Our Nioh Best Items Guide gives you an overview of some of the must-have items that you need throughout the course of the game.
Items are in abundance in the game. These items range from usable items to key items. There are, however, some items that we absolutely recommend getting in the game to make the experience a tad more forgiving.
For more help on Nioh, read out our Character Builds Guide, Stats Guide, and Leveling Up Fast Guide.
Nioh Best Items
For your convenience, I’ve also listed down all the items that you can find in the game. In our Guide, we’ve detailed what we consider to be some of the must-have items in the game.
The Book of Reincarnation
You can buy the Book of Reincarnation from Tome the Blacksmith.
This book basically resets your character to Level 1 by refunding all the Skill Points and Amrita you spent to level up your character.
So if a boss is giving you a hard time because you don’t have sufficient damage/HP or you simply want to try out a new building without creating a new character, buying the Book of Reincarnation is the answer.
One copy of the book is usable only once, but you can buy multiple copies at an increasing cost.
The first one should cost you 10,000 Gold and the second one should cost you 30,000 Gold. Therefore, make up your mind before you decide to buy them.
Summoner’s Candle
Similar to SoulsBorne games; if you die, you lose all of your Amrita at the place of your death and must get it back by traveling to the place.
However, whenever you respawn or rest at a Shrine, all the dead enemies – excluding bosses and NPCs – in the game also respawn. Due to this, it becomes a tad hard and risky to reclaim your Amrita.
The reason being: if you die again while trying to retrieve your lost Amrita, you lose it for good.
This is where the Summoner’s Candle comes in. This item basically allows you to reclaim your lost Amrita and Guardian Spirit while sitting at a Shrine; without having to travel to the place of your death.
The Travel Amulet
Those of you who have played Dark Souls must be familiar with an item called the Homeward Bone. This is exactly what the Travel Amulet is.
Suppose you’ve around 100,000 Amrita on you which you can use to level up from Level 40 to Level 50, but you’re in a place without any Shrine nearby.
If you don’t know what lies ahead and don’t want to risk losing all your hard-earned Amrita, you can simply use the Travel Amulet and warp to the Shrine you last prayed at.
This item is a common enemy drop and you should find plenty of them throughout the game.
There’s another item called the Hara-kiri Sword which does the same job, but at the cost of all the Amrita in your inventory so I don’t recommend using it; especially in a situation presented above.
Whetstones
In Nioh, Whetstones can be found all across the in-game world and are also dropped by enemies.
Weapon Familiarity is a neat little concept which allows you to increase Weapon Familiarity as you continue to use a weapon. It’s a good idea to do so because a higher Weapon Familiarity means increased damage and additional abilities.
However, continuing to use a weapon is not the only answer!
Whetstones in the game allow you to permanently gain Weapon Familiarity on all the equipped weapons. There’s another item called the Uchiko Powder which does the same job, but its effect is temporary.
Other Items
Usable Items
These are the items that you can use to gain multiple benefits.
Antidote
Neutralizes the effects of poison.
Elixir
Restores health – can be replenished at a Shrine.
Fire Amulet
Imbues your weapon with fire for a short period.
Horoku-dama
A powerful grenade that deals shrapnel to all enemies in every direction.
Kayaku-dama
Toss a grenade that damages enemies within an area.
Moment Talisman
Summons a Guardian Spirit to attack enemies for a short period.
Sacred Water
Speeds up Ki recovery for a short period.
Salt
Lowers Ki of nearby Yokai.
Signpost Talisman
Places a signpost that leaves an indication on your mini-map.
Small Spirit Stone
Use to receive 100 Amrita.
Spirit Stone
Use to receive 500 Amrita.
Stone
Throw to damage or lure enemies.
Summoner’s Candle
Summon your Guardian Spirit and Amrita from a grave.
Travel Amulet
Use to travel back to the last Shrine prayed at.
Uchiko Powder
Temporarily raises familiarity.
Whetstone
Raises the familiarity of an equipped weapon by 150.
Yokai Water Pot
Opens a portal to the Yokai Realm when thrown.
Young Samurai’s Locks
Use to gain 2 Samurai Skill Points.
Medicine
Restores HP.
Hora-gai Shell
A horn which can be used to make a grave trumpet-esque sound.
Himorogi Branch
Lets you quit a mission and go back to the starting point while keeping your Amrita.
