Nioh 3 Stats Guide: Leveling, Weapon Scaling & Skills Explained

You have a million Amrita burning a hole in your pocket and a stat screen that looks like a spreadsheet from hell, so let’s figure out where to put those points before you accidentally ruin your character.

If you are coming from Dark Souls or Elden Ring, you probably think you know how this works. You find a weapon, you see it scales with Strength, you pump Strength to 99, and you win.

Nioh 3 does not work like that.

Team Ninja has overhauled the scaling system, split the skill trees into two different mechanics, and added enough hidden modifiers to make a mathematician cry. I have crunched the numbers and wasted my own levels so you don't have to. Here is how you actually build a powerhouse.

The 7 Core Stats Explained

Nioh 3 has seven stats. They all sound important, but depending on your playstyle, half of them are useless to you.

Unlike previous games where you had "Body" or "Dexterity," the naming convention is slightly cleaner, but the effects are specific. You need to know exactly what you are buying when you click that "Level Up" button at the Shrine.

I have broken down the primary function of each stat below so you don't have to guess.

NIOH 3 STAT BREAKDOWN

Every stat and what it actually does for your miserable life in the Warring States.

STAT	PRIMARY EFFECT
Constitution	Max HP. If you hate dying in one hit, level this. It also scales Spears and Tonfas.
Heart	Max Ki (Stamina). Vital for everyone. More Ki means more attacking and blocking. Scales Swords and Bows.
Stamina	Equip Load. Lets you wear heavy armor without moving like a fridge. Also gives some HP.
Strength	Ki Damage. Helps you break enemy guards faster. Primary scaling for heavy weapons like Odachi and Axes.
Skill	Arts Power & Ninjutsu. Increases damage of special moves and Ninja tools. Scales technical weapons like Dual Swords and Switchglaives.
Intellect	Ki Recovery Speed. Determines how fast your stamina comes back. Also extends Magic duration.
Magic	Magic Power. Increases Onmyo magic damage and effectiveness. Scales Switchglaives and Splitstaffs.

The "Reference Stat" Weapon Scaling System

Forget the old "A, B, C" scaling letters. Nioh 3 uses a system called Reference Stats.

Every weapon has three stats attached to it. For example, a Sword might list Heart, Strength, and Intellect. These are its Reference Stats.

Here is the trick: The scaling isn't fixed. The game looks at your character's stats and automatically adjusts the scaling based on which of those three is highest.

• Highest Ref Stat: Provides Major Damage scaling.

• 2nd Highest Ref Stat: Provides Moderate Damage scaling.

• Lowest Ref Stat: Provides Minor Damage scaling.

This means you have flexibility. If you want to run a Magic build but use a Sword, you can pump Intellect (if the sword supports it) and still get good damage, even if your Heart is low.

The Golden Rule of Synergy: When picking your two weapons (one for Samurai, one for Ninja), try to find weapons that share at least two Reference Stats. If you pick a Hammer (Stamina/Strength) and a Kusarigama (Skill/Ninjustu), you are going to spread your stats too thin and end up mediocre at everything.

Martial Arts vs. Skills: What’s the Difference?

Nioh 3 is terrible at explaining this, but there are two completely different types of "Skills" in the game.

1. Martial Arts (The Tree) These are your active combat moves—new combos, parries, and finishers.

• How to unlock: You spend Samurai Locks and Ninja Locks.

• Where to get them: Found in chests, dropped by bosses, or given by those fat Scampuss cats. You do not get these points just by leveling up.

2. Skills (The Scrolls) These are passive perks that sit in a separate menu. They do things like "Reduce Damage Taken by 10%" or "Increase Elixir Efficacy."

• How to unlock: You must find specific Secret Skill Texts hidden in the open world or dropped by enemies.

• Capacity: You have a limited "Capacity" cost for equipping these. You increase capacity by finding Memorandums in the world.

Do not confuse the two. You can have all the Samurai Locks in the world, but if you don't find the Secret Skill Texts in the map, your passive game will be weak.

Don't Ignore Titles (Prestige Points)

As you play, you earn Titles for doing random stuff, killing 50 dwellers, using a certain weapon, or getting headshots.

Every time you earn a Title, you get Prestige Points (Ungyo and Agyo). You can spend these in the Titles menu to get permanent, microscopic stat boosts like "+0.5% Life" or "+1.0 Ki Recovery."

It looks small, but it adds up. If you ignore this menu for 20 hours, you are leaving free stats on the table. Go in there and spend your points.

The "Oh No, I Messed Up" Panic Button

Did you put 40 points into Magic only to realize you hate casting spells?

Relax.

Respec is incredibly easy in Nioh 3. You can reset your stats using a Book of Reincarnation, which is sold at the Blacksmith for a reasonable price. You can also reset your Martial Arts trees individually in the Dojo menu for free.

This game encourages experimentation. Don't be afraid to ruin your build, because fixing it just costs a little gold and a trip to the Eternal Rift.