XP and Gold Farming in Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Sekiro guide, walkthrough

Last update: 28 March 2019

Farming in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a good way to get access to better skills and items fast. Read this chapter to learn where and how you can farm XP and gold in Sekiro, and how to prepare yourself for this process.

• What is the point of farming in Sekiro?
• How to prepare for farming?
• A demonstrative location for farming - Hirata Estate (during the early stages of the game)
• A demonstrative location for farming - Senpou Temple #1
• A demonstrative location for farming - Senpou Temple #2
• A demonstrative location for farming XP - Ashina Depths (late game)
• Additional notes

What is the point of farming in Sekiro?

In Sekiro, farming has two purposes:

1. Getting XP fast which, in turn, allows you to unlock skills quicker. You can get the best attacks faster making the game easier for you. The plan here is to attack weak enemies in areas you are familiar with. Keep doing that until you collect a satisfactory amount of XP.
2. Getting gold and other valuable items. You can spend your gold on the most expensive items offered by the merchants. By farming gold, you will be able to save some pouches for later.

How to prepare for farming?

You need to prepare in two ways:

1. Equip offensive tools and skills. You want to be aggressive so you can eliminate enemies as fast as possible.
2. Get items that will allow you to find more gold and treasures. These items are Mibu Balloon of Wealth and Mibu Possession Balloon. Don't worry if you haven't found them yet. Using them is optional. It is possible that you will find them during the farming process - as regular loot dropped by enemies.

Later, you will unlock a better way to farm gold (sen) and other loot dropped by enemies. This solution is permanent. The first thing you have to do is to unlock Temple Arts skill tree. This is done by finding a skill book in Senpou Temple. More information about the text's location in Esoteric Texts chapter.

This skill tree has two Virtuous Deed abilities. Both of them will increase the amount of gold and the drop rate from enemies. Try to unlock the first skill as fast as possible - it will cost you 3 skill points.

A demonstrative location for farming - Hirata Estate (during the early stages of the game)

The main part of Hirata Estate is a good spot for farming XP and gold. This is the area where you fought with Juzou the Drunkard, one of the bosses you had to face during your first visit. The boss doesn't come back meaning that you can focus on eliminating regular enemies. Every opponent here will give you about 35 XP.

Below you can find more information and a few tips:

1. Start near the Sculptor's Idol in the Audience Chamber. Eliminate two enemies patrolling the building.
2. This is a good moment to use Mibu Balloon of Wealth and/or Mibu Possession Balloon (if you have them).
3. Attack the group of enemies standing in front of the building by approaching them from behind (they are standing in the same place where Juzou stood). Eliminate the archer fast and then use the axe in your prosthetic to eliminate the two enemies equipped with shields.
4. Run to the small building on the side and kill two enemies.
5. Run to the opposite end of the pond - you will encounter another group of enemies. Start with eliminating two archers. After that, you can kill the others however you want to (try to attack them one at a time).
6. Leave the enemies inside one of the buildings for last. You will face three or four enemies.

If you were aggressive enough, this should take you about 3 minutes. Go back to the starting Sculptor's Idol and either rest or fast travel to the Sculptor's Idol near the well (this place is called Main Chamber). Let the enemies respawn and repeat the steps (try to do all of them).

A demonstrative location for farming - Senpou Temple #1

Senpou Temple has two good spots for farming - you can use both of them during your first visit to this location. The enemies here are, e.g. the monks that are worth about 80 XP each.

If you want to follow the first path, reach Shugendo Sculptor's Idol - the one near the chasm and narrow passages leading to the hill with the large bell.

Here is our suggested route:

1. Start at Shugendo camp and go back to the previous location, the one where you can find enemies.
2. Look down - jump on one of the enemies. Defeat the second enemy in a regular fight.

1. Move forward. Turn left after you reach the wall. By following this path, you will avoid all enemies standing near the small field.
2. Go to the only building here. There, you will find two monks. You can defeat both of them with a stealth attack.

1. This is the most difficult part. Approach the group of enemies from the right - among them, you will find two strong enemies wearing bamboo hats. They are worth a lot of XP - more than 180.
2. Sneak up on the first bamboo hat enemy from the side - the one that guards the damaged bridge.

