A full Sekiro walkthrough to help you master FromSoftware's samurai Souls

This full Sekiro walkthrough will make FromSoftware's challenging Japanese set tale of revenge a little easier. You'll still have to defeat all the enemies and treacherously hard bosses but at least you'll know where to go and what to expect. And, in all seriousness, knowing a more optimal path to collect vital items and take on threats at the right sort of level is a huge advantage. 

Sekiro has a fairly open world structure which means it's possible to repeat the classic Dark Souls mistake spending ages trying to get through a high level area you don't need to take on yet, or missing an item or ability that makes life so much easier. This Sekiro walkthrough outlines an optimised path through the game avoids a lot of these problems, stops you hitting too many dead ends and should ease you through a first play through. 

Sekiro tips | Sekiro Dragon rot | Sekiro Prayer Beads | Sekiro Gourd seeds | Sekiro bosses| Sekiro endings| Sekiro Snap Seeds | Sekiro Shinobi Prosthetic tools | Sekiro Treasure Carp Scales

Tutorial Area

Tutorial Area

Walk forward, and then jump up and out. Wall hug around the corner and sneak through the grass, under the house, then through more grass. Drop down and make your way across the gap under the bridge then climb up the other side and into the house. Talk to the Young Lord to get your sword, then again to get the Gourd healing item.

Open the door and go out, kill the enemies then jump onto the wall on your left. Sneak around this and drop down to kill off these guards then kill off the mini-boss and run around to the right. Jump up the wall and pull yourself up and then do the same to get under the bridge. Kill the Rat enemy then drop down the other side of the bridge and blow the whistle  by the door when prompted. Go through the corridor then die to the boss (it may be you can actually defeat him)

Ashina Outskirts (1st time)

Ashina Outskirts (1st time)

Talk to the Sculptor upon waking then go outside and grab the Dilapidated Temple idol. Go through the gate, grapple up and follow the path. Grapple across to the Ashina Outskirts idol and take the higher path here once past the two buildings look to your left and drop down to the Outskirts Wall: Gate Path idol. Grapple to the broken window and go inside to grab the Loaded Shuriken Shinobi Tool, go back to the idol and go talk to the Sculptor to get it fitted, chat to Emma while you’re here then travel back to the Gate Path idol.

Grapple above where you got the Shuriken Shinobi Too and go around the left-hand side. Sneak attack the mini-boss from above and then kill him for a Prayer Bead and a Gourd Seed. Grapple up to the gate again and kill everything in this area before you grapple onto the house and jump up to where you can see crows to find a vendor (he sells the Firecracker Shinobi Tool). Jump down to a broken house with an old woman in it and talk to her to get a bell from her.

Drop down and talk to her son just outside before you grapple across to the left of an enemy with a cannon on the ledge ahead. Assassinate said person with cannon and then grapple up to the building and go right and stay high to get to the Outskirts Wall - Stairway Idol. Use this to travel back to the temple and upgrade your gourd and then give the bell to the Buddha statue.

Hirata Estate (memory)

Hirata Estate (memory)

You start at the Dragonspring – Hirata Estate Idol, grapple down the cliff and talk to the NPC before you grapple to the bridge and kill the enemies. On one side of the bridge is a Carp Scale, grab it then jump into the water and swim around to kill two other Carp for their scales. There is a vendor in a barrel on an island who exchanges scales for items in this area. Go to the other side of the bridge and clamber over the wall for the Estate Path Idol.

Make your way around the next area killing everything that moves. Once you are though the corridor there will be a small building with more bandits. Take these out and then look to a gate to the town and grapple over the tree to the next area. Once again kill everything then check in the bonfire with guards sat around it for the Flame Vent Shinobi Tool.

Follow the path up after the fire and go left over a wall at the top of the path into the little courtyard and kill the two bandits. Open the room they are next to for the Shinobi Axe of the Monkey Shinobi Tool. Go to the door under the big gate unlock it and go back to the Estate Path Idol. Use this to travel back to the Sculptor and get your tools fitted and pick up the Shinobi and Prosthetic Esoteric texts (get the Mikiri counter asap). From this point on the Memory gets incredibly tough. If you're struggling then skip to  Ashina Outskirts (the 2nd) and come back after you've acquired a Memory from Gyoubu. 

