If you lean towards speed, dirty tricks, and solving problems with poison and explosions rather than honourable sword duels, the Ninja Skill Tree in Nioh 2 is where the game really opens up. Ninjutsu builds are not about brute force. They are about control, pressure, and quietly turning terrifying yokai into manageable messes.
This ranking looks at the most effective ninja skills across mid to late game, with an eye on consistency rather than flashy one off gimmicks. Some skills scale beautifully into higher difficulties. Others feel amazing early, then quietly fall off a cliff. I have learned that lesson the hard way.
1. Quick-Change Scroll
This is the safety net that makes aggressive ninja play possible. Quick-Change Scroll revives you automatically on death, usually leaving you with just enough health to roll away and rethink your life choices.
It rewards confidence and forgives mistakes, which is dangerous in a good way. Once you have this active, you push harder, take risks, and learn enemy patterns faster. In higher difficulties it stops being optional and starts feeling like part of your armour set.
If you only invest deeply into one ninjutsu skill, make it this.
2. Power Pills
Power Pills look simple and that is exactly why they are lethal. A flat attack boost that stacks cleanly with weapon buffs, soul cores, and guardian spirit effects turns steady damage into something genuinely threatening.
They shine in boss fights where consistency matters more than clever tricks. Pop one before a burst window and suddenly even conservative weapon play feels decisive.
No drama, no setup, just reliable violence.
3. Poison Shuriken and Poison Tools
Poison is the quiet MVP of Nioh 2. It ticks constantly, pressures bosses that love to disengage, and scales frighteningly well once you invest in poison accumulation and damage bonuses.
Poison Shuriken are fast, cheap, and excellent for setting up the status early. Against yokai with bloated health pools, poison does the work while you focus on staying alive.
It is not glamorous, but it wins fights.
4. Kunai Damage Boosts and Advanced Kunai
There was a time when kunai builds were completely unhinged. They have been toned down, but they are still very strong when built correctly.
Enhanced kunai let you punish openings from a safe distance and delete weaker enemies without spending stamina. They also pair well with confusion setups and elemental status builds.
They demand stat investment and planning, but they still earn their place.
5. Smoke Ball
Smoke Ball is pure ninja nonsense, and I mean that as a compliment. It breaks enemy lock on, creates breathing room, and lets you reset a fight that is going sideways.
It shines in crowded encounters or against human enemies who rely on pressure and combos. Smoke Ball gives you control over tempo, which is something most action games rarely hand you.
It feels less flashy than raw damage skills, but it saves runs.
6. Catwalking Scroll
Stealth matters more in Nioh 2 than many players admit. Catwalking Scroll reduces noise and fall damage, which sounds minor until you start abusing backstabs and clean openings.
It is especially strong in missions packed with ranged enemies or narrow traversal sections where one mistake snowballs into chaos.
Not essential for every build, but deeply satisfying when used well.
7. Sneak Attack and Backstab Boosts
These passives quietly amplify everything else you are doing. Extra damage from behind rewards patience, positioning, and route planning through levels.
They pair beautifully with Catwalking Scroll and Smoke Ball, turning encounters into puzzles rather than brawls. Against human enemies, the damage spikes are noticeable.
They will not carry a build alone, but they sharpen it.
8. Explosive Shuriken and Bomb Skills
Explosives look exciting, and sometimes they are. They offer crowd control and burst damage, especially early on.
The problem is scaling. As enemies grow tankier, explosives start to feel expensive for what they deliver. They are still useful for staggering or clearing trash, but they struggle to justify heavy investment late game.
Fun, loud, and slightly unreliable.
How to Build Around Ninja Skills
Ninjutsu shines when you commit. Dexterity investment, ninjutsu capacity upgrades, and synergy with poison or status effects matter more than spreading points everywhere.
The strongest ninja builds do not replace melee combat. They enhance it. Poison creates pressure, Power Pills amplify damage, and Quick-Change Scroll gives you the confidence to stay aggressive.
If you play it right, you are not a glass cannon. You are a problem that enemies cannot solve fast enough.
The Seven Swords Takeaway
The Ninja Skill Tree in Nioh 2 rewards planning, confidence, and a willingness to fight unfair. It is not about honour or clean duels. It is about survival and efficiency, with just enough chaos to keep things interesting.
If you have ever thought “this fight would be easier if I could just bend the rules a bit,” congratulations. You are already thinking like a ninja.
