For instance many skills require you to complete the Way of The ---- Dojo missions.
The Way of The Novice missions become available from the dojo after completing the 'The Spirit Stone Slumbers mission' (Mission Level = 19)
The Way of The Adept missions become available from the dojo after completing the 'The Ocean Roars Again mission' (Mission Level = 38)
The Way of The Veteran missions become available from the dojo after completing the 'The Iga Escape mission' (Mission Level = 70)
Mystic Samurai Skill missions become available from the dojo after completing the 'Immortal Flame mission' (Mission Level = 96)
Mystic Ninja and Onmyo Magic missions become available from the dojo after completing the 'A Defiled Holy Mountain' (Mission Level = 120)
Mystic Samurai Skill missions require 500000 Proficiency for that weapon. The Mystic Ninja / Mystic Magic missions require 20 in Dexterity / 20 in Magic.

Skills Information

Jutsus are supportive items and abilities such as Shuriken, Powders and Talismans. They are divided into 2 categories: Ninjutsu which are the weapon based arts, and Onmyo Magic which are elemental and spiritual realm arts. Each Jutsu has a cost that goes towards your Ninjutsu capacity and Onmyo capacity. You may only equip jutsus that have a total cost equal or lesser than their respective capacity.

Jutsus are unlocked from the Learn Skills screen. Ninjutsu are learned from the Ninja Skills section and cost Ninja Skill Points to learn and Onmyo Magic are learned from the Onmyo Magic Skills section and cost Onmyo Magic Skill Points to learn.

Sword Skills

Dual Sword Skills

Spear Skills

Axe Skills

Kusarigama Skills

Odachi Skills

Tonfa Skills

Ninja Skills

Onmyo Magic Skills

Sword Skills

Swords are particularly good for their balance of speed, power and range. The Sword Skill tree incorporates improvements to Ki.