Hykotto Mask
This mask throws fire from the mouth into the surrounding area.
Raven Tengu Tokko
Reduces fall damage and improves resistance to wind attacks.
Scared Brush
This brush spawns back Onmyo items by 30% of the max number of Onmyo items that can be made.
Sacred Ash
Clears protective and medicinal items from negative statuses or effects.
Shingiku Medicine
Completely heals up your HP.
Shinobi Box
Spawns back 30% of the max number of Onmyo items that can be made.
Mysticite Crystal
Using this item gives you 10 million Amrita.
Ranjatai Fragment
Using this item gives you 100 million Amrita, or you can sell it for 13 million Gold.
Nikawa Glue
Regenerates 150 familiarity of the equipped armor.
Yokai Incense
This item can be used to lure Yokai.
Summoner’s Candle
This candle spawns Guardian Spirits and Amrita.
Antiparalytic Needle
This needle gets rid of paralysis and all effects of paralytic agents.
Jewel of Life
Regenerates HP slowly for some time.
Famed Samurai’s Locks
This item gives you 7 samurai skill points.
Famed Ninja’s Locks
This item gives you 5 ninja skill points.
Famed Onmyo Mage’s Locks
This item gives you 5 onmyo skill points.
Master Samurai’s Locks
This item gives you 4 samurai skill points.
Master Ninja’s Locks
This item gives you 3 ninja skill points.
Master Onmyo Mage’s Locks
This item gives you 3 onmyo skill points.
Young Ninja’s Locks
This item gives you a single ninja skill point.
Young Onmyo Mage’s Lock
This item gives you a single onmyo skill point.
Soul Stone
Restores the Amrita Gauge slowly for a limited amount of time.
Fragrant Wood
This wood can be used to make incense.
Daion-Jin’s Sake
This item gets rid of, and makes you invulnerable to elemental damage for a short period of time.
Saisetsu-Shin’s Sake
This item makes you gain more Amrita for a short period of time.
Embercite Fragment
This item gives you 200,000 Amrita.
Noble Dung Ball
This item can be used on an opponent to make their medicines less effective on them and decrease their guard.
Dung Ball
This item can be used on an opponent to make their medicines less effective on them and decrease their guard.
Inhabited Kodama Bowl
This item can be thrown on the ground to spawn Kodama.
Tengu’s Fan
Spawns a tornado which deals damage to enemies. The user can even control the winds.
Arrowproof Amulet
Makes you immune to projectile attacks for a short period of time.
Amulet of Camaraderie
It lets you help allies from far away.
Water Amulet
Enchants your weapon with the power of water.
Wind Amulet
Enchants your weapon with the power of wind.
Earth Amulet
Enchants your weapon with the power of Earth.
Lightning Amulet
Enchants your weapon with the power of lightning.
Burning Oil Jar
This throwable item creates temporary fires.
Sticky Pot
This throwable item disables the target form using items and switching weapons.
Mud Jar
This throwable item creates a layer of mud which damage whoever steps in it.
Shuriken
A throwing weapon for ninjas.
Poison Shuriken
These shurikens poison the target.
Paralysis Shuriken
These shurikens inflict paralysis on the target.
Fire Shuriken
These shurikens set on fire after hitting the target.
Kunai
Basically, a more powerful shuriken.
Storm Kunai
You can throw a bunch of these at once.
Gallnut Broth
This item applies a poison effect to weapons.
Hemlock Broth
This item applies a paralytic effect to weapons.
Blister-Beetle Powders
Pollutes the area, poisoning anyone who breathes in it.
Medusa Powders
Pollutes the area, paralyzing anyone who breathes in it.
Anti-Toxin Pills
Improves your poison resistance.
Shikin-gan Pills
Improves your resistance to paralysis.
Power Pills
Improves your attack power.
Groundfire Traps
These traps blow up when an enemy steps on them. If no one steps on them, they explode anyway after some time.
Paralytic Groundfire Traps
These traps blow up when an enemy steps on them and release a paralytic neurotoxic in the area. If no one steps on them, they explode anyway after some time.
Toxic Groundfire Traps
These traps blow up when an enemy steps on them and release a toxin in the area. If no one steps on them, they explode anyway after some time.
Noxious Groundfire Traps
These traps blow up when an enemy steps on them and release a noxious gas in the area. If no one steps on them, they explode anyway after some time.
