Sekiro: 18 Tips & Tricks The Game Doesn't Tell You
14. There Are Specific Unlockable Skills For Specific Encounters
Sekiro is the first of FromSoftware's games to give us a dedicated skill tree with specific moves and animations to unlock along the way. It's extremely handy as a way to chart character progression outside the usual numerics we associate with RPGs, but best of all, various skills in here correlate with specific enemies.
Near the beginning of the game for example, you'll have one hell of a time with the "Shinobi Hunter", a fearsome spear-wielding enemy who keeps his distance, jabbing you from afar.
Grind out enough currency for the Mikiri Counter however, and you'll get a spear-specific counter involving dashing into an oncoming spear stab, to leap on top it and fight back.
Essentially this is the game teaching you that grinding out XP to get moves can benefit some encounters in a one-to-one basis, and it's a mentality you should carry across the entire game. Maybe if you're having a hard time with an enemy, there's a unique move you're yet to unlock.