Sekiro guide: Farm XP and gold in this quick, simple spot

Sekiro is one of those games where you never feel overpowered. Even if you make smart skill-tree choices and prioritize unlocking high-impact abilities (bless you, Shadowrush), it can still be a struggle to make tangible upgrade progress unless you grind in familiar areas or tread new ground with extreme caution.

Players have had five years to narrow down the best farming spots for XP and Sen, and I’ve played the game enough times to toss my own two cents into the debate. Here are the best Xp and Sen farming locations in Sekiro

Best early game XP and Sen farming locations in Sekiro

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The early stages of your journey through Ashida don’t pull their punches, and you’ll learn quickly that you need to get stronger if you want to save your young lord. Luckily, there are plenty of areas where you can farm XP to level up your skill and get Sen to buy upgrades for your prosthetic arm.

One of the best areas to grind out XP and Sen early on is the Hirata Estate. This area is technically optional, but I highly recommend you come here. Many prowling enemies infest the main path through Hirata Estate, but you can kill them all without too much trouble by sticking to ceilings and high walls and using sneak attacks from above. Whether you start at the Estate Path’s Sculptor’s Idol or work your way back from “Hirata Estate – Main Hall,” you’ll rack up XP and Sen quickly.

The payouts aren’t great at the beginning of Sekiro, so don’t be afraid to pop Mibu Balloons if you’re struggling and want to speed up the grind. You’ll get plenty of them throughout the game, so don’t let the fear that you’ll run out of them keep you from maximizing your XP output.

Another area to consider early on is directly after the big arena fight against Gyoubu and his steed. From the “Ashina Castle Gate” idol in Ashina Outskirts, you can hunt “rats” (aka the little creepy dudes). They drop a respectable amount of XP and Sen for this point of the game, and you can rack up a decent amount of both resources by farming them. Just grab the Loaded Axe prosthetic before you come here otherwise you won’t be able to smash through their shields.

The final early-game farming area I’d recommend is Ashina Castle—Upper Tower Antechamber. This area is full of assassins who drop quite a bit of XP and Sen, but they can be challenging to take down. I’d recommend killing the soldier with the rifle near the Ashida Castle Gate idol and grappling with the nearest assassin. From there, work up the tower and stealthfully take out the assassins. They even drop Divine Confetti, making this a fantastic area to hit up if you’re having trouble with the ghosts in Kusabimaru.

With this strategy in mind, I could easily buy all the prosthetic tool variants minus the last few that require Lapis lazuli as a crafting ingredient. If you stick to these areas, Sen stops being an issue quick. It’s terrific for XP grinding, too, but there are so many skills that it will still be a slog, especially if you’re hoping to stockpile skill points for the attack-power-raising Dancing Dragon Mask.

If you haven’t done the Bell Demon’s Temple, seek it out.

Best mid-game XP and Sen farming spots in Sekiro

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Sekiro gets a lot less linear around the mid-game point, which gives you more freedom to avoid challenging areas that would have been a roadblock earlier in the game. However, you will need to jump those hurdles eventually, so you’ll want to familiarize yourself with some grinding spots.

Thinking back on other grinding spots I used for a good while, my go-to spot was the same one Chris mentioned: the Gun Fort in Sunken Valley. You can work backward through the fort and get revenge on all the nasty sharpshooters. I’d suggest using the Divine Abduction fan (or its upgraded counterparts) for the big lugs. The tool will let you backstab enemies even if they see you. (Side note: if you need more Fulminated Mercury, try grinding at “Poison Pool” in Ashina Depths.)

For a decent Sekiro farming locale with built-in catharsis, spend some time in Ashina Depths, starting at either the “Mibu Village” or “Water Mill” idol. Beating up weaklings is a nice stress reliever, especially if you’re having trouble fighting the Headless Ape or the Corrupted Monk.

Finally, consider trying the “Flower Viewing Stage” idol for my favorite enjoyable grinding spot if you’ve made it to Fountainhead Palace. Once there, turn around, backstab the Noble, run and stab the next Noble, and then prepare for a lightning reversal against the spear-wielding guard. Whereas most other farming locations in Sekiro tend to be mindless, this is engaging as a muscle-memory warmup.

Best late-game XP and Sen farming spots in Sekiro

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Like many other FromSoft games, Sekiro‘s end-game isn’t a difficulty spike; it’s a difficulty mountain. Enemies get harder, upgrade materials get rarer, and the bosses can feel unfair. Even if you’ve become a parrying master, you’ll probably need to grind for level-ups and upgrades.

The best end-game framing spot in Sekiro is, without a doubt, Ashida Outskirts. I’d recommend running through the area until you beat Shigekichi of the Red Guard and reach the Outskirts Wall – Stairway in Ashina Outskirts Sculptor’s Idol. Then, weave your way back through the main path, backstabbing enemies and reaping the massive harvest of XP, Sen, and various materials. The XP and Sen you get from this will help pay for any late-game upgrades you want, and the Ministry Dousing Power the enemies drop comes in handy during the fight against the Demon of Hatred.

It’ll feel phenomenal to check the “Height of Technique” achievement/trophy off the list. I’m on New Game +4 and I still have a few expensive Mushin Arts skills to unlock. I’m glad I didn’t force it.

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