Home News Top Skills to Prioritize for Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Top Skills to Prioritize for Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Author : Skylar Update : Apr 21,2025

In *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, Naoe's approach to eliminating targets is deeply rooted in stealth and assassination, leveraging the shadows and her toolkit to outsmart adversaries. However, her capabilities extend to direct confrontations, provided you strategize effectively. To maximize Naoe's potential, here are the top skills to prioritize up to Knowledge Rank 3, which you can achieve swiftly by engaging in the open world activities in the initial regions.

Best Skills to Get First for Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Katana

Naoe Skills Assassin's Creed Shadows Katana

Image Source: Ubisoft via The Escapist
Dodge Attack – Katana Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1 Mastery Point)
Melee Expert – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points)
Counter Attack – Katana Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points)
Eviscerate – Katana Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 5 Mastery Points)
These skills transform you into a defensive powerhouse, poised to retaliate against aggressive foes. If you excel at dodging and deflecting, you'll find ample opportunities to counterattack, deal enhanced damage, and conclude battles decisively with Eviscerate.

Kusarigama

Naoe Skills Assassin's Creed Shadows Kusarigama

Image Source: Ubisoft via The Escapist
Entanglement – Kusarigama Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1 Mastery Point)
Affliction Builder – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points)
Big Catch – Kusarigama Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points)
Multi-Target Expert – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 1/2/3 Mastery Points)
Cyclone Blast – Kusarigama Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 7 Mastery Points)
Equipped with these skills, you'll dominate both groups and individual targets. Entanglement enhances affliction buildup, and its upgrades allow you to manipulate larger enemies for additional damage. These skills are perfect for managing multiple adversaries, keeping them at bay while delivering impactful strikes.

Tanto

Naoe Skills Assassin's Creed Shadows Tanto

Image Source: Ubisoft via The Escapist
Shadow Piercer – Tanto Ability (Knowledge Rank 1, 5 Mastery Points)
Gap Seeker – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points)
Backstab – Tanto Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points)
Backstabber – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1/2/3 Mastery Points)
Back Breaker – Tanto Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 3 Mastery Points)
These skills are tailored to maximize damage output with the tanto, enhancing your ability to deal significant damage and exploit vulnerable enemies. Even heavily armored foes will dread your blade, especially when you use your R2/RT attack to swiftly maneuver behind them for devastating back attacks.

Tools

Naoe Skills Assassin's Creed Shadows Tools

Image Source: Ubisoft via The Escapist
Smoke Bomb – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1 Mastery Point)
Larger Tool Bag I – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points)
Shinobi Bell – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1 Mastery Point)
Enduring Haze – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points)
Kunai Assassination Damage I – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points)
Shuriken – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points)
These tools empower you to manipulate guards effectively, paving the way for your primary target. Use Shuriken to neutralize alarm bells or trigger explosives, the Shinobi Bell to divert enemy attention, and the Kunai for long-range kills. If detected, deploy the Smoke Bomb for a swift escape or to execute a series of assassinations.

Shinobi

Naoe Skills Assassin's Creed Shadows Shinobi

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Ascension Boost – Shinobi Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points)
Vault – Shinobi Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1 Mastery Point)
Igan Roll – Shinobi Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1 Mastery Point)
Heighten Senses – Shinobi Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 5 Mastery Points)
These skills ensure you remain undetected while swiftly reaching your objectives. Enhanced climbing speed, reduced fall damage, and the ability to slow time provide crucial advantages in navigating crowded areas without alerting enemies.

Assassin

Naoe Skills Assassin's Creed Shadows Assassin

Image Source: Ubisoft via The Escapist
Executioner – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points)
Improved Ground Assassinate – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points)
Double Assassinate – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points)
Assassination Damage I – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points)
Reinforced Blade – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 4 Mastery Points)
These skills are ideal when using the Tanto as your primary weapon, enabling you to eliminate targets swiftly with the Hidden Blade. The ability to perform dual assassinations and take down tougher enemies is invaluable, but remain cautious, as stronger foes may resist initial assassination attempts until your skills are further developed.

By focusing on these initial skills for Naoe in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, you'll evolve into an unparalleled shinobi assassin across Japan. For additional guidance, don't hesitate to explore resources on The Escapist.