On this page
- Basic skills
- 40 · 54 Power Stones + 101,500 red souls
- Special skills
- 36 · 56 Oni Stones + 72,500 red souls
- Skill tiers unlock at
- Oni Portals 1, 2 and 3
- Charms
- 15 standard · 1 to 3 slots
01The upgrade economy
Four resources drive progression, and each has one job. Knowing which is scarce tells you where to be careful: Power and Oni Stones are finite, red souls are not.
| Resource | Spent on | Where it comes from | Scarce? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Stones | Basic skills | Chests, exploration and side-content rewards (guides count 53–54) | Yes—the Basic tree needs 54 |
| Oni Stones | Special skills, including Oni Armament nodes | Chests, exploration and side-content rewards (54–55) | Yes—the Special tree needs 56 |
| Red souls | Many skill nodes, Charm and equipment enhancement | Every defeated enemy | No, but they do not carry into NG+ |
| Fine Silk Cloth | Clothing enhancement | Exploration (25) | Enough for one full set |
| Tamahagane | Sword and gauntlet enhancement | Exploration (25) | Enough for one full set |
| Favor | Charm enhancement | Offering food at Emma’s Hall | No—food drops and rescues keep it flowing |
| Skeleton Hozuki | Final Hozuki Pouch level | Exploration (5 in the world) | One per pouch |
02How the skill tree unlocks
The first skills open during The Oni’s Apprentice (mission 4). After that, each tier of the tree is gated by Oni Portals: some nodes say “after the 1st Oni Portal”, others need the 2nd or 3rd. Stone-cost nodes unlock a new move or a big change; red-soul nodes are usually “Power 1/2” style stat raises.
Two Special skills are story rewards rather than purchases—Oni Strength: Destroy after defeating Rasho-gan, and Oni Agility: Wall Run during The Roots of All Evil.
PowerPyx’s full list adds up to 54 Power Stones, 56 Oni Stones and 174,000 red souls for every skill. Since guides count 53–54 Power Stones and 54–55 Oni Stones in the world, a first run gets you close but not quite to a full tree—New Game+ finishes it.
03First ten skills
Published guides largely agree on the opening picks. This order front-loads skills that pay off in every fight, then the ones that pay for themselves by finding more stones.
| # | Skill | Cost | Why now |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blazing State | 2 Power Stones | Parries become a damage and blue-soul engine |
| 2 | Deflect | 2 Power Stones | The second core defensive tool, taught in The Oni’s Apprentice |
| 3 | Chain Issen | 2 Power Stones | Group fights become a sequence of instant kills |
| 4 | Oni Vision: Treasures | 2 Oni Stones | Marks chests holding more stones—pays for itself quickly |
| 5 | Charm Capacity 1 | 2 Power Stones | A second Charm slot (after Portal 1) |
| 6 | Issen Power 1 | 4,500 red souls | Cheap boost to your main counter |
| 7 | Oni Vision: Treasure 2 | 2 Oni Stones | Finds the rest of the hidden chests |
| 8 | Reflex Combo | 2 Power Stones | Turns dodges into damage |
| 9 | Charm Capacity 2 | 3 Power Stones | The third Charm slot (after Portal 3) |
| 10 | Oni Awakening: Duration | 3 Oni Stones | Longer Awakening for late-game bosses |
04Basic skills by branch
Basic skills cost Power Stones (for new moves) or red souls (for power upgrades). This is a summary of each branch rather than every node.
| Branch | Key skills | Stone cost of the branch | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issen | Chain Issen, Issen Power 1–2, Chain Length 1–2, Reflex Combo, Ultimate Reflex Combo | 13 Power Stones | High |
| Deflect and Blazing State | Deflect, Deadly Deflection, Deflection Power, Blazing State Range and Duration, Break Issen: Red Soul Yield | 13 Power Stones | High |
| Charm Capacity | Charm Capacity 1 and 2 | 5 Power Stones | High |
| Soul absorption | Absorb Souls While Attacking, Yield 1–2, Bonus Boost | 5 Power Stones | Medium |
| Oni Bow | Power 1–2, Ultimate Charged Attack, Charge Time, Arrow Duration | 5 Power Stones | Medium |
| Assassination | Stealth, Assassination Boost, Stealth While Running, Petrify (and more targets, stronger enemies) | 8 Power Stones | Low–medium |
| Sprint and items | Flat-Out Sprint, Environmental Object Power, item duration, items found, Quick Use | 5 Power Stones | Low |
05Special skills by branch
| Branch | Key skills | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Oni Vision | Destructibles, Treasures, Treasure 2, Search Range | Buy Treasures and Treasure 2 early; they find Oni and Power Stones |
| Oni Strength | Destroy (story), Handle Bigger Objects, Destruction Speed, Slice, Chop and their charge times | Slice and Chop are charged guard-breakers |
| Oni Agility | Wall Run (story), Fall Recovery, Issen: Range, Reflex Combo: Range | Issen: Range (2 Oni Stones) is the standout |
| Oni Awakening | Awakening Duration, Onimusha Onslaught: Power | Third-portal skills for the endgame |
| Oni Armaments | Three nodes per Armament | See the Oni Armaments guide for costs and order |
06Equipment enhancement
Enhancement unlocks after The Oni’s Apprentice and has five proficiency levels per item. Equipment levels are the one big investment that resets in New Game+.
| Equipment | Improves | Material | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clothing | Maximum health and stamina | Fine Silk Cloth | High on Carnage—the margin for error matters most |
| Sword | Regular attacks, Issen and Oni Armament power | Tamahagane | High—affects almost every damage source |
| Gauntlet | Maximum Oni Power and soul absorption range | Tamahagane | Medium; excellent once Armaments are your plan |
Clothing, sword and gauntlet enhancement levels do not carry into New Game+, while skills, Charms and Hozuki Pouches do. Spend materials knowing you will redo equipment on a second run.
