Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, action-adventure video game developed by FromSoftware and published by Activision worldwide, by Cube Game in the Asia-Pacific region, and by FromSoftware in Japan. Set in the fictional land of Ashina during Japanâs Sengoku period, the game emphasizes sword-based combat, stealth, and exploration through famously difficult and precision-based mechanics. Released on March 22, 2019, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, Sekiro is widely regarded as one of the most challenging combat games of all time.
Plot outline
Backstory
In the gameâs ancient history, the Divine Dragon, from a place called simply âthe West,â lands in Ashina and produces two sources of immortality: the Dragonâs Heritage, inherited by individuals through unknown means, and a modified Ashina water known as the Rejuvenating Waters. Both sources of immortality are condemned as heretical by some: the Rejuvenating Waters for the mental and physical corruption they cause and the Dragonâs Heritage for spreading a fatal plague called Dragonrot.
During the Sengoku period, clan leader Isshin Ashina leads a successful rebellion against the rulers to secure Ashinaâs independence. After the conflict the shinobi (or ninja) Ukonzaemon Usui, known as Owl, finds a young boy abandoned on the battlefield. Owl adopts him, names him Wolf, and trains him as a shinobi. Wolf is the protagonist of the game. He is later assigned to serve the young lord Kuro, who bears the title âDivine Heir,â indicating that Kuro has the Dragonâs Heritage.
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Later, Owl and the Interior Ministry abduct Kuro, but Wolf rescues him. Owl betrays Wolf, stabbing and killing him, but Kuro bestows the Dragonâs Heritage on Wolf, making him immortal.
Present day
Three years after Wolfâs âdeath,â with Isshin old and ailing, the Interior Ministry launches an offensive against Ashina. Genichiro, the clanâs new leader and Isshinâs grandson, wants to use the Dragonâs Heritage to win the war and abducts Kuro.
Isshin disapproves of the use of the Dragonâs Heritage and secretly helps Wolf rescue Kuro by directing his doctor, Emma, to tip off Wolf about Kuroâs location. Wolf rescues Kuro, but as the two make their escape, they are intercepted by Genichiro, who defeats Wolf in combat, cuts off his left arm, and kidnaps Kuro again.
Wolf is recovered by the Sculptor, a one-armed former shinobi who lives in an abandoned temple on the outskirts of Ashina. The Sculptor equips Wolf with a prosthetic arm called the Shinobi Prosthetic.
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Wolf infiltrates Ashina Castle. On the way he encounters Isshin Ashina rooting out spies in the castle as a mask-clad vigilante. He fondly dubs Wolf âSekiro,â meaning one-armed wolf. Wolf continues searching for Kuro, whom he finds guarded by Genichiro. Wolf defeats Genichiro, who resurrects through the power of the Rejuvenating Waters and escapes.
Rescued, Kuro decides to destroy the Dragonâs Heritage, a task that requires a tear from the Divine Dragon. Wolf sets out to recover the items needed for a ritual that will transport him to the Divine Dragonâs abode. This task occupies much of the middle of the game.
Four endings
When Wolf returns with the ritual items, he finds Owl in audience with Kuro. Owl attempts to sway Kuro to join him, but Kuro refuses. Owl demands that Wolf help him abduct Kuro. The player must then choose between different conclusions to the story.
Siding with Owl triggers the Shura ending. Wolf kills Emma and Isshin as they fight to save Kuro but then turns on Owl. Wolf succumbs to Shura, a demonic force in the gameâs mythology that possesses those who give in to bloodlust. Wolf roams Japan as a demon after destroying Ashina.
Siding with Kuro presents three different endings. After Wolf kills Owl, he finds his way to the Divine Dragon and obtains a tear from it. As Isshin dies and Ashina falls to the Interior Ministry, Wolf and Kuro prepare to end the Dragonâs Heritage. However, they are intercepted by Genichiro again. Desperate for a last chance to save Ashina, Genichiro sacrifices himself in a ritual of his own to resurrect Isshin at the height of his powers. Wolf faces this Isshin in a final duel and emerges victorious.
Kuro then asks Wolf for the ritual items. Giving Kuro only the Dragonâs Tear triggers the Immortal Severance ending: Kuro dies and ends the Dragonâs Heritage. Wolf retires as a shinobi and returns to the dilapidated temple to live in peaceful isolation. However, players who have completed Emmaâs quest before the encounter with the resurrected Isshin can choose the Purification ending: Wolf modifies the ritual to remove the Dragonâs Heritage from Kuro, making him mortal. Since Wolf still carries the Dragonâs Heritage, he uses a magical sword called the Mortal Blade to end his life and fulfill Kuroâs mission.
Players who complete a series of optional quests involving the Divine Childâa young girl who is the sole survivor of experiments by the heretical monks of Ashinaâs Senpou Templeâcan choose the Return ending. Wolf changes the ritual so that the Dragonâs Heritage is dissolved, along with Kuroâs body, and Wolf loses his immortality. The Divine Child inherits the remaining essence of the Dragonâs Heritage and houses Kuroâs spirit. Wolf, the Divine Child, and Kuroâs spirit set out to the unknown West in search of the Divine Dragonâs homeland to return the Dragonâs Heritage for good.
Gameplay mechanics
- Learn the Mikiri Counter early. It is a low-cost skill to deflect otherwise unblockable attacks and inflict significant posture damage.
- Unlike the Dark Souls series and similar games by FromSoftware, in which lost experience and currency can be recovered after death, Sekiro has no ârunbacks.â A true death permanently costs half your experience and gold, unless the rare Unseen Aid mechanic preserves them.
- Defeat optional mini-bosses. Many of them drop prayer beads, and every four beads will increase your health and posture, helping you survive harder encounters.
Like most FromSoftware games, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice features difficult combat that demands patience. But unlike the Dark Souls series, Sekiro places less emphasis on upgrading character attributes such as strength and dexterity, though it features several comprehensive skill trees.
Wolf and his opponents have health and posture bars. Rather than simply reducing opponentsâ health, players seek to break opponentsâ posture by precisely deflecting and countering attacks. Filling an opponentâs posture gauge creates an opening for a âdeathblow,â instantly defeating most enemies or removing one of a bossâs health bars. Conversely, excessive blocking or mistimed deflections fill Wolfâs posture gauge, leaving him vulnerable. Posture is often more important than vitality, since deathblows can be activated even if an enemy has high health, but higher health also aids faster posture recovery, both for Wolf and his enemies.
The mountains, castles, and ruins of Ashina enable a unique traversal system. Wolfâs Shinobi Prosthetic houses a grappling hook for scaling rooftops, leaping between trees, and approaching enemies stealthily. It also accommodates several interchangeable toolsâshuriken (star-shaped throwing blades), axes, firecrackers, an umbrella shield, a poison-laced short sword, and a flamethrowerâthat exploit enemy weaknesses. Combined with stealth and an extensive skill tree, these systems encourage players to adapt rather than rely solely on brute force.
Spin-offs and other media
In 2019 a spin-off manga, Sekiro Side Story: Hanbei the Undying, based on Hanbei, an immortal samurai from the game, was written and illustrated by Shin Yamamoto. It was serialized on Kadokawaâs ComicWalker web manga service under FromSoftwareâs supervision before being collected into a single volume. Yen Press released an English translation in digital and paperback formats in 2020.
An anime adaptation centered on Wolf and Kuroâs story called Sekiro: No Defeat was announced for release in Japan in September 2026. It will also stream worldwide on Crunchyroll later in 2026, excluding Japan, China, South Korea, Russia, and Belarus; an exact streaming date has not yet been announced.