Phantom Blade Zero skill tree nodes cost Remnant Dust, not XP: Fluid Form is free, the cheapest paid nodes are 5,000, and the other single-level cards read so far run from 10,000 to 40,000 (Boundless Capacity Lv.2). Train Fluid Form first, then Healing Art (one more Medicine use) and Steady Composure at 5,000 each. Each row also needs its collectible: Masterful Flow takes 1 Blackstone, then 4, and Boundless Capacity Lv.4 takes 6 complete Memory Flowers. The 30-level nodes Focused Mind and Keen Edge showed 535,500 Remnant Dust on their cards.
By Edwin Galibert · Updated
Which skill tree nodes to train first
Fluid Form costs nothing, and the tutorial at the first bell, The Beginning, has you train it. After that, the cheapest cards read in the finished game are Healing Art and Steady Composure at 5,000 Remnant Dust, then Boundless Capacity Lv.1 and Thousand-Mile Stride at 10,000.
| Node | Cost | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Fluid Form | Free | Quick Pursuit: dash to a distant enemy after a perfect dodge, a parry, a Guard Break or a kill |
| Healing Art | 5,000 | One more Medicine use |
| Steady Composure | 5,000 | After a dodge or parry, your next □ is more likely to interrupt the enemy |
| Boundless Capacity Lv.1 | 10,000 | One more accessory slot |
| Thousand-Mile Stride | 10,000 | A high-speed sprint after 2 seconds of running |
Costs in Remnant Dust, read on launch day.
Healing Art is the one that changes the early fights most plainly: Medicine is your only heal between bells. And a pick is never locked in, since the tree's Reset button refunds all the Remnant Dust you spent.
Which nodes to train next
Once those are in, our order for the next picks, circled in red on the map at the top of the page:
| Next pick | Cost | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Boundless Capacity Lv.1, then Lv.2 | 10,000, then 40,000 | "Adds 1 accessory slot." Each slot is one more accessory effect, and the tree tops out at six |
| Breath Control | 15,000 | "Increases Sha-Chi recovery rate." Sha-Chi pays for blocking and for Sha-Chi attacks |
| Hawk's Reversal | Not shown | "R1 dodge can also be used while airborne." A way out of air combos |
| Opening Strike, for weapon-swap builds | Not shown | "Replaces the move triggered by switching weapons with a special move." Take it once your build swaps blades every time Sha-Chi runs low, as the Bleed and lilies build does |
Our recommendation, built on the node cards read in the game.
How the tree works
There is no level-up screen. Soul grows by finding things, and each set of nodes is paid in one collectible: Blackstone for the top row, Sha-Chi Amber for the middle one, Memory Flowers for the bottom one, and The Banyan's Heart for a fourth set. Most nodes also cost Remnant Dust, and later levels ask for more of the collectible: Masterful Flow takes 1 Blackstone, then 4.
Two 30-level stat nodes, Focused Mind and Keen Edge, also need The Banyan's Heart. The three rows can be reset and reinvested at any time.
Nodes are trained with Remnant Dust once their collectible requirement is met. The director has said progression is meant to give new tools rather than flat stat increases. Nodes can be refunded and spent again.
Every node card read so far
Twenty-seven nodes have a name so far, out of about 38 on the tree. Training a node takes a hold of the confirm button, and the card then reads TRAINING COMPLETE.
Sha-Chi6
Increases Sha-Chi recovery rate.
Cost shown on its card: 15,000 Remnant Dust.
After Dodging or Parrying an enemy attack, your next □ is more likely to interrupt the enemy's move.
Cost: 5,000 Remnant Dust.
Dodging (R1) or Parrying (L1) an enemy attack restores Sha-Chi.
Requires 2 Blackstone.
Blackstone row
Increases maximum Sha-Chi Essence by 1.
Lv. 1Requires 1 complete Memory Flower and a prerequisite node.
Lv. 2Requires 4 complete Memory Flowers.
You keep your Sha-Chi Essence when you die.
Requires 2 complete Memory Flowers. The French build's card shows the same effect.
When Sha-Chi is insufficient, △ Attack consumes remaining Sha-Chi for an enhanced attack.
Cost not shown. The Xbox card reads [Y] where PlayStation shows △.
Blackstone row
Remnant Spark and Phantom Edges4
Increases maximum Remnant Spark by 1.
Lv. 1Requires 1 Sha-Chi Amber and 30,000 Remnant Dust.
Lv. 2Requires 4 Sha-Chi Amber. Same wording as Lv.1.
Sha-Chi Amber row
Assassinations and Executions restore HP and Sha-Chi.
Lv. 1Third node of the top row. No collectible needed; 20,000 Remnant Dust.
Lv. 2Requires 1 Sha-Chi Amber and 20,000 Remnant Dust.
Blackstone row
Sha-Chi Amber row
Certain Phantom Edges can counter or follow up without spending Remnant Spark: against a regular enemy's ranged Red-flash Attack, or one under 50% HP while Guard-Broken.
Needs a prerequisite node.
Using a Phantom Edge has a 15% chance to not consume Remnant Spark.
