Nioh: Best Ninja Passive Skills
Passive skills in Nioh can provide several different things. They can increase the potency of specific types of attacks, help resist certain status effects or damages, raise inventory allowance, and other boons of that nature. The Ninja skill tree has quite a few of these, and there are some that you should absolutely gun for no matter what kind of build you’re going for.
Thrown Blade Technique: This is a great skill to have if you find yourself relying on your shurikens or kunai. It increases the damage, making them a viable option for taking out the smaller enemies in your path so you can focus your attention on the stronger offenders.
Frugality: Another skill that players using ranged weapons should grab. It allows you to regain the shot you used as long as it was used in a critical kill such as a headshot.
Quivermaker, Shot Pouch, and Round Carrier: These are separate skills that do the exact same thing, only for different weapons. They raise the amount of arrows, bullets, and cannon rounds you can carry respectively, which is never a bad thing. You’ll unlock the first level of each after completing the novice ninja training in the Dojo.
Controls: There are two different “control” skills in the Ninja tree that increase your resistance against specific status effects – Paralytic and Poison. Paralytic is one of the most annoying as it locks you in place. Poison does do damage over time, but at least you can find a safe place to heal. Still, if you’re finding these problematic, go for the one you feel you need most or get them both. Both trees require you to complete The Way of the Ninja: Adept first, with higher levels of the mission unlocking more resistance.
Dodging: Dodging and Evading uses up precious Ki, lowering the amount of attacks you can do. This skill (whose first level unlocks after Way of the Ninja: Adept) lowers the amount of Ki used. This is useful for all builds, and those with heavier weapons will appreciate the extra breathing room.
Medicine Man: Each level in this skill (which require completion of each level of the Dojo’s ninja training) increases your Elixir capacity by 1. Unlike Kodama blessings, this increase is worldwide and applies to every area and mission.
Ninja Tool Master: Specifically for those who rely on Jutsu heavily, this increases the capacity of skills you can equip.
Enlightenment: This mystic art allows you to use any ninjutsu that’s used directly on yourself instantly. That includes medicine, buffs, or anything else of that nature, rather than having an animation that can be interrupted.
Concealment: Increases the damage of all long-range weapons and thrown items.
There are certainly other skills to consider for each individual player. But these are the best that everyone can utilize and make their time in Nioh a bit easier. For more on Nioh, be sure to check out our wiki.