Travel back to the Estate Path idol and go back through the newly opened shortcut and go to the second area on your left. Talk to the NPC then go over the small gate for a special item. Then jump back into the middle pathway and kill the two bandits. Hope over the wall on the other side and talk to the NPCs in here.

Go up the stairs on the main path and use your newly acquired axe to break the shields of the enemies you encounter. Sneak around as you move forward, taking out the normal enemies but beware the enemy in white with a spear - if you can sneak attack this Shinobi Hunter then use the Mikiri counter to take him out for a Prayer Bead.

Go through the now open gate for the Bamboo Thicket Slope Idol, then go up the path killing all that stands in your way. Go across the bridge and talk to Owl in the burning courtyard here for a key. Grapple up and out and make your way along over the wall. This path will either land you in the river or lead to a cave guarded by bandits. We'll come back to that shortly.

Go back to the bridge just before the burning courtyard but this time jump off to the right and grapple down to the tree, just past this is a bamboo gate you can cut open. Jump from all to wall to reach the top and kill off the purple ninja you meet. Go inside the building he was guarding for the Mist Raven Shinobi Tool.

Go back to the tower just before the Bamboo Thicket Slope Idol (we are heading back to the bandits in front of the cave from earlier)  then grapple across the river. Take out the bandits here and do some more wall jumps in the cave. Grab the Hirata Estate - Main Hall Idol just around the corner from the well. Proceed around the estate and take out all the enemies in this area on this side of the little river. Cross the river where you can and talk to the NPC halfway along for a hand against the Drunkard boss. Kill him and make your way inside through some rooms to grab the Hirata Audience Chamber Idol.

Go down the stairs and kill Lady Butterfly for a Memory (this will upgrade your attack power) and a Sakura Droplet (can be used to increase your resurrection limit once you *spoiler* find your lord *end of spoiler)

Ashina Outskirts (2nd time)

Ashina Outskirts (2nd time)

Back to the Outskirts Wall - Stairway Idol now. Look down and listen to the memory in the courtyard below then turn around and chat to Anayama the Peddler under the gate (he sells a Gourd Seed if you chat enough and also moves to the Dilapidated temple). Face away from the idol and grapple to the tree on your right just past the gate. Eavesdrop on the guards then kill them. Take on the Chained Ogre up the hill (not a fan of oil and fire and scared of Firecrackers) then grapple up to the area behind and above him and take an immediate left for a Gourd Seed.

Go back to the central exit in the walkway and sneak around to the right. On top of a ledge kill the enemy with the gong then go around killing everyone but the General who is a mini-boss. Sneak attack the mini-boss then kill him off for a Prayer Bead before you make your way down to the left of the broken bridge to the Underbridge Valley Idol.

Continue down the mountain side until you come to a wall hug spot, hug that wall and wait for the snake to look away. Grapple over to the grass below and wait for the snake to look away then grapple to the cave and run through. Run straight into the grass ahead and crouch walk through it then wall hug the wall and then sneak into the tiny tent. Wait for the cue then stab the snake in the eye (poor snake just wanted a cuddle). Grapple up and away from the snake as fast as you can (it is mighty irked) and exit via the cave and grapple up to Ashina Castle Gate Fortress Idol.

Gyoubu and company

Gyoubu and company

Take down everybody in the lower courtyard. Look up to the broken wall and check out the memory next to it then grapple up the tree in the back corner and jump down into the field. Fight and kill Gyoubu for a Memory and a Mechanical Barrel (allows upgrades to your prosthesis).

Activate the Ashina Castle Gate Idol that is now in the courtyard next to a large open gate but instead of going through this turnaround and go to the other side of the field. Go up the stairs on and you will find a building, before going into the building continue past it and up some more stairs and buy a Gourd Seed from this salesman.

Go inside the big building and talk to the masked gentleman a few times. You may have to go kill some Rats as he asks but he should give you the Ashina Esoteric Text, if not come back in a  bit. Climb up the inside of this building grappling where possible and go through a hole in the ceiling for a Prayer Bead.

Ashina Castle

Ashina Castle

Go through from the Ashina Castle Gate Idol and check out the memory. Keep moving forwards and try and grapple where you can if you want to avoid enemies. After a field with two trolls you will be able to eavesdrop on two enemies who talk about a beast. Kill them and then equip the Firecracker Shinobi Tool for the next fight. Move forwards and fight off the Blazing Bull for a Prayer Bead.

