New Game Plus Master Reference

Sekiro NG+ Guide: What Carries Over & Resets

Everything you need to know before starting Playthrough #2 (NG+) in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Complete breakdown of character progression transfer, inventory retention, enemy scaling, and hard mode difficulty modifiers (Kuro's Charm & Demon Bell).

Complete Carryover vs. Reset Matrix

What Carries Over to NG+

Attack Power: All accumulated Attack Power (from Boss Memories and Dancing Dragon Mask).
Vitality & Posture: All unlocked Prayer Necklaces (up to max 10 necklaces / 40 beads).
Healing Gourd Charges: All Gourd Seed upgrades (up to max 10 charges).
Prosthetic Tools & Upgrades: All 10 tools, unlocked trees, and Lazulite upgrades.
Skills & Esoteric Texts: All unlocked combat arts, passive skills, and all 5 Esoteric skill trees.
Sen & Consumable Inventory: All money, coin purses, sugars (Ako, Yashariku, Gokan, Ungo, Gachiin), divine confetti, snap peas, and upgrade materials (Lapis Lazuli, Fulminated Mercury, Scrap Iron, etc.).
Dancing Dragon Mask: All fragments and the mask ability remain in your inventory.
Dragon's Tally Board: Keeps unlimited merchant wares active across all vendors.
Kuro's Charm: Placed into your inventory at the start of NG+, giving you the option to give it back to Lord Kuro for Hard Mode.

What Resets in NG+

Key Progression Items: Mortal Blade, Shelter Stone, Lotus of the Palace, Fresh & Dried Serpent Viscera, and Father's Bell Charm.
Door & Gate Keys: Gatehouse Key, Gun Fort Shrine Key, Hidden Temple Key, and Secret Passage Key (must be re-acquired naturally).
Mortal Draw & Ninjutsu Arts: Locked temporarily until you re-acquire the Mortal Blade or defeat the corresponding bosses (Folding Screen Monkeys / Genichiro / Ape duo).
Mibu Breathing Technique (Diving): Resets until you defeat Corrupted Monk (Illusion) in Ashina Depths again.
NPC Quest States & Dialogues: All NPC relationships and quest lines reset to their initial prologue state.
Sculptor's Idols: Fast travel idols must be rediscovered as you explore Ashina.

What Happens to Collected Prayer Beads & Gourd Seeds?

Replacement Rewards in NG+:

If you already collected a Prayer Bead or Gourd Seed in a previous playthrough:

Mini-Bosses: Mini-bosses that previously awarded a Prayer Bead will drop a Heavy Coin Purse (500 Sen) or Divine Confetti instead.
Chests & World Pickups: Open-world spots where you previously found a Prayer Bead or Gourd Seed will contain Heavy Coin Purses or Jizo Statues.
Missed Beads: Any Prayer Bead or Gourd Seed you missed in NG will still spawn in its exact location in NG+ until you reach the max cap (40 Beads / 9 Seeds)!

NG+ Enemy Scaling & Kuro's Charm Hard Mode

In New Game Plus, the game adjusts combat variables:

Enemy Vitality & Posture: Enemies and bosses have approximately +30% to +50% higher Vitality and Posture, scaling up each cycle up to NG+7.
Enemy Damage Output: Attacks hit significantly harder; failed deflections deal heavy posture damage.
XP & Sen Multiplier: Defeating enemies grants much higher Experience Points and Sen, making late-game skill grinding (such as for the Height of Technique trophy) far faster in NG+ and NG+2.

Kuro's Charm (Charmless Hard Mode)

During the prologue in the Moon-view Tower, when speaking to Lord Kuro, he will offer you Kuro's Charm:

Give Kuro's Charm to Kuro ("Give it away"): Activates Charmless Mode. Blocking attacks without a perfect deflect causes approx. 30% chip damage through your guard. Enemy vitality, posture, and status build-up increase by 20%. In exchange, you earn +20% bonus XP and Sen!
Keep Kuro's Charm: Plays with standard deflection mechanics (no chip damage on regular blocks).
Note: You can reclaim Kuro's Charm at any time from the Sculptor at Dilapidated Temple, but you cannot give it away again until the next NG+ cycle!