Sekiro DLC Guide

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Intro

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a game that kept on giving. Before FromSoftware shifted production to Elden Ring, they gave us a few nifty DLCs to add more life to Sekiro and further encourage replayability.

While, unfortunately, they did not give us additional story DLC or a new campaign like they have with entries in the Dark Souls franchise, this decision further solidifies their honing on Sekiro as a different kind of experience.

Upon completing my first playthrough, I was delighted to see that they created a fun and frantic boss rush style mode, and the allure of finding all of Wolf’s new costumes instantly immersed me into my second playthrough. This guide will share information on all the different DLCs and what they add to the game.

Sengoku Era Fashion

The first batch of DLC we’ll look into is the costumes. While they don’t add any new functionality to the game, they allow you to put a little more of yourself into it, and since Sekiro doesn’t have an armor system like Dark Souls, this is one of the few ways to essentially humble brag about your progress and skill.

Since you can only get the majority of the costumes by earning them in the Gauntlets of Strength, anyone who’s anyone will know you have skill upon seeing you in one of them. Here is a breakdown of the three additional costumes outside of Wolf’s default look.

Costume #1: Another’s Memory: Ashina

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Image Via WikiFandom

This sweet outfit totally makes me wish that FromSoft could make a Ninja Gaiden game. Wolf becomes suited, booted, and ready to hide in the shadows and strike with surgical precision. It is obtained by completing the game for the first time.

Costume #2: Another’s Memory: Shura

Another's Memory: Shura
Image Via Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Fandom

Who’s ready for a spicy meatball? Wolf becomes Shura in one of the most detailed costumes in the game. The badass embers flickering off of it also serve as a nice little nod to the Demo of Hatred boss.

Players can only unlock this costume by beating the Gauntlet of Strength: Shura and all who have it should immediately be rewarded with a high five. Side Note: If FromSoft ever does a Sekiro 2, this costume makes me wish they’d add some sort of Devil Trigger or Yokai mode akin to the Devil May Cry and Nioh games.

Costume #3: Another’s Memory: Tengu

Another's Memory: Tengu
Image Via Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Fandom

Now, this is a fun one. Hopefully, you took the time to find and meet Tengu Ashina at the start of the game and hunted the “rats” for him as requested. Now you can be the rat exterminator of your dreams and show them who’s boss. You can unlock this festive get-up by defeating Inner Isshin in the Severance Gauntlet of Strength.

Reflections of Strength

Reflections of Strength are an innovative feature added so seamlessly into the game that I instantly assumed they were included at launch when I did my first playthrough in the Spring of 2022. Anytime you defeat a boss beginning with Gyoubu outside of Ashina Castle, Wolf creates a memory of them.

Once you deliver this memory to any Sculptor’s Idol, the Reflections of Strength menu will open, allowing you to revisit the boss battle. During Reflections of Strength, you will find yourself face to face with the boss of your choice and are a free pass of sorts.

If you die, you don’t lose experience or Sen (money), and whatever items you use during the battle do not count towards your inventory so that you can pull out all the stops.

Reflections of Strength are a fantastic way to explore new tactics, ease yourself into the game if you’ve taken a break, or better prepare yourself for the head honcho of challenges: The Gauntlets of Strength. Gauntlets are no joke and are designed to be the true mark of mastery test for any Shinobi.

There are four Gauntlets of Strength to power through if you want to unlock all the costumes and showcase to the masses that you are an all-star Shinobi. Gauntlets of Strength effectively serve as a Boss Rush mode when you must take on several bosses with a single life to spare. If you die, you have to start over.

If you win, you receive rewards and clout. If you’re a gamer who’s always trying to “git gud” then the best way to show how “gud” you are is to topple the four Gauntlets of Strength.

Thankfully the bosses themselves remain unchanged, minus the “Inner” versions of the Isshin Sword Saint, Genichiro, and Owl, so if you have a go-to strategy or tactic, they will still work. Here is a quick breakdown of the assorted gauntlets and who you’ll be facing in them.

Gauntlet of Strength: Severance

  1. Guardian Ape
  2. Great Shinobi Owl
  3. True Corrupted Monk
  4. Genichiro, Way of Tomoe
  5. Inner Isshin (Isshin Sword Saint)

Gauntlet of Strength: Divine Heir

  1. Gyoubu Oniwa
  2. Lady Butterfly
  3. Inner Genichiro (Genichiro Ashina)

Gauntlet of Strength: Shura

  1. Emma, The Gentle Blade (Don’t be fooled by the name, she’s deadly.)
  2. Isshin Ashina
  3. Demon of Hatred
  4. Inner Father (Owl)

Gauntlet of Strength: Mortal Journey

This one is only unlocked upon successful completion of the prior three gauntlets. Get ready for a challenge cause this one is a doozy!

  1. Gyoubu Oniwa
  2. Lady Butterfly
  3. Genichiro Ashina
  4. Guardian Ape
  5. Corrupted Monk
  6. Great Shinobi Owl
  7. Headless Ape
  8. Emma, The Gentle Blade
  9. Isshin Ashina
  10. True Corrupted Monk
  11. Owl (Father)
  12. Demon of Hatred
  13. Genichiro, Way of Tomoe
  14. Isshin Sword Saint
  15. Inner Genichiro
  16. Inner Father
  17. Inner Isshin

Remnants

Remnants serve as an homage and evolution of the Messages feature FromSoftware regularly adds to their Soulsborne games. Remnants were also a feature added into the game post-launch as a form of DLC.