Kill off the guards that rush then go outside to the bridge and grab the Ashina Castle Idol. While you’re here look to the side for a tree branch you can grapple to. Grapple across to the tree and kill the guards on the bridge for a key for later. Go back to the idol and walk through the gate then grapple your way up to the right. Keep grappling up and fighting the ninjas until you reach the palace. Make your way around the left-hand side (you will get dive bombed by a weird ninja if you are going the right way) until you are overlooking a lake, there will be an enemy who blows himself up (if you revisit this lake when you can dive you can fight a Headless underwater, not sure why you would want to though). Stay on the roof and look up above where the exploding enemy came from and to the right of the lake for a grapple point framed by purple banners and then go in here and grab a Gourd Seed and the Upper Tower - Antechamber Idol.

Inside Ashina Castle

Inside Ashina Castle

From the Upper Tower - Antechamber Idol sneak through into the room where you can see down to a small roof. Jump down here and turn around to face the direction of the idol. There is a chest in this room that has the Sabimaru Shinobi Tool. Then go back to the Upper Tower - Antechamber idol using the Homeward Idol item. From the idol fight your way through the samurai and go into a room on your right. There is a hole in the ceiling so grapple up there. Walk through this space and drop down before you open the door here just in case you die. Turn back away from the door and go into the next room to sneak up the stairs in the next room and watch the memory, then go to the next room for the Upper Tower - Ashina Dojo Idol.

Go through and have an epic samurai battle with an Ashina Elite (one of the best fights up until this point) for a Prayer Bead. Climb out of the window and make your way up as high as you can for a cutscene. Fight and beat Genichiro Ashina (this will feel good) for another Memory and the Bloodsmoke Ninjutsu.

Grab the Castle Tower Lookout Idol and talk to the Emma, then go downstairs and grab the Upper Tower - Kuro’s Room Idol. Talk to the Young Lord, smell some incense, then talk to the Young Lord again. Open up the window and jump out and follow the smoke signals across the rooftops to your left to get to General Isshin. Have a lengthy chat with him and exhaust the dialogue.

Ashina Reservoir

Ashina Reservoir

From the Ashina Castle Idol go through the gate and immediately left through a narrow passageway then open the door in front of you and the one after it. Turn around and drop down the hole then open the door down here to find the Ashina Reservoir Idol. Welcome back to the tutorial area. 

Go ahead and then jump onto the wall and look right, you should see the building you got your sword from up on a cliff and you can grapple up here to be able to sneak attack the Ashina Seven Spears mini-boss in front of it. Kill him for a Prayer Bead. Looking out from that building and across the bridge you should see the house you snuck under in the tutorial. Go over to it and unlock it to grab the Spear Shinobi Tool.

Go back outside and stick to the right-hand wall until you can hug it, do so and walk around. Talk to the weird NPC but don’t go down the hole he is looking down. Instead, walk past him and look down the hole ahead. Drop attack this mini-boss (this is another purple ninja from the memory) kill him for a Prayer Bead. Go past this area and swim through a passageway until you can grapple up. 

Abandoned Dungeon and Ashina Depths (part 1)

Abandoned Dungeon and Ashina Depths (part 1)

Go forward though this cavern and grab the Bottomless Hole Idol. There is a creepy ghost boss if you fancy your chances but it is optional for now. So, walk forward through the cavern and have a chat to two NPCs one after the other then throw yourself off the edge after the gate. Keep an eye out for grapple points and grab the first one you can. Find and go down the well-lit hole and grab the Ashina Depths Idol. You may have ended up on the wrong one so look to grapple up if you can until you find a room with an enemy and a the well-lit hole in the floor.

Drop down to the platform below and grapple around to your left until you are on top of a Buddha statue. Drop down and grab the Poison Pools Idol (*cough* Blighttown *cough*). We will come back here but now is not the time, warp back to the Ashina Castle idol.

The Path to Senpou Temple

The Path to Senpou Temple

From the Ashina Castle Idol grapple across to the bridge (where you killed the guards for a key earlier) then grapple up the tower. Drop down and kill the Bell Ogre then run past this and grab the Abandoned Dungeon Entrance Idol.

