Between two characters, both with six distinct skill trees each, you're spoilt for choice in Assassin's Creed Shadows. There's everything from brutal counters to a bamboo shoot which lets you stealth underwater. Picking the best skills is no easy task, especially since many of the high-level skills actually have unique unlock requirements attached. Plus, you can only have two weapon skills and two character skills equipped at once as well, forcing you to make tough decisions.
At the start of the game, all you'll need are mastery and knowledge points to unlock new skills. Later on though, as you get your eyes more powerful skills, you'll also need to meet various quest milestones.
Best Assassin's Creed Shadows skills
Naoe and Yasuke have very different approaches in Shadows. Naoe, the shinobi, is designed around stealth, with half the health of her samurai counterpart and less damage in combat. Yasuke is a walking tank, ignoring all notions of subtlety as he charges in and starts swinging. As such, both characters have wildly different builds and skills.
Keep in mind that each weapon type also has its own skill tree, so you won't be able to use some of the skills below unless you're using the correct weapon type. I'll include a variety of weapon skills so you've got some options depending on your favourite.
Best Naoe skills
Skill | Type | Effect | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
Dodge Attack | Katana passive | Light attack after dodging to perform a quick counterattack that lunges at the enemy | Dodge Attack and its later upgrades significantly improve Naoe's damage by making enemies vulnerable, boosting counter damage, and generating adrenaline |
Tidal Wave | Katana ability | A dash attack that deals moderate damage and makes the target vulnerable | Tidal Wave is Naoe's most basic ability. While it starts off relatively weak, later upgrades not only boost its damage but also let you chain it up to three times, which is great against groups and bosses alike |
Guard Breaker | Katana ability | Unleash a flurry of strikes that deal low damage but break enemy armour. | This skill helps Naoe quickly remove enemy armour. Upgrades improve the damage and ease of use of this skill too |
Melee Expert | Global passive in the katana tree | Increases damage with melee weapons | A simple boost to your attack damage. What's not to love? |
Feral Outburst | Kusarigama ability | Launch Naoe at a target and unleash a flurry of strikes | This skill deals pretty good damage right away, but later upgrades make the enemy vulnerable and extend the flurry to deal even more damage to a single enemy |
Critical Proficiency | Global passive in the kusarigama tree | Increases critical damage | Like Melee Expert, this is a great way to boost your overall damage output |
Critical Thinker | Global passive in the tanto tree | Increases critical hit chance | Pairs well with Critical Proficiency to improve your critical hits |
Larger Tool Bag | Tools passive | Increases carrying capacity of all tools | Tools like smoke bombs and kunai are great for stealth, and this lets you use them more often |
Prodigy | Global passive in the shinobi tree | Increase damage with abilities | This makes all of your active abilities even stronger. Pairs well with the Efficient skill |
Destabilising Vault | Shinobi passive | Increase critical hit chance by 25% for ten seconds after vaulting an enemy | Vault is already a great move, but this upgrade makes it incredible, massively boosting your critical hit chance. Pairs well with the Evasive skill |
Reinforced Blade | Assassin passive | You can assassinate large enemies | You can finally assassinate larger targets, which are a big roadblock in early-game stealth |
Assassination Damage | Assassin passive | Increase assassination damage | Just as it says on the tin, your stealth kills now deal more damage. This is all but required for stealth as you progress |
Double Assassinate | Assassin passive | While using a tanto, Naoe can perform a double assassination | Although it requires a tanto, this skill is great for dealing with inconvenient guard placement |
Vigor | Assassin passive | Grants an additional adrenaline chunk | This lets you use abilities more often in combat. I recommend getting all three tiers of this skill |
Best Yasuke skills
Skill | Type | Effect | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
Power Dash | Long katana ability | Dash to an enemy and attack them, leaving them vulnerable | This is a great opener for Yasuke, dealing moderate damage and making targets vulnerable so they take more damage from follow-up attacks. Can be upgraded to break armour more easily, and add another dash |
Payback | Long katana ability | Hit an enemy three times to deal massive damage and restore health | This is my favourite skill for Yasuke as not only does it deal a heavy blow, but it also heals you so you don't have to spend your rations |
Combat Expert | Global passive in the long katana tree | Increases damage with melee weapons | Let's Yasuke be even more of a frontline bruiser |
Adrenaline Builder | Global passive in the long katana tree | Increases adrenaline gain | Quickly lets you recover Yasuke's many adrenaline chunks to use abilities more often. Works perfectly with the Power Dash and Payback opener |
Crushing Shockwave | Kanabo ability | Smash an enemy into the ground and stagger nearby enemies | This badass move deals fantastic damage to the main target while also giving Yasuke some more crowd-control |
