Combat Upgrades

Enemies get tougher as you progress, and leveling up alone may leave your attacks feeling weak. Weapons provide character attributes; Martial Arts determine your moves and skill damage. Keep both upgraded as you level.

Controls & Menu

Press H → Gear, or Esc → Develop → Gear. Select either weapon slot at the upper left to view your equipment. Enhance is below the gear grid.

Default controls. Changed your layout? Use Settings → Keyboard & Mouse → Button Settings.

Weapons

Check new weapon drops as you level and explore. Equipping better weapons and enhancing their slots both improve your attributes.

Equip a Better Weapon

Open either weapon slot and compare a new piece’s Gear Tier, attack attributes and set effect with your equipped weapon. Check its requirements, then choose Equip or Replace. Repeat for the other slot.

Higher-tier weapons can improve your attack, but useful set effects also matter. Use the item’s requirements to check eligibility; gear tier and character level do not need to match exactly.

Enhance the Weapon Slots

Open Gear → Enhance, select a weapon slot and check the attribute increase and material cost. Choose Enhance, then repeat for the other slot. Hold Square to confirm on PS5.

Enhancement stays with the slot when you replace the weapon. Select a missing material → How to Obtain to find its sources.

The two weapon slots are at the upper left. Enhance sits below the equipment grid.

The selected slot’s next attribute increase and material cost appear on the right.

Martial Arts

The same weapon type can use different Martial Arts: Nameless Sword and Strategic Sword both use a sword, but have different movesets and separate upgrade progress. Leveling one does not level the other.

Select either equipped style in Abilities → Upgrade, then repeat for your second style. At its tier limit, select Break Through to see the requirements. Select a missing material → How to Obtain for sources.

Abilities: the two equipped Martial Arts are at the upper left. The four Inner Way slots are directly underneath.

Path Guide → Combination groups recommended Martial Arts with supporting gear sets and attributes.

Boss Dummy is at the lower left of the Sword Trial page.

Inner Ways

Equip up to four Inner Ways in the slots below your Martial Arts. Read Basic Buff to choose effects that support your fighting styles.

To upgrade one, select its next tier and read Breakthrough Gain. Collect the matching Tips under Submit Materials, then choose Breakthrough. Select any missing material for its sources.

Select an Inner Way, then read Basic Buff on the right. Sword Horizon names the Martial Art and attack timing it works with.

Breakthrough Gain explains this tier’s effect. The cost row shows the Tips needed and owned; Space · Breakthrough is at the bottom right.

What’s Stopping You?

A Character Level Requirement Blocks the Upgrade

If your level is below the requirement, earn Character EXP from available quests. If you are already at your cap, open Main Menu → Solo Mode → Upgrade beneath the portrait to inspect the next Breakthrough.

The Materials Are Missing

Select the red material → How to Obtain. Buy or collect the exact item and tier shown in the cost, then open any selection chest in Bag.