Nioh 2 Samurai Skills Guide

In this Nioh 2 guide, we will be focusing on Samurai Skills and will enlist each and every Samurai Skill in the game.

In this Nioh 2 Samurai Skills guide, we will be focusing on Samurai Skills and will enlist each and every Samurai Skill in the game. We will also tell you about the prerequisites for each skill and what exactly each skill does. So, without any further ado, let’s get started.

Nioh 2 Samurai Skills

Nioh 2 has many Skill Trees and one of these is the Samurai Skill tree that consists of skills that use Katanas. Players who prefer to play with their swords should definitely know about the variety of Samurai Skills available.

Ki impulse and increasing the efficiency of ranged weapons is the main focus of Samurai Skills.

How to Unlock Samurai Skills

You can acquire Samurai skills by purchasing them with Samurai Skill points and also by becoming proficient with different weapons. Exploration is the best way to acquire all these skills.

We have divided the Samurai Skills into 3 categories, i.e., Active, Passive and Custom Active Skills. Each of them costs 1 Samurai Skill point with the exception of a few that are free as they are basic mechanics.

These are all the Samurai Skills that you can use in your Nioh 2 builds:

Active Skills

Skill Name Prerequisite Function
Ki Pulse: Heaven Basic Ability Activates when you recover full Ki from a Ki Pulse. Your next attack will deal extra damage. (High Stance only)
Running Water: Heaven Ki Pulse: Heaven Dodging with perfect timing will now automatically trigger a Ki Pulse. (High stance only)
Ki Pulse: Man Basic Ability Activates when you recover full Ki from a Ki Pulse. Negates the ki damage you take from the next guarded attack. (Mid stance only)
Running Water: Man Ki Pulse: Man Dodging with perfect timing all now automatically trigger a Ki Pulse (Mid stance only)
Composure Hands of Death I Press the button when guarding against an armed human enemy to take their weapons and perform a counterattack. It can only be used when bare-handed.
Ki Pulse: Earth Basic Ability Activates when you recover full Ki from a Ki Pulse. Your next dodge doesn’t consume ki. (Low stance only)
Running Water: Earth Ki Pulse: Earth Dodging with perfect timing will now automatically trigger a Ki Pulse. (Low stance only)
Stance Basic Ability Press the Button to switch between high, mid and low stances.
Final Blow Stance Grapple a downed enemy before following up with a powerful attack.
Grapple Stance Grapples an enemy human or downed yokai who is out of Ki, then follow up with a powerful attack.
Ki Pulse Stance When surrounded by blue light after an attack, press the button to recover your Ki.
Purify Yokai Realm Ki Pulse Activates when you recover the maximum amount of Ki from a Ki Pulse while inside a Yokai Realm pool. Purifies and removes any Youkai Realm pools around you.
Flux Ki Pulse Changing to another stance or a successful Ki Pulse increases the amount of Ki recovered.
Flux II Flux Increases Ki recovery of  Flux
Flux Attack Flux II Performs a quick attack when switching weapons after a successful Ki Pulse
Sacred Bird Cry Drop by Minamoto no Yoshitsune in Eternal Rivals Use Sohayamaru to attack your enemy with a barrage of slices. Holding the button down will use your Anima to perform a charge ranged attack, with Anima decreasing by 1 each time you launch an attack.
Flash Attack Flux II Complete The Way of the Warrior: Novice Performs a quick attack when switching weapons after a Ki Pulse

Passive Skills

Skill Name Prerequisite Function
Bowmaster I Ki Pulse: Man Ki Pulse: Heaven Increases bow damage by 5%
Bowmaster II Bowmaster I Increases bow damage by 3%
Quivermaker Bowmaster I Increases the number of arrows that can be carried by 3
Matchlock Master I Bowmaster I Increases matchlock damage by 5%
Cannonmaster I Matchlock Master I Complete The Way of the Warrior: Veteran Increases cannon damage by 5%.
Shot Pouch Matchlock Master I Increases the number of rifle rounds that can be carried by 2
Round Carrier Cannonmaster I Increases the number of cannon rounds that can be carried by 1
Fortitude I Hands of Death I Life +50
Fortitude II Fortitude I Damage Boost: Stamina Cleared Mission ”The Sun Sets on Mount Tenno” Life +30
Fortitude III Fortitude II Composure Life +20
Hands of Death I Ki Pulse: Man Ki Pulse: Earth Increases bare-handed attack damage by 20%
Hands of Death II Hands of Death I Increases bare-handed attack damage by 20%
Hands of Death III Hands of Death II Complete The Way of the Warrior: Veteran Increases bare-handed attack damage by 20%
Purify Yokai Realm: Heaven Ki Pulse: Heaven While in High Stance: Increases your attack strength when performing a purification with a perfectly timed Ki Pulse, recovering the maximum amount of Ki possible.
Purify Yokai Realm: Man Ki Pulse: Man While in Mind Stance: Increases your defense when you perform a purification with a perfectly timed Ki Pulse, recovering the maximum amount of Ki possible.
Purify Yokai Realm: Earth Ki Pulse: Earth   While in Low Stance: Increases your Ki recovery Speed when you perform a purification with a perfectly timed Ki Pulse, recovering the maximum amount of Ki possible.
Fatal Fists Complete The Way of the Warrior: Adept Bare-handed Attack +3 (multiple ranks)
Deadly Eye Bowmaster Ranged Weapon Attack +3 (multiple ranks)

Custom Active Skills

Skill Name Prerequisite Function
Masterful Slice Running Water: Man Increases the Ki damage dealt by certain Active Skills by 20%. Ki consumption Rate 1.40
Damage Boost: Courage Cleared Mission ”The Sun Sets On Mount Tenno” Composure Grants certain Active Skills a damage bonus based on your Courage. Ki Consumption Rate 1.10
Damage Boost: Magic Purify Yokai Realm: Earth Grants certain Active Skills a damage bonus based on your Magic. Ki Consumption Rate 1.10
Damage Boost: Constitution Cleared Mission ”The Sun Sets On Mount Tenno” Fortitude II Grants certain Active Skills a damage bonus based on your Constitution. Ki Consumption Rate 1.10
Damage Boost: Skill Bowmaster I Masterful Slice Grants certain Active Skills a damage bonus based on your skill. Ki Consumption Rate 1.10
Deliberate Slice Flux II Increases the maximum amount that can be recovered by Ki Pulse by 30% certain Active Skills. Ki consumption Rate 1.20
Damage Boost: Heart Deliberate Slice Grants certain Active Skills a damage bonus based on your Heart. Ki Consumption Rate 1.10
Reckless Slice Running Water: Heaven Increases the damage dealt by certain Active Skills by 10%. In exchange, you will not be able to perform a Ki Pulse.
Damage Boost: Strength Reckless Slice Cleared Mission: ”The Sun Sets On Mount Tenno” Grants certain Active Skills a damage bonus based on your Strength. Ki Consumption Rate 1.10
Damage Boost: Stamina Running Water: Man Grants certain Active Skills a damage bonus based on your Stamina. Ki Consumption Rate 1.10
Nimble Slice Running Water: Earth Reduces the damage dealt by certain Active Skills by 20% but, they will consume less ki to perform. Ki Consumption Rate 0.90
Damage Boost: Dexterity Nimble Slice Grants certain Active Skills a damage bonus based on your Dexterity. Ki Consumption Rate 1.10
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Ali is a passionate RPG gamer. He believes that western RPGs still have a lot to learn from JRPGs. He is editor-in-chief at SegmentNext.com but that doesn't stop him from writing about his favorite video ...