Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is FromSoftware's action game set in Sengoku-era Japan where you play as Wolf, a shinobi on a mission to rescue his kidnapped lord. Unlike Dark Souls, Sekiro has no RPG stats, no build variety, and no co-op — it's a pure action game built around the posture system and deflection mechanics. The game won Game of the Year 2019 by demanding mastery of its sword-clashing rhythm combat. Every boss teaches you that aggression and precise deflection are the path forward.
Starting Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet.
What Kind of Game Is This?
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a action game built around posture system and deflection. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Role
| Role | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Aggressive Deflector | Good (but demanding) | Attack until deflected, deflect their response, attack again. Never back off. |
| Prosthetic User | Excellent for beginners | Identify the boss's prosthetic weakness, exploit it for massive posture damage. |
| Stealth Player | Situational | Sneak behind enemies, Deathblow, use Puppeteer on one, let it fight the rest. |
| Combat Arts Focus | Excellent for beginners | Weave Combat Arts between deflection chains for burst damage. |
| Balanced | Excellent for beginners | Use whatever tool or approach works for the current obstacle. |
Our recommendation: Start with Prosthetic User. Exploits each boss's prosthetic tool weakness. Guardian Ape fears fire (Flame Vent). Armored enemies fall to Loaded Axe. Genichiro is vulnerable to Shuriken during jumps. This approach requires knowledge of each boss's weakness.
Avoid Balanced as your first pick. Combines deflection, prosthetics, and Combat Arts as needed per encounter.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn posture system
Every enemy has a Posture bar that fills from deflections, attacks, and Mikiri Counters. When the bar fills, the enemy staggers for a Deathblow (instant kill). Posture recovers quickly when enemies are at full health but slowly when wounded. The key insight: damaging health first makes posture break easier.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how posture system works before worrying about anything else.
Step 2: Head to Ashina Outskirts
The first major area with tutorial enemies and the initial skill progression. Contains General Naomori Kawarada (first real miniboss) and leads to the Chained Ogre. Teaches basic deflection and Deathblow mechanics.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Loaded Axe — it's the most accessible early upgrade. A prosthetic tool that breaks wooden shields in one hit and deals heavy posture damage. Essential against shield-bearing enemies and the Blazing Bull. The Lazulite upgrade adds bonus damage. Uses 2 Spirit Emblems per use.
Step 4: Understand deflection
Pressing block at the moment of impact deflects the attack, dealing massive posture damage to the enemy while taking none yourself. Deflection timing is tight but fair — learn the rhythm of each enemy's combo. Deflecting is always better than blocking, which fills YOUR posture bar.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early — it pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to Hirata Estate
A memory area accessed via the Sculptor's Idol. Contains Lady Butterfly (major optional boss), Juzou the Drunkard, and important items. Revisitable in a second, harder version later. Completing both versions gives the best ending.
Essential Mechanics Explained
posture system
Every enemy has a Posture bar that fills from deflections, attacks, and Mikiri Counters. When the bar fills, the enemy staggers for a Deathblow (instant kill). Posture recovers quickly when enemies are at full health but slowly when wounded. The key insight: damaging health first makes posture break easier.
deflection
Pressing block at the moment of impact deflects the attack, dealing massive posture damage to the enemy while taking none yourself. Deflection timing is tight but fair — learn the rhythm of each enemy's combo. Deflecting is always better than blocking, which fills YOUR posture bar.
Shinobi prosthetics
Wolf's prosthetic arm holds tools: Loaded Axe (breaks shields), Flame Vent (fire damage, staggers beasts), Shuriken (interrupts airborne enemies), Firecracker (stuns beasts and most humanoids), and more. Tools use Spirit Emblems (currency). Each boss has a prosthetic weakness.
stealth deathblows
Approaching enemies undetected allows instant Deathblows from behind. In boss fights, stealth removes one health bar entirely. Many bosses can be stealth-approached from above or behind for a free first Deathblow. Exploring for stealth routes is always worthwhile.
resurrection
Wolf can resurrect once after death without consequences. A second resurrection is available but triggers Dragonrot (NPC illness) accumulation. Resurrecting mid-boss-fight is strategic — the boss often turns away, letting you heal or reposition. Dying fully loses half your gold and XP (50% chance to retain via Unseen Aid).
