Ori & the Will of the Wisps borrows a number of ideas from Hollow Knight, the most obvious of which is the Spirit Shards. Spirit Shards, or skills, function just like Charms in Hollow Knight, and provide Ori a variety of different pa𝐆ssive bonuses to choose from. While you can only equip 3 spirit shards at the start, as you progress through the game you'll unlock the ability to equip up to 8 different skills.
Skills serve a wide range of purposes. Some provide against strength and defense to help you on your difficult journey to save Ku, while others actually make the game more difficult, increasing the damage you take while also increasing rewards. Here are the 5 best Spirit Shards in Ori & the Will of the Wisps and where to find them.
Triple Jump
Triple Jump is the most straightforward skill, both in what it does and how you acquire it, b🉐ut once you unlock Triple Jump it will immediately become an indispensable skill to have. Tripple Jump does just what the name suggests - allows Ori to make an extra jump while in the air. While it is possible to complete the game without ever acquiring the Triple Jump, that extra jump can be the difference between reaching a platform and falling to your death. Triple Jump also allows you to reach some platforms that would otherwise require some late-game abilities, so it's best to get Triple Jump as soon as you can.
Unlocking Triple Jump is much easier said than done, unfortunately. First, make your way to the Wellspring Glades, otherwise known as the hub area of Ori 2. On the far left of the town, you'll find Twillen, the wizard-looking character that sells and upgrades Spirit Shards. Twillen sells Triple Jump for a who𒐪pping 2200 Sp💮irit Light.
2200 is a pretty major investment, especially early in th🌃e game when you can buy 4-5 useful upgrades for that amount, but we highly encourage you to be patient and save up the 2200 as soon as you get to the Wellspring Glades. Triple Jump is just that good.
Ultra Grapple
Sticking with the theme of increased mobility, Ultra Grapple is an incr꧙edibly powerful tool. Ultra Grapple allows Ori to slingshot towards enemies and damage them, making this not just a𓃲n important tool for combating flying enemies, but an incredibly useful mobility tool that will help you reach greater heights early in the game.
Ultra Grapple is located in The Wellsprings near the very top of the zone. Work your way from house to house using grap⛎ple to slingshot your way up until you reach the very top platform, then, d🎐rop down to the right to find grapple hidden on a platform just bellow.
Ultra Grapple has 2 upgrades available from Twilleꦜn. The first costs 300 and adds damage to the grapple. The seconds costs 600 and ꩵallows Ori to grapple 2 enemies at a time, dealing damage to both.
Catalyst
Catalyst can really save your butt in the early game 🍃when energy reserves are low, but even in the late game Catalyst can be a valuable tool for building your energy back up after unleas✅hing powerful attacks.
C𒆙atalyst can be found in Bauer's Reach after you obtain the Light Burst ability. Near Veral, there is a shrine that can be hit with the light burst ability, melting the frozen water and allowing you to swim down and to the left. Avoid the snapping enemies in ⛎this narrow passage and you'll find Catalyst at the end.
Lifeforce
The power of Lifeforce can't be overstated. 30% increased damage is huge, and towards the end of the g꧃ame when you have tons of life to work with, you'll almost always be well above half health, making Lifeforce very nearly a permanent 30% upgrade to y♓our damage output.
Lifeforce is also found in Bauer's Reach, the cold area to the north of ꦓthe Wellsprings Glades that is blocked by the giant bear. Lifeforce is at the highe🦋st section to the left, almost directly above the entrance to the zone. You'll need light burst unlocked to reach the area with the shard. Simply fire a light burst straight up and then slingshot off of it to reach this useful skill.
Secret
Secret is the last skill on the Spirit Shard page and the one that is probably the easiest to miss. If you manage to find it early (it's accessible as soon as you unlock the burrow ability in the Windswept Wastes) you'll have a much easier time finding all of the hidden ar💦eas in the game. These secret walls hide all of the valuable upgrade materials in the game, so maไking them semi-transparent is a massive help.
To unlock Secret, you must complete a sidequest called "A Diamond In The Rough". This quest isn't started by an NPC so it is an easy one to miss. Once you've acquired the Burrow ability, head back towards the entrance to Windswept Wastes and you'll find an alcove with a tiny pile of sand and a sho🍸vel sticking out of it. Burrow into this sand and you'll find an item called the Eeri Gem. Take the gem back to Twillen in the Wellspring Glades and he will reward you with the Secret skill.