Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice isn’t your typical Soulsborne title. Take the Sekiro Prayer Beads, for example. They are the game’s main way of increasing Vitality, but appear to be in immensely short supply. So, knowing where to find the Prayer Beads in Sekiro can, without wanting to sound dramatic, be the difference between life and death. While there’s still many crook and nannies to explore, there’s a fairly simple way to increase health early on (known in-game as Vitality), as well as a catch-all method of hunting down Sekiro Prayer Bead locations without fail.
Sekiro Prayer Beads locations
You need four Prayer Beads to level up your Vitality and increase your health in Sekiro. While we haven’t found all of them yet, you can actually do that in the first hour or so, if you’re particularly skilled with a blade. The main thing you need to know is defeating a named mini-boss, signified with a large on-screen health bar, is the key to getting Prayer Beads. Each one you defeat will drop a single Prayer Bead.
The first mini-boss you’ll come up against will almost definitely be Naomori Kawarada. Simply follow the path after leaving the Dilapidated Temple at the beginning of the game and keep going round to the Outskirts Wall where a Sculptor’s Idol awaits. Head through the building to meet the General. Beat him and, yup, a Prayer Bead will be yours.
Keep following the path round through the Castle grounds (easier said than done, of course) and, eventually, you’ll come across the red-eyed Chained Ogre. Defeating him will drop another Prayer Bead. If you’re having trouble finding him, he’s pretty much next to the “Outskirts Wall – Stairway” Sculptor’s Idol.
Shinobi Hunter Enshin of Misen can be found in the Hirata Estate (visit our Young Lord’s Bell Charm guide for more on unlocking the Hirata Estate) only after you’ve eavesdropped on his hut in one of the settlements earlier in the area.
After that, make your way up the Estate Path to the palacial gate that is flanked by blue flowers on either side with a fog gate at the end. If you alert an enemy, Enshin will come out to meet you. Defeat him to nab a single Prayer Bead.
Finally, to complete the early-game quartet of Prayer Beads, Juzou the Drunkard. He’s a fair way into the Hirata Estate, and you’ll find him after the flaming temple at the Main Hall of the Hirata Estate which can be accessed via a chimney-style clearing at the far end of a cave filled with enemies.
Cross the pond and your man Juzou will be there. Defeat the lumbering pisshead to get what should be your fourth and final Prayer Bead. For now, anyway.
Sekiro Prayer Beads | How to increase Vitality
This is the easy part! Go to any Sculptor’s Idol and scroll down to “Enhance Physical Attributes.” If you’ve got the four Prayer Beads required, you’ll be able to level up your Vitality. Thank goodness.
Sekiro Soulslikes
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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and the Best of the Soulslikes
It's always exciting to see a new genre emerge. You get that original hit game, the follow-ups and the attempts by other developers to recapture the magic. With the release of Sekiro, let's look back at the landscape of Souslikes so far. -
Demon's Souls
The original that kicked it all off (unless you count King's Field), Demon's Souls went under the radar on the PlayStation 3. Originally, gamers didn't know what to make of it, but anyone who stuck with it got an amazing experience that was unlike anything on the market. -
Dark Souls
By the time a new generation rolled around, From Software had moved from demons to darkness. The Dark Souls trilogy cemented the genre tropes, proving to achieve the popularity that their previous title had only hinted at. Far more than a cult success, these games proved to be influential even outside the genre. -
Bloodborne
Once things started taking off, original Demon's Souls publisher Sony had to get back in the action. Teaming with From, the result was Bloodborne. Taking things was from medieval castles and including firearms for the first time, this was the first hint that this formula was flexible. -
Lords of the Fallen
Developed by Deck13 Interactive and CI Games, Lords of the Fallen takes things in a more Norse direction. Using hammers and axes, you must fight towering gods and demons. After this game's success, the two developers split, with CI working on an upcoming sequel to this Viking Soulslike. -
Nioh
Team Ninja tried their hands at Souslikes with Nioh, a game where you control an Irish Samurai and fight yokai. The game was announced back in 2004 as Oni and changed hands multiple times before release. Originally another PlayStation 4 exclusive for the genre, the game has since come to PC with all its DLC bundled in. -
The Surge
Deck13 took what they learned from Lords of the Fallen and took the Soulslike genre into the future. The Surge has you stomping around in a mech suit fighting uncontrollable robots. Once you destroy an enemy, you can scrap their parts and convert them into weapons for you to use. A sequel is currently set to release in 2o19. -
Ashen
Developed by A44, Ashen puts players into a world without light. Each character is a muted faceless person, adding to the downtrodden vibe of the entire experience. While combat is inspired by Dark Souls, the game also features open-world exploration and novel passive multiplayer encounters. -
Immortal: Unchained
Going even more Norse than Lords of the Fallen, Immortal: Unchained finds you battling the monsters of Ragnarok. Instead of swords and spears, your character uses a mix of technologically advanced firearms to take down each and every mysterious foe. More fast-paced than other soulslikes, you'll need to duck and weave to stay alive. -
Death's Gambit
Pitched as a merger of Souslike and Castlevania, Death's Gambit is also one of the first games to take these concepts into the second dimension. You can choose from seven playable classes as you seek immortality in this labyrinth of death. -
Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption
What if you didn't have to explore a Soulslike? What if you just fought a collection of out of control boss monsters? Then, you'd have Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption. In this game, you start at your strongest and level down as you progress, adding to the challenge.