Skill	Description	Rank Required	Samurai Skill Points Required	Skill Type	Command	Prerequisite
Grapple	Grapples an enemy who is out of Ki, then follows up with equipped weapon.	-	1	Active	opponent out of Ki	-
Kick	Mid or low stance skill. A following move from a combo attack. Causes huge Ki damage.	-	2	Active	mid combo	Grapple
Indomitable Spirit: 1	When your health drops to 30% or lower, your Ki recovery speed increases by 20%.	-	4	Passive	N/A	Kick
Indomitable Spirit: 2	When your health drops to 30% or lower, your Ki recovery speed increases by 10%.	Adept	5	Passive	N/A	Indomitable Spirit: 1
Indomitable Spirit: 3	When your health drops to 30% or lower, your Ki recovery speed increases by 10%.	Veteran	6	Passive	N/A	Indomitable Spirit: 2
Purify Yokai Realm	Activates when you recover the maximum amount of Ki from a Ki Pulse. Purifies the defilement clinging to you and your vicinity.	-	0	Active	Ki Pulse	-
Flux	Changing to another stance on a successful Ki Pulse increases the amount of Ki recovered.	-	1	Active	Ki Pulse / Stance	Purify Yokai Realm
Flux II	Increases Ki recovery when you switch stances during Flux.	Novice	2	Active	Ki Pulse / Stance	Flux
Flash Attack	Performs a quick attack when switching weapons after a Ki Pulse.	Adept	3	Active	Ki Pulse / Weapon	Flux II
Iai Quickdraw	Pronounced "ee-eye." Can be used only when a sword is sheathed. Gathers power while keeping your sword in its scabbard for a quick-draw and rapid strike.	-	3	Active	Hold R1+O	-
Iai Quickdraw: II	Allows you to accumulate much more power.	Adept	3	Active	Hold R1+O	Iai Quickdraw
Iai Quickdraw: III	Immediately puts you in Iai stance when Ki Pulse succeeds.	Veteran	4	Active	Hold R1+O	Iai Quickdraw: II
Night Rain	Unleash a barrage of quick slashes	Veteran	4	Active	Hold R1+O	Iai Quickdraw: III
Tiger Sprint	Dash forward with sword in sheath before striking	Veteran	4	Active	Hold R1+O	Iai Quickdraw: III
Sword Ki	Disperses Ki from your sword to stun surrounding enemies.	-	3	Active	L1+Triangle	-
Relentless I	Ki +5	Novice	5	Passive	N/A	Sword Ki
Relentless II	Ki +3	Adept	6	Passive	N/A	Relentless II
Relentless III	Ki +2	Veteran	7	Passive	N/A	Relentless III
Quadrisect	While a Living Weapon is active, hold Triangle to quickly slash at surrounding enemies.	-	3	Active	Hold	-
Sword of Discernment	Stuns the enemy by bashing them with the sheath, then follows up with a downward slash.	Novice	3	Active	L1+Square	Quadrisect
Morning Light	After getting knocked down, press Triangle to attack while getting up	Veteran	3	Active		Sword of Discernment
Sword of Meditation	Performs a powerful attack with a wide opening	Veteran	4	Active	L1+Triangle	Morning Light
Swallow's Wing	Follows up a combo with slash while stepping back.	-	2	Active	mid combo	-
Swallow's Wing II	Alters backwards movement when wearing light armor.	Novice	3	Active	Dodge	Swallow's Wing II
Ki Pulse: Heaven	High stance skill. Activates when you recover full Ki from a Ki Pulse. Raises the damage caused by your next attack.	-	1	Active	Ki Pulse	-
Living Water: Heaven	Enables Ki Pulse to trigger via dodging in High Stance	-	5	Active	Dodge	Ki Pulse: Heaven
Morning Moon	High stance skill. Following a combo attack, jumps and slices the enemy.	-	2	Active	mid combo	-
Flowing Shadow	Perform three rapid attacks while circling around the enemy.	Veteran	3	Active	L1+Triangle	-
Ki Pulse: Man	Mid stance skill. Activates when you recover full Ki from a Ki Pulse. Raises the damage caused by your next attack.	-	1	Active	Ki Pulse	-
Living Water: Man	Mid stance only. Enables you to use Ki Pulses even when dodging	-	3	Active	Dodge	Ki Pulse: Man
Water Shadow	Mid stance only. parries an enemy's attack, then places you behind them.	Novice	2	Active	L1+Triangle	Living Water: Man
Water Shadow: II	When Water Shadow succeeds, allows you to slice attack with an extra button press.	Adept	3	Active	L1+Triangle	Water Shadow
Leaf Glide	Mid stance only. Parries an opponent's attack and then closes in on them.	-	2	Active	L1+Square	N/A
Haze	Mid stance skill. Parries an enemy attack, neutralizing it.	-	1	Active	L1+Square	Leaf Glide
Haze: II	When Haze succeeds, allows you to thrust attack with an extra button press.	Novice	3	Active	L1+Square	Haze
Tempest	Mid or low stance skill. Breaks the opponent's guard, then uses your guard to knock them to the ground.	-	1	Active	Guard Break	N/A
Backwave	Mid stance skill. Guards just before an incoming hit to knock the attacker off balance.	Novice	3	Active	L1	Tempest
Backwave II	Follows up Backwave with Tempest	Adept	4	Active	L1	Backwave
Ki Pulse: Earth	Low stance skill. Activates when you recover full Ki from a Ki Pulse. Raises the damage caused by your next attack.	-	1	Active	Ki Pulse	-
Living Water: Earth	Low stance only. Enables you to use Ki Pulses even when dodging.	-	1	Active	Dodge	Ki Pulse: Earth
Heaven Flash	Low stance skill. Following a combo attack, kicks an enemy up, then slices down.	-	2	Active	X+Forward Mid Combo	Tempest
Swift Step	Maneuver behind opponent in Low Stance after combo	Adept	3	Active	X+Forward Mid Combo	Heaven Flash
Sword of Salvation	Reduces Ki consumption when dodging with a sword equipped as your main weapon	Mystic	7	Mystic Art	N/A	Cleared Mission "Zen and Sword are One"
Sword of Execution	Increases damage dealt when attacking an enemy from behind with a sword	Mystic	7	Mystic Art	N/A	Cleared Mission "Zen and Sword are One"
Melee Mastery	Melee Weapon Attack increase	Veteran		Passive	N/A	Cleared Mission "The Way of the Warrior: Veteran"
Deadly Eye	Ranged Weapon Attack increase	Veteran		Passive	N/A	Cleared Mission "The Way of the Warrior: Veteran"
Fatal Fists	Bare-handed Attack increase	Veteran		Passive	N/A	Cleared Mission "The Way of the Warrior: Veteran"