Sekiro Prayer Beads guide

Sekiro Prayer Beads are something you’ll quickly want to get your hands on when exploring FromSoft’s fantastical depiction of 16th century Sengoku period Japan. No, prayer won’t help you vanquish Sekiro’s many bosses, but these beads will increase your health and defence stats making that task a lot easier, especially when you hit NG+. As is the case in any Soulsian game, you’ll definitely need all the help you can get.

There are 40 Sekiro Prayer Beads scattered throughout the game’s maze-like world, but you’ll only need four to form a necklace, which you can do at any Idol checkpoint. If you fully upgrade your vitality and posture you’ll also unlock the Peak Physical Strength achievement. What these beads won’t do, however, is fix Sekiro’s back posture – nothing can fix the hunching that stems from a life-time of shinobi servitude and hucking around a chonking katana.

Thankfully, you can pick up these items at anytime, so if you’re already a good way through Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice you can go back and get them. Here are all of the Sekiro Prayer Beads we’ve found so far and where you can pick them up.

Sekiro Prayer Bead locations

Ashina Outskirts

Defeat General Kawarada in the Outskirts Wall on the Gate Path
Take out the chained ogre in the Outskirts Wall stairway
While here, you can find another by beating Tenzen Yamauchi
After you take out Gyoubu Oniwa you should be able to access the attic in the temple where you speak with the Tengu of Ashina for the first time. Grapple up the rafters and then wall jump into the attic to find a chest
Extinguish the Blazing Bull in the Ashina Castle Gate
Turn Shigekichi of the Red Guard blue – you can find him in the courtyard past the Outskirts Wall – Stairway after Ashina is set on fire.

Hirata Estate

Give the Shinobi Hunter Enshin of Misen a good ol’ hiding in the Bamboo Thicket Slope
Sober Juzou the Drunkard up with a timely skull-bashing in the Main Hall Courtyard
You’ll find a chest hidden behind a wall near the Hirata Audience Chamber Sculptor’s Idol. You can detonate the hidden wall with a scroll at the end of the pathway which is patrolled by the Bandit Soldier and Bandit Archer

Hirata Estate – second memory

If you pick up the Father’s Bell Charm while following the Purification Ending, you’ll be able to return to Hirata Estate for more Prayer Beads.

Regnite Lone Shadow Masanaga the Spear-Bearer with some pals and send him to heaven – you can find him hanging out where dying Owl was in the first memory
Juzoe the Drukard is on the booze again, put him back to sleep

Ashina Castle

When you reach the top of the stairwell leading to the Ashina Castle you’ll come across General Kuranosuke Matsumoto. Slice and dice them
Shine a light on the Lone Shadow Longswordsman in the Ashina Reservoir Well by taking him out
Defeat Seven Ashina Spears – Shikibu Toshikatsu Yamauchi in the Ashina Reservoir
You can find another chest hidden behind a wall in the Upper Tower of the Antechamber. The hidden wall can be found between two sets of armour behind two Blue-Robed Samurai sitting in a room on the right
Take Ashina Elite – Jinusuke Saze out of the game in the Ashina Dojo

Ashina Castle – after overrun with Shinobi

Head over to the Great Serpent Shrine and best Lone Shadow Masanaga the Spear-Bearer the battle. Do be warned though, he’ll scuttle off after Ashina has been set ablaze so be snippy.
Head to the Ashina Dojo and force Lone Shadow Vilehand to catch your hands
Beat down the Chained Ogre in the bottom of the Upper Tower

Ashina Castle – after set ablaze

You’ll find Seven Ashina Spears – Shume Masaji Oniwa mourning the death of his mate you killed in the Ashina Resevoir. Do what must be done.
Force the Red-Eyed Ashina Elite – Unjinari Mizou to blink – you can find him in the hidden Dojo below Isshin Ashina’s room.

Abandoned Dungeon

Pick this up from Dungeon Memorial Mob for 1,400 sen

Senpou Temple – Mt. Kongo

Go past the Shugendo Sculptor’s Idol to the top of the mountain and topple the Armored Warrior
Chop down the Long Arm Centipede Sen-Un in the Temple Grounds
After acquiring the Mibu Breathing Technique Latent Skill you can jump into the pond near the Temple Grounds Sculptor’s Idol and use the dive skill

Sunken Valley

Head to the Under-Shrine Valley Sculptor’s Idol and turn around and walk up the hill. Once there, grapple across to the tree stump and kill the two Riflemen. After that, double-jump and climb up the wall next to them. Shimmy around the ledge and drop down once you reach the other side. Here you should see a prayer bead in the snow
End Snake Eyes Shirafuji’s luck by taking him out of the game. You can find them near the Sunken Valley Idol
Dismember Long Arm Centipede Giraffe in the Gun Fort
Upon victory, you should notice a hole in the floor to the left of the statue. Crouch and follow the left path and you’ll find a chasm. Look up to the left and grapple, then you should be able to reach more grapple points on the right. You should find the Prayer Bead near the mini-centipedes and poison geckos

Ashina Depths

Give Snake Eyes Shirahagi a good walloping in the Poison Pools
Head on past the gate they were guarding for another one
Defeat Tokujiro the Glutton in the Misty Forest
Put down the Headless Ape in the Ashina Depths, and two prayer beads will await you
Beat up O’Rin of the Water in Mibu Village
After you’ve drained this baddie, head over to the bridge and up to the house. You should see an opening to the right-side of the house’s stairs you can crouch under. Wander over to the left side of the house, look up and interact with the revolving floorboards. Go outside the house and grapple to the second floor and the item should be on the Shrine surrounded by Spirit Emblems
Head to the Water Mill Sculptor’s Idol and swim up the river under the bridge to a waterfall. Once there, you should find a large chest on some rocks near the base of it
Once you’ve picked up the Mibu Breathing Technique Latent Skill, you can find a chest at the bottom of the lake in Mibu Village

Fountainhead Palace

Tame the Sakura Bull of the Palace. To find his flowery beast, head over to the Sculptor’s Idol past the courtyard that’s full of flute-playing Nobles. Once there, turn left and head down the length of the palace and the bull will pop up when you’re about half way down
Dive on down to Prayer Bead town at the Great Colored Carp lake. You’ll find the bead amongst some headless and a giant skeleton. You don’t have to kill ‘em, but it helps.
Wonder over to the Sakura Tree and knock Okami Leader Shizu’s lights out

More Sekiro Shadows Die Twice guides to chop through:
Sekiro Treasure Carp scales guide
Sekiro endings guide
Sekiro shinobi tools guide

And there you go, Sekiro Prayer Beads and how to find them. Whether you’re preparing for a thorough playthrough or finding the means to overcome a tricky boss, we hope this guide helps.