Blinding Shells
This throwable items explodes and creates blob of particles in the air, disabling the affected targets from shooting or throwing their weapon, but it reduces the distance at which you can target an enemy.
Makibishi
This item can be thrown on the ground to slow down enemies.
Makibishi ball
This ball blows up and spreads makibishi everywhere.
Iga Style Kayaku-dama
A throwable explosive.
Iga Style Horoku-dama
A stronger throwable explosive.
Iga Style Mega Horoku-dama
An even stronger throwable explosive.
Touch-me-not Scroll
Blows up your own body when your HP is fully depleted.
Quick-change
For a short period of time, this item will save you from any enemy attack that can fully deplete your HP.
Improvised Projectile Scroll
Allows you to take a single shot from a ranged weapon even if you don’t have any ammunition at all.
Tiger-running Scroll
Improves run and dash speeds.
Levitation Scroll
Makes you immune to terrain effects for a short period of time.
Catwalking Scroll
Removes your movement sounds and decreases fall damage.
Suppa Scroll
Makes it harder for opponents to spot you.
Kodama Transformation Scroll
Transforms you into a Kodama, making enemies pay no attention to you and makes it impossible for opponents to lock onto you.
Smoke Ball
Spawns smoke which makes it more difficult for enemies inside the smoke to spot you, and makes it impossible for opponents to lock onto you when you’re inside it.
Devigorate Talisman
Decreases the target’s attack power.
Lifeseal Talisman
Weakens the target’s Ki recovery ability.
Sloth Talisman
Decreases the target’s movement speed.
Purging Talisman
Gets rid of all status effects from the target.
Fire Talisman
Lights the target on fire.
Fire Shot Talisman
Enchants your projectiles with the power of fire.
Firestop Talisman
Improves your fire resistance.
Water Talisman
Covers the target with the power of water.
Geyser Shot Talisman
Vents a strong jet of water.
Waterstop Talisman
Improves your water resistance.
Wind Talisman
Covers your weapon with wind.
Wind Shot Talisman
Enchants your projectiles with the power of wind.
Gale Shot Talisman
Shoots out a powerful blast of wind.
Windstop Talisman
Improves your wind resistance.
Lightning Talisman
Covers your weapon with lightning.
Earth Talisman
Covers your weapon with earth.
Earth Shot Talisman
Enchants your projectiles with the power of earth.
Earthstop Talisman
Improves your earth resistance.
Groundquake Mine Talisman
These traps blow up when an enemy steps on them. If no one steps on them, they explode anyway after some time.
Shadowround Talisman
Stops some of your projectiles from despawning.
Soul Release Talisman
Decreases your equipped weapons’ familiarity to zero (unless its above 300) and turns them into blades of light.
Soul Purge Talisman
Decreases your equipped weapon’s familiarity to zero (unless it is above 300) and increases Attack and Luck.
Sanctity Talisman
Makes you ignore all status effects for a short period of time.
Shockwave Talisman
Spawns a shockwave which deals heavy Ki damage to surrounding enemies.
Kekkai Talisman
Spawns a barricade which cleanses Yokai Realm pollution and improves Ki recovery.
Oasis Talisman
Makes your allies nearby slowly regenerate HP.
Rejuvenation Talisman
Slowly regenerates HP.
Resistance Talisman
Improves poison and paralysis resistance.
Steel Talisman
Improves your defense.
Protection Talisman
Offsets a certain amount of incoming damage.
Carnage Talisman
Improves your attack but decreases defense.
Talisman of the Fist
Improves bare-handed attack damage.
Extraction Talisman
This item spawns Amrita when you land attacks.
Pleiads Talisman
Improves the Amrita gauge multiplier.
Divination Talisman
Improves your compass and gives a boost to your detection abilities.
Luckbringer Talisman
Increases your chances of finder rare loot.
Wealthbringer Talisman
Increases the amount of gold you acquire.
Reciprocity Talisman
Significantly decreases Ki recovery temporarily but after it wears off, the Ki recovery is improved greatly.
Degeneration Talisman
Significantly decreases close combat attack damage but increases Ki damage.
Leeching Talisman
Improves close combat attack damage but slowly reduces your HP.
Hermit Talisman
Makes you immune to stagger but slowly decreases your defense.
Guardian Spirit Talisman
Spawns a Guardian Spirit to help you.
