Onimusha: Way of the Sword Best Skills and Upgrade Priority
The skill tree in Onimusha: Way of the Sword lets you spend Red Souls, Power Stones, and Oni Stones to unlock new abilities and upgrade existing ones. While you can eventually unlock every skill and upgrade, completing the entire skill tree requires multiple playthroughs. Prioritizing certain skills can therefore help you get the most useful abilities and upgrades during your first playthroughs.
Check our guide here if you want the full list of skills and upgrades.
Best Skills to Get First
| Skill | Effect | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Deflect | Allows you to deflect enemy attacks and opens up more defensive options. | 2 Power Stones |
| Blazing State | Allows Musashi to enter Blazing State by absorbing enough souls. | 2 Power Stones |
| Chain Issen | Allows you to chain multiple Issen attacks together. | 2 Power Stones |
| Charm Capacity 1 | Increases the number of Charms you can equip to 2. | 2 Power Stones |
| Oni Vision: Treasures | Makes hidden treasures and Hozuki easier to find with Oni Vision. | 2 Oni Stones |
| Oni Strength: Slice | Allows charged one-handed attacks to extract Blue Souls. | 3 Oni Stones |
| Oni Strength: Chop | Allows charged two-handed attacks to extract Blue Souls. | 3 Oni Stones |
Combat Upgrades
| Skill | Effect | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Issen Power 1 | Increases Issen power. | 4,500 Red Souls |
| Issen Power 2 | Further increases Issen power. | 6,500 Red Souls |
| Deflection Power 1 | Increases the power of Deflections. | 4,500 Red Souls |
| Deadly Deflection | Improves the effect of successful Deflections. | 3 Power Stones |
| Reflex Combo | Allows a counterattack after successfully dodging an attack. | 2 Power Stones |
| Ultimate Reflex Combo | Further improves Reflex Combo. | 3 Power Stones |
Exploration and Utility Upgrades
| Skill | Effect | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Oni Vision: Destructibles | Makes breakable enemy body parts and environmental objects easier to spot. | 3,500 Red Souls |
| Oni Vision: Treasures 2 | Automatically reveals nearby treasures and Hozuki outside of combat. | 2 Oni Stones |
| Oni Vision: Search Range | Increases the range of Oni Vision. | 5,500 Red Souls |
| Charm Capacity 2 | Increases the number of Charms you can equip to 3. | 3 Power Stones |
| Items: Quick Use | Makes items quicker to use during combat. | 3 Power Stones |
Recommended Upgrade Order
| Order | Skill | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deflect | Gives Musashi another way to defend against enemy attacks and opens the Deflect upgrade branch. |
| 2 | Blazing State | Unlocks a powerful combat state that can help turn difficult encounters in your favor. |
| 3 | Chain Issen | Allows multiple Issen attacks to be chained together, giving you more opportunities to deal heavy damage. |
| 4 | Charm Capacity 1 | Gives you another Charm slot, allowing you to benefit from an additional passive effect. |
| 5 | Issen Power 1 | Increases the power of Issen and is the first major upgrade on the Chain Issen branch. |
| 6 | Oni Vision: Treasures | Makes hidden treasures and Hozuki easier to find while exploring. |
| 7 | Deflection Power 1 | Improves Deflection and leads to Deadly Deflection further down the branch. |
| 8 | Deadly Deflection | Further improves the benefits of successfully Deflecting attacks. |
| 9 | Charm Capacity 2 | Gives you a third Charm slot for another passive bonus. |
| 10 | Issen Power 2 | Further increases the power of Issen after progressing through the Chain Issen branch. |
Related Guides
Helpful Guides
Guides by Category
| Guides by Category | |
|---|---|
 Walkthroughs |  Bosses |
 Oni Armaments |  Characters |
 Maps |  Chance Encounters |
