Nioh 3: All Crucible Arts

Discover everything you need to know about all Crucible Arts in Nioh 3, including how to obtain them while progressing.

Crucible weapons have a red flaming skull icon and red smoke in Nioh 3. These are the ones that carry Crucible Arts and are dropped by enemies in Crucible challenge areas. Equip a Crucible weapon and use it often in combat.

Familiarity builds as you kill enemies and use the weapon. After unlocking, go to Customize Martial Arts/Ninjutsu and assign the art to a button. Keep running high-level Crucible missions to find more weapons and unlock all arts.

What are Crucible Arts in Nioh 3?

Crucible Arts in Nioh 3 are special weapon skills tied to Crucible weapons you find. These weapons are located in Crucible areas. These skills are not part of the normal Samurai or Ninja skill trees. Crucible comes with a special Crucible Martial Art attached to certain dropped weapons. You can use that special skill after equipping one of these skills.

The Crucible Art gets unlocked permanently after maxing out the Familiarity of that weapon by using it in combat. You can also assign the Crucible Art to other weapons of that type from the skill menu.

The Crucible weapons are marked with a special icon indicating they carry an unlockable skill. Weapons like Splitstaff, Switchglaives, and swords have their own Crucible Arts.

The art doesn’t cost any skill points after unlocking them. This allows you to slot them freely once they’re learned. These are unlocked by gaining Familiarity XP with that weapon. The art joins your permanent martial art list once the gauge fills.

These skills work alongside the Samurai and Ninja style moves and your basic attacks. Make sure to use them in fights to deal more damage and control crowds.

How to Get Crucible Skills in Nioh 3

Find Crucible Weapons in Crucible missions and equip the weapon to use it in combat. Build Familiarity completely to unlock Art permanently to assign the skill. These powerful moves are not learned through the normal skill trees. Once unlocked, they can be equipped on a compatible weapon. Make sure to farm enemies inside Crucibles repeatedly to gain these weapons.

Drop rates are random, so keep clearing them to get different weapon types. Once you’ve looted a Crucible Weapon, equip it in your loadout. While equipped, you can use its Crucible Art in combat right away while using that weapon in combat. The objective here for you is to use the Crucible Weapon in fights to build its Familiarity gauge.

I highly recommend using whetstones with the weapon equipped to add familiarity faster. The Crucible Skill attached to that weapon is learned permanently once the bar fills. You lose the chance to unlock that skill by dismantling a Crucible Weapon before maxing its familiarity. Sometimes it takes many kills or whetstone to max our formality.

Make sure to defeat enemies in Crucible realms to get Crucible weapons in Nioh 3. Crucible Manifested quest requires you to enter these areas. Go to a Shrine and replay the mission to farm the Crucible weapons. The Crucible Manifested quest in Hamamatsu Castle is the best way to gain them early on.

All Crucible Arts For Samurai Weapons

Each weapon has its own Crucible Arts in Nioh3, and each one grants unique bonuses to your character in combat. You can assign the art to any weapon of that type from the Martial Arts customization menu. Below are all the Crucible Arts for all Samurai weapons in Nioh 3.

Weapon Type	Crucible Art	Description
Dual Swords	Demon Thrust	Mid-stance thrust while guarding, offering both defense and offense.
	Double-Headed Slice	Low-stance attack twirling both blades for a quick follow-up.
	Dragon Claw	Powerful stabs on winded enemies with each sword.
Sword	Dragon Fang	Powerful stab on a winded human enemy; increases Spirit Force.
	Severing Spin	Draws the sword and spins horizontally to strike surrounding enemies, then sheaths the blade.
	Sword of Meditation	High-stance charged attack with increased power and distance.
Spear	Bracing Breeze	Parry an enemy attack and stab; opportunity for a counterattack.
	Piercing Rain	Series of five quick thrusts to deal massive damage.
Axe	Earth Carver	Swing while dragging the ground to throw debris.
	Soul Devourer	Rush after parrying to hit enemies; restores Life on hit.
	Tornado Edge	Area-wide spinning attack for crowd control.
Odachi	Cascading Wave	Plant Odachi during fall to create shockwave; deals AoE damage.
	Dragon Horn	Powerful stab on winded human enemies; increases Spirit Force.
	Soaring Fowl	Use Odachi as base to jump high and perform downward spiraling slash.
Switchglaives	Celestial Retribution	High stance fling attack; launches enemy into the air.
	Empty Retribution	Series of spinning attacks in scythe form.
Cestuses	Fists of Reckoning	High-stance follow-up flurry after a quick attack.

All Crucible Arts For Ninja Weapons

Get a Crucible Weapon of the Ninja weapon type you want. Not every weapon has three Crucible Arts, but farming Crucible missions repeatedly increases the chance of finding weapons with different arts. Use the Crucible Art of Kusarigama for controlling enemy spacing and initiating combos.

Weapon Type	Crucible Art	Description
Ninja Sword	Falling Moon	Spin and slash while descending in mid-air attack.
	Morning Light	Press strong attack while downed to strike as you spring back up.
Dual Ninja Swords	Divine Flight	Rush toward enemy while airborne.
	Shadow Slice	Dash forward and unleash a quick slash.
Kusarigama	Chain Pull	Throw weight; if enemy Ki depletes, draw and slash.
	Floating Vine	Throw weight mid-air; if it hits, draw and attack.
	Waterfall	Parry an attack, then throw enemy backward.
Splitstaff	Heron Kick	Plant staff to launch into air and kick; extended range when held.
	Shapeshift Strike	Spin followed by two sweeping frontal blows.
Hatchets	All Ablaze	Boost attack & movement speed; reduces defense; use when sheathed.
	Arise	Attack immediately after springing up from downed state.
	Mountain Hawk	Fling hatchet after a quick attack.
Talons	Senju Rush	Aerial flurry; hold Strong Attack for more hits.
Tonfa	Devastation	Quick attack follow-up with simultaneous thrusts from both tonfa.

Best 5 Crucible Arts in Nioh 3

Choosing the best Crucible Art during combat is essential to gain unique bonuses to eliminate enemies. The right one allows you to dominate larger enemies and deadly bosses. Below are the five best Crucible Arts in Nioh 3.

Rank	Crucible Art	Weapon	Use
1	Soul Devourer	Axe	Advanced after successful Deflect; restores Life on hit; great for survivability.
2	Waterfall	Kusarigama	Parry-based counter; throws enemy backward; precise and powerful against aggressive foes.
3	Cascading Wave	Odachi	Creates shockwave AoE from airborne drop; excellent for groups.
4	All Ablaze	Hatchets	Boosts attack & speed while sheathed; perfect for hit-and-run strategies.
5	Bracing Breeze	Spear	Parry-triggered stab with follow-up spinning strike; high-damage counter.