SEKIRO | Posture System Explained

Check out this guide to see the posture system explained! Find out what this system is, gameplay tips, and how it affects combat against enemies and bosses in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

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Table of Contents

What Is The Posture System?
How Does The Posture System Work?
Posture System Gameplay Tips

What Is The Posture System?

Affects Vulnerability In The Game

The Posture system is a feature in Sekiro which dictates how vulnerable enemies are to your Shinobi Deathblow. This will also affect your vulnerability to the enemy's strong attacks.

Posture Bar Location On Your HUD

You will be able to see your Posture Bar on the bottom of your HUD while the enemy's own Posture Bar will be displayed at the top of the screen.

Check Out Other HUD Elements Here!

How Does The Posture System Work?

Fill Up The Enemy's Posture Bars

By completely filling up an enemy's Posture Bar, you will be able to set them up for devastating moves called Shinobi Deathblow. These do massive damage and can instantly kill some types of enemies.

How To Fill Up Enemy Posture Bars

When Enemy Blocks Player Attacks
When Enemy's Attack Gets Deflected By Player
When Enemy Gets Hit By Counter After Being Deflected
When Enemy Is Jumped On By Player
When Damage was Dealt to Enemy

Avoid Filling Up Your Posture Bar

You should also aim to avoid filling up your posture bar since you will also become vulnerable to the enemy's powerful attacks once your bar fills up completely.

Actions That Fill Up Your Bar

When Blocking Enemy Attacks
When Getting Damaged By Enemy Attacks

Posture Bar Drains Over Time

If you avoid getting hit for a certain amount of time, your Posture Bar will start to drain. If you see your bar close to being completely filled, it may be time to disengage and wait for the bar to completely drain.

Enemy's Posture Bar Drains As Well

Your enemy's Posture Bar will also start to drain if they don't get hit after a certain amount of time. If you are aiming to perform a Shinobi Deathblow, don't let your foe's Posture Bar get too low!

Posture System Gameplay Tips

Choose When To Parry Or Dodge

You will need to strategize according to your Posture Bar when fighting with enemies. An empty posture bar may allow you to block and parry some attacks. However, a half filled bar may mean it is time to dodge and reposition!

Do NOT Spam Guard When Deflecting

Even if you timed your deflection wrong, it is better to keep your guard up rather than double tapping your deflection again. Doing so will negate all opening for deflection and make you more susceptible to enemy attacks.

Watch Out For Perilous Attacks

When a red symbol appears on the screen, the enemy is gearing up for an unblockable attack! Countering this is very risky, and will deal massive damage if done wrong. If you are not confident in timing, it may be best to dodge instead.

Check Out Other Kanji Sense Symbols Here!

Shinobi Deathblows Decrease HP Nodes

The Shinobi Deathblow is useful in taking out nodes from the enemy's health displayed on the top left of the screen. The number of nodes dictates how many Shinobi Deathblows are needed to defeat the enemy.

Lessen HP First To Deal More Posture Damage

The lower your enemy's HP, the more Posture Damage they'll receive. To increase the Posture Bar faster, it's recommended to hack away at their HP first so you can implement Shinobi Deathblows faster.