Level Black Souls

Black Souls I Beginning

Starter Route

Establish Grimm in the Lost Empire: secure baseline gear, unlock the hub bonfire network, and stabilise SEN before venturing into the harsher fairy domains.

• Push Vitality and Strength to 20 for early survival margins.
• Grab the Herb Flask and Homeward Bonedust as soon as vendors unlock.
• Complete Leaf's opening quest to access restorative sorcery scrolls.

Dark Forest & Beyond

Mid-Game Route

The Forest of Sabbath introduces branching quests and SEN-draining ambushes. Prioritise gear that resists poison, madness, and bleed before pushing toward Witch's Forest.

• Carry Antidote and Cure Herbs; farm Slumbering Woods for stock.
• Unlock Red Hood and complete her hunt tasks for bleed weapon upgrades.
• Map the Moonlight Garden shortcuts to create sprint-safe checkpoints.

End Game Mastery

Demonic Princesses

Late-game encounters such as Cinderella demand specialised resistances, perfect dodge timing, and grim inventory planning to avoid multi-phase wipes.

• Bring resistance charms for madness, blood, and cold status bursts.
• Craft Slaughter-fused weapons for high stability and stagger control.
• Stockpile Purification Scrolls to keep SEN above critical thresholds.

Speed Run Progression

Boss Skip Planning

For sprint clears, invest in mobility and ranged burst. Abuse SEN resets, precise save routing, and Moonlight weapon art openings to clip boss HP bars.

• Use Hunter's Bow and Fairy Powder for safe early-game skips.
• Reset SEN via tea rooms to avoid madness cutscenes that waste time.
• Practice Cinderella phase triggers to preserve quick kill windows.

Completionist Approach

All Endings & Lore

Chart every optional zone including the Sea of Trash and Behemoth Ranch to secure unique lore flags, weapon evolutions, and New Game carryover rewards.

• Rotate SEN states (lucid vs. madness) to view alternate cutscenes.
• Log item pickups with Leaf to avoid missing missable encyclopaedia entries.
• Document dialogue branches before triggering irreversible finales.

Hybrid Build Mastery

Melee & Sorcery Blend

Blend high-strength twin axes with sorcery catalysts to cleave resistant foes while maintaining ranged pressure during SEN storms.

• Push Strength and Intelligence evenly to meet twin-weapon scaling.
• Slot Moonlight Greatsword or Sorcerer's Staff for ranged finishers.
• Pair Shisha's incense with Leaf's charms to stabilise stamina use.

Black Souls II SEN Meter Mastery

Sanity Management

SEN dictates boss phases, shop prices, and ending eligibility in Black Souls II. Learn every mitigation tool to keep Grimm lucid or intentionally plunge him into madness when the route demands it.

• Track day/night and moon cycles; both adjust passive SEN decay.
• Carry Leaf's clover tea, Shisha incense, and calming tonics at all times.
• Exhaust NPC dialogue in low SEN states to unlock hidden quests.