There is another merchant here so stock up if you need to. Go through this area (it is fairly linear) and check the left-hand side for an immensely unsettling NPC. Keep going and you will have to swim to some bandits and continue on for the Underground Waterway Idol. Continue on from this until you find a lift and use it. Have a casual chat with the wall scroll and grab the Senpou Temple, Mt. Kongo Idol.

Senpou Temple

Exit the temple and hang an immediate right. Jump over to the area you can see and find the NPC next to a tree and have a chat about pinwheels with him (seems like a nice dude, you can bring him a red and white one or a white one later, you can also send him to the creepy NPC in the prison). Grapple down to kill a Rat and fly a flag (not sure why just yet) then go back to the  Senpou Temple, Mt. Kongo Idol.

Go forward and make your way grappling through the trees or fighting through the monks. Once you reach the big building at the top of the hill grapple into the rafters then jump up into a hole on the left-hand side above you. From here go down the stairs and grab the Gourd Seed that the monks are praying to. You can fight everything first if you want. Jump out the window here. There is an NPC who wants rice to your right. Sneak around killing enemies for the moment and go to the broken bridge. At the broken bridge look left and up to a grapple point, grapple up to this and climb up until you find the Shugendo Idol.

Ascend up via grappling hook or walking like a peasant until you come to some climbable ledges at the top of a zig-zagged wooden path. Clamber up here and before going into the walkway look around for some pinwheels, you can grab a red and white one here. Enter the walkway and fight the Armored Knight (break his stamina and kick him off of the walkway, the spear may strip his armour but haven’t tested it yet), enjoy your Prayer Bead prize then grab the Temple Grounds Idol.

Senpou Temple Grounds (part 1)

Senpou Temple Grounds (part 1)

Warp back to the Shugendo Idol then go up to where there where climbable ledges. If you look along the cliffside and down a bit you will see a grapple point. Running jump away from the cliff at roughly a 45 degree angle and towards the grapple point then grapple, then ledge grab.

Make your way around this bit of cliff and look up and grapple and ledge grab again. Do some more jumps up the walls and there is a white pinwheel here. Go up higher and open the door. Kill the weird Voldo-like Long-Arm Centipede enemy and go through to grab the Bell Demon’s Temple Idol (you can ring this bell if you want, not sure what it does, I didn’t, I am scared).

Go back inside and go into the room on your right and hug the wall with the human outline. Follow the path through until you reach a wider room then stick to the right, ignoring the Headless mini-boss (you can only deal damage using Divine Confetti). Jump up and then grapple up to the ledge above you. Take the left path once up there and grapple up lots to get to an area with some buildings and some lizards. Go into the building ahead of you and open the door to find yourself back by the Chained Ogre was. Yay, awesome world design.This is useful if you want to fight the Headless later on. 

Senpou Temple Grounds (Part 2)

Senpou Temple Grounds (Part 2)

Go back to the Temple Grounds Idol and look past the buildings below you for a pool of water. Jump in and kill the fish for a Carp Scale. Grapple up to the roofs above and head to the cliff face. Grapple up, follow a path and keep doing so until you reach a balcony to a huge building.

Run around this killing everything or dodging them and follow the wall to your right for an opening into the building. Go inside and make your way past the creepy centipede monks to an opening on your left to find the Main Hall Idol. Chat to the monk here for the information you came for. Go back outside and check to your right for a cave.

Go down through the cave until you hit a room with statues in it and check to your left for a small opening you can crouch through. Follow this path until you reach a dead-end and look up and grapple up. Follow this path to a building with a Senpou Esoteric Text. Grapple across to the Main Hall Idol location and warp back to Upper Tower - Kuro’s Room Idol.

Ashina Castle and Black Badger

Ashina Castle and Black Badger

Read the note in the room then look left and talk to the Young Lord. Leave the room and drop into the lake behind the castle. Then go right of the palace to a bridge, head back towards the palace and then turn right for a small opening and the Old Grave Idol. Clear this area of enemies as you descend then look for the pagoda with the open top and get inside to meet Black Badger. Buy the Iron Umbrella Shinobi Tool from him in case of heavy rain. If you talk to Black Badger enough he will move to Senpou Temple just before the kite. He talks about flying the kite too which is something that will becomes important later.