1. Jump at the second bamboo hat enemy - do that before you get detected by the archer guarding the field.
2. Eliminate two regular enemies. Each one of them will give you about 80 XP.

1. The farming doesn't end here - go back to the large building with monks. Use a powerful attack to kill the three monks sitting next to each other. The fourth monk is in the corner. A more powerful enemy is also here, but you shouldn't bother with fighting him.
2. You can also go back to the locked entrance to the temple, the one blocked by two monks. Kill a few insects standing in your way.
3. Stop farming if you lost health during this process - teleport back to the Sculptor's Idol. If not, go to the monks patrolling the forest. You can attack them from the trees. Don't let the monks surround you - they will kill you fast. When you are done with farming, run away and teleport.

The time spent on a single farming expedition depends on when you decided to go back. The steps described above (excluding the fight with all the monks in the forest) should take you less than 3 minutes.

A demonstrative location for farming - Senpou Temple #2

You can follow the second farming route in Senpou Temple after you reach the largest building in the temple - Main Hall Sculptor's Idol.

Here is our suggested path:

1. Go through the temple's side exit - the one near the entrance to the caves. Ignore the caves and turn left. Stealth attack the bamboo hat enemy - he is patrolling this area (see the picture above).
2. There are two more enemies of this type nearby but you should ignore them and run straight.

1. Follow the main path (the one that goes downwards). More monks will stand on your way - with melee and ranged weapons. Many of them can be killed with a stealth attack.
2. You will also come across two large enemies - one of them will be equipped with a shield. Don't fight them. Instead, you should sneak up on them from behind and eliminate with a stealth attack (see the picture above). These enemies are worth a lot - about 150 XP each.
3. You can stop farming after eliminating the last group of monks (the whole process from the start to finish should take you about 2 minutes) or you can keep moving forward to the buildings in the distance and, e.g. attack wolves, smaller enemies with bamboo hats, or monsters using blades. These fights are riskier. Be ready to fall back immediately or drink Healing Gourd/Antidote when you receive negative status effects.

A demonstrative location for farming XP - Ashina Depths (late game)

The most profitable way of farming XP becomes available late in the game - after you reach Ashina Depths. Go to Hidden Forest Sculptor's Idol. The location before the bonfire has two spirit enemies (this place is presented in the picture). If the game spawns their strongest versions, you will get 620 XP per enemy.

This method only works after making enough progress in the main storyline:

1. Go to Senpou Temple, visit the illusion with Folding Screen Monkeys, and obtain the Mortal Blade.
2. If this won't be enough, defeat the Guardian Ape twice - in Sunken Valley and then in Ashina Depths.

If the game spawns weaker enemies, it means that you haven't fulfilled all the requirements.

Here is the perfect method - thanks to it, every farming session will take you about 20-30 seconds.

Start at Hidden Forest Sculptor's Idol. Turn 180 degrees, go to the chasm and use the grappling hook on the opposite ledge.

Perform a Backstab Deathblow on the first spirit enemy. This move is easy to do because you appear right behind the enemy's back.

Quickly reach the second spirit enemy and start attacking it. Don't let the enemy go into offensive. Keep using regular attacks until you defeat the spirit.

Go back to the Sculptor's Idol by following the same path. Choose the Rest option. Both enemies will respawn - go there and defeat them again. Every trip to that place will give you more than 1,200 XP.

Additional notes

1. You can't keep going back to the same location to farm - the more powerful you become, the more XP you will need to level up. The best moment to stop is when you notice that you will need to farm 3-4 times to gain a single level. When that happens, look for another place where you can farm, preferably in later locations.
2. Don't risk when you get killed and you will have to revive. Go back to a Sculptor's Idol to regenerate your health. You should also do that to keep your XP and gold.
3. Keep farming until you reach a new level. Even if you die after leveling up, you won't lose your accumulated skill points.
4. Spend the skill points well - get only the most useful skills. You can check our recommendations in Which skills should I get first? chapter in the FAQ section.