Sha-Chi Amber row
Movement and openings8
After Perfect Dodging a Red-flash Attack, Parrying a Blue-flash Attack, Guard Breaking or defeating an enemy, press □ or △ within a short time to perform a Quick Pursuit on a distant enemy.
Cost: 0 Remnant Dust. The first node of the top row, trained in the tutorial.
Blackstone row
Allows R1 dodge at any point during a △ attack.
Lv. 2Same wording as Lv.1 on screen; the difference between levels was not shown.
Blocking and dodging do not interrupt the current combo.
Requires 1 The Banyan's Heart and 12,500 Remnant Dust. The first Banyan's Heart comes from the rematch with Jing Ye at the Human-Faced Banyan.
Spends a little Sha-Chi on L1 + R1 for an instant special dodge.
In The Banyan's Heart row; its cost is not known yet. The French build's card shows the same effect.
R1 dodge can also be used while airborne.
On the bottom row. The card shown in English launch footage reads RB, the Xbox button for what PlayStation maps to R1.
Memory Flowers row
After sprinting for 2 seconds, enter a high-speed sprint.
Cost: 10,000 Remnant Dust.
Replaces the move triggered by switching weapons with a special move.
Needs a prerequisite node. It sits in The Banyan's Heart row; its cost is not known yet. Seen trained (TRAINING COMPLETE) in launch footage.
The Banyan's Heart row
Weapon swap cooldown reduced by 2 seconds.
Lv. 2Requires 4 Blackstone. On the top row. A French card with the same effect showed 30,000 Remnant Dust, without a level.
Lv. 1Requires 1 Blackstone. Lv.2 takes 2 more seconds off.
Blackstone row
Staying alive3
Grants brief invincibility during a Power Surge.
In The Banyan's Heart row. Its card reads Prerequisite skill required; the cost is not shown yet.
When your guard breaks, Soul backs away on his own and cannot be hit for a moment.
In The Banyan's Heart row; its cost is not known yet.
Once per fight, a hit that would drop you under 10% HP leaves you standing.
In The Banyan's Heart row; its cost is not known yet.
Accessory slots and Medicine4
Adds 1 accessory slot.
Lv. 1Cost: 10,000 Remnant Dust. Second node of the top row.
Lv. 2Cost: 40,000 Remnant Dust. Level 4 adds a slot too; level 2 also requires 2 Sha-Chi Amber.
Lv. 4Requires 6 complete Memory Flowers. With the tree fully trained, the equip screen shows six accessory slots in total.
Lv. 3In The Banyan's Heart row; its cost is not known yet.
Blackstone row
Sha-Chi Amber row
Memory Flowers row
Increases Medicine uses by 1.
Cost: 5,000 Remnant Dust.
Defeating enemies has a chance to restore Medicines.
Requires 1 Complete Memory Flower, a count separate from the named flowers you complete in the world.
Memory Flowers row
Using Medicine while being attacked cancels the stagger.
In The Banyan's Heart row; its cost is not known yet.
30-level stat nodes2
30 levels total. Each level increases maximum Sha-Chi by 3%.
Requires 1 The Banyan's Heart; the card showed a training cost of 535,500 Remnant Dust.
Sha-Chi Amber row
30 levels total. Each level increases Attack and Guard Break by 2%.
Same requirement as Focused Mind: 1 The Banyan's Heart and 535,500 Remnant Dust on the card shown.
Blackstone row
What Amber and Blackstone add on their own
The tree's currency cards show a flat bonus as well. Each Blackstone permanently adds 10% Attack and Guard Break, and each Sha-Chi Amber 10% maximum Sha-Chi: with two of each, the cards read +20%.
Neither is found whole. Blackstone Shards and Sha-Chi Amber Fragments are listed under Key Progression Materials, and four of a kind make one: "Collect 4 fragments to permanently increase Attack and Guard Break by 10%."
How many are there?
Every region has a collection tracker. Mandate Encampment's, the one shown in full, counts 4 Sha-Chi Amber, 4 Blackstone and 20 Memory Flowers, and the game has 9 regions. Each pickup also shows how far you are toward the next full set, like Blackstone Shard (3/4).
Memory Flowers
Memory Flowers raise maximum HP and other stats. Some are named for the people they remember: the Echo Blossom of Alkaid, or the Echo Blossom of the Seven Stars, pieced together from seven Echo Petals.
In the finished game, the Mandate Masters' Memory Flower is three Memory Remnants, and completing it reads "HP increased. +7%".
Named flowers read so far give +5%, +7% or +10% HP once complete. The skill tree counts something else: its Complete Memory Flower card reads "A flower that permanently increases 10% Health" and "Collect more Large Memory Flowers". In one launch run it still showed Obtained: 0 after two named flowers were complete, so nodes like Blood Remedy wait for those larger flowers.
Sparing the Red Wraith grants an extra Memory Flower. Every named flower found so far is on the Memory Flower locations page.
FAQ
Is there XP or levelling in Phantom Blade Zero?
No. Enemies do not give experience; Soul improves through collectibles, weapon upgrades and the skill tree.
Can you respec in Phantom Blade Zero?
Yes. Skill points can be reset and reinvested, and weapon upgrades can be reverted for a full material refund.
By Edwin Galibert · Last checked Oct 29, 2026 · How we source · Report an error