Right off the bat, Stellar Blade hits you with a ton of terms and a massive Skill Tree that can feel like a lot to handle. No worries, though—we’ve put together a straightforward list of the top skills to grab early in Stellar Blade to help you focus on what’s actually worth unlocking first.

Before we dive in, a quick heads-up: if you want to reset your Skill Tree, you’ll need an SP Initializer. You can snag one from vending machines at Supply Camps or at shops like Sisters’ Junk in Xion for 200 Gold. Once you’ve got it, head to a Skill Tree terminal, pick the tree you want to reset, hit Triangle, and confirm the reset when prompted.

Also, Blink—the skill that lets you counter those blue unblockable attacks—is a game-changer, but you get it automatically as the story moves along, so we’re not listing it here, even though it’s a big deal.

Ambush

Ambush Skill

Found in the top left of the Attack tree, Ambush lets you take out enemies with a single stealth hit from behind. It’s a solid way to deal with tricky Naytibas, and you can pair it with Exospines to make it even smoother and gain extra bonuses after pulling it off. You can’t always use Ambush, but when the chance pops up, you’ll be glad you have it. Taking out a tough enemy before it can even swing at you is huge, especially since health items are scarce. Keep going down this branch to hit nearby enemies and rack up more beta energy.

Ambush Skill 02

Lightning Rush and Infinite Rush

Holding Triangle to zip toward an enemy and strike is a key move in Stellar Blade. Lightning Rush and Infinite Rush are beefed-up versions of the basic Rush skill, boosting the charge distance and attack power. Use these to kick off fights, follow up combos that knock enemies back, or stick close to bosses trying to slip away.

Lightning Rush

Beta Energy Recharge and Beta Energy Theft

Beta Energy Theft Beta Energy Recharge

Any skill that boosts Beta Energy is a win, and the Beta Energy Recharge skills in both the Survival and Attack Skill Trees give you more juice with every Perfect Parry or successful hit. The Survival tree’s version also pushes you to get comfortable with Perfect Parries, which you’ll need to master early. Both are solid picks. Pairing Beta Energy Theft from the Attack tree with Ambush is a great combo, especially for surprising a group of enemies. You could take out the toughest Naytiba first, charging up your strongest Beta Skills in the process.

Counter I and II

Counter Skill

Counter, located at the top of the Survival Skill Tree, is your go-to after a Perfect Parry. It lets you dash behind enemies for a heavy hit or attack head-on. There’s a similar move called Reflection for Perfect Dodges, but since you’ll likely parry more than dodge early on, Counter is the better pick for now.

Repulse

Repulse Skill

Repulse is Blink’s purple counterpart, letting you flip away from enemies instead of charging through them. It also exposes yellow weak points you can hit with your wrist-mounted gun. Grab this one early to be ready for whatever attacks come your way.

Shield Breaker

Shield Breaker Skill

Shield Breaker isn’t as versatile as Slash or Triplet (the Beta Skill you start with), but it’s great for smashing enemy shields to open them up for bigger damage. Charging it boosts damage, and later upgrades cut charge time and increase shield damage temporarily. You can skip upgrading it early if you’re short on Skill Points—it’s decent enough as is—but you’ll want to finish this tree later for easy enemy knockdowns.

Focus Boost & Reflex Boost

Focus Boost SkillReflex Boost Skill

Stellar Blade leans hard on your ability to Parry and Dodge, since regular blocking still lets some damage slip through. Focus Boost widens the Perfect Parry window, helping you avoid chip damage and set up enemies for a Retribution Attack. Reflex Boost does the same for Perfect Dodges, which you need for those yellow unblockable attacks. You can skip these if you like the challenge of tight timing, but they make combat way easier.

Double Dodge

Double Dodge Skill

Tucked at the end of the Survival Skill Tree after Reflex Boost, Double Dodge gives you extra distance from enemies or a second chance when you’re panic-dodging. Paired with Reflex Boost, it makes hitting Perfect Dodges more forgiving.

Reflection

Reflection Skill

Now’s a good time to pick up Reflection, which gives you a follow-up attack after a Perfect Dodge. It lets you counter, stun enemies, and temporarily boost your attack speed, giving you the edge to press your advantage.

Triplet Upgrades

Triplet Skill

Once you’ve got the basics, start dumping Skill Points into upgrading your Beta Skills, starting with Triplet and Slash. These can get pricey, so feel free to grab other skills while you build up points, then refund them later to focus on Beta upgrades. Triplet (L1 + Square) deals massive single-target damage, and its third hit always stuns. Sometimes it’ll even kill enemies outright mid-attack. Upgrade it ASAP to unlock Quadruplet, which moves the stun to the first hit and messes with enemy balance for faster Retribution Attacks.

Slash Upgrades

Slash Skill

Triplet for one target, but Slash damages all nearby enemies with AoE damage and stuns them. Upgrading them boosts damage, increases shield damage, and adds a job for even more impact. All Beta Skills are useful, and Shield Breaker, and later upgrades make Shockwave effective for knocking down enemies. But for starting out, focus on Triplet and SSlash for a strong foundation.