Beast of Reincarnation gives Emma and Koo separate skill trees, and the game does not hand out enough points to fill every branch during a normal first playthrough. Your first choices matter, but the safest route is not complicated: give Emma one strong attack and one dependable escape, then give Koo tools that improve control, healing, or the status effects already used by your build.
For most players, the best early order is Helm Splitter, Iaido, and Roll for Emma, followed by Taunt, Healing Energy, Status Effect Amp, and one elemental mod for Koo. Choose either Shocking Vigor or Magmatic Mantle first. You do not need both immediately.
Best Skills to Unlock First: Quick Order
- Emma priority 1 — Helm Splitter: A direct offensive upgrade shown in the official combat overview. It gives early SP an immediate purpose instead of spreading points across several branches.
- Emma priority 2 — Iaido: A strong second sword-focused choice highlighted in IGN’s launch guide. It fits players who want Emma to do more of the work during openings.
- Emma priority 3 — Roll: The practical survival pick. Take it early if positioning and crowded fights are causing more trouble than damage output.
- Koo priority 1 — Taunt: Start with a control option before chasing several damage modifiers.
- Koo priority 2 — Mod: Healing Energy: The safer choice for a first run because it supports recovery while you are still learning parry timing.
- Koo priority 3 — Mod: Status Effect Amp: Move this higher if your favorite Bloom Arts and gear already lean heavily into status effects.
- Koo priority 4 — Mod: Shocking Vigor or Magmatic Mantle: Pick the one that supports your current setup. Unlocking both at once delays upgrades that help in every fight.
These priorities follow the skills highlighted in IGN’s launch-day video, but the order below adds a simple decision rule: survival first if you are still learning, direct damage first if your parries are reliable, and status amplification only when the rest of the build can use it.
How Skill Progression Works
Emma and Koo grow in different ways, even though they fight as one team. Emma earns SP during the adventure and spends it in her skill tree. The official combat overview shows those points opening new techniques and broader follow-up attacks. Helm Splitter is the named example shown after a skill-tree upgrade.
Koo’s most important combat abilities are Bloom Arts. New Bloom Arts awaken after Emma defeats major Nushi bosses and absorbs their power. That means some of Koo’s options are tied to story progress, while Emma’s early choices are more directly controlled by where you spend SP.
Reviews from GamesRadar and TechRadar agree on one important warning: the two skill trees are large, many skills can be upgraded, and a normal first run will not unlock everything. A focused route is more useful than buying every cheap node just because it is available.
Best Emma Skills to Unlock First
1. Helm Splitter
Helm Splitter is the clearest first offensive goal. Game Freak’s official combat video uses it to demonstrate how Emma turns earned SP into a new finishing option. That makes it a safer recommendation than an upgrade whose value depends on a very specific weapon or late-game combination.
Choose Helm Splitter early if you can already create openings with parries and Koo’s Bloom Arts. It gives those openings a stronger payoff and keeps the build centered on a loop you use throughout the game: parry, build FP, call Koo, then send Emma in.
Do not expect one skill to replace the basics. Helm Splitter feels better when you are already watching the Down Gauge and using finishers at the right moment. If you are taking constant damage before an opening appears, Roll may help more first.
2. Iaido
Iaido is the next Emma skill highlighted by IGN for the early game. Treat it as the second part of a sword-focused route, not as a reason to ignore defense. It makes the most sense when you enjoy deliberate timing and want more options during the short windows created by a stagger, bind, or clean parry.
Players who are still testing different weapons can wait before investing heavily beyond the first useful unlock. Read the current in-game tooltip and compare it with your equipped katana, Spirit Stones, and most-used follow-ups. Launch patches can change exact values, but the role of the choice remains the same: improve Emma’s active sword pressure without buying unrelated branches.
3. Roll
Roll is the least flashy recommendation and often the one that saves the most failed attempts. Beast of Reincarnation rewards parrying, but not every attack needs to be challenged. A reliable repositioning option helps when several enemies crowd the camera, an area attack covers the ground, or you need space to open Koo’s menu.
Move Roll above Iaido if you are losing health while surrounded or missing unfamiliar boss timings. Keep it third if defense already feels comfortable and fights are taking too long. The best first build fixes the problem you actually have, not the one with the biggest damage number.
Best Koo Skills and Mods to Unlock First
1. Taunt
IGN places Taunt first among its early Koo recommendations. Its value is control: it gives the Koo side of the build a job beyond adding another damage effect. That is useful while learning how enemies move and when Emma can safely commit to a longer attack.
Use Taunt as the foundation of a safer setup, then decide whether the next slot should improve healing or status pressure. If solo fights already feel controlled, you can move to a damage-oriented mod sooner.
2. Mod: Healing Energy
Healing Energy is the best follow-up for a first run focused on consistency. Early progress is limited more often by mistakes than by a lack of theoretical damage. A recovery-focused mod gives the build room to survive while you learn a new Nushi pattern or work on parry timing.
It also fits the game’s wider survival loop. Food keeps natural healing available while the hunger gauge has energy, and a healing-oriented Koo setup adds another layer of protection. Players who rarely need that support can delay it, but it is the most forgiving default.
3. Mod: Status Effect Amp
Status Effect Amp becomes valuable when the rest of the loadout already creates status effects reliably. Koo can use Bloom Arts to exploit weaknesses, bind enemies, or pressure them with status conditions, so amplification works best as part of a plan rather than an isolated purchase.
Do not buy it simply because it sounds universal. Check which Bloom Arts, Charms, weapons, and Spirit Stones you are actually using. If few of them interact with status effects, Healing Energy or a direct elemental mod will give clearer value.
4. Mod: Shocking Vigor or Magmatic Mantle
IGN treats Shocking Vigor and Magmatic Mantle as an either-or early choice. Follow that logic. Pick the mod that matches your current elemental setup, then spend the next points improving the route instead of opening a second element immediately.
Shocking Vigor belongs in a shock-focused setup; Magmatic Mantle belongs in a fire-focused one. The exact bonuses shown by the current game build should decide the final choice. What matters early is commitment: one working elemental package is better than two unfinished ones.
Three Good Early Build Routes
Safe First-Run Build
- Emma: Roll, then Helm Splitter.
- Koo: Taunt, then Healing Energy.
- Next step: Add Iaido when defense feels stable.
This route gives you more room to make mistakes. It is the best option if the camera, groups, or boss timing are still overwhelming.
Parry and Sword Damage Build
- Emma: Helm Splitter, then Iaido.
- Koo: Taunt or the elemental mod that fits your strongest Bloom Arts.
- Next step: Take Roll before entering later areas with more crowded encounters.
Choose this route if parries are already producing FP consistently. It converts successful defense into stronger Emma attacks instead of spending the first points on extra safety.
Status and Koo Build
- Emma: Roll or Helm Splitter, depending on survival.
- Koo: Status Effect Amp, then Shocking Vigor or Magmatic Mantle.
- Next step: Add Taunt when you need more control over groups.
This route takes longer to come together because its value depends on compatible Bloom Arts and gear. It becomes stronger once you can reliably apply the effects being amplified.
Why Parrying Changes Your Skill Order
Emma’s parries fill the FP gauge that powers Koo’s Bloom Arts. If you rarely parry, Koo’s strongest tools enter the fight less often. In that situation, spending every early upgrade on Koo can leave you with a build that looks powerful on the menu but does not receive enough FP in practice.
When parrying is difficult, take Roll and a reliable Emma attack first. Practice against enemies with readable swings, and use Story difficulty if the timing window is stopping you from learning the rest of the system. Once FP arrives consistently, Koo’s control, healing, and status upgrades become much more valuable.