Earthfolding Talisman
Teleports you back to the last shrine you prayed at.
Mind Control Talisman
Makes the target do a certain gesture. Only works on humans with low mental resolve and hostile players.
Flying Sword Talisman
Surrounds you with several floating swords which deal damage to whoever touches them.
Ki Burst Talisman
Releases a burst of Ki around you which deals damage to enemies.
Key Items
These are the items that you can use for specific purposes e.g. opening certain doors.
Dungeon Key
Opens the dungeon in Mission 1.
Hara-kiri Sword
Lose all Amrita and return to the nearest Shrine.
Himorogi Fragment
Uses up all Amrita and allow you to quit a Mission.
Key to Residence
Opens the Manor Gate in Mission 2.
Ochoko
Cup used for summoning other players at a Shrine.
Flint
Can be used to ignite bonfires on Forebodding Seas level.
Book of Reincarnation
Resets your skills and level.
Sacred Salt
This item can be used infinitely to return summoned players to their game world.
Seiryuji Temple Key
Opens the Seiryuji Temple.
Cracked Ochoko Cup
Lets you go inside The Abyss.
White Ochoko Cup
While in The Abyss, this can be used to spawn Visitors.
Silabar Ingot
Can be used to hoard Amrita.
Projectiles
These are the items which can be used as ammunition for your ranged weapons.
Arrow
Standard use Long Bow ammunition.
Hamaya Arrow
Specialized Long Bow ammunition against Yokai – can dispel Yokai Realms.
Rifle Ammunition
Standard use Rifle ammunition.
Roaring-Gun Ammunition
Highly destructive Rifle ammunition with extra penetration power.
Explosive Rounds
This projectile can be used to fire with the hand cannon.
Hand Cannon Ammunition
This projectile can be used to fire with the hand cannon.
Crafting Material
This section of the guide lists items that you can use to craft new weapons and armor sets.
- Ingot
- Wood
- Lacquer
- Iron Kozane
- Quality Ingot
- Leather Cord
- Quality Wood
- Tamahagane
- Demon’s Horn
- Quality Lacquer
- Spirit Iron Chunk
- Leather Kozane
- High-Quality Wood
- Spirit Iron Fragment
- Quality Tamahagane
- High-Quality Ingot
- Quality Iron Kozane
- Quality Leather Cord
- Highest-Quality Ingot
- High-Quality Lacquer
- Highest-Quality Wood
- High-Quality Tamahagane
- Quality Leather Kozane
- Highest-Quality Lacquer
- High-Quality Iron Kozane
- High-Quality Leather Cord
- Highest-Quality Iron Kozane
- High-Quality Leather Kozane
- Highest-Quality Leather Cord
- Highest-Quality Tamahagane
- Highest-Quality Leather Kozane
Skins
Skins can be bought using Glory in the Hidden Teahouse. To equip the skin, go to the Transform section in the menu and choose the skin you want. When you equip a skin for the first time, you’ll get the Trophy Disguiser.
| Skin | Glory Cost |
| Hattori Hanzo | 1300 |
| Ii Naomasa | 5850 |
| Nagamasa Kuroda | 2750 |
| Tachibana Muneshige | 4550 |
| Kobayakawa Hideaki | 4200 |
| Marume Nagayoshi | 8000 |
| Revenant | 4961 |
| Oda Nobunaga | 12000 |
| Shima Sakon | 5500 |
| Edward Kelley | 20000 |
| Saika Magoichi | 6500 |
| Obsidian Samurai | 8450 |
| Tokugawa Ieyasu | 8200 |
| Ishida Mitsunari | 8200 |
| Torii Mototada | 5000 |
| Otani Yoshitsugu | 5500 |
| Sakata Kintoki | 9000 |
| Ashikaga Yoshiteru | 9000 |
| Hozoin Inei | 9000 |
| Yagya Sekishusai | 9000 |
| Honda Tadakatsu | 7200 |
| Date Masamune | 30000 |
| Date Shigezane | 20000 |
| Katakura Shigenaga | 10000 |
| Sanada Yukimura | 30000 |
| Sarutobi Sasuke | 20000 |
| Toyotomi HIdeyori | 30000 |
| Tachibana Ginchiyo | 70000 |
| Senji Tome | 70000 |
| Maria | 70000 |
| Fuku | 70000 |
| Okatsu | 100000 |