07Every Charm and where to get it
Fifteen standard Charms exist. One comes from the story; the other fourteen are rewards from Mysteries of Kyoto and Chance Encounters, which is why side content early in the game turns directly into combat power. Values are shown at levels 1 / 2 / 3.
| Charm | Effect (Lv 1 / 2 / 3) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Charm of the Healer | Healing +4 / 6 / 8% | Story: The Stage is Set at Kiyomizu |
| Charm of Zeal | Blaze gauge fills 10 / 15 / 20% faster | Chance Encounter: Pale Lights in a Night Sky |
| Sadist’s Strength Charm | +8 / 11 / 15% damage to burning, Blazing or oil-soaked enemies | Chance Encounter: Clear Space, Clear Mind |
| Reaper’s Charm | Red souls absorbed +5 / 10 / 15% | Chance Encounter: An Ugly Business |
| Charm of Stamina | Stamina recovery +9 / 13 / 17% | Chance Encounter: The Growling Ghost |
| Charm of Dexterity | Reflex gauge fills 10 / 15 / 20% faster | Chance Encounter: Noisy Neighbors |
| Charm of Enticement | More Genma encounters | Chance Encounter: The Odd Couples |
| Charm of Awakening | Awakening gauge +4 / 6 / 8% | Chance Encounter: A Fishy Story |
| Charm of Oni Power | Oni Power gauge fills 4 / 6 / 8% faster | Chance Encounter: Restless Spirits |
| Charm of Purification | Health lost to Malice −20 / 30 / 40% | Mystery: The Blessed Man |
| Inner Strength Charm | Issen power +5 / 7 / 10% | Mystery: Something in the Water |
| Blazing Charm | Blazing State lasts +3 / 4 / 6 s | Mystery: Worm-ly Ways (The Three Worms) |
| Fencer’s Strength Charm | Regular attack power +8 / 11 / 15% | Mystery: The Faceless |
| Oni Strength Charm | Oni Armament power +6 / 9 / 12% | Mystery: Some Unfinished Monkey Business (Hanging Monkeys) |
| Charm of Protection | Damage taken −4 / 6 / 8% | Mystery: The Night Parade |
08Charm enhancement and loadouts
Charms are enhanced at Emma’s Hall with red souls and Favor. Favor comes from offering food, which you find in levels and receive from rescued townspeople—another reason to save citizens as you go. Level 2 costs 3,000 red souls and 3,500 Favor; level 3 costs 6,000 red souls and 6,500 Favor. Enhancing all fifteen to level 3 is the Charmed Life silver trophy.
| Loadout | Charms | When |
|---|---|---|
| Issen duelist | Inner Strength · Fencer’s Strength · Charm of Zeal | Bosses you can read well; most of Action difficulty |
| Armament engine | Charm of Oni Power · Oni Strength · Charm of Awakening | Earth-Shakers / Still Water builds and Carnage rematches |
| Safety first | Charm of Protection · Charm of Stamina · Charm of the Healer | Learning a new boss, early Carnage before equipment is rebuilt |
| Farming | Reaper’s Charm · Charm of Enticement · Fencer’s Strength | Grinding red souls for enhancement |
Six “Lovable” Charms come from the demo save bonus, pre-order and Deluxe editions; claim them from Additional Content at any Spirit Mirror. They are not needed for Charmed Life.
09Hozuki Pouches
The Hozuki Pouch is your healing item, swapped at Spirit Mirrors. Four extra pouch types come from Oni Cloths found in the world, and each pouch’s final level needs a Skeleton Hozuki—five exist, one per pouch.
| Pouch | Effect | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Default pouch | Restores some health | Early game |
| Regeneration | Larger heal plus stamina over time | Learning a new boss |
| Aggressor | No healing; restores Oni Power | Armament-heavy Carnage builds |
| Resistance | Health over time plus Oni Power | Balanced loadouts |
| Awakening | Charges Oni and Awakening gauges (cloth available after Shuten Doji) | Bosses with Awakening-only phases |
10Red-soul tips
- Break Issen: Red Soul Yield (5,500 red souls) and the Reaper’s Charm stack—buy and equip both before a farming session.
- Flashing Void finishing blows grant bonus red souls.
- Players report that crafting materials can be bought with red souls at Yorimasa’s Monument, which saves grinding late in the game.
- Red souls are not carried into New Game+; spend them before finishing the story.
Frequently asked questions
What skills should I get first?
Blazing State, Deflect and Chain Issen with your first Power Stones, then Oni Vision: Treasures with your first Oni Stones so you find more of both.
Can you unlock every skill in one playthrough?
Almost. The full tree needs 54 Power Stones and 56 Oni Stones, which is slightly more than one run provides. Skills carry into New Game+, so you finish there.
How many Charms can you equip?
One at the start, two after Charm Capacity 1 and three after Charm Capacity 2.
What are Oni Portals?
Story milestones that open the next tier of the skill tree. Many nodes are labelled as available after the 1st, 2nd or 3rd Oni Portal.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources. All text is our own.
Spotted something out of date? Read how we handle fixes in our corrections policy.