While Remnants do not change the narrative in any way, they do serve as an excellent showcase to the dynamic gameplay FromSoftware has perfected. While playing in Network Mode, you’ll see pink fireflies dotting the landscape. Examining these fireflies unlocks a Remnant left by another player.

Players can use Remnants to leave 3-30 second snippets of their gameplay and a short message constructed from templates FromSoftware provides. Remnants can be a brilliant way to show other players winning techniques or what not to do in a specific situation.

Praising a Remnant will restore some of the player’s vitality. While entirely optional, players are encouraged to share their own to contribute to the fun and potentially get some health restored while experiencing the game. Leaving a Remnant is easy as well!

Press the touchpad on a PS4 controller or use the D-pad on an Xbox controller/PC Gamepad. For mouse and keyboard players, there is a designated key as well.

You can only leave so many, but you can always rescind them and start a new one as well. Knowledge is power, so share the wealth if you desire.

Why isn’t there a New Story or Campaign DLC?

This is a complicated one. SoulsBorne creator and director of Shadows Die Twice, Hideki Miyazaki, isn’t generally too fond of sequels.

Another more logical answer would be that FromSoftware wanted to focus development entirely on Elden Ring once Sekiro was complete and the developers added all post-launch content. Sekiro received its DLC in October 2020, and Elden Ring was released at the end of February 2022.

Game development takes years, and many studios, big and small faced immense struggles while working remotely during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Even if FromSoftware wanted to or was starting to make a story or campaign-based DLC quietly, it’s possible that Miyazaki felt it wasn’t up to snuff and put the breaks on it before the news got out. Shadows Die Twice received critical and commercial success upon release and was considered a “feature complete” game.

With four different endings and ample tactics to defeat bosses, it’s also possible that FromSoftware felt that the game already had sufficient replayability and didn’t need any new narrative-based content.

While there is room to explore new stories in the Sekiro universe it is admirable to see a developer have a “less is more” based approach to their craft. As such, it is bittersweet that there will not be any new campaign-based content for Shadows Die Twice and it is highly likely that there will not be a sequel.

FAQs

Question: Is any of the DLC Paid?

Answer: Nope! It’s all free and pretty seamless to access. The Costumes are obtained through completing Gauntlets of Strength challenges (minus one of them you get for beating the game once), and the Gauntlets of Strength are unlocked upon your first game completion.

Question: I don’t Care about Getting Platinum or 100% Achievements. Why should I Play the DLC?

Answer: To get more mileage out of the game, of course. The Reflections of Strength are a fantastic feature that allows you to revisit any boss battle upon successfully beating them the first time.
Doing this gives you a safe playground to experiment with different techniques, prosthetics, or items and further immerse yourself in the world of Sekiro.
If you die in a reflection of strength, you don’t lose your XP or Sen, and you don’t lose your items. Considering how wary players can be of experimenting with a new strategy due to the punishing nature of Soulsborne games, this is a gift in and of itself.

Question: What Exactly is a Gauntlet of Strength, and why should I Play it?

Answer: Not only are the Gauntlets of Strength the only way to unlock the rest of the additional costumes, but they’re also an excellent way to test your might. Gauntlets of Strength are a single-life boss rush mode that pits you against some of the most unique challenges of the last generation of gaming.
It’s an especially great feature to look into if you’re a streamer or want to get started in that, or if anything, a fun way to trade notes with other friends who’ve completed the game.
Like all Soulsborne games, there is nothing as satisfying as downing a mighty beast with minimal loss. Now you have an exclusive mode dedicated to just that. What’s not to love?

Question: What is the Point of the Remant System they Added in?

Answer: Remnants are a fun and entirely optional feature that allows you to record and register a 30-second clip of gameplay with a message for other players to see and vice versa.
This helps tie the game design into the Soulsborne genre that FromSoft invented but can also help you learn new techniques (or what not to do) during challenging boss or enemy encounters. It’s a way to create a community out of the game and learn something new and again is entirely optional.
Part of what made Elden Ring so memorable was all the silly messages left by other players. Remnants are Sekiros equivalent and help tie the feature into the broader legacy of FromSofts body of work. If you don’t like seeing the pink remnants everywhere, play offline, and they’ll vanish.

Conclusion

While additional story DLC would have been amazing, FromSoft still delivered the goods on creating the ultimate challenge for diehard Sekiro players. The Gauntlets of Strength are no joke and will test your skills to the max, and the sweet costumes unlocked are a fun little bonus.

Reflections of Strength are a brilliant way for players to hone their skills and achieve mastery of the combat system. Remnants help create a fun community-based feature that doesn’t interrupt the overall flow and pacing of the game.

If you’re thinking of taking these challenges on, know I’ll be watching you in the shadows hoping for your success.

The path may be daunting, but it is undoubtedly one you can conquer. Do you have a favorite costume or unforgettable memories during the Gauntlets of Strength? Did you wish that FromSoft added in a new campaign-based DLC, and if so, what was your idea for it? We’d love to hear it. Happy hunting, Shinobis!

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