Slugging Rampage | Kanabo ability | Spin to deal moderate damage to targets and send them flying | While the initial hit isn't anything to write home about, enemies that hit objects will take additional damage |
Ability Master | Global passive in the kanabo tree | Increase damage with abilities | Makes all of Yasuke's already ruthless abilities even stronger |
Reload Speed | Teppo passive | Increases teppo reload speed | If you're using a teppo, you need to improve the sluggish reload speed. I also recommend you pick up the Larger Pouch and Range Weapon Expertise passives while you're at it |
Armour Buster | Teppo ability | Reload your teppo to fire a heavy shot that breaks armour | It's a little clunky but this ability deals incredible damage and quickly deals with armoured enemies |
Brutal Assassination | Samurai passive | Allows Yasuke to perform a lethal assassination | While it's nowhere near as quiet as Naoe's assassination options, this is still a useful opener for Yasuke |
Outnumbered (Battle Cry) | Samurai ability upgrade for Battle Cry | Increase damage for each enemy staggered by Battle Cry. Also increases your damage reduction by 5% | At base, Battle Cry is a rather bland ability. However, Outnumbered (and Healing Shout) is a powerful upgrade that makes it a must-have |
Impenetrable Defense | Samurai ability | Automatically counters attacks for a short duration | This skill makes defence such a breeze, opening the enemy up to counterattacks. Plus, the Unbreachable Guard upgrade makes enemies vulnerable too |
Stronger, Smarter… | Global passive in the samurai tree | Decreases ability cooldown | Lets you use your abilities more often to keep the ball rolling. It's even better considering Yasuke's army of adrenaline chunks |
How to unlock all skills in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Below you'll find all the skill unlock requirements for Naoe and Yasuke. There are a few I'm still figuring out how to get, though these are likely found in the remaining investigation boards since most are tied to investigations like The Godai Shinobi, Nobutsuna's Students, and so on. I'll update these once I've tracked them down.
Locked Naoe skills:
Skill | Effect | Unlock requirement |
|---|---|---|
Triple Threat (tools) | Throw three shurikens at the cost of one | Complete The Tournament sidequest in Izumi Settsu |
Third Wave (katana) | Tidal Wave can now be chained three times in a row | Complete The Kabukimono sidequest in Izumi Settsu |
Assassination Damage III (assassin) | Remove one additional health segment with assassinations | Complete The Godai Shinobi sidequest in Omi |
Widespread (tools) | Smoke bomb radius increased to 10 metres | Complete The Pirate Alliance sidequest in Wakasa |
Kunai Assassination Damage III (tools) | Remove one additional health segment with kunai | Complete the Kurai Eikyou sidequest after A Chance Encounter |
Feral Frenzy (kusarigama) | Feral Outburst now unleashed two extra strikes | Complete the Winter Raiders sidequest in Kii after Yasuke's quest Fighting for the Cause |
Enhanced Impact (kusarigama) | Cyclone Blast's last hit pushes enemies back significantly further | Story progression |
Contemplation (tanto) | Increase Shadow Barrage's duration by ten seconds or up to three hits | Story progression |
Critical Insight (shinobi) | The duration of Heightened Senses is reset on a successful assassination. Can only be reset once per activation | Story progression |
Sweep the Leg (shinobi) | Lightning Kicks can now perform one additional leg sweep on a nearby target that is not already knocked down | Story progression |
Vigor III (assassin) | Gain an extra adrenaline chunk | Complete the Shinbakufu (kill all targets) |
Broken Spirit (tanto) | Hidden Hand cannot be blocked or parried | Complete Naoe's story |
Locked Yasuke skills:
Skill | Effect | Unlock requirement |
|---|---|---|
Chained Power Dash (long katana) | Power Dash can now be chained a second time | Complete The Kabukimono sidequest in Izumi Settsu |
Ultimate Onslaught (naginata) | Onslaught can no longer be blocked or parried | Story progression |
Disabling Strike (naginata) | Crescent Strike now knocks enemies down | Story progression |
Constant Pressure (kanabo) | Forward Momentum no longer requires hit confirmation. Block and attack to chain your attack quicker | Complete The Tournament sidequest in Izumi Settsu |
Quick Aim (teppo) | Teppo Tempo now reloads faster | Complete The Pirate Alliance sidequest in Wakasa |
Explosive Warfare (teppo) | The explosion from Explosive Surprise now knocks down anyone caught in the blast | Story progression |
Silent Arrows III (bow) | Remove two additional health segments with Silent Arrows | Complete the Kurai Eikyou sidequest after A Chance Encounter |
Level-Headed (bow) | While Clear Mind is active, headshots increase the duration by four seconds | Story progression |
Assassination Damage III (samurai) | Remove two additional health segments with assassinations | Complete The Godai Shinobi sidequest in Omi |
Absolute Protection (samurai) | Impenetrable Defense can now work against all unstoppable attacks, except grabs | Story progression |
Defensive Breach (samurai) | +100% damage on enemy collisions | Story progression |
Samurai Stand (samurai) | Enter a frenzy, turning all your attacks into posture attacks for ten seconds | Complete the Nobutsuna's Students sidequest in Omi |
Vigor III (samurai) | Gain an extra adrenaline chunk | Story progression |
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