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Playing Sekiro like Dark Souls — dodging and creating distance doesn't work
Bosses close gaps and punish passive play. Stay aggressive, stay close, deflect everything.
2. Holding block instead of tapping deflect — blocking fills your posture bar and leads to posture breaks
Active deflection (precise tapping) is the only way to fight effectively.
3. Ignoring the Mikiri Counter skill — it's unlocked early in the Shinobi skill tree and trivializes every thrust-attack enemy
This single skill makes 30% of fights dramatically easier.
4. Using all resurrections against regular enemies — save resurrection for boss attempts
Dying to trash mobs and resurrecting wastes your limited resurrection charges and spreads Dragonrot.
5. Giving up on Genichiro — the Genichiro fight at Ashina Castle is the game's skill check
It teaches everything about deflection, Mikiri, and aggression. Persist through it — everything after becomes manageable.
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand posture system and deflection
- Choose Prosthetic User as starting role
- Clear Ashina Outskirts main content
- Acquire Loaded Axe or equivalent upgrade
- Reach Hirata Estate
- Deflect, don't block. Timing is everything — a deflection (tap block at impact) deals massive posture damage to the enemy while taking none yourself. Blocking fills your posture bar.
- Mikiri Counter destroys thrust attacks — when you see the Perilous Attack symbol and the enemy thrusts, dodge INTO the attack to stomp their weapon. Builds enormous posture damage.
Tips for New Players
- Deflect, don't block. Timing is everything — a deflection (tap block at impact) deals massive posture damage to the enemy while taking none yourself. Blocking fills your posture bar.
- Mikiri Counter destroys thrust attacks — when you see the Perilous Attack symbol and the enemy thrusts, dodge INTO the attack to stomp their weapon. Builds enormous posture damage.
- Firecrackers work on every beast enemy (and most humanoids). They stun for 2-3 seconds, giving free hits. Essential for Blazing Bull, Guardian Ape, and horseback enemies.
- Posture damage kills faster than health damage — focus on deflecting and attacking to build posture rather than chipping health. Lower health = slower posture recovery.
- Sprint past enemies you don't need to fight. Most areas have optional enemies. Idol checkpoints are frequent — run past hard groups to reach the next checkpoint.
- Gourd Seeds increase your healing flask charges. Finding all 9 Seeds gives you 10 charges. Prioritize finding these through exploration.
- Every boss has a stealth Deathblow opportunity. Approach from stealth for a free first Deathblow, turning a 2-phase fight into a 1-phase fight.
- Use Pellets and Medicinal Herbs alongside the Gourd for extra healing in boss fights. These supplementary heals don't consume Gourd charges.
- Prayer Beads from minibosses increase max HP/Posture every 4 collected. Fight every miniboss you find — the stat increases add up significantly.
- On death, there's a 30% chance of Unseen Aid (keeping your gold and XP). Dragonrot from resurrecting reduces this chance. Cure Dragonrot with Dragon's Blood Droplets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sekiro harder than Dark Souls?
Different kind of hard. Sekiro has no leveling, co-op, or build variety to compensate for skill. However, its combat system is more learnable — deflection timing is consistent and every boss can be mastered through pattern recognition. Most players find it initially harder but ultimately more fair.
How many endings does Sekiro have?
Four endings: Shura (bad ending, shortest), Immortal Severance (standard), Purification (good ending, requires Hirata Estate revisit), and Return (best ending, requires extra items). Shura locks you out of late-game content.
Can you change difficulty in Sekiro?
No difficulty settings. However, the Bell Demon item increases difficulty for better drops (voluntary hard mode). The Kuro's Charm removal in NG+ adds chip damage through blocks. The game is designed around one fixed difficulty.
What is the best skill tree to invest in first?
Shinobi Arts tree — Mikiri Counter (essential), Suppress Presence, and Suppress Sound. Then Prosthetic Arts for Prosthetic tool upgrades. Combat Arts tree's Ichimonji Double is the best mid-game Combat Art for posture recovery.
What to Read Next
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Builds — Optimize your role once you've learned the basics
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Walkthrough — Full progression path
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Tips — Advanced strategies for when you're ready
