Sekiro Dragon Rot Guide: How to Cure Dragon Rot

Game Rant

By Dalton Cooper

Published Mar 22, 2019

There are consequences to dying and resurrecting in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, such as the Dragonrot affliction, but here is how players can cure Dragonrot in the game.

Prior to the release of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, some fans of From Software's work were worried that the game's resurrection mechanic would make it too easy. However, coming back to life in Sekiro comes with its fair share of consequences, most notably how it infects important NPCs with a deadly illness called Dragonrot. Dragonrot makes it impossible to progress various characters' stories, and so curing Dragonrot is important, but it can't be done right off the bat.

1. What Is Rot Essence

Sekiro players are most likely to encounter Dragonrot in the first area of the game, unless they are naturally skilled at its sword-based combat. Each time players die in battle and choose to resurrect, they are filling up a meter in the background that, when full, will stick them with an item called Rot Essence. This in turn will lower their chances of receiving Unseen Aid after death. If players examine the Rot Essence in their inventory, it will tell them which character is sick with Dragonrot.

sekiro dragonrot guide how to cure dragonrot

2. How to Cure Dragonrot

The first character that will likely be afflicted with Dragonrot is the Sculptor in the Dilapidated Temple. Later on, players can visit the Sculptor again to find Emma examining him, and she'll say she might be able to make a cure. Continue the journey as usual until finding a different NPC afflicted with Dragonrot, and interacting with them should give Wolf the option to collect a blood sample. Take the blood sample back to Emma.

Continue playing through the game some more and then return back to Emma after some time has passed to receive the Dragon's Blood Droplet and the Recovery charm items. Use these at a Sculptor's Idol to activate Dragonrot Restoration, which will cure all the NPCs who currently have Dragonrot and remove the Rot Essence from Wolf's inventory.

3. Don't Waste the Dragonrot Cure

The downside to this is that Dragon's Blood Droplets, which are purchased from merchants in the game world, are a finite resource, and once they're gone, they're gone. Players need to be strategic about when to use them (don't use them before a boss fight, like the Lady Butterfly battle, for instance), and keep in mind that Dragonrot can only be cured so many times.

Once players reach this point, curing Dragonrot in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice should just be a matter of buying Dragon's Blood Droplets from merchants and curing the world at a Sculptor's Idol.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.