Sifu: How to Get Permanent Skills

In the martial arts action game Sifu, you’re taking control of a young kung fu warrior who has to exact revenge on the people who destroyed their kwoon, family, and life. Despite facing overwhelming odds, the warrior is armed with a magical talisman that revives them every time they died; albeit at the cost of their age. As you can expect, you will die a lot in Sifu until you learn the inside and out of the game’s combat mechanics. To help you in your path of revenge, there are 24 Sifu Skills that you can unlock and use. Here’s the list of all Sifu Skills, upgrade costs, and how you can unlock them permanently to enhance your combos to the next level.

How to Get Permanent Sifu Skills

In order to unlock Sifu Skills, all you need to do is beat up enemies and gain XP from it. Once you arrive at a Shrine (or die), you can open the Skill Tree menu and purchase the Skills you want or need. Each Sifu Skill has an initial XP cost needed to be unlocked. However, as you probably have learned from first-hand experience, any unlocked Skills are impermanent; you will lose them once you reach age 70+, breathe your last breath, and have to start the game all over again.

Thankfully, Sifu is not cruel. Like most games with permadeath and/or rogue-like elements, there is a way for players to retain some sort of progress. To permanently unlock Sifu Skills, you just have to pay up to five times the Skill’s original XP cost. For example, to unlock the crowd-control Focus Attack 360 Swing Focus, you have to spend 500 XP. And if you want to unlock it permanently for subsequent playthroughs, you will need to pay 500 XP time five or 2,500 XP in total.

The XP you spend on permanently unlocking Sifu Skills will carry over as well. With that in mind, you can actually just keep replaying the same level to farm XP, go to a Shrine (or again, die), and repeat until you have all the skills you want.

Video courtesy of justas.

Complete List of Sifu Skills and Costs

Skill Tree Set One – Max Age: 60+

1. 360 Swing Focus

“A wide attack capable of knocking down multiple enemies.”
2 Focus Bars while using Staff weapons.
Cost: 500 XP to unlock and 5 x 500 (2,500) XP for permanent unlock.

2. Strong Sweep Focus

“Powerful strike to the enemy’s knee, knocking them down for a while.”
1 Focus Bar.
Cost: 500 XP to unlock and 5 x 500 (2,500) XP for permanent unlock.

3. Snap Kick

“Engage Attack with important forward movement.”
While bare-handed or using Bat or Bladed weapons.
Cost: 500 XP to unlock and 4 x 500 (2,000) XP for permanent unlock.

4. Spin Hook Kick

“Combo leading to a powerful high kick capable of knocking down multiple enemies.”
Cost: 750 XP to unlock and 5 x 750 (3,750) XP for permanent unlock.

5. Charged Backfist

“Unleash a powerful punch that stuns any enemy.”
While bare-handed or using Bat or Bladed weapons.
Cost: 1,000 XP to unlock and 5 x 1,000 (5,000) XP for permanent unlock.

Skill Tree Set Two – Max Age: 59

1. Face Smash Focus

“A direct attack to daze your enemy.”
2 Focus Bars while using Bat weapons.
Cost: 500 XP to unlock and 5 x 500 (2,500) XP for permanent unlock.

2. Weapon Catch

“Parry at the right moment to catch an item thrown at you.”
Cost: 500 XP to unlock and 5 x 500 (2,500) XP for permanent unlock.

3. Pushback Cancel

“When pushed, regain your balance.”
Cost: 500 XP to unlock and 5 x 500 (2,500) XP for permanent unlock.

4. Ground Counter

“While on the ground, parry to counter your enemy’s attack.”
Cost: 750 XP to unlock and 5 x 750 (3,750) XP for permanent unlock.

5. Environmental Mastery

“Throw an item, weapon, or object directly from the ground.”
Cost: 1,000 XP to unlock and 5 x 1,000 (5,000) XP for permanent unlock.

Skill Tree Set Three – Max Age: 49

1. Double Palm Focus

“Straight strike that applies a destructive push to your enemy.”
2 Focus Bars.
Costs 500 XP to unlock and 5 x 500 (2,500) XP for permanent unlock.

2. Flowing Claw

“Fast and evasive strike that leaves your back facing the enemy.”
While bare-handed or using Staff weapons.
Cost: 750 XP to unlock and 5 x 750 (3,750) XP for permanent unlock.

3. Chasing Strikes

“Attack on a pushed enemy to follow them up and deliver a powerful series of strikes.”
Cost: 1,000 XP to unlock and 5 x 1,000 (5,000) XP for permanent unlock.

4. Crooked Foot